Here are a few of my thoughts. Please feel free to share yours.
Reflections on a Mormon Colonies Family Reunion
My wife and I, our daughters, my wife’s sister and her husband and their four boys just returned from a Mormon Colonies family reunion.
My wife and I have taken our daughters to the Colonies before, but this was the first time for my nephews. It was a lot of fun to watch their eyes light up whenever they saw something new and different . More than once they exclaimed in bewilderment, “You can do that here?”
All the family stories came to life because they were finally able to see the actual places where their ancestors were born, lived, and died. All which resulted in a closer bond between my nephews and their grandparents, great grandparents, and their other ancestors who came before.
We had a great time. Two of my nephews (each asking separately) asked their parents if they could move down to the Colonies.
Here is a partial list of the things we did during our five days in the Colonies.
- Part of our group took a day and went to Chuhuichupa where they saw the original colonists’ homes, the school, and visited the Chupie cemetery.
- I brought mountain bikes and took my nephews and a few other cousins mountain biking. John Hatch served as our guide, leading us down the old road to Pacheco. On our way down we hiked to Honeymoon Cave and also explored the Paquime cliff dwellings above Arch Flats.
- We drove to Mata Ortiz and viewed the old Hacienda San Diego on the way.
- On Friday afternoon, our entire group drove into the mountains and hiked up to the Olla Cave, afterword some of us continued to Pacheco and Temple Hill.
- Took a tour of the Academy.
- Toured the fruit packing plants
- Toured La Gaviota, which is Ed & Gayle Whetten’s school and hospital for disabled children.
- As part of my nephew’s Eagle Project, we handed out soccer balls to children in Old Town Casas Grandes.
- Had a family fiesta complete with mariachi band.
- Our children did baptisms for the dead and later the adults did a session.
- Visited the Colonia Juarez cemetery.
We packed a lot into six days, but of course we weren’t able to everything. Here is a list of activities we didn’t do this trip:
- Visit Cuarenta Casas Indian ruins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuarenta_Casas
- Tour the Paquime museum and ruins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casas_Grandes
- Ride the train to Creel and Copper Canyon
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/creel-copper-canyon-chihuahua-mexico
- Take an excursion to the other original Mormon Colonies
I’m sure there are many more fun and interesting excursions of which I’m not even aware.
We have the convenience of being able to land on family; however, don’t let the fact that you do not have family residing in the Colonies stop you from making the trip. Joanne Johnson Jameson has opened her childhood home by turning it into a quaint bed and breakfast. Joanne serves American breakfast and for a more authentic experience Mexican breakfast including huevos rancheros or huevos a la Mexicana.
With several restaurants and nice hotels in Colonia Juarez, Colonia Dublan, and Nuevo Casas Grandes, I really cannot see why anyone would have an excuse not to explore their family roots by taking a family vacation to the Colonies.
Marian L Lunt’s book, Heaton Lunt of Colonia Pacheco, was a lot of fun to read. The biography was written from audiotapes recorded by her father-in-law, Heaton Lunt, I don’t think that Louis L’Amour or Zane Grey could have written better stories than the life Heaton lived. It is like a Hollywood screenwriter had John Wayne or Clint Eastwood in mind as he created a script filled with banditos, hermits, army scouts, wild animals, and gunplay.
Marty Robbins must have been singing about Heaton in his western gunfighter ballads. Heaton even uses the words outlaw when referring to an extra ornery horse that needed to be “broke” and mentions riding underneath a hanging tree where the nooses were meant for he and his compadres. I was hoping he would use the word iron when referring to the six-shooter he smuggled back into Mexico, but I guess that would have been too Hollywood.
This is one of those books that you don’t mind staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning reading (I did). Even the next day while you are dragging because of lack of sleep, you can’t wait to stay up until the wee hours of the morning again to finish it.
Although the book starts out with great stories of adventure, it wasn’t until near the end of the narrative that I realized just how Heaton was able to live through these ordeals—his positive attitude and outlook on life. Heaton had a great attitude. Here’s an example: I remember people describing how hard it was, during that Depression. Many a time I’ve told people, when they were bellyaching about what a hard time they were having, I used to say, “I don’t think it’s so hard; my kids are just as fat now as they were in the good times. It must not have hurt them.”
