I remember Grandpa

I REMEMBER GRANDPA (George A Holt) BY Erwin Holt Farnsworth: I remember Grandpa Holt as a great and wonderful grandfather. He was a very devoted and faithful member in the Church, with a strong and abiding testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, which was reflected in the lives of he and his children. He loved the Church, his fellow men and especially his family. It was a very special occasion when we could go to grandpa’s house on Sunday afternoons, and be able to visit with Grandpa and Grandma Holt, aunts, uncles and cousins. One thing that stands out in my memory was our Thanksgiving Day celebrations. Grandpa lived across the street from the Church house, and on Thanksgiving he would have all of his family get together at the Church, and have a great family dinner with so many good things to eat, and the fun we had together. Grandpa Holt owned the Holt Store in Enterprise, and it was always a delight to go to his store which I did on many occasions. We had a cow, and we would put milk in two quart bottles, and take them to the store, and grandpa would put them in the cooler for us, because we didn’t have a refrigerator to put them in. One day I got there before grandpa opened his store, and as I was sitting on the cement steps, waiting for grandpa to come, I accidentally broke a bottle of milk, which quickly spread out across the steps. Grandpa wasn’t too happy about the mess I had made, but we quickly cleaned it up and all was well. Grandpa had ice cream freezers in a building in back of the store, and it was always fun to go up and watch him make ice cream, and of course we were always rewarded with ample samples of his ice cream. One of the things that we always looked forward to was the Fourth and Twenty Fourth of July Celebrations, and of course, grandpa’s store was a very busy place on those days. We didn’t have much money in those days, but we would save our money so we could go to grandpa’s store for a treat, ice cream cones, root beer floats, banana splits or ice cream nut sundaes were my favorites. Grandpa had an ice house in the back part of the ice cream plant, and I remember how, during the winter when the ice would freeze on the ponds, he would take his wagon and the big saw he had, and go to the ponds and saw out big blocks of ice. He would haul them to the ice house, where they would be covered and packed with saw dust, and he would use the ice to freeze ice cream during the summer. Grandpa was a great horse lover, and was always proud of his excellent and well matched teams of horses. He had riding horses and I remember his favorite “Billie Boy,” that I had an opportunity to ride many times. Grandpa had a farm in the valley north east of Enterprise, and I worked for him many times during the summer. It was always fun to pack a lunch and go with grandpa, to the farm. And many times he would let me ride Billie Boy from town down to the farm. We would work all day with him on the farm. On days that he would irrigate, and water would be running in the ditches, he would have us drown out chislers and destroy them. They were a pesky little rodent, and were always digging tunnels and holes in the ditch banks, and on occasions, the water would break through, so grandpa was always glad when we could drown them out and get rid of them. I would also cut potato eyes in the spring for him as always grew a big patch of potatoes as well as alfalfa. I remember that he paid us twenty -five a day which by today’s standard would be sneered at by most of the young people, but in those days it seemed like a lot of money. I am proud to be a descendant of George A Holt and for the opportunity of knowing and working with him as boy, and for his love and caring for me as well as all of his family. I only had a few short years to know grandpa, as he passed away from this life on September 13th 1935. I will always remember that day, the day of my 13th birthday. He was a great man, and lived a life of service and devoted to all he knew. He received a crown of glory, in our Heavenly Father’s kingdom. I will always remember him for who he was and what he did for me as a boy. .

Hey everyone, here are a couple if interesting Blog sites on our Canfield and Depuy ancestors. Plenty of documents and pictures. Here they are:

http://hunt4canfield.blogspot.com/
http://hunt4depuy2.blogspot.com/

Here is a photo from the Hunt for Canfield site.
Is this Clara Canfield??

 

David Canfield (1812 - 1897) - Find A Grave Memorial

David Canfield (1812 - 1897) - Find A Grave Memorial

Skunk Tail

When Erwin was young, his family lived in a house that had a type of lean-to in the back that had the washing machine in it.  One day they discovered a skunk had climbed under the washing machine.  His father got a hose and sprayed the skunk with water, so it could not raise it's tail.   His dad killed the skunk and buried it in the yard.      That year the carrots from their garden tasted like skunk.

Glimpses into the life of Erwin Holt Farnsworth as related to his daughter and son-in-law - July 2015

Told to daughter Colleen and her husband Steve-

I grew up in Enterprise, Utah.  We had a large lot and had a large garden.  We raised corn, vegetables, and potatoes.  I learned to work hard as a youth.

I always had an interest in radios and how they worked.  At 13 I worked at the picture show and learned how to run the equipment.  After this I was the one to show the movies each week.  The movies were shown at the school or the church.  I worked there until I graduated from high school. 

I started dating Genevieve when we were seniors in high school.  In high school I participated in baseball, basketball and track.  As a senior I took 1^st place in the quarter mile at the St. George Invitational.

After high school I attended radio school in Salt Lake City and then went to Chicago to radio school.

In 1941 I started working for Remington Arms Company in Salt Lake City welding metal ammunition boxes.  It was about that time that we decided to get married.  Genevieve was in Enterprise but had a cousin that was driving truck, so when we were to be married she rode up with him and brought all her stuff to live in Salt Lake with me after we were married.    We were married on August 7, 1942 in the Salt Lake Temple.  My mother and Genevieve’s Aunt Bertha and her daughter in law were there for the ceremony.  Her dad did not have an automobile and could not come up for the wedding.

