Monday, July 27, 2015

{History of Mapleton} George Willard Perry (1862-1943)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 164-165.


Charlotte Julia Fullmer and George Willard Perry


George Willard Perry was born November 26, 1861, at Springville, Utah, to Stephen C. Perry and Mary Boggs Perry. His early schooling took place in a small adobe house where all grades were combined. There were no desks, writing paper or blackboards. A slate and pencil were his only supplies. He spent five months in school during the winter, and the remaining months he spent working on his father’s farm and herding cows in Hobble Creek Canyon. Times were difficult for everyone. George recalled wearing trousers made from those of his older brothers, and shoes made from the tops of men’s boots.

At sixteen, George went to Park City to work in the lumber business cutting wood. He shared his money with the family to pay taxes and buy clothes. At seventeen he worked in the mines and on the railroad. Paid mostly in groceries, dry goods and tools, he turned these items over to his parents to help the family. He had a shrewd talent for buying and selling. At 21 he bought a sulky plow. Within three months he not only paid for the plow, but bought a new wagon. After breaking and selling two work horses, he bought two mules and a harness which he later traded for oxen. He sold the oxen for $300, which he turned over to his father in exchange for 10 acres of Mapleton land.

Prepared to settle down as a farmer, he married Charlotte Julia Fullmer, daughter of John Solomon Fullmer and Olive Amanda Smith Fullmer, on March 24, 1884. They built a small home on their farm in Mapleton and commenced farming and raising a family. After spending 10 rather prosperous years in Mapleton, the need to expand and obtain a larger farm necessitated a move. They relocated in Ferron, Emery County, where they built a large brick home. George served as a member of the Farm Board Directors for the irrigation company, Justice of the Peace, and deputy Sheriff for a time. He also served eight years as a counselor in the Bishopric and took an active role in community affairs. While in Ferron, five more children were born, making eight children all totaled.

Eventually, the family was forced to move from Ferron because of alkaline poisoning in the soil and water. In 1905, George purchased a farm in the Uintah Basin, near Vernal, Utah. Permanently settled, George practiced farming and found time to serve as Road Commissioner, County Commissioner, School Trustee, and as a member of the Uintah board of Education during the various portions of adult life. He also served for nine years as a counselor in the Bishopric, his wife supporting him in his many positions of responsibility.

After six years in Salt Lake City, beginning in 1930, George and Charlotte moved back to Vernal, where he spent his last 7 years farming. His last day was spent digging soil and planting peas. With his last words, “I am tired,” he died the following day—April 1, 1943.

{History of Mapleton} Edward Harvey Perry (1871-1936)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 164.

Edward Harvey Perry was the son of Stephen Chadwick and Mary Boggs Perry. He was born in Springville, Utah, on April 9, 1871. He attended school in Springville, but apparently did not advance beyond the sixth grade. At seventeen, he became the head of the family because of the death of his father. Since the older children were all married, Harvey went to work in the Tintic mines and as a section crew worker on the railroad to earn money for the family. He also worked as a bridge builder and served as road supervisor during the construction of the road from Springville to Spanish Fork Canyon. As a young man he enjoyed sports, especially baseball.

When Stephen C. Perry died, the farm was divided into eight acre plots, and each child was apportioned a plot on which to build a home. Harvey began construction on his home shortly after February 19, 1896, when he married Mary Ann Fullmer in the Salt Lake Temple.

Mary Ann Fullmer was a daughter of William Price Fullmer, and Maria Jane Curtis Fullmer. She was born in a one-room log cabin in Mapleton on April 10, 1878. Coming from a poor family, she and her sisters had to take turns going to school because her parents could not afford shoes for all the children. She was raised in a religious atmosphere and was imbued early with the ideals of honesty, prayer, work and industry.

