JOHN THOMAS GEARY AND SOPHIA FRYER PIONEER HISTORY

 Way cool take a look at this blog about your ancestor

http://johnthomasgeary.blogspot.com/

Dear Rosanne,

This is a really great opportunity for our family!

This year (2011) is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible
translation (1611) with the Church's Ensign doing a nice article in August,
and also BYU having a special exhibit in the L. Tom Perry Special Collection
division downstairs in the Lee Library on the BYU campus.  I recently
visited there and it was inspiring and very well done.

It made me think of our handcart pioneer ancestors John Thomas Geary and
Sophia Fryer and their "1629 Geary Bible" which they carried across the
plains, and how much I would like to have a fireside sharing that Bible with
our extended family.

I so appreciated Kenneth Baily, the previous steward of the Bible, and his
cousin, Kaye Page Nichols, visiting our home and showing us the bible a few
years ago. Now I would like the rest of our relatives including children,
grandchildren, my brothers and their families, our Aunts, Uncles, and
Cousins to be able to share in the joy and wonder of this singular and
historic treasure.  Imagine, a Bible from 1629, and belonging to our own
family!!!!!!!!

The current steward of the Geary Bible, Kirt Bailey of Brigham City, Utah
has agreed to get the Bible out of the vault and travel to Pleasant Grove to
share it with our family at a special fireside. My two brothers, Grant Lee
and Roland Lee, have both arranged to be in town for the special nite,
Sunday September 18th, 7-8:30 at our Ward Building 1028 West 1000 North
Pleasant Grove. My brother Roland works with public affairs and hopes to
entice the Church Historian Office or Church News to be there to take
pictures because it is so unique and unusual, especially with the connection
to the handcart pioneers.

There is a blog with a great deal of information: John Thomas Geary and
Sophia Fryer Pioneer History. The 1629 Bible was owned by John Thomas
Geary's family from Atterton, England who had lived in the Leicester area
for generations. He was baptized 20 May 1851, a month after the 20 April
1851 baptism of Sophia Fryer, whom he married the next year 26 August 1852
in London in the Parish Church of St. Saviour's, in Southwark, Surrey,
England.

John came across the ocean with his brother-in-law Richard Fryer, shortly
after his wife, whom he had sent on ahead with other members of the church.
He landed at New Orleans, came up the Mississippi River to Keokuk Camping
ground where he reunited with his wife.  Here she gave birth to a baby girl,
Sophia Ann Geary, 10 June 1853 and they moved on to Council Bluffs arriving
17 July 1853.

They left from Florence, Nebraska to cross the plains in 1856 with the Siler
Independant Wagons, first adjoining the Willie Handcart Company, and
stopping at Fort Laramie, Wyoming afer they had lost oxen.  They then joined
the Hodgett wagons and Martin Handcart company, coming into the Salt Lake
Valley 15 December 1856.  They had to leave most of their clothes at Devil's
gate, but they didn't leave their bible!

Roland Lee will conduct the fireside, opening song, prayer by Grant Lee,
poem by Uncle James Horald Lee Jr, life story of John Thomas Geary and
Sophia Fryer by Andrea Conley, Kirk Bailey will introduce the Bible and it's
history, closing prayer.

We will have a library stand up near the pulpit with the "1629 Geary Bible"
on it, so everyone can see it for themselves as they file up to the stand
after the fireside. Also, the gold seal will be displayed and the booties
knitted by Sophia when she was a young girl living at Yarmouth, Isle of
Wight, England.

I am so happy! I so appreciate this opportunity for our family! Please let
all your family know about this so they can too can share this special
night!

Love, Andrea
801-701-0728, cell Andrea 801-785-6258, cell David 801-310 6753

PS  Cousin Kirk Bailey descends from John Thomas Geary and Sophia Fryer's
first daughter Sophia Ann Geary while we descend from her younger sister
Eliza Jane Geary who married David Keele. Their daughter Annie Eliza Keele
was Grandpa James Horald Lee's beloved mother.

Samuel Hess, Jacob Hess and Journal of John W. Hess

 

Dear family:   Good morning!   Here is the short story of Samuel Hess, Jacob Hess, and journal of John W. Hess, brother of Ann Elizabeth Hess, grandmother to Annie Eliza Keele, Grandpa Lee's first wife.  It is 14 pages long, but very interesting, telling of the struggles and persecutions of the Saints, and also the Mormon Battalion in which he participated.   He had 7 wives and fathered 54 children according to my count.   Have a great day.   Your friend and brother.   Jim  

SAMUEL HESS

We find that in the beginning of our genealogy, that Samuel Hess was the first settler of our ancestors that came from Zurich, Switzerland in 1712. It is supposed that he was an offspring of Hans Jacob Hess of Switzerland.
Samuel settled in Pequea, Pennsylvania and had a large family. Hans or John Hess was a son died in Pequea in 1734 and was interred in the old graveyard near Baumgardner’s Station on the Lancaster and Quarryville R.R. His wife Magdalena was born in 1685 and is interred in the same place, alongside of her husband. Thieir union was blessed with eight children.
In 1734, one of the sons, namely, Jacob, took up a tract of 200 acres of land, one mile east of Lititz, now called Warwick Township, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

JACOB HESS

Jacob Hess was born May 21, 1792, in Franklin Co., Pennsylvania. In 1816 he married Elizabeth Foutz. In 1832 he moved his family to Richmond co., Ohio. Here he located on heavy timberland. In March 1834 he and wife and three oldest daughters and John W. were baptized in the Mormon Church by David Evans. They were persecuted by the neighbors and on May 1, 1836, they moved to Ray Co., Maine where he rented a farm and lived until the Mormons were expelled from Caldwell co. Then they moved to Hancock co., Illinois. He cultivated a piece of heavy timberland as best he could. But his health began to fail from the privation and persecutions he had suffered and he had lost his means by moving so much. The persecution became so bad they had to move again. This time to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they lived with relatives. In November 1845 he became stricken with Paralysis and lost the use of one of his sides and was a helpless invalid from that time on. Word was received that they were to leave Nauvoo in the following spring. John W. being the oldest managed to get two wagons and two yoke of oxen, which he fitted up putting a bed in one for his father. The family belongings were placed in the other wagon and the entire family (except the father) walked the entire distance. On April 3, 1846 they started for Mt. Pisgah. That night they crossed the Mississippi River and camped on the Iowa side in a drenching rain. The advance companies had planted corn and vegetables for the benefit of those who came later and the family decided to remain for a time as the father was failing rapidly. In June 1846 John W. built a temporary house of bark where his mother and four children lived for two years

In the meantime, John W. married Emeline Bigler, August 20, 1824. At this time it was learned that Brigham Young was sending companies to locate in Utah. John W. and his wife started out after making the family as comfortable as possible. When but a short distance from Council Bluffs word was received that the Governor wanted 500 volunteers to go to Mexico. Five hundred forty-nine volunteered among them John W. and his wife, as a laundress. Each company had two six-mule teams. John was allowed to drive one of them. The women rode thus having a fairly comfortable journey. He received word of his father’s death just before leaving Fort Leavenworth, Kansas which took place on June 22, 1846 at the place where he left them.

Elizabeth and the four children lived at Mt. Pisgah until her oldest son, John W., returned in 1848. His brother David was the oldest at home, being ten years old, when his father died. He had pluckily set about to assist his mother and had planted corn and buckwheat so they were in fairly comfortable circumstances when John W. arrived. He made arrangements to bring them out the following spring. On July 27, 1849 John W. arrived in the Salt Lake Valley having accomplished one more magnanimous act by bringing his dear Mother and her four children to the home of the Saints. He found his wife, Emeline well, and with her first child in her arms, which had been born January 6, 1848, while he was away.

