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Orson Pratt Brown

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               ORSON PRATT BROWN

                   1863-1946

One of the most colorful and controversial characters of all the settlers in Mexico was Orson Pratt Brown, son of Captain James Brown, Jr. of the Mormon Battalion and founder of Ogden, Utah. It was Captain Brown’s daily diary of the Battalion that finally settled the date of the discovery of gold in California, as January 24, 1848.

Orson Pratt Brown was born in Ogden, Utah, May 22, 1863 and was named for the early Mormon Apostle, Orson Pratt. In March, 1887 when Apostle Moses Thatcher, returning from a visit to Mexico, called for volunteers to help establish and pioneer settlements there, Orson answered the call.

Orson’s father had died of an accident four months after Orson’s birth. Consequently, the deep religious faith implanted in Orson’s mind was a result of the constant companionship of his mother, Phoebe Abbott. The personal testimony of Martin Harris, Brigham Young and John Taylor concerning the Prophet Joseph Smith and the stirring events of the founding of the Church also had a profound effect on Orson’s life. In the fall of 1866 his mother married William Fife. When Orson Pratt Brown was seventeen, in October 1880, Fife moved part of two families to Arizona, and there began exciting experiences for Orson so common to early pioneer life in the West.  These prepared him for an adventurous life in Mexico, after he answered the call of Apostle Thatcher in 1887, as mentioned above.

That same year he married Martha (Mattie) Dianne Romney, the first of five wives who bore him children. Their first child, Carrie, died in infancy. Mattie mothered eight children: Ray, Clyde, Dewey, Miles, Vera, Phoebe, Orson Juarez, and Anthony. Mattie died in 1943. Orson’s second wife, Jane Galbraith, bore him seven children: Ronald, Grant, Martha, Galbraith, Orson, Porfirio Diaz and Emma. Galbraith was killed in 1912 when he was eight years old, during the Exodus from Mexico. Porfirio Diaz’ name was changed to Thomas Patrick. On January 15, 1901, O. P. married a third wife, Elizabeth Graham Macdonald Webb, a widow from Mesa, Arizona, with two little girls, Elsie and Marguerite, whom Orson adopted. Elizabeth’s father was Alexander F. Macdonald, prominent in the founding of the colonies. She bore Orson two sons, Donald and Duncan. In 1902 Orson was ordained Bishop of Colonia Morelos by Apostle George Teasdale and on September 3, 1902, he married Eliza Skousen. She bore him six children: Gwendolyn, Anna, Otis Pratt, Orson Erastus, Francisco Madero and Elizabeth-his only children born in the United States.

On July 3, 1903 while Orson Pratt Brown and three other men were constructing an adobe building as a tithing warehouse, the scaffold on which they were standing while pulling up green cottonwood logs for rafters collapsed and the four men were thrown fourteen feet to the ground. Orson landed on his head and was struck by a heavy log. His neck, shoulder, and elbow were broken and his skull was cracked. Still conscious, he was carried into a house and administered to by two other men who also went down in the fall. A frontier doctor was sent for, arriving four days later. He set the shoulder and elbow, but feared to touch the neck. In his distress, as O. P. himself reports, “before they had taken their hands off my head, I felt life and strength come back into my body and I was healed. The power of the Lord was so great in the room that no one could speak for a long time.”

Orson recovered at once, rose up from his chair, tore the bandages from his head, and shouted, “I am healed!” His great faith had “wrought a miracle,” but for the rest of his life, his head veered to one side, a constant reminder of the miraculous experience.

When Orson Pratt Brown first went to Mexico he determined to learn to speak Spanish and he became exceptionally fluent. His willingness to see and understand the point of view of the Mexicans and his fairness and impartiality added to his prestige, so that in all conflicts or misunderstandings between the Mexicans and the Mormons his judgment was sought. He became the “go-between” to settle disputes, whether great or small. During the Madero Revolution when various factions raided the colonies, he carried a special letter from the revolutionary leader Francisco I. Madero certifying to the neutrality of the Mormon settlers and ordering all revolutionists to respect the homes and property of the colonists.

In 1907 he was released as Bishop of Morelos and moved his families to Colonia Dublan where he became a member of the Stake High Council, and a close friend of Anthony W. Ivins, the Stake President. During this time, he assisted in organizing the Laguna Canal Company which brought irrigation water to the Dub Ian and Casas Grandes districts and saved their crops.

When the Madero Revolution occurred in November 1910 most of the Mexican people joined with Madero against the federals. Still others joined with Generals Salazar and Alaniz who operated in the Casas Grandes area independently of Madero. Although the colonies decided to remain neutral, Orson was sent to EI Paso, Texas to request help from the Church in securing arms for their protection. In EI Paso Orson met an old friend, Abram Gonzales, rebel Governor of Chihuahua, who introduced him to Madero. Madero gave him letters to rebel officers asking them to respect the lives and property of the Mormon colonists. This gave rise to the rumor that Brown had voided the neutrality of the colonists and had sided with the Madero revolutionists. But his neutrality is evidenced by the fact that he named one of his children “Porfirio Diaz,” after the President of Mexico, and another “Francisco Madero.” He honored both sides.

Orson witnessed battles between the rebels and federals at both Agua Prieta and Ciudad Juarez, and later became inspector of cattle for the Pancho Villa forces until he had a disagreement with the rebel bandit. The three day battle at Ciudad Juarez became the turning point in the Revolution and the key that turned Mexico over to Madero. Later, Orson worked for General Bell of the U.S. Army during the time General Pershing pursued Villa into Mexico, after Villa’s raid on Columbus, New Mexico. In July, 1912, Orson was called to Thatcher, Arizona by the serious illness of his mother. While there he received a telegram from President Ivins: “Conditions serious. Return immediately.” He returned to El Paso and found a trainload of refugees from the colonies. “I have,” he said, “never witnessed such heart rending scenes, as with the anxiety of women and children who had left their husbands and fathers behind to look after the cattle and property.” Orson was on the committee to help relocate them among friends and relatives in the United States. The U.S. Government gave out relief provisions to all Americans who had been forced to flee Mexico.

Orson Pratt Brown went to Douglas, Arizona and met refugees from the colonies from Sonora, who came in wagons. When one of the wagons accidentally tipped over, his eight-year-old son, Galbraith, was killed. Before this, the continual raiding of the colonies by uncontrollable rebel bandits induced the colonists to leave Mexico. Word was received from Utah Senator Reed Smoot in Washington that the Secretary of State could not assure the refugees assistance or protection. Finally the arms Orson had been sent to EI Paso to buy arrived, and after some difficulty and delay they were released to Oscar Bluth, Ira Pratt and others. The colonists had pledged neutrality, and now with the importation of arms, a serious controversy was created, and Orson’s loyalty and integrity were questioned by both sides. It was a time of trial for Orson, for “duplicity and roguery” was charged by foe and even by old friends.

After the Exodus, he went to Douglas, Arizona to help an old friend who was having trouble with a wayward daughter, but he himself fell victim to the snare of Satan. Of this he writes: “One experience at this time made me unworthy of association with the Saints and I made a confession of my misdeeds” to the Church Authorities. Church records state briefly, “Orson Pratt Brown, High Priest, El Paso Ward, St. Joseph Stake, excommunicated, May 7, 1922 for unchastity.”

In his diary, he writes of this time in Mexico: Within the next few years of continued Revolution, General Francisco I. Madero became President of Mexico, was betrayed by his Generals, and killed. Carranza was President for a while, and he was killed. As World War I began, Obregon came into power. Still later Obregon was assassinated and General Calles became President. With such conditions existing in Mexico I could not agree with President Joseph C. Bentley that it would be wise for those who wanted to return to their homes in the colonies, to do so. Brother Bentley was right and I was wrong. I want to say this of him: He was one of the truest friends, most humble, God-fearing and courageous, of all the men I have associated with.

Later I had family troubles and my three wives all got divorces from me and I was alone. In 1919 he married Angela Gabaldon, and moved to Ciudad Juarez and was employed by the U.S. War Finance Corporation to protect their cattle interests in the Santa Clara Valley in Mexico. In 1925 he was again baptized into the Church by Bishop Arwell Pierce in EI Paso. He moved to Colonia Dublan in 1927 and presided over the Mexican Branch, and “there began to enjoy the blessings of the Gospel.” He attended the Centennial Conference of the Church in Salt Lake City in April, 1930. While there, President Anthony W. Ivins by instruction of President Heber J. Grant, “restored unto me my former blessings, the Priesthood, my wives and children.”

In his diary, under date of August 20, 1932: “I am en joying my labors among the Mexican Saints in Dublan, and I hereby give my testimony that if we are faithful in the service of the Lord, he will protect and bless us in every way that will be for our good. We are useful in this life only according to the service we render others. The privilege to serve is the greatest blessing, and it depends on the kind of service we render.”

Orson Pratt Brown died March 10, 1946 in Dublan, Mexico, age eighty-two years and ten months.

Aird Macdonald, nephew of Elizabeth Graham            Macdonald Brown. Stalwarts South of the Border, Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, page 72.

Franklin Stewart Harris

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Franklin Stewart Harris

1884 – 1960

Details of activities and achievement of this illustrious educator, administrator, and ambassador of goodwill need no repetition. But mention of them assures him a place among the stalwarts of the Mormon colonies in Mexico. His heritage, his natural adaptabilities as well as his basic potentialities assure him this claim.

Franklin S. Harris was born into a family of educators. His father and mother, Dennison Emer and Eunice Stewart Harris were both students of Karl G. Maeser. They met and marr ied while attending Brigham Young Academy. Both did competent work in the schoolroom before and after marriage, first in the Nebo District in Utah and later in the pre-Juarez Stake Academy days in Colonia Juarez.

Frank, their second son, was born in Benjamin, Utah, August 27, 1884 and was but five years of age when his parents joined their educational efforts with the struggling settlers of Colonia Juarez. They were a vital part of the community life until Frank was nineteen years of age. His growing-up days afforded experiences that laid a firm foundation for his future greatness. Being a grandson of sturdy pioneers on both sides of the family, he was richly endowed with resourcefulness, endurance, an abiding faith in God, and a consuming desire to qualify for whatever life had to offer. Many of his future positions of trust stemmed from lessons learned in these early years.

Frail and delicate in health during his childhood years, he would sit much of his time, looking at pictures in a book and holding a pet. His love for good books and his later ability to author several important textbooks had their beginnings in these early years. What he read from them made a profound impression on his life. No matter where his travels took him in later life, he never bypassed a library building nor failed to browse through its aisles to leaf through its. most appealing volumes. “I like the feel of a good book in my hand,” was his usual comment at the end of these visits.

From this came his wide reading habits, his ability to assimilate information, to classify and use it to make him an authority on many vital questions. The value of good books and voluminous reference material geared his promotion of adequate library facilities in every university he headed, and filled them with books containing information in all fields.

As a boy Franklin S. Harris was taught the Spanish language in school, and was provided with infinite opportunities to use it in free conversation with natives of Mexico, working, playing and later doing business with them. This made it easy to love those of another race, to respect their customs and way of life. From this he found that mastering one foreign language was an open sesame to the fundamentals of another and being able to understand a foreign people. Growing up on a foreign frontier, he worked for what he had, or went without. From his first job, clerking in his father’s store, he learned to hand Ie money, to be strict in accounting for what passed through his hands. Later as an administrator of large universities, where he had to handle great sums of money, these fundamentals helped. Riding the range and rounding up cattle to preserve and build up a good herd gave him genuine respect for a good mount. He never outgrew his love for a faithful horse, nor lost his enjoyment of the feeling of a sturdy, dependable animal under him.

His interest in food preservation originated in Mexico also. Until a cannery, in which he worked, was instituted, the only means of enjoyment of fruits and vegetables the year-round was through drying apples, peaches, grapes, green corn and squash. The only means of keeping pork, beef and butter for year-round consumption was in preserving it in brine or dry salt.

Through his continued interest in this subject, he became chairman of the United National Food and Agricultural Association of Greece in 1946 where his findings were of international benefit.

In his evening strolls from home on star lit nights, study of the stars and other heavenly bodies became a favorite pastime. He often said, “No place in the world stars seem so close and friendly” as he found them on these strolls. He came to know many of the common constellations. At an early age he could talk understandingly of heavenly bodies and impart his awe and amazement of the perfect order in the universe. On one of his trips through the deserts in Iran, his group had been following the tracks of a truck, for there was no road. When the truck tracks disappeared, everyone had a different idea about which way they should go. Frank quietly said,

“We will sit and wait until it is dark. Then I can tell you by the stars the direction we should take.”

Frank was an independent thinker and worked out his own problems, never asking for help until he had done all he could for himself. He also learned the value of time, and was always willing to do his share of work. These stable qualities contributed immensely to his future success.

With the coming of Guy C. Wilson to Colonia Juarez in 1897, Frank’s school life took on more purpose. He was just ready to enter his freshman year. This was a privilege made possible after only ten years of settlement.

Ordinarily high school privileges were not possible in so short a time, and Frank was not slow in realizing this opportunity as an outlet to his ambitions. He was primed to be fed educationally by this dynamic Utah-trained educator and to digest his teachings. Under Professor Wilson’s stimulating direction, learning-hungry Frank went fast. Quoting his brother, we read:

Education was not the only manifestation of quality among these resourceful pioneers. Though poor in material things they were rich in aspirations of the cultural and spiritual attainments. Mediocrity and the shoddy were looked upon with disfavor, while excellence and high quality were sought. As early as the 1890s many cultural achievements were manifest. A band under the direction of German-trained John J. Walser was organized in which Frank played the cornet. Local dramatics and musical presentations were of a high order. A well-trained Ward choir directed by Walser enriched the weekly Sacrament meetings in which Frank sang a tenor part. Intense interest in these cultural activities were developed in Frank.

His reward was the cultural uplift such things gave to his life. Frank also was influenced by the missionary system that, in spite of poor conditions, sent several missionaries a year to all parts of the world. In this atmosphere, Frank passed through four years of high school and graduated in May 1903. His appetite for learning had been whetted so that nothing but a college degree could be considered. Three months after his graduation from high school, he enrolled in the Brigham Young University to begin a brilliant career. He was primed and readied for a dedicated life by taking seriously what his mother had often repeated: “Preparation is the key that opens the door of opportunity.”

Franklin S. Harris returned to Colonia Juarez after one year at the Brigham Young University to be a fellow teacher with Guy C. Wilson, and proved by the efficient way he opened scientific doors to students so inclined, that the torch Professor Wilson had lit for him was being passed on to others still burning. His father moved his family from Colonia Juarez that year, 1904, to a farm near Cardston, Canada. So the community in which he had grown up saw him no more as a resident. During college years he met and married Estella Spilsbury, daughter of Moroni and Rosalie Haight Spilsbury of Toquerville, Utah. The marriage began a long, happy fruitful life together and was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple June 8, 1908. Together they reared six children, all of whom do honor to his name, one of them being the well-known columnist for the Improvement Era, where for twenty-five years approximately he shared his scientific findings under the title, “Exploring the Universe.” All are graduates, even Estella, of the Brigham Young University.

Franklin S. Harris received his Bachelor Degree from the Brigham Young University in 1907 and his Ph.D. in soil sciences, chemistry and plant physiology from Cornell University at Ithaca, New York in 1911. Less than ten years later he was appointed President of the Brigham Young University. He was then thirty-six years old. Because of his doctorate, his training under Dr. Widtsoe, his teaching at the Agricultural College in Logan and his magnetic personality, he was rated the best man in the State of Utah for the position. His twenty-four years of service proved this to be no exaggeration. His fame as an agronomist was worldwide, and his textbooks are yet in demand.

