They were glad of a few days rest while George got the feel of things and looked about for a place to locate.

He met Porter Rockwell

and eventually agreed to go to Rush Valley to work for him until spring when he could find something permanent and could determine what would be the pattern of their new life here in the unsettled west. For his work they were to be supplied with a place to live and food for him and his family.

Once again the wagon was loaded and they took the trail through sage brush and grease wood, through alkali dust to dry, wind swept Rush Valley. The whole group of the Burridges and the Gowans families stayed together and went to Rush Valley to spend the winter. This was a great consolation and comfort to Hannah for she needed women folk around.

They settled in an old barracks on Rush Lake and were grateful for the shelter.

Hannah was thankful that the long, long walk was over. They had scarcely got moved in when winter assailed them. The bitter winds, howling blizzards and freezing weather wrapped Rush Valley in their icy embrace.

Into this frigid winter world came a new little daughter. She was born on a blustery January 24, 1856. Hannah named her Annie Jane.

Her first winter spent on Rush Lake was very severe. There were no meetings or close neighbors. Hannah in her weakened condition was very lonely and discouraged and homesick. The cold crept into the drafty barracks and coated the nails and outlined the door and window with thick hoar frost. The water froze in the bucket, and all their precious potatoes froze, too.

Part payment made by Porter Rockwell for George's labor was a cow. This was such a blessing to Hannah for the children but during that cold dreadful winter the cow sickened and died.

In March of that seemingly unending, awful winter the families of Rush Valley were called by the council of Brigham Young to move into the town of Tooele for protection from the Indians who were causing a great deal of trouble at that time.

On March 6, 1856 while living in Tooele George severed his employment agreement with Porter Rockwell and they decided to remain in Tooele.

George bought a city lot valued at sixty dollars which he paid for with a coat and vest, also a garden lot for a good frock coat. The garden lot was very sandy and worthless, nothing would grow there.

Hannah found flour and all food stuff very scarce. She and the children gathered nettles, sego lily roots, dandelions, thistles and pigweeds and other coarse things for food. They cut prickly pears for moisture. This was extremely difficult for her.

George was away trying to get food for the family. During this time of extreme want and poverty Hannah was very discouraged and many times wondered what she was doing here in that desert and if anything was worth the privations she was bearing.

Tucked away in a chest was her few good clothes that she had had no occasion to wear since leaving home. Why not pull out the chest and look them over. Maybe there was something there she could sell and go back to Scotland.

In looking them over she came upon her best dress and her beautiful cameo brooch. Surely these would sell for enough to help out.

The flames flickered in the fireplace while Hannah kneeled upon the floor, the folds of her lovely dress flowing across her lap and her precious pin in her hand.

Dreams filled her eyes as she gazed at the fire. Suddenly Jane, her dead sister, appeared to her in the dying fire, and her voice came clearly to Hannah's ears.

"Nay, Hannah ye canno do that. Hold fast to Mormonism for it is true. " Jane faded away. Hannah slowly replaced her treasures in the chest.

She had faced her problem and for the last time she had made her decision.

Finally and firmly she had cast her lot with the Mormons in Utah and there she would stay come what may. She knew Jane had spoken the truth. Dear Jane had come to her when she needed her most. And now her mind was at rest. She would just have to make the best of things.

Although the vision of Jane and her message remained with her all of her life that was the last of her thinking she would desert her religion and go back to a life in her homeland.

When harvest time came both George and Hannah went to the fields to glean.

They were able to get enough wheat for flour for each day and to put away wheat to last them through the winter of 1856-57. In all they gleaned thirty bushels of good wheat.

In February when the weather had a sharp searing cold to it that penetrated to a person's very bones little Annie Jane just thirteen months old became very sick.

George was away from home doing a few days of work. Hannah frantic with worry and foreboding, used all of her remedies but the baby grew steadily worse. The shadows of night crept into the room and closed around Hannah hovering anxiously over the baby who lay with burning fever and labored breathing.

Hannah needed light and quickly to see her darling. She rushed out to the cedar post fence and quickly tore the straggly bark from the post and rushed back to the house. Carefully she laid some of the bark in the fireplace, the flames leaped eagerly up, pushing the darkness back away from the cradle and the sick babe. All night she fed the bark to the fire to make a light so she could tend her darling. But the long lonely vigil ended when the hoarse whimpering moans ceased, the blue eyes closed and the dimpled little body grew cold in death.

On February 26, 1857 little Annie Jane departed from this life and left Hannah's hungry arms empty once more.

Shortly after Annie Jane's death George succeeded in getting a yearling heifer from old Mrs. Telsey for twenty dollars. One half of the twenty was to be paid in gold.

The other ten to be paid in work at two dollars a day. Hannah raised the gold by selling her cherished gold brooch to Brigham Young for twenty dollars.