We moved into an upstairs apartment – 1156 Ramona Avenue and Genevieve worked for the Peacocks while I worked at the arms plant.  I was called a couple of times to be drafted but due to high blood pressure they did not take me the first two times.  On the third time they said I was fine and sent me to Fort Douglas in Salt Lake.  I was drafted into the army and was sent to Camp Hann in Riverside California. My assignment was with the 815^th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) and the automatic weapons Battalion. We were sent to camp Irwin for the practicing.  When the target was flown we would shoot to hone our skills.  If we hit the cable that was towing the target then we would have about a 3 hour wait until they were able to get it repaired.  We slept in pup tents.  One time when I awoke in the morning there was a rattlesnake in the bottom of my sleeping bag that crawled in to get warm.

While there I qualified for the ASTC (Army  Specialist Training Corp) and was sent to Compton California to Junior College for training.  However, the government said that too many were going to college so I was sent to the army infantry and sent to Camp Phillips and Camp Riley.  Here we were preparing to go overseas but I was disqualified for overseas duty due to high blood pressure.  At that time there were many in the Air Force that didn’t qualify for Air Force duty and they were assigned to the army infantry.  I was then transferred to the Air Force base at Wichita Falls, Texas, further basic training in the Air Force.   From here I went to radio school in Oklahoma City.  I spent time also in Little Rock, Arkansas and later an air force base, Esler Field in Louisiana where I spent the remainder of my time in the air force.  Most of the time here, I showed movies to the soldiers in the army barracks.  I felt this due to my learning how to run movies at an early age. 

While I was in the military, my wife lived with the Peacocks in Salt Lake helping with the children and the taking care of the house. During this time Wynn was born.  She returned to Enterprise a couple of months before I was released from the service.

For the first year in Enterprise I worked road construction at Enterprise and Veyo.  [He worked paving the road from Veyo to Enterprise.  This was the first time it was paved.]   We lived in the upstairs of the home of _______.  He said that I should apply for a job with the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Aviation)  I sent in my application and was accepted into the program.  We went to Salt Lake City and lived in the Air Base Village while I was being trained.  The village apartments were converted barracks from the Air Base from the war.  Upon completing in the training in 1949 we moved to St. George where we worked at the old airport and worked there until the airport was closed.  This was where the current airport is in St. George today – after being located on the black hill for many years.  

In 1955 I transferred to the Delta Airport but still worked for the CAA - Communicating with general aviation pilots and following their flight plans.  On August 23, 1958 the name of the organization was changed from CAA to FFA.  We lived and worked there for 16 years - when the station was closed.  I then transferred to Salt Lake City in 1971.

I worked there for 7 years until they said that my high blood pressure didn’t qualify me to be an air traffic controller.  I retired after I used all my sick leave.  I started work for Snelgroves Ice Cream making ice cream and toppings and ice cream figurines.  The figurines were specific for each season or holiday of the year.  I worked for them for 8 years.

I sang in the choir for the dedication of the Jordan River Temple and we worked as ordinance workers until retiring from Snelgrove’s .  Then we went on two missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Our first mission was in 1986 for 18 months and we went to New York City and lived and served in the Bronx.  While there I was called to be the Branch President, and we had many wonderful experiences there.

Ten months after we returned from New York we were called to the Washington D.C. South Mission [1988].  We were in the MTC with our oldest grandson, Greg Rowley, who was going to the New Zealand Cook Island Mission.  We thought that this time we might be called on a foreign mission.  In this area we worked with the Asian refugees.  We were also told that as we worked we could teach anyone who might be interested in hearing our message.  By the time we returned from this mission we had met people from 67 different countries.  In reality this was like a foreign mission.  We had great opportunities to teach and we made many friends.  We do love serving the Lord and the people whom we have served.

We served in the temple after returning and in April 2005 we moved from Salt Lake to Pleasant Grove to be closer to family and not have a home with as many stairs as the one in Salt Lake had. 

Missionary Experience of Erwin and Genevieve Farnsworth

 As told to his daughter, Sharon Goodwin
     Recently the Desert News ran a General Conference special edition on the 50 year anniversary of the world's fair and the "Mormon" pavilion showing of  "Man's Search for Happiness."   One of the articles talked about a woman who attended the fair, and watched "Man's Search for Happiness"   When she left the showing, she was "preceded by a flock of Roman Catholic nuns, white handkerchiefs fluttering against black veils as they wipe away their tears."
     This brought to Erwin's mind an experience that they had while serving in the Bronx area in the New York, New York mission.  When they first arrived, they had dinner at the mission home.  A counselor in the Mission Presidency told them to look up Mary Ann DeMarco when they got to the Bronx.   She had joined the church and he was her bishop.  He told them the story of her conversion.   Mary Ann DeMarco had been studying to be a nun in the Catholic Church.  She and a group of nuns had gone to the world's fair and watched "Man's Search for Happiness."  She felt something there and returned again and again.  She eventually left the Catholic Church and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
     She attended in the ward where the counselor in the Mission Presidency had been the bishop.  The ward changed and Mary Ann was assigned to attend the Bronx Branch.   She did not like attending with the 'Black' people, so she drifted into inactivity.
     One day, Erwin said to Genevieve, "we need to go find Mary Ann DeMarco today."  They got her address, and drove out to find her.  They came down the street, and parked the car.   When they stopped, there was a large group of people coming down the street.  It was a group of Jehovah Witnesses.  They knocked on the car window and said they had some pamphlets they wanted to give them.  Erwin said he would like to give them some pamphlets, and a Book of Mormon.  
      They found the address, and knocked on the door.   After waiting a few minutes, they decided that Mary Ann was not at home.  They turned to leave and the lady down stairs called out, 'Are you looking for Mary Ann?'  They said yes.   She told them they could come into her apartment and wait for her, as she had gone to the market, and should not be long.
      They accepted and went in to wait.  After some time, Genevieve said they should go, as they had been there a while.  Erwin said  "NO, we need to wait."   When the lady said, "Here comes Mary Ann,"  they went outside onto the driveway to meet her.  They were standing on the driveway when Mary Ann saw them.  She looked surprised and asked  "What are you doing here?"  "Looking for you"  was the reply.
Mary Ann invited them inside.  When they were inside, Mary Ann told them that she had been very confused, and trying to know if she should attend church.  The neighbor downstairs and her son, who was a minister, had been pressuring her to attend their church.  She was confused and had prayed the night before that if Heavenly Father wanted her to attend the Church of Jesus Christ, he would need to send her a sign tomorrow. " So," she said,  "When I came up the driveway today, I didn't  get a sign,  I got two!"

