Esker Farrel Mayberry Biography

ESKER FARREL MAYBERRY

Written by Susan Mayberry LeSueur

Esker was born a twin in Temple, Texas October 25, 1901.  The twin brother died shortly after birth.  Esker was child #8 of 12.  Esker’s family nickname was Beck.  Esker’s father, Carter Andrew Barnett Mayberry, was a share crop farmer and took good care of his horses and mules and farming equipment.  He insisted on using leather tugs rather than chains because he didn’t want the chains rubbing against his mule’s legs.  One season he moved to Joplin, Arkansas to farm, but didn’t stay because he said there were too many rocks in Arkansas which were a stress on the mule’s shoulders.  Esker followed his father’s example in taking care of his belongings.

The family left Joplin in a covered wagon and traveled west.  The family made several moves in Texas, always moving further west.  The last place for Esker to farm was in Ralls, Texas, east of Lubbock.  Here the owner of the land offered to sell to Carter, but Carter said ‘No.’ He didn’t want to get tied down.  He wanted to be able to move on.  The first year the landlord’s share was more than what he had offered to sell the land for.  Some of the land the Mayberrys had a chance to buy has gas and oil wells on it today.

On Esker’s 21^st birthday, October 25, 1922, he and his brother Curtis left Texas and headed for California to make their fortune.  They arrived in Bisbee November 1, 1922 out of money and their Model T needing tires.  Esker and Curt applied for work at the mines along with a 100 other men.  Esker said he told them they needed work and would make good hands.  When asked if they’d had any experience in mining. Esker confessed they’d never seen a mine.  He was told they were only hiring miners and muckers.  He asked if his brother could get a job as well and he was asked if Curt was a miner.  Esker misinterpreted the question to mean ‘minor’ and said, “My brother is a minor.  He’s not 21 yet.”  He was laughed at, but they were both hired and went to work the next day.  They slept on the ground for two nights and then asked a boarding house for credit until pay day.  They liked the work and established a friendship with one of the bosses (Farrell Nelson).  Farrell invited the boys home and the Texans met Farrell’s wife’s younger sister, Amy Busby, who was working in people’s homes earning a dollar a day.  Both boys thought she was cute and wanted to date her.  The story goes that Amy initially took a liking to Curt.  The boys only had one good suit of clothing between them, so the first one up in the morning was the one that got to wear them.  Apparently the brothers resembled each other quite closely and it was difficult to tell them apart, but Amy finally figured out that Esker was the more valiant of the two.

Esker worked hard and made good money mining for the next 4 ½  years, but he could see the dangers and health problems of miners and decided he wanted to be a barber.  He was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 7 November 1925 and was married and sealed to Amy Busby on 4 February 1926 and in October they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.  They then traveled to Los Angeles where Esker attended barber school.  In April 1927 he purchased a barber shop in Tombstone Canyon of Bisbee and barbered there until January of 1966.  Esker and Amy lived in a home above the shop and their three sons were born there.

In 1930 Esker and Amy purchased 10 acres of land in St. David from Amy’s father, A.J. Busby where Esker had several firsts in St. David.  He was a pioneer and wanted to make things better.  He had the first irrigation well in St. David which he dug with a post hole auger and cased with hot water heaters welded together.  It was 50 feet deep.  He planted the first pecan trees in St. David.  Everyone told him they wouldn’t grow there, but he decided to try and was very successful.  He had the first cement ditches in St. David which were poured by hand on Mondays, (his day off from barbering).

Esker and Amy maintained two households, living in Bisbee Tuesday through Saturday and in St. David on Sundays and Mondays.  Their three boys attended their early years of school in Bisbee, but all graduated from St. David High School.

Esker loved to hunt and fish.  He was known as a good shot.  When he pulled the trigger, he had game.  He also enjoyed collecting minerals.  He specialized in crystals and over the years in Bisbee developed a beautiful collection – as good or better than seen in many museums.  He never met a stranger and said he never had any enemies.  He was a friend to everyone, black or white, young or old, rich or poor, educated or not.  He was known to pray for a blessing on his enemies, if he had any.  He would always give compliments and make one feel glad to be in his presence.  

He never turned a client away because they couldn’t pay for a haircut.  Some were unable to pay for years during the Great Depression and World War II, but they always paid him – often in trade.  He acquired many of his choice minerals in this manner.  Sugar was a rationed commodity during this time and some paid in sugar.  Grandma Amy had to register the sugar at the bank - something that she found very embarrassing as she was quite self conscious and felt this drew attention.  During the depression years he worked from 7 am to 9 pm 5 or 6 days a week standing on his feet barbering and was paid 25 cents a haircut and made two $50 payments every month to pay for their home in Tombstone Canyon in Bisbee as well as their property in St. David.  He understood and lived the concept of ‘sweat equity.’  He seldom threw anything away in case he might be able to use it somewhere else in a slightly different manner.  Many have benefited from ‘shopping’ his junk pile.

