Autobiography of Clarissa Isabell Wilhelm

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==Part 1==
==Part 1==
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I was born in [[Rockville, Utah|Rockville]], [[Washington County, Utah|Washington Co.]], [[Utah]] on [[March 27]], [[1870]]. My parents were [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm]] and [[Lydia Hannah Draper|Lydia Hannah Draper Wilhelm]]. I had six brothers and sisters, three brothers and three sisters, seven of us in all. I also had one half-brother and five half-sisters, as my father was a polygamist. My mother and father was married five years before he took his second wife, [[Grace Tippett Jose|Grace Tibbits (Tippets) Jose]]. My father and Mother were very happy until this woman came into their lives. I was the first child born to mother after my father took the second wife. I had one [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm, Jr.|brother]] and one [[Lydia Isora Wilhelm|sister]] older than myself. My mother's parents names were Zemira Draper and Amy Terry Draper. We lived in Rockville until I was 3 years old and then we moved to a little town called Mount Carmel. My father’s [[Clarissa Harden|mother]] and his oldest sister, Aunt [[Susan Clarissa Williams|Susan]], moved there also. We lived there until I was 4 years old. Then the church started the United Order and they called father to help head the Order at [[Orderville, Utah|Orderville]], where we moved about two miles from Mount Carmel. A little while after we moved to this place, I had a little sister born. She was named [[Amy Elnora Wilhelm|Amy Elnora]]. She lived until she was 21 months old and then she died of indigestion. Mother was unable to get proper food for her. She was a sweet, little golden-curly headed doll like kid. At this age of 4 I started to school, I will always remember the book I was supposed to read part of it was the Doctrine and Covenants. I can think of trying to read with horror. I forgot to state that father was put in as first councilor to the president of the stake. I will try to tell as near as I can how the Order was carried on.
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===Rockville, Utah===
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I was born in [[Rockville, Utah|Rockville]], [[Washington County, Utah|Washington Co.]], [[Utah]] on [[March 27]], [[1870]]. My parents were [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm]] and [[Lydia Hannah Draper|Lydia Hannah Draper Wilhelm]]. I had six brothers and sisters, three brothers and three sisters, seven of us in all. I also had one half-brother and five half-sisters, as my father was a polygamist. My mother and father was married five years before he took his second wife, [[Grace Tippett Jose|Grace Tibbits (Tippets) Jose]]. My father and Mother were very happy until this woman came into their lives. I was the first child born to mother after my father took the second wife. I had one [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm, Jr.|brother]] and one [[Lydia Isora Wilhelm|sister]] older than myself. My mother's parents names were Zemira Draper and Amy Terry Draper.  
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===Mt. Carmel, Utah===
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We lived in Rockville until I was 3 years old and then we moved to a little town called Mount Carmel. My father’s [[Clarissa Harden|mother]] and his oldest sister, Aunt [[Susan Clarissa Williams|Susan]], moved there also. We lived there until I was 4 years old.  
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===The United Order in Orderville, Utah===
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Then the church started the United Order and they called father to help head the Order at [[Orderville, Utah|Orderville]], where we moved about two miles from Mount Carmel. A little while after we moved to this place, I had a little sister born. She was named [[Amy Elnora Wilhelm|Amy Elnora]]. She lived until she was 21 months old and then she died of indigestion. Mother was unable to get proper food for her. She was a sweet, little golden-curly headed doll like kid. At this age of 4 I started to school, I will always remember the book I was supposed to read part of it was the Doctrine and Covenants. I can think of trying to read with horror. I forgot to state that father was put in as first councilor to the president of the stake. I will try to tell as near as I can how the Order was carried on.
