My little Sheldon

Everybody keeps telling Brenner he is Sheldon... from The Big Bang Theory. I had to bribe him, but I dressed him up like Sheldon and took his pic... this is for you Libby, Tanner, Logan and Sydney:)

Thanksgiving Remembered

Remember a few years back when we celebrated Thanksgiving in Kanarraville?  Well, since I have moved I have been cleaning out and throwing away stuff.  Upon my throwing away of stuff I came across some cards with things that we all were grateful for (a few years back).

Uncle Michael:  Grateful for Health, and being retired.
Aunt Rosalie:  Grateful for Bubba (may he rest in peace), and a job.
Klint:  I'm thankful for my Zeiss binoculars, spending time in the woods with loved ones, and boobinunch????
Summer:  I am thankful for vehicles, binkies, soap, for family, church and the love it shows!  For having a companion that loves me unconditionally and for a wonderful extended family.
Thayne:  I am grateful for my Country, my religion, and a loving Heavenly Father and his Plan for Happiness, and Family!  I am also grateful for a Mother who keeps you in check like when she broke the broom over my butt at Granny's.
Jenny:  I'm grateful for good health, and cold milk and cereal.
Uncle Chesley:  Thankful for David Ence and TV.
Uncle Ron:  I'm grateful for river trips with my family each summer, and for a wife who makes my home crafty and beautiful.
Aunt Debbie:  I'm thankful for toilet paper, and for my ancestors and what they had to sacrifice to join the church.
Josh:  I'm thankful for brunettes from Sacramento, rivers, fish, and spending "one on one" time with Papa growing up.
Melanie:  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother, my children are my heart.  Also, for Colorado River Guides with very little hair and huge hearts!!!
Tisha:  I'm grateful for my cellphone, music, family, friends, and my boyfriend Taylor.
Corbin:  Thankful for the holidays, and the hospital.
Tanner:  I'm thankful for Will Ferrell, and shelter.
Ryan:  I am grateful for living in a free country, to do as we please.
Anisa:  I am thankful I don't have to work and can stay home with my kids, and for child proof locks.
Lucas:  I am thankful for my new sweet ride, and for my family.
Shellie:  I am thankful for Cash not stealing my clothes anymore, and for being so blessed and have everything I want.
Logan:  I'm grateful for Libby's bad hair at Flint's baptism, and for the seasons because variety is the spice of life.
Sydney:  (Possibly Logan wrote this first part) I'm grateful for Man vs. Wild, because if I ever find my self lost in the African Savanna (and I might) I know I can drink the juice from elephant poop and stay alive.  AND, if I had one I'd be grateful for a washing machine.
Uncle Heff:  I'm grateful for Family and guns.
Aunt Ellen:  I am thankful to be living in this day and age, and bathrooms.
Roberta:  Grateful for the gospel, and to live in the good o'l USA.
Libby:  I'm thankful for many wonderful summers sitting in the swings drinking homemade root-beer and hanging with a wonderful family.  Also thankful for all the travels I've able to do - Hawaii baby here I come.
Cash:  I'm thankful for the air that we breath, and for working.
Jessica:  I'm grateful for Libby's pecan pie, Dr. Pepper, Jane Austen novels, and LOTR (Lord of the Rings).  Also grateful that I am able to go to college and continue my education.
Flint:  I'm grateful to live in a home and for having such a crazy sister (it's great).

I know times have changed, life isn't going the way we want it to, but I hope that we can take some time this Thanksgiving holiday to remember how truly blessed we are.

Scary as Hell.... There no other way to say it...

Thought I would post on the family blog since I never do...
Don't let his adorable little face FOOL you!!!!! He is my devil baby....
This kid is going to be the death of me!!! Maybe at the very least, I will need some serious therapy if stuff like this keeps happening. Seems like since he was born he has been scaring the crap out of me..
I got home from work this morning and Lucas had gone in. I was alone and sleep deprived cause I just got off an 8 hour overnight shift. I decided to lay in my room while Legacy was still asleep in our bed. West was wide awake and was crawling on the floor in my room, when I heard him chocking.... I jumped up and ran over I checked his mouth but couldn't see anything. But he kept chocking and was getting worse to the point where he stopped breathing. At this point I had no idea what to do I was screaming as I was watching West start to turn blue. I was about to Dial 911 when I laid him over my knee and pounded on his back. When I looked in his mouth again I saw the edge (of whats in the picture above). I took my finger and dug it out. When I got it out I started bawling and shaking. West caught his breath and started screaming bloody murder as he was coughing up a little bit of blood. This scared me to my core, I was shaking for along time after this. As I held West in my arms crying and he was crying my sweet little girl came and put her arm around me and said "don't cry mommy west is ok now". She is the sweetest little thing ever. Then she said "Mommy you need to change your shirt it has blood on it and its freaking me out"... After watching him like a hawk all day long he seems normal. And yes I know he won't remember this but I won't EVER forget it...
I am not sure how he got this in his mouth since it was holding down wires. But we have now pulled them up and thrown them all away.

Shirt Order....

Lucas and I are ordering shirts.. We are ordering shirts with Logan's logos and ours (See above) on them. If you didn't get a chance to get a shirt, we would be happy to get some for you.
Logan's Logo (If you need to re-fresh your memory)

Thanks Lucas and Shellie

Hiking kanarra canyon

We would like to hike Kanarra Canyon on Sat. Aug. 6th.  Anyone who wants to come is welcome to.
Let's plan on meeting at Cash's at 11:30. Pack a lunch.

Kenzley

Mom and I finally went to see baby Kenzley. Kenzley is Tisha's baby. She is home from the hospital and doing well. She's a cute, tiny little thing.

Going Away Party

We are having a going away party for Josh, Melanie and Tanner.
Date: Saturday July 23rd
Time: 5:00 pm
Place: Ron & Debbie's house
It is completely Pot Luck. Bring whatever you want. Anisa will make home made rootbeer with dry ice. We saw a lot of you over the 4th so we understand if not everyone can make it. Please RSVP by leaving a comment here or on Facebook. If you live by or are related to someone who does not read the blog, please help pass along the word.