He cut hair for as many as five generations in one family; his youngest customer was three weeks old and slept through it.  When shaves at the barber shop were popular, Esker gave a free shave to anyone he nicked with the razor and in all the years he only gave away less than 10 shaves.

Esker enjoyed travel.  When he retired and sold his mineral collection he purchased a truck and camper and drove to Alaska, a frontier he’d always wanted to explore.  After traveling and exploring the places he’d desired, he and Amy settled down on the farm in St. David.  Esker always kept busy puttering on something.  He could fix just about anything.

He had some endearing sayings and advice:

This here here or that there there . . . yonder.

The way to get ahead in life is to do without the things you’ve got to have.

If someone has to come to my house to sell me something – I don’t need it.

Once a man, twice a child.

I am the smartest person around, because I’m dumb and I know it.

If a job was particularly tuff he’d say, “We’ll show this thing whose butt’s the blackest.”

When one great grandson became interested in girls, he warned, “Watch out for those women; they’ll lie to you, lay on you, and take all your money.”

If you left the light on in a room he’d say, “You’re burning up my profits.”

To get Grandma’s goat, he’d say, “Yes, Mother.”

After visiting him, he’d say, “Take your time a-going, but hurry back.” Or “Come back.”

He had a hard time remembering names, but didn’t forget the person, and he was famous for giving nicknames – Bill, George, Pete, High Pockets, Blondie, Curly, Sally, etc.

In his last year he was disabled due to frailty and weakness and some senility and confined to bed.  This was a miserable state for Esker.  He learned to appreciate Amy and praised her for her goodness to him.

He passed away August 6, 1996 and is buried in St. David.

Other stories:

Grandpa Esker valued work and had a terrific work ethic.  He was a man of his word.  If he told you he would do something - consider it done.

Once when applying for a job with the oil rigs in Texas - The story goes that a large group of men were standing around at the employment office hoping to get hired.  Esker picked up a shovel and started digging in a trench while the other guys stood around.  He was hired on the spot.  

Another story is told while working in the mine – Esker’s brother Ollie came and wanted a job – the mines needed an important job done – one that had some danger – Esker was approached and offered the job and was told that he could have anyone in the mine to assist him.  He said he’d like his brother Ollie – the bosses registered surprise since Ollie wasn’t an experienced miner and the job entailed some danger – Esker replied he realized that, but he trusted his brother to be a good worker and he wanted to do the job with him.

William Nicholas Goodman Biography

William Nicholas Goodman

William Nicholas Goodman, son of Thomas and Maria Symonds Goodman, was born Sept. 9, 1841 at Bristol, England.  He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on May 13, 1851.  As a young man he worked at Foundry and Carpenter work.  He was left an orphan while young.  William and his brother Nathaniel left England in 1862 and came to America.  

On arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah he went to work for a man by the name of Ralph Ramsey, who lived in the 20th Ward, and made his home with him for many years.  

On Feb. 27, 1864 he was married to Margaret Ann Taylor, daughter of George Edward Grove and Ann Wicks Taylor.  They were married at Ralph Ramsey’s home by Bishop John Sharp.  Eleven children were born of this union.

William continued working for Mr. Ramsey at the Turning and Carving trade.  One day while working with a circular saw it slipped and cut his hand and he could not work for some time, so he decided to go to Logan and look at that country.  In a short time he moved his family there and took up land and became very prosperous.

Some of the leading men of Smithfield were anxious for him to come there and put up a turning lathe as there was a large flow of water and strong power.  They moved to Smithfield to help.

There were many Indians at this time.  They committed many depredations and would run off the white men’s horses and then expect pay for their return.

William made all kinds of furniture and as there was no place to procure paint and other materials, only at Salt Lake City, he would take his wife and babies with him on the trips that made there, as he dared not leave them at home alone, exposed to the Indians.  While crossing the Weaver River on one occasion, they came near getting drowned, and as they were giving up hope of help, the Pilot came along with his boat and rescued them.  Two families were drowned the next day in the same place.  For weeks there was no crossing of the river.  The man he left at home in charge of the place came up missing and they supposed he was killed by the Indians as he was never found.  Later his clothing was.  What a narrow escape his wife and children had; they probably would have received the same fate.  They never went back to Smithfield to regain their property.

