Maria Jane Carothers Barton, Carothers family link to the Prophet Joseph Smith

Birth: Oct. 19, 1818 Phelps Ontario County New York, USA Death: Sep. 10, 1890 Weston Pottawattamie County Iowa, USA Mrs. Maria Jane Barton, consort of Reuben Barton, departed this life, September 10, 1890. She was born in Phelps Town, Ontario Co, NY, Oct 19, 1818, and was the youngest of the numerous family of John and Betsy Carothers. Her father removed to Burton, Geauga Co, Ohio, in 1832, where he died Feb 17-18, 1842. She being the only unmarried one of the family, the care of her father during a lingering sickness fell upon her. After his death, the care of an invalid mother who had become blind and helpless, devolved upon Maria until her mother's death, Sept 18, 1853, leaving Maria, at age 35, with feeble health and quite limited means. By overwork in lifting her mother through a series of years, she had contracted a disease of the spine, from which she was a great suferer. She was under medical treatment by eminent physicians for 11 years, when she was so much improved as to enter the marriage relation with Reuben Barton in the fall of 1867, and came with him to this county where she resided until her death. She was a great sufferer from sickness. The change of climate improved her, but did not restore her to sound health. In 1884 the removal to Weston for a time seemed to be beneficial; but in Sept 1887, she had a stroke of paralysis of the left side, from which she never recovered, although able to be about the house until the last fatal attack, which occurred August 9, 1890; she was then forced to bed, from which she never arose again. She survived in great agony a month, ceasing to breathe Sept 10, when she passed peacefully away, and there passed from earth life one of nature's noble women. Her sympathetic impulses knew no bounds; where duty seemed to call she was always ready, and to a sense of duty she sacrificed her health and life. They laid her tenderly to rest Sept 11, 1890. .