To this union were born the following children: Hildred, Christa, Harvey Edward, Amy, Dora, Zelma and William Stephen. All were born in Mapleton. As the family increased in size, Harvey built a new, larger home. Influenced by a scheming builder, the home was beyond Harvey’s financial capacity and he had to seek employment away from home. He worked as a station engineer in the Stoors Canyon power plant, peddled fruit at the mining camps of Clear Creek, Schofield and Winter Quarters, and then turned to a hay baling venture with his brother, Hyrum. All to no avail. After further failures with a brick yard and a timber contract with a coal mine, he ended up selling the home to rid himself of the debt.

Harvey moved on to Darlington, Idaho to homestead. But this venture also failed. Again he attempted farming for the Utah Construction Company which had land interests in Utah and Idaho. It lasted no longer than a couple of years. During that period, his wife Mary Ann and the children consented to follow him to Idaho. Further complications in an already strained marital relationship reached a point beyond reconciliation, however, and after what seemed imminent failure, she took the children back to Utah.

Harvey was described as being “honest, almost to a fault,” hardworking, and capable of seeing only the good in others. He was religious in his own way, and attended church often, but was self-conscious to the degree that he would sit on the back row to avoid being called upon to pray. His children fondly remember his kindness.


On his last job in Blackfoot, Idaho, Harvey became sick. It grew more serious, developed into pneumonia, and caused his death on October 29, 1936.

{History of Mapleton} Marion Perry and Clara Elizabeth Larsen

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 163.



Marion Perry was the eleventh child of Stephen C. and Mary Boggs Perry. He was born in Springville, Utah on January 11, 1883. After his father’s death in 1888, Marion came with the rest of his family to live in Mapleton. A natural heir of farm life, Marion helped his older brothers on the farm, doing what seemed to him, like endless chores. He was educated by his mother in the family school and in the elementary schools in Mapleton. As a young man he attended the Brigham Young Academy. His inclination was farming and agriculture, which he pursued on the site of the Perry homestead.

Marion married Clara Elizabeth Larsen on December 21, 1910. Clara was born to James Peter and Mary Caroline Anderson Larsen at Mapleton, Utah on June 7, 1892. She was the sixth of sixteen children. Her early education was interrupted because she was needed at home to tend the babies and help care for the large family. She was baptized at the Big Hollow when she was eight. She had a long lifetime of religious activity; including 30 years as a Relief Society visiting teacher. As a young lady, before her marriage to Marion, she worked at the Harrison Hotel in Springville. After their marriage, they lived with Marion’s mother in the brick home constructed for her on the Perry homestead. Mary Boggs Perry died in 1914.

Marion, or “Maine” as he was known by his friends, was a skilled horseman and trainer. He broke and trained many horses for local farmers. He also supported his wife and family selling and dealing in hay and grain.

Marion and Clara had seven children: Donna, Earl Marion, Phyllis, Clair Larsen, Thelma, Mary Ruth, and Beth. In 1917, Marion contracted ptomaine poisoning and, within a years time, he was stricken with partial paralysis. This condition, which left him crippled to the extent that he had to walk with canes, lasted nearly forty years. Consequently, he relied on his horse to get him from place to place. After Marion’s paralysis, Clara applied for a job as a Raleigh spice agent, and later entered the chicken business. Finally, she took a position as an L.P.N at the Utah State Hospital in 1941, retiring in 1956.


Despite his handicap, Maine worked hard to make a living. He was seldom idle. His many labors, from hauling wood to cattle raising, were as rigorous as any man in town. He was highly loved and respected by all who knew him. Marion passed away on October 31, 1959. Clara is still residing in Mapleton at the time of this writing (1976).

{History of Mapleton} Stephen Chadwick Perry

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 162-163.