They built the houses in fort shape and right in the center of the square of buildings, was built a large kitchen and dining room. They would select a set of 12 women to work for six weeks as cooks in the kitchen and one man helper and at the end of six weeks, they would choose another 12 women, and so on. There were enough women so they would only have to go into the kitchen every three months. But while our mothers were working, we children would have a good and lonesome time of it, for a home without a mother in it is a pretty lonesome place for little kiddos, especially. Mother would go at 4 o’clock in the morning and probably wouldn’t get home until 10:00 o’clock at night. That made the days pretty long. In the dining room, they had three long rows of tables, the length of the dining hall. I don’t remember the length of the hall, but it seemed very large to me then. In the mornings, they had a bugle call to call every one out of bed and they had one to call the grown people to their meals. The tune "Hard Times" was used to call people to arise of a morning and the tune "Do What is Right or The Old Oaken Bucket". for the meals. Then they would clear away the dishes and wash them and call the young people over 12 years of age to eat and the tune was "Oh, Come, Come away from Home" a school song. Then came the children’s turns under 12 years of age and their tune was : "In Our Lovely Deseret" and it has always sounded like something to eat to me since then. They had nice old ladies to help serve us children. We always called them Auntie. I remember Auntie Harmon, and Auntie Blackburn (the name now a little spoiled) and Auntie Clarage. Of course there were more of them but these were My Aunties that waited the tables where us children ate. There was also a man that walked up and down in the aisles between the tables to keep the children quiet. I remember of how I have been hit a lick on the side of my head with a roll of papers for whispering to some child eating near me. It would sure make one’s head ring when a lick came unexpected. They also had little girls 9 years, well I said little girls I should have said little girls over 9 years old, none younger and oh my, I did so want to be old enough to help wait on the tables. But I was Baptised in the summer and we left there in the fall, that same year, so I never had the pleasure of waiting tables before we left there.
They built the houses in fort shape and right in the center of the square of buildings, was built a large kitchen and dining room. They would select a set of 12 women to work for six weeks as cooks in the kitchen and one man helper and at the end of six weeks, they would choose another 12 women, and so on. There were enough women so they would only have to go into the kitchen every three months. But while our mothers were working, we children would have a good and lonesome time of it, for a home without a mother in it is a pretty lonesome place for little kiddos, especially. Mother would go at 4 o’clock in the morning and probably wouldn’t get home until 10:00 o’clock at night. That made the days pretty long. In the dining room, they had three long rows of tables, the length of the dining hall. I don’t remember the length of the hall, but it seemed very large to me then. In the mornings, they had a bugle call to call every one out of bed and they had one to call the grown people to their meals. The tune "Hard Times" was used to call people to arise of a morning and the tune "Do What is Right or The Old Oaken Bucket". for the meals. Then they would clear away the dishes and wash them and call the young people over 12 years of age to eat and the tune was "Oh, Come, Come away from Home" a school song. Then came the children’s turns under 12 years of age and their tune was : "In Our Lovely Deseret" and it has always sounded like something to eat to me since then. They had nice old ladies to help serve us children. We always called them Auntie. I remember Auntie Harmon, and Auntie Blackburn (the name now a little spoiled) and Auntie Clarage. Of course there were more of them but these were My Aunties that waited the tables where us children ate. There was also a man that walked up and down in the aisles between the tables to keep the children quiet. I remember of how I have been hit a lick on the side of my head with a roll of papers for whispering to some child eating near me. It would sure make one’s head ring when a lick came unexpected. They also had little girls 9 years, well I said little girls I should have said little girls over 9 years old, none younger and oh my, I did so want to be old enough to help wait on the tables. But I was Baptised in the summer and we left there in the fall, that same year, so I never had the pleasure of waiting tables before we left there.
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I remember President Brigham Young and his company coming to conference. There was a man with the outfit that always kept minutes at their Meetings, and I fell in love with him. Every time he would took my way, I could feel my face burn. I would blush, as I thought of course he was looking at me, I was only five years old at that time. This was my first love affair and no one knew anything about it but myself. Since I was grown, I have heard of similar cases. They tell me that every child has their first love affair at an early date. I should guess that this man was all of 35 year old.
I remember President Brigham Young and his company coming to conference. There was a man with the outfit that always kept minutes at their Meetings, and I fell in love with him. Every time he would took my way, I could feel my face burn. I would blush, as I thought of course he was looking at me, I was only five years old at that time. This was my first love affair and no one knew anything about it but myself. Since I was grown, I have heard of similar cases. They tell me that every child has their first love affair at an early date. I should guess that this man was all of 35 year old.
