Story of Jordan Brady

Pioneer Immigrants to Utah Territory Page: 000389 Departure Date: 14 Jun 1850 Departure Place: Winter Quarters Travel Company: Elizabeth. Ann Hendrickson - Wife Marion H. Brady Jordan Brady Warren P. Brady Tranqulla Brady Elizabeth Ann Brady Lindsay A. Brady Jr. Kerinh, Frances Brady Party: William Wall Company Arrival Date: 19 Sep 1850 Arrival Place: Little Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah Place Settled: Union Fort, Fairview, Sanpete, Utah

This history is a combination from the history written by (his son) Willis A. Brady and from Lehi Hugh Brady.
Jordan Brady, son of Lindsay Anderson Brady and Elizabeth Ann Hendricksen Brady, was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, June 7, 1843.  He lived there until he was three years old.  Then the family moved to Winter Quarters in the spring of 1846.  In 1850, he with his parents crossed the plains with oxen teams in Captain Foot’s Company.  William Wall was captain of the 50 wagons they came with.  Lindsay had two wagons, two yoke of oxen and two yoke of cows.  It was during this trip that they had to cross the Missouri River.
        (Taken form Lindsay Anderson Brady story):  Captain Wall had given the orders that the company would leave by noon, but would travel slowly for the first day or so to give the Brady family a chance to catch up.  Lindsay and his family left the next day and pushed it had to catch up.  By noon they were at the eastern bank of the "Old Muddy" (Missouri River).  The early spring glow of the river had receded to a point where it was now quite safe to ford.  They would stop for their noon lunch on the western bank where the animals could graze on good grass.  The muddy water splashed against the sides of the animals and wagons as they crossed the ocean of moving, muddy water.  The first real thrill was over.
        The cattle had been unhitched and turned loose to graze while the family relaxed to enjoy lunch, which had been partly prepared before leaving their home that morning.  While eating they were attracted to a splashing of water in the river.  To their astonishment and horror, they beheld their faithful animals returning home.  Call as they might the herd gave no heed nor indication to mind, but plunged right ahead through the murky water.  Tremendous fear entered every soul as they were now marooned!  With the mighty Missouri on one side and a vast, unknown and untamed desert on the other.  The calm thinking of Lindsay scarcely lessened the hysterias of the mother and children.  Jordan was 7 years old at this time; with his oldest two brothers, Marion who was 15 years and Warren who was 13 years old.  Lindsay said, "Could they do it, these two young boys?"  "Yes" they answered, "We can swim'er."  And with further assurance, "We can bring them back."  "No, you can't" cried the hysterical mother as her mind went back to the loss of her first born son in Nauvoo.,  "I will not permit such a hopeless thing."
        Lindsay knew his sons could swim well and promised his wife the Lord will provide, He will help them.  "Yes, the Lord will provide," sobbed Betsy his wife.  "That is what you have always said from the day we left our good home and farm in Kentucky until we reach Far West.  Then again when driven from that place with infant in arms to Nauvoo, and the again force to leave a good home to cross the terrible Mississippi on the ice and head for this forsaken; now only to be lost and murdered by the Indians.  No, I tell you!  We will all die together rather than risk these two little boys in that wicked old river."  "But, Mother", came a defence from Marion.  "Don't you remember all the good swimming lessons Daddy gave us at Nauvoo?  We could swim the old Mississippi if necessary.  We can easily swim the old Missouri then,  We know we can."  Filled with bewilderment and with prayerful hears Betsy finally gave her consent.
        Marion and Warren went up the river to enter so they could swim down stream with the current.  The river was about one fourth a mile in distance.  The family watched to boys swim until they could no longer see them.  Besty sank to her knees in despair and uttered aloud her pleading for divine assistance.  She was still on her knees in suppletion when she heard the cry of her husband, "They have made it."  Springing to her feet, she beheld her precious boys climbing the bank far across the Mighty Missouri.  They boys found the animals.  Within the hour the animals were climbing the western shore and the two little blavck headed boys were safely mounted upon the backs of the strong oxen.  Again they gave thanks to the Lord.  The animals were hastily yoked together and hitched to the covered wagon and they were on their way.      
         They arrived in the Valley of the Mountains on September 18, 1850 with one wagon and six head of cattle, two of which were butrchered for food during the following winter.  They settled at Union Fort, were they lived for nine years.
In the fall of 1859, Jordan, with his father, mother, two sisters, and two brothers left Union Fort and went to North Bend (later called Fairview) in Sanpete county.  Here he met and married Mary Lovina Howell.  They were married in Fairview, on December 10, 1861 by John Cox, Sr.
Jordan built a one room house.  They had very little furniture; most of it home made.  The bed had one leg, the other three was the wall.  The bed springs were slats or rawhide strings.  The straw tick which was sometimes filled with oat straw which was like feathers as compared with the coarse, stiff wheat straw.  Their table was the end gate of a wagon laid on two pegs which were stuck in the wall and a shelf or two on the wall was her cupboard.  The next year he built a lean-to room on their house.
On January 27, 1863 their first son, Jordan Hendricksen was born.  They were good managers and soon had some cows, pigs, chickens, and horses.  He helped his father on the farm.
Jordan made several trips to Salt Lake with the ox team.  One trip he had quite a load and Mary and the children had to walk most of the way.  One of his oxen was balky.  He had a little hay, so when they came to a hill where the ox did not want to go he would take the hay up the road a little way and lay it down.  Then the oxen would bring the load to the hay.  They had to do that until they arrived home.
In April of 1866 they took their two sons and a daughter to Salt Lake and were sealed for time and all eternity in the Endowment House by Wilford Woodruff.  Then he went east to help bring the emigrants to Utah.
Jordan was a road supervisor and helped to build the road between Fairview and Mt. Pleasant; also up Cotton wood Canyon east of Fairview.  He was a member of the choir and took an active part in all church work.  He was an Indian War Veteran and helped guard the cows and settlement from the Indians.
        While living in Fairview, Jordan and Mary had seven more children:  Martha Elizabeth born March 7, 1869; Mary Emily born June 12, 1871; Willis Alphonso born October 22, 1873; Sarah Matilda born December 23, 1875; twins Ada Celestia and Radna Ann born April 1, 1878; and Warren Absolum born April 7, 1881.  The Lord had blessed their home with ten lovely children; a comfortable home; farm property; horses and other animals; as well as stock in the Co-op Store and a sheep herd.
         It was the year 1882, Jordan as in the prime of life; just beginning his 40th year.  Again, they heard and gave heed to the voice of their beloved Prophet John Taylor and responded to a Colorado settlement mission call.  Home and property were placed on the alter of sacrifice and preparations made for the move.
         Fairview had grown into a beautiful Mormon village, and they loved it.  It was home.  The parting was hard.  With two well-equipped covered wagon outfit, they along with their married children joined the mission caravan on August 10th and began the long trek which ended September 20, 1882.
         In the southern end of the San Luis Valley, they pitched their tents near the beautiful Conejos River and helped establish the spot they named Ephraim.  Here they face pioneering anew.   Little did they realize the trails of poverty and hardship which lay ahead in this unbroken and barren land of alkali and greasewood brush.  It was to the subdued at their hands and with the help of the Lord it would be conquered.
        While in Ephraim, Colorado, Jordan was ordained a High Priest on May 9, 1883; by Apostles Wilford Woodard and Brigham Young Jr. and set apart as second counselor to Bishop Peter Rasmussen.
        There they had three more children, Ophelia Sophia was born in February 3, 1883 and their second set of twins Samuel Joseph and Millie Rebecca were born June 7, 1885.  The baby Samuel Joseph only lived four months, and is one of the first buried in the Sanford cemetery.  They also buried two grandchildren in the Sanford cemetery.
        With irrigation their devastating enemy (alkali) soon made its appearance and caused the abandonment of Ephraim and the settlers created the new settlement of Sanford on a little higher elevation.  The dreaded alkali was every a disheartening problem.  Ephraim was too swampy; Sanford was 2 miles north on a bench.  Jordan helped lay out the town of Sanford, Colorado.  While living in Colorado he helped Bishop Amasa Tucker run a shingle and saw mill for several years.
        In Sanford, Jordan & Mary and their family settled on block 82.  He and his son in-laws, Peter Cheney, each built a home there.  Which later became the homes of his daughters Mary (Heber) Cornum and Martha (Andrew) Rasmussen.
In the spring of 1892 he and his family moved to Lehi, Maricopa County, Arizona, where his brother Thomas Lindsey Ward Brady lived.  The elements didn’t suit some of his children so that fall they moved back to Sanford, Colorado.
        The family loved to tell the following story.  "One morning when Jordan as on his way to stake conference.  His wagon wheel broke and he had to stop and fix it, which made him greasy and dirty.  When he arrived to the church his was late, so he just slipped in on the back bench.  Elder lyman and Elder Smith were here at the conference to pick a patriarch.  They had not found who the Lord was looking for.  Conference had started and still did not know who the patriarch was to be.  Well when Jordan Brady entered the meeting and they saw him they knew he was to be the Patriarch.  So they called him up to set on the stand, and there he was all greasy and dirty."  On June 10, 1893, he was ordained a Patriarch by Francis M. Lyman and John Henry Smith at a conference in Manassa, Colorado.
         Twelve years the Brady family struggled through this mission call.  Then in the fall of 1894 Jordan and Mary and their children moved back to Fairview, Utah.  Two daughters Mary and Martha had married men from Sanford and stayed in Colorado.  Jordan had two wagons and five horses and one of the horses was so balky he could not use him but on level roads.  The first or second night on the road one of the horses got sick and must have fallen into the river they had camped by.  Then he put the harness on the balky one to help hold the wagon tongue up.  That day they were going up the Devil’s Backbone and he had only three good horses so he would take on wagon a ways and then come back to get the other one.  They had a lot of trouble on that trip.  They lost another horse at Green River, Utah, and had to have help coming from Huntington to Fairview.  Uncle Charles Terry, mother’s brother and Jordan H. Brady came to help them.
They were without means and had to start all over when they finally arrived in Fairview.  The county had bought a farm and built a house on it where the poor and the old of the county could be taken care of.  Jordan was given the job of running this farm and looking after the poor old people who were sent there.  His family received their board for the work they did on the farm.  For his labor he received $100.00 per month.  With this he bought them a home.
He continued to give blessings and work in the church.  In 1896 or 98 he was put in as second counselor to Bishop James C. Petersen, which position he held until 1905 when he and his family moved to Mesa, Arizona.  This time they went on the train and chartered a car for their stock and house-hold-goods.  He bought a grape vineyard and built a good home; raised a good garden and a fair crop of grain but no grapes.  The family got homesick and some of them got prickly heat.  They decided that Fairview was good enough for them.  So back to Fairview they went.
He received a pension of $60.00 a month.  He and his wife lived happy and content by themselves until the fall of 1933.  When their youngest son, Warren A. Brady took over the home and cared for them the remainder of their lives.  In September of 1933, Jordan fell and was hurt so bad he was crippled the rest of his life.  He died May 27, 1934.  Jordan was father of 13 children; 98 grandchildren.  He died at the age of 91. He was buried in the (upper)  Fairview City Cemetery.
Jordan Brady on Findagrave

