David Leonard Savage was born to Phoebe Stevens and Roger Savage in Johnston County of Leeds, Upper Canada. David married Theodocia Finch February 1834. Her parents were from Nova Scotia. The only child born to this couple was Polly Amanda in 1836 at Leeds, Canada, his wife, Theodocia died two months later.

When Amanda was five years old her father took her to Walnut Grove, Illinois and stayed with his brother, Jehial Savage, where David heard the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was baptised and met Mary Abigail White and married her on October 14, 1841 at Walnut Grove, Illinois.

In the summer of 1842 they moved to LaHarp, Illinois, 25 miles from Nauvoo, where their first child, John Rodgers, was born on December 3, 1842 and died October 17, 1843. Then Father David went on a mission. The prophet Joseph Smith was killed while he was on this mission. When the great western move was started David was called to help one of the leader's families 200 miles on their journey. This journey was one of extreme hardship, the snow being so deep it took six weeks to make the trip. To add to his discouragement one of his horses died and David didn't know how he was going to move his own family from the terrors of the mob but a way was provided. . .

David knew how to speak the Indian Language and often stopped an Indian attack by talking peacefully with the Indians. His daughter Amanda Polly also knew the Ute and Piute language and when the Indians had trouble communicating would ask for the Savage's Papoose, meaning Amanda, who had no trouble conversing with them.

David also had several other wives: Margaret Jones(Evans), married October 9, 1860 in Salt Lake City, Utah; Susannah Jacaway(Black), married February 9, 1878 in St. George, Washington, Utah; Mary Ward (Heap), married April 2, 1858 in Parowan, Iron, Utah; Maria Cook; and Mary Ellen Cook.

In 1886, David died after an illness of two months of asthma, being nearly 76 years old. He died firm in the Faith of the Gospel. He was always kind and liberal. He left 3 wives and was the father of 19 children, seventeen of whom are living and all are married and have families.

Children not listed below: Amanda P. Savage Cook, Agnes Savage Whetten