Bateman Sophronia Almina Watkins

Bateman Sophronia Almina Watkins

Bateman, Sophronia Almina Watkins, wife of William L. Bateman, was born Sept. 5, 1852, on the banks of Bear river, while her parents were journeying across the plains and mountains. She was the daughter of William L. Watkins and Mary Almina Hammond. The parents reached the Valley Sept. 11, 1852, with their infant, having crossed the plains in Wm. Whitehead's ten and in a wagon drawn by one ox and a cow. During the move in 1858 the Watkins family went as far south as the Provo bench, but returned to their home in Big Cottonwood, where they first settled. In 1862 they moved to Brigham City, where Sister Sophronia was baptized by Wm. Neeley at the age of nine years. She married Wm. L. Bateman Dec. 6, 1870. As his wife she acted as a teacher in the Relief Society for a number of years and in 1912 was sustained as second counselor in the Sandy Ward Relief Society. She is [p.593] the mother of twelve children and has reared five other children to man and womanhood. At the present time she has 52 grandchildren. In the early Utah days Sister Bateman was kept busy at the spinning wheel. She also manufactured straw hats and stockings.