William sold his team and wagon and bought half a lot with one room on it which was located in the 11th Ward in Salt Lake City.  He had plenty of work at carving and turning.  He also did considerable work for President Brigham Young.  He built a new home but found it wasn’t all peaceful there.  The Government soldiers were bitter against the Mormons and said they would have the head of President Brigham Young.  Guards were appointed to guard him.  William took his turn.  All were well trained in Infantry and Cavalry.  The men would take their families to the training ground.

William served in the Black Hawk War from July until November of the year 1866.  After returning home, was one one of the volunteers to work on the Salt Lake Temple.

His health failed in 1870 and he moved with his family to Minersville, Utah, as it was a warmer climate.  He built a comfortable home there and he helped to build up the settlement.

William held many positions in the Ward and settlement.  In 1877 he was called to work on the St. George Temple which work he performed.

In April, 1879 he was called to Great Britain on a Mission, but was released in less than a year on account of his poor health.  It was too damp there, as it rained every day, and he was greatly troubled with asthma.  No doubt he laid the foundation for a good work among his people.  They had drifted from the Church as they were very wealthy.  They held out many inducements for him to bring his family there to live.  He laughed at the idea and said his religion was worth more to him than all the wealth they could offer him.  He told them of his happy home and family in Utah and the joy of the Gospel.

He did not regain his health when he returned home and after remaining in Utah three years, thought if he moved farther south his health would improve.  In 1882 they left Minersville for Arizona.  On the way they stopped at St. George and did work in the Temple for themselves and their dead ancestors.

One day while traveling, he fell from the wagon and was hurt so that he could not drive for a while so his boys continued on.  He had five sons and two daughters at this time.

They arrived in Mesa, Arizona in the fall of 1882 and stayed here for a short time.  Then they went on to the San Pedro Valley and stopped at St. David, Arizona and stayed at the Joseph McRae home for several weeks.  Joseph’s wife, Maria, was a sister of Margaret, so they felt right at home.  This was January of 1883, and their daughter Elizabeth Taylor was born on February 10.

William and his sons, with the help of Joseph McRae, made adobes and built a house east of Joseph’s, close to where the St. David cemetery now stands.  During his short stay here he worked very hard.

He held several responsible positions in the Church; was Clerk of the Ward, Notary Public and Justice of the Peace.  He also worked at his carpenter work and helped build several houses: the old Harry Clifford house (Woods house) still standing (1939), also Esther Merrill’s, close to the LDS Church house.  He helped build the adobe school house that was destroyed by earthquake on May 3, 1887, and made furniture for different ones which is still in use.  He was a lover of home and family and was loved by all.

Another daughter, Theresa Hope, was born here on January 23, 1885.  Amy Rice Goodman told me that when he came from work they would run to meet him as he made so much over all of them.

William lived just two years and two months in St. David.  He took a paralytic stroke on February 10, and died on March 8, leaving his wife and nine children.  He was buried in the St. David Cemetery.

NINTH BEATITUDE

There is a ninth beatitude 

that sheds its magic grace;

Blessed is the man

who has found his place.

Blessed is the man

whose hands are strong,

Who works with a will

the whole day long.

Blessed is the labor

he can do;

Blessed is his home

when work is through.

Blessed is the soul

that does not shirk;

Blessed is the man 

who has found his work.

Israel Justus Clark Biography

Israel was seven years old when his father died leaving a large family. His oldest brother who now managed the farm was a hard working severe man, he gave his younger brother little time off even for school.

When Israel was 13 years of age he worked for a carpenter who had a turning lathe and they made chairs. He went with the carpenter down the river on a flat boat to deliver the chair to a merchant. The merchant wanted the chairs painted and Israel gladly took the job. From then on he was on his own and never saw his family again.

He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints March 9, 1844 at Osian, Alleghany, New York at the age of 23, he came to Utah with the John Smith Co., in 1848, settling in the Salt Lake Valley. He was ordained an Elder December 10, 1848.

Israel Justice was truly a pioneer, an outstanding colonizer and builder, a great missionary to the Lamanite assisting in the settling of Fort Lemhi in the Salmon River country of Idaho in the early 50's. He was an Indian interpreter and an Indian War veteran. He worked with the Nez Perce, Blackfoot and the Shoshone of the Northwest. He was also great friends of the Indians of the Northern Utah and Utes of the Uintah Reservations. He could speak their language perfectly.

He was some of the original pioneers of Logan Utah, camping on the Little Logan River in 1859. They moved to Clarkston, Utah in 1867 and was the first bishop of this ward, Clarkston was named in his honor. They returned to Logan in 1871. He was called on a second mission October 11, 1875, laboring with the Lamanites in the vicinity in Corrinne, Utah, then a part of an Indian Reservation.