History of Heber Dorrel Cornum and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Pearl Reed

Lizzie Reed & Dorrel Cornum - Golden Wedding 1964, Sanford, Colorad
Frank, Monte, Duwayne, Bonnie, Gwen, Shirley, Kurt, Judy, Lizzie & Dorrel

Information from Duwayne Cornum and memories from the Cornum Book complied by Jan Westbrook Ryker (typed by Marilee Cornum Vannoy in 2002)

Heber Dorrel Cornum - about 1889

Heber “Dorrel” Cornum, was born the 25th of October, 1888, in Sanford, Colorado. He was the first child of seven children born to Paul “Heber” Cornum and Mary Emily Brady. He was born at home in a small log cabin. It was located on the south-west corner of block 78, where the school baseball field is now located. Later they built a home on the north east corner of block 82, which is now the home of Bill & Priscilla Reynolds.

Floss & Dorrel Cornum 1891

Dorrel grew up in Sanford. He was a stalky built man, about 5’8” tall and weighted about 195-200 lbs. He had a sandy complexion with reddish blonde hair, like his father’s side of the family. Dorrel was very strong. His son Duwayne said, “He was as strong as a bull.” Some of Dorrel’s best friends were Myron Holman and Charlie Cunnigham.

Dorrel helped his father farm and drill wells, which later became the means of supporting his family. He also loved to raise hogs and big gardens. When he was just a kid he worked for Joe McIntire, raking hay for $.25 cents a day. The McIntire ranch was located east of town on the other side of Saddleback mountain. Throughout his life he worked for several different farmers putting up a lot of hay. Duwayne remembered raising hay on his Grandpa Heber’s block 103, now owned by Allen Jackson. He said they raised a good crop of alfalfa hay for 22 years and never had to irrigate it. Grandpa Heber also owned block 111. Dorrel owned block 94, Duwayne said this was poor farming ground. It was not like the good lots that his Grandpa had.

Duwayne also remembered helping Papa drill wells. Dorrel knew the make of the land and where he could always draw water. He drilled many of the wells in the valley, as well as his father and later his son, Duwayne. When Duwayne was just big enough to set on a horse, he would ride old “Pet”, which walked around in a little circle for the power to the well rig. Dorrel would hook up two horses, Pine and Pet, one behind the other to the pull the power. The horses would get tired and Duwayne was suppose to keep them going. Well, he remembered getting sleepy when a wrench come flying through the air and hit old “pet” right in the ribs. This woke both of them up and they picked up their speed. Dorrel always had good horses and they were important to his livelihood.
Dorrel married Elizabeth “Lizzie” Pearl Reed on July 12, 1914. They were married by President James P. Jensen, in the Reed home, which is now where the city park is.
When Dorrel and Lizzie were married they first moved to Mesita, Colorado. There Dorrel was busy raising hogs. Their home was in a bunk house which stood about 4 feet above the ground. When their first baby, Duwayne was learning to walk, he would walk around holding onto the wall. One day as he was walking along the wall and came to the door, his weight pushed the door open and he fell out right on his head. Well this upset Lizzie very much to have her baby fall out and she said, “That was enough of that, and she was not going to raise her little boy over there.”