Elizabeth Story Depuy

History of Elizabeth Story Depuy

Elizabeth Story Depuy Canfield was born 10 Jul 1825, at Lysander, Onondago County, New York. Her parents were John Depuy and Lucy Lonsberre Roberts. Little is known of her early life, except she came at an early age with her parents to Chicago, Illinois. Land records show that they were probably still residing in Lysander, or close by, in 1836 for John and Lucy sold Lot 80 in Lysander at this time. By March, 1838 the family bought property in West Buffalo, Williams County, Ohio. She was from a wealthy raidroad family. When she joined the “Mormon Church”, soon after her marriage, her family became unfriendly with her.

Elizabeth married David Canfield 1 Oct 1843 in Bryan, Ohio. In 1846, they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. They shared in the suffering incident of the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo and moved back to Chicago, where President Brigham Young advised them to go and earn money and procure a team and wagon and make preparations to move to Winter Quarters. The fall of 1849 found them at Winter Quarters.

The summer of 1850, they crossed the plains with an ox team and reached Utah the same year with Jacob Hamblin. They were sent by President Brigham Young to help settle Provo, Utah. They lived in Provo for eleven years then were called to go to St. George, UT. They started the trip south to St. George in Oct 1861 with six children, Clara being two days old. Rough roads and a heavy load made the oxen give out, between Conn Creek and Cove Fort, so they stayed at Beaver, Utah a week, at the home of Father Corry. Only through the kindess and help of others in the party, were they able to make the last of the journey to Dixie. Coming through Washington, Utah they stopped at the home of John Price a day or two, then on into St. George where they located at the point where the spring is above the Pace farm east of St. George. They lived two years in St. George, a short while in Santa Clara, Utah where they built the old Jacob Hamblin home there. Then another move took them to Pine Valley, Utah where they lived eight years. They they moved to the Mountain Medows, afterward named Hamblin, Utah, where Elizabeth lived 33 years. Here he husband died 8 May 1897.

Elizabeth acted as post mistress for the little town of Hamblin for twenty eight years. Hamblin was located on the old Spanish Trail and many travelers passed through on their way from the railroad at Milford, UT to St. George, UT. Elizabeth had spare bedrooms and almost every night found them occupied. She was a good cook and could fix delicious meals. She made her own butter and cheese. She also made lots of beautiful cashmere quilts by hand, including the binding which was so even and pretty. She had a loom and wove yards and yards of carpet and rugs. Probably every home in Pinto, Hamblin and the other surrounding areas were carpeted with her woven carpet.

Elizabeth was one who shared with and cared for the needy and poor. She was real slender and tall in stature. She was a devoted and hard worker.

Indians would often come to the home and ask for Canfield, then for meat, biscuts, or anything to eat. They couldn't get over seeing little girls with long blond hair. One day while Elizabeth was making soap and the kids were gathering fire wood to keep the fire going under the tub of soap, Elizabeth was, as usual, sweeping the front yard with her homemade broom. James was stirring the soap when he looked up and six or so Indian braves on horses were coming toward him. Elizabeth went over and stood by him and asked what they wanted. They demanded "food, food". So she gave them bread and cheese. Then they demanded flour and she shared her flour with them. They must have been watching the family for some time, as they knew David was gone. One of the bucks got off his horse and started walking toward them. Mother said, "I'll handle this". Still carrying her big broom, she moved fast toward him and around and around they went, she hit him with the broom on every jump. The rest of the Indians sat on their horses and laughed and laughed, poking fun at him. They called her a "Heap Brave Squaw" and rode off on their horses. The lone Indian made a leap for his horse and tried to catch up with the others, but they wouldn't have anything to do with him and made him trail along behind like the squaws did. They never came again when David was not at home and they would tell him how he had a "Heap Brave Squaw".

After her husband died, and Elizabeth now 73 years old, continued on and the travelers still stopped for meals and butter and cheese. She finally became quite blind and finished her life living with her children. She loved to knit and quilt and tried, as long as she could, to keep it up.

When people began to move from Hamblin, Elizabeth decided she would move to Enterprise, Utah (in 1905) and lived with her son Parley P. Pratt Canfield. She and her son, who had lost his wife, lived in the home where Chester Jones now lives. She resided here until the time of her death. She died in Cedar City, Iron Co., Utah on 5 Jun 1908, at the home of a daughter, Alice Lillian Knell. Her body was brought to Hamblin, where she was buried in the old family plot on June 1908.

Elizabeth was a tall slendar woman with large blue eyes, grey hair, and was as spunky as can be with plenty of grit and amtition. She sometimes would put needles and pins in the fence post to keep the indians out. They thought they were evil spirits. She would watch them come to the fence and check, if the needles and pins were there, they would not come any closer. Elizabeth was a kind person, always wanting to help others.

There was a time after moving to Hamblin, when Elizabeth became very home sick to see her family once more. So David took her by team and wagon up into Idaho to catch a stage coach to go to Chicago. This did not turn out to be a happy trip for her. Her father had died, her brother was gone and she didn't know where, and her mother had remarried a man named Robert and had two children by him, a boy and a girl. She wasn't received very well and they made fun of her, her clothes and her being a Mormon. When she came back it was winter and David had to go with his team and covered wagon into Wyoming to get her. There was too much snow for the stage coach and he not only got his wife but brought another woman who need to get to her home in Idaho.

