Liverpool

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Golden Spike National Historic Park

Jupiter at Golden Spike National Historic Park Sep 2020

We took a trip to Golden Spike in September 2020 for the kids to experience some Utah history. It was well worth the drive out to Promontory, Utah.

The Golden Spike has some significance on Amanda’s line. Her ancestor, Joseph Wayment, is standing in the photo taken 10 May 1869 on that momentous occasion. Below is a copy of the photo. You can see him with the hat and long beard. Look at the train on the left and the man standing right below the train light with his jacket open and white shirt; the man whose head is in front of that man’s right thigh (behind the guy with the partially raised hat). That is Joseph Wayment. Joseph Wayment was born 7 February 1844 in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England and passed 20 December 1931 in Ogden, Weber, Utah. He is buried in Warren. I wrote of his parents William and Martha Wayment previously.

Another interesting bit of history is that Joseph Wayment came to the United States on the ship “Amazon.” This is the same ship that my Stoker ancestors came to the United States. Not only is it the same ship, it is the same trip of the ship. Here is part of the history I wrote for William and Emma Stoker.

Joseph Wayment departed from London on a ship called “Amazon” 4 June 1863 (His parents and some siblings traveled later on “Nevada” in 1878).  George Q Cannon dedicated the ship which was entirely of Saints (880+) headed for Zion.  It was this same ship that Charles Dickens wrote that the Mormons were not taking misfits and scoundrels, but the “pick and flower” of England.  Even George Sutherland, future U.S. Supreme Court Justice was on this ship.  Here is a link to the story by Charles Dickens: The Uncommercial Traveller.  The LDS church also tells of the story that day at this link: Amazon Departure.  The ship sailed to Liverpool before finally heading out for America.

The “Amazon” landed at Castle Gardens, New York, New York on 18 July 1863.  The Saints took rail to Albany, Albany, New York and then to Florence, Douglas, Nebraska through Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  From there they hoofed it on to Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory arriving 3 and 4 October 1863 (depending on which of the two companies), just in time for General Conference.  Several of the company wrote of Brigham Young coming out to greet them and giving them advice. Brigham sent Joseph to Salt Creek (now Warren) to settle. He later was the first road supervisor and the father of the first born white child of Warren, Sarah Wayment in 1875.

I will have to spend some time telling more of Joseph and Ann Reed Wayment’s story another time.

My own limited tie to Promontory is just the fact the Sharps, taking my Grandpa Milo Ross, used to drive past the site out to harvest salt.

Hiram, James, Paul, and Aliza Ross on 7 September 2020
Hiram, Amanda, Aliza, and Paul Ross, Bryan Hemsley, Lillian and James Ross, and Jill Hemsley
by

William and Martha Wayment

William and daughter, Martha Wayment

I previously wrote of an interesting incident I had with Aliza in the Plain City, Utah Cemetery. I have thought about that several more times as we have been back to visit. It seems fitting I finally follow up and provide some additional information on William and Martha Wayment.

Aliza with William and Martha Wayment tombstone in 2016
James, Amanda, Lillian, Aliza, and Hiram Ross with tombstones for Martha and William Wayment in 2020. My William Edward Stoker’s tombstone is in the background.

As you can see, there is a little biography poster for Memorial Day. The history there is pretty brief. I found a couple of histories on William and Martha. I am posting these two for the history to be available for my children, who are descendants of William and Martha Wayment. First is the history for William, then Martha.

“William Wayment (Whayment) was born to Joseph Wayment (Whaymond) and Mary Rook Wayment. He was born 14 May 1822, in Whaddon Parish, Cambridgeshire, England. He was a small and fragile baby, but survived through his parents loving care. William was christened on 2 June 1822, in Whaddon Parish, Cambridgeshire, England. Two years later, there is a christening record dated 6 June 1824, another brother, Robert, frail from birth, who sustained life for seven months, buried 23 January 1825. William was their only surviving child.

“There are several different accounts of Joseph and Mary Rook Wayment and their descendants. Another account is this; the couple also married 15 March 1813, and lived in Barrington, Cambridgeshire, where they had become the parents of six children, three of whom, Ann, John, and Joseph, had died prior to their moving to Whaddon about 1819. This would make William the seventh, instead of the first born. The only surviving child of this union that I can find recordson is William Wayment, our ancestor.

“Whaddon is a small town in the district of Roysten and County of Cambridge with a population at that time of about 319 people living in about 60 houses. The manor belonged to Lord Hardwicke. A famous old stone Parish has stood over the town for many years.

“Very little is known about William’s early years. It is known that he received some education and learned how to read and write. Most likely he went to work at an early age, as was custom for children of that time. It is most probable, his frail beginning coupled with his early work years and sometimes meager meals stunted his growth. He often referred to himself as ‘a runt.’ All of his sons were taller than he. Our best information indicates he was small of stature, about five feet and eight or nine inches in height. He was known as a laborer and sometimes a miner, likely working wherever he could be employed.

“His father, Joseph Wayment, died and was buried 12 July 1840, in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England. William was about eighteen or nineteen years of age

“Sometime after the death of his father, William began courting Martha Brown, a young, fair woman of the Bassingbourne Parish. The courtship bloomed and they were married Christmas day, 25 December 1841, in the Parish of Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England. A clerk at Somerset House, England, pointed this out to Hollis R. Johnson when he requested and received a certified copy of their marriage certificate: William signed his last name as Whayment, giving his age as twenty and listed himself as a laborer. Martha gave her age as nineteen and listed herself as a spinster, a title used under English law for any woman who had never married. William and his bride made their home with his widowed mother, Mary Rook Wayment.

“The Wayment family lived in the same house in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England for more than 300 years, but like most others in England, they did not own the property. They only rented. When the Wayment family moved to America, the ancestral home was claimed by the government as a Post Office. The house was one of those quaint old, two story cottages, constructed of white stone masonry and had a thatched roof. Vines grew up the walls and flowers grew on either side of the cobblestone path leading to the entrance. The fireplace was large enough to walk in with seats built on either side of the fire. A kettle hung down, stopping just above the fire. Martha did all of the cooking and baking in this huge fireplace. Years later this house was put on the market and a member of the Wayment family, by the name of Waymond (Wayment), purchased this property. Wayment descendants still reside in this home today, 2006.

“William and Martha Brown Wayment began their married life under very limited circumstances. Although an extremely hard worker, William never accumulated much wealth. Coming from a wealthy family, their modest home and insufficient circumstances were a source of embarrassment at times for Martha. It has been said that Williams earnings were often around eight shillings a week (about two dollars U.S. money). With this money, there were food, clothing, coal and rent to pay for. By careful management they were able to take care of their children as they came into their family.

“Although not a proficient provider, William proved to be a very loving, a kind and caring husband. They had eight children together, six boys and two girls. Two children died early, one at one day the other at one year and three months. It is also said that he was an exemplary father.

“All William and Martha’s children were born in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England. 1) Male, Aaron Wayment born 14 Nov 1842 died 15 Nov 1842 2) Male, Joseph Wayment born 7 Feb 1844 died 20 Dec 1931 3) Male, Samuel Wayment 28 May 1846 died 1 Jul 1912 4) Male, William Wayment Born 1 Mar 1849 died 19 Jun 1850 5) Female, Emily Wayment born 15 Apr 1851 died 15 Mar 1925 6) Male, John Brown Wayment born13 Apr 1854 died 30 Sept 1923 7) Male, William Thomas Wayment born 29 Apr 1859 died 15 Feb 1943 8) Female, Martha Wayment born 25 Mar 1863 died 19363

“All their children were taught to be responsible and dependable workers. But as one granddaughter, Thora Wayment Shaw stated, “it seemed necessary for them to come to America to develop their full potential.”

“As their children became old enough, they hired out to work for farmers in the area. Their work included keeping birds out of the cherry trees, pulling poppies out of grain fields and other needed farm work. Among other things, they learned to stand the bundles of grain up in small groups, called “shocks” to dry. When dry, the grain was then piled into high pointed stacks to help shed the rain while awaiting to be threshed. Some of the farmers were very hard on these young workers. Often the children would leave home at five o’clock in the morning and work until they were called for breakfast between eight and nine o’clock. Sometimes the meal was very meager. They would break around noon for lunch then continue to work until seven at night. Joseph and William T. describe one of their employers as “the meanest man on earth.”

“At that time in history, they wore a peculiar type of “smock” clothing. William T. said that it resembled a long sack with sleeves coming out of the corners and a hole in the end between the sleeves to put your head through. This ‘smock’ came down below the knees, which prevented a person from taking a long step. To jump a ditch or run, the “smock” had to be pulled up. Often the jumper landed in the water of the ditch, much to his embarrassment and to the amusement of others. If the “smock” became wet, it seemed to shrink and stick tight to the body it was covering. Usually one had to have help to get out of a wet “smock.”

“William and Martha Brown Wayment were contacted by the first Mormon missionaries in their area. William Wayment listened to their message becoming convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 28 May 1850. He and his wife Martha opened up their home to the missionaries. This was a very courageous act on their part, because many people in their community stirred up hate to prevent the spread of the gospel. This malevolence made it necessary for the Saints to hold their meetings in different houses and to hold baptisms at night to avoid the mobs that were continually a threat to them. William was ordained an elder in the church 5 March 1876. Between 1850 and 1878, the traveling LDS missionaries always found a bed to sleep in and meals with the Wayment family. William and Martha’s home was also used as a place for the Saints and friends to meet and hear the gospel. William Wayment and George East, both our great-grandfathers, were great friends, tracted together and loved to do missionary work together before they came to America.

“Martha was one of the first to accept the message of the gospel brought by the Elders, however, due to the objections and threats of disinheritance she prolonged her baptism. Martha was baptized on 1 May, 1857, about seven years after her husband embraced the gospel. When word, of her accepting the gospel and being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reached her father, Samuel Brown, he disinherited her, cutting her off with only a few shillings. However, this did not change her mind. Setting an example with her husband, they taught their children the principles of the gospel. All of their children were baptized into the church. Joseph, Samuel, and Emily were baptized by John Jacklin on 7 May 1860.

“The first test of faith and understanding of the gospel for William Wayment came with the illness and death of his mother, Mary Rook Wayment. She died 19 March 1853, and was buried four days later in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England, beside her husband. William had fulfilled his final obligation to his mother.

“In the spring of 1863, William and Martha were experiencing some challenging and sobering thoughts. A new baby girl had been born to them 25 Mar 1863. Their oldest son, Joseph, was planning to leave their home to journey with a group of Saints to the Utah Territory in the United States. After careful consideration, the Wayment family set up a mutual plan to migrate to America and the land of Zion. They would all work together to save money, then send one at a time until they were all settled in the Utah Territory. At that time, Joseph worked with his father in the fossil diggings or fossil mines earning money for his transportation.

“On 4 June 1863, William and Martha’s oldest living son, Joseph, listed as Joseph Whaymond, age 19, was the first to leave, sailing from London, England, emigrating to the United States of America aboard the Amazon. This was a large 1600 ton ship, but Joseph was seasick almost all the way across the Atlantic. Arriving in New York 20 July 1863, he took the train to a point on the Missouri River, then by boat up the river to Florence, Nebraska. From there he walked and drove an ox team in Captain McCarthy’ the Dixie Company all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. It took four months to make the trip from his father’s home.

“Joseph was sent to Salt Creek, Utah, by Brigham Young, to help settle this area. Joseph planted the first fruit trees in Warren. He was the first road supervisor and the father of the first born white child of Warren, Sarah Wayment Hansen. In England, William and Martha continued to guide their children in the gospel. John was baptized and confirmed by John Jacklin on 15 April 1866.

“The passenger’s manifest of 1868, show Samuel and Casting Chapman Wayment emigrated to New York that year aboard the Constitution. Arriving in New York 6 August 1868, they continued across the continent by train to Fort Bento, then by covered wagon in the John Gillespie Company to Salt Lake City. Five years later in 1873, John followed Joseph and Samuel to America on the ship Nevada,and onto the Salt Creek District of Utah, which later was named Warren.

“Samuel Wayment first worked and lived in Deweyville and Cove Fort before settling in the Salt Creek District. They built their home at 1239 North 5900 West where Chester Wayment lived and now Matthew Wayment lives. On that very spot, the first house that Samuel and Castina built burnt to the ground along with the barn. The animals were cooked, so the people who had come to help put out the fire went home, retrieved knives, pots and pans and returned to cut up the meat.

“After Samuel and Castina left for America, William and Martha remained in England with only three children at home. On 4 March 1872, John Brown (Whayment) was ordained a priest by George Wilkins. On 31 May 1873, William Thomas (Whayment) was baptized by John Jacklin. The spirit of gathering to Zion continued to work with the Wayment family.

“The sixth child, John Brown, completed preparations, and at age 19, booked passage on the ship Nevada and sailed from Liverpool, England, 9 July 1873. Arriving in New York, he headed to Utah Territory to join his brothers. John lived with his brother Joseph in what they called “Bachelor Headquarters” in Salt Creek.

“The saving of money was slow and hard to come by so when William T. became about ten years of age, he began working in the fossil fields to help earn passage to America. Part of the time he pushed a wheelbarrow around the mine, which was very difficult for a lad of his age. He worked in the Fossil Fields until the goal was reached. (This was work in the peat bogs. Peat is compact, dark-brown organic material with high carbon content, built up by the partial decay and carbonization of vegetation in the acid water of bogs. Dried peat was and is compressed into briquettes, used in European Countries as fuel, although it is not as efficient as coal because of its large content of water and ash. Peat can also be used for mulching and soil improvement.)

“According to early church records of Norwich Conference, Martha (Whayment) was baptized 13 September 1874, by John Jacklin. On 5 March 1876, William (Whayment) was ordained an Elder by Shadrack Empey. On 4 April 1876, William (Whayment) baptized Sarah East, daughter of George East, Sr. and Rhoda Stanford East into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Sarah was sister to Javes East, who is father of Hazel Caroline East Wayment, our grandmother, who married Theodore Wayment, grandson of William Wayment.) The following week, Sarah East, her parents and six brothers and a sister left England for Utah Territory. They sailed from Liverpool, England, on the ship Wyoming,13 September 1876. Sarah East became a daughter-in-law to William and Martha when she married their son John Brown Wayment. This took place on 7 October 1877, in Weber County, Utah.

“After John Brown left home, the family continued to unite their efforts. Final preparations to emigrate to Utah Territory were made in the spring of 1878. With their savings and help from their sons in Utah, they booked passage on the sea going vessel, the Nevada. The Nevada was Mastered by H. Gadd who hailed his home as Glasgow, Scotland. After leaving their port of departure, Liverpool, England, the ship docked in Queenstown, Ireland, where they picked up more passengers. William and family were numbered among the 443 passengers who made their crossing in steerage, as he was unable to supply the coin for being listed among those 54 passengers in the ship’s cabins. His trade was listed as a farmer. They then made sail for New York where they arrived there on 5 June 1878. There were no deaths at sea recorded on this voyage, however, the people in steerage welcomed a male infant on 30 May 1878, with the surname of Larsen.

“Martha Wayment East, later in life, told granddaughter, Rhea Marriott, “The weather was good all the way over and the ocean was calm to what it usually was, but I was seasick practically all the way. After traveling on water for ten days, we reached Castle Gardens, New York. While we were there, I bought a tomato for two pennies, the first I had ever tasted. From Castle Gardens we boarded Pullman cars to Philadelphia. We changed here to immigrant cars which were very uncomfortable. It was beautiful in the east, but gradual signs of habitation vanished and scenes about us were dry and barren. It was all so strange here, away out west, and very different from what we had expected it to be.”

“Arriving in Ogden, Utah Territory, 13 June 1878, the family was met by Joseph and Samuel. After fifteen years, this was a joyful reunion. They were then taken to Samuel’s home. After living there a few months, William followed the instructions of church leaders and settled in the Salt Creek area, to help build up the Salt Creek District.

“William and family continued to live with Samuel and Castina, while they built a log house. Their log home was located about a quarter-of-a-mile south of the present corner of 5900 West and 700 North and about 200 yards west of the present county road. There were some trees at that spot, but it was dry and hot. Stumps of these trees marked the spot for many years. William built a bowery next to the house to give a little more shade from the sun. Russian Olive trees grew on this spot for years to give shade to sheep and cattle. Living on the land was a basis to apply later for Homestead rights. William applied for homestead rights to this quarter section of land. The logs for their home were hauled from the Wasatch Mountain Range along with firewood. These trips took several days and they would camp out along the way, where they had several encounters with bears.

“In this new and strange land they had to acclimatize to the semiarid climate. This was indeed a marked change from the verdant area of their home in England. They planted cottonwood trees, yellow roses, tea vines and any other plants that would grow fast. They helped establish the community and met the hardships endured by other families pioneering new homes. Martha Wayment East said, “It was hard work, but we had a good time in our work of making a town.

“William was a farmer and a rancher. He also owned a prize set of horses that he entered in shows and contests.

“Daughter Martha would become the first school teacher in Salt Creek. William T. would become the first residing bishop of Warren and would sustain that calling for 17 years.

“On 5 January 1882, William and Martha traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to the endowment house, where they both received their own endowments and were sealed in marriage for time and all eternity.

“Their daughter, Emily Wayment Negus, with her husband, William, and three of their children, sailed from Liverpool, England, 2 September 1882, on the ship Wyoming. Two of this couple’s children had died and were buried in England. With the arrival of Emily and her family, William and Martha once again had all their living children and grandchildren around then to enjoy, but this was short lived.

“A year and three months later after their sealing, in the spring, William contracted Typhoid fever and inflammation. He succumbed to the illness nine days later on 17 May 1883. He was buried in the Plain City Cemetery, Plain City, Weber, Territory of Utah. His death left his beloved wife, Martha, four sons and two daughters, Joseph, Samuel, John and William T., Emily W. Negus and Martha Wayment without their patriarch. William was also survived by eighteen living grandchildren, all living in the Salt Creek area.

“His obituary said he was an honest, industrious and truthful man, a kind husband and an exemplary father. His house was always open to the servants of God, as a haven of rest and hospitality. His faith was unshaken in the principles of Eternal Life, and he had died as he had lived, a faithful Latter-day Saint. He was interred in the Plain City Cemetery, being conveyed thither by a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends.

“Compiled by Joan Wayment Creamer

Sources; West Warren History 1975, Warren History 1995, Ogden Junction Database, New York passenger lists 1851-1891, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Alma W.& Martha M. Hansen, June Wayment Orton, Mildred Wayment Bird.

Back (l-r): Sarah, Martha, Leonard, Mary; Middle: Hannah, Joseph, Ann, Martha; Sitting: Walter Wayment

Here is the history for Martha Brown Wayment.

