Ellen Lee
Born 7 Mar. 1859 at Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah Territory.[1] Daughter of John Percival Lee and Eliza A. Foscue.[2] Baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, July 1873.[3] Married first Elias Sims, 1876; one child; divorced 23 Oct. 1878.[4] Secretary of the Relief Society in Heber City, Wasatch Co., Utah Territory, 1879.[5] Elected as president of the Women’s Suffrage Association (WSA) in Sanpete Co., Utah Territory, in a meeting conducted by EBW, 20 June 1889.[6] Spoke at a conference of the Woman Suffrage Association of Utah with EBW, 7 Oct. 1889, in Salt Lake City.[7] Secretary of the Sanpete Stake Relief Society, 23 Sept. 1890.[8] Published newspapers in Ephraim, Sanpete Co.; Provo, Utah Co., Utah Territory; and Spanish Fork, Utah Co.[9] Business manager of the Young Woman’s Journal, beginning 2 Mar. 1891.[10] Inaugural member of the Utah Press Club, 1891.[11] Married second James Thomas Jakeman, 22 May 1891, in Manti, Sanpete Co.; six children.[12] Divorced after her husband was arrested for forgery, Jan. 1894.[13] Appointed as corresponding secretary of the Utah Society for the Study of Children, Aug. 1894.[14] Secretary and chair of the executive committee of the Utah Co. WSA, Dec. 1894–1899.[15] Active in the Democratic Party; elected as party secretary and Utah Co. treasurer, 1895–1896.[16] Married third Martin F. Sanders, 15 Oct. 1909, in Salt Lake City.[17] Died 5 Feb. 1937 in Salt Lake City.[18]
[1] “Endowments of the Living, 1888–1956,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Manti Temple, vol. A, 30 May 1888–17 July 1913, p. 37, line 1298, Ellen Lee Jakeman, 30 Aug. 1889, microfilm 170485 (restricted access), FHL. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 27 June 2019), Ellen Lee (KWV3-7RK).
[2] “Endowments of the Living, 1888–1956,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Manti Temple, vol. A, 30 May 1888–17 July 1913, p. 37, line 1298, Ellen Lee Jakeman, 30 Aug. 1889, microfilm 170485 (restricted access), FHL. 1860 U.S. Census, Beaver City, Beaver Co., Utah Territory, p. 124, Ellen Lee.
[3] “Endowments of the Living, 1888–1956,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Manti Temple, vol. A, 30 May 1888–17 July 1913, p. 37, line 1298, Ellen Lee Jakeman, 30 Aug. 1889, microfilm 170485 (restricted access), FHL. EBW, Diary, 11 Feb. 1894. Thomas W. Herringshaw, ed., Poets of America (Chicago: American Publishers’ Association, 1890), 956. “The Ladies Meet,” Daily Enquirer (Provo, Utah Territory), 3 May 1894, 4. “Notable Utah Women,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 7 Apr. 1900, 2.
[4] “Elias Sims,” Laurel Grove Cemetery (North), Fort Screven, Chatham Co., GA; Find a Grave, memorial no. 71903489 (http://findagrave.com, accessed 20 Feb. 2019). Utah Probate Court, Land Records, Divorce Records, and Estate Records, Incorporation Register; Estate and Divorce Cases, 1882–1885, p. 4, Ellan Simms and Elias Simms, microfilm 485237, DGS 7638394, image 300/489, FHL.
[5] “R.S. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Nov. 1879, 50.
[6] “Woman’s Mass Meeting in San Pete,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Aug. 1889, 40.
[7] “U.W.S.A.,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Nov. 1889, 85.
[8] “Relief Society Conference,” County Register (Ephraim, Utah Territory), 25 Sept. 1890, 4.
[9] J. Cecil Alter, Early Utah Journalism: A Half Century of Forensic Warfare, Waged by the West’s Most Militant Press (Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1938), 113, 252–254. Thomas W. Herringshaw, ed., Poets of America (Chicago: American Publishers’ Association, 1890), 956. “Notable Utah Women,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 7 Apr. 1900, 2.
[10] “Editorial,” Young Woman’s Journal, Oct. 1890, 285. “The Young Woman’s Journal,” Standard (Ogden, Utah Territory), 23 July 1891, 2.
[11] Elizabeth V. Burt, ed., Women’s Press Organization, 1881–1999 (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000), 216.
[12] Sanpete Co., UT, County Clerk, Marriages, 1887–1940, Marriage License Records, 1888–1894, p. 115, James T. Jakeman and Ellen Lee, microfilm 481124, DGS 4624220, image 297/510, FHL. 1880 U.S. Census, Beaver City, Beaver Co., Utah Territory, p. 22B, Ellen Jakeman. 1900 U.S. Census, Beaver City, Beaver Co., UT, p. 243A., Ellen Jakeman. “Delores Jakeman,” Provo, Utah Co., UT; Find a Grave, posted 20 Feb. 2015, memorial no. 142850916 (http://findagrave.com, accessed 27 June 2019). “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 27 June 2019), Ellen Lee (KWV3-7RK).
[13] J. Cecil Alter, Early Utah Journalism: A Half Century of Forensic Warfare, Waged by the West’s Most Militant Press (Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1938), 113, 252–254. “The New Administration Brings Violators of the Law to Justice,” Daily Enquirer (Provo, Utah Territory), 4 Jan. 1894, 4.
[14] “Child Study Organization,” Evening Dispatch (Provo, Utah Territory), 17 Aug. 1894, 1.
[15] “W.S.A. Convention,” Evening Dispatch (Provo, Utah Territory), 17 Dec. 1894, 1. EBW, Diary, 28 Jan. and 11 Feb. 1894.
[16] “Thurman and King,” Daily Enquirer (Provo, Utah Territory), 12 Aug. 1895, 2. “Democracy Day in Provo,” Salt Lake Herald, 11 Aug. 1895, 7. “County Tickets,” Salt Lake Tribune, 20 Sept. 1896, 5.
[17] Salt Lake Co., UT, County Clerk, Marriage Records, 1887–1965, Marriage Licenses, vols. 21–22, nos. 8801–9600, p. 9122, Martin F. Sanders and Ellen Jakeman, microfilm 429073, DGS 4705949, image 347/878, FHL.
[18] “Utah State Archives Indexes,” database and images, Utah State Archives (https://archives.utah.gov/research/indexes, accessed 13 Feb. 2019), Department of Health, Office of Vital Records and Statistics Death Certificates, series 81448, file no. 298 (1937), Ellen Lee Jakeman Sanders.