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===Back to Rockville===
My folks began to he quite dissatisfied and Apostle Erastus Snow was calling men to move to Arizona to build homes. He called father, so he went with Bro. Snow’s company to look for a place to build us a new home. There were 8 men, I think I heard them say. Edward Noble (Aunt Nancy’s father) was one of the company, Bro. John Nail ( or Naegle), Wm. (Bill) Maxwell were others. So they all decided to move to Arizona. As Mother was in delicate health, he decided to take her down to her mother’s in Rockville, and leave her there for a year and take the other family to Arizona. So he drew his property out of the Order. Each one that joined the Order kept a list of the property that he had turned in and they had one in the Order. As I remember, father drew out 3 work teams, 2 farm wagons and one saddle pony and he and his mother drew 50 head of dairy cows besides some dishes and other things. They bought a nice lot of provisions, fresh pork, cheese, butter and other groceries. I thought I never saw anything look so good. Then father started with us down to Grandmother Draper’s.  
My folks began to he quite dissatisfied and Apostle Erastus Snow was calling men to move to Arizona to build homes. He called father, so he went with Bro. Snow’s company to look for a place to build us a new home. There were 8 men, I think I heard them say. Edward Noble (Aunt Nancy’s father) was one of the company, Bro. John Nail ( or Naegle), Wm. (Bill) Maxwell were others. So they all decided to move to Arizona. As Mother was in delicate health, he decided to take her down to her mother’s in Rockville, and leave her there for a year and take the other family to Arizona. So he drew his property out of the Order. Each one that joined the Order kept a list of the property that he had turned in and they had one in the Order. As I remember, father drew out 3 work teams, 2 farm wagons and one saddle pony and he and his mother drew 50 head of dairy cows besides some dishes and other things. They bought a nice lot of provisions, fresh pork, cheese, butter and other groceries. I thought I never saw anything look so good. Then father started with us down to Grandmother Draper’s.  
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I remember while we were living at this place, mother left me with most of the housework to do. I always had the light bread to bake. The days were sure long. There would be just my brother [[Zemira George Wilhelm|George]] and myself, alone all day, and you can be sure they were long days.
I remember while we were living at this place, mother left me with most of the housework to do. I always had the light bread to bake. The days were sure long. There would be just my brother [[Zemira George Wilhelm|George]] and myself, alone all day, and you can be sure they were long days.
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===Moving to Arizona===
Then it came time for us to think about going to Arizona. As I have said before father took my oldest brother with him out to Arizona. We got a letter from father with $50 in it to pay for our move. Father sent [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm, Jr.|Haight]] (my brother) back after the family. He was then 15 years old. There were two men came with him as far as Kanab. They names were Edward Wild and the other was Curtis. The man Wild was counted to be wild in life as well as in name, hut he was a diamond in the rough and lie surely had a big heart. The mules that my brother drove were not very trustworthy. This man Wild gave [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm, Jr.|Haight]] a large ham, a nice big cheese, as well as a nice lot of canned stuff and then tried and tried to give his bed to my brother. As I guess his bed was none too good. We will never forget his kindness.
Then it came time for us to think about going to Arizona. As I have said before father took my oldest brother with him out to Arizona. We got a letter from father with $50 in it to pay for our move. Father sent [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm, Jr.|Haight]] (my brother) back after the family. He was then 15 years old. There were two men came with him as far as Kanab. They names were Edward Wild and the other was Curtis. The man Wild was counted to be wild in life as well as in name, hut he was a diamond in the rough and lie surely had a big heart. The mules that my brother drove were not very trustworthy. This man Wild gave [[Bateman Haight Wilhelm, Jr.|Haight]] a large ham, a nice big cheese, as well as a nice lot of canned stuff and then tried and tried to give his bed to my brother. As I guess his bed was none too good. We will never forget his kindness.
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Mother walked with us kids and there was nothing happened to mar the trip. We came to Holbrook, then known as Horsehead Crossing. There was only one family living there, a Mexican family by the name of Barradas, who had a little store. This was 65 miles from where father was living, so mother got us some shoes. She did not dare to get us any before as she was afraid she would run short of money for the trip.
Mother walked with us kids and there was nothing happened to mar the trip. We came to Holbrook, then known as Horsehead Crossing. There was only one family living there, a Mexican family by the name of Barradas, who had a little store. This was 65 miles from where father was living, so mother got us some shoes. She did not dare to get us any before as she was afraid she would run short of money for the trip.