The Great Grandkids

Presley, Tanner, Legacy, West, Joren, Terek, Brenner, Ellie, Bryce, Zoe, Peyton and Trace

(I hope I didn't spell anyone's names wrong)

Jeremy's Obituary

JEREMY WILLIAMS Obituary: View JEREMY WILLIAMS's Obituary by Salt Lake Tribune

Happy Birthday Mom!

We celebrated Mom's 61st birthday last week. Happy Birthday Mom and we wish you many more to come:)

In Rememberence....

Jeremy Patrick Williams

January 5th 1971-June 10th 2011We will miss you Jeremy. We are glad you don't have to suffer any more. We know you are enjoying being reunited with Granny and Papa. We will always remember the good times we had with you.

Papa & Granny's Great Grandkids - SO CUTE!

Mr. Trace - eating frozen custard!!!

 Baby Peyton laughing at her big brother!

 Bryce trying not to smile for the camera!

 Zoey - actually smiling for the camera!

 Baby Eliza, happy as can be!

 Big boy West, almost cracking a smile!

 Miss Legacy striking a pose!

All these cute as can be Great Grandkids are so stinking darling...and Jessie and I were lucky to play with them for a short time!!!  

Pig Out Cake (Summer Cooler Cake)

I'm not sure which name is correct.... I have lost my recipe... and I can't find mom's either, so tell me if this is correct:

Pig Out Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges (undrained)
4 eggs
1 C. Oil

Mix ingredients. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Frosting:

1 cool whip (8 oz.)
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding (small)
1 can. crushed pineapple (small. drained)

Mix and frost cake. Serve cold.

We Like Complements

I was just over visiting my neighbor Rae who is part of the Kanarraville Historical Society.  She helps put out the monthly newsletter.  Some of you may know that Jessie just placed the story of Grandpa Jess in the latest newsletter.  Well, Rae just received a letter the other day from a person in California who subscribes to the newsletter.  This is what the letter said:

Rae, 


A darling issue.  Jessica Williams has a writer's eye, she got me really into Jess who shot his hand off and went on despite.  She has a real feeling for her great grandpa and for his story.  Compliment her from me.  Kevin Williams' poem so sad and so direct, anyone who has ever tried to visit their old home but it isn't there any more will feel it.  Loved the vicar joke.


Thanks so much for sending on.


Much Love,  Clacy 

From a Clancy Sigal in California.

The Man With One Hand: A Biography of Jesse Franklin Williams

Here is the history I wrote on Grandpa Jess for everyone to read, and just to let everyone know it was published in the April 2011 Kanarraville Historical Society Newsletter! I'm pretty stoked about it.

The Incident…
The leaves on the tree were now several shades of red and orange. With frost covering the ground and the chill in the air, young Jess was prepared to go hunting on this bitter October morning.
“No you ain't goin' huntin'” said his father George.
“Fine!” said Jess storming out of the house.
Jess took his father's over-and-under shotgun and went hunting by himself. Heading up Kanarra Mountain, he admired the trees around him. Because he was easily distracted by everything around him Jess didn't notice the puddle of mud just in front of him. He slipped and dropped the shotgun. The barrels of the gun were filled with mud, but Jess didn't seem to notice, he just continued on.
With his heavy coat and the shotgun wedged under his arm he began to climb the fence. As he wrapped his legs around the top of the wooden fence the gun accidentally went off, and because of the clogged barrel the gun exploded. With the piercing crack of the gun Jess soon realized that his hand had been mangled. He made his way home, with his hand dangling at his side.
When his parents saw his mangled and bleeding hand they immediately sent someone on horse to Cedar City for a doctor. When the doctor arrived he was drunk, so twelve-years-old Jess had to sit for several hours in pain until the doctor was sober enough to perform the operation. Because there were no painkillers Jess had to suffer through the pain of the operation with only alcohol for relief. When the doctor was finally able to perform the operation he used a meat saw to cut off Jess' arm, and then poured turpentine on the stump. Luckily it healed without any trouble. From that day on Jess lived without his left hand.
Grandpa Jess: A Background
Jesse Franklin Williams was born September 4, 1876 in Kanarraville, Utah. He was the ninth child out of thirteen children. His parents were William George and Orilla McFate Williams. Out of the thirteen children only seven lived to adulthood, and all five of his sisters and one brother died in infancy. Jess was born in the home of his parents, which still stands, in Kanarraville, Utah. It was a large, two-story, brick house.
Orilla loved reading about the notorious outlaws Jesse and Frank James in Dime Novels. These outlaws were often seen as a modern day Robin Hood. Orilla and George decided to name their son Jesse Franklin Williams after these infamous bandits.
Jess was a handsome man with blue eyes, brown hair, and a medium build and stood about five feet and seven inches.
Jess went to school in “Kanarra” until he was sixteen. When he turned eighteen his father told him that he could have land or continue on with his education. Since he only had one hand he felt that an education would serve him better. He had the chance to attend Brigham Young Academy to study accounting. He studied there for a year, and in the family stories about my great-grandfather, it is unknown whether he actually graduated or not.
In 1896, at the age of twenty that blue eyed boy moved back home to Kanarraville, and began working in his father's store.

George Williams’ Kanarra Co-op Store in Kanarraville, Utah.

George Williams far left, with friends, and Jesse Williams far right.

Five years later Jess married Frances Rebecca Pollock on November 20, 1901. Together they had seven children. (Before he had passed away he had twenty-three grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.) After they were married they moved into the house that Jess was born in. A few years after they were married they added onto the house, and were one of the first families to have a bathroom.