In one year Franklin S. Harris increased the enrollment from 425 to 800, and in twenty-four years to more than 3000. There was only one college within the university, education, when he began. “Not everyone who enters the BYU wants to be a teacher,” he reasoned. “There must be other departments added for training in other fields.” Five more colleges were added in less than four years: the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Applied Science; the College of Commerce; and finally, the College of Fine Arts.

Later a Graduate School and Extension Division were added. His annual budget was less than 5 percent of what other universities were receiving. Yet with his ability to stretch dollars and make every penny do maximum service, and by insisting that every department stay within its budget, he saved enough to buy property on “Temple Hill” for an expanded BYU campus, and began the fabulous building program that still is in progress.

The Maeser Memorial was the only building on the upper campus. To it were added seven more buildings: The Heber J. Grant Library in 1925; the Stadium in 1929; the Brimhall Building in 1935; the Stadium House in 1936; the dormitories, Allen Hall for men and Amanda Knight Hall for women in 1938; and the Joseph Smith Memorial building. The J. Reuben Clark Library replaced the Heber J. Grant Library in 1963. The George A. Smith Field House was added to the Stadium about the same time. And vision of what has since been accomplished building-wise was in mind.

As his school expanded, his popularity with teachers and students grew. He was friendly and helpful and his office door stood open always for free entrance of students or teachers with problems to discuss. This easy accessibility to his office made Franklin S. Harris personally acquainted with many students and teachers. He could call more of them by their first name than any other administrator on campus. He curtailed the fraternity system extensively, viewing it as a detriment to academic attainment, and as insufficiently democratic. He controlled his students by giving them just one rule to follow, which was: “Make every thought and act of your life while attending the Brigham Young University square with the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” He set the example and required faculty members to do the same.

While Franklin S. Harris was changing the Brigham Young University from a small unknown college into a renowned institution of learning, he was filling other assignments of a world-wide nature. In 1929 he was chairman of an American Commission to travel to the Soviet Union to observe the living conditions of the Jewish people. After traveling through parts of Europe and European Russia his commission went to Eastern Siberia to explore the agricultural possibilities of land which was thought to be a suitable place for Jewish colonization. Franklin S. Harris reported his findings to Jewish leaders in Europe and his descriptions of various colonization projects were welcomed by influential American Jews. In 1939 Franklin S. Harris served a year as agricultural advisor to the Shah of Persia. Sometime later he returned to set up a workable four-point program. He later returned to Persia (now Iran) again in 1952, after he left the Brigham Young University and was President of the Utah Agricultural College in Logan, Utah. Even after his retirement in 1950, he undertook similar missions. He raised the standards of production, improved methods, and made lasting friends from His Majesty the Shah to the lowliest workman. His reputation as an agricultural advisor never suffered a decline.

His appointment to become President of the Utah State Agricultural College caused deep regret in the separation from his beloved BYU, but he entered his new duties in the fall of 1945. Franklin S. Harris held this position until the spring of 1950, and remained President Emeritus of this institution until he died. Death marked the passing of a remarkable educator, a lover of mankind and a world-wide benefactor. He died April 18, 1960 and was laid to rest in the Salt Lake City cemetery. He was mourned and revered by his family and legions of friends. His funeral service was held in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, Salt Lake City and his memorial services were held in the George Albert Smith Field House on the campus of his beloved Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, May 23, 1960.

In 1962, a lasting memorial for Franklin S. Harris was planned and in 1965 BYU’s largest academic building, the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center was dedicated. It is a structure that dramatically perpetuates his love of the Fine Arts, his appreciation of the culture that produced it and his dedication to the promotion of a keener appreciation of the beauty of art.

The building, while perpetuating the memory of a revered founder, is truly an art center, a sight-lifter for all who enter and a cultural uplift to the campus. It is also a reminder of one who enriched life and added beauty to that of others.

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch

Stalwarts South of the Border, by Nelle Spilsbury Hatch

Page 234

Junius Romney

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Junius Romney

1878-1971

Born March 12, 1878, in St. George, Utah, Junius Romney was the son of Miles Park and Catherine Cottam Romney.

Miles Park’s father, Miles, had moved to St. George under the direction of Church leaders and was playing a significant role as a builder, supervising, for example, the construction of the tabernacle.  Miles Park assisted in that construction as head of the carpentry shop.  He had other business interests and civic commitments, most notable in drama, and served in various church administrative capacities.  Catherine, Junius’s mother, was born to a family which had settled in St. George in 1862.  Because Miles Park had five wives, several of whom had large families, brothers, sisters, and cousins abounded.

When he was three years old, Junius accompanied his his family to St. Johns, Arizona, one of several centers of Mormon settlement on the Little Colorado River.  They first settled in town in a log cabin with a dirt floor, later replaced with a nice frame home.  The Romney family was in the middle of an intense anti-Mormon campaign to which Miles P. responded vigorously as editor of a newspaper and which forced Catherine and others to flee their homes periodically.  This persecution became so intense that Junius and most of his family returned to St. George in 1884.

This second period in St. George was temporary while Miles P.  and others investigated places in Mexico to which they could flee for safety.  Junius and his family lived with Catherine’s parents, the Cottams, who at the same time furnished a hiding place for Wilford Woodruff who was being pursued by government authorities.  To help support the family, Junuius tended cows in the surrounding desert.  So hot was the sand at the time that he recollects moving from the shade of one bush to another, crying as he stood on one bare foot and then the other to allow each an opportunity to cool.  When he reached eight years of age, he was baptized in the temple font.  Then in 1886, Catherine and her children were instructed to join Miles P. and others in Mexico.  The Cottams generously outfitted them with clothing and, following blessing from Wilford Woodruff, Junius Romney and the others left for their new home in Mexico. 

During January of 1887, they traveled by train to Deming, New Mexico, then by wagon into Mexico.  ON the way, Junuius was thrown from the wagon and run over.  His ear, torn almost completely from his head, was replaced and bandaged in place by his mother.  On arriving in Colonia Juarez, the newcomers joined two of Miles P.’s other families—Annie’s, who was living in a dugout beside the river in the “Old Town,” and Hannah’s, who lived in a house of vertical poles called a “stockade house.”  Catherine’s house was their wagon box to which were attached a bowery and a small wooden room.

Life was simple and family centered—simple clothes, straw or husk tick on the beds, a diet of corn, beans, molasses, greens and thinned milk, and occasional treats of wheat flour bread.  In his later years, Junius still enjoyed the simplicity of a sweet apple off a tree or a dinner of cheese, bread, and milk.

After about a year in Colonia Juarez, the three Romney wives and the family of Helaman Pratt moved to Cliff Ranch, a small valley along the Piedras Verdes Riverin the mountains.  Here they lived for about two years in seclusion.  This required independence and innovation.  Junius Romney recalls how his mother and the other adults provided religious and intellectual instruction in addition to the necessities of life.  Work included herding cows barefoot in the snow and building irrigation systems.  Natural greens, potatoes, and grains were staples with treats of molasses cake, nuts and potato pie.  In addition to other qualities he may have developed there, Cliff Ranch increased Junius Romney’s appreciation of his family.

In the fall of 1890, the Romney’s returned to Colonia Juarez, and not long thereafter, Junius Romney moved to a farm which his father had purchased about a mile west of Casas Grandes.  There, with his Aunt Hannah and her family, he worked for three years and received the benefit of three months’ formal schooling per year in Colonia Juarez.

In his 16th year, Junius Romney became an employee of the Juarez Cooperative Mercantile Institution.  This led him into his vocation as a businessman and into a close association with Henry Eyring, the manager.  In that occupation, he became acquainted with the Mexican people, merchandising procedures, Mexican law, bookkeeping, Spanish, and the postal service.  He soon became postmaster, a position he held for 13 years.  Junius later observed how much he owed to Henry Eyring, who also taught frugality through making bags out of newspapers in order to save buying them commercially.

It was during this time that Junius Romney became acquainted with Gertude Stowell, daughter of Brigham and Olive Bybee Stowell.  Brigham operated the mill on the east side of the river south of town and owned a cattle ranch north of town.  Gertrude grew up willing to work hard, a trait she preserved throughout her life, and was also interested in intellectual activities and things of beauty. After she broke her engagement to another young man, Junius courted her earnestly.  His correspondence with her progressed from “Dear Friend” to Dearest Gertrude” and culminated in their marriage in the Salt Lake Temple on October 10, 1900. 

Junius Romney continued his work in the Juarez Mercantile as their family began to grow.  Olive was born in 1901, Junius Stowell, called J.S., in 1903, and Catherine (Kathleen), in 1905.  That Kathleen survived, having been born at only two and one-half pounds while both parents were suffering from typhoid fever, is something of a miracle.  Margaret was born in 1909.  Catherine, Junius’s mother, lived with them for a time after the death of Miles P. in 1904. 

The typhoid fever that both Junius and Gertrude suffered was accompanied with pneumonia for Junius, but after limited professional medical care and extensive aid from family and friends, they recovered.

More important, for Junius, was the fact that an early administration by Church Elders did not heal him. He concluded that the Lord needed to impress him that he indeed had typhoid fever and his eventual recovery indicated that the Lord had a purpose for his life, a purpose he saw fulfilled in his role as leader during the Exodus of 1912. Successful healings from priesthood administration shortly thereafter reinforced this opinion.

The young couple lived in an adobe house directly north of the lot upon which the Anthony W. Ivins house once stood and the Ward building now stands. In about 1906, a substantial brick house, which still stands, was built. The bricks were cooperatively prepared with several other families.

The resulting structure with its clean lines and decorative wooden trim was equal to any similar sized house built in Salt Lake City at the time, and, in fact, reflected the strong North American orientation of the colonists.

Junius continued to work in the Juarez Mercantile store until about 1902. He thereafter worked for the Juarez Tanning and Manufacturing Company until about 1907. He continued as postmaster, handling business from a room made on their front porch. In addition to this work, Junius was very much involved in other business activities such as buying and selling animals and land, and supervising some agricultural production. He handled some legal matters for colonists and taught bookkeeping and Spanish at the Juarez Academy.

For two months during the summer of 1903, while Gertrude tended the post office and their two young children, Junius Romney went to Salt Lake City where he attended the LDS Business College. His studies included penmanship, bookkeeping, and typing. Among his extra-curricular activities were attendance at bicycle races at Saltair, as well as visiting relatives. In addition to the three three-month periods of schooling while he lived on the farm near Casas Grandes, and about three years of taking classes at the Academy just before his marriage, this stay at the business college concluded his formal education.

During these early years of marriage, Junius served as Second Counselor in the Stake Sunday School Superintendency. During a very busy January, 1902, he served as an MIA Missionary in which calling he participated in a flurry of meetings in Colonia Juarez. He also served as Stake Clerk, which with his Sunday School calling, led him to visit throughout the colonies and to become acquainted with the conditions of the Church and the people. He also learned much of Church administration.

Two major recreational activities occurred during these years. The first was a visit in 1904 by Junius Romney and a friend to the World’s Fair in St. Louis. The second was a trip in company with the Stake President, Anthony W. Ivins, into the Sierra Madres where President Ivins owned some land. Junius fished and hunted and, more significantly, enjoyed the association of the man whom he was soon to succeed as Stake President.

As the government of President Diaz came under attack and was eventually defeated by the forces of Francisco I. Madero, the Mormon colonies were drawn into the struggle. Junius processed various damage claims submitted by the colonists to contending parties, and, as President of the Stake, he became directly involved in the aftermath of the death of Juan Sosa, which occurred in Colonia Juarez in 1911. In the Sosa matter, he assisted in hiding colonists who, as deputies, had participated in the shooting. He eventually met with a local judge and sent a letter to President Madero on behalf of the fugitives. This letter at last reached Abraham Gonzales, formerly Governor of Chihuahua and then Secretary of the Interior in Mexico City. Gonzales directed that the prosecution of the Mormon deputies be discontinued. Eventually the matter was forgotten as the military struggle increased in intensity.

Soon after President Ivins was called to be a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, John Henry Smith and George F. Richards of the same quorum came to Colonia Juarez to reorganize the Stake. In the meetings of March 7 and 8, 1908, these visiting authorities selected Junius Romney as the new Stake President with Hyrum H. Harris and Charles E. McClellan as Counselors. The visiting authorities indicated that plural marriages were no longer to be performed in Mexico as they had been since 1890. Because he had not been directly involved in these recent plural marriages and was living in monogamy, Junius was a good choice to implement that policy.

As Stake President, Junius traveled to Mexico City to review the missionary work there and at least twice attended general conference in Salt Lake City. He also traveled to Chihuahua City where he talked with the President of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz, who exhibited considerable interest in and affection for the Mormon colonists. The authoritarian government under Diaz and the work of the Mormon colonists were complementary. The government provided the climate in which the Church members could live in relative security with little interference. The colonists contributed to political and social stability and grew outstanding agricultural products, both qualities that Diaz wanted demonstrated to the native Mexicans.

Routine church business was also handled. His correspondence notes action on a possible Branch of the Church near Chihuahua City, operation of the Church auxiliaries with a Stake activity calendar for the four months through August of 1912, concern in one Ward over lagging tithing payments and pride of another Ward over anticipated benefits from a newly completed reservoir. That the Revolution was intruding upon Church work is indicated by the inability of President Romney to obtain signatures of all Ward Bishops on a document, and instructions to avoid purchasing grain from native Mexicans since the soldiers might need it.

Although the tempo of the Revolution demanded increasingly more attention, Junius still pursued his business interests in a way that indicated he intended to stay indefinitely in Mexico. He was involved in agreements to buy and sell land, a proposal to build a fruit cannery in Colonia Juarez, and the purchase of some 715 fruit trees to be planted on his land.

One of the first direct confrontations between the Revolutionaries and Mormons came in February, 1912, with a demand by Enrique Portillo for weapons. Portillo was a local leader of rebels under Pascual Orozco who by that time was opposing Madero. In company with Joseph C. Bentley and Guy C. Wilson, Junius told Portillo that the only way he would get Mormon guns was with smoke coming out of the barrels. After Junius reported this incident to the First Presidency in Salt Lake City, he received a letter from them which he considered very important. The First Presidency approved the action taken, but said that a different set of circumstances might call for a different response. They advised that the foremost concern should be the safety of members of the Church. A letter from Anthony W. Ivins at this time promised no loss of lives if the Saints were faithful. Some, not including Junius, interpreted this to mean that the colonists could always safely remain in Mexico.

Besides the admonition to care for the safety of the colonists, the policy of neutrality urged on the Saints was important to Junius. This policy was directed to all U. S. citizens from authorities in Washington, D.C. Moreover, the General Authorities advocated neutrality for Church members in Mexico. Regardless of personal feelings, Junius and other leaders attempted to be neutral. This was not an easy policy to follow since soldiers from both sides often forcibly requisitioned horses and other supplies. During the early stages of the Revolution, the soldiers were urged to respect neutrality.

While attempting to remain neutral, the colonists recognized a need to obtain weapons equal in quality to those possessed by the warring factions around them. Accordingly, the Stake leaders attempted unsuccessfully to import high powered rifles in December of 1911. Then in April, 1912, after the U.S. embargo was proclaimed, rifles were smuggled in and distributed to the various colonies from Junius’s home in Colonia Juarez.