He goes on to say:
The Depression…as bad as it was, we make it sound worse that it really was. I think it was a good lesson for the country in general. It’s getting about time for another lesson. They’re getting so ungrateful, so wasteful. To me, I can’t pity people who holler about hard times when they’ve been wading through such good times (pg 420)
Heaton remarks are straightforward and honest. He shows humility while staying self-confident in his perspectives and abilities. He shows us extreme clarity when he said, “Well, it’s like I believe, lots of times, success is management, and we managed.” This is sage advice for our day as we deal with trials we face in our lives.
You’ve heard people say that we need wilderness to remind us that there are still wild places and wild things in the world; well, we need to remember that there really were men like Heaton Lunt who overcame tremendous adversity and dangerous situations.
Heaton Lunt was a man’s man who lived a life full of adventure, but was faithful to his Latter-Day Saint tenants to the end. It’s good to know that these kind of really existed and their lives were much more exciting than even Hollywood can contrive.
It is stories of people like Heaton Lunt that made me want to start Las Colonias magazine. We need to keep these stories alive and in our collective conscious. These stories need to be saved and shared with future generations.
Click on the link below to purchase the book through Amazon
Heaton Lunt book
Ryan, I think you have done an amazing job of compiling and publishing this magazine. Thanks for all your time and effort. I was impressed by the list of obituaries. That in and of itself is worth preserving. The history/stories are real gems.
Michelle
I read the book about Great Uncle Heaton. I really enjoyed it. Then I passed it on to my mother-in-law, Frances Sanford who read it in just a couple of days. Now my son Eric is reading it. I heartily recommend the book to all!
On another note, great blog Ryan! I have encouraged all my children to subscribe.
Most interesting! I grew up with your in-laws in Mexico, so this stuff is fascinating. My brother and I are compiling a history of Col. Chuichupa and would greatly appreciate any leads, info, photos, etc. that would help. We have the usual books (Hatch, Romney, Turley, Shupe, etc).
Here’s a ‘shout out’ to all the “Colonos” and their descendants everywhere.
Jess,
“Colonos.” I like that. I think I’ll use it.
I was reading Alfred Black’s history in Stalwart’s South of the Border. His history said that he bought two lots across from the street from the church in Chuichupa. Do you know if “across the street means to the North, South, or East of the church?
Hi Ryan
Ever wonder what happened to the Church ward and stake records during the Exodus (1912 thru 1919)? It is relatively well known that the Stake records were hidden at a place in the mountain called ‘The Stairs’ but what happened to them after that? And what about the records kept by each Ward? The Church History Library (north west of Temple Square) has the Chuichupa Ward records from the inception of the ward until about July 1912 and also from 2019 until the ward was dissolved about 1950. So some how they were preserved . We have some evidence as to how the Garcia ward records were preserved but what about other wards?
Jess,
I would love a copy of your book on chuichupa. My great grandfather is Meliton Trejo
Liz Snow
blsnow99@gmail.com
Hi, Liz
We have a few copies left of the Chupe book left. If you would like a copy, send a check for $55 to:
J.R. Martineau
10854 S. Green Ridge Dr.
Sandy, Utah 84070
Last night (February 23) my daughter and I attended a fireside where Mormon film maker T.C. Christensen was the featured speaker. Christensen showed clips of his films and then explained interesting anecdotes that happened behind the scenes as they were filmed. He showed a clip from Ephraim’s Rescue that showed the handcart pioneers crossing a frigid river. T.C. discussed the scene and then opened it up to the audience for Q&A.
After a few questions, he said, “I haven’t been asked a question yet that I usually get. The question I’m usually asked is Why did God put these faithful handcart pioneers through this ordeal?”
T.C. then asked any descendants of the Martin and Wille handcart companies, and the Hunt and Hodges wagon companies to please stand. A large number stood. He said, “Thank you, you can sit down now.” He went on to say that he asks this question at many firesides around the Wasatch Front and gets similar numbers standing for crowds of this size.