 

Jess and Frances' wedding picture taken on November 20, 1901

A Slight Temper Tantrum: Age 77
Sitting in his old rocking chair Jess struggled to pull on his old brown shoe. Once he had it on he took both laces in his right hand and began maneuvering the strings into a knot. After several attempts he ripped off his shoe and threw it across the room. After a few seconds of fuming and cursing under his breath he stood up, walked across the room, and picked up his shoe. Again he began pulling his shoe onto his foot, and after a few more struggled attempts at tying his shoes he was finally able to tie a knot.
According to my Aunt this happened continually. There were many times when he would become frustrated with his affliction and he would lose his temper. He didn't really lose his temper with people, but his disability had a tendency to get the better of him.
The Monkey Sock
He could do two different tasks with his stump. First, he would put it over his right arm to get it to stop shaking, which occurred later in his life. The second way he used his left arm was to tease his children and grand-children. He would often wear a brown-speckled sock with a white toe and heel over his stump. His children and grand-children called this a “monkey-sock” because it looked similar to a sock monkey. With his sock-covered stump he would poke it into kids' stomachs to tease them. This along with the fact that he wouldn't wear his dentures had the children laughing, and they couldn't help but love him.

Frances and Jess with grandsons Chesley (in Jess’ arms) and Michael. One of the only pictures of Jess that actually shows his stump.

Having Some Fun
My grandpa loved to have a good time. He loved playing marbles, singing, and he loved dancing, especially square dancing. Jess never learned to drive, but he loved travelling. Usually he would only get as far as Boulder City, Nevada, but he always enjoyed the drive.
Jess and Frances would often have parties at their house in Kanarraville. They belonged to a club called the “Elite Society.” The “Elite Society” consisted of married couple who would meet together about once a month. One meeting in particular Jess and Frances had a spook alley set up in the basement of their house. When the people were going through it they would step on a hidden board and they would get pulled up quickly, similar to an elevator. They would then find themselves standing in a cupboard in the bathroom on the main level.
A Final Act: Age 35
The sound of the gun rang as he fell to the ground. The sight of him lying on the ground frightened his children and they began to cry. His daughter Ethna started to scream when she saw her father fall to the ground. The actors stopped the play and Jess stood up so that his children could see that he was alive. They were using a real gun, but it was filled with blanks so that nobody would get hurt. His children didn't understand this and had indeed thought that their father had been killed.
The townspeople of Kanarraville enjoyed performing plays for the rest of the townspeople. Jess and Frances enjoyed participating in the plays, and took many lead roles. Some of the plays that they participated in were “Josh Winchester,” “Dot the Miner‟s Daughter,” “Old Glory,” “Our Jim,” “Star Bright,” and “Dust of the Earth.”

Play “By Force of Impulse” Performed March 20, 1911

Back Row Left to Right: Jesse Williams, Lem Willis, J.J. Roundy, Reese J. Williams.

Middle Row: Will Stapley, Leo Balser, Jode Williams.

Bottom Row: Sade Reeves Williams, Hettie Davie, Adlie Wood, Frances Williams

Continual Job Searching
Jess took many different types of jobs so that he could support his family. Having an education he could have moved to the city and become an accountant but he couldn't leave his hometown of Kanarraville. Sometimes Jess had difficulty finding work that he could do because of his disability, but somehow he was able to find work.
He worked for Bishop Berry, pitching and pulling hay. For several years they had the post office in their house. For several years he worked at his father's store “The Kanarra Co-op.” His wife Frances would often take in washings, and Jess and his son Chester would take turns moving the lever back and forth on the old conventional washer.

  

Jess and Frances’s house in Kanarraville, Utah, taken in the 1930s when they had the Post Office

Jess and Frances would also take in boarders as another way to make some extra money. Sometimes the people who would ride on the mail truck would stay overnight. Once, later in Jess' life, President Lorenzo Snow, Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, stayed at Jess' house on his way to St. George.
During Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration as the U.S. President, he started a program called the Works Progress Administration. Jess was made a foreman for Iron County. They would build dams, irrigation ditches, and outhouses for the government.
Jess also worked for several years as the janitor in the church house. One day while he was cleaning the church he felt someone choking him, but there was no one around. He could feel the hands at his neck, but he couldn't see or touch anything. He fell to the ground and began praying fervently, and felt that hands release him.
Overcoming
Overcoming a disability is difficult but Jess was able to overcome this accidental handicap. He was a hard worker full of determination and great strength. With only his right hand he could hold an ax and chop wood. He could ride a horse or drive a team, (but didn't like to because if they got out of control he couldn't pull the horses to a stop without two hands). With great determination he was able to take care of his property without anyone's help.
Because Jess only had his right hand it was muscular and strong. He was able to do one handed pull-ups. Because of how much he used his arm as he got older he became so shaky that he could hardly eat. Grandpa Jess also had beautiful penmanship. He was the Kanarraville ward clerk for nine years
God Bless You
One morning Jess had been chopping wood and later was visiting with some friends. After they left, he stood up and went into his room to get some papers. He then sat back down in his old rocking chair. Frances was in the kitchen cooking, and talking to him. She heard him sneeze, and a few minutes later she went into the sitting room and found that Jess had died in his chair. No one knows for sure how he died. The day was March 27, 1959 and he was 89. He is buried in the Kanarraville Cemetery next to his wife Frances.
Jesse Franklin Williams was a man who worked hard, loved everyone, and overcame many obstacles in his life. Even though I never met Jess I am grateful that I have gotten to know about him now, because he was a remarkable person who has passed on many great, and not so great, qualities to his children and grand-children.

Jesse Franklin Williams

Family Histories

Mom lost her thumb drive with a lot of her genealogy on it. But she had a floppy disk that had the histories saved. So, I found an old computer at work that had a floppy drive:) and I posted them on here so they won't get lost again... I hope.

Jessie, maybe you could post your history on here as well.

Life History of Albert Davis

As the flowers spring forth in May and bring joy to those who see them, a birth on Thursday, May 13, 1880, brought joy to James George and Polly Williams Davis of Kanarraville, Iron County, Utah. James George Davis was born in Llanelli, South Wales, converted to the LDS Church and traveled with his family over the ocean, and across the plains and settled at Fort Harmony, Utah. There he met Polly Williams who had been born in Mt. Pulaski, Sangamon County, Illinois. She also had been converted to the Church and had traveled to Utah with the Saints. They were married in 1856 in Fort Harmony, Utah. They had three children there. They were: Rachel, born April 1857; Elizabeth Ann, born January 8, 1859; and James Lorenzo, born February 14, 1861. Rachel died in infancy.