Mary Boggs and Stephen Chadwick Perry


Stephen Chadwick Perry’s descendants have called him a “Monument to the pioneer spirit.” His life story and abundant posterity assume a biblical aspect. Perhaps he could be likened to a nineteenth-century Abraham. Stephen Chadwick Perry was born at Middlebury, Genesse County, New York, on December 18, 1818. His parents, Asahel Perry and Polly Chadwick, were adherents to traditional New England Protestantism until 1832 when they accepted Mormonism. Stephen, who greatly respected his father’s fundamentalist teachings, also became a member. Completely devoted to their new religion, the Perrys embarked on an uncertain, ambulatory life adventure. Where the church moved, they followed. Subsequently, they moved from New York to Kirtland, Ohio, then to Missouri, and when compelled to flee from the state under threat of extermination by an unscrupulous Ochlocratic government, they settled in Commerce, or Nauvoo, Illinois.

At Nauvoo, Stephen was ordained an elder and took his first wife, Susannah Colista Hidden. They were married June 6, 1840. Tragedy ended Susannah’s life after three short years of marriage. She died in childbirth, and two days later the baby, Stephen Hidden Perry, died. The months that followed were dark, lonely and sorrowful. His grief was consoled only by putting the past to rest and starting life anew. A year passed and Stephen married Anna Marie Hulett, formerly of Portage County, Ohio. They made their home in Nauvoo where their first child, Mahonri Moriancumer Perry was born. The child died prior to 1846 when the Mormons left Illinois.

Stephen mentions during the Nauvoo era that he was a bodyguard of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was an intimate friend, and spoke to him the night before the Carthage Jail assassination. The memory of that infamous murder plot was devastating, especially to one purporting to be a bodyguard. Stephen and Anna Maria endured many hardships incident to mobocracy and severe weather which plagued the hurried and ill-planned exodus from Nauvoo. Anna recalled the “bitter cold” and how the wagons “creaked on the snow as they moved along.”

Spring arrived and the trek across the mud-laden Midwest led them to Mt. Pisgah, Iowa. There they found refuge, good pasturage, and time to recuperate from the past ordeal. While at Mt. Pisgah two children were born: a daughter, Tryphena Roseltha, and a son, Lewis Rosalvo. Stephen was not present when his son was born. He was somewhere in New York State on a proselyting mission for the church. After he returned to Iowa, Stephen, his parents, Anna Maria and the children joined the Bennett company of wagons for the long grueling march across the plains.

After four exhausting months they arrived in Salt Lake valley only to discover that their journey was not over. They were ordered to go south to the Hobble Creek area. They were among the first wagons to arrive there in October, 1850. A fortress of cottonwood logs was built on the northeast section of the townsite and the families were assigned a small, crude cabin in which to live. The Perrys lived in the fortress until the following year when Stephen built a cabin south of the settlement and established a farm. In 1854 Stephen entered the principle of plural marriage. He took an 18 year old woman from Kentucky, Margaret Eleanor Stewart, recently divorced, as his second wife. The second wife had three children during her marriage to Stephen. For unspecified reasons the marriage ended in divorce nine years later.

In 1855 Stephen was called on a mission to southern Utah to help colonize the area. He and other Elders penetrated the blistering deserts as far south as Las Vegas in their efforts to locate habitable settlements. Much to the dismay of the wives back home, he was away for two years. (Not many wives today would allow their husbands to spend two years alone in Las Vegas.)

On his return to Springville, Stephen married a third wife—Mary Boggs, 14 year-old daughter of Francis and Evaline Boggs. She was born April 12, 1843 at Nauvoo, Illinois. Despite the 15 year difference in their ages, they were very compatible during their 31 years of marriage. Mary bore eleven children between 1858 and 1883; Anna Marie Hulett had six children; and Margaret Stewart had three, making 20 children in all.

In 1877, Stephen moved his wife, Mary Boggs and family to Union Bench to settle on acreage exempted under the Homestead Act. The bench was sparsely populated and water was scarce, and Indians were a constant worry. The ground yielded grudgingly to farming efforts. Summed up, it was a lonely, difficult struggle to live in such an isolated, barren place. The Union Bench property was used mostly as a summer home. In the winter the family returned to Springville. This continued until 1888 when Mary decided to move to the bench permanently.