He then related how he spoke at an LDS youth event in Hemet, California, Before the meeting started he thought that it wouldn’t be fair to ask that question in a place so far from the Salt Lake Valley, but during the course of his talk he asked the same question and was amazed by the results. T.C. said that there were more people who stood at that event that had just stood at our fireside with only one-third the number in attendance.
His point in this exercise was that his belief at to why the Lord put these faithful saints through this trial, “Why weren’t they given manna to eat?”
“There was something that happened within those people that drove testimony into their hearts,” he said. “They were able to pass that on to their children and their descendants.” T.C. also said that even those members who aren’t the descendants of the handcart pioneers are “adopted” descendants. “A women being baptized in Chile today can count these pioneers as her ancestors,” he said.
It is funny because I feel the same way about the Mormon Colonies pioneers. After the first Las Colonias magazine issue release I had someone email me asking to be taken off the list because he had no ancestors from the Colonies (I happen to know that his wife does). I thought to myself, “I don’t have ancestors from the Colonies either, but my kids do.”
This is why I want to share the stories and histories of the Colonies pioneers. Not only do my daughters need to have their Colonies ancestor’s testimonies burned into their hearts, but as an adopted son — I do too.
I enjoyed your story of Daniel Skousen. When I was a boy growing up in the Colonias, one day I was waiting for my Dad to come out of his office in Nuevo Casas Grandes. He came out with an elderly Chinese gentleman. When Dad got into his Volkswagon Bettle, he told me that the man was the survivor from the shooting at Skousen’s Mill. He would come in from time to time asking Dad to x-ray him to see if the bullet was still lodged in his skull. This was in the late 1960’s. The man lived a full life with a revolutionary’s bullet in his head!
My mother’s sister, Fannie Crabtree, [non-LDS] married Roy Adams from las Colonias. Does that make me an adopted colono? Sometimes I feel like it does, or something else makes me feel that way! Heaton Lunt was my bishop when I was a boy and hitch-hiked the 18 miles to attend the Duncan, AZ. Ward before my parents were baptized. I well remember the wonderful stories of inspiration he shared. Sister Lunt called him out of the field one day when I was teenager so he could could receive my very first tithing. I will always cherish his memory. His grand-son, Harlan Max Lunt has been my lifelong friend.
Both of my paternal grandparents and great grandparents lived in the Morman Colonies in Colonia Dublan, Pechco and Cave Valley in Mexico. My grandfather was William Baily Lake, son of George Lake and Mary Edda Foster Lake. My grandmother was Sarah (Sadie) Emma Carroll Lake, daughter of Willard Carroll and Charlotte Moulton Carroll. Willard, Charlotte and some of their children, including my grandmother, also lived under the United Order in Orderville, Utah prior to going to Mexico. In addition, Charlotte Moulton Carroll, her parents and some of her siblings were part of the Willie Handcart Company. At the tender age of 5 or 6 she walked most of the way to Utah and endured many hardships when that Company became stranded in the mountains.
I have a copy of a very well written account in the original hand type of the life of Charlotte and Willard Carroll written by their oldest daughter, Elizabeth. I also have shorter narratives in the original hand type of my grandparents lives written by their daughter and my aunt, Leora Lake Franson.
The account written by Elizabeth describes the killing of the Thompson family by marauding Apaches, includes direct quotes from her father’s journals and has a marvelous account of living under the United order and in the Colonies. I personally recall my grandparents telling me stories about their life in Mexico and how exciting it was, even back then, to hear them mention names such as the Apache Kid and Pancho Villa.
It was extremely interesting to read the accounts on your web page and reinforces in me what an amazing heritage I have and what strong people I come from.
Thanks for sharing Jerri. I appreciate it!
We both enjoy these periodic on-line magazines so much, that we really want to have a hard-copy of each issue. We really need to be able to have the paper in our hands. The way you have done each issue, it requires a lot of clicking and then printing, to print the entire issue so we can read it at our leisure, without having to be on the computer. Is it possible for you to create PRINTED copies? We would be willing to pay for this option. Thank you.
Bill & Marie Houghtaling
Marie,
I may be able to do this let me look into the costs and I’ll let you know.