Fort Harmony was stricken with floods, so in 1862 the Fort was closed and James and Polly moved north to Fort Kanarra. Two more children were born there: William Rees, on February 2, 1863; and George Alma on February 14, 1866. Again, that fort met with disaster in the form of sandstorms and was closed. The people resettled just one mile south, and named it Kanarraville. The rest of the children were born there. They were: Myron Thomas, born March 17, 1868; Rees on February 4, 1871; Nora on December 23, 1873; and Eleanor Matilda on January 26, 1877. The family greeted the new little one born on the beautiful May day of the 13th, 1880 with the knowledge they were blessed with a spring flower fresh from heaven. He was given the name of Albert. Then, one more child, Alice May, was born on August 19, 1883. This completed the family.

Albert found his new home to be a small log house located on the lower street in Kanarra where the Lynn Reeves’ home is presently. The lot had a high pole fence that gave privacy to those within, but there was a swinging gate that welcomed all who wished to enter from without. Try to picture life in the 1880’s. No modern conveniences, homemade furniture, ten children in a small house, and all the work it took just to survive. Food had to be planted, cared for and harvested. Wood had to be chopped, stacked and carried in, to use in cooking and staying warm. Clothes were hand-sewn, hard to come by, and washed by being scrubbed on a washboard. There was very little money – only that which could be earned from selling homegrown commodities or doing manual labor. Because there was very little money, Albert and his brothers and sisters went without shoes most of the year. Their feet became so tough that it has been told they could slide on the icy roads with their bare feet.

With a family of that size, every member did their share of work. Albert, or “Bert” as he was affectionately called, learned to work and work hard from an early age. One of his first chores was to get the drinking water for his family. It was not from a faucet but from the ditch. He would fill buckets, then carry them to a barrel that was kept under a locust tree that gave shade to the door-yard and sidewalk. Having baths, washing clothes, and water for cleaning, had to be carried into the house by this means. Doing this lifting, chopping and carrying wood, walking to where you needed to go, made a healthy and physically fit body.

However, our physical needs are not the only important things. A child needs to grow emotionally and spiritually. Bert grew up in the home of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that had suffered many hardships in crossing the plains, and in being faced with the trials of so many moves in their early married life. Many nights must have been spent by the Davis children listening to the stories their father told of his life in Wales and of crossing the ocean, which most of them would never do. Also of their parents’ experiences of seeing and listening to the Prophet Brigham Young and the many other faith building experiences they had. Because the Gospel meant so much to them, their children were all baptized and confirmed members of the LDS Church. There is no record of the day Bert was blessed, but he was baptized on October 15, 1893, by J. D. Williams, and confirmed that same day by Myron S. Roundy.

Bert attended school during his early years. The school was held in the old church house or in the Relief Society building. His schooling was limited to the 5th and 6th Reader as they were called in those days, which is the equivalent to the fundamentals received in the 10th or 11th grade.

As Bert was learning and receiving more knowledge in school, he was also learning more about the Gospel. The faith of the earlier generations seemed to be more of devotion and not that of needing to know all the answers. Maybe it was that their parents had seen miracles performed by Brigham Young and other leaders, or that they knew of life without the Gospel. Bert, too, must have seen prophets like Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow because they would travel through Kanarra on the way to St. George. Anyway, this would make a person have a stronger testimony.

People then would never go without paying their tithing. I’m sure when Bert was ordained a deacon he helped to gather the tithing. Then the people paid with what they grew or raised. For example, for every ten eggs they gave one, etc. Bert progressed and learned more about the Priesthood. On January 16, 1900, he was ordained a Deacon by William Ford. He was ordained a Teacher by William Ford on January 5, 1902. Joel J. Roundy ordained him to the office of a Priest on January 19, 1908. Then on November 1, 1908, James Wallace Williams ordained him an Elder.

Knowing of all the work and learning they had to do, we might think that they didn’t have time for fun, but this is not so. Bert’s father was a very talented man. He loved to sing and wrote many songs. They were also known for the many parties they had in their home. When children hear their parents singing, they know all is well and they are happy.

Bert’s family homesteaded a parcel of land on the Kanarra Mountain. They had a dairy there. There was a creek running through the land. This creek was named after his mother and still bears the name of Polly’s Creek. Bert spent many summers making butter and cheese, milking and delivering it down to the valley. As he grew older, he learned more working skills. Most of them had to do with animals. Automobiles were unknown then, and all their traveling was done with horses, either on the backs or pulled by them in a wagon or buggy. Bert was known to be a “true cowboy.” He could ride any horse, and was hired to break many horses for riding. He could drive a team of horses and many hair-raising wagon rides were experienced by anyone who rode with him. He used his talent with horses and a rope, and traveled to many rodeos trying his skill at roping animals. I’m sure he must have won at this event, because he once roped a wild, running coyote from his horse.

Bert had grown into a handsome and straight man with blue eyes, sandy hair and a large frame. He was 5’10” tall. He had not only gained a testimony, received his education, and learned to work hard, thus choosing to work with animals to earn his livelihood, but he gained a love for sports of all kinds and participated in many of them. The one he liked best and excelled in the most was running. Bert was a foot racer and he was best at 100 yards or longer. Then the people really loved these races and they traveled from town to town to compete. Bert’s brothers helped him to train by tying weights like rocks to his feet and legs to make his muscles develop more, so that he would be able to beat in racing, and Bert usually did.

Not only did he love sports; he also loved to dance. He probably loved to dance more than anything else, and he wanted others to be able to dance as well. Many a young man went to Bert for a dance ticket and was never refused. They usually repaid him by working for him or by bringing him fence posts.

As a man, he wanted more from life than a career and participating in dance and sport activities. He wanted the joys and blessings of a wife and children. I suppose Bert had many girlfriends and experienced puppy love and such, but one time he told a group of shearers that he was going home to marry Uncle Si Reeves’ baby. She was Hannah Augusta Reeves, the daughter of Josiah and Sarah Stapley Reeves. Hannah was born August 23, 1885, in Kanarraville, too, and was a lovely young girl with blue eyes, dark brown hair, and stood 5’4” tall. She was very deeply in love with Bert, and on December 8, 1908, they traveled by horse and buggy to the St. George Temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. They were married by David H. Cannon. Their witnesses were Samuel Miles and Henry J. White.