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===Concho, Arizona===
Well in a few days, we pulled into Concho, where father and the other family were living and Grandmother Wilhelm, my father’s mother also. I forgot to tell about us crossing the big Colorado River, they sure did have bum boats. They made the horses swim the river and took the wagons to pieces and put them on an old raft-like boat and took the people over in a little boat that leaked so badly that they had Indians dipping water out of it as fast as they could to keep it from filling up. Oh my, but we were scared, but we got across all right.
Well in a few days, we pulled into Concho, where father and the other family were living and Grandmother Wilhelm, my father’s mother also. I forgot to tell about us crossing the big Colorado River, they sure did have bum boats. They made the horses swim the river and took the wagons to pieces and put them on an old raft-like boat and took the people over in a little boat that leaked so badly that they had Indians dipping water out of it as fast as they could to keep it from filling up. Oh my, but we were scared, but we got across all right.
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Here it was that I first met my brother-in-law, Joseph Rogers. He was living with a man by the name of Jessie Brady, a very nice old gentleman. But it was five or six years later that my sister [[Lydia Isora Wilhelm|Isora]] married him.
Here it was that I first met my brother-in-law, Joseph Rogers. He was living with a man by the name of Jessie Brady, a very nice old gentleman. But it was five or six years later that my sister [[Lydia Isora Wilhelm|Isora]] married him.
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===Malpais/Wilhelm Ranch===
Then we moved to a ranch called Malpais and we lived there a year, during this time, father moved mother and his mother there. It is now known as the Wilhelm Ranch and it was then that it got its name. They went up there for the purpose of making butter and cheese and so that father could look after his cattle. I staid a lot with Aunt Grace and while I was living with her, I had a very disagreeable experience.
Then we moved to a ranch called Malpais and we lived there a year, during this time, father moved mother and his mother there. It is now known as the Wilhelm Ranch and it was then that it got its name. They went up there for the purpose of making butter and cheese and so that father could look after his cattle. I staid a lot with Aunt Grace and while I was living with her, I had a very disagreeable experience.
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One day, I saw some oxen coming to water, so I went up to guard them back and on the way back to the house I had to pass by the driver. He was sitting on a little flume, or trough that we had in the ditch to catch water in a bucket, the stream being so small. He said something to which I did not understand as at that time I did not understand Spanish very well. I asked him over a time or two what he said, so then he made some dirty motions so that I could not have been mistaken in what he was trying to say. I was half scared to death and I ran to the house crying. I was between 10 and 11 years old then. It made [[Grace Tippett Jose|Aunt Grace]] very angry and she gathered up a club and went after him. She called him all the names she could think of. He had his big bull-whip with him, but he lit out running and looking back at her. She was a small woman, but oh my, when she got mad, she made people think that she was going to eat them up. The Mexican didn’t know that she was alone with her little family and that I was older than any of the other children, or he might have knocked her cold if he had of understood how things were.
One day, I saw some oxen coming to water, so I went up to guard them back and on the way back to the house I had to pass by the driver. He was sitting on a little flume, or trough that we had in the ditch to catch water in a bucket, the stream being so small. He said something to which I did not understand as at that time I did not understand Spanish very well. I asked him over a time or two what he said, so then he made some dirty motions so that I could not have been mistaken in what he was trying to say. I was half scared to death and I ran to the house crying. I was between 10 and 11 years old then. It made [[Grace Tippett Jose|Aunt Grace]] very angry and she gathered up a club and went after him. She called him all the names she could think of. He had his big bull-whip with him, but he lit out running and looking back at her. She was a small woman, but oh my, when she got mad, she made people think that she was going to eat them up. The Mexican didn’t know that she was alone with her little family and that I was older than any of the other children, or he might have knocked her cold if he had of understood how things were.
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===Dairy Camp===
A little time later, father moved the rest of us to the other ranch and the winter that we lived there, it stormed so much that the roads were impassable and we ran out of flour and had to grind wheat in a coffee mill. It sure was a job. As fast as one would set the mill down, another would have to pick it up if we got enough ground. It sure gave us an appetite so that we could grind more wheat to get more appetite. We were milking 50 head of cows, five of us. We milked 10 cows each. We lived in tents, and the dairy house was built tent fashion, out of timbers. We had a big cheese vat and Grandmother sure did know how to make good cheese. Most of them weighed 50 pounds. Our corral was built on a little slope and there was a swale ran thru it.  