Thanks,
Ryan
I got the book about Heaton Lunt from my Suegro Jerald Lynn Taylor, I loved reading it! Se los recomiendo.
Thank you very much for the information on Rita Skousen. I remember her very well and walked in front of her home every time I crossed the swing bridge to get to church and go to the Juarez Stake Academy.
In addition she is the daughter of my grandmother’s (Nelle Spillsbury Hatch) sister Sarah Skousen.
Thank you for your work providing Las Colonias.
I just ordered your book. I became interested in this history when I discovered that I had DNA ancestors William Wallace Haws and Gilberth Haws … was shocked to learn about the colonies in Mexico. I am excited to learn more!
Jane,
I hope you enjoy learning more about these amazing people who lived incredible lives south of the border.
Thanks for posting,
Ryan Windley
Chloe Haws Lunt was a daughter of William Wallace Haws. My husband’s mother. I have written a book about William Wallace Haws taken from his journal.
I wondered if Wilber’s family ties were in Colonias. Karen
Ryan,
I too love Las Colonias and appreciate what you are doing. I am a descendant of the colonists. My dad, Lorence W. Martineau, was born and raised in Colonia Chuichupa, and graduated from the Juarez Academy. My mother’s dad, Alfred H. Nichols, was born and raised in Colonia Oaxaca, Sonora, before the revolution. As a kid I lived for several years in Colonia Juarez. Doc Hatch attended my medical needs. When Doc Hatch was the Mission President in Mexico City, my family was also in Mexico City, and I attended scouts each week with Doc’s son John Hatch (of Gavilan Tours). Several of my relatives are engaged in preserving this heritage, writing books I have recently read, such as: Marti Roe’s On the Bench, the History of Miramonte, AZ (where many colonists went after the Mexican Revolution); Laurie and Jess Rex Martineau’s Colonia Chuichupa, E. LeRoy Hatch’s autobiography Medico; and Marian R. Lunt’s Heaton Lunt, of Colonia Pacheco. I too have recently written two books about the Mormon Colonies, Hey Gringo! What Are You Doing Here? about Mormon Colonists of Northern Mexico, Punitive Expedition and Pancho Villa, as well as, Rustlers, Railroad and Stagecoach Robbers, both books involving characters and events from the Colonies. I am currently researching a book on the history of the Mormon Colonies in Sonora, before the revolution. I would love to correspond with anyone having information, photos, or just interest in Sonoran Colonies.
My family was from Colonia Morelos. If you want to correspond I have histories to share. The Fenn and Ray families.
Yes, I would love to publish them! Thank you
Marian Lunt,
Yes, I am interested in all I can get about the Fenn and Ray families. As a kid I played with a friend Virl Fenn. My ancestry on my mother’s side is about the Nichols families in Colonia Oaxaca, Colonia Morelos, and Colonia San Jose. My email is: 2km@sbcglobal.net.
David K. Martineau
Hola, David
I recently came across some interesting info re colonies in Sonora, but have lost your contact info. If interested, contact me at: jess.martineau@Hotmail.com.
Abrazos,
Tu Primo
Hey, Primo! Enjoyed reading your ‘historical novel’ Hey Gringo!
While doing some research in the Church History Library in SLC, I noticed a person who was reading a handwritten notebook. I asked what it was about, and he said it was notes or minutes etc. from a ward/branch in one of the Sonoran Colonies. (I don’t recall which). If that would be of interest, let me know and I will see what I can find. There is quite a bit of info about the colonies in the Church History Library, much of which is not available on line. Their catalog, listing available info is on line. I suggest you search it and if you find something of interest, send me the references and I will go up and search for it. (A number of Colonos have donated their ‘papers’ to the library, but there is no index of what the papers contain). My email is jess.martineau@Hotmail.com
I am excited about Las Colonias. I am the granddaughter of Frances Jarvis and the great granddaughter of Samuel Walter Jarvis. Frances was born May 2, 1885 in Diaz and lived in several of the colonies while she was growing up. She married Willard Iverson and they had a son, Stanley, in 1909 while they were living in Littlefield, Nevada. They moved to Guadalupe where Stanley died February 15, 1910. If at all possible I would like to know when they arrived in Guadalupe from Littlefield and exactly where Stanley was buried as I would like to have a marker placed on his grave. Frances died in 1914 in Kaolin, Nevada. I have the ring she was wearing when she was buried. This ring came from England when her mother, Frances Godfrey DeFriez, and her grandmother, Mary Anne Godfrey, emigrated to America in 1877.
