A Little of This and That

I remember asking my Grandma Squire to teach me how she made her famous cinnamon rolls and she told me you just get a few handfuls of flour add some sugar and cinnamon with a dash of salt.  That is exactly how she cooked!  And everything she made was with love and extra delicious.

This blog is sort of a hodgepodge of events starting with a fun girls trip to La Verkin, a trip to the St. George Cemetery, ending with a few pictures from my Aunt Lorna's birthday.

Gallacher Girls Trip

I never go to La Verkin in the summer because it's HOT.  But they only have Tuacahn shows in the summer and I have never seen a musical at Tuacahn, so this was the year to go! Sharlet, Brooklynn, Krystal and I decided to start the trip off on the right foot with pedicures! (Pun intended.)

We spent the next day shopping and tried out the famous drinks at a fun place called Swig.

That night we went to the play, Mulan.  It was in a small high school theater.  The actors were amazing and we loved it.

My parents served a mission in St. George about 18 years ago.  They provided tours at church historical sites.  At that time I went to most of the sites, but did not go to the Pine Valley Church because it was a bit of a drive.  I was ready to make that drive on this trip so we attended church at the old Pine Valley Church House.  It was beautiful and fun to take a step back in time.

A bonus for going to Pine Valley was running into my Aunt LoRene and Uncle Jim and some of my cousins! It was a treat to get to visit with them.

LoRene Turner, Cyndee Gallacher, Jim Turner

Then we drove to the St. George Cemetery to see what I thought was the rest of the graves of my ancestors that are buried in Utah.  But when I got ready to post this I looked through my list of ancestors and realized that I only saw two of the five that are buried in St. George! I still have two more that I missed in Provo, one in Draper and two buried in Mendon.  It is aggravating that I have been to the Provo and St. George Cemeteries and missed some of my ancestors! Oh well, I guess that means I get to take another road trip!

Brooklynn was quick to spot my mom's paternal great-grandfather, John Heinrich Gubler.  He was listed as Heinrich Gubler in a single grave as seen below.

Heinrich Gubler was born 19 February 1827 in Mulheim,Thurgau,Switzerland and
died 30 June 1876 in St. George, Utah. Plot A_I_202_b

Brooklynn was again the first to spot Anna Margerett Wickli Gubler Webb, wife of John Heinrich Gubler, listed as Margerett W. Gubler Webb as seen below. 

Anna Margerett Wickli was born in Rappersweil, St. Gallen, Switzerland on 7 January 1841 and died on 1 November 1896 in St. George, Utah. Plot A_C_56_2

I was surprised that they were not buried together, but I did not realize that Margerett remarried a Thomas Webb on 15 May 1879.  Her second marriage was listed in my genealogy file, but it's funny how sometimes that information does not stick until you go and see their grave in person.  I love how it makes a person real.

Because of this visit to the cemetery I looked into my 2nd great-grandparents and found that Margerett Wickli was the second wife of John Heinrich Gubler, which formed a plural marriage as he was currently married to Anna Maria Dietschweiler, who outlived both Heinrich and Margerett.  Anna Maria died in 1900 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The next day was the grand finale of our Gallacher Girls Trip!  We saw Mary Poppins at Tuacahn.  It was fabulous, outstanding, wonderful and amazing!  

My Aunt Lorna recently celebrated her birthday.  Here are a few pictures that my Uncle Adrien took of her with the Squire clan.

Lorna Birthday 2013

 

A blast from the past:
Dot, Lorna, Jerald, DuWayne

Lorna, Jerald, DuWayne

Minnie Ann Stratton Wilson - Obituary

I found the following obituary, which was written by Pauline Church Wilson, a daughter-in-law of Minnie Ann Stratton Wilson.

May 27, 1954

LaVerkin, Utah: Mrs. Minnie Ann Stratton died Thursday morning at 9:20 am at her home in LaVerkin, Utah after an illness of seven years.  Sister Wilson suffered a stroke in 1947 and later suffered another one on March 8, 1954, she fell and fractured her hip.

Mrs. Wilson was born a daughter of James Albert and Emily Gardner Stratton on 14 July 1876.  She attended school in Virgin, Utah, St. George Academy and Cedar City.  She taught school in Mountain Dell, Utah.