By trade Stephen Perry made chairs. The children remembered playing on the high stacks of unfinished frames and helping their father cure and weave the rawhide netting which made the seat. Many of his chairs are still in existence today. Stephen would sit on his own favorite chair, gather the children around, and tell them of his adventures. He told about his participation in the Black Hawk War, and how he was one of the messengers chosen to negotiate a peace treaty with Chief Walker, whose tribe was encamped in Payson Canyon. He related how he barely escaped death at the hands of a vengeful Indian brave—a tale of savagery that always caught the wide-eyed imagination of the children and enamored their father as a brave, heroic figure.


Stephen filled his third and final mission to the Eastern States. While there he preached among his own relatives but with little success. He spent his last years at home. His soul was tired of the strenuous traveling which he had carried out with such zeal in his youth. He was now content to stay home, follow his trade, and enjoy the younger children. One afternoon while loading supplies at Springville, he slipped and fell from the wagon, injuring himself severely. He never recovered. He was taken to his home in Springville where he died two days later, on November 16, 1888.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

{History of Mapleton} Luella Snow Johnson

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 151.

Luella (Ella) Snow, daughter of Edwin Marion and Frances Evaline Perry Snow, was born at Mapleton, Utah, September 10, 1890. She attended schools in Mapleton.

In her early years she grew up in a very nice, comfortable home which was always open for parties, candy pulls and playing games. In these early times before electricity, they made their own entertainment and spent much time singing around the old reed organ and listening to records played on the “gramophone”, which had a crank on the side to wind it up to play about one or two records.
She married Elmer Johnson in 1911. Soon after their marriage, they built a home just north of the city building on a two-acre plat. In this home six of their eight children were born.

During the summers she went with her husband and small children to work in the timber in Carbon County, where he cut trees for mining props and railroad ties. The family would camp in a tent. In one end was a cook stove and table with shelves for supplies and cooking utensils. In the other end were beds or bunks. It was a vacation for the family. However, when the children were old enough, they helped out by riding or leading the horses, “skidding” the timber down the drag roads to be loaded onto the wagon, then hauled to the railroad for shipping to the mines.

Later on, during the summers Ella would take the children to the homestead on Billy’s Mountain, about two or three miles northeast of Thistle. This trip would take more than half a day in a wagon. Sometimes they would stop at Cold Springs for lunch.

Much of the time Ella was at home with the children so they could always attend school, while Elmer was working on the ranch, raising dryland crops, hay, grain, potatoes. They had cattle and horses and always a pony for the children to ride.

All through her life she was a hard worker. At the family home she always had a garden, berries and fruit trees. There was plenty of produce, some to sell and some to give away to neighbors. She usually had a cow to milk when Elmer was not at home. She was a wonderful seamstress and made clothes for her children, nieces, and friends of her children. She did much handwork, embroidery and crochet work, and also quilts for her children, grandchildren and friends, many from her own original designs.

She was always active in civic and church affairs. She taught in the Primary and M.I.A. She was a Relief Society visiting teacher for many years and sang with the Singing Mothers for several years under the direction of Elmo Jensen. While Sadie Whiting was Relief Society president in Mapleton Ward, she and Senate Mendenhall were her counselors.

While the children were growing up they had a phonograph and had many good recordings of mostly classical music, so all the family developed a love for music. Each child had the opportunity to play a musical instrument, some of them playing clarinet or flute in the school band. Most of them studied piano and voice and they all have a deep appreciation for music.

For several years before her death on April 18, 1959, Ella was in ill health. She died at the age of 69.

In 1976 all eight of her children are still living: Lenore J. Bills, Donald Snow Johnson, Verl Elmer Johnson, Edda Frances J. Heaton, Louise J. Hanson, Ralph Aaron Johnson, Welburn “K” Johnson, and Merilyn J. Tuttle. She has 30 grandchildren and 51 great grandchildren.