A little time later, father moved the rest of us to the other ranch and the winter that we lived there, it stormed so much that the roads were impassable and we ran out of flour and had to grind wheat in a coffee mill. It sure was a job. As fast as one would set the mill down, another would have to pick it up if we got enough ground. It sure gave us an appetite so that we could grind more wheat to get more appetite. We were milking 50 head of cows, five of us. We milked 10 cows each. We lived in tents, and the dairy house was built tent fashion, out of timbers. We had a big cheese vat and Grandmother sure did know how to make good cheese. Most of them weighed 50 pounds. Our corral was built on a little slope and there was a swale ran thru it.  
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It was here that I got my first chance to marry. Oh no, it wasn’t to the crazy Indian, but to a very nice Mexican boy, but just think! I was only 11 years old. The boys father asked my father for me, as was their accustomed way of doing. Father was feeling playful, I guess, so he told the old man that it was all right with him if any of his girls wanted the boy. The old man said that he would look at us girls and see which one he wanted and he chose me, but nothing doing! The man, or boy for that was what he was at the time, was killed latter by the same outlaws that killed Frank LeSueur and Gus Gibbons, but I will tell about later and about which all of my children already know. He, Carlos Taffoia (Taffoys) and William Maxwell, Jr. were killed while following some outlaws.
It was here that I got my first chance to marry. Oh no, it wasn’t to the crazy Indian, but to a very nice Mexican boy, but just think! I was only 11 years old. The boys father asked my father for me, as was their accustomed way of doing. Father was feeling playful, I guess, so he told the old man that it was all right with him if any of his girls wanted the boy. The old man said that he would look at us girls and see which one he wanted and he chose me, but nothing doing! The man, or boy for that was what he was at the time, was killed latter by the same outlaws that killed Frank LeSueur and Gus Gibbons, but I will tell about later and about which all of my children already know. He, Carlos Taffoia (Taffoys) and William Maxwell, Jr. were killed while following some outlaws.
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===Back to the Malpais Ranch===
The Indians killed two men not far from our camp, so we had to move. We went back to the Malpais Ranch. We had some hogs to take so us kids had to take turns driving them in the rain, dripping wet. Oh, those were happy days! In some ways it was happy, but in other not quite so much.  
The Indians killed two men not far from our camp, so we had to move. We went back to the Malpais Ranch. We had some hogs to take so us kids had to take turns driving them in the rain, dripping wet. Oh, those were happy days! In some ways it was happy, but in other not quite so much.  
Father went into St. Johns to find a place to move to, as mother was in delicate health. While he was in town, he heard that the Apache Indians were strickly out on the warpath, so he hurried back in the middle of the night and brought Brother Joseph McFate with his team, to help move us. Oh my, that was a terrible trip for us. Every black object we saw in the darkness, we were sure was Indians. We had a load of cheese in the wagon that I rode in (Brother McFate’s) and we, my sister Isora and I could not lie down.  
Father went into St. Johns to find a place to move to, as mother was in delicate health. While he was in town, he heard that the Apache Indians were strickly out on the warpath, so he hurried back in the middle of the night and brought Brother Joseph McFate with his team, to help move us. Oh my, that was a terrible trip for us. Every black object we saw in the darkness, we were sure was Indians. We had a load of cheese in the wagon that I rode in (Brother McFate’s) and we, my sister Isora and I could not lie down.  
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===St. Johns, Arizona===
Just as the sun was coming up we drove into St. Johns, a tired and sleepy bunch. It must have been awfully hard on poor, dear mother, for we hadn’t been in St. Johns a week when my little brother [[John Benjamin Wilhelm|John Benjamin]], was born.  
Just as the sun was coming up we drove into St. Johns, a tired and sleepy bunch. It must have been awfully hard on poor, dear mother, for we hadn’t been in St. Johns a week when my little brother [[John Benjamin Wilhelm|John Benjamin]], was born.  
