Henrietta Keyes
History of
HENRIETTA KEYES WHITNEY HALES
UTAH PIONEER OF 1847
Daughter of Utah Pioneer History compiled by Rhoda Breinholt and Mary Stringham
Henrietta Keyes was born 25 December 1821 in Waverly, Pike County, Ohio, on her father’s birthday. Her parents were Samuel Keyes, born 25 December 1781 in Ireland, and Nancy Ann Delgarn, born 1798 and died 1832. Her only sister was Margaret Keyes, born in 1818, and was married to William Stork. Her father left Ireland secretly to come to the Land of the Free, was hidden in a barrel and was fed with some difficulty on the voyage over. He was said to have been a member of the King’s Guard in Ireland.
Henrietta’s mother died when she was eleven years old, in Chilicothe, Ohio. After her mother’s death, her father married again and had other children. After her sister Margaret married, Henrietta married and she never heard from any of her folks again. When she left her father, she told him that she would do everything possible to save herself and him also. He said if he couldn’t save himself, he didn’t want her to, but a long time after she came to Utah she had a dream. She saw her father coming towards her and he was so pleased to see her that he ran to meet her. Just before he reached her, there was a river or a stream of water. He went into it, down and up, and he raised his arms up to her. He went down and up several times, then he didn’t come up any more. She said then she knew he wanted her to do his work for him, to be baptized and endowments and have them all sealed. This has been done.
There is little history of Henrietta’s childhood and youth. Her husband, Alonzo Wells Whitney, wrote this about her in his biography. “In the year 1839 in April there came to the town where I lived a young lady named Henrietta Keyes, the first sight of her caused sensations in my breast that I never will forget, and I am now convinced that God, in his infinite goodness and mercy, sent that lovely angel to me to be my helpmate through life.” They were married that same year, 1839.
Alonzo was partial to the Methodist Church, while Henrietta was affiliated with the Presbyterians and each attended his own church. Then one day Alonzo’s uncle called on them and told them he was a missionary for the Mormon Church. “Uncle,” said Alonzo, “You are welcome to stay with us as you wish, providing you don’t preach Mormonism to me.” This was agreed upon, and Uncle said nothing about religion. But Alonzo’s curiosity got the better of him, and he asked questions which his uncle cheerfully answered. Uncle, as no doubt most Mormon Elders do, made himself useful around the home, and it was his habit to make the fires in the morning. One morning while thus engaged, Alonzo came rushing from his bedroom and exclaimed, “Uncle, I’m a Mormon! Come and baptize me at once.”
“Shall we wait until after breakfast?”
“No, let us go at once.” So they went to the river and Alonzo was baptized. On returning to his wife, Henrietta, he said, “Now I’m a Mormon. I’ll go to my church and you may still go to yours.” But Henrietta soon followed her young husband into the waters of baptism, and both remained faithful unto their death.
