Isaac Lee and Julia Ann Chapman

When Isaac Lee was forced, because of his wife, Julia Ann Chapman's illness, to pull his wagon out of Brother Benson's train, he camped for a few days to allow her to recover. In spite of the fact that she had rest and fresh meat, she still remained weak. Her cough was sometimes violent. Concluding that they could not make the trip west this summer, they turned back and by easy stages made their way to Loup's Fork. With good milk and the tender care of the sisters who were living there, Julia made a partial recovery. Feeling that his wife, during the winter, might have a better chance to recover back in Kanesville, Isaac made a bed for her in the wagon box, then slowly and carefully he returned to Missouri. Immediately, Isaac set about finding a house. Although they were dismantling the houses at Winter Quarters, Isaac got a place there for temporary shelter. Being an experienced sawmill man, he found employment immediately. Leaving Julia in the hands of a few women still living in Winter Quarters, he began looking for a more personal place to live. He was unwilling to take her into Kanesville itself, for it was often ravaged with malaria and cholera. Finally he found a farm on the east bench above the river which had been abandoned by one of the Saints leaving for the West. He moved onto this farm and hauled one of the log houses from Winter Quarters and set it up in a protected ravine filled with trees and shrubs. Here Julia felt more at home. Realizing that Julia was pregnant again, they both did everything they could to strengthen her for the ordeal. The baby came on a chilly night on the 19th of November 1850. For a time it was touch and go whether Julia would make it. The baby was farmed out to a big healthy Scandinavian woman who nursed it along with her own child. As the spring came, Julia ate dandelion greens, drank milk, and lay stripped to the skin in a protected place until her body was tanned like leather. During this summer, Isaac raised a crop on the land he occupied. Although she was not well, Julia lived comfortably through the winter of 1851, doing as little as possible, allowing her body to heal. With the coming of spring, the brethren made a concerted drive to get all the Saints out of Kanesville. Other than for Julia's health, Isaac was well equipped to travel. In the heat of the late spring, Julia gained some weight and felt pretty well. Deciding that they could safely make the trip, Isaac loaded the wagon, making a special bed for his wife. At first she did very well, cheerful that at last they could go west and be with their relatives. But as the trip continued, the strain began to tell. Some mornings she was unable to get up. When they crossed Loup's Fork they again pulled out of the line, getting one of the Elders who lived at the Fork, Isaac and he administered to her. She seemed to relax and feel better, but during the night she lapsed into her last long sleep. After they buried her, Isaac was so grief stricken that he sat for days, staring in front of him, felled by his tragedy. One evening James Walsh came to his fire and said, "I have seen many tragedies along the trail, and I respect you for your grief, but life must go on. Now you owe your little ones an even greater responsibility than before. Now you must be both father and mother to them. Crying tears of anguish over your lost wife is right and proper, but you must never allow your grief to immobilize you. What would Julia want you to do? You have begun a great quest, which, unfortunately, she was too weak to finish. Now you must finish it for her." Out in the night Isaac walked for hours, asking why? Why? But with the coming of midnight, a peace enveloped him like a cloud. His beliefs taught him that although her body was dead, she, herself was still alive and would wait for him. He must not fail her. The next morning, 10 July 1852, he gathered a bunch of wild flowers and placed them at the base of the rude plank marker. They yoked up the oxen and started west.

Grandson Writes Grandma about Mother's Death

I love Polly Colton. From what I've read, she was a lot like me. She had even more in common with Grandma Marge. She lost a little baby son and then her eldest died before she did. So much heartache. But she was a strong woman with a keen sense of humor. 

I can't imagine this. This would be like Chandler writing to Grammy to tell her about Melanie and Lizzy's death. How is it done? 

Emily and her family were living in Arizona and Polly was in Ashley (now Vernal) Utah.

(Letter written by Daniel Philemon Jones to Polly Matilda (Merrill) Colton about the death of her daughter, Harriet Emily Colton Jones. Copied from the original, by Miriam Colton Perry, Jan 1, 1960. Original spelling & punctuation preserved.) 