After initial success against the government, Orozco was defeated in several battles in May, 1912, and retreated northward toward the colonies. At the same time, Mexicans responded to the killing of a Mexican, surprised during a robbery in Colonia Diaz, by killing James Harvey, a colonist. President Romney in company with several Mexican officials from Casas Grandes rode in a buggy to Colonia Diaz and defused the threatening situation. This experience further impressed Junius with the explosive conditions in which they found themselves and the danger of resorting to an armed defense. As a result, he reaffirmed his belief in the policy of neutrality and the necessity of the Mormons getting through the conflict with a minimal loss of life.

Junius wrote to the First Presidency requesting instruction on what to do and asking that Anthony W. Ivins be sent to the colonies to counsel with them. The First Presidency told Junius to do what he thought best after counseling with other Church leaders in the Stake. Elder Ivins traveled to the colonies and returned to El Paso where he remained throughout the Exodus.

After being defeated by federal forces in early July, 1912, the Orozco rebels moved to El Paso where they made their headquarters. This was usually a place where Revolutionaries could be resupplied with arms and ammunition, but because of the U. S. embargo, Orozco was unable to rebuild his army. So the rebels turned to the Mormon colonists who, they believed, had weapons they could obtain.

General Salazar, a local rebel leader, called Junius to his headquarters in Casas Grandes and there demanded a list of the colonists’ guns. After consultation with the leaders in Colonia Juarez and Colonia Dublan, Junius requested the information from each colony.

Faced with this increased pressure, representatives from throughout the colonies met with the Stake Presidency to decide how to proceed. The group decided to continue to pursue a policy of neutrality and to act unitedly under the direction of the Stake Presidency.

On July 13, 1912, when news reached Colonia Juarez that rebels in Colonia Diaz were demanding guns from the colonists, a meeting of eleven local men and two members of the Stake Presidency was convened at Junius’s home. The group sent messengers to Colonia Diaz with letters previously issued by rebel leaders urging respect for the neutrality of the Mormons. Junius Romney and Hyrum Harris of the Stake Presidency were instructed to confer with General Salazar to persuade him to call off the rebels. Junius prepared a letter to General Orozco in EI Paso which he sent with Ed Richardson.

That same night Junius and Hyrum Harris rode to Casas Grandes where they located General Salazar. Having prevailed upon a guard to awake the general, Romney described the crisis. Salazar lashed out at the rebel leader in Colonia Diaz, saying that he should not have made that demand, todavia no (not yet). Junius reports that those last two words caused a chill to run up his back, since it seemed to be the general’s intention to sometime require weapons of the colonists. Such a demand, Junius foresaw, would perpetrate a crisis. Romney and Harris received an order from Salazar which they took to Colonia Dublan for delivery to Colonia Diaz.

The next day, Junius traveled by train to El Paso to confer with Elder Ivins. On the way he had a conversation with General Salazar who said he intended to do something to force the U.S. to intervene militarily in the Revolution. In El Paso, Elder Ivins seemed to think that Junius was overly concerned. Still, they jointly sent a telegram to the First Presidency requesting instructions. The reply said that “the course to be pursued by our people in Mexico must be determined by yourself, Romney and the leading men of the Juarez Stake.” Romney was looking for specific instructions, but received none. He later reflected that if the Lord intended to have his people removed from Mexico, it was better that he, rather than Elder Ivins who had put his life into building the colonies, should lead that evacuation. Although Ivins visited the colonies for several days during the next two weeks, he gave no more specific instructions on what to do.

Orson P. Brown, the colonists’ representative in El Paso, wrote Junius that the State Department had indicated that the Mormons could not expect U.S. governmental support in the event they defended themselves. Brown predicted that the colonists would have to leave their homes.

Fearing the worst, Junius wrote a letter on July 24, advising the mountain colonies to be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice, should the need arise.

Two days later, Junius, in company with four other colonists, traveled to Casas Grandes for a meeting with General Salazar. The general and his aid, Demetrio Ponce, a Mexican who lived among the Mormons, ordered Junius Romney and Henry E. Bowman to deliver Mormon owned guns and ammunition to the rebels. Junius refused to do so and was supported in his decision by Bowman. Bowman’s support was further evidence to Junius that the Lord was directing things since such support was essential to the later evacuation, and the older man had previously been somewhat critical of the young Stake President. Salazar then directed some soldiers to accompany the Mormons to Colonia Dublan where they were ordered to collect weapons, by force if necessary.

In Dublan, Junius Romney conferred with Bishop Thurber and other men. They decided that some compliance was required, so instructions were sent for colonists to bring in their poorest weapons. The rebels were temporarily pacified when these deliveries were made at the schoolhouse.

In the same meeting, it was decided to send the Mormon women and children to EI Paso for their safety. Henry Bowman left at once for Texas to arrange for their arrival and a few colonists departed with him that very day. Junius composed a letter to Colonia Diaz describing what had occurred and directing the colonists in that community to follow the same procedure for evacuation.

That same evening, Romney returned to Colonia Juarez where he joined a meeting of the men already in progress. Bishop Joseph C. Bentley and others were not in favor of anyone leaving the colonies, but after some discussion and a recommendation from President Romney that they evacuate their women and children, he and the others agreed to comply and to urge others to do the same. Those at the meeting also agreed to relinquish their poorest weapons to the rebels.

On Sunday, July 28, some weapons and ammunition from the Juarez colonists were delivered at the bandstand to the rebels. Junius sent messages to the mountain colonies of Colonia Pacheco, Garcia, and Chuhuichupa advising them to be prepared to give up some of their weapons and to send their women and children to EI Paso. He told his wife, Gertrude, that the Bishop was in charge of the evacuation and would help them leave. He bid his family farewell and departed to Casas Grandes to meet with General Salazar.

The actions on July 27 and 28 left the colonies occupied only by adult men. Each town was furnished with a small contingent of rebel soldiers who were responsible for keeping the peace and protecting the colonists who had presumably relinquished their weapons. During the next few days of relative calm, Junius wrote to the various colonies to apprise them of the situation and to advise them to act moderately, with the highest priority being given to safeguarding the lives of the men.

The situation took a turn for the worse when other rebel soldiers began moving through the colonies after having been defeated in a battle with the federals in Sonora on July 31. Uncertain about the intentions of these new arrivals, Junius and other men met in the store on August 2 and decided to call a general meeting for that night. Junius and some others understood that the night meeting was to decide on a course of action. However, as men were notified of the meeting, some understood that they were to leave town that night and go into the mountains.

That night, as Junius started toward the designated meeting place north of town, he was told that some men had already gone into the mountains. He was convinced that the rebels in town would conclude that those who left were on their way to join the federals and any men who remained would be in serious danger. Junius was unable to consult with other leaders as he had previously done, but what he needed to do seemed clear to him. His decision was to have all the men remaining in the colonies congregate at the Stairs, a previously designated site in the mountains farther up the Piedras Verdes River. Then he sat under a lantern in the bottom of the Macdonald Springs Canyon and prepared letters for Colonia Dublan and the mountain colonies, instructing the men to meet at once at the Stairs.

On the other side of the river, a significant number of the Juarez men had met at the designated site north of town, but when they did not find President Romney or the others there, they returned to their homes. When Junius discovered this later in the morning of August 3, he attempted to countermand his instructions to Dublan, but the men had already left. Later, Junius, his brother Park, and Samuel B. McClellan encountered these Dublan men and accompanied them to the Stairs.

The men who remained in Juarez, including Bishop Bentley, initially decided to go to the Stairs, but when the rebels were frightened away by the news of approaching federals, they wrote to those in the mountains expecting that they would return to the colonies. Later, when the men in town received pointed instructions from President Romney that they should go to the Stairs, Bishop Bentley and others complied.

After a preliminary meeting of the Church leaders at the Stairs, a mass meeting of all the men was held on August 5. At that time, those who had most recently arrived from Colonia Juarez urged the men to return to their homes. A majority of those there, including President Junius Romney, favored going to the United States. Junius had several reasons for his decision. He had witnessed the strong anti-American feeling among the Mexicans. He recognized the danger of international repercussions if American citizens were killed in Mexico. He wanted the smuggled guns they were carrying to reach the U.S. A vote to leave was made unanimous. The movement was made under the military leadership of Albert D. Thurber and the men crossed into New Mexico on August 9, 1912.

The fact that the colonists were out of Mexico did not release Junius as Stake President. He continued such functions as issuing recommends, counseling Ward leaders, and gathering information to help him decide what future action he would suggest. He interviewed the colonists themselves, talked with generals of the federal army, and took a three week trip back into Mexico.

The overall supervision of the refugees came under the control of a committee which included various colonists, Junius Romney, Anthony W. Ivins, and other Church representatives. This committee first concerned itself with the evacuation of the colonists in Sonora. Quite independently of the Chihuahua colonists, they evacuated their homes and were in the U.S. by the end of August.

The committee also considered whether the colonies should be reoccupied. Some returned soon after they left, mostly to recover cattle and other property. It was eventually decided that the colonists should be released from any Church obligation to live in Mexico, so that each family could make its own decision. Junius and his family decided not to return.

Gertrude and their four children had initially stayed in a Lumberyard in EI Paso with many others, but they soon moved to a single-room apartment. In the winter of 1912, they moved to Los Angeles with one of Junius’s brothers.

Junius traveled to Salt Lake City where he reported his stewardship to a meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve. He reports that he “assured President Smith that I had lived up to the best light that I had been able to receive and consequently if the move was not right I disavowed any responsibility inasmuch as I had lived up to the best inspiration I could get and had fearlessly discharged my duty as I saw it in every trying situation which had arisen.” After hearing this report as well as those of other men and assessing other information they possessed, the General Authorities decided to release Junius as Stake President and to dissolve the Juarez Stake.

While in Salt Lake City, Junius was convinced by Lorenzo Stohl of the Beneficial Life Insurance Company that he ought to try selling life insurance. Junius was dubious about this proposal, but while he traveled on the train back to Mexico, he diligently studied the material he was furnished. Shortly after arriving in El Paso, he was confronted by his brother, Orin, and D. B. Farnsworth, who were looking for a particular Beneficial agent. Junius Romney identified himself as an agent and immediately embarked on a career in which he would be a marked success. During his first year of this work he saw his family only twice, a condition he deplored, but he was determined to succeed. He learned of a contest with a $300 prize for which he would have to sell $60,000 in insurance before the end of 1912. When he won, Junius endorsed the check directly to a creditor to whom he owed money for the purchase of land in Mexico. In the next year, he won prizes totaling $550, which he likewise applied on his debts. Not only did his work help him support his family, but it also resulted in his being given the job of superintendent of agents for Beneficial Life, a position he held for ten years.

By the end of 1913, Junius was able to move his family from Los Angeles to a rented home in Salt Lake City, and six years later, to a home they purchased on Douglas Street on the east side of Salt Lake City. To the four children they brought with them out of Mexico were later added two sons, Eldon and Paul.

While most of Junius’s time during these years after the Exodus was spent in selling insurance, he continued to be concerned with those he knew in Mexico. One project in which he took considerable pride was a resettlement project along the Gila River in Arizona. With Ed Lunt, he borrowed money from Beneficial Life to buy land which was divided into twenty and forty acre parcels and sold with little or no down payment to families from the colonies.

In order to spend more time with his family, Junius left Beneficial Life. Following work in several sales ventures and a few years handling real estate for Zion’s Savings Bank, he became manager of State Building and Loan Association in 1927. He continued in that position until 1957 when his age and ill health compelled retirement. Under his management, the company had expanded to Hawaii and became a leading financial institution in Utah. As part of this work, he sold sufficient insurance to be a member of the Kansas City Life Million Dollar Roundtable three times. He was also involved in various other business enterprises, often in real estate in partnership with others.

He continued to be a faithful Church member throughout his life. He served in various Ward and Stake positions, including the Stake High Council, and as a temple worker in his later years. In later years he suffered from a variety of ailments, perhaps the most serious of which was the loss of his sight. Because he was a man of action, this was especially difficult for him. He was also much troubled by the loss of his wife who served as his companion for sixty-five years in mortality.

He was always very thoughtful of friends and neighbors, as well as his family. As he grew older he expanded his philanthropy. Probably his most noted gift was a rather expensive machine to be used in open heart surgery at the Primary Children’s Hospital.

He kept his sense of humor. For his ninetieth birthday celebration, he appeared in a rather nice hair piece. His family cautiously complimented him on his youthful appearance until the joke became apparent. At that time no one laughed more heartily than Junius.

As his health failed, he began in the late 1950s to talk and write more about the colonies. He dictated and wrote several separate reminiscences about people and events and he gave some talks centering on the Exodus from Mexico to Church groups in the Salt Lake City area. Finally, in 1957, he returned to the colonies. He was interested in reliving that part of his life, but more important to him was explaining it to others, which he did by distributing copies of one of his talks.

When he died in 1971 at ninety-three years of age, he left a significant heritage. His impact on the Mormon colonies was monumental. In business he was a personal success and a builder. In the Church he was a faithful member and significant leader. Among many he was a friend and benefactor.

To his six children, thirty grandchildren, and forty-four great-grandchildren alive at his death, he was a living symbol of much that is good about life.

Joseph Romney, grandson

Stalwarts South of the Border, Nelle Spilsbury Hatch

Page 579

Samuel John Robinson

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Samuel John Robinson

1863-1948

Samuel John Robinson was born in Payson, Utah, County, Utah, on December 10, 1863.  His parents, Joseph Robinson and Jemima Parkes Robinson had been converted to the Gospel and joined the Church in England.  They were married in England just before the sailing to America.  They found ways of crossing the plains and going to Zion.  Joseph drove cattle and sheep for one of the brethren, and Jemima found a way with another company by assisting in the care of children.  They worked for about three years in Utah before establishing a home.  When Johnston’s Army was coming to Utah they moved south and made their home in Payson.

Being a convert to the Church, his mother was very strict in observance of the Sabbath.  They were not allowed to play on that day and required not only to attend church with the family but to listen to what was said, and when they returned home to be able to tell who spoke and what they said, as nearly as they could remember.  The children were raised strictly according to Mormon standards.            

When Samuel John Robinson was 15 years of age, he father was called on a mission, and being the eldest son, his responsibility was to assist his mother in managing the farm and supporting the family.

At an early age, he was given a part in one of the Ward dramas which he took home to study.  His mother objected and said it might lead him into bad company.  She had not forgotten the traditions of Old World, i.e., that the theater might lead a person astray.  After explaining to her the conditions and naming the people of the cast, she consented.  After that, he was often given a part on the stage, both in the drama and in concerts.

In July of 1886 he and Minnie Amelia Stark were married in the Logan Temple. In 1891, he was called on a mission to England.  But before leaving, he made a trip to Mexico and married Annie Elizabeth Walser who had moved to Mexico with her father and his family.  He filled a two-year mission to England, having enjoyed some success and a great deal of satisfaction. 

In the fall of 1894, Samuel John Robinson left Payson, Utah and began a journey by team to the Mormon colonies in Chihuahua, Mexico.  He was in the company of Timothy Jones and family.  It was a long journey.  But at length he reached Colonia Juarez and was rejoined with his family, including his wife Minnie and their four children, and Annie Elizabeth Walser, whom he had not seen since their marriage before he left for England.

He sought advice from Apostle George Teasdale as to where he should settle.  Brother Teasdale told him to go to Colonia Dublan and look around, then if he didn’t find anything there to come back and he would go with him to Pacheco.  This advice was followed and he decided to remain in Colonia Dublan.  All the land that was being used by the colonists in Dublan at the time was along the river.  The Robinsons were able to secure land from George W. Patten.

Soon after moving to Dublan, Anson B. Call, Sunday School Superintendent, was called to fill a mission in England.  Samuel John Robinson was called to fill the vacancy. This was the beginning of a busy life of service in the community.