Israel had a wonderful personality. He was 6 ft. tall and walked straight as an arrow. His hair was auburn in color when he was young, but turned white early in life. His keen blue eyes could look an Indian down, yet twinkled when talking to a child. His voice was clear as a bell and could be heard a long distance. When he came to Ashley Valley he would stand outside his door and call to his neighbors half a mile away, "Bartlett, Ashton, Henry, get your teams the ditch has broken.

He came to Ashley Valley in the Fall of 1877 with his family, food and implements over the road from Heber that was little more than a trail crossing Daniels Creek many times. They entered Ashley Valley through the gap at the west. He and his sons were soon in the mountains getting logs and poles for house and fences on their homestead southeast of Vernal.

More and more people were coming to the valley and Indians came too. In the Fall of 1879 after the Meeker Massacre, his friends, the three chiefs of the Uintas came in the night and told him to get his people into the fort for safety. This was done at once. Many times he fed his Indian friends at their table and kept them while they jerked their meat and tanned their hides.

On May 1st, Israel started to Geber City for flour. When he got to Current Creek he encountered snow. He had to leave his teams (four horses and one wagon) on Red Creek, and went the rest of the way to Heber City on foot. He arrived in Heber on Saturday May 14th. He was in a helpless condition, he was forty miles from his teams, and on the day he reached Heber City there was four feet of snow on top of the Strawberry Mountain. Before he could return to Duchesne, Lake Fork and Uintah, streams rose and he could not get back home until the 4th of July.

When Uintah Stake was organized in 1886, he was chosen as the first high councilman. On May the 29th, 1905 he was ordained a patriarch, he was indeed a patriarch at heart and looked much like a prophet.

His carpenter trade was put to good use in Ashley Valley, as he made most of the coffins there. The first was for Mrs. Joseph Black, the first person to die in Ashley Valley, and the first to be buried in Vernal Memorial Park.

Helping to build churches, school houses, and furniture was his specialty. He was blind for a number of years before he died on Sept. 13 1905 in Vernal, and is buried in the Vernal Memorial Park.

Israel Justice Clark is recalled with gratefulness by the members of the Clarkston Ward, Vernal and Ashley Valley. He was an organizer and a spiritual leader, he has left us many inspiring testimonies. He was truly a pioneer who battled and overcame opposing forces. He gave freely of all he possessed to his fellow men and left us a rich heritage.

Taken from findagrave.com

Eliza Jane Stephenson Waddoups Biography

Eliza Jane Stephenson

Eliza Jane Stephenson Waddoups, the daughter of Harris Shannon Stephenson and Isabella Sproul was born July 13, 1863 at Richmond, Utah. She was the oldest of a family of nine children. Cache Valley was just being settled or at least North Cache when she was born and her parents being pioneers had very little of this world’s goods.

Her childhood and early youth was spent at Richmond among the children of that village and she attended school such as that time afforded but the advantages were limited.

When she was fourteen, her family moved to Lewiston being pioneers again in a new place and for many years a barren place, drought and grasshoppers making farming a failure, so she was compelled to go to work to support herself and assist in caring for her father’s family, which she did cheerfully and willingly.

Opportunities for work were very few and wages meager, but she improved every opportunity for making what money she could. She had a gentle, loving disposition and did her work in a way that people appreciated her and younger members of families loved her as if she was one of their family.

She was married to William Waddoups, November 29, 1883 in the old Endowment House in Salt Lake City. She was a plural wife and suffered the trials and hardships of her many associates in like circumstances. For many years, she never knew one day where she would be the next and many, many times, she was forced to pick up her babies and flee in the night. She had a great deal of sickness and sorrow and even death visited her family while she had to live this way but she bore it with courage.

She used an assumed name for sometime in order to receive news from her husband and parents. When the time came that she was permitted to have a home and care for her children as she wished, her happiness knew no bounds.

April 23, 1902 she was chosen and sustained as President of the Lewiston First Ward Relief Society to which position she gave herself wholeheartedly. She was a lover of good literature and improved every opportunity to inform her mind on current topics and to be the very front on information respecting the problems of Relief Society work. She was congenial, unassuming and sincere, but humility was her outstanding virtue. She was not a preacher or a lecturer, but she lived, instead of preaching her religion, teaching by example.

In her Relief Society activities, she lived the scriptural advice found in James first chapter, twenty fourth verse – Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the sins of the world.