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After we moved In the Thomas Pares (Perez) place, father put up a butcher shop, killing and selling his own cattle. He did well for a while, but he began drinking badly. Soon, he moved the other family over to Concho Spring and left mother in St. Johns to support herself. Flour was $12 a hundred and we were forced to take in washing and ironing to make a living. Us children had to hunt the wood, mostly willows, to do the work with, but mother saw that we were going to starve to death on what she was earning, so she had to hunt for something else to do, so she went up town and there she met Adam Dash, the jailer, who was looking for some one who would board the prisoners, so mother told him she would do it. There were four of them and she got $1 each for feeding them. There were two white men, in for stealing horses, a half-breed Mexican, who was in for stealing cattle, named Don Wahl, half—brother to Willie Wahl, our old friend (Mable’s old beaux, who was going to marry Dick Gibbon’s daughter to spite him on account of some difference they’d had over a sheep deal) and the fourth was a crazy man by the name of Aaron Adair, a white man. He had spells of being crazy but I guess most people are that way. They would come with the jailer and the sheriff for their meals, but the crazy man would sometimes have to have his meals taken to him, for when he had a spell, they didn’t dare let him out. They had on their shakles and chains and they would clank, clank as they walked. They had a chain around their ankles and fastened to their belts. We used to have a scared feeling, knowing that they were criminals. The crazy used to say that the devil was always telling him to do things. Mother boarded them for six months, and then the sheriff thought he might as well have the money himself, so he though he’d board them himself, but it sure did help us for a while we had it.
After we moved In the Thomas Pares (Perez) place, father put up a butcher shop, killing and selling his own cattle. He did well for a while, but he began drinking badly. Soon, he moved the other family over to Concho Spring and left mother in St. Johns to support herself. Flour was $12 a hundred and we were forced to take in washing and ironing to make a living. Us children had to hunt the wood, mostly willows, to do the work with, but mother saw that we were going to starve to death on what she was earning, so she had to hunt for something else to do, so she went up town and there she met Adam Dash, the jailer, who was looking for some one who would board the prisoners, so mother told him she would do it. There were four of them and she got $1 each for feeding them. There were two white men, in for stealing horses, a half-breed Mexican, who was in for stealing cattle, named Don Wahl, half—brother to Willie Wahl, our old friend (Mable’s old beaux, who was going to marry Dick Gibbon’s daughter to spite him on account of some difference they’d had over a sheep deal) and the fourth was a crazy man by the name of Aaron Adair, a white man. He had spells of being crazy but I guess most people are that way. They would come with the jailer and the sheriff for their meals, but the crazy man would sometimes have to have his meals taken to him, for when he had a spell, they didn’t dare let him out. They had on their shakles and chains and they would clank, clank as they walked. They had a chain around their ankles and fastened to their belts. We used to have a scared feeling, knowing that they were criminals. The crazy used to say that the devil was always telling him to do things. Mother boarded them for six months, and then the sheriff thought he might as well have the money himself, so he though he’d board them himself, but it sure did help us for a while we had it.
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===Back to Concho===
It was nearing the Mexican’s big day, St. Johns Day and they wanted the house we were living in for some of their relatives to live in, so we had to move out. We couldn’t find a house, so Brother John Harris (Aunt Ellie’s and Aunt Elizabeth’s father) let us have his tent and Brother Babbit and Holgate (Uncle Will) put it up for us, while we lived St. Johns this time. I remember of hearing Grandpa Gibbous speak in church several times and I little thought at the time that the Gibbons people would ever mean anything to me. I was 12 years old then. We lived in the tent just two days and then father sent Haight and a young man by the name of John Maegle (Naegle) to move us to Concho, to the spring where the other family was living.  
It was nearing the Mexican’s big day, St. Johns Day and they wanted the house we were living in for some of their relatives to live in, so we had to move out. We couldn’t find a house, so Brother John Harris (Aunt Ellie’s and Aunt Elizabeth’s father) let us have his tent and Brother Babbit and Holgate (Uncle Will) put it up for us, while we lived St. Johns this time. I remember of hearing Grandpa Gibbous speak in church several times and I little thought at the time that the Gibbons people would ever mean anything to me. I was 12 years old then. We lived in the tent just two days and then father sent Haight and a young man by the name of John Maegle (Naegle) to move us to Concho, to the spring where the other family was living.  
