Phoebe Melinda Butler was born December 16, 1837 in Caldwell County, Missouri to John Lowe Butler and Caroline Farozine Skeen. At the time the family was moving from Simpson County, Kentucky toward Nauvoo, Illinois. They lived for two years at Adams, Illinois and went from there to Nauvoo. Her father was one of the bodyguards for Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet. At one time he made quite a demonstration at an election in Nauvoo when a mob decided to prevent the Mormons from voting. John Lowe Butler knocked down several men with an oak stick, clearing the way for the voters.

At the time of the exodus from Nauvoo, the family went to Winter Quarters and there they were to remain for some time. Mr. Butler, being a blacksmith, was counseled to remain there to repair wagons, shoe oxen and horses and to keep the many companies rolling. Later they moved to different locations along the route, the last of which was Green River, Wyoming, where they stayed until 1852, when they decided to go on to Salt Lake City. The following is taken from the autobiography pf John Lowe Butler:

“It was a hard trip from Green River to Salt Lake City. Our food, clothing, and shoes were either gone or in poor state of repair. A scout was sent into the city to report conditions to President young, who immediately went to the people of the city for food to b taken to the hungry immigrants. The women of the company had started out ahead of the teams, and in the morning, at the head of Echo Canyon, they met Joseph Toronto returning, and he said to my wife, ‘Sister Butler, I have brought you something to eat.’ She asked, ‘Where is it?’ Then he told her the wagon was just a little way on the road. It was really a happy time when the wagon arrived! We went into the city and on to Spanish Fork with George Wilson. I left my wife Caroline and the children in the city, taking my wife, Sarah, with me. A few months later, my first wife and family came to Spanish fork and here we prepared to live.”