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Note: [Van Jensen.FTW]
Birth Place: Wethersfield, Genesee County (Later Wyoming, NY
2 DATE 21 JUNE 1949 IF 15 MAY 1963
Charlotte Holbrook Call 1833-1866 Charlotte Holbrook was born November 26, 1833, in Weathersfield, New York, the second daughter of Joseph Holbrook and Nancy Lampson. She was named after her father's aunt. Charlotte's older sister was Sarah Lucretia.
In April 1834, the Holbrook family started from Weathersfield with Joseph's brother Chandier, his family, and the Solomon Angell family for the land of Zion. They arrived in Kirtland two weeks later.
Charlotte's parents joined the Mormon church in January 1833. As a family they were persecuted along with all the other Saints by the numerous mobs in Illinois and Missouri.
In February 1839, Charlotte's family crossed the Mississippi River; there they were reunited with their father Joseph who had left the previous winter to find a place for them in the west. After experiencing many hardships in Missouri, they finally settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was here that Charlotte's mother passed away on July 16, 1842, leaving the four small children motherless. Charlotte was eight year old. In the following year, Nancy Jane, the youngest child for in January 1839, died and was buried beside her mother in the Mormon Cemetery. The other children were raised to maturity by Hannah Flint.
The Holbrook family and Call family, very faithful Latter-day Saints, had been close friends and were together through much of the persecution of the Saints in Illinois and Missouri. Family history likes to imagine that Anson Vasco and Charlotte crossed the plains hand in hand with their parents as teenagers. Actually, Charlotte's second mother, Hannah, had lived in her brother-in-law's home, Anson Call, and helped to raise Anson Vasco as a young child. When Hannah married Joseph, the two families became closer. After their arrival in Utah, Hannah, a well-educated woman, taught one of the first schools in the country in a wickiup built of mud and willows. Her students were the children of her husband and of her brother-in-law.
Charlotte was married to Anson Vasco Call, Sr. in January 1853 at her father's home in Davis County. They made their first home in Willow Creek where their son Anson Vasco Call II was born on May 23, 1855. Their permanent home was in Bountiful, Davis County, Utah.
Anson was called on a mission for the Church in 1857 to the Sandwich Islands. He had just reached San Francisco, California when summoned back by the news of the coming of Johnston's Army. He returned to his home to participate in the "move south." He was a scout on duty in the region of Green River, Wyoming.
After the danger of Johnston's Army subsided, Anson Vasco and his families returned to their homes in Bountiful. In 1864, he went on a mission to England and labored faithfully in New Castle, England and in Bristol. He was Branch President a Sheffield at the time of Charlotte's death July 9, 1866. Due to slow transportation of the mail in those days, the sad news did not reach Anson Vasco for some time.
Charlotte was a very talented, hard working woman. She spun, wove, kit, and sewed the clothing for her family in addition to the ordinary work for a mother of seven children; Charlotte Vienna, born 7 November 1853; Anson Vasco III, born 23 May 1855; Joseph Holbrook, born 23 February 1857; Mary Vashta, born 29 January 1859; Chester Vinson, born 6 October 1859; Ira, born 23 March 1861; Hannah, born 27 January 1863; and Lamoni, born 25 January 1865.
During Anson's mission for the Church in June of 1864, Charlotte wrote him the following letter while at home attending to the family and business affairs:
November 12, 1864
"My dear Husband,
"It is with pleasure that I embrace the present opportunity of writing to you. I received your letter a few days ago and was very lad to hear that you were well and enjoying yourself. My health is not very good this summer, although I have enjoyed myself the best kind with my children. Vienna and Anson have not been to school much since you left, but they are well clothed, have shoes for the winter, and started school November first. We received the things the Charles brought; one bolt of factory, eighteen yards of calico, two bunches of cotton yarn, and a little blue denim. I don't know what to say about things being taken care of. Our wheat is not thrashed yet nor the orchard fenced. We have had very dry season and have not raised much. We had twenty-eight gallons of molasses, a few bushels of potatoes, and a little corn. Chester returned yesterday, he is pleased to see your likeness and wants you to end one to him. I gave one to Mother, the other I have framed and hanging up.
"Vasco, give yourself no trouble about things here. They will be taken care of now. Your father will start south in a few days and leaves Chester to take care of things here. He says that he will see that the orchard is fenced. Edward and the horses are to work on your father's machine. He takes good care of the horses. The children talk of father every day and think it is a long time since they saw him. Tell me if you have a comfortable place to stay and as good a living as you had here. Father and Mother send their love to you as d the Bishop and all the rest of my folks. Vasco, write often and let me know how you get along. You must excuse my writing for I am much more used to turning the spinning wheel that I am to writing. We have made about seventy yards of cloth and have thirty more to weave. I must bring this letter to a close by wishing the Lord will bless you with everything you need. Goodbye for the present.
"Your affectionate wife,
Charlotte Holbrook Call"
When returning home from his mission, Anson V. Call died crossing the plains. Charlotte preceded him in death at the early age of thirty-three. In 1868, Anson's body was brought in from the Plain by Wallace Willey and placed in the same grave in the Bountiful Cemetery as his beloved wife.
Adapted from An Enduring Legacy by Annie Call Carr, graddaughter, pg 123-124.
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