In December of 1899, at the age of 44, he was called to be Bishop of the Dublan Ward, with Joseph S. Cardon and Anson B. Call as Counselors.

From the terrenos in Dublan along the river to the hills on the east was prairie land, the development of which held the secret of the future colony.  Each year when the summer rains came the prairie would become beautiful with tall green grass and wild flowers.  Some way had to be found to irrigate the prairie land.

East of the colony, in the foothills, were two dry lakes.  Water from the hills collected in them during the rainy season, but by spring they would be almost dry.  It was thought that if, during the high water season, water from the river could be used to fill the lakes, they could be made into reservoirs and provide a source of needed irrigation.

In order to realize this, a canal would have to be built to carry the water a distance of six miles from the river to the lakes.  This could only be accomplished by a cooperative effort on the part of the people.  Many had no faith in the project, and it was a difficult talk to convince them of the feasibility of such and undertaking.  There was much opposition to the proposed plan but, with the help and advice of President Anthony W. Ivins, a sufficient number were converted and the work commenced.

Samuel John Robinson and Joseph S. Cardon staked off the route which seemed best.  This was checked by Louis Paul Cardon who had knowledge of surveying.  Later, trained surveyors were brought in.  They pronounced the original route good, and no changes were made.  About this time, Henry E. Bowman moved to Dublan to open up a mercantile business.  He was able to procure the much needed railroading equipment from Colonel Green, which he sold to the colonists, and the building of the canal was begun.

In April of 1903, a great sorrow came into the family life of the Robinsons.  Annie Elizabeth, the beloved wife and dear companion to all the family, passed away.  She gave her life that little twin girls might be born.  One twin died at birth and went with her mother.  The other stayed with the family for only a few months.  The three other children—Irwin, Louise, and Martha—were taken by Minnie and raised as her own.

In about 1906, Samuel John Robinson purchased the Dublan tract from President Ivins and assumed responsibility for plotting the land and distributing it.  In 1911, the canal was completed sufficiently to use.  The water was turned in and the project dedicated.

All through his life, Samuel John Robinson took great interest in young people and their activities and entertainment.  He promoted the drama for which he had a great love.  Many memorable plays were produced under his direction.  He often took part himself.  Plays such as The Two Orphans, Rag Pickers of Paris, May Blossom, Silver King, and East Lynn, he directed as well as taking part.  He continued this work until he was well along in years, never considering it a burden to go at night to attend rehearsals.

In 1928, he went on a short-term mission to California where he made many friends and did a good work for the Church.

The Robinson family left the colonies at the time of the Exodus, but they returned in 1914.  In December of that year, the town of Dublan was filled with Pancho Villa’s men.  On the evening of December 24, armed men went to the Robinson home to enter and search the place.  When their demands were refused, they left saying they would return and burn the house.  When the family realized that they intended to carry out their threat, the womenfolk and some of the boys found refuge with a neighboring Mexican family.  As the home became enveloped in flames, the mother and children went down through the corn field to the big ditch.  They followed through the fields to the home of Bishop Call.  There they were made welcome and spent the remainder of the night.  The next morning they were joined by Samuel and the boys who had remained with him hidden during the night.  It was a joyful reunion.  All were thankful that no lives had been lost but the family was left destitute, as nothing was salvaged from the fire.

Again, they left the colonies and went to work on the El Gato ranch above El Paso, in Canutillo, Texas.  There they remained until they were able to rebuild their home in Colonia Dublan.

After Minnie passed away, in 1934 Samuel stayed at home for a time, overseeing all three families living in the single home.  He filled the role of both father and mother and kept things going.

In his later years, he devoted his time to genealogical work.   He worked in the Salt Lake Temple and later in the Mesa Temple.

During his last illness, he was in Phoenix at the home of his son, Elmo.  He passed away on April 16, 1948, in his 85th year. During his lifetime, the hymn, School Thy Feelings was often a great comfort, and he expressed his liking for it.  The music for his funeral was furnished by a group of 11 grandsons under the direction of J. Ben Taylor.  His favorite hymns were sung at this time, School Thy Feelings being one of them. He was buried in the Colonia Dublan cemetery.  Today his remains rest on the prairie that he loved so much and that is now beginning to blossom as he dreamed it would.

Lucille R. Taylor, daughter

Stalwarts South of the Border,

by Nelle Spilsbury Hatch pg. 575

Joseph Charles Bentley

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Joseph Charles Bentley

1859-1942

Joseph Charles Bentley, son of Richard Bentley and Elizabeth Price, was born August 31, 1859 in Salt Lake City.  He was the youngest child in a family of six.  His parents were English converts who had emigrated to Utah in 1852.

The fall after Joseph’s birth, his father was called on a mission to England where he labored for four years.  During his absence his wife struggled bravely to support her family, the oldest a girl of twelve.  They lived in a little adobe house on North Temple Street.

Shortly after Richard Bentley’s return from England he was again called by President Brigham Young to take his family and move to St. George, in the extreme southwestern part of the territory of Utah.  This move was a great trial to Elizabeth Bentley, but she was willing to go with her husband wherever the Church might call.  Apostle Orson Pratt had been called home from St. George, so it was arranged that he and Richard Bentley would exchange homes.

Thus it was within the red sandstone hills of St. George, with the Virgin River flowing by, that Joseph grew to manhood.  He began his meager schooling under Richard Horne.  At the age of 15 he accepted a position of office boy for Robert C. Lund, who was the St. George operator of the Desert Telegraph.  Young Joseph learned telegraphy and eventually took over the managership of the office.  Later he was transferred to Silver Reef, a mining camp northeast of St. George, where he worked until he received his call for a mission. 

 At the age of 20, Joseph was called on a mission to England, where he labored as mission secretary in London.  Upon his return home two years later he secured a position with the firm of Wooley, Lund and Judd, who operated a general store, Wells-Fargo Express Agency, and a telegraph office in St. George.

One day Sister Julia Jill Ivins asked Joseph if he would teacher daughter Margaret (or Maggie) telegraphy.  An agreement was made to do this for the sum of $30 dollars a month.  The young man found Maggie an apt student and a charming young lady, and he often walked her home after the lesson.  That fall Maggie took a position as teacher Pine Valley, about 35 miles north of St. George.  She frequently visited the telegraph office after school and was allowed to send messages to the young operator at St. George.  This romance culminated the following summer in their marriage in the St. George Temple, June 30, 1886.

In 1892, Joseph Charles Bentley moved his wife and three small children to Mexico.  The Mexican Mission had been founded by the Church some six years earlier, and the Chihuahua colonies were developing into thriving little communities.  Settling the picturesque little town of Colonia Juarez, he purchased a quarter of a block near the center of town, on which were two small frame houses, some grapes, and a few fruit trees.  In four of five years he constructed a fine, two-story home of red brick.

Joseph went into business with Anson B. Call and Dennison E. Harris.  The firm of Call, Harris and Bentley engaged in cattle raising, farming and merchandising.  He also started a co-op cannery for canning local fruits and vegetables.  He was assisted in this plant by the Harris brothers, Franklin S. and J. Emer.  Another co-op in which he was interested was the Juarez Tanning and Manufacturing Company, which engaged in the making of harnesses, saddles, and other leather goods.

In church affairs he was equally active.  Soon after his arrival in Mexico he had been asked to assist Bishop George W. Sevey with his tithing records and was soon appointed Ward Clerk.  In 1895, when the Juarez Stake was organized with Anthony W. Ivins as President, Joseph C. Bentley became the Stake Clerk.  Then three years later he was made Bishop of the Colonia Juarez Ward, serving in that capacity some 18 years. 

In the fall of 1894, Gladys Woodmansee, a cousin of Maggie Ivins Bentley, came down to the colonies on a visit.  Years before, at the time of her marriage, Maggie had told her husband she believed in the principle of plural marriage and that if ever he decided to take another wife she would like it to be her cousin Gladys.  As Joseph C. Bentley had long admired this young lady and she was agreeable to the union, the time seemed opportune.  Accordingly to ceremony was performed by one of the Apostles who was visiting in the colonies at the time.  As the Manifesto of 1890 applied only to the United States, there were no legal barriers to the marriage.

In 1897 Joseph Charles Bentley became a naturalized Mexican citizen, intending to make the land of his adoption his permanent home.

For years Bishop Joseph Charles Bentley had watched his interest the development of a certain red-haired lass, who was the daughter of one of his Counselors, Ernest L. Taylor.  As the girl blossomed into young womanhood, Bishop Bentley, being a firm believer in the doctrine of plural marriage, sought her hand.  At first she was rather unappreciative of his attentions, but after a rather persistent courtship he was successful.  On September 23, 1901, Mary Maud Taylor, then but a girl of 16, became the third wife of Joseph C. Bentley.

Of course separate homes were maintained for each of the three wives.  The family relationships of the Bentley’s were very harmonious.  However, Bishop Bentley’s church duties took him away from home so much that the burden of raising and training the children fell largely upon the wives.  On several occasions on or the other had the heart-rending experience of witnessing her child’s last breath and laying it out for burial while her husband was in Salt Lake City for conference or off on some missionary journey. 

There were pleasant times, too.  Each summer for many years Joseph Bentley made it a practice to take his families into the mountains for an outing, usually at North Creek above Chuhuichupa.  In the midst of tall pines and with an abundance of fish and game, a good time was enjoyed by all.

Gladys had poor heath and died in March 1906.  Her five children came to live with Maggie, and it was a very busy home for the next few years.

In 1910 Joseph C. Bentley organized a Board of Trade for the purpose of securing a better market for colony products.  The colonies were producing fruit of unusual quality as well as canned goods and leather products.  It was thought that by combing the produce of the various members it would be possible to ship in carload lots to more distant markets.  An invitation was received from President Diaz to bring an exhibit to Mexico City.  After arriving there Bishop Bentley was cordially received by the fair officials, allotted space for his exhibit, supplied with flags and bunting for decoration, and given the services of several men to unload and handle the produce.  He then proceeded to erect a pyramid of colony cheeses as high as the ceiling, a huge stack of canned goods, and extensive displays of apples, peaches, flour, candy, saddles, and harnesses.

At the close of the exposition, a banquet was served to President Diaz and his cabinet, using colony produce.  Afterward each minister was given a few samples to take home.  The remaining produce was sold at a good price.  This exposition opened up a thriving market for colony produce in Mexico City.

Before his return home, Bishop Bentley was granted a personal interview with President Porfirio Diaz, who state that he greatly admired the Mormon people because they set an example of a higher standard of living and morality which would benefit his people.

The decade of 1911-1920 was a troubled one in Mexican history.  The 30-year dictatorship of President Porfirio Diaz, which had given Mexico peach and financial stability and encouraged foreign colonization and investment of foreign capital, was rough to an end by a popular revolt led by the crusading Francisco I. Madero, who in turn was succeeded by half a dozen other presidents in kaleidoscopic succession.  The most colorful figure during this period was Francisco “Pancho” Villa, rebel, patriot, and bandit, but a man of his word and one who had great regard for the Mormon people.

Reported assurances were given to the Mormon colonists that their lives and property would be respected, and, owning to their neutral position, their firearms would be left in their possession. This promise was kept by both sides for about six months, but the Revolutionists, being short of arms and suffering one defeat after another, finally demanded the arms of the colonists.

On Saturday, July 26, 1912, the men of Colonia Juarez brought their guns and ammunition to the bandstand, where they were listed and counted by Bishop Bentley before turning them over to the rebel commander.  Being left with no means of defending their families, the brethren placed their wives and children on the train and sent them out to El Paso, Texas. Numbered among the exiles were Maggie and Maud Bentley and their families.

Believing that his life was in danger from the rebel leader, Cavada, who had been making threats, President Junius Romney of the Juarez Stake fled into the mountains, leaving word for the rest of the brethren to join him there. It was sometime before theywere able to do this, however, as the rebels forbade anyone to leave town.  Finally scouts came in with the news that a federal army was approaching, whereupon the rebels left.  Although there was now apparently no further reason for leaving, Bishop Bentley said that in obedience to the Stake President he was going inot the mountains to join him and advised other the other brethren to do likewise. 

On the following day a vote was taken and it was decided that the men of the colonies would proceed overland to the United States and join their families in El Paso.  Before leaving, reliable Mexicans were placed in charge of their homes and property.  The refugees were all mounted and had a couple of provision wagons and a considerable number of pack animals.  Four days’ travel brought them to the border, and two more were required to reach El Paso.

On the very day of their arrival, the Stake Presidency, High Council, and Bishoprics met with Anthony W. Ivins to discuss their action in leaving their homes in Mexico and what future course they should take.  There was heated discussion among the brethren as to the wisdom and necessity of the Exodus.  President Romney stoutly defended his action and stated that he would never return to Mexico unless called to do so by the General Authorities.  Bishop Joseph Charles Bentley said that in his opinion there had been no need either for their families or the men to leave and that as far as he and his families were concerned they had left solely in obedience to the counsel of the Stake President.

After a series of meetings, it was decided that all Stake and Ward authorities who did not desire to return to the Mexican colonies would be honorably released, and more than 500 free railroad passes were given to refugees who desired transportation to other parts of the United States.  Within about two weeks after the Exodus, some 60 men, including Bishop Joseph C. Bentley, Ernest and Alonzo Taylor, John W. Wilson, Daniel Skousen, and John Hatch, were ready to return to their homes in Colonia Juarez.  Upon reaching there, Bishop Bentley found everything just as he had left it, his faithful hired man, Cornelio Reyes, having remained true to his trust.  As conditions remained quiet for several weeks, a number of families returned to Colonia Juarez. Among them were those of Maggie and Maud Bentley.

The colonists were not molested for more than a year.  Then in April 1914 came the startling news that American troops had stormed and captured Veracruz.  Feelings ran high on both sides of the border and it appeared that war between the United States and Mexico was imminent. 

Some irresponsible parties sent an exaggerated report to President Joseph F. Smith in Salt Lake City, telling him that all the Mormon colonists in Mexico were in grave danger.  Acting on this advice, President Smith promptly called the settlers out; however, by September the war scare had subsided, and the Bentley families returned to their homes, where they remained during the balance of the Revolutionary period.

As Bishop Bentley was the only presiding officer of the Juarez Stake to return to the colonies, he was directed by the General Authorities at Salt Lake City to take over and close the tithing records of the various Wards which had been disorganized and to exercise general supervision over all the Saints who had returned to Mexico.  In 1915 he went to Salt Lake City to attend April Conference.  On April 10, after sessions had concluded, he called at the office of the First Presidency.  President Josph F. Smith and his two Counselors, Anthon H. Lund and Charles W. Penrose, placed their hands on his head while President Lund pronounced a blessing.  Then President Smith proposed that they set Bishop Joseph Charles Bentley apart as President of the Juarez Stake.  President Penrose acted as mouth.

Upon returning to Mexico, Bishop Bentley had the unusual distinction of serving both as Bishop and as Sake President for a little over a year until Apostle Ivins came down in May 1916 and released him from the Bishopric, at the same time setting apart John T. Whetten and Arwell L. Pierce as Counselors to assist him in the Stake Presidency.

Taking the lead in community as well as church affairs, President Bentley made two trips to Mexico City to obtain government confirmation of the land titles of the colonist.  He also continued to operate a general store in Colonia Juarez, for a time in partnership with John W. and Guy C. Wilson and, after the Exodus, alone.  However, the store was looted so many times by rebel bands that the venture was finally abandoned.