{History of Mapleton} Ruby Snow Warren Jensen

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 146.

Ruby Snow Warren Jensen was born on November 29, 1884 at Mapleton, Utah. She was the oldest child of Edwin M. and Francis Evaline Perry Snow, and she spent her younger years helping at home and attending the local schools. On a cold spring day, March 28, 1893, she was baptized at the Big Hollow to allow her to attend the Salt Lake Temple dedicatory services on April 6, 1893. Since she was past eight years of age she had to be baptized and have a recommend in order to attend.

Ruby graduated from Mapleton School in 1899 and went one winter to the Brigham Young Academy. She also worked for a period of time as a dressmaker and became an excellent seamstress. At age fifteen, Ruby had her first church assignment as a secretary in the Primary. Shortly afterward, she was set apart as a Sunday School librarian and about 1901 she also worked as Sunday School and ward organist.

On May 25, 1904 Ruby married Jesse Benoni Warren, the son of Amos B. Warren. They had four children: Mabel Warren Hansen, Burton, Welby, and Evalyn Warren Pomel. (Evalyn died on March 30, 1937 following the birth of her second child.)

Jesse and Ruby lived in Utah until March of 1909 when they sold their home and bought a small farm in Idaho. Eventually they rented more land and bought another small farm. But Jesse died of appendicitis on October 25, 1913 at Blackfoot, Idaho and was brought back to the Evergreen Cemetery to be buried. Ruby returned to Mapleton with her four children and lived with her folks. She worked in the Mapleton Store for nearly a year to provide for her young family.

On March 24, 1915 Ruby married Hans Peter Jensen in the Salt Lake Temple. They had five children: Elmo M., Alene Jensen Warthen, Ruth LaVonne Jensen Starlin, Jenna V. Jensen Warthen, and Stanley Edwin. (Elmo died in Avondale, Arizona on August 20, 1961.)

During this period of her life Ruby worked in the church as Relief Society organist from 1917 until March 14, 1939. She also served the ward as organist and chorister for many years. She was a visiting teacher for twenty-one years and secretary to the Genealogical Society for a number of years. Ruby was also active as the Perry family genealogist and computed temple work for over 1,000 families during a period of thirty years.


Ruby’s husband Pete died on April 3, 1960 at his home in Mapleton. Ruby lived for another six years at her Mapleton home with her youngest son Stan. During this time she visited with her family and did a good deal of genealogy work. On May 21, 1966 Ruby passed away at home, and like her two companions, was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

{History of Mapleton} Niels Christian Jensen and Ovilla Whiting Jensen

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 145.


Niels Christian Jensen

Niels Christian Jensen was born September 17, 1884 at Spanish Fork, Utah. His parents were Hans Peter Jensen and Karen Marie Nielsen. In his boyhood he worked very hard with his parents to help sustain the family and lived on the west side of the bench.

Chris met Ovilla Whiting of Mapleton and they were married after a period of courtship on June 28, 1905 and they settled in Mapleton, Utah. When their first child was born they were living in a small house that had been used for a tithing office at about 300 West 600 North. Chris and Ovilla soon bought a farm where Frank Jensen had his farm and where his wife, Ovanda, still lives. Later, they moved to Lost River, Idaho and bought 160 acres of unbroken land. After three years of hard work they found that they could not make a living there so they moved back to Utah and settled in Bingham Canyon. Here, Chris worked in the Highland Boy Mine.

In 1920 the Jensen family moved back to Mapleton and Chris and the older children made a living by farming and contracting to thin, hoe, and harvest sugar beets. At one time they had fifty acres contracted for this work and made fairly good wages.