JOURNAL OF JOHN W. HESS
My father, Jacob Hess, was born in Franklin County, Penn., on May 21, 1792. In 1816 he married Elizabeth Foutz, who was born in Franklin County, Penn., on June 4, 1797. The names of their children are as follows:
Catherine - born Sept. 10, 1817, Franklin Co., Pa.
Polly - born June 27, 1819, Franklin Co., Pa.
Mary Ann – born Aug. 11, 1821, Franklin Co., Pa.
John W. - born Aug. 24, 1824, Franklin Co., Pa.
Died Dec. 16, 1903 Farmington, Davis, Utah
Sarah - born Feb. 22, 1827, Franklin Co., Pa.
Ann Elizabeth – born Mar. 24, 1829, Franklin Co., Pa.
Christena - born May 11, 1831, Franklin Co., Pa.
Harriet - born Aug 18, 1833, Richland Co., Ohio
Lydiann - born July 24, 1835, Richland Co., Ohio
David - born Feb. 18, 1837, Ray Co., Mo.
Alma - born June 3, 1839, Ray Co., Mo.
Emma - born May 17, 1841, Adams Co., Ill. In 1832, my Father moved to Richland Co., Ohio, and located on a piece of heavy timber land, cleared a piece of ground and opened a small farm, and the prospects for a better living were quite flattering, considering the many difficulties consequent to a new country.
In March, 1834, my Father, Mother, three eldest sisters and myself, were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; previous to this we lived in peace with our neighbors, but soon after we were baptized our neighbors began to speak evil of, and persecute us in various ways.
About May 1, 1836, my Father and his family moved to the State of Missouri and settled in Ray County of that State, near Pomerroy’s Ferry, or Richmond Landing, on the Missouri River, where we lived on a farm which we rented from John Arbuckle, until the expulsion of the Saints from Caldwell County, then with them we removed to the State of Illinois and settled in Hancock County of that State. Here my Father again settled on a piece of wild land, and in our extreme poverty we began to open a farm, and after much privation and toil, we succeeded in getting a comfortable home.
The many years of labor and hardships that my Father has passed through caused his health to fail, and I was the only boy in the family, therefore, the greater part of the labor devolved upon me.
In the meantime I had bought forty acres of land for myself and had made some improvement during the fall of 1844, and during the spring and summer of 1845 I was putting up a hewed log house, while the mobs were burning the Saints’ possessions in Morley’s Settlement, near Lima, in Hancock County, but I continued to labor with my might until the violence of the mob was so great that we did not feel safe in remaining on our farm longer; so we moved to the City of Nauvoo and occupied a part of the house belonging to Bishop Foutz, my Mother’s brother. We had left most of our supplies on the farm at Bear Creek, and before we had time to get them away, they were destroyed by the mob, and we were again left almost destitute.
In November, 1845, my Father was stricken down with a shock of paralysis and lost the use of one side, which rendered him entirely helpless.
In the meantime, I married Emeline Bigler, who was born in Harrison County, Virginia, August 20, 1824. At this time the word went forth among the people that the church would leave Nauvoo in the spring. One may well imagine the situation we were in, to start on such a journey, when we had been robbed of nearly all of our substance, and my poor Father lying helpless in bed, but it being the only alternative to get away from the fury of the mob, I began to gather up what I had and commenced to get together an outfit, and the best I could do was to rig up two old wagons and two yoke of oxen, one of which was my own personal property. I arranged one of these wagons with a bed cord for my Father to lie upon, as he could not sit up. It took one entire wagon for his convenience, and then it was poor enough. This left one wagon to be drawn by one yoke of oxen to carry the outfit for the entire family – eight in number – while all the family had to walk every step of the way, rain or shine. But notwithstanding all these difficulties, we fixed up the best we could an on the 3^rd day of April, 1846 we started, crossed the Mississippi River and camped on the Iowa side the first night, in a drenching rain.
April 4^th. We started on the wearisome journey, but with our heavy loads and the incessant rain that continued to fall, our progress was very slow, -- the best we could do we could only travel from five to eight miles per day. As my Father occupied one of the wagons, the rest of the family had no shelter only what they could get by crawling under the wagons, and much of the time we were obligated to cut brush to lay on the ground to keep our beds out of the water. Women and children walked through the mud, water, wet grass, and waded many of the streams so that their clothes were never dry on them for weeks and months until we reached the place called Mount Pisgah, in the western part of Iowa. Here the advance companies of the Pioneers had planted corn and vegetables for the benefit of those who should come afterwards. We concluded to stop at this place for a time as our limited supplies were about exhausted and my Father was so much worse that it was impossible to move him any further, so we constructed a temporary shelter of bark which we peeled off from the elm trees that grew in the vicinity; this was about the 15^th of June, 1846.
Word had gone out that President Young would fit out a company to go to the Rocky Mountains that season to locate a settlement and put in grain the next season for the benefit of themselves and those that would come the following season.
Seeing that I could do nothing where I was, I concluded to take my own team and what I had, and go to council Bluffs, 130 miles distance, where the Church Authorities were then stopping. So I made my Father’s family as comfortable as I could with the limited facilities I was in possession of, and taking my wife and my own team and little outfit, bade the rest of the family goodbye and started, traveling in Henry W. Miller’s Company.
We were overtaken one evening about dark by Captain Allen, who was accompanied by a guard of five dragoons, of the regular United States Army, all of whom camped with us for the night. The object of their visit soon became apparent by questions asked by them: via., that they were sent to see if the “Mormon” people could and would respond to a call for five hundred men to help fight the battles of the United States against Mexico. This indeed was unexpected news; while the people of the State of Illinois had driven us out, and while we were scattered on the prairie of western Iowa with nothing, in many instances, but the canopy of heaven for a covering, to be called on under these circumstances for 500 of the strength of the camps of Israel, seemed cruel and unjust indeed, but such was the case, notwithstanding.
We arrived at Council Bluffs about the tenth day of July and found that four companies had been enlisted and organized. I was advised by George A. Smith and others to enlist, and after considering the matter, I concluded to do so, and was enlisted in Company “E”, Captain Daniel C. Davis. My wife, Emeline, also enlisted, as the Government had provided for four women to each company of 100 men to go as laundresses.
I left my team wagon and little outfit with my brother-in-law, D.A. Miller, to be brought on the next year, as the Government had provided two six-mule teams to each company. I was solicited to drive one team, and for the comfort and convenience of my wife I consented to do so, and many times I was thankful that I had done so, as these teams had to haul the camp equipment which consisted of tents, tent-poles, camp-kettles, etc., which filled the wagons up to the bows, and the women would have to crawl in as best they could handle in that position until we stopped for camp, and as I had the management of the loading, I could make the situation and comfort of my wife much better. For this and other reasons that I will not mention, I was glad that I was a teamster.
About the 20^th day of July, we took up our line of march for Fort Leavenworth. About this time I heard of my Father’s death, which took place on the 22^nd day of June, 1846, at the place I had left him, and inasmuch as he could not recover, I was thankful to God that He had relieved him of his sufferings, although it was a dark hour for my poor Mother to be in – left in such a desolate and sickly place without her natural protector; and with four small children and nothing to live on.
In due time we arrived in Fort Leavenworth, where we received our outfit of clothing, provisions, arms and ammunition. We remained here about two weeks, after which we started on our march to Santa Fe, a distance of one thousand miles; a very tedious march, to be performed on foot, much of the distance with very little water or grass, with dry buffalo chips for fuel. We passed over one desert, eighty miles across; the only means of carrying water was in canteens holding two quarts each, one of which was carried by each man. A great many of the men gave out by the way and had to be helped in by others, the stronger carrying water back to their comrades.
Finally we reached Santa Fe, but during this time General Kearney was fighting the Mexicans in Upper California and was about to be over-powered by them, so he sent an express to Santa Fe to have the men of the Battalion inspected by the doctor, and all the able-bodied men fitted out and put on a forced march to go to his relief, and all the sick and disabled and all the women to be sent back.
Then came one of the greatest tests of my life; it happened in this wise: I had been a teamster all the way and had proved that I could take good care of a team and was a careful driver, and as Captain Davis had his family with him, and also his own private team, he wanted me to drive it for him, but the intention was to send my wife back with the detachment of sick men; this I could not consent to and retain my manhood. I remonstrated with Captain Davis, but to no purpose. I could not make any impression on him. I told him I would gladly go and drive the team if he would let my wife go along, but he said there was no room in the wagon. Then I told him that I would not go and leave my wife – I would die first. This was a bold assertion for a Private to make to his Captain, but the emergency seemed to demand it. There were many others in the command who were in the same situation that I was, who had their wives with them and wanted to go back with them but had not the courage to make a fuss about it.
By this time I had done all that I could with the officers of the Battalion, but they either could not or would not do anything for me, so I resolved to go and see General Doniphan, the Commander of the Post. I asked John Steel to go with me, he being in the same situation as myself. We went to the Colonel’s Quarters, found the Orderly at the door, asked permission to see the Colonel, and with our hats under our arms we entered and called his attention to our business. He informed me in a very stern matter that it was reported to him that the men who had women there wanted to go on and let their women go back, and in accordance therewith, provisions had been drawn for the Battalion and for the Detachment, and there could be no change made. I told him that we had not been consulted in the matter; he told us to leave the Quarters, gruffly remarking that he had left his wife. I thought I would venture one more remark, which was “Colonel”, I suppose you left your wife with friends, while we are required to leave ours in an enemy’s country in care of a lot of sick, demoralized men.” This seemed to touch a sympathetic cord; he called very sharply, “Orderly! Orderly! Go up to the command and bring adjutant George P. Dikes.” I whispered to Steel, “The spell is broken’ let’s go.”
In a short time Adjutant Dikes returned to the Command and climbed upon the top of the hind wheel of the wagon, shouting at the top of his voice: “Oh! Oh! All you men who have wives here can go back with them. I have seen men going about crying enough to melt the heart of a crocodile, so I went to the Colonel and had it arranged.” I said, “You hypocritical liar; you will take the credit that belongs to others.” This remark he did not hear, but, however, the object was accomplished, and in a short time the Battalion was on the move west, and the Detachment on the move east by northeast.
The Detachment was composed of all the men who had become disabled through the long march which they had performed on foot. Their outfit of teams was composed of given-out broken-down oxen that had been used in freighting supplies of the Government across the plains and were not fit for any kind of efficient service, so they compared very well with the majority of the men. Our rations or provisions were very good in quality, but very short as to the quantity, the Post of Santa Fe being very short of provisions at this time. Also after we had gotten on the move, we found we had only three-fourths rations of flour, and every thing else in proportion, such as beans sugar, coffee, pork, and rice, with the difficulties mentioned above, together with the fact that we were only allowed the time to reach Fort Bent that a lot of able-bodied men would be allowed to make the same journey in. Our slow traveling soon put us on half-rations as eight miles per day was the best we could do. We had a lot of beef cattle, but they compared favorably with the rest of the outfit, so poor that many of them gave out by the way. Great economy had to be used by killing the poorest first; the reader can imagine that the quantity of the beef was limited.
As usual, on the march I had charge of a team, but instead of six-mule-team it was a team of four yoke of poor oxen – quite a contrast our progress being so slow that we were put on quarter-rations in order to make them hold out until we should reach Fort Bent. It seemed as if we had gone about as far as we could go, when one morning, after the guard had driven the oxen into camp, it was found that there were thirty head of stray oxen in the herd, all of them in good condition. Captain Brown gave orders to distribute them in the teams of the Detachment, and with such an addition of strength to our teams, we got along fine. About noon, however, there came to our camp two men on horseback inquiring for the stray oxen. Captain Brown told them that if they had any cattle in his company, they could take them out. They replied that each teamster only knew his own team. After examining our teams they claimed and took but four of the thirty stray oxen. This still left us with thirteen yoke of fresh cattle, which we considered a divine interposition of the kind hand of God in our behalf, as it seemed about the only chance for deliverance from starvation.
In due time we reached Fort Bent and exchanged our dilapidated outfit for a new one, with a full supply of rations for the winter, which seemed to put an end to all our troubles. We moved up the Arkansas River seventy-five miles to a place then called Pueblo, where we put up houses for the winter. These houses were constructed of cottonwood logs split in halves and the pieces all joined together in the form of a stockade. Here we passed the winter in drilling and hunting and having a good time generally.
It was then about seven months since we had received any pay; so Captain Brown concluded to go to Santa Fe with the pay roll of the Detachment and draw our wages. He took a guard of ten men, of which I was one, with him. We started about the last day of February, and had a high range of mountains to cross; called the Ratton Range. We encountered a great deal of snow, at times we had to tramp the snow for miles so our pack animals could walk over it, but in the due time we arrived at Santa Fe. The money was drawn, and we started on our return trip, got back to our quarters at Pueblo about the first of April, and found spring weather. We began at once to prepare for our march.
About the 15^th of April, 1847, we started due north for Fort Laramie, three hundred miles distant, on the California road, at which place we expected to find or hear of the Pioneer Company that was expected to fit out and go to find a location for the Saints but on our way we were met by Amasa Lyman and others who had come from the Pioneers’ Camp. This was a happy meeting, and to get news of our loved ones greatly relieved our anxieties, as we then learned that the Camp was ahead of us, led by President Brigham Young, and he led by revelation. So we pushed on with fresh courage and finally struck their trail about two weeks ahead of us. We followed their trail, but did not overtake them as we expected to. The pioneers reached Salt Lake Valley July 24^th, and the Detachment on the 28^th, of July 1847, and on the same day we were discharged from the service of the United States, and I became a free man once more.
I feel that the year’s service described above, is one of the noblest and grandest acts of my life, for the reason that Israel was on the alter of sacrifice, and the “Mormon Battalion”, of which I was a member, went as the “Ram in the Thicket”, and Israel was saved.
I was now in a country that was untried, and one thousand miles from where any supplies could be obtained, with only the outfit of a discharged soldier, which consisted of a small tent, a sheet-iron camp kettle, a mess pan, two tin plates, two spoons, two knives and forks, a pair of blankets badly worn, two old quilts, ten pounds of flour, and my dear, precious wife Emeline, who had been with me through all of my trials and hardships and had endured them all without a murmur. God bless her memory – had it not been for her noble spirit to comfort me, I think many times I should have almost despaired, because of the gloomy outlook, I concluded a faint heart would not buy a baby a frock (although we were not blessed with one at that time) and began to get out house logs to put up a shelter for the winter.
I went in partners with Jim Beyin and put up a whip saw-pit, and began to turn out lumber, and as there was none except what was sawed by hand, I found ready sale for mine as fast as I could make it, which was slow, one hundred feet being all we could turn out in a day. In this way I managed to recruit our indigent circumstances and was able to get a little bread-stuff, corn meal at twelve and one half cents per pound and flour at twenty-five cents per pound. We got along all right during the winter. In the spring we moved out on Mill Creek, and I began to put in what seed-grain I had. Which was very limited; this, of course, cut off the bread supply. Then began our want of food. Through the winter we dug what we called “Thistle Roots”, but by this time they began to leaf out, which spoiled the root. We then resorted to the tops, gathered and cooked in salt and water. This with some buttermilk, (which I begged of Jim Brinkerhoof and carried one and a half miles), was all we had to eat for two months.
During this time, an other very discouraging circumstance took place; the crickets made their appearance in countless numbers and attacked our grain crops. We fought them until we found that we were about over-powered, when very providentially, the seagulls came and completely devoured the crickets, so the balance of our crops matured, and our pending starvation’s was averted.
On the 9^th day of September, 1848, I started back to Council Bluffs after my Mother and her children (whom I had left at Pisgah), as they had no means to come out with. I arrived at Council Bluffs on the 2^nd day of November, rested a few days, and then continued my journey to Pisgah, one hundred and thirty miles distant, where I found my Mother and her family all alive and well. It was a joyful meeting. I stopped with them a few days to arrange for the move in the spring, then went back to the Bluffs to try to get work for the winter, as I was very short of means to accomplish so great an undertaking. I engaged to work for Apostle Orson Hyde for twenty dollars a month. I worked one month, and then the weather got so severe that out-door work stopped, then I was out of employment the rest of the winter.
In the Spring I took all the means I had and bought with it a wagon and a yoke of oxen, hitched them up and went down to Pisgah to bring Mother’s family as far as the “Bluffs”, not knowing where the rest of the outfit would come from; but another interposition of kind Providence - - When I got back I found the country swarming with emigrants on their way to the gold fields of California. On finding that I had come over the road, they hired me for a guide, giving me Two Hundred Dollars in cash in advance. This was truly a blessing from the Lord that I had not thought of. I was now enabled to get the rest of my outfit. About the 15^th day of April, 1849, we started, but a difficulty soon made it’s appearance that my emigrant friends had not thought of – they had horse teams with light loads, while I had an ox team with a heavy load, so that I could not travel as fast or as far in a day as they could. They would put me in the lead, and I would urge my team on and make as far as I could to try to give them satisfaction. I kept this up until they saw that my oxen began to fail and would soon give out, then they went on and left me. They served me a trick that the devil never did, but I felt quite relieved, as I could then travel to suit myself, which I did, taking time to hunt the best feed, and my team soon began to recruit.
On the 27^th day of July, I again arrived in Salt Lake Valley, having accomplished one more magnanimous act by bringing my dear Mother and her four children to the home of the Saints. I found my dear wife Emeline well, and with her first child in her arms, which had been born January 6, 1848, while I was away, the land I had the year before was given to other parties, so I went north to a place afterwards called Farmington and located there. In the meantime, Daniel A. Miller came out a brought my team and wagon with its contents, which I had left with him two years before when I went into the Battalion. With this and the outfit which I had brought with me, I felt quite well fixed to what I had been. As it was the council for the people to settle close together for mutual protection, I could only get twenty acres of land; but bought more afterwards, as opportunity would afford.
On the 30^th day of March, 1852, I married Emily Card (No.2), who was born in the State of Maine, September 27, 1831. She was the mother of ten children.
In March, 1855, I was ordained a Bishop by president Brigham Young, and set apart to preside over the Farmington Ward, and presided over said ward twenty-seven successive years.
On the 16^th day of November, 1856 I married Julia Peterson (No.3), who was born in Norway, September 29, 1837. She is the mother of four children.
In March, 1857, I married Mary Ann Steed (No.4), who was born in England, November 27, 1837. She is the mother of ten children.
In 1858, I was elected to the Utah Legislature; was elected again in 1860 for two years, or two terms.
On the 31^st day of January, 1862, my much beloved wife Emeline died of premature child birth. This was one of the greatest trials of my life, as she was the wife of my youth and had been with me through all of our poverty and trials of life which we had passed through. She died as she had lived, a faithful wife, a devoted mother, and a true Latter-Day Saint. She was the mother of ten children.
On the 25^th day of April, 1862, I married Caroline Workman (No.5), who was born in the State of Tennessee, March 28, 1846. She is the mother of ten children.
On the 30^th day of May 1868, I married Sarah Lovina Miller (No.6), who was born in Farmington, Utah June 24, 1850. She is the mother of nine children.
On the 4^th day of August 1872, my beloved wife Emily Card died after giving birth to her tenth child. This was another great trial to me, and to have a lot of little children left without a mother. She died as she had lived, a kind mother, a dutiful wife, and a faithful Latter-Day Saint.
On the 28^th day of July, 1875, I married Frances Marion Bigler (No.7), who was born in Farmington, Utah, October 22, 1859. She is the mother of eleven children.
In 1876, I was re-elected to the Utah Legislature. I was Colonel, commanding the Militia of Davis County for many years, but when Governor Harding issued his famous proclamation making it an offence to bear arms, I was relieved from that responsibility.
About this time President Young called me to a mission with some Lamanites located at Washakie, in the northern part of Box Elder County. I have been engaged more or less ever since in directing that people.
In September, 1882, I was called by President John Taylor and set apart to be the First Councilor to the President of the Davis Stake of Zion, which had been previously organized.
On the 17^th day of March 1885 the people of Farmington prepared a feast for me at the Social Hall to manifest their kindly feelings and a proper appreciation of the long faithful labor that I had performed during the twenty-seven years of my Bishopric. In this feast nearly the entire ward participated. As a token of the good feeling of the people, I was presented with a bust of President Young and a set of books, the Church Works. The evening was spent in speaking, toasts and dancing.
November 20, 1869. Today I started on a mission to the place of my birth, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Took the Union Pacific cars at Uintah, Weber County, Utah; started at 2 p.m. and traveled over much of the road at a rapid rate; much of it I had traveled over twice before – once with pack animals and once with ox team. The present mode of travel compared with pack animals or ox teams, seemed a very great contrast – a very great improvement.
The railroad runs over much of the route that we traveled in coming to this country, and gave ample opportunity to reflect upon the hardships we endured in the slow progress we made, fifteen miles per day on an average being all that we could do, in many instances. In gliding so rapidly and easily over many places that I could remember that I had passed in the depths of poverty, with lean, almost given-out animals, when I looked on such places and in my mind made the contrast between the two circumstances, I could but exclaim, “Oh, the goodness of our God!” and shed many a tear of joy and gratitude to the Lord for His mercy to me.
I forgot to state that at the time I was called on this mission, there were two hundred other Elders called to different parts of the United States. We all traveled on the same train in four palace cars, had an enjoyable time crossing the plains, and in due time reached Omaha, on the Missouri River; there we separated, each one going on the route best suited to him.
I took the Northwestern Railway to Chicago. At Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I got off to visit my cousin, David M. Secrist, who lived near that place. I visited with him a few days then continued my journey to Chicago, where I took the Chicago, Fort Wayne and Pittsburg Railroad, and the Pennsylvania Central to Harrisburg; there I switched off on the Cumberland Valley Railway to Green Castle, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. At that place I found a dear aunt, Mrs. Riley a sister of my dear Mother. The family had heard of my coming and met me with open arms, and made me very welcome. I felt very much at home here, indeed; I made it my home much of the time while I was in the country. Mrs. Riley was so much like my dear Mother that I loved her as a mother. She also had a lovely family. I preached the Gospel to them and made a favorable impression, but the prejudice at that time ran very high and our doctrine was very unpopular, and the time of my stay was short. They put off obeying the Gospel, but nearly the entire families have since died, and while I was with them I got their names and ages, and a few years ago I did work for them in the Logan Temple.
My object in going East at that time was to preach the Gospel to the living if they wanted to hear it, and get genealogy of the dead. The former I succeeded in very poorly, as the living did not care to hear; the genealogy of the dead was very meager, as they had failed to keep a record, and the only way that I could get the names and ages of the dead was to go to the cemeteries and obtain them from the stones that marked their last resting places, as my people had been very particular in keeping the record on the head-stones. In visiting the graves in both public and private burying places, I got all the names I could — perhaps fifty in all – and have done work for them in the Logan Temple.
I found all my relatives on my Father’s side of the house all well off, with a few exceptions. The old people came and settled in Franklin County, Pennsylvania in an early day when it was new, possessed themselves of the country, and having good staying qualities, made themselves well to do. The old people – my Father’s brothers and sisters – with a few exceptions, are dead, and their children are in possession of the country, which is hard to excel. This is the situation I found them in, and all of them belonging to some kind of religion peculiar to their own notions, and being much prejudiced against “Mormonism” they did not care to listen to me.
February 15, 1870. Because of pressing business at home, I had spent about all the time that I could spare, and having secured all the genealogy that I could get at that time, I bade farewell to all of my dear friends, and on the the16^th day of February, 1870, I left Green Castle on my return trip over the same road that I came; arrived in Harrisburg the same day, here I bought a ticket, which cost me $70.00. I left Harrisburg at 4 o’clock for Pittsburg. In due time I arrived in Chicago safely, and on quick time; here I took the Northwestern Railway for Cedar Rapids, stopped to see cousin David M. Secrist, visited with him; then went on the train to Omaha, where I arrived on the 22^nd of February. I left Omaha, February 23^rd and on the 25^th I arrived in Ogden. I also reached my home the same day and found all well. I had been gone about three months, and felt well satisfied with my visit to the place I was born.
September 15, 1887. I left my place at Plymouth, Box Elder County, Utah, at 12 o’clock noon, went to Logan, and there joined Bishop Zundel and two Lamanites, John and Jim Brown, and secured a part of our outfit, consisting of one baggage wagon, two work horses, two riding horses, two horses and a buggy. I furnished horses and buggy, the Church furnished baggage wagon, Bishop Zundel furnished two horses to pull the wagon, and the Lamanites furnished riding horses.
The object of this mission was to carry a lot of presents to Chief Washakie, who was camped on the east side of the Wind River Range of mountains, now in the State of Wyoming. The presents consisted of five hundred pounds of dried fruit, one bale of blankets, shirts, underwear, and silk handkerchiefs in great numbers and varieties.
September 16. We left Logan City, traveled up Logan Canyon, found the country very rocky but the road good considering the country that it passes through; camped for the night, having had no accident through the day.
September 17. Traveled up the Canyon, reached top of divide about noon; in Dean's Hill got a lot of pine hens and had our first feast of wild meat, which we enjoyed very much. Traveled down the east side of the mountains to Garden City, thence up the Bear Lake shore to Laketown; camped for the night with Bishop Nebeker. Bear Lake is the most beautiful sheet of water that I have ever seen --- water as clear as crystal and gravelly bottom at a great depth. We obtained a supply of oats for the horse feed.
September 18. We started this morning at 8 o’clock, crossed over a ridge and traveled down grade to bear River; found it almost dry; traveled across the country to the mouth of Twin Creeks where we struck the Oregon Short Line Railway. There we camped for the night and had our first feast of Mountain Trout, John having secured a fine string of them.
September 19. Started at 8 o’clock; traveled up Twin Creeks, also up the Oregon Short Line Railroad, which comes down the Creeks, the wagon road crosses the railroad nineteen times, very dangerous in places, just room enough for the wagon to pass when there is no train at that time; camped at the tunnel on the summit of the ridge. This tunnel is 800 feet through. Started at 2 o’clock, traveled over the ridge down to Ham’s Fork, went up Ham's Fork for three miles, camped for the night. There we saw the first antelope, which were very wild and not come-at-able.
September 20. Started at 8 o’clock; traveled over some very steep hills; struck the Lander Road which used to be one of the main roads that the gold seekers traveled to California by the way of Fort Hall. We struck a very steep hill, almost perpendicular, hitched both saddle horses to the end of the wagon tongue and pulled by the horns of the saddles; traveled down the hill to Fontinell, near Green River, and camped the night.
September 21. Started at 7:30, passed over some rough, Hilly country on to the Green River, then up Green River 13 miles to a beautiful stream called LaBarge; noon halt, started out at 1 o’clock, traveled 24 miles up the river, good roads, camped for the night on river bottom, good grass.
September 22. Broke camp at 8:30, crossed both Pineys, beautiful streams of water, wide bottoms, good meadow land by the thousands of acres; antelope in large herds but very wild; traveled over a ridge due north, struck Marsh Creek, caught some nice Mountain Trout; waited for baggage wagon to come up; then we found we had taken the wrong route and gone out of our way. Started at two o’clock, traveled over High Cobble Stone Ridge to the fork of Green River; this is the main fork of Green River, a large stream of beautiful clear water.
September 23. We have gotten out of our way; went for 10 miles down the river, struck the trail, traveled due east over Large Cobble Stone Ridge down on the east fork of Green River; this fork has a great amount of water in it at some seasons of the year, but low at present. Noon halt; at 2 o’clock started up the river; hereafter must travel without a road through heavy sage brush; made slow progress across the bottom to river, and camped for the night.
September 24. The mountains to the northeast begin to look very high and difficult to cross. At 3:30 broke camp and climbed over hills, washouts, and sage brush; difficult to travel; made slow progress; met some Indians who informed us that Chief Washakie had gone on a hunt; not likely to see him; camped for the night.
Sunday, September 25. Camped about twenty-five miles from the foot of the mountains; are told the mountains are very difficult to cross over to Chief Washakie's camp; considering this, with the fact that we could not see him if we did cross, we concluded to send an Indian over and ask the chief men of the camp to send a delegation over to receive the presents. We were in camp waiting for them to return. The Indians in that vicinity who were hunting, began to gather into our camp, and we held meetings with them, preaching the Gospel to them, and a number of them became converted and demanded baptism.
September 27. Still in camp waiting for the messenger to return; health good, appetite good, and conscious that we are in no immediate danger from our enemies that we had left so far in the rear in Utah, the Anti-Mormon raid being in full blast when we left.
September 28. This morning our express men returned with Chief Washakie’s son and three other of the principal men of the tribe. Dick Washakie, a son, is a noble looking man, about 6 feet 4 inches tall, well proportioned, speaks good English, about 25 years old, well dressed in the American style, fine gentlemanly appearance and must sooner or later be a great leader among his people.
After greetings and breakfast were over, we all sat down, had prayer, John Indian being mouth, after which Bishop Zundel preached to the Lamanites that had gathered in – twenty in number; talked about one hour. John preached next. Jim Brown followed, after which I bore a powerful testimony and prophesied of the future of that people; much of the spirit of the Lord was enjoyed. After several meetings, the Lamanites all asked to be baptized, which was attended to with much pleasure. Bishop Zundel did the baptizing and I did the confirming. After we had gotten through with the ordinance of baptism, the presents were delivered, and after a hearty handshaking we separated from our kind friends; the Lamanites going east and we south-west on our return trip; traveled ten miles through sage and greasewood and camped for the night. Jim killed an antelope, which was very acceptable, as we had had very little meat on our trip so far.
September 29. This morning we baptized four more Indians – two men and two women. Broke camp at nine o’clock and traveled over to Green River; camped for noon, and traveled over a ridge to Piney’s two fine streams of water; meadow and farm land in abundance; camped for the night.
September 30. Broke camp at seven o’clock traveling up the largest piney, much of the time in the middle of the stream; very rough canyon and very difficult pass over several high ranges; traveled until after dark down a steep mountainside, almost perpendicular; camped on the creek in a narrow gorge.
October 1. Had now gotten through the range of mountains, sixty miles distant, and were at the head of Star Valley; traveled down the valley to the mouth of Salt River, camped for the night.
October 2. Laying over to rest the horses; started at noon up Salt River, and camped for the night near the Summit.
October 3. Started at 7 o’clock, traveled down creek; camped.
October 4. Started at 7 o’clock; came out of the canyon and reached Montpelier, noon half at Amasa Wright's place, fed, got dinner, then traveled to Georgetown; stopped for the night with Nicholas Barkdall, my brother-in-law, were treated royally.
October 5. Started at 7 o’clock; nooned at Soda Springs, started at 2 o’clock; camped for the night with Serl Hale; were treated to the best his house afforded.
October 6. Started at 7 o’clock; came over the ridge, camped at Church Farm, fed, got dinner, broke camp at 1 o’clock; traveled to Weston Creek, fed, lunched and then we separated, Bishop Zundel and the Lamanites crossing the range of hills into Malad Valley, and I going by way of Clarkston and reaching home at nine o’clock; found all well; had traveled sixty miles on this the last day, and about seven hundred miles on the entire journey.
I thank and praise the Lord, who has had His kind and preserving care over us while fulfilling this mission of peace to one of the largest friendly tribes of Indians in this part of the country.