Dorrel Duwayne was named after is father, but always went by the name of Duwayne. He was born in March of 1915, at the home of his Aunt Naomi (Reed) Valentine. Lizzie had went to stay with her sister Naomi before the baby was born. The Valentine home, a little log cabin, was located on the south west corner of block 44, just north of the new school football field. The little log cabin has now been moved next to the Sanford Museum as part of the museum.

After Mesita, the Dorrel Cornum family moved back to Sanford. They first rented a house where Lorraine Larsen now lives, which is in the center of block 46. Then they moved into the Robert and Clara (Chandler) Crowther house on main street, which is now where Butch Crowther lives. The Crowther home was located on the north west corner of block 30. They were living there when Gwendolyn was born in December of 1916. And another daughter Bonnie was also born there in May of 1919.

Dorrel would recall the good times they used to have in the old Harrison Hall. He said, “Duwayne was a little old towhead sitting in the buggy. He was able to say a few words. Someone’s dog came in and was trotting by his buggy and the little tike hollered “sic-em” and the whole crowd heard him and really cracked up!” He sure laughed as he told it and said how well he remembered it and the good times they all had and how they went together and made their fun just for a good time and at no cost.

Dorrel then leased the Ramey ranch, which was north of Manassa, and now belongs to Ivan Thomas. Mr. Ramey was from Salida, Colorado. Duwayne remembers one visit from Mr. Ramey when he had brought his cat with him. Well the cat got spooked and ran away, they could not find the cat when Mr. Ramey was ready to return home. Mr. Ramey had to leave without his cat, but three weeks later his cat showed up in Salida. It had made it all the way home and had very sore feet when it arrived.

Duwayne also remembered how the railroad ran from Alamosa to Salida. It was the longest straight stretch of railroad in the world. The railroad was a very important means of transportation, hauling freight, mail and passengers.

While living on the ranch, Dorrel had a bunch of sheep. He was plagued by a light-colored crippled female coyote. She limped due to three toes missing on one foot. Dorrel went into John Rasmussen’s orchard and buried a beaver with a trap on top of it and covered it well so the magpies wouldn’t get it. He also had a big log chain on it completely covered up so the coyote couldn’t see it. Sure enough she got caught and headed north. The chain hooked onto a woven wire fence when she went through it. He found her the next morning. Dorrel said he was sure glad to kill that old rascal as she had sure given him a lot of trouble. He also lost 32 sheep at one time, when Jim Daniels ran into them with a car!

The Cornum family has many found memories while living out on the ranch. During that time, four more children were born to them. A third daughter, Shirley was born in March of 1921; a second son, Frank was born in June of 1923; a third son, Monte was born in January of 1928; and their fourth daughter, Jewel “Judy” was born in April of 1930. Dorrel and Lizzie were good parents and they taught their family to do a honest day’s work.

After living several years on the ranch the Cornum family moved back to Sanford. This time they rented a house from Carl Gylling. The house was on the west and north side of block 27. Mr. Gylling charged $15.00 per month for the rent. Dorrel fed lambs for Walt Crowther. He would ride Duwayne’s horse “King”, back and forth to feed the lambs for $15.00 per month, which was to cost of the rent.

While living in the Gylling house, a fourth son was born to Dorrel and Lizzie. Little Rex was born March 23, 1932. Baby Rex died when he was about 6 weeks old of yellow jaundice, on May 7, 1932. Duwayne remembered how he was as yellow as a pumpkin, and how his mother would set and rock and hold him, while he just screamed. It was a very hard for them to loose this little baby, but it was even harder to see him suffer.

Duwayne tells a story while living there. “It was during the probation period. Papa was always a great hand to be on the edge of everything. That is between the boot-leggers and the law. The boot-legger, he would go to jail; the guy handling the booze, if he was smart, got by all right. Papa had been off on a tear, he was pretty good at that. Well, he had gotten three gallons of boot-leg whisky. Two gallons were sealed up with a cap on them and one gallon had a corncob in it. I found them, they were buried in the grain bin.

Tuesday night was mutual, well, I went and got Belg Westbrook. We had a little nip out of the one with a corn cob in it. Before we got to church there had been nine of us boys in it and the gallon was half gone. We were all soused. I don’t remember what they did to us at mutual. But PaPa did not speak to me for over a week. He was going to run me off. I was about 15-16 years old, and old enough to know better. He was mad we had spilt about half of it; you could smell it in the wheat. The wheat was what used to feed the chickens. The booze didn’t belong to Papa. It was for a Doctor in La Jara; and there wasn’t three gallons when he went to deliver it. Boy was he mad.”

In April of 1934, the last child Kurt was born. He was born in the Cornum hospital in Alamosa, Colorado. This completed the Cornum family with eight living children. You can imagine how happy the family was to have a new little baby boy after the lost of little Rex.

Dorrel and Lizzie spent most of their married life living in Sanford, except for a short time, when they moved to Arizona. The depression had hit, and it hit the Cornum family. So in October of 1934, they packed up all their belonging and moved to Glendale, Arizona. They made the trip in their old truck and took everything they had with them. The truck was pilled up with furniture and they made a bed on the top where all the kids rode.

The first night they stayed between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, just off the side of the road. They put their beds right down on the sand. The second night was spent in Stafford, Arizona. And the third night they made it into Mesa. Kurt was only five months old and he was so sick when they arrived there.

That winter spent in Arizona, will always be remembered as mighty tough. It took all that Dorrel and Duwayne (age 19) could make to pay the rent (that was $15.00 a month) and to live on. Thank goodness they had brought plenty of food with them. Duwayne remembers how they never had a dime. Dorrel and Duwayne worked in the lettuce fields. Well, the piece of ground they farmed the lettuce on became quit a disappointment. They had worked it up, planted, and irrigated it. And when it came up it was as thick as a lawn. It had so many wild oats in it you couldn’t even find the dirt. They had to cut it for hay, it was a total lost. They had bought a gunny sack full of grapefruit for $.10 cents a sack. A gunny sack would weigh 100 pounds, so they had plenty of grapefruit to eat.

When they were working in the lettuce fields, they would have to go out before sunup in the morning, because in the winter time the days were short. It was sure cold going out to work in the mornings. But by the middle of the afternoon it would get so hot they would have to peel off their clothes. Duwayne retells, “I remember Papa coming home with his underwear under his arm one day. He had got so hot he couldn’t stand it. That sure did tickle mother.”

While living in Glendale they went to church regularly. They were the only family with about three other people attending. So they didn’t have much church. Well they were tickled to death to have Gwen come, so she could play the piano for the rest of them to sing. In March the family was able to go to the temple and be sealed for all time and eternity. They went to the Mesa Temple on the 27th of March, 1935. The next month they left Arizona for good.

When the Cornum family arrived in Sanford, they moved in with Lizzie’s sister, Alice Reed, who never married. Aunt Allie, as they called her, became a second mother to the children. They built three rooms on the back of Aunt Allie’s home. In the front part of the house was the post office and a drug store. Allie was the Postmistress in Sanford for some 70 years. Lizzie helped her with the post office and drug store. John Westbrook would meet the train in La Jara with the mail each morning and night. The train came from Durango at night and from Denver in the morning. He would also take orders from Allie for medicine that was needed and bring it back. Allie was so good to people to give them their paper or mail or dry cleaning at the back door when the post office was closed. Her kindness and goodness knew no bounds.