Gossip and criticism were foreign to her nature, she never allowed trifles to hinder her from performing her duty to her home, her community or her church. Her home was more that two miles from the place of meeting of the Relief Society and she walked to meeting more often than she was conveyed in any other way. She carried one baby and held to the other one’s hand. In Relief Society she and her co laborers worked with untiring zeal and with a love and respect for each other that was almost divine.

Her service in the organization was from April 1902 until May 1909 when Lewiston First Ward was divided and her home was in Lewiston Third Ward making it necessary for her to be released.

After becoming a member of the Lewiston Third Ward, she was put to work at once in the Primary. She also was class leader in the MIA and was later chosen as First Counselor to Emma J. Baird in the Relief Society, where she served faithfully until her health failed.

She was mother of fourteen children, six girls and eight boys. Six of her children preceded her to the great beyond. Her baby was three years old when the mother died July 4, 1912 at her home in Lewiston, at the age of 49.

Sigurd Konrad Warnberg Biography

Sigurd Konrad Warnberg

Sigurd Konrad Warnberg was born on October 22, 1893, in Persberg, Sweden. He was the oldest of six children born to Eric Gustav and Sophia Rodberg Warnberg.

He spent his early life in Sweden and dreamt from the time he was very young was to come to America.

In 1913 this dream came true as he and a friend, Otto Larsen arrived by boat in this country and settled near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Sig told of the time he first arrived in Boston then boarded the train for South Dakota. When the train stopped in Chicago he got off the train and went in the station. His train left while he was off taking all the luggage he had with it. Sig had no way of communicating with the people to explain his problem. After much confusion and alarm, he found a policeman in the city that could speak his language. After helping Sig to solve his problem, the policeman put him on the next train and told him not to move or leave one step off that train until he reached his destination.

Sig worked on a farm in South Dakota which turned out to be quite a disappointment to him. After dreaming for years of coming to a land of milk and honey, and he ended up working from daylight until dark and receiving less pay than he did in the mines in Sweden. He finally decided to travel on to Utah to see his Uncle, Julius Rodberg, and then returned back to Sweden if things didn’t work out. His friends told him he sure wouldn’t want to go to Utah. That was where all the Mormons were. Sig told them that the Mormons couldn’t be any worse than the half-Norwegian half-Swedes that lived in South Dakota.

He then traveled on to Heber City, Utah and decided to stay with his Uncle Julius. He worked with his Uncle painting school houses and church houses and other carpenter work.

Both Sig and his Uncle owned motorcycles. When his Uncle decided to leave Utah and move up into Idaho to homestead, he had to promise to buy Sig a new front tire for his motorcycle to get him to come along. Julius moved east of Chester and began to homestead. He bought a team of horses from Alec McFarland. It was at this time that Sig began working for Mr. McFarland. While working here he met his future bride, Eva Henricksen.

Sig joined the Army during World War I and served overseas where he fought in the battle of Argonne with the 112th Infantry Division in 1917. He received his naturalization papers the day he was discharged, July 25, 1918, from the service at Camp Kearny, California.

On October 13, 1921 he married Eva Henricksen at St. Anthony, Idaho.

Sig seemed to be the happiest when he was working. He often told of how someone was always getting after him for whistling while he was working in the coal mines. Some of the places he worked after he was married was at the dam in Mackay, at the sawmill for Clark Jackson. He ran several spud sorting crews working for Lew Davis, Tibbetts, Remington’s and others. He worked on a housing project in Pocatello during World War II. He worked up at Victor, Idaho, farmed at Wilford for 14 years, worked for the State of Idaho Highway Department for 10 years until his retirement in 1960. He received several safety awards while working for the highway department. After his retirement he continued working in the spuds, helping farmers get their crops in and hauling hay. He enjoyed milking his cows especially in his later years. His wife always said that he would milk cows until he died, but he finally sold his cows in 1968 shortly after she passed away.

Everyone that ever knew or dealt with Sig will always remember him for his honesty. His friends and loved ones also knew that if he kidded them and gave them a hard time it meant that he liked them. Looking over this congregation today we could almost imagine Sig saying, “You damned old fools. What do you think you’re doing here.” Which would just be his special and unique way of saying “Thank you for coming and paying your last respects to me.”

Sig had a determination about him that even though it caused him trouble on occasion, it also brought him through his hardships. In 1967 while working for Melvin Rudd on a spud piler he broke both hands. The doctors told him he would never be able to milk another cow. Soon after the casts were removed, he was out milking cows in spite of the pain he would have had to endure as he told us it felt like he was tearing the bones right out of his fingers. He continued milking from that time on without further complications.