Chris Jensen was an ardent sports fan. He especially liked baseball and all of his boys shared his enthusiasm. Chris played for many years and his sons followed in his footsteps. In later years, he followed each play of World Series games by writing each player’s name in a notebook and recording each play as it was broadcast over the radio. At this time, no one dared interrupt the games by word or deed. Ovilla even served meals by the radio—and this was before T.V. trays or dinners. Hunting was also an important hobby. Chris and his sons, and a certain group of friends went together every year to hunt in the mountains. At first, they traveled by team, but later, they went by car. Months of planning and preparation went into these hunting trips, and the cold winter evenings were made more pleasant by recounting the events of the World Series or the deer hunting expeditions.

Chris was active in community affairs and served as road supervisor for one term. At that time the grader was pulled by two teams of horses and one man stood up front on the machine to drive the animals. Chris stood on the back and by means of two wheels, one on each side of the grader, controlled the pressure of the blade on the dirt and gravel roads.
Starting in 1934 Chris served as town marshall, and during his term of office was respected by young and old alike. They all knew he was strict and firm, but they also knew he was fair and kind in his enforcement of the law.

Chris and his wife, Ovilla, and family have been stalwarts of the Mapleton community and helpful to their church. After the death of his wife, Chris lived at home and was helped by his daughter Irene and her husband Earl Freeman. He died October 19, 1964 an honored and respected citizen of his community.

Ovilla Whiting Jensen

Ovilla Whiting was born January 19, 1884 at Mapleton, Utah. She was a daughter of Edwin Lucius and Anna Mary Bulkley Whiting. She was the sixth of eleven children and had four brothers and six sisters. One sister, Jane, died in infancy.

As a young girl she was very helpful to her mother and father. Her father was the first Bishop of Mapleton ward and prior to that was the Presiding Elder of the Union Bench Branch. Her father died when she was only twelve years of age and it became necessary for Ovilla to help her mother with the home and the younger brothers and sisters, while her mother made the living for the family. She thus learned about economy and hard work in her early years.

She married Chris Jensen of Spanish Fork on June 28, 1905 and they were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. They were the parents of seven children: Ruel Whiting, Gladys, Deles, Bernell, Verl, Irene and Kelly. A granddaughter, Glenna Mae, and her mother shared their home also for a few years.

Orvilla loved the Gospel and was a very faithful member of the L.D.S. Church. She was a Relief Society visiting teacher for almost forty years and seldom missed making her monthly visits to the homes in her district. In the early thirties she visited from the Pate home down to the home then occupied by William T. and Clara Tew. Many times in the winter the only way to go was on foot and this she did, sometimes wading in snow up to her knees to reach the Pate and Allred homes that were so far down their narrow lanes. She also traveled up to the Gillen’s place on the southeast of the district. To these people she was an angel of mercy faithfully performing the work she was called to do.

Orvilla was a devoted wife and mother. She was frugal and made good use of everything she could for food and clothing. When a pig was killed for the winter’s meat supply, she made use of everything. She salted the side meat or bacon, processed head cheese, manufactured soap from the drippings that were too brown to use for lard, and made cookies from the cracklings. Old worn clothing was made into quilts of carpet rags that were woven into strips and spread over fresh clean straw and made nice warm floor coverings.


Ovilla was a quiet hardworking mother who took great pride in her children, and though she was shy and retiring, she was loved by all who had the privilege of getting to know her well. She died March 15, 1948 leaving a posterity that she has every reason to be proud of. She also left a legacy of hard work, thrift, and true good citizenship.

{History of Mapleton} Joseph Jensen and Harriet Lucinda Whiting Jensen

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 143-144.

Joseph Jensen was the son of Karen Marie Nielson and Hans Peter Jensen. He was born September 25, 1875 in the northeast section of Spanish Fork. He received his early education here, but when he was nine years old he and his family moved to Mapleton. Since shcools [sic] were not free at this time, Joseph’s education was limited and consisted of a few winter months preparation when it was too cold to do much else. Some of his early teachers were: Ella and Josie Williams, Richard Thorn, Hannah Friel, Arthur Southwick, Carrie Coats, Leslie Poag, Lizzie McCoard and Henry Erlandson.
Joe attended church and school in the first frame meeting house. He also helped carry mud and bricks for the first brick meeting house built in Mapleton. He and a group of other boys formed a club and earned enough money to help put in a tongue and groove floor in part of the meetinghouse so that they could hold dances there.