(The following is from memories of their daughter, Judy) “I have the best parents in the world!!! One of the things that I remember about Dad is how his judgment was held in the highest esteem. I know of several people that would come to him and ask his opinion about most anything because they respected his judgment so completely. He was very honest and dealt with his fellow man very fairly. He didn’t owe anyone very long before paying them in full. The fact that the banker O.A. Garris, never hesitated to lend him money when he needed, helped me to know it was because of his integrity.
It would be fun to know how many wells he has drilled in this Valley. There were many I know, and how many homes he has put the plumbing in I can’t begin to say. He has crawled under many a house that was narrow and spidery and put the pipes together for the convenience of having water in the house.

He hauled coal from Walsenburg and took iron to Pueblo to sell many times. He always had good hogs that he was raising to butcher and to sell. My, how he did cook potatoes and grain to feed them. Never did he have an animal on the place that he would let go hungry. He always had fat animals. When it was time to butcher, everybody in the neighborhood had a fresh package of meat. Mother would take the skin of the hog and make cracklins when she rendered the lard from the skin. Oh, they were good!!! Then she would make cracklin biscuits. Say, they were hard to beat. Mother was a wonderful cook!!!

Mother was very good at doing for the family on whatever Dad provided and sometimes that was pretty meager. I never remember going hungry but hearing them talk about how tough times were. At times they must have done without just to see that us kids had plenty.
Mother was a very good seamstress too. I can remember some of the dresses that she made for me and they were cute too. I wish I could tell her how much that I appreciate it and all the things she did for me. Bbecause I didn’t always act like I wish I had, to show her how much I appreciated the things she did for me.
Mother would bake bread and have supper in the making when she would go into the Post Office to help Allie in the evening. We kids would come home from school, thinking we were starved to death, and of course, eat our weight in fresh bread or rolls. Then she would come in with the intend to have supper ready, and we had eaten her bread. She would scold us right good and then fix something real good to eat.

Mother always did her own fixing up around the house. She would paint and sew curtains and was an immaculate housekeeper. She designed her kitchen when she had it remodeled. Buck Canty made it just the way she wanted it. It was real pretty and convenient. She had good taste when it came the redoing whatever.

Sylvia Cunningham was a good friend to Mother and she use to come down. Mother would visit with her in her car in front of the house. I guess they had something in common and enjoyed each others company. Sylvia gave mother a creamer and sugar bowl when I was born, because I was born on her husband, Charilie’s birthday. They had a girl born in September after I was born in April and we were good friends also.

Mother and Dad always taught us kids honesty, how to work and to have Heavenly Father in our lives. They showed us how to love each other and to respect each other and to always stay close as a family. I am so thankful for that. They were truly good parents, not perfect, but really good parents and good people.”

Their grandson Mart recalls, “When I was real small there was a chicken coop in the northwest corner of the property that was the house of the rooster who chased me. Well the rooster was an Easter chick that Duwayne’s kids had gotten. When he grew up they gave him to Papa because he was too mean to keep with the kids. Papa asked me to stand in the gate so the chickens would not run out while he fed them. He knew the rooster would challenge me and he surely did. I was not about to stand and let him attack me so I turned and ran for the car in front of the garage. I got across the garden and almost to the garage when I fell face first on the ground. I looked back and the rooster was waiting for me to get up, so he could resume the chase, which he did. If roosters could laugh he would have been roaring; but not half as hard as Papa, as he watched the whole chase played out.

Papa never had teeth that I remember and we loved to use the grinder he used to grind peanuts. We always had to shell a few nuts and grind them for ourselves, and they tasted especially good that way. Mom was a great cook and one of the very favorite things that I remember eating there was the lemon desserts baked in a little crock bowl. Lemon ice box cake and lemon frozen pie were two other favorites that we had often when at their house.”

Dorrel and Lizzie lived with Aunt Allie until Lizzie passed away in October in 1965. After this Dorrel moved in with his daughter Judy. He enjoyed raising pigs and a big garden.

His granddaughter Jan recalls, “The aroma of potatoes, corn and oats cooking out behind our house for Papa’s pigs is a great memory. He had a big cooker at the pigpen and was always fixing something form them to eat. Loading the pigs for a sale was always a trial.

They had to be shoved up the chute (sometimes with a Scotch blessing from Papa). We used old pieces of hose to encourage them on their way. Papa would usually be the one to hold a large board so the pigs couldn’t run back down and squeeze by, back into the pen.” He was loved by all his children and grandchildren, who called him "PaPa".

Dorrel Cornum with daughter Bonnie Coombs, and granddaughter Becky - 1970

About the last two years of Dorrel’s life, he spent in a nursing home. There he enjoyed visiting with old friends, Heber DePriest and Billy Schempf. His roommate was Walt Timmins, and they sure went the rounds a few times. He was still a pretty tough old guy. He passed away on February 20 , 1977, and was buried beside his wife in the Sanford Cemetery.


http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7730995

Brief History of Alice Julia Reed

3 Reed Sisters
Naomi Valentine, Alice Julia Reed, Annie Peterson

Alice Julia Reed

Alice was the PostMistress in Sanford for many years. The postoffice, at that time, was in the building located on main street just across the street to the north of the church. Her sister and family, Lizzie and Darrel Cornum, lived there and Alice shared their home. Alice was know as Allie to her family, she never married.

HISTORY: By Diane Coombs Taylor-A Niece
Alice "Allie" Julia Reed was born in Ephraim, Conejos County, Colorado, October 14, 1884. She was the fifth child and fourth daughter of James Warren Reed and Julia Frances Threadgill.

When she was eight years of age, her mother died. After her mother's death, the family remained a close and caring unit. They loved and helped one another.

Gradually, they grew to adulthood and each married except for Addie, who died in 1893--a year after her mother's death in 1892--and Allie, who never married. Allie was a wonderful Aunt. Although she was actually my mother's aunt, I called her "Aunt" or "Allie". She was my special Allie.

When I was growing up, my grandmother, Lizzie (whom I called "mom"), and her family lived with Allie in Allie's large beautiful home. The Sanford Post Office was located in the front part of her home, and she was the postmistress-the best on Sanford ever had or ever will have. She kept the post office clean and tidy. Sometimes, she would let us kids come into the post office, and she would show us the stamp pads and all the things that constitute a post office. We loved it, and I remember liking the of all the paper work.
Sometimes, even on Sundays and holidays, people would come to the house and request her to open the post office so they could get their mail. Allie was very patient and gentle with the public when they inconvenienced her this way--and she always gave them their mail.

When she retired from being the postmistress, she converted the waiting room into a nice little sitting room. This mad a pleasant and beautiful room for company and for her family.

Allie was ambitious, and it seemed that every morning, no matter what the weather was like, she was out bright and early with her wide brimmed hat and old shoes pulling and burning weeds. She kept her yard immaculate and encouraged other to pick up weeds when they saw them. She was proud of her yard and had every right to be. She had one special apple tree, which was the best apple tree in the world. utah did not have apples that compared to the apples on Allie's tree. We would sneak up to eat them before they were ripe; Allie would watch out the window and caution us not to eat them, because they might make us sick--they never did.

Her flowers were well taken care of and were the talk of the town. She had a large flower bed on the lot east of the garage. She had it well landscaped with walks, and an old row boat, nicely painted red, as a flower bed. Her flower bed was very organized, and she did not allow weeds.