(Parts of this were written by Ollie Hunt Jones a great granddaughter, and others are history as told by James Canfield, a son, and written by Tessie Hunt and Clara Canfield Farnsworth. It was re-written and compiled by Preston Hunt, a great-grandson.)

Deseret News June 11, 1903 page 3

Mrs. Elizabeth Story Depew Canfield Closes Remarkable Career

Special Correspondence: Enterprise, Washington County, Utah, June 8

She was born July 10, 1825 at Lysander, Onondaga, New York, moved at early age with her parents to Chicago, Ill., where she married David Canfield Oct, 1843. Received the gospel soon after and moved to Nauvoo, Ill. They shared in the suffering incident to the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo, and moved back to Chicago, coming to Utah in 1850. They made their home in Provo, Utah for 11 years. When they were called to the Dixie Misison in 1861. They lived two years in St. George, Utah and eight years in Pine Valley Ward. Then they moved to the Mountain Meadlows, afterwards named Hamblin, Utah where she remained 33 years. Here her husband died, May 8, 1897. Mrs. Canfield acted as post mistress there for 28 years. She then moved to Enterprise, Utah in 1905 where she resided until the time of her death. She died at the home of a daughter Mrs. Alicve Lillian Knell, Cedar City, Utah June 5, 1908. Her burying remains were brought to the Meadows where they were intered in the family burying ground June 8. Mrs. Canfield leaves five children, 37 granchildren to revere her memory. Besides her family connections at the funeral were many friends from Cedar City, Pinto, Enterprise, and Gunlock.

Elder Joseph E. Robinson, President of the California Mission delivered a most eloquent discourse. Patriarch John S. Smith of Filmore offered the dedicatory prayer at the grave.

David Canfield

History of David Canfield

David Canfield, the 6th child of James Canfield and Susannah Blake Canfield, was born 9 May 1812, in Gorham, Ontario, New York, which is twelve miles from the Hill Cumorah.

David left home when he was twelve years old and went to Canada and lived with his uncle who was an ax maker and ships carpenter. He worked on the Great Lake District much of his early life, following his trade of ships, carpenter and blacksmith. He also worked on the Erie Canal as a bridge builder.

While in Canada, he fell in love and married a young Irish girl named Sally Mathison. They had two girls, Jane born about 1834 and Susannah about 1836.

It was at this time that he met the Mormon Missionaries and learned of the restored Gospel and he was baptized by Parley P. Pratt in Jun 1836.

In 1837, the United States and the English in Canada were having problems and a war broke out. The English found out that David was born in the States and was there working. They called him a rebel and his Canadian friends warned him they were after him. From this time on, he had no peace or rest and was always running and hiding from the English. He enlisted with a group of "Rebels" as they were known, and was Prescribed, which possibly means he was a leader of the group and gave orders or directions, fighting with the States against the English. Things got pretty hot for him and he decided he had better leave Canada. His wife was pregnant so he made arrangements to leave his family with his wifes grandmother Mathison. With the help of his Canadian friends, they put him in a large barrel that was used to haul molasses and put him on a wagon and surrounded him with barrels full of molasses and took him across the border into the States. For years, the Queens soldiers were looking for him and all other men of his company. He had received from the States a Commission as an Officer of an Insurgent Corporal.

After the war was over, he went back to Canada to get his wife and children. His friends there told him what had happened... his wife had died shortly after giving birth to a baby boy and the baby died also. They took him to the grave where they had buried them both together. The grandmother Mathison had then taken the two little girls and gone back to Ireland without leaving any means of contacting her. (The girls remained in Canada with their Uncle?)

After losing everything, he had only his church and his work to begin again.

He went to work as a carpenter around the Great Lakes and finally drifted into Chicago and then into Ohio. During this time, he met and married Elizabeth Story Depew, age 19 on 1 Oct 1843 in Bryan, Williams Co., Ohio. She was a daughter of John Horace Depew and Lucy Lonsberre. (I have found Depew spelled more times Depuy). Needless to say, the Depew family being French Huegenots, were most unhappy about this marriage of Elizabeth to David Canfield, a Mormon.

Sometime after their marriage, David and Elizabeth moved to Defiance, Ohio where their first child, David Jr. was born. They then moved to Chicago for work. They eventually moved to Nauvoo, Illinois to join the saints and David worked on the Nauvoo Temple. They were very destitute of material things and, with the persecution the saints were receiving, it was hard for the family. Just prior to the saints being driven out of Nauvoo, Brigham Young told David to return to Chicago and earn enough means with which to get a team and wagon. This, David and his family did, and it was there in Chicago.

The fall of 1849 found them at Winter Quarters. During the summer of 1850, they crossed the plains with an ox team and wagon in the Aaron Johnson Company. Also in the company was Jacob Hamblin, Dan Tyler, Edison Barney and William Cameron. After reaching Salt Lake, Presdient Young sent David and his family to help settle Provo. They arrived in Provo just in time for James, their fourth child, to be born in a wagon box on 9 Oct 1850. He was the first white baby born in Provo. At this time a great loss came to them when their twelve year old boy, David Jr., died on 14 Jun 1856. Just seven months later on 17 Jan 1857, their second child Ellen Elizabeth, eleven years old, died and she was buring where Brigham Young University is now.

While living in Provo, David worked as City Alderman during 1851-1852 and as Councilor in 1853-1854. While living here in Provo, their next five children were born. Harriet Elma born 5 Apr 1859 died 12 Dec 1859 and is buring in the Provo City Cemetery.