To this union five children were born. First was Leonard, born September 8, 1911. He was a farmer and raised sheep. His home was in Kanarra and he was married to Verna Platt Davis and they had two children. Leonard died of cancer on March 18, 1989. Next, their second child, was Delile, who was born April 26, 1914. He lived in Kanarra and was a coal miner, married to Gwen Williams Davis, and they were the parents of three children. Delile passed away on November 14, 1976, from a brain tumor and cancer. The third child was Elda, and she was born January 8, 1917. Elda lived in Summit, Utah, and was married to Rudger Fife. They had four children. Elda died of cancer on March 15, 1962. The fourth child was another girl named Carma. She was born August 6, 1920, and lives in Kanarraville. She married Chester Williams and they are the parents of four children. Last was Marva who was born on February 19, 1925. She made her home in New Harmony, Utah, and is married to Vivian Prince. They are the parents of five children. Albert was only able to know eight of his eighteen grandchildren. The rest were born after he passed away.

Bert worked hard to support his family and as said before, he worked mostly with animals. At one time, he worked for Johnny Adams in Imperial Valley, California, feeding and tending cattle. Many years he spent herding sheep for other people who were absent for a month at a time, leaving Hannah alone to raise the children. Sometimes he rented sheep to go along with his own. He and his children herded them at Spring Creek and other places. Bert was a sheep shearer also. He traveled in Idaho, Nevada and various parts of Utah shearing sheep.

Another job he had was being a stray-picker. When sheep men bring down their flocks from the mountain in the fall, many sheep have strayed from their owner’s flock to another’s. A stray-picker is a person who watches the sheep go through the dividing corrals and sorts out the sheep that belong in another herd. He got 25¢ a sheep. Now they get $3.00 a sheep. I guess trying to raise a family in the ‘20’s and during the depression makes a man find ways to earn a living by taking many different jobs. He was also City Marshall for a while and also a Quarantine Officer. In those days, a Quarantine Officer went to the homes where there was a contagious disease and made sure none of the people left the home, and no one else could enter until all danger of the disease was passed. Bert was also a janitor of the school when Leonard, his son, was away during World War II.

While working hard at what jobs he could find, Bert and Hannah raised chickens for the eggs and meat; also calves and pigs. They also had milk cows and a large vegetable garden. Bert met a lot of their needs by trading what he had to others for what they had. This is called bartering. He was always trading horses and other animals. He would trade potatoes, grain and other items to Dixie people, for casabas that he stored, buried in the grain so they would keep all winter. Food was hardly ever bought with money then, but was traded for. He always worked hard and provided for his wife and children.

Bert had many fine qualities and characteristics. He was very good-natured and very seldom became angry. If he did, he got over it in a hurry. He was usually nice to everyone but one time he did get into a fight. This man named Billy Roundy was a cantankerous fellow and he had been mean to some of Bert’s kids and animals. Bert didn’t like this, so when he went to talk to Billy they got into a fistfight. Billy, as usual, didn’t fight fairly and was pulling Bert’s hair through the fence. Neither of them won and Billy kept right on being mean to the kids and animals. Anyway, Bert did try to defend what was his.

Another quality he had that people remember most about him was that he was always singing. Not that he could carry a tune, but because he was happy. The two songs he sang most were “Knick Knack Paddy Whack, Give a Dog a Bone,” and “Cripety, Cripety, Crany Crow Went to the Well to Wash His Toe.” Michael, his grandson who was only seven when Bert died, remembers that he was always singing.

Another characteristic for which he was remembered, was that he would go any place, any time, anywhere, with anybody. When he went to visit he didn’t stay long and sometimes he was known to get up and leave in the middle of a conversation, when a person least expected it!

His children remember the many times be brought home gifts to them and Hannah after he had been away. To the children, he brought things like chocolate animals or figures that he had carved out of wood. For Hannah, he always brought her gifts when he went to Cedar City or other places, and he bought her clothes and accessories that were always more suited to her than she or other people would have chosen.

Marva, his youngest daughter, can remember the cleanliness of Bert. Every morning he would get up and scrub his whole head, his ears, and the back of his neck, very vigorously, to greet the day.

Throughout Bert’s life, he continued to be active in the Church. On December 9, 1930, he was ordained a High Priest by President William A. Palmer. There is no record to verify he was in the bishopric, but some people think he was. I’m sure he would have done a fine job if he had been. He was definitely in a presidency because his son, Leonard, remembers coming in late to a meeting and some girls teasing him that now that his dad was on the stand watching him, he had better watch what he did. He was a Ward Teacher for many years and I’m sure he was always willing to serve and help where he was asked. He was also a faithful tithe-payer and he taught his children the importance of this commandment.

In Bert’s lifetime, the world was experiencing many new discoveries and people were creating many new inventions. He saw life go from horse-and-buggy to cars and airplanes. He was able to ride in a train and to drive a car. Though he never owned a car, he drove other people’s cars. He had a driver’s license, one that never expired. Some people said he drove a car like he did a team of horses, and it was just about as scary to ride with him. He saw electricity, the telephone, radio, toilets, refrigerators, and washing machines invented and come into use. He had electricity, a fridge, a conventional washer and a radio, but they never got a bathroom, a TV or a telephone before he died. Bert really enjoyed listening to the radio. His favorite programs were “Amos and Andy,” and “Fibber McGee and Molly.” He really thought they were funny. He never got used to an indoor, flushing toilet or baths in a real bathtub. All he knew was a No. 3 tub and an outhouse.

