Harriet Amanda Brown Tyler Neilson

Harriet Amanda Brown Tyler Neilson Baird/Beard, 1835-1906
daughter of Abraham and Harriet Amanda Sheldon Brown
wife of Oscar Tyler, 1825-1871
wife of Peter Neilson, d 1883
wife of John Baird/Beard
mother of Frank Newton Tyler, 1860-1945
grandmother of Lucinda Tyler Carpenter, 1888-1974
great grandmother of  Ora Carpenter Omerza, 1912-1986
great-great grandmother of Emerick Jay Omerza

Peter Neilson and Harriet Amanda Brown Tyler
married May 27, 1873

It was in the winter of 1835 in the small town of Andover in the county of Windsor (Vermont) on the 20th of December that I, Harriet Amanda Brown, was born. My father was a bricklayer and the next summer he moved his wife and little daughter into New York state to a town on the Hudson River called Corsakie. There he made brick for a livelihood. My mother and her father and two sisters had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints two years before. In the fall of 1836 my Grandfather Sheldon and family started on the way to Kirtland (Ohio) and came by where we were living, and my parents concluded to go with them. We all journeyed to Kirtland, the gathering place of the Saints, where we arrived when I was 10 months old. We lived there until most of the Saints left Kirtland and went to Nauvoo, Kanesville and other points west.

I started to go to school when I was six years of age and went summers until I was 11 years old. Then I attended school three months in summer and three months in winter until I was 14 years old. When I was far enough advanced my father thought it best that I should go to seminary. This pleased me very much for I was very fond of books and could learn quite easy and advanced very fast. I attended school 3 terms and started the 4th. In the winter of 1851 my parents decided to migrate to Utah. My mother needed my assistance so I gave up school. I had made a good record. The president said he never had a more punctual scholar. I did not lose 5 minutes time nor have an imperfect lesson during the whole term.

On April 30, 1852 my parents with their seven children, (5 boys and 2 girls) left Kirtland, Ohio for Utah, where we arrived October 2, 1852. We located in Lehi, Utah. In the winter of 1853 I assisted John Spires to teach the district school in Lehi, and in the spring I engaged to teach the same school by myself. I was quite successful. I gained the love and respect of the children and the parents, so that became my occupation for a livelihood.

On April 13, 1854 I was married to Oscar Tyler. He was called to take a mission at the April conference and went in three weeks after we got married, so I continued to teach school for a living. My husband returned home in the fall of 1855. We bought a lot and built a small house of two rooms and commenced housekeeping. August 6, 1856, my first child, Abraham was born. He died October 31, 1856.

In the spring of 1857 a company was organized to go to southern Utah and raise cotton. We were in the crowd. We arrived at the place now called Washington, located there and proceeded to raise cotton. August 4, 1857, my second child, Harriet Virginia, was born. she was the first child born in Washington. We raised cotton and began to card and spin and weave cloth to clothe ourselves.

January 18, 1859 my 3rd child, a daughter, Sarah Amanda, was born. We raised cane and corn besides cotton and melons, our most abundant crop. August 26, 1860 my 4th child, Frank Newton, was born. In this year we raised the first peaches. We have turned our attention to raising fruit, which does very well.

June 27th, 1863 my 2nd daughter, Sarah Amanda, died at age 4. July 30, 1863 my 3rd son, Martin Layfette, was born. In March, 1864, my husband was called to go with some of the other brethren to the Missouri River with teams to fetch the immigrants. July 22, 1864 my 3rd son, Martin Layfette, died at one year of age. In November my husband returned from the Missouri River. Very poor crops were raised that year and as he had not been home to raise anything we had to eat cane-seed bread.

August 8, 1865 my son, Newel Snow, was born. August 26, 1868 my 2nd son, Frank Newton, was baptized on his 8th anniversary. The first Relief Society in Washington was organized and I was appointed treasurer.

As times were more prosperous there was strong talk of building a factory. May 22, 1870 my 5th son, Oscar, was born. In the fall Charles Tyler and his family moved to Dixie.

November 20, 1871 my husband died at age 46. On February 8, 1872 my 6th son, Orson Fernando, was born. The factory has been completed and is running full time. On May 23, 1873, I was married to Peter Neilson. May 15, 1874 my 3rd daughter, Karen Cornetta, was born.

In July 1875 I moved up on a ranch in the mountains and went to dairying. On June 28, 1876 my 7th son, Peter Bliss, was born. On May 23, 1877 my oldest daughter. Harriet Virginia died at age 20.

In the fall of 1879 my husband was called to go on a short mission to Denmark. May 21, 1880, my 7th son, Peter Bliss, age 4 died. On May 22, 1880 my 4th son, Newel Snow, age 15, died. They were buried in the same grave. My husband returned in the fall of 1880 and on April 9, 1883, he died.

I came to Arizona in the spring of 1895 and stayed until June, 1896. I went back to Utah and did considerable work in the St. George Temple. In the fall of 1897 I came back to Arizona and remained here with my children until the fall of 1902. I went with my son, Oscar, in company with several others, to Guatemala in Central America. They intended to make new homes, but returned to Arizona in August, 1903. Here I have remained, living with my children.

She died without a struggle, January 25, 1906, just going to sleep at the home of her son, Oscar, in Bryce, Graham Co., Arizona, at the age of 70.

Harriet Amanda Brown Tyler Neilson
and granddaughter Lucinda Tyler