Sig always loved to romp and play with his grandchildren and every one of them from the small baby to the married grandchild will cherish the wonderful memories they had and the fun times they spent with their Grandpa.

Sig’s loved ones never realized how much he loved and depended upon his wife until her death in 1968. From that time on there was a sadness and loneliness about him that could not be changed. Whenever her name was mentioned, tears would fill his eyes.

Anyone showing him a kindness during these two years was more than repaid by his gratitude.

When my husband and I came to his home on Christmas Eve he would have to show us the many gifts and food people brought and he was as grateful for the little sack of candy given by some children in this ward as he was by the most elaborate gift. He appreciated anything and everything that was ever done for him.

He enjoyed visiting with his friends and it was at the home of one of his closest friends, Wes Dailey at about 1:00 pm on July 25 that he became suddenly ill and was rushed by ambulance to the Madison Memorial Hospital.

Sigurd Konrad Warnberg passed away on July 26, 1970 at 9:00 am. He is survived by two daughters and three sons: Mrs. Phyllis Davis, Victor; Mrs. Arlin (Ruth) Fell, Rigby; Robert Gene Warnberg, Pocatello; Keith Warnberg, St. Anthony; and Ray Warnberg, Parker; nineteen grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two brothers and one sister living in Sweden.

Price and Lydia Ann Lake Nelson Biography

by Lydia Ann Lake

written about 1904

Pioneers of 1850 with the Thomas Johnson Company

Price Nelson and Lydia Ann Lake are the parents of Samantha Nelson, wife of Warren Marshall Johnson

Price Nelson was born November 17, 1832 in Monroe, Jefferson County, Illinois. He came to Utah in 1850 with his parents.

Following is a sketch of my life, I am compelled to depend largely on my memory, as I have kept no records; still, I think that what follows is quite accurate, owing to the fact that my life has been cast with the Latter-Day Saints, and in their early movements I took part, but only as a child.

My father joined the Mormon church in 1832, while living in Canada. He was among the first to accept the doctrine under the teachings of Brigham Young and was the first fruits of this man’s labors.

I was born May 13, 1832, at Camden, Upper Canada, and was six months old when my parents joined the church, and our family remained there about one and one-half years after that event, and then moving to Kirtland, Ohio. My father worked on the temple, being employed as a brick-maker. Owing to the persecution, we were compelled to leave our home in Kirtland, and move west-ward. We intended to go to Missouri, but the trouble rising among our people and the Missourians, caused us to stop in Illinois. My father rented a large farm near Springfield, and remained there until the Saints assembled at Nauvoo. Wishing to get closer to the main body of the Saints, we rented another farm within fifteen miles of Carthage, and were living there when Joseph Smith and Hyrum were killed, and well do I remember the event.

That afternoon, my father sat reading his Bible; and read aloud the passage “The wicked flee when no man persueth.” That instant a man rode up to the fence and called out, “Joe Smith is killed.” We looked out and saw men, women and children coming with all their might, some in wagons and some on horses and all were fleeing from the awful scene at Carthage.

My father gathered a few household goods into his wagon and moved to Nauvoo, leaving a farm and a beautiful crop for which he never received a cent. We passed through the trials, common to the Saints at Nauvoo, and moved with them to Council Bluffs. Here my father built a log cabin and we occupied it for about two years. My brother Barney Lake, went with the Mormon Batallian to fight.

Owing to the lack of teams to cross the plains with, we were compelled to go down into Missouri and work for them. My brother, sister, brother-in-law and myself went down in the fall. I got a position as dishwasher and baby tender in a tavern. About Christmas while browning coffee in a large bake oven over the coals in the fireplace, my clothes blazed suddenly and I very narrowly escaped being burned to death. I attribute my almost miraculous recovery to the administration of Elder Phineas and Lorenzo Young who chanced to stop that night at the tavern. As soon as I recovered, we went north to the “Bluffs”. A few months after our return, father with all the family moved down into Missouri. He was fortunate in finding work, and we were soon equipped with teams and wagons. The people were very kind to us. In the summer of 1850, we went north again in time to join a company of Saints moving to the “Valley”. My father was chosen as captain of fifty. Our company was well equipped with ox teams and wagons and we were well supplied with provisions and clothing. Father had one large wagon with three yoke of oxen and a smaller with two. Our family then consisted of father and mother, my brothers, Bailey and George, and my sister, Samantha and Clair Taylor, and Jane Ardway, and my married brother, Barney, who had returned from the Mexican war. While on our way, Barney’s wife died and was buried on the plains. The most vivid events of the journey occurred at Green River, Wyoming. In crossing the river the wagon box floated off the wagon and began drifting down stream. In the box were a young woman named Snyder and a girl about nine years old.