Bert’s life was happy for him always, until he suffered a heart attack during the war. When Leonard left for the army, Bert took over the farm and being janitor of the school. One day when he was helping Delile, his son, and Chet, his son-in-law, haul hay, he had a heart attack. He was not taken that day but his heart was weak from then on and he couldn’t do much work. In October of 1948, he was put in the Iron County Hospital in Cedar City for his heart condition. While in there, he developed pneumonia and excess fluid built up in his body. On October 18, 1948, Bert literally drowned in his own fluid. His wife, children, family and friends were very saddened at his passing. His children to this day always talk with great love and respect about their beloved “Papa,” which they always called him instead of “Dad” or “Father.” He was laid to rest in the Kanarraville Cemetery on October 21, 1948.

Even though I never knew him, I have learned to love and respect him. My hope for his posterity and any others who loved him is that they will live their lives so they will be able to greet him on the glorious morning of the First Resurrection, and to be able to talk with him and know of his love for us.

Bert was known by many names,
Husband, Papa, brother, friend.
Bert lived as everyone should,
Happy and joyful from beginning to end.

May we live by his example,
So we can hear others say,
They’re kind, good-natured, pleasant,
They have followed in Bert’s way.

History of Jesse Franklin Williams

Step back in time to 1876 when Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States, General George Armstrong Custer was just killed by the Sioux Indians at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Alexander Graham Bell invented the very first telephone and Utah was still a territory. Summer was just about over. There was a nip in the air. The birds were beginning to fly south and the leaves on the trees were changing colors. The people of the little Mormon community of Kanarraville, Iron County, Utah, were busy harvesting their summer crops, getting firewood, and making ready for the long, cold winter that was soon to come.

William George and Orilla McFate Williams were extra busy because they were preparing to receive a new little bundle from heaven, which would be their ninth child. The two children born just before this one had both died in infancy, so I’m sure they were both excited yet apprehensive for this birth. On Monday, September 4, 1876, they were blessed with a fine, healthy son that they named Jesse Franklin Williams.

During the 1870’s, Jesse and Frank James, the notorious outlaws, were thought highly of by many people because they were like Robin Hood of English legend, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, so they named their sixth son, Jesse Franklin, after the James brothers.

Jess, as he was usually called, was welcomed to this world by five brothers: George Alma, born April 26, 1862; John H., born June 8, 1864; Riley Garner, born July 20, 1866; James Wallace, born September 9, 1869; and Alvin Alonzo, born February 5, 1872. A girl born between James and Alvin, named Mary Matilda, was born December 2, 1870, but died at the age of one month. The two girls born just before Jess were Marcy Ann, born on May 11, 1874, and died at the age of one month; and Minetta Elizabeth, born August 8, 1875, and died at three months. Next came Joseph Sinith, born August 6, 1878, and three more children that died in infancy. Florence Lillian, born July 19, 1880, and died at age one month; Hannah May, born May 28, 1882, and died at age sixteen months; and Ira Clarence, born November 25, 1886, and died at age fifteen months. With Jess, seven brothers grew to maturity.

Jess was born in the home of his parents that was located on the west side of the block just south of the town square. It was a large two-story adobe brick house, large for those days. It had three rooms both up and downstairs and a two-room dirt cellar underneath. They cooked on a coal and wood stove and had to carry in their water from the ditch or catch the rain in barrels. They didn’t have a bathroom, but went to an outdoor toilet or used pots and then had to carry them outside to dump. Their clothes were washed on washboards and hung out to dry. Food couldn’t be bought but had to be raised and taken care of without the modern conveniences that we know. There were no refrigerators, freezers or electricity in their home. They had only coal oil lamps to see with at night.

Jess’ parents were both born in Illinois. George was born in Springfield to John and Marcy Lucas Williams who were probably from English descendants. His father died when he was two years old and he, his mother and sisters, became converted to the LDS church and traveled with the Saints to Utah and settled in Virgin, Utah. George was a big man, standing six feet tall and weighing around two hundred pounds. He had blue eyes and brown hair. He was a very hard worker and had a strong determination to be rich and be a landowner.

Jess’ mother, Orilla McFate was born in Nauvoo to James and Lucy Lisk McFate, who were Irish. Orilla came to Utah with a family she was working for and settled in Virgin, too. She was a small petite woman, only five feet tall. She had coal black hair and blue eyes and liked fancy things, but wasn’t known to be too ambitious. They married in Virgin and then moved to Kanarraville with their first four children. George came to Kanarra with only a shotgun to his name. When he died he was wealthy in the standards of those days and he owned a store, a whole city block, fields and mountain ground. His children soon used their inheritance unwisely and most of his sons were poor when they, too, passed away, except for John H. and Riley. But they had nothing to compare like George did. Jess inherited many characteristics from his parents yet was an individual with qualities of his own.

The first characteristic he started to develop besides learning to walk, speak and interact with others was to learn how to work. In those days, without work no one could survive. Jess’ first chores were probably bringing in water, carrying and stacking wood and helping in the home. Because Orilla had only boys, they learned to do inside chores too, like helping with dishes, washing clothes, sweeping and dusting. To just live, they had to raise their own fruits, vegetables and meat, and also to get extra meat they hunted wild game. So Jess learned to use guns as he grew older.

One of the most important qualities a child should develop is an awareness of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Jess’ parents were LDS and they wanted their children to be too. So he was baptized on September 27, 1885, by John W. Brown and confirmed that same day by Rees James Williams. Through the years Jess was involved in the church, but wasn’t as active as he could have been. He was ordained a Deacon on January 10, 1897, when he was 21, by William Ford; a Teacher on February 5, 1905, by James Wallace Williams, his brother. He was ordained a Priest on November 30, 1925, by John W. Berry and then on November 23, 1929, Thomas J. Jones ordained him an Elder.

In 1925 he was called to be the Ward Clerk. He held this position for nine years. He kept the records very accurately and all things were written in his beautiful handwriting. While he was the Ward Clerk, he must have felt the spirit that the Bishopric feels as they are serving in their callings. Heavenly Father’s spirit is felt more readily when a leader needs to keep the Ward in tune with the Gospel and the Church standards. Jess, in his meetings with the Bishopric, must have felt it too. He was not only ordained into the higher Priesthood during this time, but he and his wife went to the St. George Temple to be sealed together for time and all eternity, and had most of their children sealed to them. Later on all their children were sealed to them. The first sealings and marriage took place on November 29, 1929.