During the October General Conference in 1861, Brigham Young called 360 families to go and settle the Dixie Mission. David and Elizabeth and their family received the call and they made ready for the trip. Clara was just two days old when they started the trip on the 14 Nov 1861. It was necessary for them to go at that time so they would have company to travel with. They had a fairly good team of oxen and figured they could make the trip. Rough roads and a heavy load...gave the oxen out between Conn Creek and Cove Fort. They made it as far as Beaver and stayed a week at the home of Daniel Tyler, who had crossed the plains with them. They then stopped a day or two at Parowan and again at the home of Father Corry at Cedar City.

Moroni, who was thirteen years old, was driving an outfit for James Holliday who settled in Grafton, Utah and as soon as they could unload he sent Moroni back with an outfit to help his father. Only through the kindness of Mr. Holliday were they able to make the last of the journey to Dixie. Coming into Washington, they stopped at the home of John Price for a day or two and then went onto St. George. They located at the spring above the Pace farm east of St. George. They were there for the first Christmas held in St. George.

It rained very heavy that first winter and was very difficult to keep things dry and keep fires going. The ground was so boggy where the city now stands, that it was hard to get around. They had to keep on the beaten trails and they often had to lift the animals out of the mud. The grass grew tall on the black hills around St. George and at times you couldn't see the black rocks for the grass. Oxen and cattle were wintered there. When the grass was gone on the east black ridge, the livestock was moved over to the west side of St. George on the black hill where the "D" is.

David was a good friend of Jacob Hamblin and he knew of Davids ability as a carpenter, so he asked David to build him a home on the Santa Clara Creek.

The Canfield family moved over there and settled around what was called "Hunts Place" and the "Foster Ranch". While living on the Santa Clara creek, they experienced a great flood. It rained and rained. Elizabeth became so uneasy about it that as the family were having their prayer before going to bed, she asked for protection from the Lord. After going to sleep, Elizabeth awoke suddenly and shook David saying, "Wake up, Wake up David, I have been warned to take the family to higher ground. Hurry wake the children and warn the neighbors, then you and the boys climb the mountain. I will go ahead with the rest of the family." David and the boys alerted the neighbors, some laughed and went back to sleep while others took the warning and went to safe ground. After it was all over with, they helped gather up the bodies. Some they could never find. James never forgot the experience of trying to unwrap the arms of a youngster from around a tree, or the look on his mother Elizabeth's face as she cleaned and cared for the bodies of young and the old as they were brought in.

While living in Santa Clara, David Canfield and his boys build the old Jacob Hamblin home. They cut and hauled timber from Pine Valley Mountain and it was difficult work. The boys gathered and lifted rock, but laughed and had a good time. David became a little angry when Jacob could not pay them as promised for their labors and so David, in disgust, moved his family into the home and lived there for two or three years.

They then moved to Pine Vally. From there they moved a few more miles to the north, to the Meadows or Hamblin as it was called. They lived in a wagon box and what shelter they could fix up around it to keep the hot sun and weather out. They longed for a home of their own and so they worked and saved to get enough to build a home but it was hard in such a wilderness area. It was here the Jacob Hamblin finally paid David for building his home in Santa Clara. David and his boys now built a nice home of their own in Hamblin. Things seemed a little easier for awhile. Their little cow and sheep herd grew and they made cheese and butter to sell or trade. Travelers going and coming from Pioche, Nevada to St. George and other places would stop at the Canfield home for meals or to pick up supplies of cheese, butter, vegetables and etc.

David did carpenter work and blacksmith work for a living. One day as he was working on a roof, a sudden, heavy rain storm came up and he was caught in it. He developed a bad cold and never recovered. He died on 8 May 1897, at age 85, and was buried next to his son Moroni who had died the 28 Jun 1893 at age 45 and was buried in the Hamblin cemetery.

 

Copied from the Deseret News May 29, 1897

David Canfield

David Canfield - Died at Hamblin May 8, 1897. He was born May 9, 1812 in Gorham, Ontario County, New York. He joined the church in Toronto, Canada, and was baptized in 1843 by Parley P. Pratt. Went to Nauvoo in 1845 and helped to finish up the temple as far as it was completed. Came to Utah in 1850. Settled in Provo. Was in the Indian War there. Then was called to the Dixie Mission in 1861 and first settled at St. George, Utah. He was a willing worker and a true Latter-day Saint. He was the father of ten children. Had forty-two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His last illness of four weeks was severe, but he bore his suffering patiently and has gone to rest leaving a record of a man who never failed to respond to the call of God, and who was ever to the trust reposed in him. May his children do as well.

!Ollie Jones shows sources as: Index Bureau SLC, UT, St. George Temple Records, Cemetary Records

Sealings in Jordan River Temple 3-19-93

Proxy Individual

Preston Hunt------------------- David Canfield, husband

Darlene Hunt------------------- Sally Mathewson, wife

Candace Fackrell--------------- Jane Canfield, child

Allyson Wood------------------- Susanna Canfield, child

Dean Wood---------------------- baby Canfield, child

Farnsworth History of Canfields #1697672-7

(Raymond B. Farnsworth)

David Canfield, father of Clara Canfield, was a Utah pioneer of 1850. He was born at Gorham, Ontario County, New York, 9 May 1812. He died at Hamblin (Mountain Meadows) Washington County, Utah 8 May 1897.

His first wife, Sarah Mattison, died while he was in the Patriotic Service in Canada. He married Elizabeth Storey Depuy 1 October 1843 in Bryan, William County, Ohio. They were the parents of 10 children. Elizabeth died 5 June 1908 in Cedar City, Iron County, Utah.

In 1850 they crossed the plains with wagon and ox team. Soon after their arrival in Salt Lake City, they were sent to help lay out the City of Provo, east of Fort Utah on the Provo River.

