Alexander Jameson, Jr.
1859-1943
Alexander Jameson, Jr. was the son of Alexander Jameson and Pirene Brown Ewell. His grandfather, Charles Jameson, was wounded at Hans Mill. Charles was also a member of the Mormon Battalion.
His wife died of cholera while crossing the plains and was buried in Nebraska. Alex, Jr.’s father drove the ox team and brought his sisters and younger brother to the Salt Lake Valley.
Alexander Jameson, Jr. was born May 18, 1859 in Provo, Utah. In 1866 the family moved to Goshen, Utah. During the early settlement of Goshen, Alexander, Jr. remembers his father beating the bass drum every morning at daylight as a signal for grown male members of the Ward to gather at the log schoolhouse where the roll was called and the night guards were relived and day guards appointed to take their places. As the Indians grew more peaceful, Goshen was moved to its present site where Alexander, Jr. grew to manhood.
He was baptized a member of the LDS Church by Bishop William Price in 1867. He grew up without being ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood as he was always away from home working, his father being an invalid. In 1881 he was ordained an Elder by James H. Jenkins. In 1884 he was ordained a Seventy by Rodger Openshaw. His name was sent to the First Seven Presidents of Seventy as worthy to be called on a mission. A little later his brother-in-law met with an accident from which he died. The brethren asked that Alexander, Jr. not be called as his sister was left with six children and needed him to finish a house that was under construction at the time of her husband’s death.
Alexander Jameson, Jr. married Millicent Ferris Hatfield on December 29, 1881 in the Salt Lake Endowment House. Eleven children were born to them.
Because his father was an invalid he had the care of his parents until his father died on October 24, 1884, at which time his mother went to live with his younger sister, Martha J. Christensen.
He bought a city lot in Goshen, Utah and build a home, where they lived until 1889. He had little opportunity to attend school until he was 30 years of age. He moved his young family to Provo in 1889. His wife, Millicent, cooked for students while he attended Brigham Young University.
Dr. Karl G. Maeser called him to go to Castle Dale, Emery County, Utah to organize a church school known as the Emery Stake Academy.
He was called to serve as a Counselor in the Bishopric of Castle Dale Ward. On February 4, 1895, he was ordained a Patriarch at 36 years of age. He was released from the Bishopric a year later. They lived in a log house until 1895, when they moved into a new brick house, built in front of the log house. It was a lovely two-story building with eight rooms. One of the rooms upstairs was his office. He gave many Patriarchal Blessings there. He also served as Stake Sunday School Superintendent in the Emery Stake. He taught school until 1900 in Castle Dale, then he moved to Colonia Morelos, Sonora, Mexico. Here he married a second wife, Mary Amelia Larsen, May 24, 1901. Five children were born to this union.
In 1901 the Morelos Ward was organized and Alexander, Jr. was sustained as First Counselor to Bishop Orson P. Brown. He was in charge of the tithing.
He built a cooler of screen wire tacked to a wooden frame. On top of the frame was a pan of water. Burlap covered the frame and the door and enough of the burlap was allowed to reach into the pan of water to soak the burlap to keep it wet. This is the way they kept food that members had contributed as tithing, such as home-made cheese, butter, vegetables, and eggs. Grains and hay were kept at the tithing office yard.
Following is a quote from Clara Porter’s life story:
One night while a Priesthood Meeting was being held in the chapel, a volley of shots rang out. It sounded like cannons, north of town. We always feared a rebel invasion and were always on the alert. I was at a Primary song practice at the home of my friend Josie Snarr. Mother was the Primary President and was with us. She decided to go home and get the tithing records and money and take them to the chapel. She wrapped the records and money in the blankets with the baby and ran to see what was keeping the men. They had been singing the closing song loudly, they hadn’t heard the shots. The men soon organized a posse to investigate. They learned that two enemy outlaw groups and not the Mexican rebels that were feared.
Another occasion which gave us a shock was when a thief from the United States went into a mining camp, killed the leader, and robbed the miners. H needed food and fresh horses, so he came to our colony, tied his horse up in the hills at the edge of town and walked to the store for supplies. He paid for his supplies with money he took from a large roll in a burlap bag. Our deputy had been informed of the holdup, so he asked the thief some questions. He ran out of the door and tried to get his horse. The deputy shot him in the leg. As he fell he tried to hide the money under his head. The Mormon men carried him to the tithing office (no jail). The deputy dressed his wounds and cared for him until the Mexican officials came for him.