My Dear Grandma: 


It becoms my painful! duty to write to you and send news that will be hard for you to bear . We have just got word from Tonto Basin by Wesley that they had an accident that took from us the one that gave me life, that is my mother and your daughter, and her baby Bertie. This is the hardest news that it would be possible for me to write to you for I realise that she was very dear to you as well as her children. And Little did she think that she was to go first, but it is so that she has gone, and we are left to mourn her loss and her little boy Bert who was allmost two years old. I have just wrote to sister Mary and sent her Pa’s letter, and told her to forward it to you so that you can see how he feels and his discription of the accident. It seems that they had built a shed in front of their tent and fastend the guy rope of the center of the tent to the shed, which they had been very careful! to make very stout and heavy, as they susposed. It had been raining for a week past and the continneous rain had made the ground very soft and the wet guy rope srunk untill it drew the shed over and ma was under it or part of her was, it seems that her head and one hand was out. She spoke once to Vina and once to Pa before she died. there was no help near to help Pa get the log of from her untill after she breathed her last. Pa says that it was over in a very short time. The baby was in Mas arms it never moved after the shed fell. It is a sad blow to Pa as he has no one to go to in his sorrow up there. Wiley, Ella, John, and I will start up there, as soon as the river gets so that we can cross which will be in a few days. We will send for Eddy to meet us there, I will write to you again when we return; which will be in about two weeks. 

I want to tell you that it is all right with ma, she was as good and true a woman as ever lived on earth, true to her trusts as a wife, true to her faith and her God, and my prayer is that her brothers and sisters and her children, may so live we may all meet her and enjoy her society in the life to come some say that I am religeous like my ma, If so, I am glad of it, for I know that she has gone to meet her maker, and I certainly want to see her again with her three little children. I wish that all that are bound to her by the ties of kindness would think of her life, her faith in the Gosple of our savior, and shape there lives as hers was for it would be pleasant to think that some day we would all be reunited never to part again. 

May God our heavenly father bless you and grandpa so that you may feel that it is his will not ours, for he must of (wanted?) Ma or he never would have taken her in the way that she was taken. give love to all, we are all well hoping this will find you the same I remain 


yours D. P. Jones

Testimony of Miles L Jones

I don't remember how I came across it, but I found a book which was a compilation of many of the testimonies of most of the authorities who had lived since the Restoration. I was excited to see that Grandpa Uncle Miles (as I like to call him) was in the book! So I bought it and when it came, Sienna and I found four or five other ancestors in it. So we'll post their testimonies, too.

Testimonies of the Divinity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Its Leaders Compiled by Joseph E Cardon & Samuel O. Bennion, 1931. Press of Zion's Printing and Publishing Company; Independence, Jackson County, Mo Elder Miles L. Jones President of the East Central States Mission since its organization January 1, 1929 I am indeed grateful to my Heavenly Father for the testimony I have of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and this testimony is being strengthened from time to time by a realization of the blessings that have been promised me by the servants of the Lord. I have witnessed the power of God made manifest upon many occasions in bringing comfort to those who were in sorrow; I have seen the sick healed through the administration of the Elders of the Church, and I am a living witness to all the world as one having been raised from my bed of affliction by the power of the Lord, through the administration of those holding the Holy Priesthood. Inspiration from on high has come to me which has directed my labors in the ministry, both at home and abroad. I have been placed in positions where the wisdom of man was of no avail, but through the power of the Holy Ghost, my duty has been made plain and I acknowledge the hand of the Lord in these blessings that have come to me. I know that God lives and that He is our Father and that we are His children. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and the more we serve him and keep His commandments, the greater will be our joy both now and in the life to come, and by this same spirit and power I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet in very deed and is the one whom God has raised up in this day and age of the world to again establish His work upon the earth for the last time, and this work will continue to grow until eventually it covers the entire earth and all mankind will be left without an excuse. I leave this testimony with you in all humbleness and sincerity and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, Amen.