Ogden City, Utah, November 23, 1895. This morning, in company with Ezra T. Clark, John R. Barnes, and Ephraim P. Elleson, I left for Omaha, Nebraska, to attend the Trans-Mississippi Congress to be held at that place on the 25^th of said month. We crossed the plains of a thousand miles without an accident. I passed my first night in a Pullman palace sleeping car, and with all of its grandeur in appearance, I could not sleep; two men in one berth is one too many for comfort; the car being very warm. Arrived in Omaha about 8:30 and took the street car to the Millard Hotel. This Hotel was selected as the head-quarters of the members; charges $3.00 per day. We had first-class fare and two good rooms for our accommodation; all of the accommodations there were on the modern plan, first-class style, with colored waiters, who were very polite.
November 26. Held three sessions today. All the members were invited to a reception given by a gentleman whose name I have forgotten; we were royally treated to all kinds of drinkables, also candy and ice cream.
November 27. Held one session. In the afternoon the members went in body, by invitation, to visit the Omaha Smelter where they reduce silver and lead ore to bullion, from there it is shipped to Wales, and there refined; a great amount of business is done there. The same afternoon we took the street car five miles to South Omaha to visit the stockyards and slaughter houses, a great amount of slaughtering and packing is done here. After looking through the mammoth establishment we went back to the Hotel.
November 28. Thanksgiving Day. Crossed the bridge over the Missouri River, went to Council Bluffs, held meeting with a small branch of the Church presided over by Robert Huntington; had Thanksgiving dinner; had a good time after dinner went back to Omaha; took the street car, went three miles up the River towards Florence (once Winter Quarters) then back to the Hotel; had supper, packed our grips, and got the lunch basket recruited. Union Depot.
November 29 At 8:10 we took the train for Ogden, securing our berths in the Pullman sleeper, “Susanna”. Cold north wind blowing.
Green River - November 30. 8:15. Green River was once a thriving railroad town when the road was being built, but now it is dilapidated.
Echo - November 30 Had a pleasant trip, were favored with the company of President George Q. Cannon all the way across the plains, which we appreciated very much.
Ogden - November 30 All in good health and spirits; changed cars for Farmington, reached home in safety; found all well, glad to see each other.
This was a pleasure trip to me, in very deed. I had an opportunity to form the acquaintance of influential businessmen from different parts of the country; made acquaintances that will not be forgotten very soon.
January 15, 1894 Today William R. Smith, President of the Davis Stake of Zion, died after a severe, lingering sickness of six months, of cancer in the intestines. This was a severe shock to his family and to all the people of the stake, as he was a first-class man, a good president, a good father, and a friend to all good people; his faithful memory will live in the hearts of the people.
About this time I was called by the Presidency of the Church to take the Temporary Presidency of the Stake in President Smith’s place, with Brother Hyrum Grant as my first counselor to assist me. Of course, we took hold and did the best we could, but because of the long sickness of our latest President, all public Stake matters were much run down so we had to labor with our might to get matters straightened up.
March 4, 1894 Today at the Stake Conference in East Bountiful, I was set apart to preside as the President of the Davis Stake of Zion with Joseph Hyrum Grant as my first counselor; set apart by the Apostle Franklin D. Richards and Heber J. Grant, Apostle Richards being mouth.
Brother F. D. Richards stated to the Conference that my name had been considered by the first Presidency and the Quorum of the Apostles, and it was decided unanimously that I was the man. It was put before the High Council and they were unanimously in favor; it was also put before the Conference, and I was unanimously sustained.
I had presided over the Farmington Ward as its Bishop for twenty-seven successive years, and had labored as the First Counselor to President W.R. Smith from 1882 to 1894. I got along with this very well, or reasonably satisfactorily, but to accept the responsibility of presiding over the Stake seemed a great responsibility, and so it has proved in every sense of the word. It has caused me to feel very humble and to live as near to the Lord as a man of my temperament could do, but through the help of the Lord I have done the best I could, and as to how well I have succeeded, I will leave to the Lord and my charitable brethren and sisters to judge. I pray most earnestly that I may continue to be faithful and humble in the future in my labors among the people, that I may put my trust in the Lord and have His approval, then I will be content.