Thank you,
Frances Spendlove
I also have a great interest in the Sonoran Colonies as my great-grandfather, “Parson” George Calvin Williams along with John Conrad Naegle were the organizers and land buyers for the purchase of Colonia Oaxaca. Parson Williams also had been one of the colonizers of Cave Valley back in Chihuahua before going to Sonora. My 2nd great-grandfather (and also Jess Martineau’s) was also part of Col. Oaxaca before moving on to Chuichupa. There is a Naegle book on John Conrad Naegle titled “The Life and Times of John Conrad Naegle and Family” by Cherri Gubler Naegle. One of the chapters in the book titled “John Conrad Naegle, Pioneer, and Mexican Colonist” tells of his experiences in both the States of Chihuahua and Sonora including the colonization of Colonia Oaxaca. At the time the book was printed, Cherrie Naegle was living in Toquerville. I have her phone number and address if anyone is interested in the book. Lots of Colony history with other families mentioned in this chapter.
Thank you for all the great work you do here, Ryan. I really enjoy it!
Earline Whetten Fewkes
Are you still publishing the Las Colonia? I have not rec. any new items in many months.
Does anyone know what happened to the early day photos taken by Orson Pratt Brown? during his investigative years in El Paso and Colonia Juarez?
575 653-4821
I know this is a long shot. My great Grandma was born in Colonia Diaz in 1901. Her parents mere not members of the church. The story I’ve heard is that her father was a civil engineer working for the railroad. She said her parents left her to go to school with the nuns. But of course there were no nuns in Diaz. I wondered if she was confused by the “sisters”. She said when the raids started, her grandmother from New Mexico came to get her and put her in school there. She never lived with her parents who divorced a short time later. Any information would be amazing! Thanks!
That’s an interesting story Monique. What was your great-grandmother’s name? Colonia Diaz was burned to the ground and never inhabited again after the Exodus.
I lived the summer of 1961 in Colonia Juárez, in a rented house on the curve just as you came into town. Although I am not LDS, I attended church in the Academy with friends I met in the Cluff, Lunt & Whetten families. Ada Whetten was like my substitute mother, since I Was only 17! That summer totally shaped my future life! I treasure the memories I made there, riding up the canyon on horseback to go swimming, singing in the production of the musical Deseret, watching the bridge across the river being torn out by a 2 feet thick cap of hail during my first day in town, the Coca Cola ad burned into the hillside “Coca Cola grande, le da mucho más” in which someone ( Mormon, I suspect) changed the más to “ gas”! Dr. Hatch gave me my typhoid shot. And I made friends with the owner of the Greek restaurant in N. Casa Grandes who treated me so nicely when he found out I am 1/4 Greek! I met my first Gypsies in Col. Juárez when they stopped to beg a peach from the trees in the yard. And I remember how a group of us teenagers had to ride 2 hours bareback to bring back the burros that were stolen from our yard, I could barely walk for days!
All these experiences began my love affair for Mexico so I now have lived & taught in Chihuahua, Puebla & Baja California Sur where I lived for 20 years!
If anyone knows Marta or RicardoBlanco of N. Casa Grandes, please pass on my email address. He once nicknamed me “Changaricutirimícuara”!
If any of my former friends read this & want to write me, my email is profeileen@ yahoo.com.
Eileen Evans Herrera
My great-great-grandfather, George Wilson McConkie, and his three families lived in the Cave Valley Ward in the Colonies. My Grandmother, Persia Ethel McConkie told me stories about their experiences down there. I am sending a link to his history from Family Search/
https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/119441321?p=42103733&returnLabel=George%20Wilson%20McConkie%20(KWCY-VN7)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FKWCY-VN7
This is great John. Thanks for sharing!