During Joe’s early adult years he spent much of his time working in the nearby canyons cutting railroad ties. He and his good friend Wayne Johnson were always telling about things that happened to them during those years. Finally, after keeping company with Harriet Lucinda Whiting for two years they were married in the Salt Lake Temple, December 5, 1900. Harriet was the daughter of Harriet Stewart Perry and Albert Milton Whiting. She was born at Mapleton on June 5, 1879 and was the fourth daughter in a large family.

Harriet’s school experiences were much like her husband’s, but her health was not very good as a young woman and she had to take care of herself. Still, there were many family outings, visits to grandmothers, and dances to fill out her social life. She was active in her church too. She was President of the Primary, and she also served as recording secretary and teacher. She was secretary of the M.I.A., counselor in the Relief Society, teacher in Relief Society, and finally, she served as President. Joe was also active in his church. He served as a counselor in the M.I.A., President of the elder’s Quorum, and several other jobs. He was town constable and marshal for a few years. He served as Justice of the Peace and was a member of the town board. Joe also saw community service on the various irrigation boards that affected the Mapleton bench.

The Jensens bought a small farm on east Maple Street and then added to it in later years. They built a brick home on the place in 1916 and it still stands in excellent condition. They had nine children: Clara, Fay, Ermel, Russell, Marie, Nelda, Fred Grant, Muriel, and Fern. Some of them have spent most of their lives in Mapleton. Their son Fay spent many years as a town Marshal and city worker while running a small farm. Ermel farmed on south center street most of his life, and Fred spent much of his life running the family farm on east Maple street. Muriel married Bill Cox and lived on East Maple Street for many years. She was a gifted musician and accompanied many of the local youngsters when they put on church programs.


Joseph and his wife both lived fruitful and worthwhile lives. They worked for their family, church and community. It is with such people that good communities grow and develop and they are sorely missed when they pass on. Joseph died August 21, 1948. Harriet lived a few years longer and passed away on September 28, 1965. They are both buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.


{History of Mapleton} Hans Peter and Karen Marie Nielsen Jensen

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 143.

Hans Peter Jensen was born June 20, 1844 in Denmark. He was the son of Jens Peder Pedersen and Karen Hansen. His parents were farmers and he spent his early life working on their farm. As he grew older he found work in a nearby city and it was here that he met his future wife.

Karen Marie Nielson was born January 6, 1845 at Torslev Denmark. She was the daughter of Niels Pederson and Maren Andersen. When she was fourteen her mother died and she was forced to earn her own living. This she did by working in other people’s homes, scrubbing their floors, milking the cows, and spreading fertilizer on their fields. It was too hard of work for a young woman and it left its mark on her.

Hans Peter and Karen Marie were married November 5, 1869. About a year after their marriage Hans Peter heard the Mormon missionaries speak and was much impressed by their doctrine. His cousin Chris Sorensen had been responsible for this, but Hans Peter’s family were quite bitter when he and his wife joined the Mormon church. To keep from having any trouble with mobs, the young couple were baptized about midnight March 5, 1871. They had to cut a hole through ice that was two feet thick and their clothing froze to them as soon as they got out, but no one troubled them.

In June of 1871 the young couple left Denmark to come to Utah. They arrived in Salt Lake City on July 24th and then traveled to Spanish Fork. They lived in Spanish Fork for a year and then moved down by the lake where they rented a farm for about two years. Sometime later, they moved to Mapleton and bought a farm at about 60 South and 1600 West. During this period of their lives Hans Peter went on two different missions back to Denmark, but both were cut short and he had to come home because of illness.

Hans Peter and his wife were both hard workers. They often told of dreams that they had which helped keep them on the straight and narrow. Hans devoted much time administering to the sick and helping out his neighbors; as a result, he was liked and respected by almost everyone who knew him. His wife was also a respected member of the community.