“On 26 May 1823, Martha Brown became the fourth child born to Samuel and Mary Wade Brown in Bassingbourne, Cambridgeshire, England. She was their only girl who survived infancy.

“Cambridgeshire, a flat coastal plain is located in the southeast part of England. The climate is moderate with much rainfall which produces abundant vegetation. This area produced peat bogs where many men worked.

“Martha’s grandfather, William Brown of Whaddon, has been described as a very wealthy farmer. His son, Samuel, Martha’s father, was disinherited after he fell in love and married a servant girl, Mary Wade who worked for his parents.

“After being disinherited, young Samuel and his wife, Martha’s parents, moved to Bassingbourne where he became a butcher by trade. He also acquired and owned some land and sheep. Later he expanded his business and is said to have become a very well-to-do merchant. Samuel and Mary Wade Brown were good, moral people and highly respected in the community of Bassingbourne.

“The Bassingbourne Parish register records this couple of having nine children, seven boys and two girls. All were born in Bassingbourne. 1) William Brown, christened 24 July 1814, and died 13 January 1894, age 80 2) Martha Brown, christened 15 September 1816, and died 27 June 1817, 9 months 3) Samuel Brown, Jr, born Sept.1818, christened 11 Oct.1818, died January 1890, age72 4) Martha Brown, born 26 May 1823, christened, 20 Jul.1823, and died 12 Apr.1905, age 82 5) Thomas Brown, christened 28 July 1827, and died 21 July 1901, age 74 6) John Brown christened 30 May 1829, and died 18 March 1906, age 77 7) Joseph Brown, christened 25 September 1831, and died in August 1903, age 72 8) Richard Brown, born 15 February 1835, and died 3 April 1835, 2 months 9) Simeon Brown, born September 1840, and died 14 December 1872, age 32.

“It is said that the Browns were a family of large men, with each son being more than six feet in height. They also claim to have had a longevity of life, however only one of them lived to be more than eighty, and that was Martha Brown Wayment. The others, except the two infants and Simeon, lived full lives into their seventies.

“Martha Brown Wayment’s Brothers; William, Thomas and John, joined the English army between the ages of twenty and twenty-five. Because of their height, ‘well over six feet,’ these men were chosen to serve in the King’s Guard and marched in the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Thomas and John deserted the Army and came to America. Thomas’s arrival in America was by quite by accident. The ship he booked passage on wrecked and he was the only survivor. After floating in the Atlantic Ocean for three days, he was rescued by an American vessel, which brought him on to America. Later he married a woman named Lavina and called Clyde County, Kansas their home. They had no children. Thomas wrote to the English government requesting his pension which was given to all English soldiers. The English government replied, telling him they’d give him all that he was entitled to if he returned to England and give up his citizenship in America. Thomas declined and elected to stay in America.

“After coming to America, John Brown changed his name to John Clark. He took a wife and settled in Minnesota. They had a large family. Several years before William T. Wayment died, one of John’s daughters came to Utah and visited with him. She also stayed at the home of Martha Wayment East. That was the last recorded communication with the Clark families from Minnesota.

“William served fourteen years in the English Army, then returned to his home in Bassingbourne. He fought in the Crimean War, Battle of Enlseman and the Russian War of 1848. After the Russian War he returned to England and received a service pension for the remainder of his days.

“When Samuel Brown, Martha’s father, was too old to work any longer, Samuel Jr. took over his father’s business. Joseph also remained home, making his living as a common laborer. When Samuel Sr. died, he bequeathed all his cash earnings to his youngest son, Simeon. Simeon died of alcoholism at the age of thirty-two.

“Martha Brown Wayment; Samuel and Mary Wade Brown provided their children with the best education available. Martha worked in her father’s butcher shop. From her mother, she learned to be frugal, clean and how to keep a neat, tidy house. It has been said about Martha that she was sometimes upset by the unclean habits of some of the older members of the family around her in England.

“In a Relief Society Lesson Publication, Pamphlet #32, dated December 1910, contains short biographies and testimonies of outstanding pioneer women of the North Weber Stake. Martha Brown Wayment told: “When about twelve years of age, there was a strange preacher came there, called a ‘Mormon.’ They were very desirous of hearing what he had to say and went to a meeting. When dinner time came, she seeing them without dinner, no place to go and no money to buy it with, she told her mother that she would go without dinner if she would let the preacher have it, but her mother was not so inclined.” (Martha Brown would have been fourteen years of age when she saw the first missionaries. The first missionaries arrived in Liverpool, England, 20 July 1837.)

“Sometime after the summer of 1840, Martha Brown met William Wayment. Their courtship culminated into a Christmas day wedding the following year. They were married, 25 December 1841, in the Parish of Whaddon Cambridgeshire, England. A copy of their marriage certificate shows William signed his last name as Whayment, listed his age as twenty and his occupation as a laborer.

“Martha gave her age as nineteen, listed herself as a spinster, a title used under English law for any woman who had never married. Martha and her new husband moved in with William’s widowed mother, Mary Rook Whayment.

“The Whayment home was a white vine-covered masonry, two-story cottage, with a thatched roof. The main floor contained two rooms. The largest room had a walk-in fireplace on one end with built in seats on opposite interior walls. The cooking was done in kettles hanging in this fireplace.

“Martha and William began their lives together under very limited circumstances. Though William was a hard worker, they never accumulated much wealth. It is said that William earnings sometimes amounted to eight shillings a week which is equivalent to about two U. S. dollars. Their modest home and limited circumstances was a source of embarrassment at times for Martha. But by careful management they were able to take care of their growing family.

“As a young bride and living in her mother-in-law’s home, Martha found that circumstances and conditions were not always pleasant. One day at the most distressing of times, Martha threatened to leave the Whayment home and her husband. She went into a small room or clothes closet to get some of her things. Her mother-in-law quickly closed the door, locked her in and kept her there until Martha promised not to leave. Satisfactory adjustments were made and Martha kept her promise to stay.

“All William and Martha’s children were born in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire,England. 1) Male, Aaron Wayment born 14 Nov 1842 died 15 Nov 1842, age 1 day 2) Male, Joseph Wayment born 7 Feb 1844 died 20 Dec 1931, age 78 3) Male, Samuel Wayment 28 May 1846 died 1 Jul 1912, age 66 4) Male, William Wayment Born 1 Mar 1849 died 19 Jun 1850, age 1 year 5) Female, Emily Wayment born 15 Apr 1851 died 15 Mar 1925, age 74 6) Male, John Brown Wayment born 13 Apr 1854 died 30 Sept 1923, age 69 7) William Thomas Wayment born 29 Apr 1859 died 15 Feb 1943, age 84 8) Martha Wayment born 25 Mar 1863 died 1936, age 73.

Martha and Martha Wayment

“All their children were taught to be responsible and dependable workers. But as one granddaughter, Thora Wayment Shaw stated, “it seemed necessary for them to come to America to develop their full potential.”

“Cambridge was predominantly agricultural, producing wheat and other grains, sugar beets, fruits and vegetables. At an early age, the children hired out to work, working for these farmers in the area.

“Around the age of fourteen, Martha had heard the message of the LDS missionaries and recognized the truth of the gospel. At that point her parents would not allow her to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Especially after some incidents occurred that seemed to involve the missionaries and turned many people living in Cambridgeshire against the Mormons. Although they were convinced of the truth, William and Martha delayed joining the church due to her family’s bitterness and influence in their community.

“Martha and William listened to the messages, the Elders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints brought to the area, of the restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. William became convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel they were preaching and was baptized 28 May 1850. This was not a safe thing to do in those days as many were violently against the preaching of the restored gospel. Martha also opened her home up for place to meet, to share the gospel with other Saints and friends. Between the years of 1853 and 1878, the traveling Elders always found a home with Mrs. Wayment. During that time, their house was used for a meeting house for the Saints. The Elders who traveled in that section of the country always found the family ready to share their meals and beds with them as many can testify.

“Seven years after her husband had embraced the gospel, Martha was baptized on 1 May 1857. Some have criticized Martha for waiting so long to be baptized into the Church, however, she was living in extenuating circumstances. Due to the religious persecutions heaped on the early Saints, they had to meet in secrecy. Martha was one of the first ones to become interested in the restoration of the gospel. When word of her accepting the gospel reached her father in Bassingbourne, he disinherited her, cutting her off with only a few shillings. Her father then used his influence in the Parish to oppose all new members and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, this did not change her mind. Martha’s testimony of its divinity sustained her. She helped set the example and taught their children the principles of the gospel. With her husband, she encouraged her children to join the Church, and all of them were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“In the spring of 1863, Joseph, the oldest son, determined to go to America, to gather with the Saints in Zion. At this time, both him and his father, William, were working in the fossil diggings. (This was work in the peat bogs. Peat is a compact, dark-brown organic material with high carbon content, built up by the partial decay and carbonization of vegetation in the acid water of bogs. Dried peat was and is compressed into briquettes, used in European Countries as fuel, although it is not as efficient as coal because of its large content of water and ash. Peat can also be used for mulching and soil improvement.)

“The family set up a plan and fund for their relocation to the Utah Territory in America. Joseph, the oldest, was first to go. He left 4 June 1863. He was followed by Samuel and his new bride Castina Frances Ann Chapman. They sailed 24 June 1868. Two years after Samuel left, Emily married William Negus. They made their home in Whaddon for the next 12 years. Their sixth child, John Brown completed his preparations, and at age nineteen he left for America on 9 July 1873, aboard the Amazon.

“In 1871, their daughter, Emily and her husband William welcomed their first child, a son they named John. Their joy was short-lived, for when John turned eight-and-a-half months, Emily contracted typhoid fever and developed severe complications. Martha Brown Wayment, took her grandson, John and raised him until he was three years old. At that time, he was returned home to his mother who had finally recovered from her ordeal. Emily was very grateful for the loving help she received from her mother and her sister Martha. Due to the closeness John had developed with his Grandmother Wayment, Emily would often strap pack-baskets on the back of their donkey, where John would ride when they went to visit his grandparents.

“Their son Joseph had sent back to England, a marriage proposal for a local girl. It is likely that Martha gave encouragement to Ann Reed to accept her son’s Joseph’s proposal and join him in the Utah Territory. Ann completed the necessary preparations leaving Liverpool on 24 June 1874.

“It took almost another five years, continued efforts, working in the fossil fields for William and his son William T. to earn enough money for them, along with Martha and young Martha, to emigrate to America. By the spring of 1878, they were making the final preparations to emigrate to Zion. With their savings and some help from their sons in Utah, they booked passage on the ship Nevada, and sailed from Liverpool, England, 25 May 1878. This was fifteen years after theirfirst son, Joseph had emigrated to Utah Territory. After arriving in New York, they boarded a Pullman train which took them to Philadelphia. There they changed to immigrant cars, which were very uncomfortable.

“By rail they arrived in Ogden, Utah Territory, 13 June 1873, and were met by their son’s Joseph and Samuel. William and Martha followed the instructions of the church leaders and settled in the Salt Creek area. They lived with Samuel and Castina while William and William T. built a log house located about a quarter-of-a-mile south of the present corner of 5900 West and 700 North and about 200 yards west of the present county road. There were some trees at that spot, but it was dry and hot. Stumps of these trees marked the spot for many years. William built a bowery next to the house to give a little more shade from the sun. Russian Olive trees grew on this spot for years to give shade to sheep and cattle. Living on the land was a basis to apply later for Homestead rights

“In this new and strange land they had to acclimatize to the semiarid climate. This was indeed a marked change from the verdant area of their home in England. They planted cottonwood trees, yellow roses, tea vines and any other plant that would grow fast. They helped establish the community and met the hardships endured by other families pioneering new homes. Martha Wayment East said, “It was hard work, but we had a good time in our work of making a town.”

“Their daughter Emily, her husband William Negus and their three living children arrived in the fall of 1882. Martha once again rejoiced at having all of her children and grandchildren around her again.

“Martha and William Wayment continued being active in the Church they had learned to love. On 5 January 1883, they traveled to Salt Lake City, where they received their endowments and were sealed in marriage in the Endowment House.

“That spring, William contracted Typhoid fever and succumbed to this decease on 17 May 1883, at age 61 years and 3 days. He left Martha, his beloved wife, four sons and two daughters; Joseph, Samuel, John and William T., Emily W. Negus and Martha Wayment. Also, eighteen grandchildren.

“Martha Brown soon found herself completely alone. Her daughter, Martha, married Edward Marriott. Then her youngest son, William Thomas Wayment, married Maud Mary Bullock 4 July 1883. Daughter Martha was soon divorced from Edward Marriott and moved back home with her Mother. After her daughter returned to teaching school, Martha helped take care of her grandson, Arthur. Her daughter Martha then married David East on 25 December 1885, Arthur spent most of his time living with his grandmother Wayment.

“Martha was able to do her own work and lived near her daughter, Martha for more than twenty years. She continued to enjoy her church meetings, her children and her grandchildren. But she was never without problems.

“Emily’s husband, William Negus, met his death trying to uncouple the double tree to loose the team when the horses floundered in crossing a swollen stream on the North edge of Warren. William Negus drowned along with his horses on 31 March 1890.

“Martha was not idle. On 16 November 1885, she received her citizenship paper. Her husband had applied for his but died before they were granted. In 1886 Martha Brown Wayment received an important document for a land grant. It was, “the original grant of Homestead given to Martha Wayment, widow of William Wayment (deceased). The south east quarter of section two in the township six north range three west of Salt Lake Meridian in Utah Territory, containing 160 acres.” Signed by Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, and dated 18 October 1886. This tract of land is located on the west side of the present road 5900 West and extending from about 300 North then extending west to the Little Weber River. Martha gave four acres of this tract of land to her daughter Martha Wayment East for a home site. The rest of the tract was given to her son, William Thomas Wayment, and used to pasture his horses and cattle. Martha Brown Wayment’s log house was moved north to be nearer her daughter Martha’s home.

“Martha said that in her lifetime, she had read the Bible about one hundred times. She could quote scriptures freely and read the scriptures regularly to some of her grandchildren. She was always faithful and devoted to the Church and taught her children to live the same way. Martha was a very religious person. She read widely of any Church literature available. Her son, William T. said she read all the books he brought back from his mission.

“It was also said of Martha that she had the ability to handle any problems that arose in her family. She could discern and counsel sensitive situations with solutions in a way that helped hold her family together. Her daughter Emily said, “I learned how to keep a clean home and how to cook good meals from my mother.”

“Martha Brown Wayment was an outspoken person. She was described by her grandson, Chester T. Wayment for being set in her ways, but he loved to go to her home, because she always was kind to him. ” She would buy groceries from a traveling ‘grocery man’ and among her purchases was always a bag of gumdrops. Martha would enjoy the sugar off the outside of the gumdrops, then dry the off and feed them to her grandchildren. Chester said, “I ate many of those gumdrops and if I tried not to she would get very angry. She did this to all her grandkids.”

“In her later years, Martha had become very heavy, but she continued to care for most of her needs and enjoyed good health up to the time of her death. On that day, she had been visiting her daughter Emily. While returning home, she saw the traveling grocery wagon heading to her home. She hastened to arrive before him. Arriving about the same time, she told him she would need time to gather her eggs first. Martha used eggs as payment for her groceries. She asks him to come back, so he didn’t have to wait on her while she gathered and cleaned the eggs. When the grocery man returned, he could not find Martha any where, nor did she answer when he called out for her. Later her lifeless body was found in her outhouse (outside toilet). It was determined that she had died of a massive stroke or heart attack. Bishop William L. Stewart had met Martha by the old school house at noon, and reported, “she was walking quite smart,” on the day she died.

“From the Standard, Ogden, Utah, Saturday evening 18 April 1905, Column 2, pg. 7, Vol. 35. MRS. WAYMENT BURIED, The funeral services, over the remains of the late Mrs. Martha Brown Wayment, who died at her home in Warren on Wednesday last, (12 April 1905), were held at the Warren Meeting House at two o’clock yesterday afternoon. (Friday 14 April 1905.)

“”The services were presided over by Bishop William L. Stewart and the ward furnished the music. The speakers were, DR. H.C. Wadman, Frank Barrows, Joseph V. East, Thomas H. Bullock, John F. Burton, George W. Larkin and Bishop Stewart.

“”The speakers eulogized the life of the deceased, referring especially to her religious convictions, her kindly disposition, her affection for her family, and of her true friendship. The meeting house was entirely too small to accommodate the large number of relatives and friends. A large funeral cortege followed the remains to the Plain City Cemetery, where they placed in her last resting place. The grave was dedicated by Joseph H. Folkman.”

“Her death was 12 April 1905. She was laid to rest next to her husband William Wayment in the Plain City Cemetery. She was survived by four sons and two daughters, Joseph, Samuel, John and William T. Wayment, Emily W. Negus Mullen and Martha Wayment. Also, surviving was 46 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. The posterity of William and Martha Brown Wayment now numbers well over two thousand.

“Two recipes brought over from England by our Wayment Grandmother; Martha Brown Wayment.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING, 1 pt. of sifted flour salt, 1 pt. of milk, 4 eggs, Beat well. About 3/4 hour before the roast is done, pour off dripping from the pan-leaving enough to keep pudding from sticking. Bake 3/4 hour.

“OLD ENGLISH MINCE MEAT, 3 lbs. Beef chopped fine, 1 lb. Suet, 10 lbs. Apples (green) chopped, 3 lbs. Raisins, 1 lb. Currents, ½ lb. Lemon peel, ½ lb. Orange peel, ½ lb. Citron, ½ gal. hard cider, 1 tsp. Allspice, 1 tsp. Nutmeg, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, tsp. Cloves, 3 cups Brown sugar, Salt to taste, Boil slowly until fully cooked, then seal in bell jars. Makes about 10 quarts. May let set for a few days to improve flavor.

“Sources; West Warren History 1975, Warren History 1965, Warren History 1995, Database New York passenger lists 1851-1891, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Alma W.& Martha M. Hansen, June Wayment Orton, Mildred Wayment Bird, Bishop William L. Stewart Journal.

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History of Pauline W. Crossley

This history came into my hands from Golden Andra’s collection. A received a large stack of family history from his family. I am reviewing and making them available in this format. I typed this one about Pauline as typed, misspellings and errors too.

Pauline Wanner and Wiliam Henry Crossley

“This history was compiled August 3, 1993, by J. Allyne Kemp Crossley from two seperate histories, a story written by her son, Richard and information obtained from various family members, at a special request for he 1993 Wanner Reunion, which celebrates the 123rd year of the Wanner family.

