They lived on a cotton plantation with slaves and servants. They also owned dairy cows and a large herd of Texas Longhorns. Her mother, Dorinda taught the children spelling, arithmetic, geography and history in their home. When the children were around nine and ten years of age, they would go to live with families in town so they could attend school.
In 1850, LDS missionaries taught Christina's parents and presumably the family about their religion. The missionaries were going to be gone for a few weeks so they decided to be baptized after her father, Michael returned from selling their cattle in Spring Creek. This was in the early part of June. Her father never returned from that trip. While he was gone, he died of a congestive spell on June 16, 1850. He had been buried several days when the news reached the family. Christina would have been about 8 years old (not quite 9) at the time of her father's death.
Six weeks after her father died, her mother was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Preston Thomas and James McGow. Two years later the family was making plans to move to Utah to be with the others of their faith. Christina's mother freed her slaves and sold her property. Her mother married a widower, William Slade who had several children of his own, to help each other travel to Utah. They started their journey In the early part of 1853.
The Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel database lists say that Christina was 14 when she came to Utah and that she was in the "Jacob Croft Company." This group of pioneers drove their cattle (Texas Longhorns) from Texas to Utah. It was a long and difficult journey. She spent three years in the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma from 1853 to 1856 as part of this journey. She was ages 12 to 15 during this time as it took nearly 3 years to get to Utah.
Christina married Seguine Cooper whose family was also from Texas on March 3, 1857. They were married in Salt Lake City and endowed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Family Search shows records for her being baptized and confirmed on March 16, 1857. Perhaps she was baptized a second time, which was a common practice in the early days of the Church.
One history I read said that after she and her husband were called to settle the Muddy Mission, and were traveling to the St. George area, she was looking forward to seeing her mother as she had not seen her in 8 years.
For the rest of her history see the post about her husband, Seguine Cooper. It details their moves from one settlement to another and the births of their children.
Christina died on August 24, 1892 and is buried in the Panguitch Cemetery. She died the day after her grandson, Than Cooper (my grandpa) was born. He was born August 23, 1892.
*I have seen several different spellings of Christina Goheen's first name. I am not sure if her name is Christina, Christine, or Christiana.
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