A MANIFESTATION

THAT I, JOHN W. HESS, BOTH SAW AND HEARD:

About September 15, 1900, during my late illness, on Sunday morning about 9 o’clock, while lying upon my bed, and my brethren of the Priesthood were out among the people performing their various duties, I was thinking over my helpless condition, not being able to be with them in the performance of my own duties; I began to pour out my whole soul in prayer. My prayer finally resolved itself into a lamentation, asking the Lord what I had done or what I had not done that I should be so seriously afflicted, that I should be deprived of the privilege of going forth with the rest of my brethren and performing my duties.
I was told that it was not for any great sin of commission or omission that I was thus afflicted, but it was because of my long and faithful labor and the many hardships that I had passed through during my long life that had weakened my faculties and brought me to my present condition. I was told that the Lord accepted of my labors and that my career on earth would, in the near future, be brought to close.
About this time I saw, sitting on a box at the foot of my bed, a personage that looked familiar to me, in the full bloom and vigor of life. I gazed upon it with great earnestness and finally came to the conclusion that it was my own visage in every form and feature except the age.
About this time I heard a voice saying and pointing directly at this visage; This is the body of your spirit, you see that it is in the exact image and form of your temporal body.” He repeated again with great earnestness, “This is the body of your spirit,” and then remarked, “Now, let this suffice for the present.”
Now, I do declare in all soberness, and in the fear of God while writing, that the above statement is true, and shall be a testimony to all who read it.

Farmington, Davis County, Utah

January 13, 1902

Jane Walton Bickley by her daughter Agnes Isadore Bickley

Dear friends and family:   Good morning!  I have spent the last two days editing the life story of Jane Walton Hall and Job Pitcher Hall and children, and Jane Walton Bickley and William Green Bickley, our great-grandfather, which was typed into the computer by Jennie May Lee Adam, and though it is long, It won't take you more than 30 minutes to read it, even though it took me two days to prepare it to share with you.   It is a wonderful history, and one we all should be grateful for, because they are our great-grandparents, and parents of Agnes Isadore Bickley Woodbury who married Charles Robert Goddard Woodbury, parents of our mother, Jennie May Woodbury Lee, wife of James Horald Lee, our dad.  And though I have shared some of their histories with you in the past, this is more complete.    

 

When I think of all I have today, and perhaps want more, I think of poor Jane Walton Hall and weep for all she had to go through, and am so grateful for her faithfulness and devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to Heavenly Father as well.  And I feel to get on my knees and thank Heavenly Father for such wonderful faithful great-grandparents who truly endured to the end, and I strive to be worthy of meeting them when my life's mission is over, and God has called me home to report on my life and mission here. 

     

May God help us all to be worthy of being together as one great family someday, rejoicing in the wonderful heritage which our faithful ancestors passed down to us as their descendents, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.   Your friend and brother.   James Horald Lee Jr., son of James Horald Lee and Jennie May Woodbury Lee, and grandson of Charles Robert Goddard Woodbury and Agnes Isadore Bickley Woodbury, and great-grandson of William Green Bickley and Jane Walton Bickley.    heart_thoughtsbyjim@mstar2.net

 

 

 

JANE WALTON BICKLEY

A sketch of the life of my mother,

By her daughter Agnes Isadore Bickley

Jane Walton,daughter of Henry Walton & Mary Ann Harwood born 6 oct 1839 at Rugby, Warwickshire, England, 9th of a family of 12 children.

The parents were very pious Wesleyan Methodists and very strict with their children & strict observers of the sabbath day. At the age of 17 she went to Coventry, England to take care of her oldest sister who had married and lived there and had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was while she was here she heard the doctrines of this church taught by L.D.S. missionaries & was converted. She emigrated to Utah on the ship called"Underwriter," leaving Liverpool on 23 April 1861. One day she was standing on the deck holding to a rope,looking out over the ocean, when a big wave came & took the ship out from under her & she hung out over the water 'til the ship came back & caught her.she arrived safe in New York 22 May 1861. She stayed in New York a few days then started across the plains in the Horace S.Eldridge company assigned to the wagon of Job Hall

She was young & strong & walked all the way across the plains to arrive in Salt Lake City 15 Sept 1861,& was sealed to Job Hall in the Endowment House 20 Sept 1861 as 3rd wife, being thoroughly converted to the principle of polygamy which was then practised and taught. They journeyed to Pine Valley where she was met by his other families very cooly. Life began anew under very hard & trying circumstances. Not only terrible poverty but jealousy & hatred of his other families. She was the mother of three children from this union.

The two little daughters died in infancy & were laid away in their little worn night gowns. The oldest, a boy she named Henry Walton after her father Henry Walton,being more sturdy,lived through all the poverty.