“Pauline Wanner Crossley, daughter of Johann George and Ann Maria Schmid Wanner, was born in Atzenweiler, Neckarkreis, Wuertthemberg, Germany on April 1, 1884. Wuertthemberg, being one of the states of the divided nation of Germany. At the time of her birth, she joined a family of seven brothers and sisters, she being the eigth child. Following her birth two more children came to the family making a total of ten children: five boys and five girls, two of which died at an early age, while the family was still in Germany.

“Pauline and her brothers and sisters were very fortunate to have had parents who were honorable, upright, and hard-working people, who loved their children and worked very hard to see that they got the very best that they could provide. Both parents believed in God and had a strong faith that their prayers would be answered in providing them with the blessings they needed. They belonged to the Lutheran Church, and tried to teach their children correct principles.

“Sometime during the year of 1891, Johann, Pauline’s father, brought some missionaries to their home. These missionaries were representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they were Jacob Zollinger [1845-1942] from Providence, Utah; John Hassenfritz, from the Bear Lake area, and John Federly of Salt Lake City, Utah.

“After the missionaries had been teaching them the Gospel for some time, the family became very interested and decided they would join the Church. Some of the family were old enough to be baptized and they became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in October 1891. Pauline waited until after the family arrived in America to be baptized on January 7th 1897, just three months before her 13th birthday. Joining the Church brought peace to their minds and joy to their hearts. It did not take long for the family to decide that they wanted to leave their native land, and come to the United States, where they could have religious freedom and better opportunities for their families, and to provide for their wants and needs.

“Not long after their baptism, some of the missionaries were preparing to return to their homes in the U.S. and Johann and Maria decided to send their older son, George to America with them, he’d be the first member of the family, to come to this country.

“In the Spring of 1893, Pauline’s parents began making the preparations to take the rest of their family to America, saying “Good-bye” to all their relatives, friends, and their native land.

“They had to ride the train for one day, afterwhich they took a boat up the Rhine River which took three of four days, then they took another train for another day, which took them to the North Sea. Here they got on another boat which was larger than the first, which would take them to Liverpool, England. The sea was very rough and the weather stormy, so it took another day before they reached Liverpool, where they boarded a big ship to sail to America.

“They were on the ocean for about 2 weeks, before they finally reached New York, where they stayed for two or three days. From New York, they took the train once again, and started their journey across the American Continent, for Salt Lake City, Utah, having to stop in Chicago, Illinois for one day and night. After arriving in Salt Lake City, they then continued their long and tedious journey to Franklin, Idaho where they arrived on the 18th of June 1893, all being very happy, and anxious, to get settled in their newly adopted homeland.

“They were met by their brother, and son, George and Mr. Fred Nuffer. Mr. Nuffer invited George, and all of his family to stay at his home, until they could find a place of their own, which was about one week.

“The Sunday following their arrival in Franklin, they all went to church, traveling to Glendale, where they had their membership records moved to, from the Branch in Germany.

“Grandpa Wanner soon bought the home and farm of John Nuffer’s in Glendale and the family lived there for a number of years before buying a home in Logan, Utah.

“Pauline worked hard on the farms that her father had bought – he bought several for his family to run. The members of Pauline’s family were all good workers and they all strived very hard to make a go of it, in this new land. Each of them was also very diligent in working for their beliefs, for their church, and for their Savior, Jesus Christ – including Pauline – she was a member of the Relief Society Presidency, while her children were still young she would take the “Black-top” and make many trips down to Thatcher.

“Not too much is known about Pauline’s romances, as a young lady, but her daughter, Annie, remembers hearing Pauline talk about a young man that she was engaged to, prior to Pauline’s engagement to her Dad, who was killed in an avalanche – Pauline only talked about it a few times.

“Pauline Wanner and William Henry Crossley, were married in the Logan Temple on December 14th 1904; Pauline was 20 and Will was 26 at the time, they both had dark brown hair but Will’s was curly.

“Will’s parents were John and Eliza Clements Crossley, he was born the 16th of October 1878 at Weston, Idaho and was baptized May 7th 1887. He had only one older brother, named Emanuel; one half brother, Levi, also lived with them while they were at home.

“To Pauline & Will were born four girls and five boys. Their first child, a beautiful baby girl, whom they named Florence, was born about 1905, she lived for about one year, then died in a very tragic fire. About one year later, another little girl was born whom they named Violet, she lived only two weeks; a third little baby girl, named Fern, was born on May 25th 1908 and she lived for only a few hours. Pauline was out helping to put up hay when a load tipped over on top of her, bringing the baby too soon. A 4th little baby girl, Annie Laurie, who’d be their only living daughter, was then born on April 30th 1909. *(According to Annie’s birth certif., she was born in March).

“Following the birth of Annie Laurie, the family grew with the addition of the boys, each arriving about two years apart from one another. Joseph Henry, arrived on April 14th 1911; Richard Wanner on January 27th 1913; Albert John was born June 28th 1915; Clarence William, who everyone knew as “Virgil” was born March 18th 1917; he died September 6th 1984, and is buried in McCammon; and then Cyril Chester was born on October 28th 1919. These children brought lots of joy to their mother, and I’m sure that had she have lost Annie, her only living girl, she would have just laid down and died right then —

“The Pioneer immigrants had to make many sacrifices and endure many tragidies in order that they could live their faith and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ – many having to leave their homeland and their families, worldly goods, even suffering sicknesses and surviving near starvation and freezing temperatures – But I can’t imagine the pain and heartache of having to watch a home that I’d help build with my own hands, be destroyed in a fire, along with a very precious baby daughter – Florence, when she was only about a year old.

“Pauline and Will had both dropped-off to sleep, forgetting to turn off their coal-oil lamp, and since the wick was bad, it filled the room with smoke as it burned – which woke Will up. He was so sick from the smoke, he couldn’t stand up to talk, he had to crawl about one block, or more to the neighbors, who ran back and were able to get Pauline out of the house – but because of all the excitement and all the turmoil, they forgot about Baby Florence. When Pauline came to all she said was, “The Baby! The Baby!” But it was too late!

“The folks said that another fire happened on the homestead, in Thatcher, at the middle place, because the children decided to build a bon-fire behind the stove in the kitchen – they said it was because the fire had ruined everything so bad, that that was their reason for building their last home, on the homestead, and also a reservoir.

“Will’s older brother, Emanuel, had moved to Thatcher on a homestead, about two years before he and Pauline decided to move – He was finally persuaded and he moved his family to Thatcher, where they homesteaded the place which adjoined his brother’s.

“All of Pauline’s children had a hard “row to hoe” while they were growing up – some made sure that they got a small education and others didn’t but all-in-all nothing was easy for them –

“The children would go barefooted a lot when they were little. One day their Dad noticed that the cows were down in the “stubble” so he instructed the children to go and get them, (they were barefooted, as usual). Annie’s little feet were so tender that with each step she took, the stubble scratched them, and caused them to bleed and each added step brought more scratches, and more bleeding, so she tried to take her time, being as careful as she could so that the rough stubble wouldn’t hurt her feet anymore than they were already hurting. Her Dad got really upset that she took so long to go and help get the cows (he didn’t realize her suffering).

“Then, there were the times when the children would get lost, even on their own place – One day the children were up in the pasture, watching their Dad put in fence posts for a fence, so he could fence-off the pasture. (The children were probably helping as well). One of the boys got tired, so he wandered away from the rest and laid down in the BIG, TALL brush and went to sleep. The whole family hunted and called – but he wasn’t found until sometime after dark.

“Earlier, when the family lived by the “WHEEL GATE”, Joe and Annie went wandering in the TALL Sage Brushes, east of their place. Most of the neighbors must have hunted all over, until the “wee” hours of the morning before they finally found them – the Sage Brushes were so HUGE, that they were just right for the children to make their own little “houses” in them.

“Pauline and Will were strict parents, and living on a farm wasn’t an easy life, to be sure, and everyone needed to work to help: the children even had their responsibilities on the farm —

“Joe and Annie, for example, had to go after the cows, on the hilly pasture land, (there were lots of trees and vegetation). One day, they had just got the cows going along the “cow-trail” through the hills and a bobcat began to follow them and they were scared to death!! After running the cows for awhile, Joe was right behind the cows, Annie next, and then their dog – the dog finally tangled with the bobcat and he took off through the trees – were they ever glad to get back home!

“Another time, Annie went out to take her brother, Richard, a sandwich, when a big buck decided to turn on her and Joe – the only one that could control him was Richard – the buck wouldn’t hurt him.

“Besides his farming – Will also had a “Threshing machine” and he’d go out and do threshing for other farmers, which gave his family a little added means for flour and cereal – He’d always take a load of wheat, by wagon, down to Preston, to have ground into flour and cereal.

That was the end of page 4. It seemed to be an abrupt end, but I cannot tell if there were more pages to the history or not.

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Biography of John George Wanner Sr

Wanner Family about 1895

Biography of John George Wanner taken from a hand written history which was in a box of Genealogy material of Clara Bodrero, now in possession of Elaine Ricks (unknown dates), author unknown.. I have written a history of John George Wanner Sr previously. I updated location and names to their proper spelling.

“John George Wanner, son of John Frederick and Anna Maria Marquardt, was born Oct. 18, 1845, at Holzgerlingen, Germany. He had two brothers, namely Michal and Conrad. Grandfather was the youngest child. [He wasn’t a very large man about 5 feet 6 inches tall. He always looked well dressed, clean and very nice.]

“He was member of the Protestant Church. At this church the members graduated from Sunday School at the age of 18.

“In those days children didn’t get very much schooling and grandfather was no exception.

“Grandpa while in Germany worked on the roads and was the road overseer. he also worked in the Black Forest and fought in the Civil War in Germany in 1865 and the War of 1870-71.

“He was married to Anna Maria Schmidt on June 6, 1870. [She was about 5 feet 4 inches and had a good shape. She always fixed her hair so beautiful, she looked nice and well dressed. I can remember this beautiful black knit winter dress she had and she always wore gloves] From this union was born to them five sons and five daughters. Before his marriage he served in the Civil War in Germany and again after his marriage in 1870 & 71 for quite a while.

“After his marriage he worked in the woods. In 1873 they moved from Holzgerlingen to Gruenkraut, Wuerttemberg, where they bought a little home and farm. He also worked in the gravel and woods on this side. In 1880 he got a job on a big highway and worked on it until he came to America in 1893.

“In the month of May 1891 while working on the Highway two men came along and talked to him, giving him a Tract. They were members and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They visited his home telling him and his family of the gospel and the Lord’s work. They made their visits often, and in July 1891, John George, the oldest son was baptized and came to America with a missionary by the name of Terrell from Providence, Utah.

“In October 1891, grandfather, his wife and some of their children were baptized by the Elders. (Grandfather was the only member of his father’s family that joined the Latter Day Saint church.

“In May 1893, they prepared to come to America. [They rode the train for a day and then got on a ship and went up the Rhine River. This took them three or four days. They then rode the train another day and got on a ship on the North Sea that took them to England; the sea was very turbulent and they had a rough voyage.

“They went to Liverpool, England from Germany on a small ship. From Liverpool to New York they came on a big ship and were on the ocean 13 days. They arrived at New York City and stayed in a Hotel 20 stories up for 1 or 2 nights. They took the train to Chicago where they stayed 1 or 2 nights. Then they took a train and came to Franklin, Idaho arriving on Sunday June 18, 1893. They were met by their son George and Brother Fred Nuffer, the man George was working for. They met them with a one seated buggy and a wagon. Grandfather Wanner asked for a drink of water after getting off the train. “You’ll have to be on your stomach by that stream”, George spoke up. This made Grandfather Wanner so discussed that he walked back to Logan over 20 miles, with a determination to go back to Germany if he had to drink from ditches. The next day he reconsidered and again returned to Franklin, Idaho. They went to Cub River to Fred Nuffer’s place where they stayed for almost one week Then they purchased the farm of John Nuffer in Glendale, Idaho. [It was during this week that Grandpa took his daughter Mary and they walked to Bear Lake County seeking a farm and a home and to see what was available there. They slept on the ground at nights and saved some of their read to feed the bears so they wouldn’t bother them. They had to take off their shoes as they forged streams. It as a rough trip.

“[The first Sunday they were in Glendale, Grandpa and Grandma went to church with these five beautiful daughters and two sons. One day, William Addison Wagstaff was the ward clerk and mother, Mary, had on a red dress; dad looked down at her and winked. You see, dad was well past 30 and not married. I bet he though here is my chance. Of course there were other nice gals available, but he hadn’t married and we were happy he chose mother.]

“[Grandma soon joined the Relief Society and in the minutes of the meetings that I have, tell of her bearing her testimony often and donating eggs, wheat, calico or whatever, when asked to do so. They had a strong testimony and remained true to the Church and were ardent Temple Workers till their last days on earth. ]

“John Wanner took up more land after a few years and built a log cabin to claim the land. Cleared quaken aspens from his farm to have more land. One day his All slipped from a stump and cut a deep space i his hand. It was necessary for the doctor to put in several ditches as the farm work advanced he built a barn and bought addition cows.

“Mother Wanner made and sold many pounds of butter a week to George Benson Store in Whitney, Idaho.

“The Wanners also picked and sold number quarts of currants, gooseberries and raspberries. Gooseberries were about 20 quarts for a dollar, the raspberries sold for about 10 or 12 quarts for a dollar. These were delivered price.

“About that time 2 additional rooms were added to a rock house that was on the place.

“They bought the John Nuffer’s farm at Glendale, Idaho, now Franklin County. Later he bought the Jed M. Blair farms in Whitney and started to raise sugar beets.

“[They later moved in 1910 to Logan, Utah and ] while living at Logan, Utah [to be near the Logan Temple where they could go often. In Logan, they lived at two or three different places, but I wasn’t able to find out for sure. The places I distinctly remember was their home on 3rd North and two or so blocks East and their last home in Logan was a lovely home they built located on 4th North and two blocks East. they did a great deal of Temple work for the dead having got many names from Germany. They also did a lot of work for other people. While in Logan, Grandpa always had a lively horse, a good looking single black buggy and a real snazzy buggy whip. This one place they lived on in Logan had an extra lot where he grew hay for his horse and he’d cut it with the scythe. They also always had a nice garden and beautiful flowers. As I remember this home was on 3rd North and a few blocks East.]

“[They were hard working, thrifty people and handled their affairs very well. They really made hay while the sun shone and were able to retire at a reasonable age and had enough to live on plus an estate they left. ]

“February 16, 1922 after a short illness of pneumonia he died and was buried in the cemetery at Logan, Utah.

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Jonas History: Nilsson/Bengtsson

This is another chapter of the Jonas history book compiled by Carvel Jonas. “The Joseph Jonas clan of Utah (including – early Jonas family history; early Nelson family history)”   This one is on the Nilsson/Bengtsson line, which was anglicized to Nelson/Benson.  Reviewing this information in FamilySearch shows some changes and updates to some of the information presented.
   “Johannes Nilsson was born 4 Oct 1827 in Tonnersjo, Hallands, Sweden.  His parents were Nils Nilsson and Pernill Larsson.  He was the youngest of a family of four sons.  He married Agneta Bengtsson who was born 9 Dec 1832 in Oringe, Hallands, Sweden.   Her parents were Nils Bengst and Johanna Johansson.  She was the oldest child of eight children, having four sisters and three brothers.  They married 17 Nov 1855.
    “Agneta had two children by an unknown suitor who failed to post the necessary dowry.  They were Matilda, born 31 Dec 1853 and James Peter, born 13 Dec 1855.  Both children were born in Veinge, Hallands, Sweden.  James Peter was born less than a month after Johannes and Agneta were married.
    “In 1862, Elders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints baptized Agneta’s mother, Johanna Bengtsson, her sister, Ingar, and her two brothers, Nils and John.  They immigrated to America in 1862 and settled in Sanpete County, Ephraim, Utah.  Agneta’s father never came to America and died in Sweden.  After this Agneta was baptized and the Johannes Nilsson family came to America in 1864.  About a month after they got to Logan, Utah, our great grandmother, Annette Josephine Nelson (Jonas) was born.  More details will be given in the following life story which was written by August Nelson, a brother of grandma Annie Jonas.  The author has quoted August’s story and has omitted genealogical family line.  Also, interesting facts have been added to this story to make it more complete.  These facts are included inside the brackets.

L-R: Johanna Benson, Johanna Icabinda Benson, John Irven Benson, Nels Ernst Benson, Mary Ann Angel Works holding Merrill Lamont Benson.