MY DREAM by George O. Terry I dreamed my Father called me home Across the Great Divide. I was very much bewildered - I thought, surely, I had died. St. Peter met me at the gate. He said, “Come follow me. There’s something I must show you Something you must see.” There were my great grandparents. Them I was pleased to see, But when I walked toward them They turned away from me. Then I saw my cousins, My uncles and my aunts. They said to me, accusingly “We didn’t have a chance. To do the work that must be done To start us on our way, To gain for us Eternal Life, So here we are to stay.” My father and my mother too, Were standing far apart. They looked so disappointed It made the teardrops start. I turned and saw my Savior On His face there was a frown “I died upon the cross for them And you have let me down.” “Behold your noble ancestors Waiting for the day When you would open up the gates To help them on their way.” My heart was very heavy As I looked these people o’er The blinding tears ran down my face I turned to Him once more. Then I saw rows of people Standing in a line. When I looked them over They were relatives of mine. Some among the massive crowd I remembered well. Some had lived long years before I came on earth to dwell. “Please, blessed Savior, send me back I’ll make another try, I’ll do the work for all my kin. I’m not prepared to die. I will not miss a single one. I’m so ashamed, Dear Lord, I’ll try to do each ordinance According to Thy word. Then I awoke – the dream was gone. I had not passed away, But I made a resolution then To start that very day. Baptisms, Endowments and Sealings I found there were not a few, The more I searched and searched, The more I found to do. But I will keep on hunting And searching all the while, Next time I meet my ancestors - I’ll meet them with a smile.

The Nevada's Voyage

 “We arrived here today, and are thankful to the Giver of All Good that we have been blessed with a prosperous journey across the Atlantic. Excepting the usual amount of sea-sickness, we have, as a company, enjoyed good health. No accident or death has occurred among our people.

The Saints have had their times of enjoyment with vocal and instrumental music, and dancing, but have been also prompt and regular in attending their prayer meetings, morning and evening, and in attending their occasional preaching meetings.”

---C.H. Wilken on the Nevada’s voyage from Liverpool to New York with John and Emma Grant on board.

Rebecca Burdick Winters

                  In August, on the trail in Nebraska, cholera struck the company. A close friend, Rebecca Winters, was stricken and died on August 15. She was buried on the prairie with a simple ceremony. William unloaded an old iron wagon tire he had found on the trail, and stayed up into the night. His small daughter held a candle while he chiseled the words, "Rebecca Winters, age 50".  When her husband saw the inscription he said softly "That name will remain forever." They pounded the tire into the ground over the grave, and at sunup the wagons moved on westward.

Many years later, in 1900, when the Burlington Railroad was surveying a route up through the Platte River valley near Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a workman kicked aside some brush to drive a stake, and stubbed his toe on the wagon tire.

"Turn back," said the leader, "we cannot desecrate the last resting place of a Pioneer Mother."

So as not to disturb the pioneer grave, the surveying party went back several miles and rerouted the railroad tracks six feet to the side. Railroad officials built a fence around the grave, planted grass and flowers, erected a sign, and cared for the spot for many years. Later a monument was built with the wagon tire still there as part of the marker with REBECCA WINTERS, the well-chiseled letters made by William Fletcher Reynolds, as plain as ever. At the time of the incident of the finding of the wagon tire by the railroad people the Reynolds family as well as the Winter's family were stirred with emotion.

I am a wonder to myself and see the hand of the Lord so visible in all that has happened to me these last four years that I cannot help telling you of it.
                                   -George Cannon (Father of George Q. Cannon)

Thomas Levi Whittle

         In 1849, Thomas Levi Whittle went to California and joined others in a search for gold on a financial mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was while there that he received a call to go and help open up a mission in the Sandwich Islands. In 1850 he with nine other Elders, one of whom was George Q. Cannon, went in response to the call. A day after their arrival the group climbed a hill above Honolulu (Pacific Heights), constructed a small, makeshift altar and said a prayer. A week later, nine missionaries received their assignments. 

