Mary Busenbark, a younger sister of Louisa, was born on 14 August 1829. She and her parents and other members of the Busenbark family joined the Latter-day Saints Church in New York State in 1842. They gave up relatives, money and all they had and went to Nauvoo, Illinois. Mary went to work for different families to support herself and her younger sisters. She came across the plains as hired help to a family and it was 1849 before she and her parents got to Salt Lake Valley.
Asaph and Louisa lived in Farmington until about 1852. Asaph then married Louisa’s sister Mary as his second wife and they all moved to North Ogden to live. The Busenbarks and this branch of the Rices always found their paths following side by side. Mary enjoyed the companionship of Louisa and her mother and father in all her pioneer ventures.
Mary’s children born in Salt Lake City, North Ogden, Farmington and Providence, Utah. Their days in Providence were hard and at times dangerous. Their first homes were in fort formation and the men and boys took turns standing guard at night that they might never be taken by surprise by Indians. They made friends with the Indians who did less damage than was done in many other settlements.
Mary belonged to the first Relief Society in Providence. She was always a faithful Latter-day Saint. She and Louisa could have rebelled when a new and seemingly unnecessary call came for another journey to a far away place needing settlers, but it did not enter their loyal hearts to do so. Mary buried a wee daughter September 1865, in Providence and soon was told of the proposed journey. To this family, no sacrifice was too great—if Brother Brigham called, they responded.
They met Brother Brigham in Salt Lake while on their way to the land of Utah’s Dixie and he asked where they were going. When told, Brother Brigham said he did not make such a call of Asaph—that a mistake had been made and he need not go so far away. However, Asaph had sold all he owned and felt they had just as well go on, inasmuch as they were now a part of a sixty-wagon train headed to what proved to be “No Man’s Land.” But be it known, it was not Brigham Young’s mistake as many of his sons and families grew up thinking. No woman was ever more dutiful to the man she had wed than Mary Busenbark Rice. Few are like her in this day and age. Mary Busenbark Rice departed this life on 18 December 1888.