    “Nels August Nelson, third child of John and Agnetta Benson Nelson was born in Oringe, Hallands, Sweden, on May 18, 1857.  “My memory of the beautiful country around our home is still vivid even though I was not quite seven when we left.  In 1861 we moved to Tulap, near Marebeck, a Swedish mile from Halmstadt.  We had two wagons loaded with household goods, mother and the four children were on the second wagon which father drove.  I can still see the hayrack.  It had four poles tow in the standard of the wagon, with holes bored and sticks driven in them to keep them apart the width of the wagon.  Then there were holes in each pole on the upper side slanting outward so as to extend over the wheels gradually to about four or five feet high.  Finally the pole crossed the top on both sides and ends to keep it from spreading.  This is the pictures of it as I remember the morning we moved. 
    “Our new home consisted of two long buildings, I should judge considerably neglected because father was continually repairing them between the hours on the farm.  There was a peat bed some distance to the south of the house, a steep slope to the West, a small stream to the east, and cultivated land on the other side.  Father planted trees from the northeast corner of the dwelling due East some distance north and west to the northwest corner of the barn forming a beautiful hollow square.  My recollection is that the trees were birch.  A road ran due east to the nearest neighbors.  On the west a path ran to Marebeck.  A public highway went through our place and led to Halmstadt.  The village near had beautiful homes and churches.  A large bell rang out at twelve and six, possibly other times.  It seemed to say, “Vin Vellen, sure sell, some balhang, slink in”, translated, “Water gruel, sour fish, come gulpdog, tumble in.”
    “At the north end of the farm the stream turned east where the bridge was.  Just south of the bridge the slope was steep and below on the herded the cattle land sheep.  In the three years we lived there father broke up all the land except the meadow.  This was all done by man power.  A man would have a :shere chich” which he pushed with his body.  It cut a sod about two inches thick and eight or ten inches wide.  When the sods dried they were piled up and burned.  The women did most of the piling and burning.
    “We had such a heavy crop of potatoes on this new land that the land burst open along the rows and the potatoes could be seen on top of the ground from the road. 
    “Now a few incidents of child life in Sweden.  The school teacher boarded round at the different homes of the pupils.  I marvel now at the progress they made.  My sister, only ten knew most of the New Testament, and my brother attended only one winter when he learned to read and write. 
    “One of our cows swam the river while we were herding one spring.  When we drove her back she missed the ford and got her horns caught in the roots of the trees and drowned. 
    “Baking day was a big affair because mother baked enough bread to last a month.  It seemed to improve with age.  It took a lot of wood to heat the oven.  On these day sister and brother had to tend baby and I had to herd the cows alone.  One day I rebelled but it did no good.  I was about five years old.  James helped to drive the cows down to the pasture and about all I had to do was watch the path to prevent their return…After I got to Utah one fall a fox bit one of the lambs.  Father must have seen him catch it because he picked it up and brought it home before it died.  Oh how bad we felt.  All the animals on the farm were pets. 
    “One winter there was no snow on the ground but there was ice on the river.  Three of us went down to slide on the ice.  We were forbidden to slide with our shoes on because it wore them out.  At first we slid with our stockings on, then we took them off and slid barefoot.  The ice was so clear and smooth that we had a good time.  Then uncle Lars Benson came and helped put on our shoes and stockings.  I was the smallest so he carried me all the way home.
    “In the spring of 1862 mother went to the old home to bid her mother Johanna Bengtsson, her sister Ingar, and brothers Nels and John, good-bye before they started to America and Utah to live with the Mormons, she brought us all of Uncle John’s toys.  One I remember especially, was a little cuckoo.
    “It must not have been long after when the first Mormon Elders came to see us.  Andrew Peterson of Lehi was one.  Later Uncle Lars came to love the peace that entered our home.  We children would run up the road to look for the Elders.  I was five years old (if mother got baptized the same winter that we left in the spring then I was six) when the elders instructed father to get his family around the table and have family prayers.  I got up from that prayer with the light of the Gospel in my soul.  Everything had changed!  A new light and a new hope had entered my being.  Everything seemed joyous and more beautiful and even the birds sang sweeter.
    “After we joined the Church there were numbers of people young and old who came to visit us.  I remember Andrew Peterson, and the mother of the Lindquists who were undertakers in Ogden and Logan.  When we were getting ready to come to America the sisters would come to help mother sew and get ready.  The songs of Zion that they sang will ring in my ears and soul to the last moments of my life if I continue faithful to the end.  “Heavenly Canaan, Oh Wondrous Canaan, Our Canaan that is Joseph’s land, Come go with us to Canaan!” are some of the words one of the sisters sang.  Ye Elders of Israel and Oh Ye Mountains High were my favorites.  The Swedish Language seemed to give these songs more feeling than the English.  I had a Birdseye view of Zion and I longed to go there.
    “I well remember the morning mother had promised to go to Halmstadt to be baptized.  We all arose early and mother was undecided until father told her to go.  In the evening as father was walking back and carrying the baby, he stopped and said, “Now mother is being baptized,” we looked at the clock and when mother returned she said father was right.  The baptisms had to be done at night and a hole cut in the ice but mother felt not ill effects of the cold. 
    “We had a public auction and sold everything in the line of furniture and clothing that we could not take with us.  I remember two large oak chests and a couple of broadcloth suits and over coats.  One they brought with them and had it made over for me.
    “Father was a steady and prosperous young man, he worked seven years in a distillery and seven as a miller.  We had a small keg of whiskey every Christmas and the children could have what they wanted of it.  We often sopped our bred in it as a substitute for milk.  I never saw father drunk.
    “Now came the time to sell the home and farm.  The ground was all in crops and a rain made everything look good. Father said it was God who made it look so prosperous and we got a good price for it.  James, Matilda, and I with a big part of the baggage were left with friends in Halmstadt while father went back for mother and the younger children.  The morning we were to sail was a busy one.  We all did what we seldom did before, messed the bed.  Mother said, “The Devil cannot stop us,” and we were on deck in time.  It was a beautiful Friday morning, 10 Apr 1864, (They left at 5 p.m.) when the Johanns Nelson family hustled along the rock paved streets of Halmstadt to the docks.  The noise of the horses feet and the rumble of the vehicles drowned all the voices of the little ones who complained of the unceremonious departure.  Then all were safely on board, the gang planks withdrawn, and before we knew it we were out at sea and the men on shore became mere specks. 
    “Later we were all startled by the sound of a shot ringing out and we were ordered below deck.  When we could return to the deck we were told that a pirate crew had shot a hole in our ship just above the water line.  In return our ship shot off their main mast.  As we neared Denmark we saw all the ships in the harbor and could hear (cannon fire) as Denmark and Germany were at war.  We walked around in Copenhagen and saw the fine homes, lawns, statues, in the beautiful city.  This was the first time I had heard the Danish language.  We stopped at so many places that I cannot remember all of them.  Cattle and sheep were loaded on at one place.  We were seasick too, and so many crowded together.  Before we left Liverpool (Thursday April 21) we enjoyed watching the ships being loaded; fishing snacks came in and unloaded their cargo, and big English shire horses acted as switch engines.  There was a large ship about finished in the dry dock.  It must be a stupendous job to build a huge ship.  There seemed to be some leak at the gates because we saw a man with a diving outfit on go down and men were pumping air to him.  He was down for some time.
    “The beautiful green foliage and sward through England has always remained with me.  It passes into the sublime of my soul.
    “The ship which we boarded to come to America was a huge one.  (It was named Monarch of the Sea and there were 973 people on board.)  Before it was loaded it stood so high above the water, and we had to wait some time while the sailors loaded heavy freight into the hold. 

Monarch of the Sea, 1020 LDS passengers on this voyage.

    “I have always tried to forget the journey across the Atlantic.  Our rations were raw beef, large hard soda biscuits, water mustard, and salt.  Sometimes we would have to wait most of the day for our turn to cook our meat.  Brother James knew no sickness on the whole journey and was a favorite with the sailors.  On one occasion he was riding the loose timbers, that slid back and forth with the motion of the ship.  One time he went so dangerously near the railing that they sent him below.  The winds and waves were so high sometimes that the flag on the main mast touched the waves as it rolled.  Trunks and boxes had to be tied down.  The vessel had three decks and there were bunks all around the two lower decks.  I had seen several bodies go down the gangway into the deep.  Then came the day that baby Amanda’s little body with a rock tied to her feet was lowered into the water.  A little later it seemed as if it were my turn, I could not eat the crackers.  Mother tried everything, but I got worse.  Then she fed me the raw beef and I began to improve…We did see many varieties of fish.  Sometimes the passengers, men and women, helped bail out water, when it seemed the ship might sink.

Nilsson family on the Monarch of the Sea passenger list

    “Finally we reached New York, and the main body of the saints took steamer for Albany, New York.  (They reached New York the morning of Jun 3rd).  We crossed New Jersey by train to the Delaware River.  We had to wait a number of hours for the ferry, and when we got aboard it was so suffocating that sister Matilda succumbed.  Mother laid her out under some tree on a beautiful lawn.  The setting sun, and approaching dusk cast a hallowed gloom over the scene.  We sat silently watching by the side of mother, while father was off looking for a place to bury her.  It was a beautiful, and sad sight to see father and another man carrying her body away from her loved ones to be laid in an unknown grave.  The setting of clear, blue sky, and the twinkling of the stars overhead, shining down through the trees made a variegated carpet where we sat.  It would be impossible to describe mothers feelings as she was the guiding star of the family, and she knew we would meet Matilda again beyond the grave. 
    “We went by train from here, and the first incident of note was the crossing of a very high, and long bridge; large vessels with high masts could pass under it.  The train stopped on the bridge while another train passed us.  A few days later we were informed that the bridge had collapsed.  We saw much of the country that had been desolated by the Civil War.  Then we were joined by the group that went by way of Albany.  They were riding on boards in cattle cars. 
    “(Some time about this time in the story of Johannes Nilsson was baptized.  It was 25 Jun 1864.  He was confirmed the same day and later that year he was ordained an Elder)
    The car we rode in had no cushions on the seats.  Sister Josephine’s cheek began swelling; we thought from the jolting of the car.  Some people recommended a certain poultice which ate the flesh off her cheek.  Next we went aboard a steamer on a river.  It was restful for a few days.  All of us made our beds on the floor, starting in the center of the main mast or flag pole.  Then another circle started at the feel of the first.  Brother James and I slept on a board which formed a shelf on the side of the ship.  The space between each shelf was large enough for a full grown colored gentleman so there was plenty of room for us boys who were small for our ages.  There seemed to be two streams in the river, one quite clear, the other very muddy.  By this time we were getting tired with never any rest or change and the vermin were getting unbearable.  Josephine steadily got worse and mother realized that it was only a matter of time until she would go to join her sisters.  When we reached Omaha Josephine was a corpse.  With the dead child and the luggage to carry father and mother could not help me.  I remember that I crawled and walked alternately, with my parents waiting and encouraging me.  We finally go to the top of a hill where mother laid me on the grass among some shrubs while she and father went for more luggage.  When I became able to walk I went down by the river and watched the people do their washing, and try to get rid of the cooties before we started on the tip over the plains.  Several graves were dug in this place.  (The family reached Omaha in Jul.  They rode the steamer from St. Joseph, Missouri up the Missouri River to Wyoming.  They had taken a train from Albany, New York to St. Joseph Missouri.  LDS teams took them from Wyoming to the Salt Lake Valley)
    “In due time bays and wagons from Utah arrived and everything was loaded for the trip.  There was a stove and tent in each wagon.  Then the luggage and two families were piled in and we were off for Zion. 
    At first there was an abundance of grass.  I liked to watch the donkeys in the train.  Day after day we traveled and the only living thing of any size was an occasional stage coach and the station built along the way.  One day I got out of the wagon and ran ahead until noon.  After that I had to walk most of the way.  One day two young women sat down to rest.  All at once the screamed and jumped up.  Then a man killed a large rattler where they had been.  I have seen families take a corpse out of the wagon, dig a shallow grave and then hurriedly catch up to the train which did not stop.  Then we got a glimpse of the mountains in the distance.  We also saw large herds of buffalo.  While camping one night a herd was coming directly towards us.  Some men rode out and turned them.  To avoid a stampede of our oxen we started out and the teamsters were able to keep them under control.
    “The first Indians I saw was at the stage station.  There must have been several hundred of them and we could see their wigwams in the distance.  We were now getting into great sage brush flats and everybody was warned against starting fires.  One day at noon we joked up in a hurry because someone had let their fire get the best of them. 
    “Now we began to meet companies of soldiers.  They generally led horses with empty saddles.  Next we saw where a fire had burned some wagons in the company in which grandmother crossed in 1862.  The whole country round was black and the grass had not started.  When we crossed rivers they were not too deep, the men and women waded.  Two government wagons were caught in the quick sand near where we forded.  As we got into the hills there was a lot of elk, deer, and antelopes.  One man on a gray horse did the hunting for the group.  Several times the oxen tried to stampede.  On parts of the trail men had to hold the wagons to keep them from tipping over.  The most interesting of all to me was at Echo Canyon where they told how the Mormon scouts had marched round the cliff and made Johnston’s army believe there were a whole lot of them when in fact there were very few.  We found chokecherries along the road but they were too green.  The last hill seemed the longest and steepest and we did not reach the top until late in the evening.  Next morning everyone was happy.  Cherries were riper and so good to eat they failed to choke.  Happy beyond expression we hastened to get a view of Canaan and Joseph’s land, where the Elders of Israel resided and Prophet’s and Apostles to guide the Latter-day Saints.  (They arrived about the 15th of Sep in Salt Lake City)
    “Having seen some of the big cities of the world you may imagine our disappointment when we looked down from Emigration Canyon upon Great Salt Lake City by the Great Salt Lake.  We saw Fort Douglas where some of the soldiers were stationed.  One aged man exclaimed, “why the children cry here as they did at home!”
    “We entered the dear old tithing square and rested for noon.  Now it was for us to decide where we wanted to settle.  We decided to go to Logan and it happened that John, our teamster was going there too.  While in the yard Sister Lindquist who had visited us in Sweden brought us a large watermelon, the first I had seen in my life.  She was a beautiful young woman and I thought was very nice. 
    “We soon headed north with John driving the wagon and mother, father, James and I walking behind the wagon.  As we were nearing the outskirts of the city a good lady sent a little girl out to us with two delicious apples.  How good people were to us.  It would certainly be a pleasure to know these fine people.  It was about sundown when we passed the Hot Springs and we kept going until quite late.  When we got to the canyon above Brigham City we over took a number of wagons and Scandinavian Saints.  When we reached what was called Little Denmark, now Mantua, we were feted by these good saints, and given a new send off.  It seemed such a long trip through the canyons, but interesting as the teamsters had a number of bear stores it tell.  Later we learned that some people had been attacked by bear at this place.  We camped just below Wellsville near the bridge above Cub Creek. The people here gave us some potatoes.  They were boiled and their jackets all cracked open.  This was a treat I shall never forget.  We arrived at the Logan public square about noon.  There was a liberty pole in the center.  On one corner was a lumber shack where all our worldly good were put and the teams drove away.  Father located a short, robust Swede who hauled our wealth into his cow yard and we made ourselves comfortable.  We cooked over the fireplace in the log cabin.  For a few days father did not have work so all four of us went out gleaning.  When threshing began with the fall, father was in his glory and never lacked a job. 
    “The most important thing ahead was to prepare a shelter for the winter which was fast approaching.  Logan was planning to take care of the emigrants and her future by digging a canal north along the East bench.  All newcomers were given a city lot to be paid for by work on this canal.  At the same time the number of acres of farm land was apportioned with the number of cubic yards of dirt to be removed to pay for the land. 
    “The first homes were mostly dugouts in the side of the hill.  That first winter, Father carried willows from the Logan River bottom which was our fuel.  He cut some small green sticks short and buried a few of these in the ashes each night to start the fire with in the morning. 
    “We were just moved into our home when Annetta Josephine (Grandma Annie Jonas) was born on 18 Nov 1864.  She was the first child born in Logan Fifth Ward.  Mother was alone except for James and me.  James was sent to fetch father who was threshing wheat for John Anderson.  When he arrived with a sister, mother had already taken care of herself and the baby.
    “All went well until January when it began to thaw.  Soon our dugout was filling with water.  It was knee-deep when father made a path so we could get over to the neighbor’s cabin.  We carried water out all day, and the rest of the water soon soaked up.  So that by laying a few boards on the floor we were able to go back in the evening. 
    “It was the most severe winter.  The snow was deep and it drifted so that only the tops of the houses could be seen.  Thatcher’s mill, the only on one in town, was frozen up, and we had to get along on bran bread.  Father moved the cow to the side of the house that afforded the most protection from the wind. 
    “As soon as spring started, all hands set to work on the canal.  The men and boys had to pass our place on the way to work.  The boys seemed to delight in calling us “Danishmen.”  James and I carried the water from the old Fourth Ward canal down on the river bottom.  We always took a slide down the hill.  This was alright as long as the snow was on the ground, but as soon as it began to thaw, we got soaking wet, and we usually ended up sick with bad colds.  Poor mother had not time to be sick. 
    “The first Sunday School we attended was in the cabin of John Archibald.  Soon there were so many that we could not get in.  The Superintendent was Sandy Isaac, a fine young man. 
    “The summer was a happy one.  Father bought two ewes, and they each had a lamb.  This, with the cow, made a herd for me to care for.  Most of the town drove their sheep past our place up on the college hill to feed.  While we herded we also picked service berries.  The boys showed us where the best berries were over on Providence flat.  One day mother and two other women went with us…
    “This fall we were much better prepared for winter than we were a year ago.  We had two cows, four sheep and a yoke of steers.  There was a barn for the animals, and we had a log house.  We raised 120 bushels of wheat on six acres, and mother had done considerable gleaning.
    “When mother went gleaning, I had to stay with the baby.  One day I left her on the bed while I went out to play.  She rolled off the bed and got a big lump on her head.  She was still crying when mother came home.  Some days she took both of us with her.  When baby slept then I could help glean.  Mother would carry a two-bushel sack full of heads on her shoulder, and set the baby on top.  It surely looked like a load to carry.  James was with father.  He would rake the hay while father cut it with the scythe and snare.  Father did not like to have mother go gleaning, but the money she got from the wheat was her own, and she liked good clothes and to be dressed well.
    “In the fall the ward organized…The old meetinghouse had a fire place in the east end. and the door in the west.  We held school in the same building…Dances generally kept up until morning…They began around seven o’clock in the evening.  About nine there would be some singing…after singing, we had games of strength, wrestling, and boxing.  In the wee small hours we were ready to go home.  These dances were opened and closed with prayer…
    “I almost forgot one incident that happened in 1866.  Father turned his steers on the range in the spring.  One of these was to be given to the Indians to keep them friendly.  The other one Bill, could not be found.  Father located the first one in the Indians herd.  We went down and told them that this steer was his. “How can you prove it is your steer?”  Father went up to her, took hold of his horn and led him to the Indians.  They laughed and told him to take it.  He led the steer home, a mile away, by holding to the horn.  James hunted every where for Bill.  He searched in almost every cow herd in the valley.  In the anguish of his soul he knelt down and prayed.  As he arose a feeling of satisfaction entered his bosom.  He was soon rewarded by finding the long, lost steer.  He succeeded in driving him home, and all were joyful and recognized the hand of Providence in answering James’ prayer.
    “More and more people moved into the ward.  A great many of them were Scotch.  There was a sixteen year old girl who used to visit with mothers.One day she told mother she thought Mr. Nelson was a lovable man, and that she would like to be his second wife.  Mother was delighted and did everything to get father to accept her, but in vain…
    “(In 1867 they went about 90 miles and were sealed in the Endowment house in Salt Lake City.  The Endowment House records for 4 Oct 1867: Johannes Nilsson and Agneta Bengtsson Nelson received their endowment and were sealed.)
    “Father made a fish trap out of willows like the one mother’s family had in Sweden.  We had fish all of the time.
    “Every other week we herded cattle down in the fork of the Logan and Bear Rivers.  It was seven miles from Logan.  The banks of the river were covered with willows, where lived bars, wolves, snakes, skunks, and other pests.  James herded alone most of the time.  The Indians called him a hero.  I stayed with him one week.  The dog went home, and I was ready to leave.  The wolves looked defiantly at us, and at night the snakes crawled over our faces.  I was glad to stay home and herd the small herd near home, I had my prayers answered in finding sheep when they were lost…
    “On June 14, 1867, mother had a baby boy whom she named Joseph Hyrum.  That fall we moved into the Fourth Ward.  I soon learned to love Bishop Thomas X. Smith…
    “On Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we stayed up on Temple hill all night so we would be ready to serenade early in the morning…
    “Our grain completely taken by grasshoppers in 1867.  The sun was darkened by them they were so thick.  We had to sell our oxen, but got $175.00 for them when the usual price was only $125.00.  We had bought them four years before, and father always kept them butter fat.  We bought a pair of two years old steers for seventy five dollars, and grain with the other seventy five.  Then father worked on the railroad and James and I gleaned corn.  James traded a good pocket knife for corn.  Again we traded corn for shoes.  There wasn’t enough money for us to go to school that year, but father bought a large Bible, and the two of us read through to Chronicles the second time.  Here I gained the fundamental principles of the gospel which helped me throughout the rest of my life, and I always knew where to go for information, God and the Bible. 
    “Father traded his oxen for a team of young mules, very poor, but gentle.  The first time we tried to drive them was to a funeral.  On the way home a dog rushed out at us and the mules were off.  They ran home, and stopped at the corral.  We learned they had run away the first time they had been driven.  As long as we owned them we were in danger of our lives because they could not be handled.  Mother did a better job than any of us in driving them.
    “The year that the grasshoppers took our grain I furnished fish which I caught in the Logan River.  There were chubs and some trout.  The time when the hoppers were so thick I will never forget.  I was fishing down in the river, and an electric storm was over near Clarkston.  There seemed to be an air current in that direction and in a little while I could scarcely find any bait. 
    “I think it was in 1869 that we had a glorious 4th of July celebration.  A whole band of boys dressed as Indians and tried to pick a fight.  Some of us really thought they were Indians.  Then we saw President Brigham Young with mounted men riding along side his carriage.  Quickly we all formed in line along the main street, and as he came along he would bow to us bare foot children.  We really loved these men and rarely missed a chance to go to the Tabernacle to hear them talk.  One time he asked the grown ups to leave while the boys and girls gathered around the stand to hear Martin Harris bear his testimony about seeing the plates from which the Book of Mormon was taken.  We were told to never forget these things and to always tell the boys and girls during our lives this story.  I have sometimes forgotten to do this.  Martin Harris was a school teacher when a young man, and came to the assistance of the Prophet by giving the money necessary to get the Book of Mormon printed.  A short time before he died in Clarkston, he related the whole story of the part he played in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
    “This year (1868) we planted two acres of sugar cane on some new land up by college hill.  We hoed and petted that cane until it surpassed any thing around.  We barely took time out to eat our lunch.  Men working near said we were foolish to spend so much time on it.  James was a very good worker and a good leader for me.  In the fall he worked at the molasses mill down town, receiving a half gallon of molasses for twelve hours work.  Father hired a boy to help me hoe the cane at the same price.  He never came to work on time so I sent him home and did the work myself.  From one acres we got 175 gallons, and the other 225 gallons, a small fortune. 
    “The last spring that I herded, father had about 75 sheep and 50 cows.  There was no snow late in the fall and water was scarce.  When I started home at night the cows would almost run to get to Springs where Greenville now is.  Then before I could get them they were in somebodies field.  I usually had a lamb or two to carry and had to run till I was exhausted.  At last a small Swiss boy with only one cow to herd helped me out.  He soon got tired of mixing with me but I did not let him quit.  I have herded in the spring when it snowed so I could hardly see the animals.  All others had gone home, but I had to stay because we did not have fee feed at home.  My clothes would be soaking wet, and when a sharp wind blew, I got mighty cold.  One time two of the ewes got lost.  They had been shorn late so they could not stand the cold and I found their carcasses later.
    “Mother sheared the sheep, washed, carded, spun, and wove the cloth to make our clothes.  It was about 1870 (born 9 Dec 1870 and died the same day.  They were buried 10 Dec, 1870) when mother had the twins, Jacob and Jacobina.  They were very tiny and lived only four hours. 
    “Father was a hard worker.  He cut hay with a scythe and swath.  One time a neighbor was vexed because his five acres had not been cut.  Father went down on Sunday and did not come home until he had cut all of it on Monday.  The man could hardly believe that it could be done. 
    “Mother led the social set in this part of the Ward.  I would listen as she related different incidents told her at these parties.  One pertained to our friend…He married a young woman after his first wife had no children.  But after consenting to the new wife, she gave birth to a son and they very soon after two sweet girls.  Almost the same thing happened to a fine young Danishman who moved into the community….When his wife consented to give him a second wife she had a son herself.
    “In the fall of 1871 father bought ten acres of land planted to hay and right along side the other five.  I was sent out to drive a team making the road bed for the Utah Northern Railroad.  I was fourteen, weighed 75 pounds, and had never driven horses.  I was given a broken handled chain scraper and a balky team.  With these handicaps, and jeers from some of the men, it was a hard moth of two for me.  We had good food, so I gained in weight, strength, and experience.  With the money earned, father was able to bend the bargain on the land, and the fellow he had agreed to sell.
    “About this time we had a new baby sister come to our home.  (She was born 16 Dec 1872).  She was named Charlotte Abigail….to my mind the baby was a jewel.
    “I gave the money I earned herding cows to mother who bought all of her clothing, and always had a dollar or two on hand when it was needed most.  She always looked nice in her clothes, being very tall and slender, with beautiful golden hair.  At one time she weighed only 90 pounds.  She loved her children dearly, but required obedience, that we be neat and clean, and attend our church duties.  One morning before Sunday School she asked me to do some chore before I left.  I said “no” though I really wanted to do it.  Mother grabbed a strap lying on the floor, and hit me a smart rap across my shoulders.  A buckle on the strap cut my back and I yelled with pain and so did mother.  She washed my back quickly, and put a plaster on it, so it would not be seen through the thin shirt, which was all I had on my back.  Many times after in life I have thanked God for that blow.  It was just what I needed to get over being coaxed to do anything.  I also learned to love mother more if that were possible. 
    “Mother furnished the house and bought his tobacco with the butter and egg money.  Father was surely miserable at the end of the week when his weekly supply was gone.  When I was allowed to go to the store to buy tobacco, I would put it in my hands and hold it over my nose so I could get a good smell of it.  Father had quit the habit on the way to Utah, but some foolish men persuaded him to take a bite, and he never could quit again.  He tried one time, and was so sick he had to go to bed and get a doctor to bless him.
    “Brother James was quick to learn, and was especially good at entertaining and on the stage.  A Mr. Crowther from the Salt Lake Theatre gave him a part of a colored boy, and with only two rehearsals and no book, he made good, and people were wondering who the darky was.  Mother was proud of her boy…
    “All the boys in town received military training down on the tabernacle square…
    “About this time we had our last episode with the mules.  They tried to run from the start.  We boys got out of the wagon to fix the chin strap on one of them.  They leaped in the air, and as they came down they broke a line and away they ran.  One by one parts of the wagon were left behind.  Father was thrown out with the bed.  When we finally caught up with them, the tongue, one wheel, and a hub of the front axle was all there was attached to them.  We were grateful that no one was hurt.  We traded them off for a team of horses.  The man who bought them drove along the railroad through sloughs and no roads and beat the train. 
    “Mother made dances for us boys, and served refreshments to all who were present.  We had attended two terms at the dancing school the year we had so much molasses, and mother went with us the one term.  This made us the best dancers in Logan…
    “I found James working on a gravel train, and began working with him.  Two would load a car, each one his half.  George Watson, the boss, told me I could not shovel the gravel fast enough.  I told him I could do anything my brother did.  I almost failed the first few days.  We would load as fast as we could, then jump on the car and ride to Mendon, unload and back again.  When this job was completed James got work on the section at Hampton, and father and I on a railroad spur between Dry Lake, near Brigham City to Corinne.  When we reached Corinne we were treated to all the beer we wanted.  On the way back to Brigham City, the crew and all the workers were feeling the effects of the beer.  Father said, “you act as though you were drunk,”  I retorted, “I have never been drunk in my life.”  A man thirty five years old said, “That isn’t saying much for a boy.  If you can say that as a man of thirty five you will be saying something.”  Right then I made the resolution that I would never get drunk.  Now at sixty nine I can say that I have kept this resolution.
    “This was a prosperous year for our family.  (1873)  We bought a fine team of horses to do our farm work, and we had had work on the railroad.  In October, mother gave birth to a little boy, Moses Nelson.  (born 25 Oct 1873)  She was very sick, and we had a nurse to care for her.  I always felt inferior to James, but one day mother called me to her and said, “August, if I die I want you to care for the children.”  That had always been my job around the house.  Later one evening, mother kissed me and said, “You have been a good boy.  God bless you.”  With a smile she turned her head and breathed her last.  (died 4 Nov 1873)  God alone knows what little children lose when mother is gone.  While sick I had heard her say, “I do not want to leave my little children.”  Little did I know or realize what home would be without her.  She was more than ordinarily ardent and spiritually minded, with high ideals, and a comprehensive knowledge of the gospel.  (buried at Logan Cemetery 9 Nov 1873)
    “After mother was laid away, I was sent up to Richmond to work on the railroad.  The weeks passed in a whirl.  Soon baby Moses died, (died 12 Nov 1873 and buried 14 Nov 1873 in Logan Cemetery) and father came up to work with me.  James was with the children and took care of the things at home.  We soon returned and James started school.  I did all the house work except the starching and ironing.  I was 16, Annette 9, Joseph 5, And Charlotte 2.  The washing was a stupendous job.  The water was hard.  I tried putting the clothes in a sack when I boiled them to keep the hard water from forming on them.  If only some friend had called and told me how to break the water and to put a little soda in the bread when it soured, it would have been a God send.  It would have meant better bread and cleaner clothes for the next three years.  I also had to shear the sheep.  This had been mother’s job.  I managed for the first day, and in time finished in some fashion…
    “Sometime in January Uncles Lars and Nels Bengtsson came and took James with them to Spring City in Sanpete County.  I always loved that brother, the only one left who had come with me from Sweden.  We sometimes quarreled, but we were always together.  Now we had no work from him for over a year. 
    “The baby, Little Abigail, generally asked for milk during the night, but she would not accept it from me.  One night I told father to lie still and I would give it to her.  She refused to take it from me.  I went outside and cut a switch from a current bush.  When she called for milk again I held it out to her.  She refused.  I said to father, “Cover up,” and I struck the covers over him with considerable force.  I sat down and began reading.  Pretty soon she called for milk.  I said “Here it is Lottie,” she drank it and never said “no” to me again in my life.  She grew to be a tall and slender; had light golden hair and had a sensitive disposition with high ideals.  I have seen her swing on our gate most of a Sunday all alone, because she felt her clothes were not good enough to mingle with other children.  Before I left home in 1876, I could pick her up from the floor and dance with her.  She had perfect rhythm and enjoyed going to the dances to watch and oh how her little soul leaped with joy when she could get on the floor and dance.  (Charlotte Abigail died 23 Nov 1902.  She never married.  She missed her 31th birthday by a few weeks.  She is buried with Annette and August in the Crescent Cemetery.)
    “My soul cried out for a mother’s love and care.  I am very fearful that when mother sees me, she will say, “You have done tolerably well but you failed to care for the children.”  In my weak way I am still trying to care for children, everybody’s children, God’s children. 
    “I remember when father married again.  The woman had several children of her own.  It was a sad day for mother’s three little ones when step mother and her children moved into out home…
    “I had my try at tobacco too.  An exbartender from Salt Lake City was smoking a pipe.  I asked him to let me try it, and began puffing away.  Father called me to one side and said in an undertone with so much soul that it penetrated my very being, “Don’t be a slave, be a free man.  You have seen me try to quit the habit, even suffer because I couldn’t.”  His advice, I felt, was too good to discard, and I never took up the habit…
    “It was the 16 Oct 1876 when I and three other fellows started for the smelters in Sandy…  John Benson took his team and wagon and took James and me to Sanpete County.  We went to Ephraim to see grandma Johanson, who left Sweden several years before we did.  She was delighted with her grandsons.  She had told her neighbors what nice people were hers in Sweden, of course they thought she was boasting, but now they could see that it was the truth.  How nice it would be if we always lived to be a credit to our ancestors. 

