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Lucy Rowell Leavitt
They moved to Burton, Ohio where they cleared the land and built a home. They moved next to a widower named William Brown, who lived with his two sons, Benjamin Franklin and Philander. Benjamin Franklin and Philander Brown follwed the Leavitt Family to Michigan and Benjamin Franklin married Lucinda and Philander married Orilla. They settled in Cambria Michigan in 1845, where they acquired some land and began farming. Lucy gave birth to her tenth child Thomas, who only lived a few months. The Browns and the Leavitts worked closely together here gathering sap from maple trees to make sugar and syrup to sell at market. It was here in Cambria where the family first accepted the gospel of the Mormon Church and desired to follow the church West. Their departure was delayed due to the sudden death of John Leavitt in 1852. John was 54 years old and was buried next to his infant son Thomas on their land in Cambria. Lucy took charge of the Leavitt Family and they left Cambria in 1854 heading West. They stopped at Oak Lawn, Illinios where John's Sister, Rebecca and her husband Franklin Chamberlain had a farm. John Quincy was not with the group originally until he married Malinda Minion and joined the family later. Lyman Utlley Leavitt and his wife Ellen Brown remained in Michigan until 1862. It appears that the family stayed at Oak Lawn several years before continuing West. On July 23, 1858 Lucy died on the trail in Iowa. According to family history, she died near the Platte River on the trail and her body was buried in a wagon box. A fire was built over the grave so it could not be found and desecrated. Lucy was an important member of the John Leavitt family and was instrumental in keeping the family together and coming to the West.
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Lucy Rowell Leavitt was born on August 15, 1803 in Hatley, Quebec, Canada. She was the 5th Daughter and the 7th child of Thomas B. Rowell and Lydia House Rowell. The Rowells came to Hatley in about 1802. She met and married John Leavitt on March 1822 in Sherbrooke Quebec, Canada and they left Hatley with Sarah Shannon's family and most of the Leavitt relatives in 1837. They intented to travel to Ohio and to be with members of the LDS (Mormon) Church.