Ancestors of the Restoration

George Washington Sevey, Sr.

Little is known about George Sevey, Sr. other than he was born in Chichester County, New Hampshire in 1794 and that he passed away near the North Platte River in Nebraska. We can only learn what kind of man he must have been, through study of his son, George Washington, Jr.

This son was the first convert of the George Sevey Family. He was also one of the great colonizers of several towns located in Southern Utah and in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. He has been described as capable, far-seeing, financier, organizer and colonizer.

It is reasonable to conclude that his father, George Sevey, Sr., must have owned many of these same characteristics. It is said that he was a shoemaker and was tall and thin. He was a widower when he married Hannah Libby, and though his late wife, Lucy White, had borne seven children, only two of them (Emily born in 1820 and Grove in 1825) had lived.

Hannah was a widow and had given birth to two children by her first husband, Levi Libby. So these two had quite a family when they were married and were blessed with five more as time went along.

Hannah Maria Libby

Though George W. Sevey, Sr. never made it out to Utah, his son George, Jr. was eventually able to arrange for Lemuel Redd to help his mother, Hannah Libby, continue her journey to Utah by horse and wagon from somewhere near the Platte River or De Witt, Iowa.

This must have been in about 1870 or 1871, since that was about the time George, Jr. was called by Brigham Young to help resettle Panguitch, for that is where she was brought, and that is where she was living when she passed away on May 4, 1882.

It might be interesting to note that her father, Stephen Libby, was a lieutenant in the military.