Hannah Melissa Hoopes was born in Nauvoo April 30, 1845. She was the daughter of Warner and Priscilla Gifford Hoopes. Her parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the early days, and were among those whom suffered in the trials and persecutions in Missouri and Illinois.

Melissa was the third child in a family of ten children. She was baptized in 1857 at St. Joseph, Missouri by George A. Lincoln. She went to school for a short time in Clay County, Missouri. Her father was a cobbler and charcoal burner; and became quite well-to-do while in Missouri. Melissa's family was among those whom lost their accumulations in the mobbings, and were advised by Brigham Young to go into Missouri, live quietly, hold no public meetings, and stay long enough only to accumulate enough to come west on. Prosperity and friendliness made them forget those instructions, and brought on a tragedy which resulted in Father Hoopes' imprisonment for ten months, lawyer's fees, and family expenses eating up all their savings. The tragedy happened thus:

One night, when they were living about seven miles up the Missouri River from St. Joseph, a neighbor's house with father, mother, and three children was burned. Brother Hoopes and his neighbor, Lincoln, were accused and put in jail, awaiting trial for ten months and a day. At the trial, both were found innocent, as they proved they were home and asleep, and knew nothing of the fire until morning. While Brother Hoopes was in jail, the wife cared for her four little children as best she could. Mobs came ever so many times, threatening to kill her and burn the home. They came one time, and gave her three days to leave the state, but still she said she could not, and would not leave without her husband. There were stumps near the house where the mob members used to sit when they came. The children used to put thorns on these stumps so the mobs would sit on them.

After the trial, the sheriff who had always proved a friend of Hoopes, took him, put him on a boat, and sent him up the river to Omaha, Nebraska, where he might find work and send for his family. In the meantime, Mrs. Hoopes sold their family cow, and came on with the family as a surprise.

The Warner Hoopes family now took work with the Hyrum Hoopes family, and the Bovier family, who were coming on to Utah, thereby paying their way. Melissa, then 14 years of age, rode a pony and drove stock for Mr. Bovier to pay her way across the plains.

The Hoopes arrived in Utah August 2 with the Harlow Redfield's company. Her parents lived in Bountiful the winter of 1859, but Melissa worked in Grantsville for Mrs. Rachel Bovier. Her wages for the winter were her board, and three yards of lindsay, from which she could make a skirt for herself. For a waist, she used the factory lining from a waist of Mrs. Bovier's.

In the Spring of 1860, she and her parents came to Richmond, Utah, where she resided until the last three years of her life. During those three years, she lived with her daughter, May, working in the Temple.

She was married to William McCarrey on July 24, 1864 in the Gilbert Bright home. The following December, they, with Charles Allen and wife, drove a mule team to Salt Lake City, and received their endowments on December 27, 1864. They lived where the Lewis McCarrey residence now stands for a short time, then moved to their homestead two miles south of Richmond.

Melissa McCarrey was an active Church worker all her life. One of her characteristics was obeying the counsel given by the Authorities to the very letter. When the Word of Wisdom was given as command, she was a user of tea and coffee. She lost her first baby at 9 months of age. Then her second baby was very sick. One night, she had a dream. She dreamed the Lord came to her and said, "How can you expect to pray to Me to restore your child to health if you will not obey my commandments." She thought this meant her using tea and coffee. She stopped drinking both, her child got well, and she never used either again. She was also much opposed to the use of tobacco and strong drinks, and never flinched in fighting against them. She was always a generous donator.

In January 1922, she suffered a paralytic stroke which took away her speech and the use of her right side. She never regained either, and passed away January 12, 1923.

-copied from the original in possession of Lois Thomas - Logan, Utah

Copyright 1999