Martha Jane Stratton (Great-Great Grandmother, Johnson side)

Martha Jane Stratton was born March 20, 1848, to Anthony and Martha Jane Layne Johnson. Her parents were crossing the Plains when Martha was an infant. After they arrived in Utah, they located in Provo for three years before they got the call to go to Southern Utah to help settle the area. They went first to Cedar City and build up that area then they located in a small town called Virgin City.
The settlers would grow cane and grind the seeds for flour to make bread. In 1858, while the Stratton's lived in Virgin City, Martha became acquainted with Seth Johnson. She was a very faithful church worker and attended all her meetings every Sunday. Martha had a mild, quiet, patient disposition. She was the type that would make a good wife and mother and these were the virtues that attracted Seth and he tried to get Martha to be his 2nd wife. In 1865 Martha decided to marry Seth and they were sealed in the Endowment House.
Seth's 1st wife Lydia loved Martha because Martha was so kind to her and the children. Martha never complained about the hardships the family went through while living in Hillsdale. In 1886 Martha and her family moved over the mountain east of Hillsdale and located in a spot 3 miles south of Cannonville. It was during this time that the U.S. Marshall's were hunting men who had plural wives. It became necessary for Martha to hide and keep out of their reach. She had lived in many out of the way places under adverse conditions. She was in almost constant fear of being caught and taken to prison, this lasted for several years.
After Martha's 11th child was born in 1890, she had a very heavy load caring for her children, yet she was able to find time to care for the sick and to help others.
Seth called her an "unselfish, self-sacrificing woman." At times when food was scarce, she had been known to take only a piece of dry bread and drink water and save the rest of the food for the family. She was so tender-hearted that she could not be content if she knew of someone in trouble or stress.
Her motto, "Let's speak of all, the best we can."
Martha treated Lydia's children as her own. She made clothes for all the children. She would tell the children stories in the evenings. She kept the family united and she always knew how to make ends meet.
Martha had 12 children and numerous grandchildren. On the day of Martha's funeral, as they lowered her body into the grave, it was a warm day with not a cloud in the sky, a rainbow arched over her grave.
The Stake President stepped forward and said, "This is a sign of a most righteous woman who has lived her live with other folks in mind." Martha died 13 October, 1910 and is buried in Shelly Idaho.

 (I wish we could all be as kind and loving to others as grandma was, what a great tribute the Stake President gave her)