Married Charles Franklin Decker, 4 Feb 1847, Winter Quarters, Near Florence, Nebraska. About that time Brigham Young first saw the Book of Mormon, and soon afterward had organized a branch at Mendon.
Children - Louis Isaac Decker, Brigham Leray Decker, Miriam Vilate Decker, Ferra Wallace Decker, Charles Franklin Decker, Lois Elizabeth Decker, Alice Luella Decker, Loretta Almina Decker
History - Vilate Decker was the second daughter of Pres. Young by his first wife, Miriam Works Young—long since dead—and was reputed to be of a proud, haughty disposition. The girl quite made up her mind to refuse firmly to live with one so unprepossessing.
Shortly after this the President came over to the McMullen's wagon and asked for Lucy. Then he talked long and kindly to her, telling his girl-bride about the delicate health of his daughter Vilate and of his fears that she would die prematurely as her mother had done; his gentleness to herself and his solicitude for his sickly daughter, Vilate Decker, won over the warm impulsive heart and Lucy promised to go when he wished, and she learned to love Vilate Decker as if she were a sister.
Vilate was educated at Salem, Mass., where she was residing when the Prophet was assassinated. She immediately left for Nauvoo with her father. A few years later Brigham Young organized the first party that crossed the plains and Mrs. Decker followed in the second party arriving here in October, 1847.
Among the pleasant reminiscences Mrs. Decker writes the following:
"I was riding in a carriage with my father when we were met by a mob who stopped us and asked if we had seen Brigham Young. My father replied: "No I haven't seen him today" and the mob hurried away. My father turned to me and said: "I haven't looked in the glass today," wishing to impress in my mind that he had not told a lie.
Another time she writes that a mob came to our home to search for my father but we were advised beforehand so father got in bed and put on a nightcap the mob passed him by thinking that he was a woman."
She studied music while in Massachusetts and was a capable musician.
She took residence in a small adobe house—the first one ever built in Utah, built by President Young himself, near the City Creek.
The house was situated in the center of the block on which afterwards was erected the Lion House on the east and the Tithing Office on the west. It was small, low-roofed, with two front rooms and two tiny back rooms. Here in two of the rooms lived Vilate Decker with her husband, who was familiarly called Charlie Decker, and their one little girl, while the hired men, who worked in Charlie's saw mill, boarded here, sleeping in wagons or tents. The other two rooms comprised the front room for a kitchen, dining and sitting-room, the back-room being just large enough for the rude bedstead, occupied by two of the President's young wives, Margaret Alley and Emmeline Free. In their front room, Lucy made down at night her scanty bed....
Vilate Young Decker came to Lewisville to live with her older sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Young Ellsworth. Vilate died of pneumonia. She so endeared herself to all with whom she was associated that her memory will never be forgotten.
Married Charles Franklin Decker, 4 Feb 1847, Winter Quarters, Near Florence, Nebraska. About that time Brigham Young first saw the Book of Mormon, and soon afterward had organized a branch at Mendon.
Children - Louis Isaac Decker, Brigham Leray Decker, Miriam Vilate Decker, Ferra Wallace Decker, Charles Franklin Decker, Lois Elizabeth Decker, Alice Luella Decker, Loretta Almina Decker
History - Vilate Decker was the second daughter of Pres. Young by his first wife, Miriam Works Young—long since dead—and was reputed to be of a proud, haughty disposition. The girl quite made up her mind to refuse firmly to live with one so unprepossessing.
Shortly after this the President came over to the McMullen's wagon and asked for Lucy. Then he talked long and kindly to her, telling his girl-bride about the delicate health of his daughter Vilate and of his fears that she would die prematurely as her mother had done; his gentleness to herself and his solicitude for his sickly daughter, Vilate Decker, won over the warm impulsive heart and Lucy promised to go when he wished, and she learned to love Vilate Decker as if she were a sister.
Vilate was educated at Salem, Mass., where she was residing when the Prophet was assassinated. She immediately left for Nauvoo with her father. A few years later Brigham Young organized the first party that crossed the plains and Mrs. Decker followed in the second party arriving here in October, 1847.
Among the pleasant reminiscences Mrs. Decker writes the following:
"I was riding in a carriage with my father when we were met by a mob who stopped us and asked if we had seen Brigham Young. My father replied: "No I haven't seen him today" and the mob hurried away. My father turned to me and said: "I haven't looked in the glass today," wishing to impress in my mind that he had not told a lie.