She married Morris Wilson, Jr. on May 2, 1898 in the St. George Temple and they had just recently noted their 56^th wedding anniversary.  Eight children were born to them, six boys and two girls.  Sister Wilson is survived by her husband and the following children: Mrs. Thora Gubler, Wayne Wilson, and Reed Wilson of LaVerkin, Paul Wilson, Carmichael, California, and Delworth Wilson, Whitney, Nevada; 27 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren and the following brothers and sisters: Mrs. Perous Higbee and Rob Stratton, Cedar City, Will Stratton, Hurricane, Frank Stratton, St. George, Powell Stratton, LaVerkin, and Artie Reeve, Hurricane, Utah.

Sister Wilson was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as the first president of the YWMIA organized in LaVerkin.  She also served in the presidency of the Relief Society and began teaching primary when she was 12 years old.  She taught Sunday School for over 50 years.  She served on the Sunday School, MIA and Relief Society, Stake Boards.

Brother and Sister Wilson moved to LaVerkin in 1904, being one of the first families to move on to the LaVerkin Bench.

Virgin & Hurricane City Cemeteries

Virgin City Cemetery

I love cemetery hopping and on Thanksgiving Day I had the opportunity to go grave hunting with my dad.  We were spending Thanksgiving at the LaVerkin home so in just a few minutes we were up at the Virgin Pioneer Memorial Cemetery.  My dad asked what names we were searching for and he was off. In no time at all he located Owen Isom and his wife, Elizabeth Howard, my paternal/maternal 3rd great-grandparents.  While I was taking pictures and writing down the inscriptions Dad was already off looking for the next site.  I could hardly keep up with him.  

Owen and Elizabeth were married in 1835 when Owen was 20 years old and Elizabeth was 13!  Their first child was born 5 years later.  Their sixth child, Sarah Elizabeth Isom, is my 2nd great-grandmother.

Owen and Elizabeth's tombstones, side by side, but facing opposite directions.

In Memory of Owen Isom
Born May 2nd 1814
At Greatworth, Northamptonshire
England
Died April 26th 1884

In Memory of Elizabeth, wife of Owen Isom
Born
 Sep 13, 1821
Died
Dec 18, 1898

Here lies one who in this life
Was a kind mother, a true wife:
She was by many witness blest
And piety among the rest.

Our next find was the joint tombstone of my paternal 2nd great-grandparents, Joseph Moroni Sanders and Hulda Charlotte Zabriskie.  In a previous pioneer post I noted the story of Hulda Zabriskie coming across the plains at the age of 7 and her family would hide her when they were in Indian territory because at one point the Indians were attracted to her beautiful white hair and had offered to buy her and had followed them for several days offering meat, guns and horses.  Hulda (age 16) married Joseph Moroni Sanders (age 23) on 20 August 1860.

(South Facing)
Hulda C Sanders
Born in Ambrosia County, Iowa
Jan 30, 1844
Died at North Creek, UT
June 11, 1908

(East Facing)
Gone But Not Forgotten

(West Facing)
SANDERS

(North Facing)
Joseph M Sanders
Born in Clay Co.
Missouri
Dec 25, 1836
Died at Laverkin, UT
Dec 24, 1916

Morris Wilson, Jr. married Minnie Ann Stratton and her parents and great-grandparents were also found in the Virgin Pioneer Memorial Cemetery.  James Albert Stratton, my maternal 2nd great-grandpa, had a joint tombstone with his wife, Emily Amanda Gardner.  They were married in 1864, when Emily was a few weeks short of being 15 years old and James was 20 years old.  They had a pioneer plaque mounted onto their tombstone.

James Albert
Jan. 14, 1844
Nov. 5, 1921
His Wife, Emily Amanda
July 19, 1849
Apr 10, 1911

James Albert Stratton's parents were found next to him with two humble plaques as follows:

Left Plaque - Harriett Ann Stratton 1826-1871 Spilsbury Funeral Home
Right Plaque - Oliver Stratton 1818-1879 Cannon Funeral Home

 When I had visited Thomas Wilson's grave in Junction, the woman I met told me that his wife, Nancy Adair Lindsey, was buried in a lost grave in Virgin.  The plot map at the cemetery listed the following:

WILSON  Nancy  (Lindsey) 29 Aug 1824, 24 Apr 1875 ? 
(The question mark is placed where the Block in which the deceased is buried should be listed.)

