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Note: The following was taken from this website:
http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~hannahslife/
Hannah Maria NEWBERRY Morris
who along with her parents, siblings, grandparents and great grandparents on
both sides, lived reclusive lives in an effort to protect generations of their children.
They hid their Native American heritage to escape persecution and the prospect
of extinction. They intermarried and lived as white men and avoided speaking of
their heritage. Wherever they went, they only spoke in half-truths to avoid the
treatment forced upon their tribal cousins. Events such as the Trail of Tears, and
numerous other death marches by a land hungry civilization, forced them to hide
their ethnicity. It was an atrocity no less chilling than Nazi Germany. Yet, there
are clues and dying whispers of the truth even today in the 21st century.
Hannah's parents set out from Warwick, N.Y. for the Ohio frontier around 1819.
There are various speculations as to the reasons, and someday we hope to
know their reasons. Hannah Maria Newberry was born in Strongsville, Ohio
on March 23, 1823. She was named for her aunt. Many other children have
been so named in her honor through the generations that followed.
Her father James Newberry born in 1791 was probably from Iroquoian or
Mahican stock, and her mother Mary Smith, Northern Cherokee. By this
time many of the tribes had intermarried with white men and the Newberry's
claimed to be Caucasian in the early (1790) census records. In some cases it
is the information that is missing that is most telling!
From the 1650's after plagues, war, and Christianization the remnant coastal
people began melding with white culture. Movement inland commenced and the
Indian's saga began from the standpoint of the Englishman's written record.
I began this research after forty years of hearing my family speak of our ethnicity.
No one knew much in the way of details. Physical characteristics have diminished
through each succeeding generation. However, a friend of mine who is a Cherokee
elder believes, "the heart contains the flame that shelters our ethnicity, no
matter our physical appearance".
Family stories, and a photograph of Hannah Maria Newberry Morris as an
elderly person were the only clues I possessed starting out. The photograph is
especially telling in that she is wearing an interesting necklace that appears to be
aboriginal in origin.
The Necklace . . .
After securing a reasonably good copy of the photograph, I located two experts*
who identified the necklace as a relic from the Iroquois Six Nations/Northern
Cherokee. The necklace is what they call a 'family necklace' which is quite common and essentially the equivalent of wearing your genealogy or a coat of
arms around your neck. It was generally passed on from mother to daughter in
a matrilineal society. I believe Hannah Maria wanted us to know her heritage,
though she and her children and grandchildren were forbidden to speak of it due
to prevailing prejudices.
One part of the necklace is especially perplexing to even the most expert of my
sources. It appears to be small, animal vertebrae hanging from the main body of
the necklace. The choker portion of the necklace appears to be teeth or claws
(possibly shark's teeth or turtle claws) with spacers or beads between. My
sources say the items on the necklace gave her "important or special" tribal
social standing, such as a "Beloved Woman". Investigation still continues regarding
her status. Very little is available biographically about Hannah Maria. Her life
was controlled by her circumstances. She was apparently not literate, though her
brothers and father were.
Oral family lore said that she was a medicine woman. There are other evidences
that might prove this true, but also other reasons for doubting it - most especially
because of her religious affiliation. One thing is certain, in the autumn of her life she
attempted to bring her two worlds together posing for a photographer wearing
her family necklace.
The complete answer, when it comes, will ultimately be from elders of the proper
tribe within the Six Nations or the modern Mahican Confederacy. The New England
tribes, Mahicanders and other tribes pushed to near extinction, joined with other
the Iroquoian tribes and pushed to the frontier. Most of those joined their cousins
and brothers in New York, before being forced west to Ohio and then to other
reserves, where the new government always forced them to cede their lands to
advancing settlers.
The line was diluted with European ancestry, as was often the case. In the early
19th century we believe the line was re-infused with Northern Cherokee ancestry.
There are many possibilities but written records are scattered and hard to come by.
This search too - continues.
In looking into this family history, I have come a long way down a fascinating and
exciting road. On the way, I have met family members from the mid-west who
heard the same stories about their direct ancestors for the past 180 years. There
still exists within the Newberry family, a homestead steeped in Iowa State history
in Lee County, Iowa - where the original people set down roots in the 1830's.