She often longed to have a calico dress & he had heard her say so & one day she was crying as she was so tired of living any place she could get shelter,mostly in dugouts & he was trying to comfort her & said "never mind,ma,when I get big I'll build you a calico house." Her bed was a pile of straw on the floor with a buffalo robe under her & one over her. She wove cloth & carpets for a living & I've often heard her say her husband never furnished the wrapping of a finger toward her support. One time she wove a carpet & took a fat pig for pay & when she asked him to kill it for her he said he would for half & he killed,dressed & cut it in halves & took one to his other families but thru all her hardships & trials her faith in the gospel never wavered.

One morning as she was in her dugout taking up the ashes from the fireplace, she heard a noise & on looking up the steps,she saw the bushy head of a very mean indian known as old bush head (it seems her dugout was outside of the square & she was not protected as the other people were. They had to keep guards night & day as the indians were so bad) she didn't know what to do. But just then she heard the guards & they captured him & locked him up in the school house. The bishop sent out & told the indians they had him & if they would come in they'd give them blankets.

It wasn't long til there were lots of indians,& the bishop gave them blankets & asked them what they should do with bush head. They were glad he was caught as he was a killer & they wanted to hang him to a tree so the bishop called all the people & they all went to the hanging. After he was dead, the indians cut locks of his hair off & were glad to get rid of him.

Mother & little Henry went with the rest. She moved around & lived any place she could get shelter & one cold day a young man stopped at her hut to get warm. There were neither doors nor windows & she had but very little fuel so the next day he procured a team & wagon & brought her a load of wood & from that kind act a great & holy love arose.

She had had such a terrible life in dixie she had made up her mind long before this that if she could get free from the terrible man she had put her trust in she would marry the first man that came alone let him be lame,halt or blind. This young man was 2 years her junior & blind in one eye having lost it in infancy but he showed such interest & was so kind & helpful & was such a fine poet & musician that she fell deeply in love & he was devoted to her.

When the president of the church came down there she told him her plight & he told her if Job Hall would give up all claim to her & give her to this young man whose name was William Green Bickley she could be as free as she had ever been. He was sought & asked & was glad to do this & she was set free.

William was devoted to her & wrote many beautiful songs & poems to her both before & after they were married. They were married the 21 of March 1867 & moved to Eagle Valley. While there & other places in Dixie he led the choirs of which she was always a member & loved to sing the praises of her Heavenly Father.

Although they were poor & times were hard & they had to wear homemade & patched clothing & she went barefoot a lot, they were not alone as all the Saints were the same, they lived & loved their religion & went to their meetings & did their duty at any event, I have often heard her say they all went to dances barefoot & she had had one child in her arms & another hanging to her dress many times & went barefoot in the choir but it wasn't strange as there was plenty of company. She was jolly & full of life & they had many delightful times.

They moved to Minersville, Beaver County as he had work there,then to Beaver City,Utah where he purchased some land (I think about 9 acres) & built a brick house. This was in the northwest part of town 10 blocks out from the business district.

As a child her most delightful hours were spent playing store where she would sell bits of lace,ribbon,pretty glass & anything she could get together to the neighborhood children for pins & this longing hadn't left her.

So when she was settled in her new brick home & stores (what few there were) were so far away she had glass doors put in the big south room also a counter & a few shelves & with a very meager stock of needles, pins, shoe laces & a number of other useful articles opened up a small store but as it grew she got more & more goods & finally had a nice business but finally her business out grew this little room & she rented a large rock building north of the court house & moved her stock there. She had a large sign made "The Novelty Bazaar" & placed across the front. She put in a stock of every kind of useful articles & trinkets & novelties. 

She was a lover of beautiful things & as the business grew & the years passed by she added dishes, tinware & all kinds of beautiful vases & ornaments & beautiful glassware & pictures & was very useful to the public as she carried frames & at that time enlarged pictures were a fad & she framed them & gilded frames over for people & was very busy & very happy.

She was always so cheerful & many a person came into her store sad & discouraged & went away with a new lease on life & looking on the bright side of life.

She drove back & forth from home to the store with a horse & buggy. Also to all the meetings & Sunday School.

She had a good cement coop built at home & took care of her chickens with the help of the children.

She was a great hand to go out & sit up with the sick & helped to take care of the bodies of people that had passed away.

She labored in the Relief Society as President 12 years & Councilor 8 years. She was President when they were called upon to gather wheat & store it & as they didn't have a good place to put it she had a large pink rock granary built,& the sisters labored faithfully to gather grain & take care of it.

When we girls were old enough to take care of the store she would fill large trunks with useful articles & my father or oldest brother Will, would load them in the big white top buggy,& they would go through the county peddling these useful things to their ever ready & willing customers who were always anxious for them to come. 

Wherever they stayed for the night if father was along they always invited in a houseful of neighbors to enjoy an evening of music & singing & she always paid well for their lodging.

When her family were all married & as it was so hard for her to get into her buggy,as she was getting so lame, they decided to sell the home & move to town. She got permission to fix up the old granary behind the store to the northwest & pay for it & take it out in rent. So they made a very comfortable home by putting more rooms on & a nice porch & moved there & were very comfortable & happy.  She got a few chickens for diversion from her store work. I forgot to say that in 1889, father was called on a mission to England & she was more than anxious that he should go & she stayed & with the help of the Lord & we children she was able to send him the means he needed.

Her faith & trust in her Heavenly Father had never changed since she had gone down into the waters of baptism & had made a covenant to serve God & keep His commandments & she faithfully tried to live up to them all.

All our lives we had been taught to pray & as usual we never neglected our family prayers in his absence. she was a strict tithe & fast offering observer,never letting the last of the month pass without strictly attending to this duty & privilege.

One day,she read a letter from father asking her to send him some money immediately.  She only had enough to pay the tithing that was due & she was bewildered as what was the best thing to do with that money as it would go for a good cause either way. But the still small voice whispered to pay her tithing & God would help her. Before she could be tempted to do the other way she gathered every cent from the till of the drawer she kept her money in & sent it to the tithing office & got her receipt. She felt glad she had obeyed & went to bed happy.  On opening her drawer the next morning she was surprised to find a gold piece in the till she had so carefully emptied the night before. And that was a great testimony to all of us she had obeyed & Lord had provided for her missionary. 

I might add another faith promoting incident that happened to her & us children.  Her oldest daughter May had been to Provo Academy 2 years & had taught one year at Monroe & she had to go to summer school before teaching the next Winter as all teachers did & as it was to be held at Fish Lake, Sevier County, we went too,as it was only for a week.

Our brother Will took us in the big white top buggy & we got there safe & made our camp & surely enjoyed the vacation. Of course he had to hobble the horses out to graze (as others did) but when the time came to go home & everybody was pulling out & getting ready too, Will having been all forenoon hunting the horses returned to tell us he couldn't find the horses anywhere, that they must have gone home.

We were packed to start & that was a great disappointment to us as we would soon be the last ones left. But mother's faith never failed her, she got a large blanket & we fastened it around some trees & set the spring seat in the middle & we all knelt down & each one petitioned our Heavenly Father to hear our prayers.  Mother poured out her soul to him & when we got through & went out there just a little way off, were the horses, quietly grazing.Will got them & lost no time getting off after thanking God for our speedy deliverance.

These circumstances & many other delightful & faith promoting instances occured before she sold the home & moved down town but I forgot to relate them. 

She also had two fires in the store but although a great deal of damage was done, kind hands & loving hearts were so diligent & the first one was soon extinguished.

Everyone was so anxious to help in the second one that the remaining merchandise was removed to another building across the way & that building was restored as before & the goods returned. But as she was getting so crippled after she had lived in the cottage behind the store, many years later she decided to fix up the back of the store so they could be comfortable & she had a large cupboard built, as a protection from the view & had this filled with all kinds of beautiful things she could find to make it attractive & had a table & folding bed put in, also a couch to lay down on when she was tired.

They had a box heater & she could prepare them something to eat & they were very comfortable. But she often wondered what they would do if the Relief Society decided to sell this property & they talked it over & decided they would buy a lot & build a cottage so this was done. But they never did live in the lovely little cottage just a block East.

One day the Relief Society President came & told her they were going to put all their property up for bids for sale & her heart sank within her as she lay on the couch wondering what on earth she would ever do with herself when she didn't have her store & all the beautiful things she had in it to comfort her for she was so happy & contented there & what would she do without all her devoted friends that had grown so dear & came in to talk with her so often but as she lay wondering a voice clear & plain said "why don't you buy it yourself." 

She jumped up as quickly as she could & found father & told him & they put a bid on the store building which had a large room up stairs & the Relief Society hall joining it on the north & they got the property & once more were thankful for the help of the Lord & His blessings.

They immediately started remodeling & put in partitions & papered & painted & put a nice porch on the front & back & transformed the wasted front yard into a flower garden & lawn & made a beautiful home out of it.  Father moved his office upstairs & had plenty of room & light as there was so many windows. They had a door cut between the store & home but as mother was so lame they put handles on each side of the door jam for her to pull up by.

For many years she had not been able to get up from a chair alone & father was so devoted to always try to be near to help her. She had rollers on the bottom of the legs of her arm chairs which she pushed from place to place & pulled herself around her counters & sat in the corner.

She knew exactly where every article was for she had all her life had a place for everything & everything in its place. When a customer wanted anything she directed them to where they could find it & they brought it back to the counter where she wrapped it up & received the pay. 

She borrowed $50 when she was trying to get started but it worried her so much she said she'd never borrow again & she kept her word. What she couldn't pay for she didn't get & she was blessed for it. She didn't lose many bills for she didn't do much trusting.  She often remarked how beautiful her store looked to her & how happy she was that she owed no man a dollar.

In her younger days she worked quite a lot in the temple for her friends & ancestors in England & when she was too old & lame to go she sent a great many names & the money to pay for others to do it for her.

She used to close up the store & take us children & father would go too, if he was home, to the General Conference at least once a year.  Also to the carnival & the jubilee & dedication of the Salt Lake L.D.S. Temple.  If there was anything special we all went by team 33 miles to the railroad station at Milford then took the train.

She was a Sunday School teacher for a number of years but her happiest hours were when she organized a number of faithful sisters & asked Patriarch Mumford & Patriarch Reese to come with them every Sunday morning & hold a meeting & administer the sacrament to some shut-ins who didn't have the privilege of that holy ordinance.  They held testimony meetings & it was a real joy & inspiration for them to bear their testimonies of the goodness of God to them. This was carried on for many years & many a sad heart was made to rejoice.  Many of these shut-ins had crossed the plains on foot leaving comfortable homes for their testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel & others had not only walked but pulled all their belongings across the barren plains up hill & down but would rather die than give up their convictions.  Their only vehicles being hand carts made with a box on two wheels & a handle put crosswise To pull it by, & their testimonies burning within their bosoms. These were inspiring & glorious times that they all enjoyed.

She was a strict observer of the word of wisdom, having always used tea & coffee in England, but it being contrary to the teachings of the Church she gave it up & I have heard her say many times that although the aroma filled every fiber of her body when she smelled it anywhere, she wouldn't touch a drop if gold were piled from the floor to the ceiling.  That was just a sample of her faith in every principle & ordinance of the gospel.

The other children were scattered, May in Draper, Bessie in Delta, & Henry in Minersville, Will having died & left a wife & three sons & James Harwood dying at the age of 3 & her three little daughters Mary Ann, Ida Matilda, & Jane Dyson dying in infancy. We had a comfortable home & they spent what time they could with us on Sunday usually having dinner or supper or both with us & we always enjoyed their visits.

Mother spent many, many happy afternoons with me as it was hard for her to climb into her buggy & she could lie down where she was comfortable & sing the lovely hymns she loved so much.  I always accompanied her on our organ we bought new to have music in the home & she enjoyed it so much.  There was one blessing, she didn't suffer pain while she was sitting or lying down.

They had been happy in their new home for a number of years & when their golden wedding day came 21 March 1917 they prepared for a grand celebration.  Father moved his office equipment & put long tables up in the large office room & they invited their old friends & loved ones to come & celebrate with them.