Nancy Lindsey is surrounded in mystery from her origins to her death.  The history that I received on Thomas Wilson showed the following in regards to Nancy Lindsey:

Nancy Lindsey was actually the daughter of Zadock Adair and a Cherokee Indian maiden.  Her father lived and worked among the Indians.  She was born 29 August 1824 at Perry County, Alabama and was raised by Morris and Nancy Rogers Lindsey. (She always went by their name instead of her father's.) She married her first husband, Edward or Edwin Lee in 1841 at Lauderdale County, Mississippi.  They were the parents of one child - Amanda Jane.     

I am grateful that at least Nancy Lindsey Wilson has her name listed on her husband's (Thomas Wilson) tombstone so that she can be honored and remembered.  

Hurricane City Cemetery

WILSON
Sarah E.
June 14, 1854 - Apr. 3, 1936
Morris
Nov. 24, 1845
Dec. 15, 1930

My paternal and maternal 2nd great-grandparents, Morris Wilson, Sr. and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Isom, are buried in the Hurricane City Cemetery, which is on the north side of town.  If you have followed this blog at all you might have noticed that I have identified some of my ancestors as being both my maternal and paternal progenitors.  It is through Morris Wilson, Sr. and Sarah Isom that my parents are related.  They are my parents' great-grandparents.  Morris and Sarah Wilson had twelve children.  Their second child and oldest son, Morris Wilson, Jr. was my mom's grandfather (her mother's mom).  Morris and Sarah's third child, Sarah Amelia Wilson, was my dad's grandmother (his mother's mom).  

So my grandmas were first cousins, making my parents second cousins.  Now some people tease me when I tell them that my parents were second cousins, but that doesn't bother me at all.  If you know my parents, you know that they have the most pure and true love of all time...sorry Princess Bride, you have to take second place.  I honestly believe that my parents knew and loved each other in pre-mortal life and that our Heavenly Father was merciful to them and allowed them to be born in close relation and proximity so that they would not have to be apart from each other. 

I love you Mom & Dad.  Happy 65th anniversary tomorrow!

Married December 10, 1947

Cemetery Tour - Day 2 Continued - Annabella & Junction

This is my fourth and final post on my mid-Utah Cemetery Tour.  Just as a recap I am including the name of each cemetery and the names of ancestors found in the order that I visited them.

Provo City Cemetery 

Edson Barney - maternal 3ggf

Spring City Cemetery

Cannie Tullgren Kenney - paternal 2ggm

Axel Tullgren - paternal 3ggf

Ellen Neilson Tullgren - paternal 3ggm

Louis Curtis Zabriskie - paternal 3ggf

Manti City Cemetery

Cannie Christena Kenney Squire Peterson - paternal ggm

John Prichard Squire, Jr. - paternal ggf

John Prichard Squire, Sr. - paternal 2ggf

Adelia DeMill Squire - paternal 2ggm

Freeborn DeMill - paternal 3ggf

Anna Knight - paternal 3ggm

Gunnison City Cemetery

Amasa Loren Kenney - paternal 2ggf

Annabella City Cemetery

Louisa Walker Barney - maternal 3ggm

Junction Area

Thomas N. Wilson - paternal & maternal 3ggf

Fillmore City Cemetery

Loren Edward Kenney - paternal 3ggf

Mary Ann Tucker - paternal 3ggm

Annabella City Cemetery

I journeyed about 40 miles south of Gunnison to find my maternal 3rd great-grandmother, Louisa Walker Barney in the Annabella City Cemetery.  I found her husband, Edson Barney, in the Provo City Cemetery with his first wife, Lillis.  Edson and Lillis had ten children born to them between 1831 and 1845.  Edson, age 41, married Louisa Walker (3ggm), age 25, on 10 May 1847, she was the second wife forming a plural marriage.  Edson and Louisa had ten children between the years of 1848 and 1862.  Louisa was born on 14 July 1822 in Ohio and died on 15 April 1888 in Annabella, Sevier County, Utah.

