Miracle of the Flour Bin - Part II

Amanda Williams Clark
1835 - 1920

I shared a story called "Miracle of the Empty Flour Barrel" about a month ago. It is about an event in the life of my ancestors James and Margaret Houston when they were faced with the risk of starvation, along with other pioneers, because of massive crop destruction that occurred in Utah territory. James and Margaret were able to survive the ordeal and were greatly blessed because of their faith, obedience to counsel from church leaders and also because of a legitimate miracle involving flour.

Another ancestor of mine, my third-great grandmother Amanda Williams Clark, also lived in Utah Territory from its beginnings. She also experienced a very similar event involving flour and a miracle.

As background, Amanda arrived in Utah Territory as a teenager in 1849. She got married in 1850 at the age of fourteen to Riley Clark, and had sixteen children during her life. According to various records, she lived in Utah up until her death in 1920.

In the "Miracle of the Empty Flour Barrel" it is recorded that Brigham Young, the church leader then, had promised that those who had food, and divided or shared it with others who did not have food, would not miss what they gave away. That is, they would not go without because of their sharing and charity.

A small entry in Amanda's biography mentions her sharing flour with those in need even when she herself was very low on flour. While the biography does not indicate when the event took place, it appears Brigham Young's promise may have also applied to Amanda. Tucked away near the end of her biography the following is mentioned:

"During her pioneer days, [Amanda's] home was always open to strangers and friends alike. She was a generous woman, dividing her last bit of flour at night with someone and finding the same amount in her bin in the morning; or keeping her last yard of factory muslin that her neighbors in Manti might come in and unravel a few threads with which to sew. Her life was one of sacrifice and charity."

Just as James and Margaret Houston shared their flour until it was gone, Amanda did the same. Her flour would also miraculously return again.

Flour miraculously showing up in a barrel was also not isolated to my own ancestors. While I have no known relation, Warren and Almira Davis experienced a very similar miracle with flour in 1888. They also followed counsel given by Brigham Young and received a similar blessing as my own ancestors. Warren and Almira Davis's own "Miracle of the Flour Barrel" can be accessed here (https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/3313457).

These stories help strengthen my faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they also serve as a good reminder to heed the counsel given by our church leaders.

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Amanda William's Biography (login may be required):

https://familysearch.org/tree/person/KWJ8-951/memories

My Grandma Norma Hartley: The Angel with an Apron

Grandma Norma Hartley, 1982

This family story was adapted by my father, James Hartley. I am grateful for the great example my grandmother, Norma Miner Hartley, left about love and caring for others. It has inspired me to be a better person. Here are my father's words:

Norma Hartley: The Angel with an Apron

King Arthur had a magician named Merlin to look after him. Cinderella had a fairy godmother. But, Doug and Joan Carr had their very own real-life guardian angel.

In the fall of 1960, the Carr’s moved to Hayward, California. Doug had just completed his master’s degree and was beginning a teaching career at Arroyo High School in neighboring San Lorenzo. They had four young children, one first grader and three preschoolers. In addition, Joan was pregnant with their fifth child. As the season transitioned into winter, the Carr’s children were plagued with continuing rounds of ear infections, colds, and sore throats. Soon Joan caught a cold from the children, and it quickly went deep into her chest.

The doctor diagnosed her with bronchial pneumonia. Her case had become so severe, in fact, that the doctor wanted to immediately admit her to the hospital. Joan pleaded with him not to do that. They had no insurance, they were struggling financially, and they had no one to care for the children. Very reluctantly, the doctor allowed her to go home—as long as she stayed in bed for ten days or so. 

Joan did what she could to obey the doctor. But, instead of getting better, her condition grew worse. Her fever was intense. Every breath she took was agony and every cough was excruciating. She couldn’t care for herself, let alone for the children and her husband. They desperately needed help. But, Doug couldn’t take time off from his new job. They had no family nearby. Being new to the area, they had no friends they could call on. Frantically, Doug turned to the only other source of help he knew of, his church [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]. Unfortunately, they were so new in their ward, they really didn’t know anyone. Nevertheless, Doug found out who their ward’s Relief Society president was, described to her their dire situation, and asked if she knew of anyone who could help them.

Bright and early the next morning, there was a knock on the door. There stood Norma Hartley, a woman they had never met before. She wore an apron and had books and crayons under one arm and assorted paraphernalia under the other. Each weekday morning she came before Doug went to work. She would stay for several hours in order to nurse Joan and care for the children. She also fixed lunches and dinners and did a myriad of household chores before Doug came home each afternoon. Then she would return home to take care of her own family. She did this voluntarily for two weeks until Joan had sufficiently recovered.

The stories of King Arthur and Cinderella were, of course, fiction. But, for the Carr’s, Norma was, indeed, their very own real-life guardian angel! They even gave her a nickname: “The Angel with an Apron.”

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Adapted by James E. Hartley from an article written by Joan Carr that was included in a booklet published by her LDS ward called "Chicken Soup for the Glenmoore Ward Soul."