       There is a bronze plaque at the front entrance of the Hawaiian Temple with a picture of this group of missionaries, with names of all inscribed, including that of Thomas Levi Whittle. Underneath is written, “The first missionaries to the Islands.”

        

       Thomas Whittle was an energetic Church worker. Because of his agreeable and pleasing manner, he made many friends, both young and old. On many occasions, he succeeded in getting the good will of groups of rowdy youngsters bent on nights of adventure and mischief, and in a short time he would have them all home and in bed. He was known as a Peace Maker, and many times was called to settle disputes and bring harmony where people were laboring under wrong impressions and misunderstanding.

         Despite the endurance of many hardships, he never lost any of the members of his family, and always retained a devout faith of ‘Divine Guidance.”

         His untimely and accidental death came at the age of fifty-six years and was caused by the falling of a log which struck him while he was engaged in the building of a house. He died on July 3rd, 1868. On the following day, July 4th, the flag was hung at half mast, attesting the love and esteem of his neighbors and fellow townsmen.

Adelaide Exervia

One hundred years ago on October 23rd, 1838 at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, an Indian reservation at the time, a child was born to Battice [Batiste] and Sally Exervid. The father was a French trader who was very friendly with the Shoshone Indians and met Sally while stopping at this post on business.    

Sally was an orphan girl who was a full-blooded Shoshone Indian. Not much of her history is known because of the sad circumstances which shadowed her life. When she was only a baby, in the early part of 1800, a terrific battle took place at Battle Creek, Wyoming, between the Indians and a party of white soldiers who had been sent to this locality to investigate some Indian thefts.

As was so often the case, instead of trying to make peace with the Red Man, these self-righteous defenders of the law, took it upon themselves to settle the trouble by killing every one of this little band. But some kind fate had decreed a different ending for one soul, for as the victors were preparing to leave the field of battle, someone noticed a slight movement on the ground. On closer scrutiny, a wee infant was discovered suckling at its dead mother's breast.

Some brave full grown man exclaimed, "Nit's make lice, hit it in the head." But another spoke up and said, "No, let me have it, I will take it home with me, it will be quite a curiosity." And so the life of little Sally of the Shoshones was spared.

She was taken to St. Louis and adopted by some merchant with whom she lived for several years. Knowing that she was a native of the west, she longed to be reunited with her own people. When she was only a young girl she ran away from this unhappy home and began her search for her native tribe. It is told that she wandered for many days, at one time swimming a tributary of the Mississippi River before she reached the western ranges, where she finally found and settled with the Indians living at Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

After she was married to Battice Exervid, she traveled with him all over this western country. To them was born two children, Adeliette, or Adelaide as she was known, and [Ishamana] John [later known as Indian John or Shoshoni John]. Then the dreaded scourge of the pioneer days fell upon them and her husband Battice died from spotted fever. 

Still only a young woman, she was now a widow with two children to care for, facing the loneliness and dangerous life of the wild west, with such courage as only her race can have. 

            She returned to Wyoming, which was by this time being colonized by the Mormon Pioneers. The girl Adelaide, was taken into the home of President Brigham Young where she learned the ways of the refined white people. She learned to read and write and was very quick at figures. She learned the arts of good housekeeping and her French lineage asserted its talents, as she became proficient in cooking and fine sewing.

On the Fourth of July in 1855, young Jim Brown, nineteen years old to be exact, saw Adelaide Exervia for the first time. She had returned from Brigham Young's home in Salt Lake City with a party of pioneers bringing supplies to the reservation, to visit her mother and sisters, and as yet had not met the missionary who was stationed there. She was an attractive girl, slim and straight as an arrow, with sparkling black eyes and dark curly hair. A little celebration was in progress, and this young miss sat, or perched, on the top rail of the corral fence, swinging her bare legs, all unconscious of the admiring glances of young Brown. Inquiring from some of the others as to who she was, young Brown, without hesitation said, "Well I want to meet her right now, that is the girl I am going to marry." On the 24th of July, 1855, just twenty days later, they were married by James S. Brown, an uncle of Jimmies, then President of the Branch.