According to NewFamilySearch.org, Louisa Walker first married Jacob Kemp Butterfield on 19 March 1840.  They had three children, Amanda (1841-1844), Mary Elizabeth (1842-1856), and Lucinda (1845-1845).  Jacob did not die until 1889, so presumably Jacob and Louisa divorced prior to 1847 when Lucinda married Edson.  

When I found Edson Barney's grave with his first wife in Provo I was feeling a little bad for Louisa being buried all alone in Annabella.  But to my great surprise I found her grave with flowers and a solar light held fast to the grave with a bungee cord.  I was so excited to see that someone, presumably a descendant, has been caring for her grave.  I left a little note in the jar of fake flowers with my name and email so that hopefully I can connect with this probable distant relative.

Louisa Walker
wife of
Edson Barney
1822-1888

Junction - City Creek Cemetery

On FindAGrave.com I found Thomas N. Wilson my paternal and maternal 3rd great-grandfather.  On this site it showed Thomas N. Wilson as being buried in the City Creek Cemetery also known as Harris Cemetery about one and one half miles north of Junction along Hwy 89.  I spotted it off the side of the freeway and was excited to go exploring through this small and forlorn cemetery. 

Harris Cemetery aka City Creek Cemetery

Although my camera could not capture it there were three different gated areas with graves.  There were also graves spread along about a 1/2 mile area.  The bones are cow bones.  I just had to take some pictures of them so you could get a feel for this cemetery.

After about an hour of traipsing through weeds and dirt I realized that Thomas Wilson was nowhere to be found.  I was sad to not find his grave so I put a few rocks together by the only green bush I could find and told Thomas that I was sorry that this was the only tombstone that I could offer him for now.  I promised that I would be back to honor him properly with a real tombstone.

My make-shift memorial to Thomas Wilson

When I got back into my car I recalled how my ancestors that were reportedly buried in the Pioneer Cemetery were actually buried in the Spring City Cemetery.  So I decided to drive into Junction to see if the County Courthouse had records of who was actually buried in the little cemetery up the road.  In about a minute's drive I had arrived at the County Courthouse pictured below.

I walked to the front desk and asked the lady sitting there if they had records of who was buried in the cemetery just up the road.  The lady at the desk pointed to a woman standing next to me and said this is the lady you want to speak to.  I told the woman that I had wandered through the old cemetery up the road looking for my 3rd great-grandfather, Thomas Wilson.  The woman replied, "Do you mean Old Man Wilson?"  I said, "I doubt it.  He's been dead for over 100 years.  I don't think anyone would still be referring to him as Old Man Wilson."  The lady said, "Well, that's about how long Old Man Wilson has been dead."  She continued,"He's buried just east of this building up by his old home. If you wait just a few minutes my friend who has done research on everyone who is buried in Junction will be here and she can tell you more."  As we were waiting, the woman, I think her name was Joann, told me the following story.  She said, "There's a legend around here that has been told about Old Man Wilson since I was a little girl.  Before he died he requested that he be buried face down so that the Mormons could kiss his A.... when they went floating by."  She went on to say that she asked the man who is over the cemetery records if Thomas was really buried face down.  The man told her that he believed that the story of him being buried face down was true.  As I was recovering from the shock of that story, the woman that I was waiting for arrived.

Joann introduced me to Donna and told her that I was looking for Thomas Wilson's grave.   Then Donna told me about how her mom had done research and gathered records for all the settlers of Junction and Circleville.  She said that since her mom passed away that she had kept the records and continued on with her mother's work.  Donna told me that she had a brief history on Thomas Wilson and she knew from memory his birth and death years.  I asked her if she was a descendant and she said no but that she is just interested in the town's history and Thomas Wilson is a part of that history.  She proceeded to tell me exactly where Thomas was buried and then she repeated the story of Thomas requesting to be buried face down so that the Mormons could kiss his you know what as they floated by.  

Donna and Joann had come to the courthouse to attend a retirement insurance meeting and therefore she could not give me the history of Thomas right now, but she took my name and address so that she could mail me the information she had in regards to him.  I thanked them graciously and got out of their way so that they could attend their meeting. 