On the yearly twenty-fourth of July celebration, we (and throngs of other) would congregate in front of the post office to watch the parade go by.

Allie use to love to go to Alamosa for a day of shopping. She didn't drive so had to rely on someone else to take her. I remember that she used to buy very special things in Alamosa, and I always wondered why the store in Sanford never had those special things to sell.

She kept the kids in line when they came to the house. She was protective of her nice furniture and wanted it taken care of. i can appreciate her concern now.

I loved Allie so much. We used to correspond after we moved to Utah. When I was in college, she would send me a little money occasionally to help with my tuition.

She was good with her genealogy, and when Glen and I were married, she gave us some name to take through the temple for sealings. i thought that was special--to actually do temple work for my own relatives.

Allie treasured and enjoyed her brothers and sisters and their families, and they all loved her.

Even though Allie never married, I know she is a special daughter of our Heavenly Father and that there is s special place in the Lord's plan for her.

Allie and Mom were leaders in their day and left many special teaching and examples for their family to follow. I will always cherish those years when I was in their presence.

Monte & Ruth Cornum, Sherry Cornum, Alice Reed, Lizzie Cornum
at the Home of Alice Reed in Sanford, Colorado

Alice Reed, Lizzie Cornum, Stella Edwards (cousin)

Lizzie Cornum & Alice Reed
Sanford, Colorado

Alice Reed (standing), Duwayne & Lizzie Cornum - Fishing

Brief History of James "Jim" Warren Reed

From the Family Story written by Velma Reed Reynolds, daughter of Gilbert, which had been added to and some dates corrected by Marilee Cornum Vannoy, granddaughter of Lizzie. Copy of James Warren Reed's death certificate in possession of Marilee Vannoy. Threadgill information from Crystal Cornum Baker.Velma Reynolds original story is in the Book "Joseph Reed St. and His Family Through The Years" by: Clefaine Reed King, Pub. 1991, pages 134-135.

James "Jim" Warren Reed

James "Jim" Warren Reed was the ninth child and sixth son of John Leverett Reed, Sr., and Mary Ann Bird. He was born the 3rd of May, 1849, in Lexington, Henderson County, Tennessee. His father's family being the first white settlers there. His father was born in Georgia and moved to Tennessee as a young boy, and his Mother was born in Virginia.

Julia Frances Threadgill

 At the age of 24, he married Julia Frances Threadgill, who was a beautiful young lady of 18. Julia was the seventh child of nine children of Harvey Gilbert Threadgill and Elizabeth Pearl Collins. She was born the 18th of August, 1855, in Lexington, Henderson County, Tennessee. Her Father was born in North Carolina and her Mother in Virginia.


They were married just a week before Christmas, and started their married life on a farm about five miles southeast of Lexington. It was here their first child, James Gilbert Reed, was born.

When Gilbert was three years of age, his mother, Julia, became ill with tuberculosis. She spent most of a year in bed. About the end of that year, a preacher, known as Robert Edge visited their home several times. During one of his visits, he gave her a blessing promising her she would be made well--she was healed almost instantly.

About a year later, she and her husband, James, and other members of the Reed family including James' mother, Mary Ann Bird, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They were baptized May 24, 1880, there in Henderson County, Tennessee. Julia's parent were not accepting of the Church, in fact due to her baptism they disowned her. Later it was found out, through some Threadgill genealogy research, that Julia's parents had disowned her to the extent that on their family records, they recorded her as dying as a child.

Due to persecution of Southern members of the Church, the Reeds (and others) were forced to leave their Tennessee homes; they emigrated to the San Luis Valley, Colorado, in November 1880, following their baptisms in the spring.

Velma Reynolds, a granddaughter, has observed:
It was very hard for Grandma and Grandpa to have to leave their home and other members of their families, but they were forced to. By then they had three children, Dad (Gilbert), Aunt Annie, and Aunt Naomi. Dad was five years old.

When they arrived in the Valley, Jim De Priest, met them and took them to his home in Manassa. The De Priests and some other people that had joined the Church from Hickman County, Tennessee, had come in about 1878 or 1879.

They stayed in the De Prist home for a short time; then they moved to the old fort at Los Cerritos, just south of Manassa. From there Jim and His family moved to Ephraim. Ephraim was northeast of Manassa in a rather low swampy place. They lived in Ephraim for six or seven years before the people were asked to move north to higher ground where Sanford is now located.

Jim and family moved from Ephraim to Sanford in 1887. They bought a lot one block east of the main street, where the Sanford Town Park now is. It was the southeast corner of the block. They built an addition, called a lean-to, on the east side. This lean-to was divided into a pantry and kitchen, and a very small bedroom. The bedroom was about two feet wider than a double bed and about four feet longer. They lived in that house with their eight children, and it was in that house that Jim's wife, Julia, passed away early on Christmas Day. She had giving birth to her last son, Ralph, Christmas Eve, 1892.

Julia's son, Gilbert, had gone to the Christmas Eve dance and was called home a little early, due to the critical illness of his Mother. He went for the doctor, but by the time he returned, his mother was dead. Julia left a large family, two sons and six daughters.

Gilbert being the oldest was almost 18, Annie was 15, Naomi was 13, Hattie was 10, Alice was 8, Addie was 6, Lizzie was 3, and new baby Ralph was only a few hours old.
After Julia passed away, Sister Ira Whitney helped care for the new baby until her death a few months later. At that time, the older daughters had the care of the baby.

The next Christmas was just as sad, with still the memories of loosing their dear Mother and Wife, on Christmas Day. Addie, who had just turned seven years old, passed away two days after Christmas. Christmas was a time of very much sadness for Jim and his family.

In spite of his deep sorrow, Jim carried on. He managed to accumulate sixty acres of farm land in the Ephraim area and latter bought eighty acres of land across the road and a little north of Bountiful. He was a loving and caring father and worked hard to make a living for his family.

Unfortunately, he had diabetes, and finally, like his brother, John Leverett, he developed gangrene in his foot. The doctor amputated his big toe. Unexpectedly, while changing the bandage on his foot, his daughter, Naomi found a small piece of metal lodged against the bone of his toe. The doctor had broken this piece of metal from the knife he used to cut off the toe. It wasn't long after this that the gangrene had spread, and on April 24, 1925, James Warren Reed died (thirty-three years after his wife's death). He was buried by the side of his wife Julia, with Addie on the other side of her, in the Sanford Cemetery.



Hattie Reed Bates, Gilbert Reed, Lizzie Reed Cornum, Alice Reed, Ralph Reed in Sanford, CO


http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16736145

History of Joseph Reed, (1769-1861)

REED SETTLEMENT , First Permanent Settlement 1818, 
Written by Bobby Snider - 6th Generation Descendant,
Contributed by Lucille Jones:


Built with huge poplar, chestnut and oak trees cut and hand hewn on the settlement, this log house became home to Joseph and Polly Reed, and their 5 children in 1818. In the fall of 1817 when John Leverett and William Reed, 11 & 8 years old, were left here with the Chickasaw Indians to spend the winter and await the return of the father, Joseph and family. In the spring of 1818 Joseph and family returned from North Carolina to find the boys well and very happy to see them.


