Dunn family story

Ann Dunn Bigham is grandma Isabelle Hanson's cousin. She posted this on facebook so the family would know of a this wonderful story. I thought I would share here.

From Ann,

I just received this e-mail from a man who is a descendant of a family that was baptised by Uncle Lee Dunn, Eldest son of Charles Oscar Dunn and Letitia Smith Dunn. I thought it was important that all of you should read this. We loved Uncle Lee.

Jan 25 at 9:04 PM
 Hi,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Bob Lifferth, and Levi Dunn and his companion, Harold G. Reynolds, baptized my grandmother and great-grandmother in German on February 18, 1904. Levi was the missionary who did the actual baptizing. Levi was the senior companion, and within six weeks of the baptism, he returned home to Cache Valley and to his wife, Mary Ann. The baptism was performed in a stream outside of Gotha, Germany at nighttime because the missionaries, and Mormons in general, were not liked by many. So, they performed the baptism when and where they could avoid public view. They had to chop a hole in the ice, and then Levi baptized Clara Rabus and Gretchen. Gretchen is my grandmother, and I remember her very well. She passed away when I was 15.
Every year we have what we call a German Dinner in February honoring our German heritage. My family is in charge of it this year, and I had decided to pay a tribute to the two missionaries who brought my ancestors into the church. Prior to this year we knew more about Elder Reynolds than about Elder Dunn. But, thanks to a new website called Early Mormon Missionaries Database, I have learned more about Levi Dunn. That database led me to Familysearch where I learned even more about Levi’s wife—we were not positive he had married before his mission. Now we know, in part due to the history you wrote, her name and more about their lives together.
I have written two vignettes—one for Dunn and another for Reynolds—to be enacted at our February family reunion. I want to thank you for the information in the history you wrote. It has been fun and gratifying to me to learn more about Levi Dunn. Descendants of Gretchen have now grown to a large number (I am not sure how many, but at least 200+) and most are active in the Church, thanks to two good missionaries from Utah.
Thank you.

Story that Ann related:

I don’t know if most of you know the story behind Uncle Lee’s birth but it is a wonderful one. After Charles Oscar and Letitia Smith Dunn were married for quite a few years they could never conceive a baby. The church authorities (they never said which ones) came to them and asked if they would go into plural marriage.Letitia was raised in plural marriage, her father Samuel had 5 wives, so she knew it was not an easy life. So she told them she didn’t want too. One night Letitia had a visitation by an angel and the angel explained the concept of plural marriage to her, he also told her that if she agreed she would have the first child, it would be a boy, and to name him Levi. Of course she agreed to this and both she and Charles went to their childhood friend in Brigham, Martha Jane Welch, and asked her to be his 2^nd wife. She agreed, Letitia had the first child about 7 years after marriage, it was a boy and they named him Levi as was instructed.

Plural family of Charles Oscar Dunn, Letitia Smith Dunn and Martha Jane Welch. Back: Harriet Letitia Hattie) Allen, Levi, Samuel A., Charles W, Simeon Adams, John William, Eveline (Eva) Snow. Front Row: Oscar S., Letitia Smith Dunn, Charles Oscar Dunn, Lester Welch, Martha Jane Welch Dunn, Eliza Jane Israelsen.

Charles Oscar Dunn and Martha Jane Welch are Brent's 2nd great grandparents. They are grandma Isabelle Jane Dunn Hanson's grandparents.