Day in the Life

Jun 16, 1877

Journal Entry

June 16, 1877 ~ Saturday

June 16. A coffin Brigham ^Y.^ Woodruff
Drowned June
16, 1877, 1 oclok
Aged 20 years
We drove to pine valley and held a meeting
at 2 oclok. At 1 oclok I was taken
with a severe pain in my stomach which
lasted me six hours I got no relief untill
the Elders [laying on of hands|laid hands]] upon me I was then healed instantly
at 24 oclok I received the following Telegram

Logan June 16, 1877
To Wilford Woodruff St George. Brigham Woodruff
was drowned in Bear River near Smithfield 1 oclok to day
body not found. David Woodruff

Later I got the following Telegram
Logan June 16, Elder W. Woodruff. Your Brigham
shot duck on bear River, swiming to obtain it, supposed
he cramped, sank about one to day. Men are searching
for Body will Telegraph when found. Family well as can be Expected

I attended the Meeting which lasted two hours I spent the
night at Br Snows


On the 22 June I received the following Telegram
Smithfield June 22 1877. Elder W. Woodruff Brigham
floated seventy Miles, good condition, Phebe W.
attends funeral at 10 oclok today, we sympathize
Samuel Roskelly

16 Thus my son Brigham has lost his life apparently
for a trifle, we cannot always comprehend the
ways of Providence. There is a mystery hanging
over this affair to me. I never saw a person more
anxious to obtain an Education than He was, He has
studied untill midnight a good deal of the time for the
last two years, He has just finished his Education
and gone home to his Mother in Smithfield Cash Co
and Drowned in Bear river. He was a good young
Man, virtuous, Temperate, Honest, and lived his
religion. He had received his Endowment. I have felt
calm, composed, and reconciled in this bereavement
I have thought that as I was doing so much
for the dead here in the Temple in St George, that it
might be necessary to have one of the family in the
spirit world. Brigham Y Woodruff was
born Jan [blank] 1857. Drowned June 16, 1877
Aged 20 years

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

Woodruff, Brigham Young, b. 1857
18 Jan 1857 - 16 Jun 1877
63 mentions
Family
Woodruff, David Patten
4 Apr 1854 - 20 Jan 1937
227 mentions
Family
Woodruff, Phebe Whittemore Carter
8 Mar 1807 - 10 Nov 1885
1582 mentions
Family
Roskelley, Samuel
1 Jan 1837 - 10 Feb 1914
139 mentions
Woodruff, Sarah Brown
1 Jan 1834 - 9 May 1909
707 mentions
Family
Snow, William
14 Dec 1806 - 19 May 1879
15 mentions

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

April 16, 1877
Wilford resigns as President of the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society after 15 years.

Jun 16, 1877