The room was filled & we had a lovely program & wedding dinner. We children purchased a gold headed cane for her & a gold handled umbrella for father.

The afternoon was spent very pleasantly & although she had to be carried in an armchair up & down the stairs she was cheerful & very happy.  They had their picture taken & lovely announcements printed & that was the best picture they ever had.

In August of the same year, they were finishing a little remodeling & father lifted a stove & must have hurt himself for on the 8th he took sick & mother sent for me.  I went down & he was in terrible pain.  The doctor gave instructions what to do & I carried them out til after midnight then he went to sleep & mother thought I had better go home as I had a baby.  he slept good.  I called in the morning on the phone & she said he was lots better & I neednn't come. 

After dinner I sent Jennie down to see how he was & she told her to tell me he had just ate a big bowl of gruel & had dismissed & paid his doctor saying he wouldn't need him again, & also paid the painter who had got through with the remodeling.

He went to sleep in his chair down in the store by the stove where she made him comfortable & to keep him quiet.  She went up the 2 steps into the kitchen where she loved to sit, as it was so light to look over the mail & as there was a letter from Bessie & he had been asleep quite awhile, she called to him to hear the letter but he didn't answer, so she looked at the paper & let him rest awhile longer.  Finally she went down to wake him, thinking he wouldn't sleep at night & when she put her hand on his head she found he had passed quietly away.  This shock was terrible.  She hurried to the phone & called both doctors, but it was too late. He had gone to reap his reward & was happy.  But, she, poor soul was so shocked & dazed she didn't know anything that went on around her. She never did get over that tragedy.  She sat like one in a trance.  But kind hands & loving hearts once more came to her aid & after he was laid to rest she got a little girl (Alice Gail) to come & stay with her day & night.  I think she let her go to school but all the time she had to spare she was faithful to mother.  She gave her horse & buggy to Haler Gale, the girl's father if he would see that she got to Church & her meetings.

She often sighed & said (putting her hand on her chest or heart)" I don't know what's the matter I have such a funny sinking feeling in here".  But everyone could tell it was that terrible void lonesome feeling that must always accompany the separation of two loving hearts that had passed 50 years together on the ocean of life but her faith & knowledge that they had complied with the ordinance that bound them together for time & all eternity buoyed her up.  She still tried to do all the good she could.

The short time that would elapse 'til she would be called to join him over on the other side where death nor anything could ever separate them again.  That was the very thing they had looked forward to ever since they had heard & obeyed the gospel.  Eternal life & a crown of glory awaited her on the other shore.  She still tried to attend her meetings & keep up with everything & come & visit us on Sunday & keep as cheerful as possible & always had a smile & kind word for everyone.

In 1918 when the world war was raging & President Wilson, the President of the United States, asked people to buy war saving stamps & liverty bonds to help finance the nation she did her share. The following excerpt is copied from the Beaver Press dated Oct 28,1918, entitled "A Patriotic Pioneer."

Mrs. Jane Bickley in the hearts of the people "Aunt Jane" widow of our late friend & townsman William Green Bickley is today the largest owner of second liberty bonds in Beaver. When the campaign for 2nd liberty bonds came on, Mrs. Bickley came forward with the purchase of a $1,000 bond & as the campaign became more active & more intense,she surprised the committee & community by subscribing for another $1,000 bond. She is a native of England having been born in Rugby Oct.6 1839 & was married to William Green Bickley in Pine Valley 1867.  They celebrated their Golden Wedding a few months before his death.

Mrs. Bickley, in spite of her crippled condition is still active in her social & charitable work of the community of which she was President of the Relief Society for a number of years.  She still conducts her own business at the store on the corner opposite the court house "The Novelty Bazaar" giving it her personal attention.  Although her personal wealth isn't great, she is so loyal & patriotic that she is willng to give a larger amount & far larger percentage of what she possesses than anyone in the community.  It is such mothers as this that make for the good of mankind & should put to shame, who younger in years & more liberally supplied with this world's goods think we cannot subscribe  to assist the cause of the world's freedom.  Would there were more mrs.Bickleys in the land."

After father's death, she still came & spent many pleasant Sunday afternoons with us & it was another blow to her when my husband bought a store in Hinckley & moved the last living child away but she came to all the farewell parties given us & was cheerful & realized I had to go where we could do better for our family.

She came up here to Hinckley for a visit & had a nice visit with us & I went back with her to help her on the train & stage which was an automobile.

We enjoyed a few days together then I returned.  She got along fine as the girl she had with her was a good girl & was so much company for her as well as doing all the work until April 1919.  When she awoke one morning, she could not move & when she tried to call the girl she couldn't talk but when she could say anything she called for Bessie & wanted her to tell me.  Bessie wanted to catch the first train but her husband said "if your mother is sick enough to send for you she needs you & you can't wait for a train".  She called me on the phone & asked if I would go down.  

I hurried & got ready & Mr. Law hired a car & they came & got me & when we got there she was in an awful condition.  The doctor was there he said she had suffered a stroke of motor power ,but not the nerve & she was suffering intense pain. she was down in the store in her folding bed so we immediately put her bed in her lovely parlor where it was light & cheerful & where she had so many pretty things. We moved her in there where she could be as comfortable as possible. Henry came from Minersville,& May from Draper & we were with her to the end. 

One day she found she could talk a little so she gave each of us a pretty present from her household articles.  She gave me a lovely oval mirror & a tall stand with a tall palm which I prize very much.

Several times she felt so much better we would lift her into her wheelchair & she wanted Bessie to play on the piano & she often entertained her for hours playing & singing & it passed off many pleasant hours. 

When she was bad it took all of us to handle her as she was a large,heavy woman & helpless.  We had to turn her often & turned her on a sheet. Sometimes she could talk a little, & other times she couldn't say a word but her mind was still as clear & alert as ever.

She prayed often when she was suffering so much for the Lord to take her out of her suffering but she always said she wanted to suffer for every mistake of her life that when she got over on the other side she would be free to receive the blessings that awaited her.

The townspeople were so helpful as well as the nurse that we hired. One day she could talk & she said: "send for Sam White, an abstractor.  I must get my property fixed up.

"He came & sat down by her bed & she explained to him, what she wanted & she deeded all the property to Henry, May, Agnes, Bessie & Will's children as he was dead. She said she didn't want the lawyers to get the property she had worked so hard to accumulate. 

She had suffered so much that she often asked fot the two Patriarchs, Brother Reese, & Brother Mumford to come & plead for the lord to take her home & they came many times but her heart was so strong it seemed she had to wear it out.

At last she sank into a coma & rested peacefully for three days days & it was a relief to see her suffering cease for she had been so bad for weeks that she couldn't eat or drink & suffering every minute.  The only peace she got was from hypos & they caused a terrible itch all over her body that was almost worse than the pain. 

On the 21st of June, she quietly & peacefully passed away about 11 o'clock. 

Before she passed into the coma she said she was  thankful for every trial she had been caused to bear & I'm sure she went to a good reward.

The funeral was lovely & inspiring & she was laid away in her beautiful temple robes in the Mountain View Cemetary at Beaver City, Beaver County Utah, 23 June 1919.

At the funeral service the following resolution was read by a member of the Relief Society: "We the officers & members of Beaver East Ward Relief Society do mourn the departure of our beloved sister & co-laborer Sister Jane Bickley whose life has been a noble example to us.  We will miss her but her ever-ready testimony will live in our hearts. Surely her works will follow her.  During the 20 years she served as an officer in the Relief Society, she exercised her calling with an unselfish devotion.  She was fearlessly Faithful to every trust, strong & decided in her views, & what seemed most noticeable was her beautiful & abiding faith in the life hereafter.

She taught us the great lesson of cheerfulness, optimism & honest integrity, that has characterized her life & labors.  Her loyalty to her church & country is evidence of her confidence in the authority over her.  We know her to be courageous in the performance of any duty imposed upon her.  She did not shirk, nor tire but her course was well defined.

She was so much the master of herself that her dearest possession was the joy of a tranquil mind. Her example was always in harmony with precept especially in the strict obedience to the word of wisdom, tithing, temple & Ward donation,& every principle of the gospel. 

She lived the gospel impressively & in the devotion to principles she has laid up treasures in heaven, where, with a heart full of calm assurance, she has gone to enjoy. We now appreciate her worth in that she has performed her labors to the best of her ability.  Even in her afflictions she was uncomplaining & submissive to the will of the lord.

Whereas in his wisdom God has seen fit to remove our beloved sister from our midst, make it befitting that we record our appreciation of her.  Therefore resolved that we honor & cherish her memory as one of God's noble women & strive to emulate her example. 

Resolved that we extend our heartfelt sympathy to her family in the loss of their beloved mother & may they realize she has gone to reap the reward of a well spent life. Resolved that a copy of these reesolutions be presented to her sons & daughters, published in our local paper & placed upon the records of the society.

She was the mother of the following families: parents: Job Pitcher Hall & Jane Walton sealed in the endowment house Sept 120 1861, sealing cancelled 13 March 1867, children Henry Walton Hall, born 12 June 1862, Jane Dyson Hall born 12 Jan 1864, Ida Matilda Hall born 8 oct 1865, and parents William Green Bickley & Jane Walton married 21 March 1867, sealed oct 1869, children, William Green Bickley, 3 Jan 1868, Mary Ann Bickley, 24 April 1870, Christiana May Bickley, 21 Jan 1872, James Harwood Bickley, 12 Apr 1874, Agnes Isadore Bickley, 28 Feb 1876, Bessie Isabell Bickley, 18 dec 1878.

After she had been laid peacefully away it fell to our lot as the heirs to take care of the division & disposal of the property & so there would be no feelings we got together & organized with a President & Secretary.

The cash bonds & sheep were divided equally between Henry, May, Agnes, Bessie, & the 3 boys, sons of William who had passed away, they getting his share. Stock was taken of the goods in the store with a liberal allowance made for the older stock.  When a fair estimate was made then stock was sold to May & the building rented to her till she could dispose of the stock, which she did mostly & finally moved the rest to her home in Draper, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, Utah.  The furniture was divided by each member putting a price they thought it was worth on a paper & putting it in the hat & the Secretary would average it & all drew for a number & whoever got it paid the averaged price & took the Article.  The bedding & small articles were put in 5 piles as equal as could be made then a number placed on the piles & one to correspond placed in the hat & each drew a number & took what they got or exchanged it for what they wanted.  The books were put out & each drew in turn a book from the pile but the volumes of Church History & state history were drawn for.

We got along lovely & there was even more love among us for our visit together.

The property was put up for sale later & sold & as the money came in it was divided. The very first thing we did, however, was to order a beautiful tombstone & have both father's & mother's inscriptions engraved on it & placed at the head of their graves.

After everything was disposed of that we could all attend to we bade each other goodbye & departed to our homes.

The pictures & keepsakes were drawn for & I got father's gold headed cane which I prize very much.

The children that grew to maturity all married & had families. Henry Walton 11, William Green Bickley 3, May 9, Agnes 9, Bessie 10.

A few of the hymns & songs she sang & loved were "Sweet Hour of Prayer", "How Firm a Foundation," "Home, Sweet Home", "Come, Come Ye Saints", "The Trials of the Road Will Be Nothing, When We Get to the End of the Way," "Down in a Green & Shady Bed, a Modest Violet Grew, & a number of others, she wrote all of father's poems & some of his songs in books so we could each have one.

In 1897 her brother Tom Walton & his wife came to visit his two sisters. Elizabeth Russell the oldest of the family who lived in cottonwood, Salt Lake County, Utah,& Jane Bickley who lived in Beaver City.  They were all together at Elizabeth's & had this picture taken together. He spent several weeks with us & we all learned to love him, then they returned to England.