Back (l-r): Virgil, Lawrence, Fidelia, Moses. Front: Paul, Nels, Fidelia, August

    “Uncle Nels had two little girls, one could not walk as the result of a fever.  I began to take part in the talk and general pleasure, and stood well with all.  Uncle lectured every evening on doctrinal subjects…a patriarch came to the home and every one had a blessing.  Uncle Nels, his wife Philinda, and her sister Fedelia, and their blessings John was promised a family; James, a stupendous power over the elements but no family….My blessing has come true as far as I have lived for it….(date of blessings 16 Sep 1890)
    “It is just possible that I shirked my duty and promise to mother to care for the children.  Father offered me my lot, home of the land, and would help build a house if I would take the children.  but I wanted to go and make money.  When I think of mother’s charge to me, and the sad life of the children, my whole soul weeps over my dereliction, but fate drew me to the south…
    “It is difficult to note details by memory, but I have this to record for 1893.  My sister Charlotte Abigail lived with us that summer.  When she went to Logan that fall she had the fever.  Later she went to Washington to visit my sister, Annie, wife of Joseph Jonas.  (Jul 1901)  Annie had been sick for a long time, but none of us knew the nature of her illness until Charlotte brought the whole family to Utah with her.  It turned out to be mental illness.  She kept running away so we finally had to put her in the institution at Provo, where she died a short time after…(She died 23 Dec 1907 and was buried Christmas Day)
    “…When Charlotte brought to Jonas family to us there were five children.  It was sad to see sister in her condition.  I had not seen her since 1873 (28 years).  The last letter I had written her was from Bristol, Nevada.  I suggested to her that she should marry a Mormon boy.  Her reply was that Mormon boys were not as genteel as Gentiles…  Her husband destroyed her letters to us, so we never knew what she was going through…  The Jonas children became ours.  My sister Lottie, worked in Logan until she became so sick and weak she came to our home where she died, 23 Nov 1902.  Father died 20 Nov 1902, and Annie was sent home from Provo a few years later (1907).  From father’s estate I received about $700.00 and the same amount as guardian of my sister’s children.  Mothers last instruction to me keeps running through my mind.  “August, you have been a good boy, God bless you.”  Oh, Father in Heaven, have I at least with all my weakness striven with a desire to do my duty to them and to my mother?” 
    “…I had three of my sister’s boys and two of my own to help (while two of his sons went of missions).  We put up as high 400 tons of hay and had at the ranch nearly two hundred head of cattle, and often over 200 head of hogs, besides the milk cows.  We had 160 acres on the State Road and rested 80 acres from Men Mill for many years.  There were two homes on the farm at that time two on the ranch.  Forty acres on the ranch were cultivated and irrigated, and the 1000 acres was divided into different sized pastures open at the top.
    “The work that my lads did seemed to others beyond their power.  I had some hired help most of the time.  The boys were generally out of school two months of the school year, but never lost a grade…
    “So ends Nels August Nelson’s history of his parents, siblings, aunts, uncle, and grandmother.  The following is an account of the voyage that Johannes Nilsson and Agnetta Bengtsson made.  It is recorded from the History of the Church.  “On 10 April 1864 at 5 pm the Swedish Steamer L. J. Bager sailed from Copenhagen, carrying 250 emigrants from Sweden and Norway and some from Frederica Conference, Denmark, in charge was J.P.R. Johansen.  This company of saints went by steamer to Libeck, then rail to Hamburg, thence by steamer to Hull, and thence by rail to Liverpool, where the emigrants joined the Company from Copenhagen on the 15th of April…”
    “On Thursday 28th of April, the above emigrants sailed from Liverpool, England, in the ship ‘Monarch of the Sea’, with 973 souls on board.  Patriarch John Smith was chosen President of the Company, with Elders John D. Chase, Johan P. R. Johansen, and Parley P. Pratt as counselors.  Elders were also appointed to take charge of the different divisions of the company.  During the voyage there was considerable sickness and several children died.  On the morning of June 3rd, the ship docked at New York where the landing of the passengers at once took place.
    That evening they were sent by steamer to Albany, New York, and from there by rail to St. Joseph, Missouri, thence up the Missouri River to Wyoming, from which place most of the Scandinavian saints were taken to the valley by the church teams of which 170 were sent out that year. 
    “Thus about 400 Scandinavians crossed the plains in Captain William B. Preston’s Company of about fifty church teams that left Florence Nebraska in the beginning of June and arrived in Salt Lake City on 15 September.
    “Agneta Bengtsson had blue eyes and reddish brown hair.  Her son, August, said she had golden hair, so it must have been a lighter shade.  We don’t know what color eyes and hair Johannes had, although he most likely took after the traditional Scandinavian.  After Agneta Bengtsson died Johannes married two different times.  One marriage took place about 1876, and the second sometime after 1884.  The county clerk of Cache County wrote the following when Johannes Nelson died in the death record p. 18, line 112, “Johannes Nelson died Nov 26, 1902 age 75.  He was a farmer, had lived in Cache County 38 years…He was a Caucasian, white male and lived in Logan.  The cause of death was General Debility.”  He is buried at the Logan City Cemetery and was buried Nov 30, 1902.  Johannes had given the church a donation of money which was considered a large sum in those days.  When hard times came Johannes asked for some of the money back.  Since there wasn’t a receipt made he wasn’t given the money, or a part of the money back.  Because of the money not being returned he decided not to pay his tithing to the Church the last years of his life. 
by

The Story of Anna Elizabeth Reber

I stumbled upon this history written about Anna Elizabeth Reber.  Anna was the third spouse to my John Christoph Nuffer.  He married her 28 September 1893 in the Logan Utah Temple after my 3rd Great Grandmother Eva Katharina Greiner died 26 February 1893 in Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho.  I thought it was interesting to review the life of a later spouse for John Christoph Nuffer.  If you would like to review the pdf with pictures and more, it is attached here:  Reber

The Story of Anna Elizabeth Reber

We would like to acknowledge dedicated genealogists who have preserved for decades the oral histories, journals, and handwritten records used in this story.

Faith and Courage

The Story of Anna Elizabeth Reber

By: Christine A. Quinn and Sterling D. Quinn

Graphic design by: Michelle Quinn, Au.D.

2017

Anna Elizabeth Reber

Early Years in Switzerland

1855-1875

 

Frau Reber felt only gratitude that her new baby was alive and had not died as had her last child.  This little girl, born May 17, 1855, would complete their family of three sons and three daughters. They named the child Anna Elizabeth to distinguish her from her older sisters, Anna and Barbara.  Later in life this child would come to be known simply as “Annie.”

The family was settled on the Reber’s ancestral farm in Schangnau, Bern, Switzerland where they spoke a unique Bern dialect of Swiss German, or Schwyzertutsch (Luck 1985).  It was a small country village dotted with chalets, settled in the forested and fertile Emmental valley along the Emme and Aare rivers. It has been said, “An who have wandered through such magnificent forests as those of …Emmental, will never forget the berries, the mushrooms, the neatly arranged stacks of firewood, the beautifully colored autumn foliage, and the grey low-hanging mists and frost-decorated conifers of early winter”  (Luck, 1985 p. 470). For hundreds of years in this valley the same industrious group of families had raised cattle for milk and cheese, while nurturing vineyards, orchards and crops.