The area used mostly by the Chickasaw lies in a large bend in the old river as it turned and meandered from east to almost due north around what was to become the Reed Settlement - land granted by Governor Carroll to Joseph Reed in 1821. The kitchen together with the 20 x 20' living area was erected on this site complete with two fireplaces for heating and cooking, and garden spot on the north side, barn with corn crib, 5 stables for livestock and a storage shed, loom house and smoke house, family cemetery, the Reed Spring and other necessities of the times.


In the kitchen there are large cracks between the logs for summer ventilation. There is a gun point on the northside overlooking the family garden. Numerous peg holes for storage and hanging utensils, clothes and other objects line the walls. The children, Armintee, Polly Matilda, John Leverett, Joseph Jr., and William were all raised here, the youngest son, William continued to live here, care for his parents, fight in the civil war and raise his family.


Descendants of William Reed have lived her continually since 1818. The rest of the family spread into the surrounding community from Shady Hill to Warrens Bluff and the area around here became known as Reed Town. The descendants of Joseph and Mary "Polly" (Leverett) Reed are many and scattered unto both oceans.

Brief History of Joseph Reed:  This history is through the courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Reed of Sanford, Colo. who have taken the time and money to do extensive travel and research in the South as to their ancestry.


Joseph  C. Reed came from the State of Georgia to find a new home in the wilderness that was the home of the Chickasaw Indians in the year 1817, bringing along his two youngest sons John Leverett. and William. They came by canoe down the rapid Tennessee, burdened with only the equipment necessary for a long scouting trip for they were merely on a prospecting trip to locate a new home in the pathless forests.

When they came to the place where the Beech River empties into the Tennessee they turned into this small stream and paddled against the current for a few days until they saw a sloping park-like spot on its bank and near a large cool spring. They landed and happily walked over to the place that was to be their future home.

When they landed they saw no living thing but the birds and small forest animals but suddenly the wood were full of savage, half-naked Indians that glared at them from every tree and bush. The elder Reed thought of his flint-lock, but it had been left in the canoe, but there was no need for it, as he saw the Indians toss their bows away and advance toward them with friendly gestures. They exchanged presents with the redskins and remained with them in their nearby camp several days during which time Joseph made arrangements with the Chief to leave his sons in their care until he could walk back to Georgia to fetch the remainder of his family, his livestock and his tools. Joseph and his small company made up of his wife Mary "Polly", two daughters Armenthia and Polly, and his oldest son Joseph Jr., came overland by ox wagon, cutting and fording their way through dense undergrowth, streams and swamps.

When they finally arrived they found their sons well and hearty and joyous at their arrival. The following days found them felling the trees for a cabin and garden spot, and with the help of the friendly Indians the house, though rude, floorless and cheerless was livable and would protect them from the rigors of the coming winter.

Joseph Reed and family were the first white settlers, and the first to clear land and build a house in the confines of what is now Henderson County, Tennessee. The single room log house, built on the North bank of Beech River, 5 miles from the present town of Lexington, has been standing and continuously occupied by the descendants of Joseph Reed since 1818 and the pine logs are as sound as they were more than 130 years ago.
This history was compiled by B. Grissom, County Historian, also State Historian
Henderson County, Tennessee.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=86720619

Sketch of Sarah Jane Crowther Johnson

Sarah Jane Crowther and Charles Henry Johnson Family, about 1883
Maud Laurette Johnson, Sarah Jane (mother), Bessie May Johnson (baby),
Nellie Jane Johnson, Charles Henry (father), and Charles Franklin Johnson

"The Crowther's of Fountain Green, Utah"  Sketch of Sarah Jane Crowther Johnson:

             In a humble little home in Cedar City, Iron county, Utah, a little girl was born on the 19th day of October, 1856.  She was the first child born to Thomas Crowther and Jane Jewkes, Latter-day Saint parents.  Each parent had been married before and each had one living child by a former marriage.

She was given the name of Sarah Jane. Her mother was a deeply religious woman and she taught her daughter to be honest and upright, to seek companions of a high class and to look for good in every one.  Under instruction Sarah Jane grew up with fine ideals and a deep respect for culture and morality.

In 1860, the family moved to Ephraim, Sanpete county, Utah, remaining there a year, then moving to Fountain Green, same county, where they made a more permanent home.  There Sarah Jane went through the experiences of pioneer life.  There were no public schools, nothing but private instruction requiring a fee.

Sarah Jane Crowther Johnson

She took an active part in community life, taking part in singing and dramatics.  An old memory of those who knew and loved her, was when Uncle Richard Jewkes used to come through the lot, sit down on the porch and call for Sarah Jane to come and sit by him and sing “Maggie Dear.”  In those days the people of this small town used to meet quite frequently, choose side and compete in a spelling match.  Sarah Jane was considered one of the best, and was seldom spelled down.

These little social gatherings became a wonderful way of education and recreation.  They would sing their multiplication table even in their Sunday School.  When about sixteen years old, Sarah Jane met a young man by the name of Charles Henry Johnson, the son of Bishop Robert L. Johnson and Polly Ann Guymon.  This young man was born 30th of May, 1849, at Council Bluffs, Iowa.  With his parents came to Utah in 1850.  They settled in Spingville, Utah county, Utah, where they lived until 1860, when they moved to Fountain Green.  They also suffered all the hardships of pioneer life.  It has been said that happiness comes to those who go in search of it, for it was at one of the Ward socials that Charles met the lovely Sarah Jane.  It was not surprising that the pleasant smile he gave this charming girl was returned.

Charles Henry Johnson

The friendship of Charles Henry and Sarah Jane ripened into love, and they were married 27 June, 1875. To this union of Sarah Jane, and Charles Henry Johnson, was born eleven children, six boys and five girls.  All except one boy grew to reach the age of maturity.

The young couple made their first home in Fountain Green.  It was a small brick house; also a good big barn for the stock.  Love is a great miracle worker and within a short time the little brick house was transformed into a comfortable home, where the refining touch of Sarah Jane’s hand was evident.  They took a prominent part in the activities of community life in Fountain Green.  Quite frequently the Indians were on the war path; Charles, being a stalwart young man, was called on to do his part in protecting the people against the Indians.

Due to his experience in pioneering, Charles was called to fill a mission to Arizona.  The call consisted of taking his family and moving to the Tonto Basin, which was about one hundred miles northeast of the Salt River valley.  It was at this place President Brigham Young had advised the Saints to establish settlements.  Charles Henry and Sarah Jane obedient to the call, set out on this perilous journey.  It required courage, strength and resourcefulness for the young couple to drive over rough canyon roads, a four-horse team hitched to a wagon loaded with a few of their household goods, and their four children:  Nellie Jane, age eight years; Charles Franklin, age six years; Maud Laurett, age five, and Bessie May, age two years.  To set out to find a new home, Charles did heroically the work of a frontiersman, and it will remain always to his credit.

The weary but happy family arrived at Tonto Basin, and again established their second home and well it was, for within a short time after their arrival, Sarah Jane gave birth to her fourth daughter, Minnie Frances, on September 19, 1884.  As Sarah Jane and Charles got acquainted with the people, their kindness and helpfulness won for them the love and confidence of every one in the community.  For two years, Charles helped in every way possible, but owing to the poor health of Sarah Jane, he was released from this mission the 1886, and they made preparations to go back to Utah.  The hardships of the trip were borne by the family with patience and faith.  The daughters Nellie and Bessie still remember the trip back from Arizona to Utah, of meeting with the Indians who were thought to be on the war path.  As the Indians came into view, their father stopped the wagon, and asked for the old gun, which he drew up along side of him in the spring seat.  What moments of suspense for Sarah Jane and the children, and what a relief, when their father, knowing the traits, saw the Indian women and children were driving the horses with the men.  Charles called out, put the gun back.  There is never any trouble with Indians when they have their women and children along.