All was excitement for a few minutes. The only man of the company who dared to swim the stream and effect a rescue, was a youth named Price W. Nelson, a young man, who up to that time, I had paid no particular attention to. He was of a quiet nature and I knew nothing of him except that he drove his aunt’s team. After this event, we two became better acquainted, which resulted in our marriage after arriving in Salt Lake Valley. We were married on the last day of the year of 1850 in the Old Fort at Ogden.

The ceremony was performed by Elder Lorin Farr. (Of the many things said at this time, the prophetic utterance of my father was proved the most true. He said, “Price is a good man, but he will never be contented anywhere.”) Our first child was born the thirteenth day of October, 1851, while living on my father’s ranch, five miles north of Ogden. We named him Edmond.

The next year, about the first of June, we started by team to California and while en route we fell into the company of an apostate man named Chapman and five other men who were driving stock. The journey throughout was quite pleasant. We stopped in San Bernadino, and liking the place decided to make it our home. My husband went into the saw mill business with Amesa Lyman and Charles Rich.

The mill ran during the winter but closed in the summer on account of the lack of water. During this time, for seven years, we moved each fall from the valley to the mountains and returned to the valley in the spring. Three children were born there. They were, Samanthe, Price William, and Lydia Ann. Heeding the call of the First Presidency, we, with other California Saints, came back to Utah.

We stopped at Payson and began to build up another home. Here my daughter Lorania, was born. About this time we heard that my brother had been killed by the Indians. Not being satisfied at Payson, we remained there only about eighteen months and then went up to Franklin, Idaho. Again Brother Nelson took up the mill work, laboring as a sawer in the mill of Thatcher and Benson then operating a sawmill at Logan, Utah.

The following summer I joined my husband at Logan, Utah. there Hyrum was born and James Mark. In that village, we lived comfortably for six years. (Jane must have been born between Lorania and Hyrum.)

Brother Nelson was called to assist in settling the “Muddy Mission”. We found there an ideal climate and very productive soil and followed farming for a livelihood. there my sons Alvin and Thomas George were born. There in Nevada we lived for six years and had an abundance of such things as could be produced from the soil, but had difficulty in obtain clothing. Conditions were favorable for building comfortable homes, when trouble arose between the settlers and the state authorities. Heavy taxes were imposed and the people were forced to withstand considerable abuse. President Young visited us and seeing the condition, advised us to move. We acted immediately on the advise and left homes and fertile land with luxuriant crops almost ready to harvest and went to Glendale, in southern Utah, arriving there with our large family with only what provisions we could carry in one wagon. Our livestock consisted of a team of horses and two cows. We fount it somewhat difficult to live, but was not long in finding work and again supplying ourselves with the necessities of life.

During the seven years we lived there, three children were born to us. They were Levi, Wilford Bailey, and our last child, who lived only three weeks, Philamelia.

Brother Nelson and the boys constructed a shingle mill which they operated about four years and did fairly well financially. My son, Thomas, died while there and four of the other children were married. They were Edmond to Mary Caroline Brinkerhoff, Samantha to Warren M. Johnson, Price W. to Louisa Elder and Lydia Ann to David Brinkerhoff.

During our residence in Long Valley, a general move of settlers to Arizona was in progress, and people were being called to assist in building the county south of us, also to help in the Indian Mission work then being conducted in Northern Arizona.

Edmond was called to assist Warren Johnson at Lee’s Ferry. We went on to the Joen Copi and were among the first settlers of that place. During one and a half years sojourn there, we lived with the missionaries at the old fort. My daughter Lorania was married to Joseph Foutz, the morning we left Moen Co. They started to St. George and we, to Pine Creek. At Pine Creek, we went into the ranching and stock business and soon had a good home.

We made a trip back to St. George in company with our daughter Jane and son-in-law, John Allen, who were going to the temple. The purpose was to be sealed to each other and have our children sealed to us. Not long after our return, Hyrum was married to Martha Sanders. The Saints were making settlements in Mexico and my husband, desirous to assist in opening new country was induced to break up our new home and move south choosing Cave Valley as our destination. Brother Nelson and the boys, Bailey and lEe, put up a grist mill. They also made chairs.

After being in Mexico three years, my brother, George Lake, and I went to the Logan Temple to be sealed to our parents. I spent the following winter with my sister, Eliza Smith, at Logan, and returned the next summer to Mexico.