In August, 1907, Alexander moved his families to Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico, where he rented rooms in Bailey Lake’s new house.
The farmers took turns using the irrigation water. One evening his son, Arthur Jameson, was irrigating near Brother Black’s farm when he saw a Mexican trying to force Brother Black to give him the stream of water. Art went over to interpret as Brother Black didn’t understand Spanish very well. The Mexican became angry and pulled out his gun. Young Jameson tried to get Brother Black to leave, but he didn’t think the Mexican was serious about shooting. As art ran to get help he heard a shot. Sister Black heard the shots also. They notified the authorities. When they arrived they found Brother Black dead.
The few years prior to 1912 were happy ones. Alexander built and purchased homes for his families, farmed his land and began to get his roots down. Then the trouble began. The Revolution left Mexico without a stable government, and danger seemed to beset the Saints at every turn. Alexander took his turn standing guard, but things became worse and eventually the women and children were placed in box cars and sent to El Paso, Texas. Jameson remained with the other brethren for a few days longer, in hopes things would clear up and his families could return.
While tending the water in his field, a band of Mexicans surrounded the home of first family. He returned to the house and found them helping themselves outside and in. As he approached the front door, two guns were thrust in his face. He recognized both guns as his own. One was out of order, and there was no ammunition for the other one. He took a barrel in each hand, thrust the Mexicans to each side and walked into the house. The Mexicans exclaimed “Bravo, bravo!”
They were putting on his clothes, even his good white shirts, and helping themselves in general. He was angry and felt like going to the corner of the room and pulling out the organ, in back of which he had hidden a six-shooter all loaded. For a moment he wanted to shoot the invaders but controlled his feelings. After the Mexicans had taken what they wanted, they left.
A short time later he was forced to flee with the other brethren into the mountains and back to the United States. The first few miles they fled under fire and never had a chance to rest until they reached El Paso. Having no desire to return to Mexico, he moved his families back to Castle Dale, Utah, where they lived for three years.
In May, 1916, he moved his families to LaSal, San Juan County, Utah, where new land was being homesteaded. He brought the improvements of Don Loveridge on 160 acres of land and started dry farming. The land was rich and in the first few years the crops were good. He worked in the nearby Big Indian Mine and paid for his land. He helped build the church house and served a number of years as Bishop of the LaSal Ward. He served a number of years on the San Juan School Board and was instrumental in getting a schoolhouse constructed. Theretofore they had held school in the church house. He continued to give Patriarchal Blessings.
Some dry years came along and many of the people in LaSal left to make their homes elsewhere. He took the job of watchman at the Big Indian Mill for copper after it ceased operating. Millicent went to visit some of their children who were living in a number of the western states. Amelia moved to Moab, Utah so the boys could attend high school. Here she contracted pneumonia and died on November 6, 1924. Millicent went to Moab and helped the boys finish that year of school. Annetta went to live with her Uncle Parley and Aunt Mary Larsen.
After the death of their oldest daughter, Millicent Dorothy Naegle, the Jameson’s moved to Eureka, Utah, to be near their son, Joseph, who was teaching school there, and his family. Later they moved to Provo, Utah. Here he was active in the Manavu Ward and gave many Patriarchal Blessings.
On fast day of October, 1943, he gave his last blessing in Manavu Ward. After October General Conference, 1943, he went with Oscar to LaSal, Utah for a visit. Here he became ill and was taken to the hospital in Moab, Utah where he died November 2, 1943 at the age of 84 years.
His funeral in Provo, Utah, was well-attended and many wonderful things were said that his service. President Junius Romney, and old friend and Stake President in Mexico, was one of the speakers. His life was rich with service to his fellowmen. He was a scholar, an educator, miner, stockman, a good follower, and a fine leader, and above all a good husband and father. He was buried at Goshen, Utah.
Iva Naegle Balmer, granddaughter
Stalwarts South of the Border by Nelle Spilsbury Hatch page 325
The word Manavu is derived from the Hebrew meaning “beautiful view”; it can be compared with Nauvoo, Illinois, which stands for “beautiful location.”
The Manavu Ward was created April 11, 1920, when the Provo 5th Ward was divided and all that part lying north of 4th North St. and east of 1st East St., extending north to the city limits and east to the mountains, was organized into the Manavu Ward.
Manavu Ward Link to family search.org