Their fourth child, James, was born at Provo 9 Oct. 1850. Clara, the ninth child, born 12 November 1861 was only two days old when they started on their wagon journey to help settle St. George in answer to a call from Briham Young.

During the October conference of the Church, 6 October 1861, President Brigham Young issued a call for 309 families to go southward immediately to settle what is now called "Utah's Dixie". "These 309 families were joined with 30 Swiss families, just newly arrived in the valley." All of these families arrived at the site of St. George uring November and December of 1861. This was to be th city that had been named by President Brigham Young in honor of George A. Smith. These families had been called to this area for that express purpose and to participate in "the Cotton and Tobacco Mission".

The 30 Swiss families were given the area of "the Big Bend", which is now Santa Clara.

The last child (10th) of David and Elizabeth was Alice Lillian, the only child born to them in St. George. She was born 28 October 1864.

The next spring he and his family moved northward about 30 miles from Dixie to Hamblin -- The Mountain Meadows, to become a part of that settlement.

In 1856 Jacob Hamblin had established a ranch at the Mountian Meadows and had built a house.

The Mountain Meadows are situated on a plateau about 30 miles north of St. George and about 10 miles southeast of Enterprise (which was settled in 1896). The eadows form a segment of the rim of the Great Basin, the watershed on which some streams form and flow southward to the Colorado River. Other streams flow northward down the canyon (Holt's Canyon) to the semi-arid Escalante desert. It was in the lower part of this canyon where James Holt settled and utilized this stream to water his farm lands established on the edge of the Escalante valley.

The Meadows are a narrow valley or mountain plateau surrounded by mountains. The area is about 5 or 6 miles long and one to three miles in width. The valley narrows to only a few rods in width at the southern end. It was through this valley that the Old Spanish Trail led emigrants to California.

In was at the southern end of the valley in this narrow gap where the Mountain Meadow Massacre occured 9-12 September 1857.

M F Farnsworth crossed the plains

  Being curious about Moses Franklin Farnsworth's trip across the plains, we found the following excerpt on the Church History site which some of the rest of you might find interesting:  (again by Wynn)

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868

Source of Trail Excerpt:

Farnsworth, Moses Franklin, [Autobiography], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 43:44.

Read Trail Excerpt:

I determined on going west and made arrangements with Elijah Mayhew (husband of my sister Lydia) to go with them and help what I could on that long tedious journey of 1700 miles. He fitted up two wagons and teams and we, being comfortably supplied, bid adieu to our many friends and relatives and stared from Indianapolis, Indiana, Marcy 15, 1853, on our pilgrimage. Our company consisted of Elijah Mayhew and wife, Lydia, his children, Otto L., Austin S., Caroline A., Walter F., and myself. I had left Edinburgh, March 8th, so as to help fit up the wagons, and when we started for good we were rather a raw set of teamsters, for Otto and I herded the oxteams through the streets of Indianapolis, attracting considerable attention, as we were so green with our nervous "Gee, Haw, Buck and Berry." That our cattle knew more than we did is evident from the fact that we struck the center post on the bridge over Pognes, run in the heart of the city, but soon extricating our wagons we were successful in getting through town onto the turnpike on our way towards Terre Haute. We made ten miles the first day and stopped for the night at a wayside Inn kept by Zimmerman. The next day we started early and at noon arrived at the terminus of the plank road. Then our experiences commenced in earnest-mud, slush, and snow gave us all we could desire. We necessarily had to travel slowly and the journey seemed more serious the farther west we went. The prairies of Western Indiana and over into Illinois were almost a sea of mud and slush, and as grass had not started to grow we had to buy corn and hay for the animals. They soon showed the effects of travel. So with patience and toil until we were almost worn out we finally reached Kanesville, Iowa on the 6th day of May. This was a joyful time for us for we remained in this vicinity until the 7th day of June. On the 8th we crossed the Missouri River by ferry and started on the overland journey across the great plains. Our company had 46 wagons. John W. Cooley was captain, Daniel Mellor [Miller] assistant. We had the usual monotonous travel from day to day, resting, shoeing oxen, setting wagon tires, etc., when necessary. This routine was only enlivened by the sudden appearance of Indians who would come into camp to beg or steal as opportunity presented. We had to keep strict watch by day and guard by night so as to prevent a stampede of the animals and we had all the experiences of tiresome travel that anyone could desire. Though the hardships of overland travel may have been overestimated by some, yet we had enough and plenty to satisfy the most ambitious.

In the beginning and following the wake of the pioneers, it was a necessity for the Mormon people that had been exiled and driven, they had no homes wherein they could dwell in peace among their christian friends, and they had to try the realities of life beyond the pale of civilization. To me this journey caused much serious reflection. I had left a good home, pleasant surroundings, a good position, and a bright outlook for future success, but having decided to cast my lot among this people no such word as regreat [sic] entered my mind and heart, but to push ahead, taking things as they come, and no matter what it cost. I was determined to stay with it. Day by day we continued our journey until finally on the ninth of Sept., 1853, we reached Salt Lake City.