So as I was driving away to see Thomas Wilson's grave located about a quarter mile east of the courthouse, I was thinking...The Lord is aware of all of us and our needs and righteous desires!  Without the Lord's intervention what is the chance of me running into the exact woman I needed to meet at the County Courthouse building?!  

Across the road from the courthouse is Scott's Lane.  I got on and headed west until I reached a gate with hundreds of cows.  I decided to turn back and head down a dirt road that had forked off of Scott's lane as I was rumbling along this dirt road a white truck approached me from the opposite direction.  He rolled down his window and told me that I was on private property.  I apologized and told him that I was looking for Thomas Wilson's grave.  He let go of his gruffness and gave me a smile and said, "Follow me, I'll drive you to it."  We drove back to Scott's lane and he stopped at a little wooden house/shack.  We got out of our vehicles and the man said,"This was Thomas Wilson's home.  It caught on fire and Thomas was burnt to death.  It's said that Thomas was buried face down so that the Mormons could kiss his A... as they float by."  

Thomas Wilson's home, which caught on fire and caused Thomas' death.

As we got back in our cars to drive to Thomas' grave I thought it was pretty funny to have met three different people and that each of them told me that same story about Thomas being buried face down.  Well we continued down Scott's Lane and when we got to the cow gate we turned north and drove across the field along the gate until we reached a knoll.  We got out and the kind man, I think his name was Sheryl, pointed me up the hill to Thomas' grave.  Before he left he told me that another lady about my age had come just a week before to find his grave.  I think it is awesome that I have relatives that I don't even know, who are just as curious about their ancestors as I am.  Well after a short trek up the tiny hill this is what I found:

Thomas' original and new tombstones facing each other.
The new stone faces east and the old one faces west.

Thomas N. Wilson
Dec. 22, 1811
Feb. 15, 1885
married
Nancy Lindsey
Sept. 22, 1842

Original Tombstone broken in half.
T.N.W.

When I spoke to my dad, DuWayne Squire, about my adventure in finding Thomas Wilson's grave, Dad told me that when he was about 17 he went to find Thomas' grave with Reed Wilson and they cleaned up the grave site and put up a wire fence.  My dad has not seen it with the wrought iron fence and new headstone.  I am not certain as to who to give credit for the upgrade. [Reed Wilson was my dad's 1st cousin once removed.  Reed was the son of Morris Wilson, Jr. and great-grandson of Thomas Wilson.]

This was such an exciting day for me.  I had gone from feeling sad that Thomas had been forgotten and had no tombstone to elation at finding this little monument built just for him.  To see his house still standing and to hear townspeople recall stories of him brought me pure joy!

Donna, the "town historian," did mail me a brief history on Thomas, which will be perfect for my blog next week.

As a final thought on this Veteran's Day...Thank you to the men and women, past and present, who have served our country and fought for our freedoms and rights.  A special thanks to my dad who served in the Korean War.  If you have not read of his faith building experience check out my post, September 1, 2012 filed under the label, Stories of Faith.

Cemetery Tour - Day 2 - Gunnison & Fillmore

After my quick revisit to the Manti Cemetery I was off to Gunnison, a short drive away. The Gunnison Cemetery is next door to The Central Utah Correctional Facility (Gunnison Prison). Quite a disappointing view after seeing such pretty cemeteries in Spring City and Manti.

Gunnison City Cemetery

View of Penitentiary Tower in the distance

When I arrived to the Gunnison Cemetery a groundskeeper was there and offered to help me find a grave.  I told him that I was looking for Amasa Loren Kenney in Plot 02.58.06.  The worker said, "Oh, the one who was just buried last week?"  I said,"No. He's been dead for over 100 years."  The worker replied,"Well, we just buried someone there last week."  He took me over to the recently dug grave and then I could understand his confusion as the name of the person buried was Adrean Curley Kenney and was in the plot next to Amasa.  I googled the recently deceased, Adrean Kenney, and between his obituary and what was on New Family Search I discovered that he was my 2nd cousin one time removed.  I found that he was a great-grandson of Amasa Loren Kenney.  His descendancy from Amasa in Biblical fashion is as follows:  Amasa Loren Kenney begat Amasa Axel Kenney who begat Leo Amasa Kenney who begat Adrean Jay "Curley" Kenney.