At Lee’s Ferry, where they crossed the Colorado river, the water was very high, the horses and wagon were taken across on the boat without any mishap.  Usually there was a fairly large charge for taking the wagon across, but on this occasion the ferry man refused to take anything from the Johnson family, but made a request that when they arrived in Utah and were able, they should contribute five dollars toward the building of the Manti Temple.  Just after the river had been crossed and the family were all on the wagon, the journey continued.  The road was so rough, one wheel struck a boulder, throwing Sarah Jane from the spring seat, breaking her wrist and bruising the baby Minnie that she was holding in her arms.  In spite of the broken wrist, the trip was continued, Sarah Jane doing most of the cooking around the camp fir.  The tired family arrived in Fountain Green, September 17, 1886.  A baby boy, Robert Ray, was born in October, 1886, but died in infancy, living six weeks.

In spit of having such hard experiences in journeying from Arizona back to Utah, Sarah Jane and Charles decided to move to Colorado, where relatives of Sarah Jane (the Crowther family) were located.  They were fortunate in exchanging their home in Arizona with Peter Cheney for a house in Sanford, Colorado.  They shipped their stock and belongings by railroad to Myers Junction just north of the San Luis valley.  The family came by train to Alamosa, Colorado, arriving in the San Luis valley in the spring of 1887.  What a time of rejoicing for Sarah Jane to meet her dear ones.  And what a warm welcome the family received from the aunts, uncles and cousins.  Before long the Johnson family were settled in their surroundings in Sanford which was to be their permanent home.  Sarah Jane’s health was much improved.  And what an interest the happy family took in the building of the new town.  Charles was a very useful man serving as a member of the Sanford Town Company and helping to survey the town and fields surrounding the town.  He purchased land and was soon busy planting a crop and garden, shrubbery and trees were also set out.

Sarah Jane Johnson

The capable hands of Sarah Jane transformed the humble little house into a home where love made every task light.  She had many accomplishments, one of which was her love for reading.  She would spend the long winter evenings reading good books, not only to her own children; but the neighbors young folks would gather at her home.  They all enjoyed to hear her read.  She learned when very young to cord and spin wool for her own, and her mother’s family.  They used to have spinning bees, where quite a number of the neighbor girls would bring their spinning wheels and spend the afternoon in helping one another.  One of the pleasant memories of one of Sarah Jane’s nephews was when Grandmother Crowther, Aunt Sarah Jane, Aunt Em Kirby, Aunt Laura Morgan, Uncle Will Crowther’s wife, Aunt Mary, Aunt May Jensen, Aunt Rozilla Mortensen, Aunt Mary Tomy, Aunt Mary Frank, and Aunt Nellie Mortensen all met quite often at someone of their homes, and have a quilting party and dew carpet rags to make carpets.  What happy times for all of the relatives to meet together as one big family.

Three more sons came to bless the Johnson home:  Ross, Gilbert, and Edgar.  Through the industry and thrift of the father and mother, they were beginning to enjoy the comforts of life.  In the fall of 1894, Charles received a call to fill a mission to the Southern States.  He accepted the call and left in December, 1894.  He was assigned to labor in the state of Mississippi.  During the father’s absence, Sarah Jane and the older children cared for the home and farm.  Love and devotion for the Gospel enabled them to make many sacrifices that their father might continue his mission.  And while he was away, the mother gave birth to a son, Renold Crowther Johnson, July, 1895.  In May, 1897, Charles received an honorable release.  He had accomplished a splendid work among the good people of Mississippi.  Many people received the Gospel, became members of the Church because of his faithful work as a missionary.  There was great rejoicing in the Johnson home when their father returned.  And although he was released from the missionary labors, he continued to work in the Church, serving as a member of the Stake board of Sunday School of the San Luis Stake, as president of the Elders’ Quorum and other Ward activities.

Again the Johnson  family were made happy by the birth of their eleventh child, a girl, Nina Zatell, 22 May, 1898.  The devotions of Sarah Jane to her family was manifest at all times.  She taught her girls to sew, cook and become good homemakers.

Charles was a lover of sports and was very fleet on foot, taking many prizes at holiday and fair celebrations.  This good athletic trait seems to be inherited by his sons.  His family were very proud of their father when he would ride a horse and appear as marshal of the day in town celebrations.  He was a man of good judgment, would suffer wrong rather than do wrong.  Kind and lovable, he was beloved by all who knew him.  At the age of fifty-eight years, he passed to the Great Beyond May 31, 1907.  He was buried in the Sanford cemetery.  Sarah Jane lived twelve years after Charles left her, then she too passed on 22 October, 1919.  She was buried beside her husband whom she had loved so well.

The deeds which will be remembered the longest and shine the brightest in the affection of Sarah Jane’s children and those who knew her best will be her devotion to her family and loved ones.  And in her quiet way she accomplished a work that will never be forgotten.  All of their children were good, loyal citizens of both Church and state.

Charles Franklin, their eldest son, was superintendent of M.I.A. of the Sanford Ward, also took an active part in the educational activities of Sanford.  He died 10 Nov., 1915, leaving his wife, Mary Whitney Johnson, and their young son, Frank.  She and Frank have carried on ;the work as leaders in the Mutual Improvement work.  Mary also served as counselor to the Relief Society president of the Sanford Ward, and as a Sunday School teacher.

Nellie Jane Johnson Hutchins

Nellie Jane, the eldest daughter, has taken an active part in the church, serving as a member of the Stake Board of Primary of the San Luis Stake; later as counselor in the Sanford Ward Relief Society; at the present time is holding the position as counselor in the Stake Relief Society of San Luis Stake.  Her husband, Jess C. Hutchins, served as superintendent of the Sunday School for thirteen years; as a member of the High Council of the San Luis Stake for twelve years and is a member of the High Priest’s Presidency at the present time.  Their son, Donald, filed a mission in Missouri.

Maud Laurette Johnson Reed

Maud Laurette, Sarah Jane’s second daughter, held a position of Secretary of Mutual Improvement Association of Sanford Ward; stake board member of M.I.A. San Luis Stake; was a teacher in the Sanford Ward Sunday School, also took an active part in club work, and was dearly beloved by all who knew her.  She passed away 4 January, 1942.  Her husband, John B. Reed, served as Bishop of the Sanford Ward several years, later becoming a member of the Stake Presidency.  At the present time he is serving as President of the San Luis Stake.

Bessie May Johnson Shawcroft

Besse, the third daughter, has labored in the presidency of the Primary and Relief Society organizations of the Richfield Ward, also as teacher of Sunday School and Mutual Improvement Association.  Her husband, James N. Shawcroft, filled a mission to the Northern States.  Upon his return home he served as counselor of the Bishop of Richfield Ward for twelve years and later as Bishop of Richfield Ward for twelve years and later as Bishop of the Richfield Ward for four years.  Was a member of the High Council and Patriarch of the San Luis Stake.

