Clarissa Harden Wilhelm diary
Scope and Contents
Diary of Clarissa Harden Wilhelm, an early member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and pioneer. The diary, although written between 1888 and 1895, chronicles her life from an early age. The first part of the diary is written as an autobiography and describes her life up to the 1880s. She describes her conversion to the Church and her subsequent travel to Utah. It also includes a 2-page business account, dated July - September 1882. The second part of the diary is a day-by-day account of her life and family. The collection includes a transcription of the diary made by the donor between April 1971 and July 1972, as well as a photocopy of an accounts page from the diary with an explanatory note; a description of the back cover; and a transcriber’s note from the author, Paul Wayne Carroll, dated 1976.
Dates
- 1882-1895
- 1971-1976
Creator
- Wilhelm, Clarissa Harden, 1820-1901 (author, Person)
- Carroll, Paul Wayne (contributor, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Condition restricted; permission to use original diary must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services. Patrons should use transcription.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to use material from this collection must be obtained from Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.
Biographical History
Clarissa Harden Wilhelm was born February 26, 1820, in Perrysburg, Cattaraugus County, New York. She married her first husband, John B. Wilhelm in 1838. Her family converted to the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints and was baptized around 1842. She crossed the plains and settled in Utah with other pioneers from the Church. Her husband died in 1851, and that same year, she went on to marry David Lewis. After the death of David Lewis, she married Samuel Comstock Snyder. Clarissa moved around in Utah and eventually settled in Jordan. She married her fourth husband, Jacob Er Terry, in 1858. Jacob Terry later married a second wife, Susan Heaton, who lived with Clarissa while Jacob was serving a mission in the eastern United States. By the 1880s, she was suffering from an unknown affliction and was confined to her bed for the rest of her life. Clarissa Harden Wilhelm died on February 17, 1901.
Biographical History
Paul Wayne Carroll received his degree in Social Work from Brigham Young University and worked as director for LDS Family Services. He is the author of Our Carroll Heritage: A Tapestry of the Charles Negus Carroll family. As of 2022, he is a resident of Richfield, Utah.
Extent
1 half box (0.25 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
The diary was in the possession of Mrs. Lois Harrison Wise (of Viasalia, California) until April 1971, when she mailed it to Paul Wayne Carroll so that he could transcribe it. He intended to return it to her after he finished the transcription, but by that time the family had moved, and Paul was never able to contact them again. He wrote a note to that effect in the transcription in December 1976, then donated the diary and transcript to Brigham Young University's Special Collections in July 1977.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated; Paul Wayne Carroll; 1977.
Appraisal
LDS cultural, family, social, intellectual, mission, and religious history; LDS women's history (19th Century Mormon and Western Manuscripts Collection Development Policy, section V.b.v.1 and 3, 2018).
General
Included with the collection (by processing staff) is a copy of a photo of Clarissa Harden Wilhelm printed from familysearch.org. Date unknown.
Processing Information
Processed; Mary Downs and Kiren Dulai; 2009.
- Title
- Register of Clarissa Harden Wilhelm diary
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Mary Downs and Kiren Dulai
- Date
- 2009 August 10
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States