Picture of Henry Walton Hall & family born at Toquerville 12 June 1862, taken with his wife & children still living.  Three having died.  Idonna Steel(childbirth)Theresa in infancy & the others after performing an honorable mission is standing. Irene, Warren, Henry, wife Lucy, Lorin, Herbert seated, Ione, Douglas, Fay & Reed, Henry died at 84 in Lynwood, California, June 2 born June 12,1862 in a covered wagon with a buffalo robe for a bed.  He was active in Minersville Civic & social affairs. Warren Hall, Minersville, picture of Will & Linda. He was born in Eagle Valley, Nevada 3 Jan 1858, married in Manti 31 Jan 1808 to Malinda Griffin. Had 3 sons,died 3 Aug 1899.

Typed into computer by great grand daughter Jennie May Lee Adam,1986 Wildwood Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84121 (801) 278-5929 corrected from the original manuscript 14 July 1992.  Life sketch of William Green Bickley born at Smalley Hill Shropshire,Salop England 1 may 1842. Son of Samuel Bickley & Mary Green.

While a baby he had the misfortune of getting infection in one of his eyes & everything was done to save it, but he suffered for some time but it couldn't be saved. I have often heard him tell of how he could remember even though he was only about 4 years old when he sat without anything to deaden the pain while the doctor cut the cord & removed the eye. He said every time he thinks of it he could still feel the pain. He was paid in a way as the other eye had double strength & he became a great reader & a well educated man all his life able to converse on any subject. 

On Nov.13,1849 his only full sister was born. She grew & married George Watterson & raised a large family & lived to the ripe old age of 82. She died 15 June 1931 in England.  We don't know much about his life in England but he must have been fortunate enough to hear the gospel preached & was converted for at the age of 16 he was baptized & confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 24 Jul 1858. Although his mother pleaded with him not to come to utah, the Spirit of immigration was so great that he had to obey the call & at the age of 19 he came to America & arrived in Salt Lake City 1862 where he remained for sometime,working at whatever he could get to do, for a livelihood.

I have often heard him tell of how he walked over fences delivering the mail from house to house the snow covering the fences. He must have been born with natural musical & poetical ability. When he Arrived in Utah, he composed the following poem for his mother to show her he still remembered her tender love & care of him during his terrible suffering with his eye & two broken wrists, he received when he fell on the ice as a child.

"Dear Mother" by William Green Bickley  "When to this earth I helpless came, an infant blessed with life's sweet frame, tho'loved & cherished by my friends there's none whose love could e'er contend like yours, dear mother. When sickness made my body weak who in ny ears did comfort speak & when my head was wracked with pain who watched me til 'twas well again. 'Twas you, dear mother. As year by year, I grew, whose care protected me from every snare whose council did my young mind lead to call on God in times of need 'twas thou, dear mother. Though now divided by the sea I still will always think of thee. I pray that God will always bless, protect & guard thee by His grace. My dearest mother.

The next we hear of him is in Santa Clara, Washington County as a very young man.  Brother Staley had organized a Swiss choir & when Brother Bickley came, he organized a choir of Englisn speaking people. He stayed there about a year & had an excellent choir.

He must have traveled around the Dixie country quite a bit for the next we hear of him was in Pine Valley where on a cold day he stopped at a hut to get warm & found there a woman & a little boy.  They had but very little fuel & no doors or windows to keep the cold out.  The next day he procured a team & wagon & brought her a load of wood.  His kindness & cheerful disposition won her love.

She was married to a man who didn't appreciate her love & sacrifice. She hadn't had any kindness shown her since she reached this country & had had such a hard struggle for existence for herself & little son Henry Walton Hall, she longed to be free to marry this kind young man who had expressed his love for her.

When President Brigham Young came down there she told him of her plight & the trouble she had had.  She wanted to know if she could be free & he told her if Job Hall, her husband, would give her to this young man whose name was William Green Bickley, she could be as free as she ever was.  After she gained her freedom he wrote an acrostic to her name as follows.

Pine Valley Feb 2 1867. William Green Bickley

My own dear love, Jane Walton.

My thoughts are centered on the one I love, ye muses aid me from thy throne above, oh, thou whose spirit haunts my every hour whose voice to me is like a silver shower neath thy enrapturing glance, I bow I own thy power. Despite the dangers that beset my path Each one of which might hurry me to death Assisted by thy smile I'd brave their wrath, Regardless of the frowns of men or hell beneath. Loving & kind thou art my dearest one on my dark path thou art a beacon light vested in thee,thou hast a benison ever reminding one of woman's might. Just be thy life & may the peace of God attend thy sleeping or awakening hours Nor let the temptor lure thee from the road Each one must take to gain celestial bowers. When these few lines you read from him who sues a heart & hand of her to him most dear. Love,if you can,for if you thus refuse, this world to him will be most dark & drear. Oh, then if in your breast you feel love's dart. Not hide but bring it forth to cheer my heart.

They were married in Pine Valley 21 March 1867 & moved to a number of places.

Eagle valley & Clover Valley in Nevada is mentioned, going through the hardships incident to pioneer life.

While in Eagle Valley on 1 Jan 1868 he wrote the following lines to mother."To My Wife: "The seasons of another year have rolled away with rapid stride, What changes have we seen my dear since last we spent the xmas tide. Let us review our deeds & see what progress we have made in truth Where e'er we've erred let`s try to be humble in future as was Ruth. As for myself I love what's right & wish to walk in wisdom`s path. That I may live in virtue's light & in the end escape God's wrath. My love for you has stronger grown as day by day I see your face. The deeds of kindness you have shown have helped to make my happiness. I pray that we may ever be united in the bonds of love And may contending spirits flee, that we may taste of joys above. What e'er occurs let us be one come weal come woe let us rejoice And always be subservient unto the glorious priesthood's voice. 

On the 3 Jan 1868 their first child was born.  He was named after father William Green.  They also had a little daughter Mary Ann born & died before we hear of them again.

He must have come to Minersville, Beaver County, Utah as the following lines were composed & sent to mother 18 may 1868 from Minersville.

To my dear wife.  I'm lonely since I've left thy side, thou dearest one my only love, there is no woe can me betide, so hard as from thee to remove I miss thy kind & genial smile though others strive to make me gay no pleasure can my thoughts beguile, I long to see thee every day. I'm lonely since I've left thy side I feel as if I had no life I could have set me down & cried the morn I left thee, my dear wife. but soon I hope to meet again and clasp thee to my heart once more and hear thy lips pronounce my name more sweet 'twill be than e'er before.

He finally moved his family to Minersville & made the adobes for a home.  He traded his span of tricky mules for a yoke of oxen.  He dug by hand the mill race located in the eastern part of Minersville & helped dig the canals often taking nothing to eat but dry bread to dip in water. They had two more children born to them, Christianna May in Minersville,Jan 21 1872,& James Harwood either there or in Beaver b.12 April 1874.

Where ever they located he used his talent for the uplifting of the community.  He was an excellent musician playing the violin, flute, accordion, brass instruments, organ,& when the piano came on the market he played that perfectly.

They moved to Beaver City, Beaver County, Utah,& lived in a little log room 'til he could do better. He purchased a 4 acre tract of land in the north east part of town & built a brick home, raised hay & potatoes & planted fruit trees & had a garden to help support his family.

Later he purchased another 4 or 5 acre tract joining on the north which he planted to hay.

He moved his family into the new home before it was finished.

On Feb 28 1876 I was born. They had to tack up carpets & quilts to the doors & windows to keep out the cold.

When I was still a baby, James Harwood, who was about 3 years old, woke up with membranous croup. They did everything possible for him, but he died. That was a terrible blow to them, as he was talking so cute & was father's little man. On the 18th of December 1868, Bessie Isabell came to bless their home.  She was their little flaxen haired lassie & the joy of the family, musically inclined from the first.

Father was a very influential, self-educated man & had many responsibilities placed on him in the community. He also made himself useful in social circles.  For a number of years, he with his son William,& daughter May furnished the music for the soldiers at Fort Camson to dance till the wee small hours of the morning.  He played the violin, Will,the base viol,& May, the little organ which they always took with them.  He also furnished an orchestra to furnish music between the acts of the theatrical plays put on in the old field's hall. That made many happy hours for the rest of the family as he always got tickets for us.

Many very pleasant evenings were spent in the home in musical socials with a room full of relatives & friends.  Everyone loved to hear him sing the soul inspiring songs & delighted to hear his comic songs.  He could sing the laughing songs,"The Little Gray Fat Man" "When I was a Baby, They Tickled Me So".  also."The Charming Young Woman I Met on the Train."&"The Crocodile" "They All Come Home to Roost",& many others so well, they never grew old.

He & mother often sang together. For several years he traveled up & down the state as agent for the Kimball Organ Company & sold many instruments.  Wherever he was,the evening was spent by inviting neighbors in to enjoy a musical entertainment.

He was called to fill a mission for the Church, to England, his native country & left home Oct.16 1889. When he received a blessing in Salt Lake City before his departure from there,he was promised he would go in peace & return in safety.  The promise was soon filled as he missed his train by a small margin,& got one an hour later.  They passed the train he should have taken, wrecked. He humbly acknowledged the hand of the Lord in his behalf. 

On the voyage,he entertained his fellow passengers with music & songs which were well received.  His parents had separated & his mother had married a Mr.Brown & had had another family & had passed to the great beyond. 

His father whom he couldn't find, but he was welcomed by his 2 half sisters, Sarah Brown Makinson & her little daughter Lillie,& a maiden about 30 years old, Christiana Brown, who had been faithful to his mother till the last.

He converted & baptized them & with mother's financial help,they emigrated to Utah & they lived with us in our home in Beaver till they both married.  Sarah died in 1899 & Lillie several years Later,& Christiana.  They are all laid away in the Mountain View Cemetary.  He Filled an honorable mission & returned home in 1891. 

When he came to Beaver to make his home, he was ushered into service & loved to be kept in the harness.

He worked with Robert Stoney,probably as organist for the choir.  The following is taken from the history of Beaver by J.F.Tolton, published on 75th  anniversary of the founding of Beaver City 1856 to the admittance of statehood, 6th of Jan.1896.

"The dedication of the St.George Temple was an event of great moment to the people of Beaver.  The Stake had contributed liberally to its erection & now felt that it had joint ownership in the structure.  The Beaver choir was invited as a body, to be present in common with other choirs in the Temple district to furnish music for the services. Some 40 members of the choir under the leadership of Robert Stoney & William Green Bickley, attended.during this period.

Beaver not only had a choir of fame but also a fine brass band consisted of 14 members of which father was one, playing the cornet.  They furnished fine music for all national programs & celebrations as well as many other occasions.  The instruments he played best & loved most were the violin, cornet,  accordion, flute, organ,& when the piano came on the market,he played that perfectly & taught both the organ & piano having many students.

When he returned from his mission,he took up his labors again,both in civic & religious duties.  He was appointed chorister, which position he held for a great many years, his daughters May & Bessie,acting as organists for his choir for a number of those years.  He put his heart & soul into his work.  He composed many of his anthems preparing words & music for the different voices in manuscript form.  He composed the music & arranged the hymn "Sons of Michael", into a beautiful anthem.  Also set his own music to many of the hymns in the Hymn book,"Haste to the Sunday School "&"Call & Answer", arrangements were his contributions to the Sunday School song book."Invocation" in the blue Relief Society song book he wrote also. but as only one verse was published,I will write it in full.

"Invocation." words & music, William G. Bickley. "As we are here assembled to sing thy praise, oh Lord, and from thy holy priesthood (sisters in their book) to hear thy sacred word.  We ask thee now to grant us the unction of thy love so that our heart & voices shall reach thy throne above. 2. We love to sing thy praises,& come to thee in prayer. While from our hearts we thank thee for tender love & care and while we bow before thee,oh wilt thou deign to lend thine ear,while we adore thee,our father & our friend.  3.  Preserve thy chosen servants,be thou their constant shield, fill thou their souls with wisdom & give them grace to wield The sword of gospel freedom, to urge its saving power among thy sons & daughters in sorrow's trying hour. 4.  And when our task is finished,on earth,& we are free, may we all be found worthy,to ever dwell with thee. In thy celestial kingdom,among the ransomed blessed, where thou has said,"the faithful shall enter into rest."