One day during the Revolution, Bishop Joseph Charles Bentley and several others paid a visit to General Villa, who was camped at Casas Grandes.  They requested a written order which would protect their work horses from seizure by rebel foragers.  Villa obligingly wrote out the order and gave copies to Bishop Bentley and Bishop Anson B. Call of Colonia Dublan.  Villa then remarked that his men were badly in need of bedding and he would like to buy some.  Bishop Bentley replied that his store in Colonia Juarez was only a grocery, but that he would see what he could do.  After returning to Colonia Juarez, Bishop Joesph C. Bentley gathered up a collection of surplus bedding from the townspeople and presented it to Villa as a gift.

During General Pershing’s campaign in Mexico (March 1916 – February 1917) he made his headquarters in Colonia Dublan and was very friendly toward the Mormon colonists.  After receiving orders to abandon the search for Villa, Pershing tried to persuade President Bentley to leave Mexico with the army and even offered the use of his own private car.  However, President Bentley felt that the colonists were in no danger and there was no reason to leave the country.

In March, 1919, President Joseph Charles Bentley, in company with Burt Whetten and Albert Tietjen, set out to visit some of the missionaries who were laboring in the villages to the south.  They were traveling in a light buggy drawn by a team of mules.  Between El Valle and Namiquipa they encountered some of Villa’s men and were taken into custody.  They were transferred from place to place and held prisoner for three days before they finally gained an audience with Villa.  In talking with the general, they learned that he had once lived with a Mormon family in Sonora and knew considerable about the Mormon people.

Villa said, “Many times I might have entirely cleaned up on all of you Mormons and destroyed the colonies, but I have never had any desire at all to do you any harm.  I would like to help ou, and I will help ou all that I can, but during times of trouble there is no guarantee of safety.  You gentlemen better return to your homes and stay there until we bet these things settled.  That will be the time for you to do the thing that you are doing now.

Villa then gave the brethren a written pass in case they were stopped again by any of his men.  However, their troubles were not yet over.  As they approached the nearly deserted town of Namiquipa, they were seized by a group of Rurales, who mistook them for American spies.  Here they were held prisoner for nine days before they succeeded in convincing their captors of trhe peacefulness of their mission.  Finally they were released and allowed to return home, taking with them two missionaries who had been laboring in Namiquipa.

As Stake President, Joseph C. Bentley was also Chairman of the Stake Board of Education, which supervised the Juarez Stake Academy.  On his trips to Salt Lake City to April Conference he would hire teachers for the coming school year.  After being released from the Stake Presidency, he continued to serve as bookkeeper for the school, paying the teachers’ salaries and managing the bookstore for several years.

Joseph Charles Bentley served as Stake President of the Juarez Stake until September 8, 1929, when he was succeeded by Ralph B. Keeler.  However, as the incoming Stake Presidency were all new at their jobs and unfamiliar with the keeping of Stake records, Bishop Bentley was once more sustained as Stake Clerk, which position he held until 1930 when he was made a Patriarch.

During his residence of nearly a half century in Mexico, Joseph Charles Bentley suffered many bereavements, losing nine children and two wives.  Gladys Woodmansee Bentley died February 21, 1906 and thus escaped the trials of the Revolutionary period.  Margaret Ivins Bentley passed away January 11, 1928.

Though small of stature, Joseph Charles Bentley had a distinguished appearance and a charming personality.  He was dark complexioned and habitually wore a small goatee, which he kept well-trimmed.  His resemblance to President Madero sometimes caused him to be mistaken for the Mexican President. On one occasion, as Brother Bentley got off a train, he was greeted by the martial strains of a brass band, and he had considerable difficulty convincing the assemblage that he was not the President of the Republic.

On Saturday, March 7, 1942, Joseph Charles Bentley seemed about as well as usual.  He asked his wife, Maud, to make him some oatmeal cookies, and he nibbled on them with pleasure throughout the day.  In the afternoon he had his hair cut and beard trimmed.  He retired about 10:00 p.m., after listening to the news broadcast on the radio.  About 11:40 p.m., Maud Bentley awakened to find him in a violent attack of nausea and unconscious.  He died within in a few minutes and was buried in the Colonia Juarez cemetery among the loved ones who had preceded him.

Funeral services were held for him Sunday afternoon, March 9, 1942.  There wasn’t time to notify his absent family members.  Prominent leaders in the colonies, including Orson P. Brown, Wilford M. Farnsworth, Bishop Anson B. Call, Moroni L. Abegg, President Claudius Bowman and Bishop Ernest I. Hatch all paid tribute to his integrity and faithfulness and his unfailing and great leadership to the people in the colonies.

Many letters and expressions of love, sympathy and admiration for him were received by his wife Maud from such Church leaders as Elder Marion G. Romney, President Franklin S. Harris, President Ralph B. and Gertude Keeler, Aunt Mamie Chamberlain, Taylor and Louise Abegg, as well as other family members and friends.  Truly he was a great and faithful leader gone to a great reward.

During his 50-year stay in Mexico he had many opportunities to move across the border to the United States but felt he had been advised to go to Mexico by Church Authorities in the first place, so felt that was where his duty lay.  So he remained true and faithful to his responsibilities.

Isaura Bentley Abegg, daughter

Stalwarts South of the Border,

by Nelle Spilsbury Hatch,  page 31

Samuel Edwin McClellan

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Samuel Edwin McClellan

1867-1957

Samuel Edwin McClellan was born July 23, 1867, in Payson, Utah and was ten years old when his father, William C. McClellan, accepted a call to settle Sunset, Arizona.

He was old enough to remember his school days in Payson and his teacher, Annie Ride, who was again his teacher in Colonia Juarez, Mexico, as the wife of Dennison E. Harris.  Other memories of life in relatively prosperous and fast growing Payson lingered.  He remembered with pride the reputation his father earned as a builder and as town councilman; how hard it was for William C. to sell out, because the Payson people wanted the man to stay more than they wanted to buy his property; that when he did sell, four wagons were required to carry his household goods and merchandise with six yoke of oxen, and a team to hitch to a light wagon to transport the family.  Ed remembered riding a horse and driving the loose stock until he got a saddle boil after which he walked and drove them until the boil healed.  From September 24 to November 20, 1877, he had the excitement of seeing a new country, then, the anxieties of poor feed for animals most of the time, frequent dry camps because the water holes were far apart, straying animals to look for and delays until they were found, and always rough, jolting roads.

It was still new country when Sunset was reached, where a new life awaited them.  Five years in the United Order taught all the participants many things.  The McClellans ate at the “Big Table” and were absorbed into the communal family plan that kept food supplied and prepared. Ed, along with other boys, hoed the corn, cane, and turnips, peeled peaches in the cannery, did chores about the sawmill and between times went to school.  He learned to be self-reliant, trustworthy, capable, and cooperative, sometimes the hard way.  His formal schooling was scattered from Payson to Sunset, to Pleasanton, to Colonia Juarez, a few snatches in the winter months between demands of work about the home or in the fields.  This ended in his early teens, but he didn’t stop learning.  With an alert mind and a love of reading, he gained wisdom and knowledge to compensate for the lack of formal school work.  Later, when his father again became a building contractor in Colonia Juarez and pressed his son into service, Ed found his life’s work.  He liked to make things, and the hum of the saw was music to his ears as it ripped through lumber.  He was intrigued by the possibilities of the carpenter’s steel square and he took pride in making his work strong and true and expressive of the builder he longed to be. He soon learned, however, that there was more to building than measuring lengths of lumber or squaring timbers and he sought to learn more of the art of planning and blueprinting as the initial step in building.  He found his help in a correspondence course to which he zealously subscribed and studied.  By the time he had mastered the rudiments of his craft, there were amply opportunities in the furniture factory.  It was while working here that he lost a finger to one of the power machines.

His first major engineering and construction job was given him by Anthony W. Ivins, the new Stake President.  This was a wagon bridge across the Piedras Verdes River.  Before the days of steel and cement girders such a project was a real challenge.  Ed drew up plans for the bridge as he imagined it should be and set to work.  Stones for the piers were cut and sized at the quarry and hauled in ready to use.  While excavating for the solid foundation, unexpected difficulties arose.  Underground water filled the holes as fast as the men could throw out the sand and gravel.  An extra force of men set to bail the water and a “Chinese Pump” were to no avail.   The excavation remained a well of water and flouted continuous attempts to lay the foundation stones.  Discouraged and exhausted, the men quit.

In desperation, Ed searched his correspondence course for possible help.  There he read how lumber and been used successfully in masonry construction.  Although nothing was said of using lumber for underwater construction, he decided to try it.  He remembered that embedded planks in a wooden turbine he had recently dug up at the powerhouse were in a perfect state of preservation after years of lying in the damp soil of the riverbed.  He devised a heavy plank platform on the water.  On this, the layer of stone was added.  This procedure continued until the stone-covered platform settled squarely in the bottom of the hole.  On this foundation, the pillar could be built up to the desired height.  During the 75 years of constant use, these pillars have stood firm against heavy flood water hurled against them each year.  They still stand firm as a mute tribute to a young, imaginative builder.  When a new bridge to match the new highway was built, these same pillars designed by Samuel Edwin McClellan were used.

Growing prestige as a master builder established Ed as an authority on building problems.  This along with genuine integrity made him good teaching material.    Superintendent and principal Guy C. Wilson was quick to see this and made a position for Ed in the school system.  In 1902, an appropriation was made to create a manual training department for the Juarez Academy designed to give both boys and girls a foundation in manual training.  Ed was given charge of the department.  His first shop-laboratory was the little brick building on the Bailey lot adjacent to the old Academy building and later, a .umber structure on the grounds of the present site of the Academy.

For ten years before the Exodus of 1912 and form many years afterward, Ed passed his craftsmanship on to young people. In addition to a good foundation in woodwork, mechanical drawing and use of the steel square, Ed dispensed lessons from his life on the frontier which had made him resourceful, honest, and forthright.  Students learned that it was professionally sound to be dependable and important to do good, honest, work.

On the heels of this first major assignment, President Ivins gave Ed a second job, acceptance of which was a turning point in his life.  The job was to construct a new Academy building.  Ed considered it a staggering responsibility.  He wrote to teachers of his correspondence courses for blueprint help.  They, sensing the dimensions of the job and regarding Ed as a mere student, offered to take it off his hands and do the job for a price.  President Ivins, before accepting such an offer, requested Ed to draw up the plans for both the first and second stories for consideration of the Board of Education.  Since Ed knew the needs better than anyone else, President Ivins was confident that he would building best what they needed.  For long hours, Ed poured over plans which gradually took shape.  When a pencil sketch was made to his satisfaction, he presented it to Superintendent Wilson and the Board of Education.  The plan was complete with specifications for number and size of classrooms, for stairways, windows, doors and scale drawing of the building.

The plan was accepted and cornerstone laid in January, 1904, and the building completed for school opening time in 1905.  Ed kept on teaching his classes but supervised every detail of construction, not only directing the workmen but in off duty hours doing a large share himself.  Not a detail was neglected, not a school need was overlooked and the end result was a building with large, ample space and well lighted classrooms, a study hall, a library, a principal’s private office, as well as appropriate entrance halls, laboratories, a stage for dramatic productions, an assembly hall, and a building for multiple services.  The assembly hall was especially impressive with a stage at one end.  Equipped with scenery and stage properties, it was suitable for presenting plays, operas, and similar performances.  With chairs and tables in place, the Church Authorities could preside over conferences, the faculty over assembly programs.  Under the stage could be stored the extra benches needed when a dance was to take place.

The building answered the social and educational needs of the community for more than a half-century.  It enjoyed a charmed life during the Revolutionary years, left completely unharmed in any way, and still stands a monument to its builder.

The third major building job for Ed was the El Paso, Texas, Mormon chapel.  Church architects prepared the plans after Ed and Bishop Arwell L. Pierce had inspected many chapels in the Southwest, studying their plans and costs.  But Ed was given a free hand in using his own judgment to improve the building.  Construction occurred at a time when materials were subject to many restrictions.  Ed gave one-third of his wages as a contribution to the chapel building fund.  With the loyal and resourceful support of Bishop Pierce and his Ward in maintaining high standards, notwithstanding great scarcity and panic through the calamity of a bank closing, the building was completed.  When completed it drew the admiration and praise of the church building committee and local builders.  Ed’s picture was afterwards placedin the finished chapel and he was given credit publicly. 

In 1891, at the age of 25, Samuel Edwin McClellan married Bertha Lewis who had come to Mexico to visit her sister, Mrs. Peter McBride.  Mrs. McBride, incidentally, was one of the first LDS women to cross the border when the colonies were first settled.  Over the 64 years of their married life, Bertha stood by his side as a true helpmate and bore him 12 children. Her third baby was still young when she assumed responsibility for the family so that he husband could go on a mission to the United States.  By her own thrifty hands and sale of eggs, butter, and fruit, she maintained her family and her missionary husband.

Ed’s activities in church, civic and social affairs fo the town are still another story.  He served as an officer in Priesthood Quorums and Church auxiliaries, as a teacher, as Bishop’s Counselor, and as a member of the High Council.  His sound judgment and discernment in times of crisis as well as tranquility were highly valued.

Ed’s early continued practice of reading prepared him to share his storehouse of information and to have unusual insight concerning international events, including American involvement abroad.  His own love of freedom made him especially sympathetic to the struggles of people in countries not so free as his own.

Later in life when confined to his bed, Ed expressed his sentiments:

Lying in bed my mind goes round the world, picturing country after country, the people in them and conditions under which they live.  It lingers longest in those satellite countries where the poor people can’t call their souls their own and I think how blest I am to be in a comfortable bed in my own home, with all I need within reach of my hand, surrounded by loved ones and friends who are free to come and go as they wish.  How thankful I am in that freedom for me and my loved ones has been won by patriots who knew its worth.

Ed sang in the first town choir, played in the first band, was a member of the first dramatic association, and played on the first baseball nine.  In choir, Ed’s bass voice was a pleasing support. When amateur operas or dramatic productions were presented, he was usually cast in one of the principal roles.  Old-timers would remember best his interpretation of King Ahasuerus in the opera Queen Esther, and his sympathetic portrayal of “Uncle Tom.”  In both, he justified the choice of the director.

In the band he played the baritone horn.  His was significant part in every band concert, every band-wagon serenade, welcomes to visiting governors, farewells to missionaries, and when the band just played at the band stand in the town park.  Music was in his soul as craftsmanship was in his hand.  Yet, when a call to a Church mission came, he sold his horn and his tools for money to take him to his field of labor.  He trusted to Providence that they would be replaced when he returned.

His deep interest in baseball was in reverse proportion to his smallness in stature.  He became an excellent catcher and long after he served well on the town team he retained a lively interest in the game.  This love for baseball kept him pouring over results of the World Series as reported in newspapers and radio.  He studied the strategy of big league managers and recorded in his memory the names and capabilities of the players occupying the headlines in the news, keeping track of wins and losses of all.  Seated in his armchair before the radio while the World Series was in progress with the newspaper on his knee, he kept up to the minute with the game’s progress.  “This year was the greatest puzzle of them all,” he said chuckling.  “Seven games that looked like any one of them could end the series, where non one scored until the 10th inning, and where the Yanks beat the Dodgers 8-0.”  This excitement as he approached his 90th year.

Dancing was a favorite pastime with Ed.  During his young manhood, he danced nothing but the quadrille and kindred folk dances.  The waltz and other forms of “arm around the waist” dancing were barred by ruling of the Church.  Ed still danced the quadrille wholeheartedly and became a foremost “pigeon wing cutter” as well as expert dance caller.  He prepared the calls one by one and then added a spice and variety to the dance by his frequent introduction of new formations.