After remaining about five years in Cave Valley, we moved to Oaxaca in Sonora and made a home about five miles up the river from the town. While there Alvin Nelson married Tennie Johnson and Bailey Edith Nichels. We built another comfortable ranch home.
Brother Nelson’s health began to fail in the fall of 1902. His ailments were dropsy and heart failure, which terminated in his death on 27 October 1902 of the same year. Two years after my husband’s death a flood swept everything from the ranch and I went to live with Alvin. Since then I have spent a short time with each of my children at the following places: Lee at Tombstone, Arizona; Jane at Hubbard, Arizona; Bailey at Morales, Sonora, Mexico; and Lorana at Colonia Juarez, Mexico.
When the Mormons were driven from that country, I came out with the body and went to Hubbard, arriving August 5, 1912. Edmond came after me the following October. I am now at his home in Eager, Arizona.
I am proud to remark that of my thirteen children, eleven raised large families. My grandchildren number 112 at present and great grandchildren about 184 making a total posterity of about 296.

Lydia Ann Lake Nelson died 14 January 1924 in Eager, Apache County, Arizona.

Samantha Nelson Johnson Biography

Excerpts from the Biography of Samantha Nelson Johnson- wife of Warren M. Johnson.
Written by Polly A. Johnson Judd for Daughters of the Utah Pioneers – October 28, 1932
***
Samantha Nelson, daughter of Price William Nelson and Lydia Ann Lake was born October 28, 1853 at San Bernardino, California. Her grandmother, Philomelia Smith Lake, was an own cousin to the prophet Joseph Smith. Her parents went by team from their home near Ogden to California, where Samantha was born. They lived there until 1850, when, heeding the call from the first presidency, they came back to Utah, settling in Payson. In 1865 they were called to assist in settling the Muddy Mission. Samantha’s first school teacher here was Worthington P. Wilson. The schoolhouse was a very rough building, made of adobe with no floor but the dry, loose sand. The school teacher took great pleasure in sitting in his rawhide-bottom chair, leaning against the wall an putting his feet on the rough table, would indulge in a good sound sleep for about an hour. he would appoint one of the older students to take his place as teacher. Samantha took her turn while he took his daily nap. The children, taking advantage of their young teacher, at the first snore would be down playing mumble peg in the loose sand, but at the first sign of life from the school master, the studious pupils would all be back in their places. This went on for about two years. Samantha’s next teacher was Warren M. Johnson.
The family lived here for about six years, when trouble arose between the settlers and the state authorities. Heavy taxes were imposed and the people were forced to withstand considerable abuse, until President Young advised the people to move away. The Nelson family, with others, moved to Berry Valley, now Long Valley. They settled in Glendale, where they began to build another home. Here Samantha again went to school taught by Warren M. Johnson. Her father made an old fashioned loom, and Samantha did her part in weaving cloth and making their clothes. The family passed through many trials and hardships, but they never complained.
Samantha married Warren M. Johnson October 28, 1872, in the endowment house at Salt Lake City. While living in Glendale three children were born to Permelia, and two children were born to Samantha.
In the spring of 1876, Warren received a call from President Brigham Young to go to Lee’s Ferry on the Colorado River to perform the duties of ferryman. … Their lives here in the early days were marked with many hardships and privations. The nearest settlements being about ninety five miles and at times the roads – especially over the Buckskin Mountains – were almost impassable, making it hard to get provisions and the necessities of life. They had to get along as best they could. … Sometimes they would be entirely out of flour and had to live on corn meal, which was ground on a small hand mill.
Indelible impressions were made on my mind while a very small child of watching Mother and Aunt Samantha braid straw and make our hats and in carding and spinning wool into yarn, and in knitting stockings for the family. They carded bats for quilts; their hands were never idle. While living here seven more children were born to Permelia and seven to Samantha. They were both good nurses and acted as midwives. In 1899, Samantha and her family moved to Kanab, where the children could take advantage of public schools and mingle in society. Here another child was born to her.
In 1900, part of the family went to Wyoming, the rest following a year later. They settled in Byron, on the Shoshone River. Father bought a ranch in Coburn, on the Big Horn River. He moved Samantha and her family here.
They were well pleased with their homes in both these places as there was plenty of land and water and the prospects of raising crops were bright. They were pioneers to these two settlements, as they were among the first Mormon settlers there. After living here for about two years, Father’s health began to fail. They did all they could for him, but gangrene set in and he passed away March 10, 1908, at Coburn.”
***
After Warren’s death both Permelia and Samantha moved back to Southern Utah. Permelia first and then a year later, Samantha. Most of their children returned as well. Samantha lived with her daughter in Pipe Springs for a while and then moved to Hurricane where she lived alone.
While visiting one of her daughters in Moccasin she had a paralytic stroke on died on the 7th of October, 1923.