John Lothropp A legacy of Conviction and Faith

Wynn Farnsworth found this piece.     This came from the series on Great Britain on GEMS.   Notice who some of our illustrious relatives are.   At the end I've added a short chart showing exactly which Great... he is.                 *           *           *           * Worldwide Saints would like to thank Peter Fagg of the Preston area for providing the content for this part in our series. Part 10 : John Lothropp--A Legacy of Conviction and Faith If you stand on the northern end of London Bridge and look from the city of London across the River Thames, you see a wide vista of Victorian warehouses, modern offices, red double-decker buses, black taxi cabs, office workers, and tourists all competing for space. This area is called Southwark and has been at the heart of London’s history for more than 2,000 years, producing such notables as William Shakespeare, Florence Nightingale, and John Harvard (Harvard University). Few of Southwark’s current occupants are aware that another notable individual named John Lothropp lived here in the 1600s and is tied to significant figures in Church history. John Lothropp was born on 20 December 1584 at Etton, Yorkshire. He was educated at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and was appointed as minister over the parish of St. James in Egerton, Kent. He could have lived a comfortable life, but he felt uneasy about the moral state of the Church of England. At the age of 39, he was prompted by his conscience to abandon the security and status of his ecclesiastical position. He moved with his family to Southwark, where he became pastor of an independent congregation that had to meet secretly since their meetings were considered illegal. All clergy were legally bound to conform to the Prayer Book in their services and had to accept the monarch as the head of the church. If caught worshiping in any other way, they could be submitted to fines, imprisonment, or exile. Despite these threats, thousands were more willing to follow their conscience and worship illegally than conform to the rules of an oppressive government. For eight years, John’s faithful congregation met undetected, but then came the fateful day when they were discovered. William Laud was the bishop of London at the time, and he actively tried to silence the dissenting religious voices of England. William was a firm believer in uniformity, and his aim was to have these "Puritan" ideals "harried out of the land." He was aware that illegal meetings were going on around London and tried his utmost to repress them. On 22 April 1632, he found where John was conducting his services, burst into the building with his men, and arrested 42 members of the congregation. Over the next few years, John and his followers were held captive in a number of prisons, including the Clink, Newgate, and Gatehouse--the condition of which were filthy and disease ridden. A few sections of the old Clink prison are still visible along one of Southwark's darker streets. While in prison, John’s wife became sick. John was granted a visit to her, and while he prayed over her she died. With the death of his wife, John’s many children, ages twenty to eight, were orphaned. The children approached Bishop Laud and plead with him to release their father. Miraculously, in 1634, Laud’s heart was softened and he released John on the conditions that he paid bond and would appear before the court in the next term. After his release, John saw to some final matters of his congregation and then set sail for America. Needless to say, he did not appear for his next court date. Fleeing to America for religious freedom was a common theme during this period in history. Between 1628 and 1640, around 20,000 people fled to America to escape Laud’s persecution. When in New England, John Lothropp became a prominent community and church leader. He stood as a great example of someone who prized standing for truth and freedom even in the face of intense opposition.   His legacy has had a great impact on history. John’s notable descendents in American history include Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Bush, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. More importantly, he was the sixth great grandfather of Joseph Smith. His other Latter-day Saint descendants include four more modern prophets: Joseph F. Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith, Wilford Woodruff and Harold B. Lee, as well as Frederick Williams, Oliver Cowdrey, Orson Pratt, and Parley P. Pratt. Orson Pratt in a letter to his brother Parley remarked, "You will recollect that Joseph [Smith] had a vision and saw that our families and his all sprang from the same man [John Lothropp] a few generations ago. Truly the Lord had his eye upon him, and upon his father, and upon their progenitors . . ." In 1840, more than two hundred years after John Lothropp’s escape to America, Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, and George A. Smith crossed London Bridge into the High Street of Southwark and found lodgings on what was then called King Street. It was a noisy, vibrant place, and Wilford remarked, "It is with difficulty that I could sleep at night." Wilford had earlier declared, "We are the first Elders of the Church of Latter day Saint [sic] that have ever walked the Streets of London. O London, as I walk thy street and behold the mass of human beings passing through thee and view thy mighty palaces, thy splendid mansions, the costly merchandise wherewith thou art adorned even as the capital of great Babylon, I am ready to ask myself, what am I and my brethren here for?" Wilford was probably unaware that his very own ancestor John Lothropp had walked the very same streets of London and had probably asked himself a similar question: "what am I and my brethren here for?" John Lothropp’s convictions freed the way for thousands to look for more truth. He left a great heritage of faith to many, including the great men and women the Lord rose up to move the work of the Church forward. Perhaps fitting John’s legacy is the statement by Sir Isaac Newton, "If I can see further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants." Peter Fagg is the bishop of the Chorley Second Ward, situated on the Preston Temple site. He is a partner in two "Latter-day Book Stores" in England and is a registered Blue Badge tour guide. Bishop Fagg is currently working on a history of the Church in England, titled "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants." He and his wife, Nicola, are the proud parents of two girls. He can be contacted at peterf@btconnect.com (Copyright 2001 Peter Fagg) Source of Orson Pratt quote: "John Lothropp, Forebear of Prophets, Presidents, and Others" by Keith W. Perkins, in "Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History." Edited by Donald Q. Cannon. Published by Department of Church History and Doctrine Brigham Young University, 1990.               *           *           *           * Here's the list decending from John Lathropp John Lathropp Samuel Lathrop Martha Lathrop Samuel Moss Esther Moss Benjamin Canfield James Canfield David Canfield Clara Canfield Bartlett Canfield Farnsworth Erwin H. Farnsworth I think you all know how you are related to Grandp Farnsworth.

William Thomas Truman and the Mountain Lion

 This was Jacob Micah's son William Thomas Truman.  He was LeRoy Staheli's father-in-law, grandfather to Genevieve Farnsworth

  From the Jan 18, 1912 (some 97 years ago) edition of the Washington County News - right off from page one.