In his last years, years of physical infirmity, he remarked, “I think of everyone who has ever lived in this town, remember my work with many of them, feel sorry for those who were unfortunate and feel glad for those who attained success.”

He died of cancer, July 27, 1957 and was buried in the west cemetery of Colonia Juarez.  Twelve children, eight girls, and four boys, survived him.  They and the still standing structures of his superior workmanship are monuments to his active and productive life.  He fills a unique and respected niche in the history of Colonia Juarez and may rightfully be regarded as one of the colonizers who was responsible for promoting high quality performances in every field of human endeavor.

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch

Stalwarts South of the Border, page 432

 

 

 

 

Avelina Mills Saville

Avelina Mills Saville

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Avelina Mills Saville

1859-1920

Avelina Mills Saville was born October 18,1859, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She married John Harrie Saville in Salt Lake City, Utah.  They had four children, three daughters and one son.  Only her one daughter, Caroline, and the son, Willard, lived to maturity.

“Aunt Dean” Saville, as she was lovingly called, was called and set apart as a nurse and doctor to go to Colonia Juarez, Mexico, by Apostle George Teasdale in the Salt Lake Temple in 1896.  She had studied and practiced medicine for three years with Doctors Seymour B. Young, Wright and Mattie Hughes Cannon and passed successfully the Utah State Medical Board Examination.  She was well prepared with knowledge and experience and a large stock of the best drugs and equipment to fulfill this mission.  But she always felt that the success and power to heal the sick, during the 17 years of ministrations to the native people surrounding the colony and that of the LDS who lived there, was due more to her complete dependence upon, and her faith in, the promise of Apostle Teasdale when he set her apart:  that if she relied and put her trust in the Lord and called upon Him for aid, she should at all times know just what to do in the very hour of her need.  This was literally fulfilled, as of all the 800 women she delivered, not one died under her care.

A typical case was when she was called to go up a 60 mile rugged mountain trail burro back, leaving during the night, with a small boy as her guide over the wild and strange mountainous country, to remove from a Mexican woman the afterbirth that she had retained for 10 days.  She corrected the woman and had to do it kneeling down with the patient lying on a sheepskin on a dirt floor.  The woman lived.  The only remuneration “Aunt Dean” received was the first body louse she had ever had.  Her efforts were untiring.  She went when she was more physically ill than the patient.  She not only cared for women and children but removed many cataracts from eyes of the Mexican people, a malady to which they are very susceptible.

She displayed great skill in removing a bullet from the palm of a stranger who came once to her during the night. The bullet had remained in his hand for three days and had caused it to swell to three times its natural size.  He had traveled day and night, having been directed to come to Colonia Juarez to have his hand treated.  He took from a back pocket a pistol and asked her to keep it while his hand was being dressed.  She placed him under the influence of ether, yet it took three strong men to hold him down while she removed the bullet.  While under the ether, he talked and told her he had shot and killed a man and had received the bullet in his hand and was fleeing for his life to the United States, as he was an American.  He was forced to stop in this colony to have his had treated.    After he recovered from the ether and was ready to leave, he asked for his pistol and said it was a good thing he did not have it in his pocket while he was out of his head or he would have shot someone.  She told him to go to a doctor as soon as he reached Deming, New Mexico, and have his hand examined and dressed.  He wrote her a not and told her that the doctor had told him whoever removed the bullet had done a fine piece of surgery and did not need his care.  The most outstanding memory people have of her was her gentle, soothing touch and the cheerful assurance that all would be well.

Even after she could no longer attend patients, many said, “If only Aunt Dean would sit by me and hold my hand I could endure any kind of pain.”  She never spared herself, and at the time, in 1912, when colonists were called out to El Paso, she left all she had and went with the rest.  There were many sick and some births among these refugees who were placed by the El Paso Commercial Club in a big lumber shed which was divided into small sections for each family.  Huge supplies of food were sent each day.  She spent almost her entire time among the sick for three weeks.  Although she had one of the best rooms and a private bath in the city’s leading hotel, she was seldom there.  This great strain and lack of proper rest and care and the sorrow of leaving all she had possessed broke her health and she had to give up her glorious work and submit to being cared for by others for over five years.  Eventually, she had the great desire of her heart granted, to return to her former home and the few people who returned to the colonies.  Here she was lovingly cared for by her own daughter, and cousin, Maggie Ivins Bentley, as well as other devoted friends, until the end of her eventful, useful life.

She was truly a great a pioneer in this frontier country as was her pioneer mother, Emily Hill Woodmansee, the poetess, who came from England as a mere slip of a girl and pushed a handcart across the plains to Utah in 1856.  Her passing was peaceful and many of the children attending her funeral were brought into the world by her hands, many of them with children of their own.  They were all dressed in white and filled one side of the meetinghouse.  Bishop John J. Walser said of her, “Now she is free from all physical handicaps, there is no limit to the heights she can go for the good of others, that her great soul will take her.

While the Mexican people were usually thought of as a being barbarous and uncivilized, yet the noble colony “Doctor Woman” who cared for the sick in the mountain colonies was often called to go on horseback to the ranches to attend one of their women in confinement.  She was usually accompanied by only one of them to show the way.  Several expressed themselves as never being afraid and they were always treated with the greatest courtesy.  These women preferred our sisters to wait upon them, believing their children would be more fair than if they were waited upon by a native doctor.

Avelina Mills Saville died in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, on March 7, 1920 and was buried there the same day. 

Caroline Telford, daughter

Stalwarts South of the Border page 600 

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch

 

More information filling in some of the banks in Avelina’s life story can be found at: http://29deadpeople.com/wp/?page_id=109

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_H._Woodmansee

Ammon Meshach Tenney

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Ammon Meshach Tenney

(1844 – 1925)

Ammon Meshach Tenney was born on the plains of Lee County, Iowa, November 16, 1844, the son of Nathan C. and Olive Strong Tenney.

When Ammon Meshach Tenney was four years of age his parents immigrated to Utah, arriving there in 1848.  Two years later his father was called by President Brigham Young to accompany Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich to California for the purpose of establishing a Mormon colony at what is now San Bernardino.  The family remained there until 1857 when they, with all other Latter-day Saints, were called back to the body of the Church in Utah because of the threat of an invading United States army.

Back in Utah, the Tenney family settled at Fort Harmony, Iron County, in the southern part of the state.  Ammon had been named for the great preacher Ammon, told about in the Book of Mormon, had learned Spanish while playing with Mexican children in San Bernardino and was therefore a natural choice to serve as a missionary to the Lamanites.  He was ordained an Elder by President Young at the age of 14, and almost immediately was appointed to go with Jacob Hamblin to serve as interpreter on a mission to the Indians.

The expedition consisted of Jacob Hamblin, Ammon M. Tenney and 11 others.  The party left for this mission in 1858 and headed for the Colorado River region where they spent considerable time among several trives of Indians living on the east side of the river.  Friendly relations were readily established among the Indians through Ammon’s fluency in the Spanish tongue, a language known to the Indians.  This was the beginning of a missionary companionship between Ammon Tenney and Jacob Hamblin that extended over a period of 15 years and resulted directly or indirectly in the establishment of numerous settlements in southern Utah and northern Arizona, in opening new roads into unexplored regions, in strengthening weak settlements and in creating more friendly relationships between the Indians and their white neighbors.

Many hardships were encountered.  Hunger at times compelled them to eat the flesh of worn-out draft animals and the rawhide carried to mend badly worn shoes.  They suffered from excessive summer heat and the biting cold of higher altitudes.  There were also many sleepless nights from fear of attacks by red men on the warpath.

In 1869, at the age of 25, Ammon married Annie Sarah Egar and settled in Kanab on the southern Utah border.  A family incident a little later illustrates his devotion to Church duty.  One of his many mission calls came when a little daughter was critically ill.  He lingered at the home after the rest of the missionary group had left.  After a day’s delay he mounted his horse and rode off.  He had not gone far when he heard an urgent call from his wife, “Come back, Ammon, our child is dying!”  Ammon rode back, administered to the apparently lifeless child and she returned to consciousness almost immediately.  Fighting back tears, Ammon went again to his horse.  “How can you leave us like this?” his wife sobbed.  “If I go I have claim on my Maker, but if I stay, I may forfeit that claim,” he replied, trying hard to keep a steady voice.   He left and the child lived.

In 1875 Ammon was called to participate in that famous first mission to Mexico in company with Daniel W. Jones, Anthony W. Ivins, Wiley C. Jones, Helaman Pratt, James Z. Stewart and Robert H. Smith.  The missionaries, equipped with seven mounts and 17 pack horses, crossed the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry, and then made their way to the Moqui villages in Arizona, passing enroute through Moenkopi, Navajo Springs, and Willow Springs.  At the seven Moqui Indian villages the missionaries visited with the Indians several days, then pursued their journey toward the Salt River Valley.

They arrived in Phoenix on November 24, 1875, where they were kindly greeted by Judge C. T. Hayden, who furnished them with letters of introduction to Governor Safford and other influential men of Arizona.  In their report to President Young of the opportunities for settlement, attention was called to the many fine facilities on the Salt River Valley for attaining a livelihood. At the village of Sacaton on the Gila River they held their first public meeting with the Indians.  The service was well-attended.  At Tucson the missionaries were tendered the courthouse of the holding of a Sunday meeting.  They were cheered by the kindly reception of the governor.  At a military post near Tucson they sold some of their animals and purchased a spring wagon which added comfort to their journey.

It appears that their intention had been to cross the boundary line into the state of Sonora, but they changed their plans when they heard of the unsettled condition of the Yaquis.  The party therefore crossed at El Paso, except Tenney and Smith, who were appointed to labor in New Mexico among the Pueblos and Zunis.  These two made their way up the Rio Grande River 350 miles to Albuquerque, where they preached for some time without success.

Here Ammon had a dream in which he saw a light in the heavens and became impressed to leave the city of Albuquerque and proceed in the direction of the light.  Slowed by jaded animals, the missionaries subsisted mainly on rabbis, the fruit of Ammon’s marksmanship with a rifle.  The light followed a distance of 125 miles to Fish Springs, New Mexico, then disappeared.  There they met about 20 Zuni men to whom they presented their Gospel message and received permission to hold a meeting, the first since they left El Paso.  Thirteen of the leading Zunis were baptized, including their cacique.  Ammon reports the great joy he experienced when he led from the waters of baptism the first person he had ever baptized.  His strength gave way under the experience.  He was helped from the water by his companion and lay prone upon the grass while Elder Smith baptized the other 12 candidates.

Shortly after this the cacique reported an invasion of grasshoppers which threatened destruction of their crops, at the same time calling attention to blessings promised by the missionaries to those who obeyed the Lord’s commandments.  Ammon realized that this was a test of the faith of the natives and of the missionaries and trembled at the thought.  Gaining confidence he told the cacique that if the Indians would humble themselves on their knees in asking for deliverance from the pest, the grasshoppers would disappear.  Ammon’s missionary companion was doubtful and so expressed himself.  Ammon’s reply was:  “We are the Lord’s servants and He has already manifested His approval of our labors.  He will not fail us.”  Within one hour, so the Indians reported, following their supplication there was not a grasshopper to be seen.  As they arose in their flight they darkened the sun by their numbers.  In their enthusiasm the Indians lifted Ammon to their shoulders and danced about, and had they not been restrained, would have worshiped him.  One hundred fifty Indians were baptized and three Branches of the Church were organized.

Missionary activities were interrupted by a letter from President Brigham Young instructing Ammon to explore northern Arizona and parts of New Mexico for suitable places in which to plant colonies of Latter-day Saints.  Although President Young died soon after, Ammon and his father, Nathan C. Tenney, continued exploration as instructed.  They helped in securing a place on the Little Colorado for the settlement of Woodruff.  While in New Mexico a letter was received from Church headquarters instructing Ammon to go to St. Johns, Arizona, and make the purchase of a tract of land.  There they purchased from Sol Barth, a Jew, and his two brothers land on which one hundred families were called to settle.  Ammon was appointed Presiding Elder of the group and the Lamanite Mission in Arizona and New Mexico, until called by David King Udall to be Bishop of the St. Johns Ward.

Trouble arose between the Mexican population and the Mormons, brought on by the Greer brothers, reckless cowboys.  During this trouble the father of Ammon M. Tenney, Nathan C., while attempting to be peacemaker, was killed.  And during the trying raids on St. Johns by U.S. Marshals against Latter-day Saints suspected of practicing plural marriage, Ammon was harassed almost constantly.  The Deseret News of August 1, 1884, reported:

It seems that when Mr. Tenney was first arrested he was given 15 minutes by Commissioner George A. McCarter to say whether or not his first wife should be present at the examination on the 12th of July; and if he did not promise to have her there, he was told that an officer would be sent after her immediately.  Mr. Tenney promised to have her present, without the aid of an officer, although she was in a “delicate condition” and the distance to where she was at the time was 20 miles.

About the same time an officer went to Mr. Tenney’s house in St. Johns, in search of his reputed plural wife, and when it was ascertained that there was no such person there, the Commissioner went in person to the house, no doubt thinking to overwhelm Mr. Tenney with his august presence.  He told Mr. Tenney that unless he should immediately produce a plural wife for a witness he would issue a search warrant and have the house searched.  Mr. Tenney advised him to do so immediately, and this remarkable U.S. officer departed, apparently not in a very good humor.

That night about ten o’clock, Arthur Tenney, a brother of the accused, discovered three men crawling around the house.  Mr. Tenney ordered them up onto their feet and when they arose with alacrity, when Arthur discovered that that one of the party was Bill Lewis, the land jumper.

On December 7, 1884, Ammon was tried and convicted of polygamy and sentenced to serve three and one half years in the house of correction at Detroit, Michigan.  Two days later he was en route to Detroit to begin his prison sentence.  After serving a term of nearly two years, he was given a reprieve by President Grover Cleveland and walked out of the penitentiary on October 12, 1886, a free man.  Of this experience while in captivity he had this to say:

We were set at liberty on October 12.  I am pleased to say that we are well in body and feeling well in spirits.  I can truthfully say the Lord has borne us up through many a dark and dreary hour.  We had, however, many things to encourage us, such as visits from friends, the News and Juvenile Instructor, not forgetting the kind treatment of officers who frequently manifested a desire to favor us…  Even at the very moment when it seemed as though the heavens were brass over my head and the earth iron under my feet, He [the Lord] strengthened me to press forward… I can truthfully say in behalf of my brethren, as also myself, that in many respects, our minds have been enlightened in a manner they never were before, in regard to the principles of life and salvation, and while I may not know what I may do tomorrow, yet today my greatest desire is to retain in memory what I have passed through.  I know it will serve to make me humble, for I know that I have not at all times bee as humble as I ought to have been.

In November 1887, about a year following his release from prison, Ammon was called on a mission to Sonora, Mexico, to labor among the Indians.  To accompany him were Peter J. Christopherson, Edward E. Richardson and Gilbert D. Greer.  The missionaries set out upon their journey but had not proceeded far when a letter from Church Authorities stated that in consequence of the Yaquis being at war with the government in Mexico there were to continue their labors among the natives in Arizona and New Mexico.  From November 1887 to September 1890, Ammon traveled 5,000 miles by team, on horseback and on foot, preached 135 times and baptized 111 souls.  His labors were chiefly among the Papago and Pima tribes.

After his release from this mission he went to Mexico to establish a home for himself and family in the Mormon colonies, locating in Colonia Dublan.  He was not there long, however, when he was called to reopen the capital city by John Henry Smith and Anthony W. Ivins.  His labors there were crowned with considerable success.  He organized eight Branches of the Church and appointed local Saints to preside over the Branches.  He also set apart 17 local Elders to travel throughout the various cities and villages in proximity to Mexico City.