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Isora, my sister, was 17 years old when she married arid the next wedding in our family was Haight’s my oldest brother. He married May Baird. During this time Isora had two little kids, a little boy named Joseph Wilhelm Rogers and a little girl, Harriet Isora Rogers. The little boy died when he was three years old.
Isora, my sister, was 17 years old when she married arid the next wedding in our family was Haight’s my oldest brother. He married May Baird. During this time Isora had two little kids, a little boy named Joseph Wilhelm Rogers and a little girl, Harriet Isora Rogers. The little boy died when he was three years old.
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===Vernon, Arizona===
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We sold this place and moved to Vernon, where we homesteaded a dry-land farm. We got sheep for the place and it was here that I got better acquainted with Richard Gibbons and in 1892, we were married at the Pinetop Conference, on July 4th and I went to St. Johns to live again. We moved in with Grandmother Gibbons, but part of the time, I went on camp with him, with his sheep.
We sold this place and moved to Vernon, where we homesteaded a dry-land farm. We got sheep for the place and it was here that I got better acquainted with Richard Gibbons and in 1892, we were married at the Pinetop Conference, on July 4th and I went to St. Johns to live again. We moved in with Grandmother Gibbons, but part of the time, I went on camp with him, with his sheep.
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===St. Johns, Vernon, and St. Johns again===
In 1894 we had a baby boy born to us and we named him Edward Richard. We had a very hard time of it as wool went down to 5 cents a pound and we couldn’t even pay expenses. We had a little girl born to us on June 16th 1896 and we named her Mable Clair.  
In 1894 we had a baby boy born to us and we named him Edward Richard. We had a very hard time of it as wool went down to 5 cents a pound and we couldn’t even pay expenses. We had a little girl born to us on June 16th 1896 and we named her Mable Clair.  
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Father was gone for about 8 years and then he and his other family separated and he came back and wanted mother to take him back. He had to talk very pretty before they made up. We were in hope, that he had given up his habit of drinking but we were disappointed.  
Father was gone for about 8 years and then he and his other family separated and he came back and wanted mother to take him back. He had to talk very pretty before they made up. We were in hope, that he had given up his habit of drinking but we were disappointed.  
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Here in this little log house, we had another little boy born to us on February 22, 1899 and we named him, that is his father named him Wilhelm Smith after both of his grandfathers. We came very near losing him and would have if we hadn’t have had him circumsized. When he was about a year old in 1900 was when Gus Gibbons and Frank LeSueur was killed by some outlaws. It was a terrible thing. Gus was working for us and one evening when he was thru work he came into the house and was playing with baby Wilhelm. He was lying on the floor with his head in the baby’s lap. Next day was my birthday, so I told him to tell Pearl (his wife) to come down to dinner as he was figuering on coming to work again next morning and he said all right. But the next morning, just as it was getting daylight, we heard some one calling outside and we found out who it was, a man the Sheriff had sent to get a posse of 8 men to go after some outlaws that had just killed a beef to eat. They had cut some steaks off from one hind quarter and left the rest go to waste. The Sheriff wanted Dick to come and help for he was going to get the outlaws if it took all summer.  
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Here in this little log house, we had another little boy born to us on February 22, 1899 and we named him, that is his father named him Wilhelm Smith after both of his grandfathers. We came very near losing him and would have if we hadn’t have had him circumsized.  
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===The murder of Gus Gibbons and Frank LeSueur===
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When Wilhelm was about a year old in 1900 was when Gus Gibbons and Frank LeSueur was killed by some outlaws. It was a terrible thing. Gus was working for us and one evening when he was thru work he came into the house and was playing with baby Wilhelm. He was lying on the floor with his head in the baby’s lap. Next day was my birthday, so I told him to tell Pearl (his wife) to come down to dinner as he was figuering on coming to work again next morning and he said all right. But the next morning, just as it was getting daylight, we heard some one calling outside and we found out who it was, a man the Sheriff had sent to get a posse of 8 men to go after some outlaws that had just killed a beef to eat. They had cut some steaks off from one hind quarter and left the rest go to waste. The Sheriff wanted Dick to come and help for he was going to get the outlaws if it took all summer.  