This was a Switzerland just emerging from the hated status of a vassal state to the French Emperor Napoleon, an indignity thrown off seven years prior.  Hope arose as the impoverished and beleaguered people named the central city of Bern to be the capital of the new Swiss Confederation (Luck) 1985).

The child Annie grew nurtured in the love of her family.  Little girls in Switzerland wew taught the virtues of being clean, neat, punctual, thrifty, independent, and hard working.  There were cows to be milked as well as household chores to be done. Annie would have been taught to knit and sew the linen, silk, and cotton fabrics for which the Swiss were famous.  Education was also encouraged.

Tragedy visited the family when Annie’s 21 year old brother, Jacob, died in the fall of 1861.  This loss left an indelible impression on the six year old girl, enough that many years later she ensured saving ordinances were performed on his behalf in a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

 

Marriage and Family

1875-1890

 

How Annie and her future husband, Gottfried Weiermann, met is a mystery,  but Bern did enjoy the reputation of being “more lively and sociable than any other town in Switzerland”.  Men and women came together to amuse themselves with English country dances as well as waltzes (Luck, 1985 p. 255)

The Weiermann family worked the land and raised cattle for many generations in the village of Wynigen, a little over 20 miles northeast of the city of Bern.  Rather than compete with five brothers for farmland, Gottfried decided to try his hand at the ancient profession of stone masonry. At age 23 when he met Annie, he had perhaps finished his apprenticeship and therefore gained some freedom to marry.

The couple were likely wed in the Protestant church in Wynigen on 21 August 1875.  At the time, Annie was only months away from giving birth. The couple affectionately named this child after his father, Gottfried, but he was known as “Fred”.  Although he was a sickly child, Fred would survive to bring his mother much joy and comfort until the end of her life.

Less than two years later the family moved again to Ferenberg where Anne gave birth to twins, Andre and Peter.  They survived only a day, which tragically was not uncommon at that time as one out of every five births in Switzerland ended in death (Luck, 1985).

A year later Gottfried moved his family closer to the city of Bern to Ostermundigen, the largest regional quarry center in Switzerland.  A special train with a cog in the center had been invented six years earlier to haul the thick, soft, and colorful sandstone up from the mines.  Previously this job relied on horse or mule tams. The train made it possible to quarry enough stone for export, while also enabling urban expansion of Bern, which demanded massive amounts of stone for new buildings.  Up to 500 men were working as either quarry men, Steinbrecher, who extracted the stone, or stone masons, Steinhau, who skillfully dressed, shaped, and cut the stone. Of the two, stone masons enjoyed a higher social status.  The stone masons of Bern had an established fraternity in the city since 1321 (Storemyr, 2012). Gottfried, along with other craftsmen, flocked to this bountiful source of work.

Next to the noisy and dusty train yard, families of stone masons resided in multistory slums (Storemyr, 2012).  Laundry hanging between tenements flapped in the wind while the narrow dirty streets teemed with children of all ages.  Families crowded into tiny, tightly packed rooms, sharing limited sanitation facilities. “The wages were exceedingly low and people extremely poor” (Stucki 1888, Nov. 20).  Stomachs were never full. In 1876, Swiss families were spending 60 % of their income on food. “A typical diet for the older children and adults consisted of coffee, black tea, or cocoa water with a little milk, some cheese and bread.  ….The midday meal typically consisted of boiled potatoes, pasta, cheese, and coffee or tea, and wine. The evening meal was usually of cheese and a vegetable soup – the latter being made by boiling together leeks, cabbage, beetroot, potatoes, and pasta” (Luck, 1985, p.p. 249,441).

In the spring of 1878 with the aid of a midwife, 23 year old Annie gave birth to a son, Christian, and in September of the next year to a daughter, Ida.  Like all their neighbors, the family fought for financial survival. Not quite 4 years old, Fred would have been responsible for helping keep his little sister safe and happy as their mother cared for her new infant.  Imagine her efforts in washing cloth diapers and keeping a clean house under those circumstances! Years later Annie’s daughter, Ida, reflected her mother’s standards when she said, “Just because you are poor, you don’t need to be dirty” (Arave, 2017).

The Weiermanns had lived in Ostermundigen at least five years when on 2 August 1883 they welcomed a blonde curly-haired baby boy into their home.  He was named Jacob after his maternal grandfather and deceased uncle.

Two years later Annie was expecting a child for her final time.  Due to unknown circumstances (perhaps poverty or a medical crisis), she traveled an hour to the hospital in Bern on a cold December day in 1885 where she gave birth to a small girl who didn’t survive (Weyerman, G).  They named her Anna.

At this point, the family consisted of Gottfried age 33, Annie age 30, Fred age 10, Christian 7, Ida 6, and Jacob age 2.  Gottfried may have occasionally taken his oldest son to the stone yard to teach him aspects of his craft, because in later years Fred was known as a skilled stone mason (Weyerman G).

Gottfried’s pursued recreation of heavy drinking with the stone mason’s fraternity began to affect the Weiermann family.  Workers bonded over alcohol, and Ostermundigen quarry men became legendary for schnapps consumption (Storemyr, 2012). Unfortunately, Gottfried’s drinking created a fissure in his marriage.  Circumstances only worsened with the death of 10-year-old Christian on 4 June 1887. The cause is unknown; it may have been an accident, or one of the many infectious diseases rampant at that time such as influenza, smallpox, diphtheria, tuberculosis, Typhus fever, or measles (Luck, 1985).

Annie and Gottfried’s marriage soon reached a breaking point and ended in divorce (Weiermann, I. 1955).  Years later in a heart-wrenching remembrance, Fred wrote, “My parents lived financially poor. Conditions brought it about that the family got badly broken up and scattered.  Three of my brothers and one sister was called on the other side. In the year 1887, the rest of my family met the sad experience of the separation of Father and Mother on account of drunkenness” (Weyerman, G).

Desperate to provide for her children, Annie hired out as a seamstress, one of the few professions available to women that would allow her to care for little ones at home (Wheeler, I.).  Wages were notoriously low; a decade later, women making shirts in their homes were earning less than a penny an hour, and often worked more than 12 hours a day (Cadbury, 2011). Bending over and straining to see tiny stitches by the dim light of an oil lamp was exhausting.  “As one of the infamous sweated trades, seamstressing represented the trails of arduous work, miserable working conditions, impossibly long hours, and equally impossibly low wages” (Harris, chap. 2.). The older children most likely helped their mother by doing the chores and mining their siblings; but life soon changed for 11 year old Fred in a way that must have torn at his mother’s heart.

Because of the family’s poverty and her status as a divorced mother, Annie was legally compelled to register with one of the councils in Ostermundigen responsible to care for the poor and orphans.  If it was believed the children could not be provided for this council had the power to break up the poorest families. Despite Annie’s courageous efforts to support her children, the council forced Fred to enter into foster care, there he became known as a “Verdingkinder”, or literally “discarded child” (Foulkes, 2012).

In this sad circumstance, the amiable and music-loving Fred was taken from his mother and given into the custody of a gentleman who lived in Habstetten, about an hour’s walk from his family.  There, Fred attended school and helped with the chores. He longed for his family, and visited his mother whenever he could obtain permission (Weyerman,G).

 

“Oh! But for one short hour!

A respite however brief!

No Blessed leisure for love or hope,

But in their briny bed

My tears must stop, for every drop

Hiders needle and thread!”

 

With fingers weary and worn,

With eyelids heavy and red,

A woman sat in unwomanly rags,

Plying her needle and thread —

-Thomas Hood

“Song of the Shirt”

 

Within a year after these turbulent events, Annie received an invitation from her neighbor to meet with missionaries, or Elders, from LDS church.  Members of this faith were commonly known as Mormons. After meeting several times, Annie began to take her children along to Sunday School and other meetings (Wheeker, I).  Annie almost immediately recognized the simplicity and truthfulness of the long awaited and newly restored church of Jesus Christ. Her countrymen had been searching for this truth through the Protestant Reformation for over 300 years (Luck, 1985).  One can imagine the gospel of Jesus Christ calming her soul and assuaging her fears at a time of life when it was most needed.

Annie, Ida, and Jacob began a formal study of Mormonism with young Elder Alfred Budge, who taught them the first principles of the gospel (Weyerman, G). Annie may have read the tract, Die Froke Botschaft, (Glad Tidings of Great Joy), or Glaubenskekenntniss, (The Articles of Faith) (Reiser).  In time, she received a witness from the Holy Ghost that Christ’s church had been restored to the earth through the young American prophet, Joseph Smith Jr.  Despite some local persecution, she and Ida were soon converted and baptized by Elder Budge in late October 1888. At this time, Jacob had not yet reached the age of 8 years old required for baptism (Wheeler, I).

Arriving at church on Sundays took an hour of walking into downtown Bern, where Annie and her children wound through cobblestone streets lined with ancient stone houses standing side by side like soldiers at attention.  They knew they were getting close to their destination when they heard the Sabbath bells pealing from the gothic tower of the Bern cathedral. Soon they arrived at the mission office where church services were held. The many families who attended the Bern Branch may have eaten a modest lunch as the fellowshipped between morning and evening meetings.  Every week the congregation took the sacrament and listened to preaching by either Mission President Stucki, the local Branch President, or one of the Elders. A volunteer choir provided uplifting music (Stucki, 1837-1918).

Around this time Fred went to live with another foster family in the closer town of Ittigen, which shortened the walk to see his loved ones.  During Fred’s visits, his mother earnestly shared with him the principles of the new religion she was learning. It was her heart’s desire that he would be baptized and join the church.

 

Swiss/German

Missionaries

1880-1890

 

The Mormon missionaries in the region of Bern were led by John Ulrich Stucki.  A native of Switzerland, Stucki had been living in the territory of Utah at the time of his assignment to serve as the Swiss/German Mission President.  This would be the second time he accepted this weighty responsibility.

Not only would Stucki be responsible for the 13 traveling Elders in the mission; he would also publish the monthly LDS newsletter, “Der Stern”, and he would administer from his office in Bern all the branches of the church in Germany and Switzerland.  Added to these weighty responsibilities was overseeing the twice yearly emigration to Utah made by Swiss and German Mormons. These members wishing to join others of their faith in the building up of “Zion” would leave their homes and travel to the Rocky Mountains of the United States of America (Stucki, 1837-1918).

Accompanying Presiden Stucki to the mission field was 19 year old Alfred Budge, the son of Stucki’s good friend, William Budge.  What thoughts and anticipations might have filled the young elder’s mind as he contemplated his father’s earlier mission to Switzerland in 1854, “when opposition to the church was so violent that within three months he was on thirteen occasions placed under arrest and imprisoned for short periods, and finally was obligated to return to England!” (Budge, W).

When President Stucki and Elder Budge arrived in Switzerland on 15 May 1888 Elder Budge did not speak German (Stucki, 1837-1918).  Five months later he was teaching the Weiermann family in Ostermundigan using their native tongue (Wheeler, I).

Working with Elder Budge was the pleasant-mannered Elder Albert Schneider Reiser from Salt Lake City.  His Swiss parents spoke German at home, so he had the advantage of being familiar with the language.

Seventeen old Albert had been forced to grow up fast after his father, along with many faithful LDS men, was incarcerated by the United States government for the common practice of polygamy.  To support his family, Albert took charge of their clock repair business in downtown Salt Lake. He delivered customers’ clocks to the prison, where his father repaired them. Interestingly, Elder Budge’s father was converted to the LDS faith in Scotland, and Elder Reiser’s in Switzerland; yet they both emigrated to America on the same ship and crossed the plains to Utah in the same wagon train 28 years earlier in 1860 (Reiser).

 

Switzerland to United States

Emigration

1890

 

Elder Reiser arrived in Switzerland just a few days after Annie’s baptism, and began helping to teach the Weiermann family (Stucki 1837-1918).  The missionaries had with them some pictures of Utah. For decades, Mormon converts in Europe had been encouraged by church leaders to gather to “Zion” in the American West.  Surely ideas of emigration were planted by visiting Elders and church officials, but when accused of being an emigration agent, Elder Reiser remarked: “It was not my business to persuade people to emigrate, but to bring them the Gospel….there was only one true church….[I] told them how important it was for mankind to investigate Joseph Smith’s message….”(Reiser).

One late summer morning Fred joined his family on their brisk walk to church.  His mother made an astonishing announcement that she had arranged for them to emigrate to Zion!  Because the children had received an inheritance from the death of their father’s Aunt Isali, they could afford to emigrate.  The family would be reunited and travel together to start a new life with the Saints in Utah. (Weyerman, G.)

After the day’s church services, Annie shared with the mission president some of her worries about Fred’s situation.  President Stucki lovingly took hold of her hands and prophesied, “Fear not, for your son Gottfried. He will be the means of bringing many souls into the church” (Weyerman, G).  Within 10 days, Annie and her three children, led by President Stucki and joined by Elder Budge, began their odyssey to Zion.

The miracle of emigration did not take place without Annie’s heroic effort and faith.  President Stucki promised that if the saints paid their tithing, a way would be opened up for them to join the saints in Zion (Stucki, July 31, 1888).  The children’s inheritance from their great aunt had been put into an untouchable trust. With nerve and steely determination, the slight-built Annie faced authorities and requested they give her the funds to use for emigration to America.  When they refused, she threatened to leave without the children and then the state could raise them! After this ultimatum, they relented and granted her the inheritance of 500 Swiss francs (Weiermann, I., 1955).

Annie delivered the money to President Stucki, who hired agents from the Guion shipping line to purchase train and steamer tickets.  These agents arranged transportation, loding, and food, and also oversaw the moving of luggage from Switzerland to England and then on to America.  President Stucki also took care of details such as procuring bedding, tinware, etc. to be forwarded to the steamer for the transatlantic crossing (Stucki, 1937-1918).

In preparation for the voyage, Annie made some traditional hard dry Swiss bread, then fried it in butter to be their principal diet.  The missionaries taught them how to say “hot water” in English, so they could request some to pour over their bread, thus making it edible (Wheeler, F 1948).  Then the family of four packed all their worldly goods into five pieces of luggage (Mormon Migration). They were now ready to travel over 5,000 miles to join the Saints in Utah.

 

“May God Bless Them All and Bring

Them Safely into the Bosom of the

Church and Kingdom of God”

 

This was the fourth and final emigration that President Stucki oversaw during this mission.  He and Elder Budge wew being released from their callings to return home to America with the emigrating saints.  Feelings were tender in the Bern branches the day before departure when President Stucki preached his farewell sermon in Sacrament Meeting.  Since his arrival two years earlier, he served the saints daily while surviving fever and smallpox. At the close of the meeting it is likely they sang the Swiss hymn, “May God Bless Them All and Bring Them Safely in the Bosom of the Church and Kingdom of God” (Stucki, 1837-1918).

The next morning, Monday, 1 September 1890, Annie (35), Fred (14), Ida (10), and Jacob (7) began their pilgrimage by boarding the train in Bern.  Who can know the conflicted feelings that must have been in their hearts? These may have involved jow, excitement, and hope of a new life in America among the Saints of God; mixed with the regret of leaving loved ones and the magnificent country of their birth.  Years later when Fred saw a newsreel about the Alps in Switzerland he sat and wept from homesickness for his native land. He commented, “The beauty of that land could not be found anywhere else”. (Weyerman, G).

At 10:30 a.m. the saints were on their way north to the border city of Basel entertaining themselves with singing.  Arriving after noon, the train pulled into Basel to pick up the missionaries as well as 13 members of the faithful Gygi family.  To everyone’s horror Rudolph Gygi, the father, had been stabbed the night before in the face by a mob of hoodlums who thought he was taking his six daughters to be enslaved in polygamy (Gygi).

Through the night and into Tuesday, the travelers continued north by train into Belgium.  It was 2 September, Ida’s 11th birthday. Perhaps she made friends with Anna and Elisa Gygi and helped them watch their younger brothers and sisters.  At the late hour of 11:00 p.m. the weary saints arrived in the port city of Antwerp. The Swiss emigrants were met at the train station by their agent who provided a wagon to transport their luggage and at least seven children under age 10 to a boarding house.  Before retiring, all received refreshment, which could have been soup, meat, vegetables, coffee, and bread (Stucki, J. 1837-1918).

After a night’s rest, the Swiss saints united with about 51 emigrating converts from Germany who spoke German so differently that neither group could understand the other.  Together this made 72 travelers. Once again they loaded their belongings onto a wagon to transport them down to the dock where the shop was moored (Stucki 1937-1918.) There the family had their first glimpse of the vast sea and all the ships and business of the bustling Antwerp harbor.  Searching for words, Ida wrote as an old woman, :The trip across the ocean was quite – I don’t know what you would call it – an experience to us” (Weiermann,I. 1955).

All boarded the steamer, which launched into the North Sea shortly after noon.  Their destination was the port of Hull on England’s eastern shore (Woods & Evans 2002).  For many, this was the first time on the open sea. Spirits were high and the saints passed time with singing hymns of praise, or conversion pleasantly.  President Stucki recorded, “the vessel went steady, sea sickness was therefore very light and confined to but few” (Stucki 1837-1918).

They traveled all night to reach Hull on Thursday at 3:00 in the morning.  The ship could not dock at low tide, so the passengers had to transfer in the dark to a tugboat that took them to shore.  Ida remembered the confusion, “While crossing the North Sea, something went wrong with the ship and we had to change ships.  Somehow we lost a roll of bedding, which we needed very much” (Stucki 1837-1918) (Weiermann, I., 1955). Despite the hassle of getting ashore, the emigrants were met by a kindly agent who examined their luggage to verify it was duty-free.  He also saw that the hungry Saints received something to eat before boarding a train late in the day.

Lulled to sleep by the clicking -clacking rhythm of the steam train’s wheels, the adventures slept most of the six-hour 140 mile journey across England to Liverpool.  They arrived before dawn on Friday morning (Stucki, 1837-1918).

 

September 1890

MON 01    Train: Bern – Basel

TUES 02    Train: Antwerp

WED 03    Boat: Antwerp – Hull

Thurs 04    Train: Hull – Liverpool

FRI 05        Liverpool – Immigration House

SAT 06    Loading of the ship, off at 3pm

SUN 07    Atlantic Crossing Day 1 – Queenstown

MON 08    Atlantic Crossing Day 2 – 294 miles

TUES 09    Atlantic Crossing Day 3 – 300 miles

WED 10    Atlantic Crossing Day 4 – 320 miles

THURS 11    Atlantic Crossing Day 5 – 298 miles

FRI 12     Atlantic Crossing Day 6 – Newfoundland

SAT 13     Atlantic Crossing Day 7 – 314 miles

SUN 14    Atlantic Crossing Day 8 – 320 miles

MON 15    Atlantic Crossing Day 9 – 298 – miles

TUE 16     Atlantic Crossing Day 10 – 308 miles

        Arrival in New York, USA

WED 17    Luggage and Customs

    TRAIN CROSSING TO UTAH & IDAHO

SUN 28    Train: Montpelier, ID

Wagon and Buggy to Paris, ID

Once again, shipping hires by President Stucki greeted the Mormon converts upon their arrival to Liverpool.  This city situated on the western coast of England was considered in the nineteenth century the most active international port of emigration in the world.  It was also home to the British Mission, and served as the administrative headquarters for the LDS church in Europe (Woods & Evans, p.91).