Minnie, the fourth daughter, also worked as the President of the Primary organization, later served as counselor to the President of the Relief Society of the Richfield Ward, taking an active part in the community affairs.  Especially was she a good cook, serving suppers each week for years for the Rotary club of La Jara, Colorado up to the time of her death, 11 Feb. 1938.  Her husband Murrill Shawcroft, assisted his wife in performing her duties.  He and their sons taking part in the social life of the Richfield Ward.

Lymon Ross, the third son of Sarah Jane, filled positions of High Council member, President of the Stake M.I.A. and as superintendent of the Richfield Sunday School.  His wife, Laura Jones Johnson also held position of President Y. L. M. I. A. and Stake President of the San Luis Stake Primary Association.  Their son, Perry, filled a mission to the Northern States.

Edgar Lawrence Johnson

Edgar, the fourth son, with his mother, Sarah Jane, performed a great work for their dead relatives in the Manti Temple.  His first wife, Dottie Dalton Johnson, helped to introduce the Bee Hive work of the Young Ladies’ M. I. A. in the San Luis Stake.  She lived only a few years after her marriage.  After her death, Edgar filled a mission to California.  Upon returning home, he married Elgiva Allen, who had filled a mission to California, but their happiness lasted only a short time as he passed away in 1932 at the age of 41 years.

Gilbert Raphael "Bert" Johnson

Gilbert, the fifth son, took part in Ward activities of the Sanford and later in the Richfield Ward.  He was a good husband, father and friend to all who knew him.  He died in 1931 at the age of 38 years, leaving his young wife, Louie Davis Johnson, and five children.  She continues to help in the different auxiliary organizations of the Richfield Ward and to encourage their children to do their part in church activities.

Renold Crowther Johnson, the tenth child, served his country in the first World War.  Upon returning home, he worked in both Stake and Ward M. I. A., served as a counselor to the Bishop of Sanford Ward for two years.  At the present time he is serving his third year as bishop of the Sanford Ward.  His first wife, Eva Jones, worked in Ward organizations up to the time of her death.  Their son, Jerome, is filling a mission in the Central States.  his second wife, Clara Rasmussen Johnson, has worked in both Stake and Ward organizations as president of the Stake Primary San Luis Stake; counselor to the Sanford Ward Primary; and a member of the Relief Society Stake board of the San Luis Stake.

Nina Zetell Johnson Coombs
with nieces, Onie & Maggie Hutchins

Nina, the youngest daughter, has held positions as counselor in the Sanford Ward Primary.  Has been a teacher in different auxiliary organizations. of the Richfield Ward.  Her husband, Roy Coombs, served his country in the first World War.  Filled a mission in the Central States, held position as president of the M. I. A. of Richfield Ward.  Thus the posterity of Sarah Jane and Charles Henry Johnson are carrying on the work begun and upheld by their noble parents.

Charles Henry and Sarah Jane Crowther JOHNSON

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Johnson&GSiman=1&GSsr=41&GScid=57545&GRid=8847937&

Herman Miller's Childhood Memories

Voris Jane Miller, LaDonna Cunningham, Richard Herman Miller, Luella Hutchins - 1923

Childhood Memories from Herman:

Herman Miller, 1937
in front of Swen Peterson's

My greatest memories are going to Grandma and Grandpa Hutchins.  We spent every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Holiday there.  They had a big old barn and all us kids had more fun  playing in it.  There was a ladder inside that went up to the loft and that was the best place to play hide-n-seek.   Out on the side of the barn was a basketball hoop.  Voris, Morris, Phil Reynolds, and I played a lot of basketball there.  Also there was an old pitcher pump; we loved to get water.  It would run into a big trough which was a hollowed out tree for the horses and cows.
I being the oldest grandson had the job of mowing Grandma’s lawn.  Every Saturday I would go over and mow it.  Grandma had nine big apple trees and they seemed to be loaded every year.  They were Whitney crabs, cherry crabs, and one was a big winter apple; boy they were good.  Grandma had us kids pick the apples; she was very particular.  We would put a ladder up into the middle of the tree and pick each apple and carefully put it in a bucket.
I loved going into their big under-ground cellar.  It was full of everything and had a lot of nice shelves in it.  It always smelled of apples and potatoes and everything looked so good.
Grandpa was the one who got Sanford’s first Flag Pole.  This had been a very much anticipated event in town.  The newspaper carried the story for several weeks; telling of the progress.  The pole stood in front of the old stone church for as long as the church was there.  It was painted white and set in a block of cement.  He brought it down from the lower La Jara Canyon on double wagons; as it was about 60 feet long.  The first pole he tried to bring out broke at “Shuller Crossing”; as the turn was too sharp.  So he went back up for a second pole.  This was quit a job.
I think of Grandpa every 4th of July.  He was a dynamite or explosive expert.  So he would set three big sticks of dynamite out in his corral.  At 4:00 a.m. as day was breaking in the east, on the 4th of July he would wake the whole town up.  The blast would shake windows all over town.  He did this as long as I can remember.  After we would get up we couldn’t wait to get down to Grandpa’s to see the three big holes it would make out in the corral.  They were so big; they would have to shovel them back in.
Also Grandpa is the reason for the big rock in the middle of the Conejos River, up above Broyles’ bridge just before you get to Fox Creek (it has Lee’s Texaco painted on it).  They had Grandpa come and dynamite the mountain when they were building the road up there.  Well the dynamite blew the big rocks off into the river and no one could move them out; or they didn’t want to try.
I remember when Dad and Grandpa run a saw mill over at Pagosa Springs.  I was just a little guy about 3 or 4 years old.  Voris and my job was to go to the river for a bucket of water.  Then Grandpa would blow the whistle for lunch.  Momma cooked for all the men.  You could never go in Momma’s house for even 5 minutes; but she wouldn’t give you something to eat.
Momma always had a big garden, her chickens, pigs and cows.  We always had plenty of eggs, bacon and pork, beef, and milk & butter.  We ground our own wheat, grew our own potatoes, onion and vegetables.  We ate good and the food was natural and a lot better for you then; as compared to all the prosperities in it now.
In the fall Dad and Grandpa would go up after wood for our fuel.  They would go up on “Pot Mountain”.  We would expect them home about 7 or 8 o’clock after dark.  But sometimes it would be 10 or 11 o’clock before we would hear the old wagons coming in; we were sure glad to see them come in.  I remember they would wear duffs to protect their arms when hauling the wood.
It would get so cold in the winter.  I remember seeing frost on Grandpa’s mustache.  He would always call it “Bitter Cold”.  At night Dad, and I’ve seen Grandpa too, whittle shaving off a big board; so they would have something to start a fire with in the morning.  The old stoves we had wouldn’t hold a fire must past 12 to 1 o’clock in the morning.  We would have frozen water in the buckets every morning.  Dad usually used coal and that held the fire about three times longer.  But I remember Ma saying, “Don’t get up until the house warms up.”  We sleep with so many covers on us that we couldn’t hardly turn over.  Now days we don’t have any idea what hard ships are, and I don’t want to have to know.  We are so lucky to live with all are modern ways; such as to just turn the heat up or down with the turn of a dial.  But those days made good strong people who were hard workers.

Herman Miller and Maggie Jane Hutchins Miller