The Sheriff’s name was Edward Beeler. We got up to fix for him to go with the other men and just as he was going to milk the cow, Gus Gibbons (his nephew) came along. Dick asked him where he was going and he said he was going to the post office to get his mail, so Dick asked him to get ours also. When he came back, he said that they had got him to be in the Posse and that he would have to find a horse and saddle. He was a little late in getting one and the rest had already left when he came along to find which way the men had gone. He was pale and very much excited. I sat down to the table to give the children their breakfasts and to try and eat a little myself but I already felt full without anything to eat. A rap came at the door and it was Pearl (Gus’ wife). She was crying and so was I. She said that the reason why she came so early was that she was so worried. The boys had only drank a cup of coffee and couldn’t eat any breakfast.  
The Sheriff’s name was Edward Beeler. We got up to fix for him to go with the other men and just as he was going to milk the cow, Gus Gibbons (his nephew) came along. Dick asked him where he was going and he said he was going to the post office to get his mail, so Dick asked him to get ours also. When he came back, he said that they had got him to be in the Posse and that he would have to find a horse and saddle. He was a little late in getting one and the rest had already left when he came along to find which way the men had gone. He was pale and very much excited. I sat down to the table to give the children their breakfasts and to try and eat a little myself but I already felt full without anything to eat. A rap came at the door and it was Pearl (Gus’ wife). She was crying and so was I. She said that the reason why she came so early was that she was so worried. The boys had only drank a cup of coffee and couldn’t eat any breakfast.  
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During this time, Pearl and I sat out at the side of the house most all of the day, but we didn’t have the big field glass we had had all the day before for the men had taken it with them on their hunt for the boys. A few people had gathered at our place to wait for news from the boys on the trail. We saw the two Mexican boys come in in the afternoon and we began to have a little hope for the other boys.
During this time, Pearl and I sat out at the side of the house most all of the day, but we didn’t have the big field glass we had had all the day before for the men had taken it with them on their hunt for the boys. A few people had gathered at our place to wait for news from the boys on the trail. We saw the two Mexican boys come in in the afternoon and we began to have a little hope for the other boys.
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The two Mexicans had turned back and left the two white boys on the trail alone. If they had have all turned back this might not have happened, but the outlaws were watching them from the top of the next ridge and of course, their being stirred up so, they might have followed them and killed all four of them. About 4pm, we saw Loman, another of Gus’s brothers, coming on the run and we knew that there was news of some kind. He came to the door as pale as a sheet, stepped up on the door step, staggered back and said "Dead!" That was all he could say, but that was enough. Pearl gave a scream and threw herself on the bed and would not be comforted. My feelings were something awful for I was afraid that the robbers would stay near where they had killed the boys and maybe kill the rest who came to look for the boys’ bodies, but they got out of there while the getting was good. They took the horse and saddle that Gus was using, but Frank’s horse had hurt herself. When the outlaws had shot at the boys, she jerked away and fell and hurt her neck when she rolled down the ridge, for it was very steep. They never did capture the outlaws. That was one memorable birthday for me, March 27, 1900.
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The two Mexicans had turned back and left the two white boys on the trail alone. If they had have all turned back this might not have happened, but the outlaws were watching them from the top of the next ridge and of course, their being stirred up so, they might have followed them and killed all four of them. About 4pm, we saw Loman, another of Gus’s brothers, coming on the run and we knew that there was news of some kind. He came to the door as pale as a sheet, stepped up on the door step, staggered back and said "Dead!" That was all he could say, but that was enough. Pearl gave a scream and threw herself on the bed and would not be comforted. My feelings were something awful for I was afraid that the robbers would stay near where they had killed the boys and maybe kill the rest who came to look for the boys’ bodies, but they got out of there while the getting was good. They took the horse and saddle that Gus was using, but Frank’s horse had hurt herself. When the outlaws had shot at the boys, she jerked away and fell and hurt her neck when she rolled down the ridge, for it was very steep. They never did capture the outlaws.  
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That was one memorable birthday for me, March 27, 1900.
==Part 2 THE UNITED ORDER IN ORDERVILLE==
==Part 2 THE UNITED ORDER IN ORDERVILLE==

Revision as of 18:32, 15 April 2012

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