Sienna's Genealogy Fan!

Thomas Whittle and the Indians

While in Winter Quarters, a young man, Thomas Ricks, was shot and wounded by Indians as he watched and herded cattle. Search parties were sent out to bring him into camp. His father, Brother Ricks, and Thomas Whittle were some distance away from the main group. Suddenly they found themselves surrounded by Indians and a pointed gun in their faces. “Well,” said Brother Ricks, “I suppose our time has come.” “Not yet,” said Brother Whittle, “we are in the hands of the Lord.” He repeated this twice, looking straight into the eyes of the Indian. Finally the Indian dropped his gun. This seemed to frighten the others and they turned and rode away, leaving the two men much frightened but unharmed.

Elam Cheney and the Kirtland Temple

When Elam was a boy, notice was given that there was a meeting held in the Kirtland temple. All the family attended this meeting. The Prophet spoke there and Elam noticed that while he was speaking, he looked up as if he was looking at someone, so Elam looked in that direction and saw six personages .... three on each side of the room. Their appearance attracted his attention as they were dressed so differently to what he was accustomed to seeing. They had white moccasins on their feet and white caps on their heads. He asked his mother who they were and she said she could see no one. He told her they were dressed in white. He always remembered how they looked and how they were dressed. Later on when he went to the temple to get his own endowments, he discovered that the clothes these personages wore were like the temple clothes. This experience was a testimony which stayed with him throughout his life.

Polly Merrill Colton

This is my favorite quote I have found so far in the family history realm:

By her own admission, Polly is a non-famous, unremarkable gal. In 1891, at the end of her life, she tells the audience that if they want remarkable women, they should read about “Eliza R. Snow … Smith … Young … or whoever she’s got herself attached to lately.” Or Mary Graves, a Donner Party survivor who ate belts, shoes, and her fellow travelers.

Cute Pic of Grandma Marge

I liked student government, too. No wonder I was her favorite.

(I think this was at Utah State)

Miles L Jones & Tithing

On Wednesday, October I7, I906, Elder Bateman and I left for Canterbury, Dover, and Ramsgete. We visited several cities along the way on the coast and held meetings at several places. On Sunday, Oct. 2I we were at Ramsgate. We attended Sunday school in the morning and meeting in the afternoon and evening at the home of Sister Clifford. Sister Clifford handed me two shillings and a six pence for tithing. I found that she was a widow with two or three children and had very little to live on. It seemed to me that she needed that money more than the mission or church did. I was about to return it to her when this thought occurred to me, "Why rob the widow of her blessing." It seemed to come almost as a voice whispering to me. I told her that I would send her a tithing receipt upon my return to London. While speaking at the afternoon meeting I felt strongly impressed to say that Sister Clifford's great desire was to go to Zion to the temple to have the work done for her departed husband and herself and her children. I made the statement that her heart's desire would be granted and the way would be opened for her and her children to go to Salt Lake City. After meeting I felt somewhat concerned as to the promise since I could not see how she could possibly raise the money with which to pay for their transportation. As Elder Bateman and I started out for a walk in the park he turned to me and said, "President, I was glad that you made that promise to Sister Clifford. The last time I was here I made the same promise and now I know that the way will be opened."
After I returned home my wife and I went to Salt Lake the following April to Conference. As we were about to enter the Tabernacle one of the little Clifford girls came running up to me and said, "Mother is waiting for you in the Tabernacle." We met her many times after this in the temple and at reunions, but I never had the courage to ask her how she managed to get to Utah.

Mom's Frog

Miles L Jones stepped on mom's favorite frog and killed it. She doesn't think he felt that bad about it.