President Ivins said:

Brother Tenney has been remarkably successful in his missionary labors and had nearly 200       people who appear to be enjoying the Spirit of the Gospel to an unusual degree.  I visited all      the different towns where we have converts with the exception of one or two isolated places, and held meetings with the people.  It was a great surprise and caused my heart to rejoice beyond expression to hear the strong testimonies borne and excellent and logical remarks made by those people.  Sectarians, Methodists in particular, are aroused and are doing all they can to hinder the work, but it grows in spite of them.  At their conference held in Mexico a few days ago one of the ministers reported that unless something could be done to prevent it, the Mormons would take the entire Protestant population.

At the beginning of 1921, in his 77th year, he was among the Yaqui Indians in the state of Sonora.  Elder Tenney said that for 56 years he had been interested in the Yaqui Indians and at last his long-felt desire to be with them was fulfilled.  On his first visit to the Yaquis, he found that they had a Quorum of Twelve Apostles which they claimed was organized among them by Jesus.  They also said Jesus had instructed them to fill vacancies as they occurred, which they had done. These instructions and many more were given them by Jesus in a personal visit.  Ammon asked if they might have received these teachings from the Catholic monks who came with the Spaniards, but the reply was that their religion reached much further back than that of the Spanish conquerors.

Among other exploring expeditions made by Ammon Tenney was one as an interpreter for Major John Wesley Powell down the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River.  It was said that Ammon Tenney understood all Indian dialects west of the Mississippi River.  He was a man of great courage as demonstrated on many occasions during his lifetime.  One such was related by Anthony W. Ivins, a lifelong friend:

Nathan C. Tenney had established a ranch at Short Creek, but abandoned it and moved to Toquerville, about 25 miles distant.  In December, 1866, three horsemen rode out from Toquerville; to the ranch…Nathan C. Tenney carried an old fashioned cap and ball pistol.  Enoch Dodge wsa armed with a light muzzle-loading rifle.  The third member of the party, Ammon M. Tenney was a mere boy, with black hair, dark eyes and a slender body.  He carried an old style six-shooter and was going with his father to look for horses which had strayed from Toquerville back to the ranch.

At the foot of a bluff a corral had been constructed to which the horses, eight in number, were driven and hurriedly caught and necked together.  Signs indicated to the trained eyes of these experienced frontiersmen that Indians were in the neighborhood… The horses were driven from the corral and were heading toward home when the white men found themselves face-to-face with eight Navajos.  The Indians occupied the plain, while the white men returned to the protection of the bluffs.  What was to be done?  That the Indians meant to kill them was plain to the two men.

The boy spoke to the Indians in Spanish and found that he was understood.  A parley ensued, and one fo the Indians… leaving his arms, came out into the circle and invited the boy to meet him and arrange terms of capitulation.  Ammon was about to comply when restrained by his father.  At this juncture the cliffs echoed with war whoops and the men saw eight Indians riding furiously down the plain toward them, their long hair streaming out behind as they unslung their guns and quivers.

“Resistance is now useless,” said the elder Tenney.  “What hope have we against 16 well-armed and mounted men?”  It was at this juncture that the courage and leadership of the boy asserted itself.  Drawing his pistol, he turned down the trail at the base of the bluff, striking the spurs deep into his horse’s sides, and crying, “Follow me,” he rode straight into the Indians who confronted him, firing as he went.  The two men followed.  Against this intrepid charge, the Indians gave way, and the race for life began.  Thus, for more than a mile they rode, the three on the trail, sheltered to the west by the bluff, while the Indians, who were in front of them, behind them, on the plain to the east, kept up a constant fusillade of shots.  Several times the boy, who was a superb horseman and better mounted, had opportunity to outstrip his pursuers and escape, as after he returned to encourage his father and Dodge to be brave and come on. He was thus riding in advance when a sharp cry and rider rolling in the dust.  The Indians, with bows bent to the arrowheads, were bearing down on his father.  Without a moment’s hesitation the boy turned and spurred his horse between his father and the onrushing savages, discharging his pistol in the very faces of the men nearest him.  The Indians wavered, scattered, and falling on the opposite sides of their horses, discharged a volley at the boy.

His father declared that he had been shot, and Dodge, also having been wounded by a bullet, implored the boy to escape and go to his mother.  Instead of doing this, he assisted his father, to his feet, and turning the horses, loose, with the saddles on, assisted and urged the men to climb to the rocks above.  For a few moments the attention of the Indians was attracted to the loose horses and ruing this time the boy succeeded in getting the men up into the rocks, where ne covered their retreat.

A hasty examination showed that the father had not been shot, but that the fall from the horse had dislocated and badly bruised his shoulder.  Dodge had been shot in the leg.  The boy laid down on his back, took his father’s hand in his, and placing one foot on the neck and the other in the arm pit, with a quick and strong twist brought the dislocated joint back into place.  He then placed his hands upon the head of his father, and in a few well- chosen words, laid their condition before the Lord, and prayed that his father might be restored.  The man arose and they retreated a short distance to the west where they concealed themselves in some loose rocks.

Darkness came on and with it the Indians left them.  When it appeared safe, they came out from their hiding place, and guided by the boy slowly made their way to Duncan’s Retreat, from which place they were taken to their home by friends.

The boy still lives, a courageous, devoted man, but never since and probably never again, will a crisis arise demanding the inspiring exhibition of courage here recounted.

The death of Ammon M. Tenney occurred October 28, 1925 at Safford, Arizona.  He left behind a large posterity and a multitude of friends to mourn his going.

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, Stalwarts South of the Border, page 688.

Edson Darius Porter of the Mormon Colonies in Mexico

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Edson Darius Porter

of the Mormon Colonies in Mexico

(1859-1933)

 

Edson Darius Porter was born on April 12, 1859 in Provo, Utah, the son of Chauncy Warriner Porter and Lydia Ann Cook.

As early as 1854, members of his father’s family had established what was to become the town of Porterville, Morgan County, Utah. Other family members soon came to this beautiful little valley to make their homes.  It was from here that Edson left to help his brother, Warriner Al Porter, settle in Orderville where the United Order was in practice.  Here in Orderville he met Catherine Aurelia Carling, daughter of Isaac Van Wagoner Carling and Asenath Elizabeth Browning.  They were married in the St. George Temple in June 1880.  This young couple continued to live in Orderville where Edson worked at the leather tannery.  He joined the Order into which he turned a yoke of oxen, valued at $40 each.

In Orderville, Edson served the Church in the capacity of both Secretary and Second Assistant of the Sunday School from October 12, 1884, until October 18, 1885, as First Assistant in the Sunday School.  From October 18, 1885, to September 18, 1887, he served as Sunday School Superintendent.

The Order was dissolved in 1885.  It was on February 19, 1886, following the counsel of the President of the Church, that Edson took Catherine’s sister, Phoebe Malinda, as a plural wife.  He bought land south of the town of Orderville and built a home for his two families.  Here they enclosed 20 acres of land and planted fruit trees and grapes.  He continued with his leather work with the help of his wives, making chaps, harnesses, leather jackets, etc., until they were able to pay for their new home.

There were only about 2 years of peaceful living in this new location as the government commenced persecution of all those who were living in polygamy.  Edson, as did most men, went “underground” for six months to avoid imprisonment. In 1888, after two years of uncertainty and trial, word was received from President Wilford Woodruff that all who wished could move their families into Mexico where land had been purchased and permission had been granted by the Mexican Government for the establishment of Mormon colonies.

From Catherine’s own story comes the following account:

It was on September 4, 1890 that we bade Father, Mother, brothers, sisters, friends and home goodbye.  We bought a tent, a good camp outfit, two almost new wagons, two of the best teams in the country, and an extra horse in case we might need one.  Our brother Isaac, and sister, Eliza, where were not married, took a team and accompanied us the first day and night of our journey.  He had his accordion with him and played sweet music which we shall always remember.

I will describe more fully our camping outfit.  We had our bedsprings fixed in the wagons.  As there was not room for all of us to sleep in the wagons, we pitched the tent at night.  We had camp chairs.  There was a cupboard built in the back of the wagon; the door could be let down to make a table.  Our baking was done in a dutch oven. Everything was arranged as comfortably as possible for the long journey.

Brother Willard Carrol and family accompanied us to Mexico.  They had grown sons and a daughter, one of his sons Thomas Carrol, drove one of our teams.  We appreciated their company.

My children that were living were Arvena, aged nine; Delilah aged six; Geneva, aged four; Clara, aged two; Zenos, aged four and Jesse, aged two.  We passed through miles and miles of plain country.  In places we had to dig deep into the earth to find water four our stock, this made our journey long and dreary at times.  There were times when we would find natural rock tanks filled with water from recent rains.

We had an exciting crossing over the Gilla[Gila]River.  It was swollen so high we felt fortunate to get across, and we thanked our Heavenly Father for helping us cross safely. We continued on through great stretches of unsettled country — country where the cattlemen had bored down into the earth 700 feet to get water for their cattle.  We had to buy all the water we used for ourselves and our animals from there until we reached Colonia Diaz, Mexico.

We were traveling in a stranger’s land.  We came on to guards stationed along the way to tell us what to do.  When we finally arrived at Colonia Diaz, we had been on the road seven weeks.  We stayed here 10 weeks then we moved on up the country another 50 miles to Casa[s] Grandes Valley where Bishop Winslow Farr, Fred G. Williams and Anson B. Call had laid out a mile-square town, Colonia Dublan.

We obtained land on the West side of the river in San Jose.  The Dublan ward was organized with Winslow Farr as bishop.

In Dublan Edson serviced as the First Assistant in the Sunday School, from August 16, 1891 until January 21, 1894.

“Edson,” said Catherine, “was appointed president of the MIA. We found that we could not do justice to our callings, however, on account of living so far away.  So much of the time we couldn’t cross the river because of high water.”

From Clara, daughter of Catherine, we get this incident:

I remember how the river came up; water was so high no one could cross it. We had to stay home a lot, for there were no bridges to cross. One time when we went to Sunday School, the river was so we could cross it. I think there were nine of us in the three seated buggy; Zenos, my oldest brother was running the team — a pair of black ponies. When we went home after Sunday School the river had risen some, but we couldn’t tell how much. We drove in and got right in the middle of the stream where the horses stopped. The water was way up on the sides. They looked back as if to say, “We can’t go any farther.” The water was running into the buggy and almost over our laps. There was a Mexican man standing on the bank watching. He got on his horse and went to tell our father that his children were in the river and couldn’t get out. He brought Father back with him. The Mexican had a long rope which he tied to the saddle horn and wrote out in the stream. He tied the other end of the rope to the buggy tongue, and went ahead and pulled us out. We were a happy bunch of with kids when we got across the river.

From Phoebe’s story we get the following account:

In Dublan we plan to send our children to school, but as my boys [Kate’s older children were girls] were not old enough to trust with the team and flood times, Edson told me I had better drive them over. I said, “I don’t want to drive over and back twice a day.” He said I could spend the day visiting. I asked if he would get the teachers, Brother A. B. Call’s, consent for me to go to school also, I would do it. Edson spoke to them about it, and they said I could go. So I drove the team over to school and back every day while Kate took care of my baby girl and her small children.

We again quote from Catherine:

Dublan grew so rapidly that it was soon the largest Ward in the Stake. At one time there were 1200 members. On account of having a new canal built, which was badly needed, people began to leave for other locations. It was wonderful climate, never very cold in the winter, nor very hot in the summer. Had there been plenty of water for crops, it would have been wonderful country. My eldest son, Edson, was born in Dublan, June 10, 1892. Also Asenath Ann was born to Phoebe.

It was decided the Catherine and her family should go to Juarez, a distance of about 17 miles from the ranch in San Jose. Edson had agreed to go there to make shoes for Henry Eyring’s store. In Juarez in that education would be available for the older girls. Phoebe and her family remained on the ranch. Mexicans were hired to help operate the place. In Juarez, a son, LeGrand, was born to Catherine on August 4, 1894. He lived only 14 months. She became to Juarez also for the birth of her son, Francis Milo, July 16, 1893.

Jesse and Phoebe relate and interesting incident which occurred at this time:

Father was writing it three-year-old filly hunting cows that were on the Helaman Pratt ranch, about 17 miles beyond Colonia Juarez -Juarez being 18 miles from our ranch in San Jose. As he rode up the mountainside he saw what he thought was a post… It turned out to be a mountain lion. It gave a bloodcurdling scream badly frightening Edson. As the lion started to head Father off, he made the cold jump over a deep canyon about six feet wide. Here came the lion after him as he made for the house on the Pratt ranch. He and the mayor got safely into a building, but the lion screamed and watched the house until almost daybreak before it went away.

Just after sunset… Mother called us boys to her side and we knelt in prayer, for she had said she knew our father was in danger. I felt then that the Lord had answered our prayer. I can see even now how we ran to see Father when he came home. He told us how Aunt Kate had called her family together in Juarez just as the sun had started to set, even as we had done. Tears came into Father’s and Mother’s and our eyes as he told us how both his families and prayed for his safety just the time when he was in such danger.

Phoebe and her sons worked the ranch with the age of Mexican helpers. Jesse recalls:  

That fall we had a wonderful crop of corn. We had 50 or so Mexicans shucking corn in the fields, and a few of them were a little tricky. After the crop was hauled out of the field, they would go gleaning and seem to find a great amount of corn as they had hidden it inside places. Mother decided to take us boys to look for the places where they had hidden the court. While we were hunting she found a good pair of woolen pants that had been taken off when the day was warm. Mother washed them well and made a fine coat and pants for me. I was proud of my new suit, and when I went to Juarez to visit Aunt Kate the first thing I told to all was that my suit was made from a pair of Mexican pants mother had found.

After two years in Juarez, Edson and Catherine and their children moved back to San Jose and the farm. Here it was that Amelia and Winnie he were born. Mary was born July 22, 1896, and Winnie, August 7, 1898. During this time in San Jose(it must be kept in mind that San Jose was rather like a suburb of Dublan, hence the two names seem to be used interchangeably), the following children were born to Phoebe: Jonathan, September 20, 1895; Homer, August 29, 1897; and Nathan Edward, August 28, 1899.

In the spring of 1899, Edson was called by the President of the Stake Anthony W. Ivins, to go to Colonia Diaz for colonization purposes. Again he took with him Catherine and her family. He did not want to give the farm in San Jose; so once more he left Phoebe and the sons to operate it. Catherine and Edson stayed at Diaz 19 months. He established a tannery there. Justina was born December 20, 1900. She lived only three weeks.

Return to Dublan, Catherine gave birth to Evan Cook, December 29, 1902 and Margaret Irene on July 5, 1905. To Phoebe were born Eliza Rozena, October 16, 1901, who lived for three years; Ellen Moneta, December 2, 1903; Wilford, June 17, 1906, who lived for one year; Vearl, December 12, 1908, who lived only three weeks. What a trial it must have been to see so many of their children taken in death before they reach maturity.

Again we quote from Catherine’s record:

During the time of the Mexican Revolution we passed through some thrilling and exciting experiences. One day a few weeks before we were driven from our home the Mexican rebels, a tent of them, surrounded our house on the farm at harvest time, and demanded that we let them into search our place. It was just noon and our menfolk were all ready to stop work for dinner. My daughter, Clara, was with me. She could speak Spanish; so she told them are men would soon be coming and they should wait until they arrived home. They said they would not wait. They went through all the rooms— turned up the bedding to see if they could find any arms and ammunition. Their search was in vain that time, and they soon left. They came several times in search of guns.