Passengers were not allowed to board their ships until either the day before or the day of departure (Liverpool); thus, the saints were taken to an immigration house to wait, eat, and rest for a day (Stucki, 1837-1918).

Meanwhile, it was LDS church procedure that every emigration company have a Presidency.  They would watch over the saints, conduct Sunday services, and see that everyone reached their destination.  John U. Stucki acted as President, and selected Alfred Budge and C. Meyer as his counselors. The day before departure, they were called and set apart by the British mission president, George Teasdale (Stucki, 1857-1918) (Mormon Migration Database, 1890, Sept. 6).

The sleek 366.2 ft steamer S/S Wisconsin, piloted by Captain Worral, waited patiently at port to receive her passengers (Mormon migration database, 1890, Sept. 6).  She was one of a fleet of 16 ships run by the Liverpool and Great Western Steamship Company,  known commonly as the “Guion Line.”  For 20 years the company’s ships had been launching twice a week to transport passengers and mail from Liverpool to New York.  A typical trip across the Atlantic took a week. At a time when there was no air travel, they were known as “ocean greyhounds” (Guion) (Miller).

All day Saturday September 6 a steady stream of humanity carting trunks, baskets, bags, and bed rolls trudged up the ramp of the stately steamship with its tall dark smokestack.  Seventy-six first staterooms as well as spacious dining rooms. Thy were joined by 100 intermediate passengers.

Then the Weiermann family joined a mass of 800 impoverished voyagers crowded into the notorious “steerage” section below deck (miller).  Annie, Ida, and Jacob were together in the Port Aft Steerage, while Fred was assigned Fore Steerage, perhaps because he was an older single male (Mormon migration Database, 1890, Sep.6).

It was a cacophony of humanity: men women and children from many countries speaking a babble of languages.  Each passenger was assigned a number on a canvas berth. When not in use the berths could be neatly stowed away making space for tables and  seats during the day. The journey would be no luxury cruise for these steerage passengers. Conditions were cramped, food was poor, and the atmosphere often bad; especially during rough weather when access to the upper deck was restricted. (Solem).

By 3:00 PM the ship’s crew drew up anchor.  All passengers went on deck, waving white handkerchiefs and throwing hats as they watched England slowly shrink into the horizon.  With this fanfare, Annie and her family bid farewell to their old life, and looked with hope to a brighter future in America, the land of opportunity.

As the ship glided into the night, the Swiss converts completed the irs six days of their traveling adventure.  When the sun came up it was a beautiful morning and the sea was as smooth as glass. President Stucki would have liked to conduct Sunday services, but the ship was too crowded and there was nowhere they could meet without disturbing someone.

By Late morning they reached the southern seaport of Ireland’s Queenstown harbor, where they remained for an hour or so to pick up more passengers.  Soon after moving out, they were engulfed in a dense blanket of fog. Everyone listened with suspense to a shrill whistle blow in rapid succession waning other floating vessels of their presence.  Soon all was well as they glided out of the fog into weather as fine as before. Although the steamer was quite steady, some began to get sea sick (Stucki, 1837-1918).

By Monday, several of the women and a baby were pretty sick, which kept President Stucki and his counselors busy.  Ida and her brothers were focused on the adventure and didn’t seem to mind the discomforts of travel. She said, “We used to go up on deck all the time.  The sailors would take us skating across it. We really had a good time – us kids did when we wasn’t sick” (Weiermann, I., 1955).

If the passengers weren’t sick on Monday, many became queasy on the next day when a wind made the sea rough and caused the ship to pitch and roll.

An English convert traveling a few years earlier on the same ship described a similar chaotic event:

“….Towards night the wind began to raise rather rough and the captain shouted out from the upper deck, “Look out for a storm.” The sailors began to run from one end of the ship to the other with large chains and ropes….We was then all ordered down below.  Pots, pans, buckets, and everything that was not fast was rolling about. Old people falling down, young ones laughing at the fun but did not last long. A large rope had been placed all along the water closets for protection. During the time we was standing by this rope waiting to get in the closets, our ship gave another sudden roll and we fell over this rope, old and young, head and tail together, vomiting on each other.  Girls screaming, boys laughing, old men and women grumbling, children crying” (Horsley, S., 1877, September 19-29).

The Ship continued to roll heavy with water pouring over the deck clear into Wednesday.  Soon even President Stucki and Elder Budge were sick too (Stucki, 1837-1918.) Years later Ida recalled, “When we were sick we would have to go on deck every day no matter how sick you were.  But we got across” (Weiermann, I. 1955).

On Thursday quite a number of suffering women remained in their berths.  Crowded conditions below deck caused the air to become fetid with disagreeable body odors, strange foods, vomit, waste, and ship oil.  Mercifully, the temperatures were quite cool (Stucki, 1837-1918).

By the sixth day at sea the weather improved, the ship steadied, and everyone felt much more cheerful.  Despite the rather chilly stiff breeze most passengers enjoyed a refreshing interlude basking in the sun on deck.  Some excitedly observed an iceberg silhouetted against the horizon about ten miles to the left (Stucki, 1837-1918).

At last after being a sea for a week, the ship entered cal waters off the coast of Newfoundland.  Some of the sick were beginning to feel better; everyone felt happier and more hopeful. In the afternoon, steerage passengers had to pass a routine health inspection, and if necessary receive vaccinations.  This was in the interest of the shipping company to avoid paying a hefty fee for any unhealthy passengers.

Sunday, President Stucki conducted church services in he saloon, or the first class public area of the ship.  The next few days passed without incident. There was some rain, but much to the passengers. President Stucki notes in his journal, “If it had been as warm all the way as the first two days, there would no doubt have been a good deal of sickness; the Lord is overruling all things for good.” (Stucki, 1837-1918).

On Tuesday afternoon, to everyone’s great joy  and anticipation,their destination was sighted!  All the immigrants strained to see the fabled America.  With gratitude and relief for a safe journey, the travelers watched the New York skyline slowly grow into view.  Their hearts certainly swelled at the first glimpse of the magnificent and newly erected Statue of Liberty. Majestically she  lifted her lamp to greet the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. (Lazarus, 1883). They passed Staten or “Quarantine” Island at 5:00 that evening, pulling up to the pier at 7:15 p.m. It was 16 September 1890; the first day of their life in America!

Heavy rain caused some delay the next day, but the baggage was unloaded by Wednesday noon, and an examination made by custom house officers.  Since the Immigration Station on Ellis Island was under construction, new arrivals were taken to the temporary Barge Office located in Castle Clinton at Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan Island (Ellis Island Immigration Museum.)  There all steerage passengers had to pass inspection or be sent back. Ida years later remembered the tense time in this way, “When we arrived at Ellis Island (sic), [mother] did not have the necessary amount of money the government required of those coming into this country, so she showed them a letter of proposal of marriage she had received from a convert who was already in the United States, and let them believe she was coming to marry him” (Weiermann, I. 1955) (Wheeler, F., 1948).

When all was cleared and the immigration process finished President Stucki concluded in a letter, “We are very thankful to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings received thus far, and feel to trust in him for our safe arrival in the land of his choice” (Mormon Migration database 6 Sept. 1890-Sept. 1890.).

It isn’t known for sure which railroad route the Weiermann family and their fellow saints took west.  Nevertheless as they crossed the continent, vast flat prairie lands would seem endless to someone from a tiny country encircled by tall mountains.  It was an adventure with pleasures for wide-eyed travelers. Ida thrilled to see wild horses running with the train (Wheeler, I., 1955). Fred with gratitude recorded, “We had good health and lots of pleasure on our journey both on train and ship”. (Weyerman, G).

Most of the European immigrants were destined for the Utah towns of Salt Lake City, Provo, Payson, Logan, and Nephi.  About 21 of the weary saints stayed on the train to travel northwest into the new state of Idaho. They arrived in the frontier town of Montpelier on 28 September 1890.  Continuing on by wagon and buggy, the Weiermann family, returning missionaries, and others rolled 10 miles south to the tiny town of Paris, Idaho. Fred remembered, “Elders Stucki and Budge were also glad to get home and and had all things arranged for hospitality.”  (Weyerman, G) (Stocker, J).

In Paris, the red sandstone of the newly dedicated tabernacle looked down on the little town.  This recently settled country of small farms was very different from the noisy crowded city the Weiermann’s were used to.  However, for Annie it may have triggered happy memories of her youth growing up in rural Switzerland.

 

Life in America

1890-1893

 

One of the great motivations for Mormon emigration was to be able to reach a temple, considered the “Lord’s house,” where they could receive ordinances necessary for their own salvation and perform them by proxy on behalf of their deceased ancestors.  This was a priority which Annie acted on immediately. It is recorded that her 10 year old son, Christian Weiermnn, three years deceased, was baptized by proxy in the Logan, Utah temple on 25 September 1890, suggesting someone took his name to the temple before the family finished their journey to their new home in Idaho. (Proxy baptisms were not required for her twin sons and daughter, since they died as innocent infants).

Many people who came to the United States chose to change or “americanize” the spelling or their names.  Fred’s Posterity most often spell their name Weyerman, while the family of Ida has most often spelled their name Weiermann.  In various family records the name can be seen in old records; Gottfried was known as “Fred”, his brother Jacob sometimes as “Jake”, and their mother, Anna Elizabeth, came to be known as “Annie” (1900 census).

Soon Annie and her young son Jacob moved into a rented log cabin owned by a Mrs. Herzog.  Annie began earning money taking in sewing. Ida had the opportunity to live with and work for the beloved Stucki family, who were also boarding the local school teacher.  Ida reminisces, “My teacher lived at the Stucky (sic) home and was very good to help me with my lessons” (wheeler,I., 1955). Once again, Fred boarded away from his family when he went to work on a farm.

Paris, Idaho had been colonized by the Latter-day Saints 17 years earlier and had two LDS wards.  What a change after attending the small branch in Bern! It was wonderful to dwell without persecution among people who believed and lived as they did; however, life was not without challenges.  Everyone had to work hard on the frontier for the survival of their family. It wasn’t easy learning a new language and adjusting to the ways of America. For example the young Swiss girl, Elisa Gygi, whom Ida certainly made friends with on the journey to Utah, recalls how at school she was told her name was to be the more familiar Alice instead of Elisa.  The children made fun of her because her shoes and clothes were different. Subsequently, Elisa took turns with her sister wearing to school a nice dress and some shoes someone gave them. In their poverty the Gygi family happily received groceries, clothes, and candy for Christmas from the Bishop of their ward (Gygi). It isn’t hard to imagine the Weiermann family relying on friends in a similar way until they were able to earn money to support themselves.

On 29 December 1890, several months after their arrival in Idaho, Fred received the ordinance of baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Several days later, on New Year’s Day, his younger brother, Jacob, was also baptized. Then, according to the custom at that time for member immigrants arriving in Zion, Annie and her daughter, Idam, were rebaptized.  It was a new year and a new life for the Weiermann family.

Fred traveled 20 miles north to Nounan, Idaho, to work.  There he was also able to procure a log cabin for his mother and brother.  Ida earned money by living in several homes where she helped with chores. Then she said, “Mother got work so I stayed at home the next year.  Then we went back to Paris [Idaho} where mother met Mr Nuffer at a German Conference….” (Wheeler, I. 1955).

 

Family and Marriage

1893-1901

 

A medieval castle overlooks the southern city of [Neuffen], Germany, where 27-year-old Johann Christoph Nuffer married Agnes Barbara Spring early in the year of 1862. Four years later tragedy struck when within 7 months their baby girl and her 26-year -old mother died.  Christoph was now left a widower to raise two sons, John, age 4, and Fred, age 3. (Nuffer, C).

A month later on July 25, 1867, he married Eva Katharina Greiner, who began to raise his sons as her own.  Christoph and Eva were surrounded by their extended family, and were supported by Christopher’s work as a dress goods weaver and a salesman of produce from his vineyard and farm.  Over a span of ten years, they added Regina, Charles, and Adolf to their family. (Nuffer, C).

After listening to the Mormon missionaries, the Nuffer family decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They secretly damned a millrace at the rear of the house so the family could be baptized at night, undisturbed by hostile villagers.  To avoid the persecution that immediately followed, they decided to emigrate to Utah as soon as possible. Christoph sold their home and land, and borrowed money from another immigrating family to gather the needed funds.  Notwithstanding all the children catching measles, the family survived the transatlantic crossing in May 1880 on the steamship Wisconsin. (Ironically, the very same ship that in ten years would bring the Weiermann Family to America) (Naef, 1990).

The Nuffers followed many German and Swiss saints who pioneered Providence, Utah, situated just south of Logan.  Like countless others, they started our poor and worked hard to better their circumstances. Thankfully, the older sons Fred and John helped a great deal with the heavy labor.  A year after arriving in Zion, their last child, Mary was born (Naef, 1990).

In the fall of 1883 the oldest son, John, persuaded his father to sell their home and move into southeastern Idaho to homestead.  Two years later they set up another claim. It was a rough life, but his son Charles recalled, “(We) were happy and thanked the Lord for what we had.  Mother would read a chapter from the Bible, we would have prayer an we would go to bed early….We thanked our Heavenly Father for what we had and lived by faith…a I remember we never got discouraged for we felt the Lord was on our side” (Nuffer, C., 1949).

The Nuffer ranch was located northwest of Mapleton, Idaho.  Their farm was cut in half be the main road. On the east side was the land where their homes, stables, and fruit orchards were located.  On the west side of the road was meadow blanketed in lush grass with a creek running through it. This farm from one end to the other was a beautiful place (Naef, 1990).

In the winter of 1893, Eva, Christoph’s wife of 2 years, developed pneumonia and suddenly died within a week.  Her grieving family buried her in the first grave in the new Preston, Idaho cemetery. Christoph could not bear to be alone in the home where he had so happily lived with his wife, so his sons Charles an Adolf ran the farm, “while there father was away most of the summer at Bear Lake and other places” (Nuffer, C).

While away, Christoph, now known as Christopher, met 38 year old Annie Weierman at a German Conference (Wheeler, I., 1955).  These conferences were an opportunity for German speaking LDS converts to socialize using their native language. Through uplifting sermons, singing and dancing the Conferences offered support for immigrants adjusting to their new lives.

By the end of the summer, Christopher and Annie knew they wanted to get married.  They were sealed for Time and Eternity in the Logan temple a few months later on 26 September 1893 (Reber).

The one photograph we have of Annie was likely taken in Logan, “The Temple City”, at this time.  She serenely gazes out of the image, an attractive women with light-colored deep set eyes, high cheekbones, fair smooth skin, and unusually sculpted lips.  Her brown hair is modestly pulled back to the nape of her neck and wrapped into a bun. She is slightly built, probably no taller than her daughter who grew to about 5 feet 2 inches.  Her newly learned English would have been graced with a lilting Swiss accent. She wears a dark tailored dress, which she may have sewn, that has a high collar and mutton sleeves, the height of fashion in 1893.  It could be imagined the jeweled heart brooch pinned to her collar could have been a wedding gift from her husband.

At age 59, Brother Nuffer was considered “ an old widower” by Annie’s children.  (Weyerman, G). Besides love and companionship, he offered their mother a social status and financial security that she had likely never experienced.  Their stone house surrounded by pastures, orchards, and a garden may have reminded her of her rural youth in Switzerland. Because her new husband had lived in the area for many years, she benefited from the reputation he had in the community as a successful farmer.  The Nuffer name was well known in the surrounding towns as Christopher’s oldest son, John, was a trained architect and stone mason. He helped build the Logan temple, and also designed many of the public buildings in Preston, Idaho; including the opera house, bank, and churches. (Nuffer, J).

Annie and Christopher had many things in common, such as firm testimonies that Joseph Smith had indeed been an instrument in the restoration of Christ’s church, and that they were building up Zion in the American west.  They had both followed the same path of conversion, they both spoke German and understood the ways of the “old country”, and they both followed a strikingly similar emigration path. But like many second marriages, there was the potential for tension and competition for loyalty between their children.  As can be imagined, the children and their mother were very close after weathering so many adversities together. Annie’s marriage to Mr. Nuffer may not have been favored by the children. Fred’s feelings were, “Ida and Jacob remained no longer with mother then, but had to look out for themselves, neither I had any place that I could call my home” (Weyerman, G).

During the next year, Fred Weyerman became engaged to a girl named Sally, but this arrangement ended abruptly when Sally eloped with another man.  This seemingly devastating event turned out to be a blessing when Fred met 20 year old Olena Hoth while they were at a party of a mutual friend. Fred and Olena were married by their bishop two weeks later.  “Lena” was raised in a faithful Latter-day Saint family. She was a loving, loyal, and hardworking woman who would have a special role in the life of her mother-in-law. She and Fred loved each other and eventually had a family of 15 children.  (Weyerman, L).

Two months later the newly married Fred and Lena traveled a distance to the Logan temple to be sealed on 26 September 1894 for Time and Eternity.  In preparation for his temple ordinances, Fred Weyerman was ordained an Elder by their beloved Swiss mission president, John U. Stucki. It was a joyful occasion as Lena and Fred received their endowments and were sealed together. (eyerman, G)  Later that same day, Annie must have glowed with happiness as all her children were sealed to her and Christopher Nuffer (Reber, A).

About this same time Annie’s step son, Charles, recorded she made him temple clothes in preparation for his marriage.  He reminisced that, “His new step mother was helpful to us in many ways as we began our married life” (Nuffer, C., 1949).

In 1895 Fred and Lena welcomed a baby and named her Anna Weyerman.  Fred bargained with his stepfather for forty acres of his farmland in Mapleton, so Annie looked forward to seeing her new granddaughter often.  (Weyerman, G).

Near this time, Christopher’s oldest son, John, left to serve in the German/Swiss mission.  Imagine Annie’s feelings of curiosity and nostalgia as she read letters posted from the mission headquarters in Bern, Switzerland.

That winter Ida married David Wheeler.  His father, Calvin Wheeler, was a notable pioneer who settled in the Mapleton area seven years earlier.  David reminisces in his autobiography, “I finally met a girl, Ida Weiermann Nuffer, that I thought just suited me, and finally ask her to marry me.  She wanted me to wait for a while but as I had got a call to go on a mission she finally consented. We married in the Logan Temple on December 4, 1895.  Ida was just a few months past sixteen years of age.” David let six weeks later to serve a mission in the southern states of the USA. Ida supported herself by living with and working for families until he returned two and a half years later (Wheeler, D).