Miles L Jones with David O McKay

Miles L Jones & Heber J Grant visit King Oscar of Sweden

Visit to Scandinavia. In June I906 I received a letter from President Grant asking me to accompany him and others on a tour of the Scandinavian Mission ... Stockholm is a very beautiful city and has much to interest visitors. On the morning of the 4th while eating breakfast, President Grant said, "Boys, suppose we call upon the King today." We thought he was joking but he wasn’t. He had some letters of introduction from prominent men of the United States and he believed we could get an interview with him. We all readily agreed. In the forenoon, several of us visited the King's palace and also the Queen's apartments which were both very fine. We left the Grand Hotel at 2 p.m. to visit the King. An account of our visit appears in the Millennial Star, Vol. 6a Page 460-7--1906 issue.

(I'm working on getting a copy of that issue)

James Alma Slater saved from a volcano

(A volcano in New Zealand)

When they had 3 small children, James was called on mission to New Zealand. Mary willingly accepted the responsibility of the care of the children and farm. James had many faith-promoting experiences on his mission. At one time he and his companion were going to a certain village some three days travel by horse back. They had been traveling two days and expected to reach their destination the evening of the third day. After they had saddled their horses on the morning of the third day, ready to start on their last day's journey, James heard a voice telling him to turn back and not go to the village. This bothered him greatly. He realized they had traveled for two days and couldn't think of any good reason why they should return, so they started toward the village again. They had only gone a short distance when the voice spoke to James again and told him to turn back. He said the voice was clear as though someone had been standing near him. He told his companion about this prompting and after prayer and further consideration, they decided to turn back. They felt quite depressed, not knowing why they were warned. They traveled all morning and came to a farm and barn so stopped at this place. A terrible volcanic eruption took place near the village to which they had planned to go. They stayed in the barn during this eruption and although it was mid day, it was darker than any night they had ever seen. When they came out of the barn, they found 18 inches of ashes covering the ground. They later found out that the town they had been warned to flee from had been covered by a lava flow, destroying most of the town and taking several lives. He visited the town about four months later, and was awed at the great destruction.

(James was Grandma Tot's grandpa. He's the one who pressed all the ferns of which I own none.)

Family History was important to Miles Hudson Jones

(from the Autobiography of Miles L Jones)
Just a short time before Father passed, away, he said to me, "If I had the temple work done for those who are depending upon me, and if I could leave my family comfortably provided for, I would be perfectly willing to pass to the other side." I had never given any thought to temple work, but sometime after his death, he appeared to me just as natural as I had ever seen him. He told me I could find the records he had compiled and just where they were at his home. He told me he would like me to look after this work, and it is a source of comfort to me that I have had most of this done.
(Miles L Jones is Grandpa Mike's uncle who raised him)

Miles Levanter Jones Dream

"In the spring of 1883, at age 17, I had a severe attack of typhoid fever. During a period that I was delirious, I had what I consider a dream. It seemed that .I was walking leisurely along a lonesome road having no particular object in view. Fin¬ally I came up quite close to the end of a high stone wall. On the right of the wall, the road looked smooth and the sky was clear and bright as far as I could see. On the left, the road looked fairly good for quite a way, but in the far distance, the sky was dark and dreary, and looked very dismal. At the end of the wall sat a man at a desk with some kind of a record book before him. As I approached, he looked up and asked if I felt worthy of taking the right hand road. I hardly felt worthy of doing so, and I did not feel that I should take the dreary road to the left. While meditating a short time over the past I realized that I had not lived up to all of the requirements the Lord has made of us. I decided to go back on the road Ihad come, and I tried to prepare myself so that when I came that way again, I could feel worthy of taking the right road. The first I remember in coming out of this spell was Father and my cousin, Amos Stone, turning the corner at the bottom of the stairs as they carried me to a room below where I would be more comfortable and could be better cared for. From then on, I began to regain my health. As soon as I got strong enough, I began reading the Book of Mormon and I will never forget the joy that came into my soul as I continued reading. I did, indeed, receive a testimony of the divinity of that record of Gods hand dealings with Lehi and his descendants of which the Book of Mormon is a record."

(Miles L jones raised Grandpa Mike after his mom died.)