I have also met a lot of wonderful, supportive people who have selflessly helped to
locate evidence, and in the process made many new friendships. To these generous
folks who are flung like pebbles across our vast continent, I say - thank you for
your generosity and sharing spirits! Wa-do, Sue Simonich
The Trip to Utah . . .
The trip across the plains took several months and many sacrifices. Hannah
spent a good portion of her time just looking after her children trying to be
a good wife.
Their first winter in the valley was spent in a covered wagon in sub freezing
temperatures. Her valor in surviving those first few years is a tribute to her
legacy. I will not go into all the history surrounding the first days in the
Salt Lake Valley, as this is written in history books.
Much of what is written is simply personal views of the historians. I must
paraphrase a gem I have often heard repeated during my search for information -
History is nothing more than a set of lies agreed upon. Much of what happened to Hannah in the years to come would not be
published. She was stoic in her reserve and what comes down to us is jaded
in every direction to hide one flaw or another. My grandmother always kept
most things about her family to herself and "didn't want to hang out her dirty
wash" regarding the goings on in her family.
Very little is written about the family as there are other attendant controversies
that probably precluded their inclusion into the family history. Hannah's ethnicity
has been a huge bone of contention for generations. However, there are
people in the family who are proud of whatever is buried here. Little by little
we are uncovering the truth and will continue to add to it as we find it with
some modicum of proof.
Joseph Morris as a Prophet
One instance of importance revolves around George's brother Joseph Morris,
who also came to Utah from England as a convert to the Mormon Church. When
he was in England, he worked in the coal mines and had been in an accident that
left him "touched" mentally. When he came to Utah, he felt that he was also a
prophet of the Mormon Church and made trouble for Brigham Young. He tried
to claim his rightful place as a prophet on Young's right hand. When Young was
not receptive to this idea, Morris gathered a group of people around him he called
the "Morrisites" and started his own version of the Mormon Church in Ogden, Utah.
To make a long story short, his attempts failed and Brigham Young sent
in his militia to bring the straying sheep home. There was blood shed, and
Morris and other leaders of his group were killed.
It is noticeable that after this 'embarrassment' - the George Morris family began
using an extra 's' at the end of the family name. It is not written anywhere as fact,
but the name change seems to transpire about the time of the Morrisite incident.
George's journals show this name change - The journals were written later in his life
when he was not as busy with work and when he was living as a bachelor in his 70's.
First Dobie House in the 17th Ward
George received land in the Salt Lake Valley and built a small 'dobie' house for
himself and Hannah. They continued living on what he could make as a well
digger and other trades. Hannah also took in work as a seamstress.
When one of the hand cart companies pulled into the valley during the winter, there
was a young woman named Maria Allen to whom George ministered during an illness
brought on by exposure to the elements. She was near death and asked George if
he would marry her. Hannah agreed to let this take place and stood for her while
the elders married them. Later, George would also take Hannah's sister Harriet as
a polygamous wife, even though she was already deceased. However, she had
previously requested the opportunity. To this Hannah also agreed.
But it was when George took another woman who was still living that Hannah's life
began to take a turn for the worse. George married Annie Matthews in a
polygamous union which displeased Hannah greatly.
It is unclear if Annie lived in the same house with George and Hannah initially, but
eventually George moved out of the house entirely with Annie and moved to St.
George, Utah to work on the temple there. Before he left he locked the cellar
door, so that Hannah would be unable to access the provisions stored there.
Sarah Ann Grow Morris, her daughter-in-law, went to Hannah's home and took an
ax to the padlock George had placed on the door so Hannah could feed herself and
her 10 children. Hannah was pregnant at the time that he left. George ultimately was to
be gone for eight years. In his old age he was barred from living with his second wife
by the federal law, and was brought up on polygamy charges, from which he was able
to escape only with the testimony of Hannah and his daughter Harriet. By this time he
was an old man.
He could no longer live with Annie because of the law, so he begged Hannah to take
him back. She said to him, "You may live in this house, because you are the owner,
but you shall never share my bed again." George lived with her a short time, and then
took up bachelor quarters until the end of his days. Hannah died November 6, 1892
and George died January 29, 1897
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