Phoebe report similar experiences: “The Mexicans wanted our menfolk to help them in the war, but our authorities had said for us to remain neutral. They said, ’Give us your guns, then.’ So our people gave them our guns, as Brother Henry Bowman, the merchant in Dublan had a lot of guns in his store. He told her men to give up their old guns and get new ones from his store; so they did.”

Phoebe further relates that after the main body of people had left the town, a few men stayed on to try to keep things in order. The Mexicans were very surprised to find that these men still had good guns and were both able and willing to protect themselves.

Catherine tells us:

It was on July 28, 1912, late in the afternoon that the Bishop sent a runner over for a place to tell us to be ready to leave on the next train that would take us to El Paso, Texas. We were to meet at 1:00 a.m. at the store where the train would take us on. We had to walk out of our home and leave everything we could not packed into two trunks— cows, horses, chickens, all our food and household things. I have tried to keep myself from grieving about all our losses, for worry and grief do not bring back that which is lost. Several of the wealthiest people I knew did not live long after they left Mexico.

Phoebe, Jesse and Juanita, Clara, Francis, Edward and Moneta were with the first group to leave on the train. A few days later Catherine, Evan, Irene and Winnie left together. Edson left on horseback with the other men of the community.

There was a ruling of the Mexican government that a certain percentage of the land occupied by the Mormon colonists had to be owned by Mexican citizens. Edson Porter, among others, took out Mexican citizenship. He became a Mexican citizen September 7, 1897 it was a blessing to the colonists in general, but for his family have proved to be rather expensive, for after the expulsion of the colonies, at the insistence of the United States, the Mexican Government made a compensatory payment to those people expelled. They were paid $.50 on the dollar of the value of the property which they were required to leave behind them. The property of Edson and his family was valued at $350,000, but because he was Mexican citizen he received no compensation.

The refugees were welcomed in the city of El Paso, Texas. The drying sheds of a lumber yard served as temporary housing for them. That first night 1000 people were camp there. More arrived, but gradually they moved out as decisions were made to pick up and continue with forced alternatives.

The Edson Porter families moved to Clearfield, Utah where already several of the children had located Clearfield, they moved to Holladay, Utah, then to Tooele, then to Clarkdale and Jerome, Arizona. Finally, in 1929, they took up residence in Mesa, Arizona— just three of them now. There were two small homes side by side, very near to the temple. Edson, Catherine, and Phoebe were all temple workers.

On December 10, 1933, Edson died very suddenly of the severe pain in the stomach.

Phoebe married Culver Kartchner, a fellow temple worker, July 28, 1943. She passed away March 14, 1945. It was not until her funeral that all her living children were together— Zenos, Jesse, Francis Milo, Nathan Edward, Ellen Moneta, and Alva Elmo. She was 76 years old.

Catherine continued as a temple ordinance worker until 1941 when she was released because of ill health, at the age of 76. She passed away November 1, 1957, at the age of 92. Edson, Phoebe and Catherine are all buried in the city cemetery, Mesa Arizona.

Edson had many acres of farmland in Mexico. He was also busy with his chosen trade—that leather tanning and making leather goods. There were times when he rented much of his land to a Japanese produce farmer in El Paso, Texas. This man had both Chinese and Japanese workmen with them. Edson’s relationship with these men was very, very, good. The family takes great pride in the story related by elder Matthew Cowley:

When I was in Japan a year ago we found a man who, before the war, was the second largest landowner in all Japan… He had 12 buildings on his property, four or five beautiful homes… hundreds of acres. Finally decided to give this land to the Mormon Church… When asked him why he offered it to the Mormons instead of others. He said, “There is a man here named Mr. Mogi and Mr. Mogi told him to give it to the Mormons. Many years ago he used to live in Mexico among Mormon people. He said, ‘I saw what those people can do, their spirit of cooperation, the way they lived, could, clean living, good habits and morals.’ That has remained with me all days my life. And so I said let’s find the Mormons.” Now we have 1700 acres of ground in Japan—all those beautiful buildings given to the church for nothing, because a man lived among the Mormons in Mexico, and the inspiration which came into his life from those Mormons never left him.

Ione A. Pack, granddaughter

Stalwarts South of the Border Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, pg 530

Charles Edmund Richardson

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Charles Edmund Richardson

(1858-1925)

Charles Edmund Richardson was born in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah, October 13, 1858.  He was the son of Mary Ann Darrow and Edmund Richardson, converts to the Church, who had been called to Manti to help increase the population of that city as protection against Walker’s band of Indians.  They later moved to Springville, Utah.

From his father, Edmund learned mechanics, carpentering, and building.  He was considered a prodigy because of the eas with which he absorbed learning.  When he was 14 years old his parents died, leaving to him the care of a younger brother, Sullivan Calvin.  This responsibility developed in him resourcefulness and ingenuity.  Thoughtful and logical, cheerful but never loud, he was inclined to plainness in clothes and manner, and yet was possessed of natural dignity.  He was cautions but never worried or fearful.  His hair was red, and, even as an old man, he had an erect figure which he maintained until his death. He had steady blue eyes and grew a heavy moustache.  After the death of his parents, he worked fo a short time in the mines but later took his younger brother and went to northern Arizona to join the United Order at Brigham City.  There he learned the art of community living and developed his skills in the trades.

Although he had married Sarah Louisa Adams (Sadie) in 1882, and Sarah Rogers in 1887, polygamy was not the reason he moved to Mexico in 1888.  Rather, it came about because of a misunderstanding over land.  This prompted him to leave Pleasant Valley, near Heber in Arizona, and move south with Sadie and their three small children.  He turned to Mexico because his friends and the relatives of his wife were either already there or planning to go there.  His recent plural marriage simply supported his decision. 

On a hot summer day in 1888, Charles E. Richardson and his family crossed the border into Mexico and settled in Colonia Diaz, a fast-growing Mormon colony three years of age.  This was not his first trip to Mexico, for he had interrupted his duties in the Indian Mission in 1885 to be transferred to northern Chihuahua as an interpreter for Apostle George Teasdale and others during the Mexican land purchase negotiations.

Edmund was an immediate asset to the Mexico communities.  He set up blacksmith and carpenter shops and came to be rated during those early years as one of the best mechanics among the Mormons in Mexico.  He shod horses, made wheelbarrows, and handcarts.  He even made a complete windmill, including pump.  As a complete wheelwright, he made repairs to wagons and wheels for the colonists.  He had taught school on his earlier arrival in Mexico and was one of the first school teachers in the colonies.

During those first years there was much sickness in Colonia Diaz, and no professional medical help was available, only services of several devoted women who served as practical nurses and midwives.  Among these were Annie Nelson, Maude Acord, and, later, Leah Jane Keeler, who was a registered nurse.  In January, 1891, tow of Edmund’s children died almost the same day.  This sorrow so affected him that he resolved to do something about the lack of medical help.  He consulted with doctors in Deming, New Mexico, Casas Grandes, and El Paso, Texas.  He bought books on medicine and drugs, and charts on anatomy.  He purchased a skull and the trunk of a skeleton.  With encouragement from area doctors, he began to study medicine earnestly.  William Gailbraith owned a large drugstore in Chihuahua City and, when Edmund and his brother, Sullivan, learned that Gailbraith was going to return to the United States, they bought his drug stock.

Aided by regular and frequent consultation with doctors, Edmund became remarkably successful in the practice of medicine among the colonists.  In 1892, he was called upon so much for medical service that he was forced to neglect other duties.  Often, the gristmill which he had set up earlier was left all day unattended, except by his nine-year-old son Eddie, who was too small to pour grain into the hopper, so the machine ground on without wheat until some older person happened by.  This was one of the first water-powered grist mills installed in the colonies.  He christened the mill El Molino Joyero, meaning “jewel mill.”  

Edmund successfully applied his ingenuity and resourcefulness to many facets of the Mexico colonization project, but perhaps his greatest contribution was with legal problems encountered by the colonists.  Many precedents established by cases he fought in the Mexican courts proved invaluable to the welfare of the Saintes long after the Exodus in 1912.   

In January, 1896, Edmund received a mission call to Great Britain.  This was later changed to Mexico City to allow him to study Mexican law to prepare him to act as legal advisor to the Mormon colony Diaz which, at that time, was considered the most thriving of the colonies.  Two other men, Pleasant S. Williams and Hyrum Harris were also called at the same time to study law to prepare for duties at Colonia Dublan and Juarez. 

Having lawyers among the Mormons was a wise move inasmuch as the colonists had suffered for lack for legal counsel from the time they first crossed the line into Mexico.  Some cases had dragged on for years and amounted to nothing less than extortion or blackmail.  In compliance with the missionary call, Edmund enrolled as a student at the University of Mexico where he completed a four-year course in two years and graduated with honors. 

Through a series of circumstances, Edmund became the only “home grown” lawyer in the colonies and the sole source of legal counsel unless Mexican lawyers were engaged, whose sympathies were not always clear.  A fellow colonist said of him, “As a lawyer in Mexico, Edmund Richardson knew his stuff.”  And a Mexican lawyer is said to have observed, “If Don Edmundo is on the other side, we will not take the case.”  He had a phenomenal memory and the word of Don Edmundo, as he was called, came to be received with deference at the jefetura (county seat).  His son Edmund is authority for the statement that Charles Edmund Richardson never lost a case in the Mexican courts.

In 1889 Richardson married Caroline Rebecca Jacobsen, and, in 1904, Daisy Stout.  He had also brought his second wife, Sarah Rogers, down to Mexico.  Edmund was a family man cum laude.  His family and genealogical records kept in his own handwriting are examples of his efficiency and thoroughness and compliment to his love for his families.  That the family was due to their deep religious convictions, forbearance, and the wise counsel and just dealings of of the husband and father.  He created such harmony and good attitudes that the family continued to have close and strong bonds of affection even after Edmund had died.

In the latter part of 1904, Edmund moved his wife Sadie to Colonia Juarez and later established a home there for his fourth wife Daisy. This move provided a home for the lawyer during the time his legal duties kept him a t Casas Grandes, county seat, and put the children near the Juarez Academy.  However, Sadie and Daisy often returned to the ranch at Colonia Diaz to spend the summer.

An incident told by Edmund’s daughter, Hazel, reveals the need of the people for the help he could and did give.  “One day,” said Hazel, “not long after my father’s death, I met Daniel Skousen of Colonia Juarez on the streets of El Paso, Texas.  AS soon as the greetings were over, he asked me where my father could be reached, and said, “We need him so much.  If we could only persuade him him to come back to the Colonies!  The people down there are in trouble and he is our only hope.  He must come back!”  When I finally said, “He is dead,” Uncle Dan Remarked, “No one will ever do for the colonies what he has done.  He filled his mission faithfully and well.  He knew how to handle the Mexicans and they knew that they would receive justice.”

Adam Fredrickson of Colonia Diaz noted that:

Edmund Richardson was a student of merit, utilized all his spare time for study.  His overland trips were made with a team and a book.  He spoke both Spanish and English fluently.  His interesting and enlightening sermons were second to none, and were enunciated clearly.  He had the best control of his temper of anyone I knew.  Once while he was fencing his property, an angry stockman who favored open grazing reviled him with abusive language and every foul name at his command.  Richardson went calmly about his work remarking, “If you get any pleasure out of calling me such names, just go ahead.”  Even when the cattleman threatened to strike with a shovel, Richardson laughed him out of it.  He was a friend to everyone… He helped many a poor family enjoy a better Christmas because he helped Santa put dolls and toys on the community Christmas tree.

Edmund Richardson tried to make the best possible use of every hour for he believed that wasting time was foolish and irresponsible.  He read avidly while traveling to his appointments at the courts, or on business, thus accumulating a superior store of knowledge.

Because he was so capable, it was sometimes a relief to find that he was human, too.  An incident will illustrate this.  His wives, Sadie and Becky, when they fed the pigs, were in the habit of going together, one carrying the feed in a bucket and the other armed with a large stick to keep off the pigs as the women approached the trough.  One day Edmund was at home, he decided to feed the pigs himself.  “Take a stick,” cautioned Sadie.  “Never mind my dears.  Don’t worry.  I will take care of myself,” he called back as he walked away out the kitchen door, both knowing well the difficulties involved, and yet wondering if he could possibly take care of the situation. But before he reached the trough, an overeager pig had run from behind, pushed himself between Edmund’s legs, tripping him.  Before he realized what was happening, Edmund was down on the ground, completely out of sight of the watching women, surrounded by a horde of scrambling, pushing pigs.  It is understandable that the story was told and retold with relish by the wives.  The husband, after all, was just human enough to still have something to learn.

Charles Edmund Richardson’s versatility was evident by his many activities:  law, medicine, cattle raising, farming, mechanics and blacksmithing, teaching, designing and building, reconciliation fo the needs and demands of his wives and pluaral families, not to mention his church activities.  He managed to crowd all these activities into his life with a fair degree of success in every area.  He seemed to have a driving force and ability to manage his time which enabled him to accomplish what he did.

His daughter, Hazel R. Taylor, happened to be talking with Anthony W. Ivins, President of the Juarez Stake in Mexico, and perhaps Edmund’s closest friend in Mexico. At the time of the conversation with President Ivins was then in Salt Lake City as Counselor to the President of the Church.  President Ivins said, “Do you know you have a wonderful father?” Hazel, who adored her father, as did all his children, said, “Well, I am his child and perhaps inclined to be prejudiced, but I think that my father is just wonderful!”

Brother Ivins went on, “I suppose that he did as much or more good for the colonies in Mexico that any other man.  Did you know that except for one thing he would have had many important positions in the church, but we couldn’t depend on him…”  Shocked, Hazel interrupted him to expostulate regarding her father’s dependability.  She said she could not imagine him, who knew her father so well, thinking such a thing.  President Ivins quickly said, “Now wait, let me explain,” and went on to say that her father had a brilliant mind, that his capabilities were remarkable, that his spirituality was far above average, and that his principles were unquestioned, but that because of his mission he could not be relied upon to fill scheduled church appointments.

This was certainly true.  When he was teaching commercial law at the Juarez Stake Academy, the only way students knew whether he was in town was by the ringing of the bell.  Edmund would advise the custodian, John Allen, when he came into town to ring the bell and students would prepare for class.  Because his lessons were so enjoyable he was retained as the teacher of the adult class in Sunday School for many years.  Likely as not, Brother Richardson would be found in some Ward other than his own on a Sunday, and was usually called upon to talk in his clear yet deep and thoughtful way to an appreciative audience while his Sunday School class accepted a substitute.

So it was true, as President Ivins indicated, the positions Edmund held in the Church did not reflect the extent of his abilities, his spirituality, or his dependability.  Through he valued his property holdings, he valued his membership in the Church and his testimony of its truthfulness far more.  His entire life dedicated to compliance with its demands.  He honored his priesthood and was sincere in his devotion to it. He vowed to submit to authority, and succeeded in every instance.  Great characters stand tall, and Charles Edmund Richardson towered with other stalwarts who established and maintained the Mormon colonies of Mexico.  He was a pillar of strength on whom others depended for help. 

In August, 1925, Edmund became ill and passed away.  H was buried in Thatcher, Arizona. He was the father of 36 children, 24 of whom grew to adulthood.  If there is anything that can be said to describe the family generally, it would be an unusual closeness among the families of the four wives, the clean living and high moral character of the family members, and their involvement in church activity. Among his posterity are found professional men and women in the fields of medicine, education, law, and finance.

Compiled and submitted by members and descendants of the Charles Edmund Richardson family

Stalwarts South of the Border Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, page 564