Lucy’s Teapot

In the year 2000, one hundred and seventy years after Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith moved from Manchester, NY in 1830, their 3rd great granddaughter, Gracia Jones, had the opportunity to hold a small white china pitcher belonging to Lucy. Rose Biedel, Gracia’s neighbor, invited Gracia to her home to see the pitcher and told the following story:

“This pitcher was given to me by Mrs. Rachel Bridgeman Durbin of San Diego, CA where I was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rachel’s former Sunday School and Elementary School teacher in Cotter, Arkansas gave this pitcher to Rachel for a wedding present in 1924.

“Rachel’s teacher was the daughter of E. J. Loop, president of the bank in Cotter, Arkansas, whose family had moved there from New York State in 1904.”

“In N.Y. their farm adjoined the Joseph Smith Sr. family home; and when the Smith family moved, they sold their possessions to the Loop family which included this pitcher and other household goods. Rachel told me that she saw tables and chairs which looked to be hand made.”

“She wanted me to have the pitcher from Joseph Smith’s home because she knew I believed Joseph Smith to be a prophet of God.”

“Rachel listened to our lessons but did not choose to join with us. When I was leaving the area to go home and went back to say good-bye, she brought out the pitcher and said she wanted me to have it and told me the story of how she got the pitcher.”

To read more about Gracia’s opportunity to hold this pitcher, click on “Archives,” at www.josephsmithsr.org.