[As was customary in those days, many articles were reprinted from other newspapers, and this one was a reprint from the Herald Republican (Salt Lake City)]

"CAPTURED LION ALIVE"

" William Trueman[sic], a cowboy of Enterprise, Utah, exhibited a fine contempt for weapons Thursday afternoon when he captured a full-grown mountain lion, measuring ten feet from tip to tip, with his lariat rope.   His excuse for not shooting the animal was that he wanted to get it alive.   The story of the capture is related by John Cleghorn, 417 Seventh Avenue, who has just returned from a prospecting trip in the vicinity of Enterprise.   'Trueman[sic],'said Mr. Cleghorn, 'met the animal in the hills south of Enterprise.   Although fully armed he decided to take the animal alive, and pressed his rope into service.   With the first throw he lassoed the lion about the neck.   Another quick hitch muzzled the animal.   As it lunged in the air Trueman[sic] passed another loop binding the two front feet together.   Trueman[sic] then secured a rope carried by his son and devoted his attention to the hind quarters of the animal.   Within a few minutes he had the mountain lion helplessly bound and muzzled.   He then loaded it onto his saddle and carried it to Enterprise, where he endeavored to sell it.   The animal when placed on the saddle dragged on the snow on both sides of the horse.   Cougars are numerous in this part of the state, often killing full-grown horses and cattle.   This is the first time, however, and of the residents has capatured one of the animals in this manner."

A link to James Holt biographical sketch

I came across this biographical sketch of James Holt that I found interesting.   For those of you who were at the reunion and went out to Holt's ranch, this is especially interesting, since he was the one who settled the ranch, and the one of the gold mine fame - though that is not mentioned here.
(Wynn)

      http://www.lofthouse.com/USA/Utah/washington/history/jholt.h
tml

M F Farnsworth Submitted by Wynn

When Bro L. Tom Perry was talking about the construction of the Manti temple, I thought that even though we didn't have any family who were directly involved in the construction of the temple, Moses Franklin Farnsworth was the first recorder of the Manti temple.

You may remember that he became a recorder in the St. George temple in 1877.   He wasn't the first recorder there, they had had several, but none really caught the vision of how the recorder should work.   He redesigned the forms they used, and implemented other forms, and got things going right.   He wasn't there at the time the signers of the Declaration of Independence appeared to Wilford Woodruff, that was before he got there.

During the time that he was in St. George, the "crusade" as they called the prosecution of those who practicing polygamy was rampant, and many of the leading brethren, including M F Farnsworth were in hiding to avoid arrest.   I quote the following from his history:

"In order to have a little more peace it was finally decided to leave St. George, and with a view of my probably going to New Zealand [sic] to assist in putting the manuscript copy of the Book of Mormon in the Maori language through the press.

"I was sent for at Pine Valley where I was staying with Father Bracken, and arrived at St. George about 11:00 P.M., May 1, 1885, and went where I had an interview with President Woodruff at the home of President McAllister.   We talked the matters over.   He told me what I thought was best.   I accepted the counsel and at 12 o'clock that night he gave me a blessing and ordained me a High Priest, and certificate of which is as follows:
    'This certifies that M.F. Farnsworth was ordained a High Priest and set apart for a mission to New Zealand under the hands of Wilford Woodruff, J.D.T. McAllister, and William Thompson, pronounced by Wilford Woodruff, St. George, Utah, May 1 1885.
      Signed, Wilford Woodruff'

"I should state that previous to this, as my wives Lovina J. and Clara C. [Bartlett's mother, he was born in 1881, so he was 4 at this time] had to go into exile, I took them to the Temple and President Woodruff gave them each a blessing.   He was full of the spirit of prophecy and blessing, and he gave them most precious promises which at that time could not be written.   He told them to be careful and prayerful, to listen to the promptings of the spirit, and to counsel of their husband, and they should not be brought before the courts.   They will tell you that all these promises er fulfilled.

"I left St. George that night as soon as I got the appointment and started for Salt Lake City.   I went by team to Milford where I took train and arrived in the city on the 7th.   The crusade was in full blast then.   I had an interview with Apostles Erastus Snow and Franklin D. Richards.   They had my message conveyed to President John Taylor.   Matters were talked over and President Taylor said, 'Tell Brother Farnsworth that if it is necessary for him to leave Utah, to go somewhere close by, where we can get him when we want him.   Let younger men take those hard laboring mission.' "

He then departed for Logan, where he had letters of introduction from both Elder Snow & Elder Richards.   Mariner W. Merrill, also a member of the twelve, was president of the Logan temple, and Elder Richards suggested that M.F. Farnsworth could help out with the recording the the Logan temple.   However, Pres Merrill thought that if he stayed there any length of time their enemies might track him down and raid the temple, which they were trying to avoid at all costs.   He went back to SLC and stayed in hiding about 4 months then returned to St. George.

One excerpt from his stay in SLC: "...wrote a number of articles for the Evening News, which aroused the wrath of some curt officials and others, but as all the past is buried now, so 'Chronicles and Marcus' 'died'"

He returned to St. George and worked in the temple until called to Manti when the temple was dedicated in 1887.   J D T McAllister was called to be the new temple president in Manti and M F Farnsworth was called as the chief recorder.   They attended the private dedication ceremony which was held May 17, where Wilford Woodruff dedicated it.   Then a public dedication was held May 21, 22, & 23, 1887.

He remained the chief recorder there until his death on 25 Feb 1906.   He is buried in the Manti cemetery, at the foot of the Manti Temple.   One of his interesting neighbors is Isaac Morley, known as Father Morley in the Nauvoo period, and is mentioned more than once in the Doctrine & Covenants.

He felt his great contribution was his publication of The Farnsworth Memorial, but I think this following paragraph which closes his history demonstrates a better memorial

"Pour over the records in St. George and Manti [temples] from 1877 until now [1905] and you can witness my works.   Without egotism, I might say, the beating heart and busy brain assisted in arranging, developing, bringing into more perfection those crude records, so that my monument and labors are imperishably written in the minds and hearts of thousands who have been assisted in this great labor of love through my untiring efforts.   I ask not for name and fame among men, men's works live and close, and though I have weaknesses and faults, yet let the mantle of charity cover them while you look on the brighter side, and never let the clouds of error or folly overshadow the bright sunshine of truth, and then your pathway will grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day."