Hans Peter and Karen Marie’s family consisted of Caroline, Erastus, Joseph, Mary Eliza, Hans Peter, Niels Christian, Allie Morris and one other son who died in infancy. Joseph, Pete, and Chris all spent the major part of their lives working and living in Mapleton. Peter bought his father’s farm after his health gave out and Joe and Chris were well established in the center of town.


Karen Marie Jensen passed away March 9, 1926 in Spanish Fork where she and her husband had moved after selling their farm. Shortly thereafter, Hans Peter moved back to Mapleton and lived in a small home by his son, Joseph, near the center of town. He spent a few years there and then lived with his daughter Mary Eliza at Spring Lake until he died in 1931. His funeral was held in Mapleton and he was buried in the Spanish Fork cemetery.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Cleaning Up Individuals on Family Search

Right now I don't have any more life histories or other records to share on this blog, but I thought I would share what I've been doing on Family Search lately.

I grew up thinking that for the most part my family history was done on both sides. My ancestors were all Mormon pioneers and my family members said the work was done already. But what I've been finding is that there is still plenty to do. I've only had to go back as far as my great-great grandparents and their families to find errors and redundancies on Family Tree. So here I will give some examples of what I'm doing to clean up these records. I don't know about you, but I think when Christ comes back and wants to see our family history work, he's not going to be that impressed if it's a big mess.

Today I am working on Hannah Luticia Worthen, the sister of my great-great grandfather James Alfred Worthen. Here are some of the issues that I need to address:

1. Alternate names

This is pretty repetitious and these can't possibly all be her birth name. What I need to do is find as many sources about her as I can and use those to determine what her birth name really was. Then I can delete all the extra birth names.

2. Legacy NFS sources


Family Search has been migrating information over to Family Tree from the [now old] New Family Search, the Ancestral File, and the IGI. Some of it was useful and some of it is useless. So I will need to open the Legacy NFS Sources and determine which ones have useful information and which ones can be deleted. The ones with useful information should probably be edited so it's easier to tell what the source is.

3. Notes


I already cleaned out the notes from Hannah, but here is an example from her father's record. Often the Notes or Discussions sections have entries like this that are information migrated from New Family Search. The ones about GEDCOM lines don't have any useful information and can be deleted. The other ones might have information or links that could be useful. It looks like they have links to sources, so for the sake of organization when I start working on his record I will look for those sources, add them to the sources section, then delete the notes.

~~~~~

I start by going through the the sources. I open the sources and verify that they seem right based on the information I have, and while I'm at it I make sure that everyone mentioned in the source is tagged.

The first Legacy NFS Source refers to the 1900 census, but that has already been attached as a source, so I detach the NFS source since it's a duplicate.


The next Legacy NFS source has a similar problem, except this has links to the 1880 census on Ancestry.com. Again, the 1880 census has been attached to this person elsewhere, so this is a duplicate. For some reason when people attached sources from Ancestry to New Family Search, the way they got migrated to Family Tree shows the same link several times. It's kind of confusing. Usually with sources like this I end up following the link, creating a new source, and deleting the Legacy NFS source, because with RecordSeek it's easier than trying to clean up the Legacy NFS source.


The last two Legacy NFS sources don't have any useful information, so I delete them.


Now that the sources section is cleaned up, I look for other sources on Family Search and Ancestry. There are plenty of other places to find sources, but those are a good place to start. Usually with the sources on there I can get a pretty good idea of whether the dates and names on a person are accurate, and of course if more information is found about her it can be changed to reflect that. As I go farther back in my family tree I'll have to get smarter about where to find sources.

Next I go through the sources and memories and compare them to her name and dates. The dates seem fine. Based on the sources, especially her death certificate, it looks like the most accurate spelling of her name is Hannah Luticia Worthen, so I keep that one and delete all the alternate names.