Here are two of his best loved & enjoyed love songs.

 Darling, I Love Thee "When the balmy spring returns breathing fragrance fresh & sweet from the buds & mossy ferns then my darling, we shall meet.  Yes, and sweet shall be our meeting, loving be our words of greeting, while our lips & hearts repeating, darling, I Love Thee.  Darling I Love Thee  Though our fate should be to part,there is comfort in the thought, that I'm reigning in your heart, and you love me as you ought, love, me oh, how sweet the pleasure. That we are each other's treasure, and can sing in joyful measure,  darling, I Love Thee.  Darling I Love Thee.  And should sorrow cross our path, and misfortune gather 'round. So, we may escape God's wrath, may our trust in him be found, and when earthly life is ended and our souls to heaven ascended. We will sing sweet music blended."Darling, I Love Thee."

"Clara Bell" 

Near a sparkling rippling brooklet, a pleasant shady dell dwelt a fair & dainty maiden, darling little Clara Bell. Fawn like was her form in neatness, from her eyes soft radiance fell, on my heart was holy sweetness, and I loved sweet Clara bell.

Chorus

Though she left me sad & lonely yet I cannot say farewell, for when this short life is ended, I shall see my Clara Bell. On a balmy summer`s evening, we were straying side,by side.  When my tale of love I whispered and she said she'd be my bride. Stars were twinkling,moonlight gleaming, what my joy was, none can tell, as her eyes with love were beaming, and I kissed sweet Clara Bell.  Now alas, the grave has hidden her I loved, from mortal view, and her soul has gone to heaven, with the angels, good & true. Though she's left me sad & lonely, yet I cannot say farewell, for when this short life is ended, I shall see my Clara Bell.

He could pick up a song anywhere & sing it right off by sight.  He carried a little tuning fork in his pocket by which he got the pitch.  He organized a large music class & taught them sight reading from charts.  I have told in mother's history how they sold the old home & moved to town & lived in the cottage behind the store, years later.  How they purchased the store & Relief Society hall & remodeled it & made a very happy & comfortable home & his office over the store where he had his typewriter & books & where he carried on his work as secretary for a number of corporations & canals. 

He held the position of City Treasurer for many years, a member of the Stake Sunday School Union for more than 20 years. Also worked in the Ward Sunday School & put on many lovely cantatas & musical programs usually having appropriate services on Easter Sunday & Christmas.  He was Stake Clerk for 15 years & traveled through the Stake getting the reports direct so he could always have the reports in to Headquarters on time. He traveled with a team & buggy.

On april the 15 of 1915, he was guest of honor at a social gathering with a program of songs & speeches & readings. & A fine luncheon was served. He was presented with a beautiful gold headed cane costing $25.00 as a mark of esteem & appreciation.  The following speech was given by Honorable J. F. Tolton.

Dear Brother Bickley.  The committee has expressed a desire that I voice their sentiments in bidding you a welcome to this gathering with Stake & Ward officers. 

On the occasion of paying our respects to our fellow & guest of honor, Elder W. G. Bickley.  Our purpose is to do honor to Brother Bickley, & by our meeting together in fraternal friendship, remind him of the fact that we appreciate his long faithful service in the cause of the Master, for though he has passed beyond the allotted days of man & his body bows with the weight of years, as the sturdy Oak bends before the wintry blast, yet his heart is warm in the work of the Lord.

We seldom recognize the worth of one with whom we come in daily contact until distance, or change or environment severs the relationship:

"A prophet is not without honor save in his own country".  This saying is just as true of & applies with equal force to the earnest servant as to one who foretells future events.  For many years,our guest of honor, has served as Chorister, as Music Organizer & Director & as Clerk of several organizations.  His peculiar fitness to the latter calling has been fully demonstrated during the last 15 years while he has served as the Clerk of the Stake & of the High Council.  For this service,he has received on numerous occasions, the econiums of the Presiding Bishopric as well as the appreciation of the Stake authorities for promptness in submitting reports, for painstaking effort & responsive action to the call of duty.  For these valuable traits of character, we hold the subject of kind  remembrance & wish him continued success in life & peace & contentment of mind in release from the burdens of business & official activities. 

As a token of appreciation & momento of his association & service with the Presidents & High Council.  We have resolved to present to our Brother Bickley this beautiful ebony cane, surmounted with a handle of gold, engraved with the following inscription: "Presented to W. G. Bickley, April 15,1915, by High Council of Beaver Stake. 

In the selection of this cane, the committee had in mind the choosing of an article which would be symbolical of the character of the beneficiary.  We selected ebony, to represent durability, strength of character, permanency, gold to denote singleness of purpose, endurance, freedom from dross. Its malleability for plastic thought, ductibility, for capability of being wrought to a tension of utility & service as enduring as time.

This momento is fitted to bear the weight of infirmity of man.  In case Brother Bickley needs to lean upon it for support in the future "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod & thy staff, they comfort me" so wrote David of old. 

May the appropriateness to David's thought follow Brother Bickley through life, & this momento be a staff that will add to his comfort, in peace, is the wish of the donor & his fellow servants."

The other children having moved to make homes elsewhere left only me & our family & Will's boys & Aunt Christianna Willdon for them to visit so they spent many afternoons at our home and father came very often to make a call on his rounds about town on different collections or other business for his Corporations & we always enjoyed his company.

They made a trip once a year to visit Bessie & May & in 1917 on their way back from Salt Lake from April Conference as usual they stopped off at Delta to visit Bessie. 

He was always a strong advocate of the organ for sacred music & was concerned that Bessie (she was an organist) had to play a piano for Ward services.  He suggested that he had a little time to spare & with the consent of the Bishop Maxfield & Chorister Avery Bishop he would be willing to come & give his services in some way to help get an organ in the ward.  The offer was accepted & arrangements made for his return. 

They went home to arrange his affairs & through correspondence with Bessie, a letter dated 3 May 1917, giving instructions, also 15 may 1917, in answer to her response of his letter, stated that he & mother would arrive in Delta 26 May. 

They arrived safe & stayed for a few weeks presenting a sacred oratorio "King in Zion" which was very well done & the neat sum of $66.65 was realized.  This was to be used as first payment on an organ for the church.  They purchased the organ & it furnishes beautiful music for all church gatherings in the First Ward hall.

Some years before this as he was getting up in years he was released as chorister of the Beaver Ward & given a lovely testimonial & social.  As many of his Choir members as possible being present.  They presented him with a comfortable rocker. 

On the 8th of Aug mother sent for me as father was sick.  I hurried down & found him in awful pain.  They had been doing some remodeling & painting & he had lifted a stove & must have hurt himself.  The doctor was there & gave me orders just what to do & I went to work.  I followed his instructions to the letter & a little after midnight he got easy & went to sleep.  As I had a small baby mother insisted on me going home.  So i went & in the morning I went to the phone & called her & she said he had a good night's rest & was feeling lots better.

After dinner I sent Jennie down to see how he was & she said he had just eaten a bowl of gruel & felt fine.  He had dismissed his doctors & paid the painter & was feeling pretty well again.  He was sitting down in the store & had gone to sleep. 

So mother got her mail & went up the two steps into her kitchen to look it over & there was a letter from Bessie who had been to the hospital with Elsie for an operation after having pneumonia.  Mother called to him to listen to the letter but he didn't answer so she looked at the paper & soon called to him again but still no answer so she took the letter & went down, thinking she had better wake him or he wouldn't sleep at night, but when she put her hand on his head, he had quietly passed away. 

That was a great shock for us all but a grand way for him to go, for he never could stand to sit around idle & a long sick spell would have been unbearable to him. All his life he had been a very busy man & I'm sure he has been busy on the other side.

He passed away without having heard about the fine organ the Delta Ward had purchased through his help & suggestions. 

They had celebrated their Golden Wedding on 21 March & the memory of the occasion was still fresh in the people's minds.  He had waited patiently on mother for a number of years in her crippled condition.  I wrote in her history the details of the Golden Wedding.

He was well respected in the community & as he was a stockholder in the First National Bank, they draped the bank door with black crepe for 30 days.

The following resolutions of respect were written & published in the press:

"Whereas the great ruler of the universe has seen fit to call Brother Bickley from our midst, that he might continue his labors on the other side, & whereas Brother Bickley was a man among men, a man worthy of every trust, & whereas Brother Bickley will be missed at our council table because of his faithfulness, honesty & industry, therefore be it resolved that while we regret his passing to his work on the other side, we are satisfied that he was well prepared for the work & ready to proceed at the call of his Master.

Be it further resolved that the charter of this bank be draped in mourning for the period of 30 days & that we express to his widow & children our sympathy & that a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to Mrs. Bickley."

Signed, Directors of the First National Bank.

William Bickley was endowed 3 June 1863 at the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah. The funeral was held at the opera house which was filled to capacity with sympathetic friends & relatives.  The floral offerings were profuse & lovely. The services were peaceful & inspiring.  

A number of his best loved songs were rendered by the members of his choirs he had led in Beaver.  Our number being "Only remembered by what we have done".  The speakers were Elders George Parkinson, George Mumford & Bishop F.D.Farnsworth. 

He was laid away in his beautiful Temple robes in the Mountain View Cemetary til the morning of the first resurrection. 

Poem on his death remembrance card.  "Gone but not forgotten" Weep not that his toils are over, weep not that his race is run,  God grant we may rest as calmly when our work, like his, is done. 'Til then, we yield with gladness, ƒor our father to him to keep, and rejoice in the sweet assurance, he giveth his loved one sleep'

Typed into computer by Jennie May Lee Adam, great granddaughter ,1986 Wildwood Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121,(801) 278-5929, July 6 1992.

 

Jane Walton and Job Pitcher Hall,

and Jane Walton and William Green Bickley,

Our great-grandparents

22 March 2007

 

The life of Jane Walton is illustrious as can be,

Just read her life history and I think you will agree,

For though her trials were many, and challenges many, too,

She kept the faith, and did her best to be both good and true.

 

She joined the Church in England, and loved the things she'd heard,

And rejoiced in the Gospel, and accepted every word,

Then came to America to be with the Saints here,

Where she could follow the Prophet, who to her heart was dear.

 

She met and married Job Hall, who had two other wives,

And she was faithful to him, though they led separate lives,

And bore him three children, two daughters and a son,

And her daughters soon passed away, and life was not so fun.

 

Her husband, Job Pitcher Hall, was always gone away,

And wasn't a good husband, that's what her writings say,

And left her in an awful fix, providing not a thing,

So she had to fend for herself, and her heart was sorrowing.

 

Then one day a young gentleman happened to come by,

And saw her poor and needy plight, and stopped to find out why,

And then he chose to help her, by gathering some wood,

And doing things she needed done, because he understood.

 

And Jane's heart was truly touched by all she saw and heard,

And wished she could change things, though she said not a word

To William Green Bickley, her new helper here,

For she was still married to Job, yet William was more dear.

 

And so she talked to Brigham Young, and asked him what to do,

And he gave her his answer, and said, "It's up to you

To talk with Job, your husband, and see if he'd set you free,

And if he gives his own consent, you're free as you can be.

 

And so she talked to Job one day, who agreed on one condition,

That they would dig a basement for him, and that became their mission,

And when the deed was finished, he released her from her vows,

So she could marry William, and he could build her a house.

 

They went away rejoicing, and soon they came to be

Newlyweds, husband and wife, William and Jane Bickley,

Who truly loved each other, and vowed that they would do

All that God expected of them, each day, their whole life through.

 

Their children and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren now

Are numerous descendents, and we all take a bow,

And honor them for lives well lived, and faithful service here,

To neighbors, friends and family, and all God's children dear.

 

For they were faithful pioneers, who kept their faith alive,

And followed the living Prophet, and thus they did survive,

And they endured to the end so we could one day be

Their true living descendents, who've lived life faithfully.

 

Jim Lee

heart_thoughtsbyjim@mstar2.net