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George and Ann Rowley

George Rowley was born in Yorkshire England in 1827. In 1844 he met and married Ann Brown. They were 17 years old. That same year they met missionaries preaching the restored Gospel. For the next five years they labored together in their homeland bringing the truth to others.

“The world was up in arms against us,” Ann said,  but, “The Lord was with us.”

They yearned to go to Zion with their people, but there was never enough to buy passage. Then came an opportunity for George to pay his way by working on the ship.

Just days before George was to leave, his little girl Rachel fell into the fire and died. December 17, 1854, George buried his little daughter and the next day set out for Liverpool.

The journey was long and George worked hard serving the crew and attending to the passengers. FInally he came ashore in New Orleans with a penny in his pocket and deep longing for his family.

On August 5, 1855, George joined a wagon company and began the arduous journey across the overland trail. In November they reached Salt Lake City, having spent the last 110 miles slogging through deep snow.

George went to work to earn the money to bring his family to Zion. He missed them terribly and wrote them many tender letters. For two years he labored, and then came the unexpected. George received a call to serve as a missionary–he was to return to England. Thus, on April 23, 1857 he and others picked up the traces of handcarts and pulled them east, all the way to the Missouri River.

After arriving in the British Isles, George was assigned to labor in Wales, where, after a time, Ann and the children joined him.

He labored faithfully and after two years was released to return home with his family–to Utah. Significantly, it was June 11, 1859 at Florence, Nebraska when George and his family joined a company of 235 saints from six nations pulling handcarts across the plains. George was called to be their Captain. The Rowley handcart company would be the 8th of 10 companies and arrived in Salt Lake City on September 4, 1859.

The Rowleys were called to help settle American Fork, Utah, where they lived for the first while in a hillside dugout. They were very poor but they were happy. Then one hot summer day, while at work, George dipped his head in a bucket of cold water to cool off.  The effect was unexpected–George lost his sight in both eyes.

George was a gifted musician and singer. Wherever he went he always cheered and edified the saints with his talents. Notwithstanding his blindness, he organized the first choir and concert band in American Fork. In time he would travel throughout the settlements putting on concerts. He carried with him the following letter.

To the Saints in the various Settlements. Brother Geo. Rowley, the bearer of this note, who is blind, is desirous of traveling and giving concerts for his benefit amongst the various settlements of the Territory. He has our consent to take this method of sustaining himself, and if the brethren and sisters will render him the required aid by patronizing him, they will confer a blessing on him and his family. Your Brother in the Gospel. Brigham Young”

George and Ann Rowley gave their all in service to the end of their days.

Three generations later, their great great grandson, himself a gifted musician, was one day pondering the faith and sacrifice of his pioneer fathers, when the Spirit of The Lord came upon him and he was given a song–a song that would come to be beloved the world over–an anthem of resounding tribute to the pioneers–that song–Faith in Every Footstep–the composer–K. Newell Dayley.

Sources:

Interview with K. Newell Dayley

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWV3-B7H

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/organization/pioneer-company/george-rowley-company-1859?lang=eng