Wouldn't Deaths Bring Sadness to Lydia?

I think about what must have been sadness in the life of my great-grandmother, Lydia (Jewett) Hayes when there were deaths in her family. Her oldest daughter, Huldah, died at about 3 years of age in 1823. I don't have a record of when her mother passed away, but family history states that her father, Joseph, died in 1837. Lydia and her family moved to Indiana by 1837 where her youngest child was born.

By 1842 the family has moved to Jefferson County Iowa and her children began getting married and having children of their own. Before the end of the year Lydia's first grandchild was born, Daniel. But he had died before 1850. In 1846 granddaughter Rebecca died when 1 month old. Then in 1851 grandson William died at age 4 months.

It was in 1853 when the family traveled together for about five months over the Oregon Trail. Not long after another granddaughter was born while in the Blue Mountains, that Lydia's daughter, Hannah, died in the Cascade Mountains. The baby Emma lived with her grandparents, Seth and Lydia. Six year old Emma and Lydia are shown on the 1860 census as the only members of the household, because Seth had died that year previous to the census. I would think it was especially hard for Lydia when Emma died at age 9, around 1863. Also in 1863 Lydia's son, Seth Whipple Hayes who lived next door, suffered two deaths in his family: his 8 year old daughter Celia, another of Lydia's granddaughters, died and then just 3 months later Seth's wife, Polly, died.

Hopefully Lydia had joyful moments to counteract the sad times in her life. She herself died in November 1864. From her obituary in the Pacific Christian Advocate we can read; "Sister Lydia Hays died in great peace and full assurance of eternal life."