Another time she writes that a mob came to our home to search for my father but we were advised beforehand so father got in bed and put on a nightcap the mob passed him by thinking that he was a woman."
She studied music while in Massachusetts and was a capable musician.
She took residence in a small adobe house—the first one ever built in Utah, built by President Young himself, near the City Creek.
The house was situated in the center of the block on which afterwards was erected the Lion House on the east and the Tithing Office on the west. It was small, low-roofed, with two front rooms and two tiny back rooms. Here in two of the rooms lived Vilate Decker with her husband, who was familiarly called Charlie Decker, and their one little girl, while the hired men, who worked in Charlie's saw mill, boarded here, sleeping in wagons or tents. The other two rooms comprised the front room for a kitchen, dining and sitting-room, the back-room being just large enough for the rude bedstead, occupied by two of the President's young wives, Margaret Alley and Emmeline Free. In their front room, Lucy made down at night her scanty bed....
Vilate Young Decker came to Lewisville to live with her older sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Young Ellsworth. Vilate died of pneumonia. She so endeared herself to all with whom she was associated that her memory will never be forgotten.
Family Members
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Joseph Angell Young
1834–1875
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L. Ferry Young
1836–1881
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Mary Ann Young
1836–1843
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Brigham Young Jr
1836–1903
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Alice Young Clawson
1839–1874
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Luna Caroline Young Thatcher
1842–1922
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John Willard Young
1844–1924
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Heber Young
1845–1928
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Edward Partridge Young
1845–1852
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Oscar Brigham Young
1846–1910
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Ella Elizabeth Young Empey
1847–1890
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Moroni Young
1847–1847
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Mary Eliza Young Croxall
1847–1871
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Emily Augusta Young Clawson
1849–1926
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Clarissa Maria Young Dougall
1849–1935
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Fanny Decker Young Thatcher
1849–1892
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Miranda Hyde Young Conrad
1849–1883
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Jeannette Richards Young Easton
1849–1930
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Evelyn Louisa Young Davis
1850–1917
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Zina Presendia Young Card
1850–1931
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Caroline Partridge Young Cannon
1851–1903
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Ernest Irving Young
1851–1879
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Hyrum Smith Young
1851–1925
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Royal Barney Young
1851–1929
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Mahonri Moriancumer Young
1852–1884
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Eudora Lovina "Dora" Young Hagan
1852–1921
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Willard Young
1852–1936
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Nabbie Howe Young Clawson
1852–1894
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Alfales Young
1853–1920
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Julia Young Burton
1853–1889
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Joseph Ormal Young
1853–1917
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Shamira Young Rossiter
1853–1915
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Emeline Amanda Young Crosbie
1853–1895
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Brigham Morris Young Sr
1854–1931
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Phoebe Louisa Young Beatie
1854–1931
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Arta DeCrista Young
1855–1916
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Jedediah Grant Young
1855–1856
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Joseph Don Carlos Young
1855–1938
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Sarah Emeline Young Burns
1855–1933
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Louisa Wells Young Ferguson
1855–1908
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Susa Amelia Young Gates
1856–1933
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Lorenzo Dow Young
1856–1905
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Miriam Young Hardy
1857–1919
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Alonzo Young
1858–1918
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Albert Jeddie Young
1858–1864
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Feramorz Little Young
1858–1881
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Josephine Young Young
1860–1912
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Clarissa Hamilton Young Spencer
1860–1939
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Ida Young Higham
1860–1927
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Charlotte Talula Young Wood
1861–1892
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Ruth Young Healy
1861–1944
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Phineas Howe Young
1862–1903
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Laura Young
1862–1862
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Daniel Wells Young
1863–1863
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Rhoda Mabel Young Sanborn
1863–1950
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Adella Young Harrison
1864–1900
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Fannie Van Cott Young Clayton
1870–1950
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Miriam Vilate Decker Davis
1848–1888
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Alice Luella Decker Pitt
1851–1930
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Charles Franklin Decker
1854–1877
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Louis Isaac Decker
1857–1864
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LeRay Brigham Decker
1859–1910
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Loretta Elmina Decker Sorenson
1861–1897
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Louise Elizabeth Decker
1865–1867
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Louise Elizabeth Decker
1865–1867
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Ferra Wallace Decker
1872–1941
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