Adrean Curley Kenney
1927-2012

Amasa Loren Kenney was my paternal 2nd great-grandfather.  I posted about Amasa in September if you want to read more.  Amasa died shortly after his 38th birthday.  In his short 38 years he was married twice, first to Cannie (2ggm), and second to Anna Eliza Gledhill.  He was the father of seven children.

Amasa Kenney
April 9, 1858
April 29, 1896

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Amasa Loren Kenney's wife, Cannie Christine Tullgren, died ten days after giving birth to my great-grandma Cannie Christena Kenney Squire Peterson.  Amasa signed over guardianship of Cannie to his sister-in-law, Lena Tullgren Larson.  In my Grandpa Loren D. Squire's genealogy book he stated that his mother, Cannie Christena, was the second child born to Amasa and Cannie.  It appears that Amasa raised his first born and namesake, Amasa, Jr. I found Amasa, Jr. and his wife's, Annie Margaret Jensen's, graves just west of Amasa, Sr.  Again I turned to New Family Search and my own PAF file to discover my connections to the following relative ancestors.

Amasa A. Kenney
Feb. 9, 1877
Sept. 9, 1962
[great-grand uncle]

Annie M. Kenney [Annie Margaret Jensen]
Sept. 20, 1875
July 12, 1960

Irene T. Kenney
[Infant daughter of Amasa, Jr. and Annie M. Kenney]
July 26, 1906
Jan. 21, 1907

Although Amasa Loren Kenney was the only direct line ancestor in this cemetery it was interesting to learn more of my relative ancestors. Learning about these relatives helped me get a better view of Amasa's life. Before this trip I wondered why Amasa kept his oldest son, Amasa, Jr., and not his infant daughter, Cannie, but now I realize that Amasa was only 21 years old at the time of his wife's death.  His sister-in-law, Lena Tullgren Larsen, was nursing her own infant at the time and Amasa probably thought the infant Cannie had a better chance of survival if her Aunt were to become her mom.  

I next went to Annabella and then to Junction, but I am going to jump out of travel order and go to Fillmore next in my blog.  Fillmore Cemetery was my last stop, but it is where Amasa Loren Kenney's parents are buried so I think it will tie in better here.

Fillmore City Cemetery

I have to admit that by the time I got to Fillmore at the end of my 2 day journey I was getting tired.  I was grateful that this cemetery had an easy to follow map so I was able to quickly find my paternal 3rd great-grandparents, Loren Edward Kenney and his wife, Mary Ann Tucker.  They did not have a joint tombstone, but they were buried diagonally next to each other. In my PAF file, it shows Loren Edward Kenney marrying first, Hannah Nichols, and having three children with her and Loren marrying second, Mary Ann Tucker, and having one son, Amasa Loren Kenney.  I looked in New Family Search and found at least five children born to Amasa and Mary Ann, but three of those were the children from his first wife and the other one had a different surname.  Therefore, I did not add any new children to this couple. It is interesting to note that there was a 17 year age gap between Loren and Mary Ann Kenney.  I am not certain of their exact marriage date, but their ages at the birth of their only known son, Amasa, shows Loren was 43 and Mary Ann was 26.

Loren E Kenney
Massachusetts
PVT CO D Mormon BN
Mexican War
July 7, 1815 - Oct 30, 1890

Mexican War 1846-1848
U.S. Mormon Battalion

It was interesting to find another relative that served in the Mormon Battalion, who fought in the Mexican War.  The above plaque was laid in the ground above his tombstone.  It is hard to see in the first picture because of the shadows.

A little west of Loren Edward Kenney's tombstone is the grave of Mary Ann Tucker, his second wife.  I did not see his first wife's grave as it was not nearby Loren's grave.

Mary Ann Tucker Kenney's grave in the foreground and
 Loren E. Kenney's in the back.

Mary Ann Tucker
Kenney
Aug. 16, 1832
Feb. 26, 1881

So this is it for this week. I still have what I believe is the best to come.  Visit my blog next week when I will cover the final two ancestors that I found during this trip in the Annabella and Junction Cemeteries.