Patrick Cragun and His Son Elisha Cragun

Where Oh Where Was Our Patrick Born, Oh Where Oh Where Was He Born?

Patrick Cragun (Cragon, Creaghan, Creegin, ???) is a tough genealogy research project. Was he really born in Ireland? If so, what County? Knowing the County of an Irishman persons birth, marriage, or death is a big big help. We don't know what County do we? We don't know how his name was spelled, not C R A G U N we are sure. His parents names are uncertain to us, Caleb and Mrs. won't do. He was supposedly in the Boston Tea Party, but the names we are sure of aren't his, boo hoo.

I have spent numerous days at the FamilySearch Salt Lake City Family History Library searching forf Patrick. Finally felt I should move my efforts down to his son, my 2nd great grandfather Elisha Cragun.

We know more about Elisha. I and others are attaching sources, stories and documents to Elisha in the FamilySearch Family Tree. At the current time there are 9 attached including a link out to an online book with much about Elisha and his wife Mary Polly Osborne. I encourage you to go to Family Tree and see what is already attached to your ancestor, be it Elisha or another.

The FamilySearch Family Tree is not officially launched to the world, but I think you can get it by registering with FamilySearch: follow these instructions.

1. Go to http://www.familysearch.org/invite/familytree_tab.

2. Enter the required information in the fields provided.
Important: When you enter your user name and password, enter the same user name and password that you use on familysearch.org and new.familysearch.org. This lets you see your FamilySearch Family Tree and all of your changes as they appear in new.familysearch.org in the FamilySearch Family Tree.

3. Click Register.
The FamilySearch FamilySearch Family Tree appears. You are in the main position on the screen.
To get to the FamilySearch Family Tree from now on, go to www.familysearch.org, and sign in. The link to the Family Tree appears in the upper-left corner of the screen, next to the FamilySearch logo.

Blessed To Have 3 Pioneer Families: Cragun, Bingham, Porter

My serving here in Salt Lake City Family and Church History Headquarters mission has been a chance to feel a greater love and respect for my pioneer ancestors. The community here emphasizes it more. There is the Pioneer day parade and celebration. Our local youth did a Pioneer Trek this summer. It's talked about more and I appreciate it.

In doing my genealogy I have learned how Elisha Cragun found the church not long after his wife and 23 year old daughter died. He gave up his plantation and slaves and moved to Nauvoo where the church members were gathering. He and 4 of his childrens families went with him. One son, ended up in Minnesota while Simeon Cragun and two sisters headed west. Elisha didn't make it, he died in Winter Quarters. Great Grandfather Simeon and family were the first to settle in Pleasant View, Utah.

Sanford Porter was my first ancestor to join the church, not long after it was founded. He had an amazing, actually several amazing experiences leading up to his joining the church. Sanford Porter had two sons that are great grandfathers of mine: John President Porter and Lyman Wight Porter. Lyman Wight was named after one of the missionaries that taught Sanford. The Porters traveled in the Charles C Rich pioneer company, and it's not surprising one of the Rich girls married John President.

My Bingham ancestory has a touching situation. Erastus had 10 children and lived in England. He and one daughter joined the church and came to America and were pioneers. They seemed to have had to give up their family to come as my grandmother records they never saw or heard from her mother and siblings again.

The Porters settled in Morgan County Utah. You may be related to some of them: Joseph Rich Porter, Marlow Rich Porter, Bertha Maria Porter, Joseph Irvin Porter, Mary Viola Porter, Nathaniel Victor Porter, Nellie Electa Porter, or Eleca Elizabeth Porter. Electa is my great grandmother, the others her siblings.

My great grandfather Simeon Cragun had a son, Simeon who is my grandfather. His first wife died. His second wife Blanche Bingham is my dads mother. So my Cragun and Bingham lines come together through this marriage.

I'm proud of my pioneer heritage. I'm grateful my ancestors found the church so I could be a part of it and its blessings from my youth.