Sarah Ann Williams (Fitzgerald)

Sarah Ann Williams Fitzgerald was born in Flintshire, North Wales in 1840, the daughter of John and Mary Parry Williams, who
joined the church with her. In emigrating to America aboard the S. Curling, she was sick with fever the entire voyage, but through
faith and prayer passed the inspectors and came joyfully on to Council Bluffs, where her trek was westward with the hand cart
company began. The Edward Bunker Company, the third handcart company, arrived in Salt Lake City in October of 1856. While in
her native land, shortly after joining the Church, she witnessed the miraculous healing of her father from a cancer which had completely taken away his lower lip and part of his chin and tongue. Getting no relief from the doctors he applied to the Elders to administer to him. They did it twice and he was completely healed. This with other manifestations greatly strengthened her testimony.
Upon arriving in Utah, Perry Fitzgerald (who later became her father-in-law) took her into his home at Willow Creek now called Draper. On February 17, 1858,
she married John Fitzgerald his eldest son. They were married by Daniel Wells. At the time of the invasion of Johnston’s Army, she moved south to Payson with
the Fitzgerald family. She only stayed a short time, her husband remaining to guard the property and obey orders. During those days ingenuity and hard work
were required, but she was equal to the emergency. Her husband sheared the wool from the sheep and she washed, carded, spun, and wove it into cloth and
made clothes for her family. She raised a family of nine daughters and two sons. Hers was an eventful and useful life. She possessed nobility of character, sweetness
of disposition, firmness of purpose and with rare judgment, and discernment of right and wrong. She served her Church for forty years as a Relief Society worker.
Her life was a real conversion for eternal happiness. – Written by Laura F. Gardner 1933