After a year of improving his land, Fred went to make a payment and fix the deeds; however, the sons of “Mr. Christoffer Nuffer would not agree, so [we] had to pull out with empty hands” (Weyerman, G).  It could have been that the sons didn’t know about their father’s deal or agree with it. There was a lot of competition in the area over staking out claims on various parcels of land. Christopher’s sons had also been working the land for years with the hope of ownership.  The emotions raised at that time may have prompted Ida to comment that “We, [Fred, IDa and Jacob], were not welcomed there” (Wheeler, I. 1955).

In the year 1896, Fred and Lena lost a baby named after Fred’s brother, Christian.  In 1898 they also lost a month-old baby girl named Marie Weyerman. That same year Ida’s husband, David, returned from his mission.  Also, Annie’s first husband and father of her children Gottfried Weiermann, died at age 46 in his home town of Wynigen, Switzerland (Wheeler, D.) (Reber,A).

David and Ida moved to the mountains of Western Idaho where David took a contract to cut railroad ties.  On 28 December 1899 Ida gave birth to her first child, Florence, alone in a crude timberland shelter while waiting for a doctor to arrive.  Ida’s only assistance was a blessing from the local missionaries, who afterward sent out into the yard to pray for her (Wheeler, I).

The last years of Annie’s life were marked by marriages, births, harvests, missions, and some deaths.  Mostly it was the day-to-day rhythm of life that generously filled the calendar. After they sold their ranch to the Hull Brothers of Whitney, Christopher and Annie moved to Preston into a two-room frame house near his oldest son, john (Naef, 1990).  The 1900 US Census records the family living in Preston, Idaho, and lists Christopher Nuffer as a farmer, Annie E. as his wife, and Jacob, his single stepson, as a farm laborer. It also notes that Annie can read and write English. Sometime between the 1900 Census and March 1901, Christopher and Annie Nuffer moved to Logan, Utah, which was to be their last home together (Naef, 1990).

By the time, Annie was very ill with “dropsy”, an old term for edema, or fluid retention usually in the feet, ankles and legs (Weyerman, L).  She may have suffered from it for years as it could have been caused by congestive heart failure, diseases of the heart muscle, or some other heart ailment.  As these diseases progress breathing becomes difficult; making walking arduous (Quinn, 2017).

Possibly because Annie needed someone stronger than her aging husband to nurse her, she moved in with her son, Fred.  His wife, Lena, was two months from giving birth. This was a charitable and generous act on Lena’s part, as she was now caring for Annie, a baby and three other children under the age of 5.  (Weyerman, L).

As soon as Annie’s daughter, Ida, recovered enough from the birth of her second child in August 1901, she came to Logan to relieve Lena as her mother’s sole nurse (Wheeler, I. 1955.)    Many Christian virtues were exercised as Lena and Ida worked together to take care of their 6 small children as well as nurse their mother through her last living days. (Weyerman, L).

When November came around, Fred was preparing to leave his seriously ill mother and family of small children to fulfill a call t the German/Swiss mission,  Under what he called “very hard circumstances”, he departed for Switzerland 25 November 1901. This young father knew he would not see his cherished family for over two years.  (Weyerman, G). It was also likely he would never see his beloved mother again. Indeed, she died 1 December 1901, less than a week after his departure for Switzerland. The grieving family buried 4-year-old Annie E. Nuffer in the Logan City Cemetery (Utah Cemetery Inventory).

For an unknown reason, Annie made made the unusual request before she died to have their family’s temple sealing to her second husband, John Christoph Nuffer, cancelled.  She wanted Fred to go to the LDS authorities and arrange for her to be sealed to her first husband, Gottfried Weiermann, and then to have their seven children sealed to them.  This wish was eventually fulfilled in the Logan LDS temple on 8 March 1905, about a year after Fred returned from his mission. (Ida Christensen Arave witnessed the Church temple records at the family history center in SLC) (Wheeler, I., 1955).

Anna Elizabeth Reber’s family was one of 90,000 known Latter-day Saint immigrants who crossed the oceans to America between 1840-1891.  “They had a most unusual success rate; making about 550 voyages, and losing no vessels crossing the Atlantic….These Mormon immigrants were responding to a call to gather with the righteous in a promised land, which they called Zion” (Woods, 2000 p. 74).  Because of courage to act on her faith, a tenacious 3 year old divorced mother of three changed her family’s course into the future. Annie’s decision to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and emigrate to the American west where she could help build the Lord’s kingdom on earth has directly influenced hundreds of her progeny.  Her determination not only lifted her family out of poverty, but more importantly pioneered the way toward salvation for untold numbers of future and past generations. For this act of faith, valor, and love we praise and remember her.

 

EPILOGUE

 

John Christoph Nuffer married for the fourth time four months after Annie’s death.  He lived to age 73, dying 12 April 1908 (Naef, 1990).

Fred Weyerman was suddenly killed 9 March 1935 at age 59 when the bike he was riding slipped on ice and hit a bus.  He left nine surviving children and his widow, who would never remarry. His sister Ida and her family kept in touch with “Aunt Lena” and their cousins for many years after his passing.  (Weyerman, G).

Ida Weierman Wheeler bore 10 children and lived to be 80.  She remained a faithful member of the LDS church through a multitude of trials as her she and her husband, David, worked to eke out a living on the frontier of southeastern Idaho.  Her obituary quoted her friends as saying, “She was a bulwark of strength, patience, and loving kindness to all who knew her” (Wheeler, D) (Olsen, L).

Jacob Weiermann didn’t marry until 1908, when he was 25.  His wife died in the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.  Their two children, Donald and Martha, went to live with their Aunt Ida and Uncle Dave for a time (Arave, I., 2017). Jacob didn’t marry again.  He worked as a miner in Nevada, and died in Utah of tuberculosis 25 January 1945 at age 61 (Weierman, J., 1945).

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of [Latter-day] Saints in Europe

 

President Joseph F. Smith visited

Zurich, Switzerland in 1906, and predicted:

“The time would come when temples to the Most High would be built in various countries of the world.”

The Bern Switzerland Temple was the first temple built where English was not the main local language.  It was dedicated on 11 September 1955 (Petersen, S., 2013).

 

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Spring City, Utah

Manti Temple, Paul & Amanda Ross

Last weekend was Amanda’s sister’s wedding in Manti, Sanpete, Utah.  We went down to attend the wedding for Zachary & Alyssa Smart.  It was a wonderful trip, time to get away, celebrate the wedding and reception, and enjoy ourselves.

Paul, Amanda, Aliza, Hiram, Lillian, and James Ross at Manti Temple

I have done enough family history that I knew my 4th Great Grandmother is buried in Spring City.  Like other locations, if I am in Sanpete County, I make an effort to stop and visit her grave.  I think the last time I was able to stop was about 2003, so it had been about 15 years.

Paul, Aliza, Hiram, and Lillian Ross at the grave of Johanna Johannsson Benson (Bengtsson)

Here is how we are related.

My mother’s name is Sandra Jonas.

Her father was Wilburn Norwood Jonas (1924 – 1975).

His father was Joseph Nelson Jonas (1893 – 1932).

His mother was Annetta Josephine Nelson (she went by Annie) (1864 – 1907).

Her mother was Agnetta Benson (she went by Annie) (anglicized from Bengtsson) (1832 – 1873).

Her mother was Johanna Johansdotter (which shows up on the tombstone as Johansson) (1813 – 1897), who was married to Nils Benson (anglicized from Bengtsson).

I really don’t know tons about Johanna.  Nels August Nelson makes only passing reference to his grandmother.  I have been unable to find when she immigrated to the United States.

Hiram and Aliza Ross waiting for a hummingbird to land on them

Johanna Johansdotter was born 15 February 1813 in Öringe, Veinge, Halland, Sweden.  She met and married Nils Bengtsson on 4 July 1830 in Veinge, Halland, Sweden.  Nils was born 1 August 1802 in Brunskog, Tönnersjö, Halland, Sweden.  Together they had 8 children together.

Agnetta Nilsdotter born 9 Dec 1832.

Lars Nilsson born 11 May 1835.

Ingjard Nilsdotter born 17 February 1839.

Christina Nilsdotter born 21 June 1841.

Bengta Nilsdotter born 19 March 1843.

Nils (Nels) Nilsson born 23 August 1846.

Borta Nilsdotter born 6 April 1849.

Johan Petter Nilsson born 31 August 1855.

Nils passed away 12 March 1859.

Johanna was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 11 May 1861.  Agnetta was baptized 10 November 1863, Lars 5 May 1860, Ingjard 5 May 1861, Christina 4 February 1866, and Nils Jr 5 May 1860.  Johann joined 7 September 1893 after immigration to Utah.  The other two were after their deaths.  Bengta and Borta did not join or immigrate to Utah.

Johanna’s daughter Agnetta (Annie) traveled with her husband Johan Nilsson from Halmstadt, Sweden through Liverpool, England docking in New York City, New York on 3 June 1864.  I cannot tell that Johanna traveled with Johan and Agnetta.

Most of the children upon traveling to the United States were given the last name of Benson instead of Nilsson.

The children spread.  Agnetta went with her husband to Logan, Utah.  Lars went with his family to what is now Sandy, Utah.  Ingjard to what is now Sandy.  Christina to Vernon, Utah.  Nils to Spring City, Utah.  John also to Sandy.  For whatever reason Johanna went with Nils to Spring City and remained there the rest of her days.  She passed away May 1897, we do not have an exact date.  Nils served a mission from 1892 to 1894 back to the Scandinavia mission.

Manti Temple 2018

An interesting tidbit about our trip to Manti.  We stayed in a restored home of James Marks Works.  He was the brother-in-law to Brigham Young.  It was an early home with various additions, modifications, and ultimate restoration.  James Marks Works and Phebe Jones had a daughter named Mary Ann Angel Works.  Mary Ann is the second wife to Nils Benson and they had 9 children together.  The home in Manti we stayed may very well have been visited by my 3rd Great Grand Uncle and his 9 children, all of which were grandchildren of James Marks Works.  James Marks Works died in 1889 and the first of the 9 children were born in 1892, but James’ son James Marks Works (Jr) kept the home and continued working the sawmill behind the home.

Here is a picture of the Manti Temple from James Marks Works’ home.

Manti Temple from James Marks Works’ home

Another interesting side note that I remembered from the last time I walked around the Spring City Cemetery.  Orson Hyde is also buried there.  I walked the kids over to Elder Hyde’s grave and we snapped a picture there as well.  I explained his role as an Apostle, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Dedication of Palestine for the return of the Jews, clerk to Joseph Smith, lawyer, Justice on Utah Supreme Court.  The kids didn’t seem to care much…

Hiram, Lillian, and Aliza Ross at the grave of Orson Hyde

Here is Orson’s short biography from the Joseph Smith papers.

8 Jan. 1805 – 28 Nov. 1878.  Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge.  Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut.  Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe.  Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812.  Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1819.  Joined Methodist church, ca. 1827.  Later affiliated with reformed Baptists (later Disciples of Christ or Campbellites).  Baptized into LDS church by Sidney Rigdon and ordained an elder by JS and Sidney Rigdon, Oct. 1831, at Kirtland.  Ordained a high priest by Oliver Cowdery, 26 Oct. 1831.  Appointed to serve mission to Ohio, Nov. 1831, in Orange, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio.  Baptized many during proselytizing mission with Samuel H. Smith to eastern U.S., 1832.  Attended organizational meeting of School of the Prophets, 22–23 Jan. 1833, in Kirtland.  Appointed clerk to church presidency, 1833.  Appointed to serve mission to Jackson Co., Missouri, summer 1833.  Served mission to Pennsylvania and New York, winter and spring 1834.  Member of Kirtland high council, 1834.  Participated in Camp of Israel expedition to Missouri, 1834.  Married to Marinda Nancy Johnson by Sidney Rigdon, 4 Sept. 1834, at Kirtland.  Ordained member of Quorum of the Twelve by Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, 15 Feb. 1835, in Kirtland.  Served mission to western New York and Upper Canada, 1836.  Served mission to England with Heber C. Kimball, 1837–1838.  Moved to Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri, summer 1838.  Sided with dissenters against JS, 1838.  Lived in Missouri, winter 1838–1839.  Removed from Quorum of the Twelve, 4 May 1839.  Restored to Quorum of the Twelve, 27 June 1839, at Commerce (later Nauvoo), Hancock Co., Illinois.  Served mission to Palestine to dedicate land for gathering of the Jews, 1840–1842.  Member of Nauvoo Masonic Lodge, 1842.  Member of Nauvoo City Council, 1843–1845.  Admitted to Council of Fifty, 13 Mar. 1844.  Presented petition from JS to U.S. Congress, 1844.  Participated in plural marriage during JS’s lifetime.  Departed Nauvoo during exodus to the West, mid-May 1846.  Served mission to Great Britain, 1846–1847.  Presided over Latter-day Saints in Iowa before migrating to Utah Territory.  Appointed president of Quorum of the Twelve, 1847.  Published Frontier Guardian at Kanesville (later Council Bluffs), Pottawattamie Co., Iowa, 1849–1852.  Appointed to preside over church east of Rocky Mountains, 20 Apr. 1851, at Kanesville.  Migrated to Utah Territory, 1852.  Appointed associate judge of U.S. Supreme Court for Utah Territory, 1852.  Elected to Utah territorial legislature, 27 Nov. 1852, 1858.  Presided over church in Carson Co., Utah Territory (later the Nevada Territory), 1855–1856.  Served colonizing mission to Sanpete Co., Utah Territory, by 1860; presided as ecclesiastical authority there, beginning 1860.  Died at Spring City, Sanpete Co.

 

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Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp written by Annie Thompson (27 August 1957)

I came upon this history and thought I would share it.  Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp is the mother of my William Sharp.  She was also the mother of Isabella Sharp Carlisle, Elizabeth Sharp Quayle, and James Sharp.  I don’t know where she got all of her information, hopefully from being passed down.  I will enter some updates in brackets.

LIFE HISTORY: Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp, written by Annie Thompson, (August 27, 1957).

“Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp was the daughter and only child, of George and Ann (Matthews) Cartwright, and was christened at Misson, Nottinghamshire, England, 20 December 1803. She died in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, probably late in the year 1850 [17 February 1851].

Elizabeth grew up a tall young lady, reared in an atmosphere of wealth and refinement. At the age of 17 her father died (burial 27 February 1820, age 46) and three years later, on 4 June 1823, her mother remarried to a widower named George Beighton. Little is known of this marriage except that George Beighton is purported to have gambled away at the races at Doncaster, the money belonging to Elizabeth’s mother.

On 29 December 1823, Elizabeth Cartwright was married at Mission to Thomas Sharp, and they became parents of eight children, four of whom died young in England; the other four, William, Isabella, Elizabeth and James emigrated to this country with their mother:

George Sharp, chr. 11 Nov 1824, Misson, Nottinghamshire, England
Mary Sharp, chr. 27 Nov 1825, “,”,”
William Sharp, born 10 Dec 1826, “,”,”
George Sharp, chr. 13 May 1826, “,”,”
Isabella Sharp, born 22 Dec 1831, “,”,”
Elizabeth Sharp, chr. 11 June 1834, “,”,”
Ann Sharp, chr. 29 July 1838, “,”,”
James Sharp, Born 7 Jan 1840, “,”,”
(Extract from the history of Isabella Sharp Carlisle)

Misson is a little town in the northern part of Nottinghamshire, in what used to be the Sherwood Forest, (made famous by the stories of Robin Hood). As well as having a historical setting, the place, at the time of Elizabeth Cartwright’s birth, was one of beauty, with its green pastures a bloom with cowslips.

Thomas Sharp died in 1841 at the age of 45 (buried 15 Jul 1841, Mission), leaving Elizabeth to care for the children.

Sometime about 1848, the LDS missionaries were preaching in the vicinity of Mission, and Elizabeth Sharp joined the LDS church, together with her eldest son, William, who was baptized 20 Jun 1848.

Elizabeth’s home was opened to the missionaries, and among the elders who stayed there was Elder George Emery.

Elizabeth Sharp decided to emigrate with her family to Utah, but her folks tried hard to discourage her from taking the hazardous trip; they told her if you leave for the west, “A red Indian will eat ye.” But Elizabeth’s determination prevailed, and in 1850 the family, consisting of the mother and her four children, booked passage for America. (The price of the ticket being twenty-five pounds sterling). They set sail from Liverpool, England, bound for New Orléans, Louisiana, USA, on 2 October 1850, on the sailing vessel “James Pennell”, commanded by Captain Fullerton. The voyage was a rough one and it took six weeks to reach their destination.

From New Orléans, they traveled by boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, a trip that was not a healthy one.

Shortly after the family reached St. Louis, the mother took sick and died, and was buried there. This left the children on their own. They found employment and Elizabeth and James married and stayed in Missouri.

William Sharp married Mrs. Mary Ann Bailey Padley, a young widow who had joined the church in England.

Isabella Sharp was baptized into the church while in St. Louis, and Joseph Carlisle. Elizabeth Sharp married John Quayle, and settled around St. Louis, and had a family of three children.

James, who was about twelve years old when his mother died, made arrangements to come to Salt Lake City, but the company he was to travel with finally turned back. He then found employment with a meat-packing concern in St. Louis (in which he later became a partner), and married Eudora Mann and had a family of five children.

Elizabeth Sharp Quayle and James Sharp never joined the church.

Both William Sharp and Joseph Carlisle were good athletes, and while in St. Louis, they challenged anyone to a wrestling match that cared to accept. They became well-known in this respect and they had few who accepted their challenge.

In 1853, both William Sharp and his family, which now consisted of his wife Mary Ann, his step-son Lorenzo Padley, and daughter Annie. Elizabeth who was born in St. Louis, and Joseph Carlisle and his wife Isabella Sharp Carlisle, started their journey across the plains. They drove a wagon for Williams Jennings, a Salt Lake merchant and freighter, (whether they drove one wagon or two is not known). They came in the Moses Clawson Co., arriving in Salt Lake City about September 15, 1853. (Journal History, Aug 18, 1853, pg. 5-7; Church Emigrations Vol. 2, 2, 1851 to 1863).

Joseph and Isabella Sharp Carlisle settled in Mill Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah; and William and Mary Ann Sharp settled in Plain City, Weber County, Utah.

Annie Thompson
August 27, 1957

My relationship: Elizabeth Cartwright- Thomas Sharp
William Sharp
Milo Riley Sharp
Edward William Sharp
Edward Junior Sharp