Jess served the Lord in other ways too. He was a Ward Teacher and the president of the Genealogical Organization. He and his wife spent much of their time and money trying to find information about their ancestors. He was given a Patriarchal blessing on April 5, 1931, by Alex G. Matheson. Jess tried to develop the qualities of a worthy member of the LDS Church. He believed in God and Jesus Christ. He was a strong believer that all people should be morally clean and those who weren’t upset him very much. He was a kind person to all, and honest in his dealings. He also believed in paying his tithing.

He had three problems that kept him from being as worthy as he could have been. He felt bad that he couldn’t quit cussing and swearing, and for a long time he chewed tobacco and drank liquor some, but he was able to overcome these habits a few years before he died. Through it all he still knew of the truthfulness of the Gospel.

Jess’ formal schooling helped to develop his character even more. He went to school in Kanarra and received all the schooling he could that was available there. His father gave him the chance to go to the Brigham Young Academy to study accounting. His father had given his other sons a start in life with property. He attended college with his brother, Joseph Sinith, but there is no evidence whether he graduated with a degree or not. After he came home, he worked in his father’s store.
Jess learned in an extremely hard way to develop the characteristic of obedience. When he was twelve years old he wanted to go hunting but his father forbid him to take the gun. Jess disobeyed and took it anyway. It was an over-and-under shotgun and he had fallen and gotten the barrels full of mud. When he was climbing a barbed wire fence, it accidentally went off and because the barrel was clogged, the gun exploded and shot off his left hand. He went back to his home with his hand hanging by threads. They sent to Cedar City for a doctor twelve miles away, and he had to come back in a horse and buggy. When the doctor arrived he was too drunk to operate, so they had to wait for him to sober up. Jess had to endure all this without any painkillers. Finally, the doctor cut off the arm halfway to the elbow and pulled over the skin and sewed it closed. Again, Jess went through that without any painkillers. Losing his hand affected his life in many ways, and he learned that parents really do know what is best.

Although he was handicapped, he showed determination and strength by learning to do things that required two hands with only one. Even though he could ride a horse and drive a team, he didn’t like to because it was hard with only the one hand. If they got out of control, there was no way to pull the horses to a stop without the even pull of two hands. He could hoe weeds and chop wood, using his hand and upper arm, and never needed any help to keep his yard and sidewalks free of weeds, which they were, and he always had a big woodpile that he chopped and stacked very neatly alone. In fact, he had chopped wood the morning that he died. Because Jess only had the one hand, his arm became very strong and he could do chin-ups with only one hand. However, because he used it so much harder than normal, in his later years he became so shaky that he could hardly eat. He did use his stump in two ways though. First - he would put it over his other arm to get it to stop shaking. The second way, which is most remembered by his grandchildren, was that he always had a “money sock,” as they were called, over his stump. This sock was a work sock, kind of brown-specked with a white toe and heel. People used to make stuffed money toys out of them. Anyway, with his sock-covered stump he would always poke it into the kids’ stomachs to tease them. Sometimes he got a little too rough, but the kids seemed to love him even more.

Love is another quality Jess developed over the years. First, he loved his parents and brothers, then on to others like friends and relatives. As he grew to maturity, he longed for the love that only a man and his wife can share. Jess was a handsome man with blue eyes, brown hair, a medium build and stood about 5’7”. He fell in love with Frances Rebecca Pollock. She was the daughter of Joseph Henry and Malinda Elizabeth Roundy Pollock and was born February 25, 1882, in Kanarraville, too. She was a tall, lovely girl with brown eyes and dark brown hair. Two of Jess’ brothers, John H. and Joseph S. had married two of Frances’ sisters (Susannah Elizabeth and Mollie) and maybe they got together because of this, or maybe it was because they had grown up in that little town and were in activities together. Whatever the reason, they were married November 20, 1901, on the south porch of Jess’ parents’ home, by the bishop, Joseph S. Berry. From their love they produced six children. Lalif Dale was born October 18, 1903, and died when he was almost 19. Ethna Frances was born September 25, 1905, and married Wells A. Williams. They had nine children. Velma was born September 15, 1907, and married Sherald J. Peterson. They had three children. Chester Dunford was born August 31, 1912, and he married Carma Davis. They were the parents of four children. LaDene was born May 24, 1914 and married Nelpher Graff and had three children. He passed away and she then married Harlan P. Walker and they had one child. Last was Paul Ronald who was born May 18, 1920, and married Eva Stucki. They had three children. All of the 23 grandchildren were born before Jess died. He also had twelve great-grandchildren when he passed away.

Jess’ parents built themselves a new home on the northeast corner of their block, by the store, so they gave Jess and Frances their home. Just after their marriage, Jess and Frances added on to the house. They built a bathroom and kitchen on the north side. They still used the old “Majestic” coal and wood stove, but they had one of the first bathrooms in town. Their tub was the kind that stood on legs that were shaped like claws. It is still in the house along with the stove.

Jess worked hard to support his wife and children, which was hard to do with only one hand. Maybe if he had become an accountant and moved to a large city life would have been easier. However, it’s hard to move from the familiarity of your hometown and family. Many men that have left Kanarra for jobs know how hard it is to forget that little town. Jess worked at many different things to support his family.

First, he worked for Bishop Berry, pitching and pulling hay. Then he worked in his father’s store for many years. He and Frances took in boarders. They had the post office in their home and many people would ride in the mail truck from place to place. Sometimes they would stay overnight. President Lorenzo Snow even stayed there one night. Frances also took in washings and Jess and Chester took turns moving the lever back and forth on the old conventional washer.
They raised a garden, had chickens, pigs, dogie lambs and a milk cow. For many years they had a beautiful raspberry patch in the north lot. Jess kept it trimmed and free of weeds. Trimming bushes wasn’t an easy task with one hand, but he managed to use the pruners by putting the left side under his armpit. They sold the raspberries for $2.00 a crate, and sometimes they would pick up to 200 to 300 crates a year. For about six years Jess ran a coal mine on the Kanarra Mountain that he leased from the government. It was located on the north side of the mountain just before you get to the Coal Mine Spring. Dixie people would come up to get coal and trade sorghum and fruit for it. They would camp overnight in the south lot. They would sing and dance and have a real good time.

During Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration as the U.S. President, he started a self-help program for the poor called the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). Jess was made a foreman of it in his area. They built dams and irrigation ditches, and dug outhouses for the government. Jess was also the janitor in the church house for many years. One time while he was cleaning the church, he felt something, or someone, trying to strangle him. He could feel the hands at his neck, yet he couldn’t see or touch anything. He fell to the floor, but because he prayed so fervently, he was released.

Around 1910, Jess homesteaded 160 acres south of the Old Fort Harmony. The Homestead Act passed in 1862 gave a person 160 acres if he lived on the land five years and put in improvements. Jess built a small log cabin there, and would take his wife and children to stay some nights. Later he sold the land to Al Thorley for practically nothing. He was also the mayor of Kanarraville for a few years.

Work and service are important qualities for a person to develop, but a person needs to relax and to socialize. Jess loved to dance, especially a square dance, which they called the Quadrille. He also loved to act in plays. During his teens, 20’s and 30’s, there were many plays put on in Kanarra by the town folk. Some of them were “Josh Winchester,” “Dot the Miner’s Daughter,” “Old Glory,” “Our Jim,” “Star Bright,” and “Dust of the Earth.” He and Frances took many lead parts in them. One play in particular Jess had to be killed. They were using real guns with blanks in them, and when he fell to the floor his little children in the audience thought he was really dead and started crying so hard that they had to stop the play and let Jess show his kids that he was still alive.

Jess and Frances held many parties in their home. They let their children have them and they also had many themselves. They belonged to a club called the “Elite Society.” It was comprised of married couples and they would meet together on a regular basis. One time they had a Halloween costume party for the “Elite Society.” They had a real frightening spook alley set up in the basement. When the people were going through it and stepped on a hidden board, they got really scared because it was like an elevator. They were pulled quickly up through the air and came out a cupboard in the bathroom. All the people really enjoyed the party.
Jess liked to play marbles. This was a very popular game for the grown men. He also liked to sing and listen to music on the radio on their old-time phonograph. He never learned to drive a car but he enjoyed traveling in them, especially to visit Velma and family, and Paul and his family who lived in Boulder City, Nevada.

Jess had developed many fine qualities over the years. He loved children and they loved him. He was very good to his wife and his own children. He didn’t have any enemies and was always good to help others. During the winter of 1919 and 1920 most of the townspeople got a very bad flu but Jess was very lucky and didn’t get it. He went to many homes and helped the people who were stricken with it. His mother died from that flu on February 9, 1920. Jess was always helping his mother. He would take meals to her and do her chores and see that she was okay.
Probably one of the hardest characteristics Jess had to develop was dealing with death. Jess was four years old when his baby sister, Florence, died; six when his sister, Hannah, died; and twelve when his little brother, Ira, died. This must have been very hard for a child to go through and try to understand why it happened. He lost his father, George, in 1914 when he died of a stroke. In 1920 he faced death again when his mother died of the flu. On September 8, 1922, he had to face the death of his oldest son, Lalif. Lalif was almost nineteen and had fallen off a loaded hay wagon. The heavy wooden wheels rolled over his head. Lalif didn’t die instantly but suffered a long time before he passed away.

There are always certain little characteristics that each individual has, and Jess was no exception. Some of these things were unusual. Jess got false teeth in his middle years but never wore them. He kept them in the secretary drawer. He would like to eat pie for breakfast, and loved bread, milk and molasses for supper. He loved to sit in his old wood rocking chair and he called his daughters “my girl.” He was also very scared of high places. All those who knew Jess were very saddened when he passed away on March 27, 1959, at the age of 82, but were relieved that he hadn’t suffered. He had been visiting that morning with company. After they left he got up and went into the bedroom to get some papers, came back and sat in his rocking chair that was in the dining room. Frances was talking with him from the kitchen. She heard him kind of sneeze and then she came into the room and he was dead. Jess was laid to rest in the Kanarraville cemetery on March 30, 1959, and thus ended the life of a very, very special man.

Jess, named after outlaws,
But didn’t do the same.
Jess, was handicapped,
And yet he overcame.
Jess gave of his love,
And was loved by many others.
Jess helped many people,
Especially his dear mother.
Jess worked at many trades,
To try to make a living.
Jess knew of going without,
But still was very giving.
Jess set good examples,
For each of us to see.
May we live with him again,
Through all eternity.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Whole Mushrooms (about 6 packages)
1 lb. country sausage
Turkey Stuffing mix
8 oz. cream cheese

Brown sausage. Add stuffing mix and the amount of water that the box recommends (do not add butter because of the sausage grease.) Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Spoon mixture into washed and de-stemmed mushrooms. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

You're invited to a Family BBQ

We're having a BBQ.

Date: Saturday, Feb. 12th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: Blake/Scholes residence


Hamburgers and all the fixings- Ron & Debbie, Lucas & Shellie
Hot Dogs and Buns- Josh & Melanie
Appetizers (2 people)- Anisa & Ryan, Logan & Sydney
Salad (2 people)- Liberty, Rosalie & Michael
Chips (2 people)- Shahr & Dustin, Tanner
Drinks (2 people)- Jessica, Cash
Desserts (2 people) - Jeff & Ellen, Thayne & Jenny

I opened up Washington County School District's Website and saw this....

Superintendent Award for Excellence

Arrowhead Elementary -- L to R: Jennifer Cloward – Volunteer, Jeff Williams – Custodian, Susan Goodman – Teacher

Way to go Uncle Heff!!!

Pics of Legz

I am by no means a professional photographer... in fact, I'd really love to take a photography class. But, mom really wanted to have a new pic of Legacy, so I took her out for a photo shoot. (I took Joren out too, but I will post his pics later). What do you think? Are they even close to looking professional? Which one do you like best? I am in the process of trying some things on photoshop to make them look better, but that will take more time on the computer to figure things out! I may post some before and after pics once I figure things out!

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PS... I also had fun making hair clips to match all of her outfits!