SOMETIMES, PEOPLE DO DASTARDLY DEEDS TO OTHERS.

UNCLE ROB GARRETT CAUGHT UP TO HIS BROTHER IN 1978

Robert Pixton Garrett was one heck of a great man. He wasn't just a Righteous Man Of God during his 91 Years on this sphere we call Earth, he was liked or loved by all who became acquainted with him in Nephi; at The Serv; herding sheep; his two terms with the Nephi City Council or with his LDS Church assignments. He was the type of guy all folks could chat with; walk to church with or be a member of his family, as me and by siblings believe. My brother-Hal and I was in the starting motions of climbing Mt. Nebo when our father-Alma Jones agreed to drop us off at the trailhead just below Dad and Sons, to give us the heart breaking news of Uncle Rob. If you are a "Newbie" to us oldsters, you need to check with other "older than dirt" people to find out where that point is and why we call it that. Rob wasn't feeling too good back then, and he was taken to a hospital in the City of Salt, and this mushy brain thought it was LDS Hospital. I can't remember which of his daughters were present, but it may have been Lucy and Afton. The daughters walked down the hall for a break, or what Aunt Erma would call "water the horses". When the daughters came back, one of the nurses reported that Uncle Rob had passed and they asked "who is Jim"? Apparently, that was his brother-Jim, who came to escort Rob on the immediate sheep herder train to Heaven. In those days, sheep herders were not from other countries, but Americans, such as Lorenzo Harris; Lyle Boyer of Coalville; the Reed and Ingram family of Nephi and the sheep herders from Ft. Green. When the sheep slept, their is a variety of things that a sheep man could do and for Rob, he loved reading and knowing the LDS Church books and some local folks who were not "local" but they knew that Rob Garrett and Jesse Pay had the gift of "Tongues" as some of the gifted people of God had in Ancient times. Although Rob gave up the sheep herds of Juab County, he and his wife-Erma Jones of Nortenville, set out to build "The Serv" in Nephi, as they could see that motorized vehicles would be taking the place of buckboards. Sure enough, we don't see many of those great wagons and teams around. But as a kid, I loved watching Jon Jackson take a load of loose hay up 7th North with his team of horses. Rob was on the City Council, and my guess he could tell the God's honest truth without offending others, like ne and his grandson-Bob Garrett may have done when we served the citizen's, and some folks don't like to hear the truth. Not only did Rob and Bob serve Nephi, but so did Joe Garrett, and Ross Garrett as the Juab County Boss and LDS Stake President. I know that God is quite aware of the great goodness of Robert Pixton Garett, and so does most of us old wanna be wranglers do. Rob could be the forefather of the gasoline service, and his wife-Erma started the "Penny Candy" gal at the Serv, as did his kids and their kids and on and on. Rob got robbed once, and he was able to talk the culprits out of killing him, and walked in to Nephi where they let him escape. Rob Garrett, I tip my hairpiece to you and all the Garretts. They are the cream of the crop.

 

JOHN HARRIS JOINED THE LDS CHURCH IN WALES AND BRIGHAM SENT HIM TO NEPHI

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I SPENT A MONTH CHASING DOWN THE HISTORY OF MY MOTHERS KIN FOLKS THAT HAILED FROM THE BRITISH ISLES. THAT ISLE WAS NOT REALLY AN ISLAND, BUT THAT IS WHAT THEY REFER TO AS WALES WHEN I VISITED. I WON'T GO WAY BACK WHEN THE HARRIS NAME WAS HARRY, AND EVEN BEFORE THAT, THEIR WAS ONE HARRY HARRY. NOW BACK TO JOHN HARRIS. THEY TRAVELED BY WAY OF A BOAT ACROSS THE WILD BLUE ANTANTIC OCEAN AND ON TO IOWA CITY, IOWA , AS THAT IS WHERE MANY OF THE NEW MORMON NEWCOMERS WOULD MEET.  THAT FAMILY ARRIVED IN SALT LAKE, WHERE BRIGHAM YOUNG DIRECTED THEM TO NEPHI, BUT MANY OF THE OTHER WALES FOLK WENT OVER TO SANPETE AND NAMED THEIR TOWN......YUP ,YOU GUESSED IT-WALES, UTAH. THE HARRIS FAMILY SET UP SHOP IN NEPHI. THE HARRIS FAMILY HAD SONS AND ONE OF THEM WAS EVAN, ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE FOLKS IN NEPHI AND HEBERVILLE CALLED HIM "EV'. MANY OF THE KIDS OF THE KIDS WERE ALSO NAMED EVAN, BUT THEY WOULD DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENT ONES BY USING A FIRST OR MIDDLE NAME. SOME OF THEM WERE JOHN AND JAY AND SUCH. WE DO KNOW THAT THE HARRIS FAMILY HAD A SAWMILL IN SAWMILL CANYON OFF THE NEBO LOOP ROAD. EVAN HARRIS, WHO IS MY GRANDFATHER MARRIED A HITESMAN FROM MORONI, AND THEY BUILT A HOME NEAR SALT CREEK, AND LAVON HARRIS JONES SHOWED US KIDS THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOME AND PART OF THE SAWMILL WAS STILL THERE. EVANS BROTHERS WENT TO SCHOOL IN A SHED THAT WAS THEIR SCHOOL AND FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN THE AREA, AS THEIR WERE A LOT OF SALT MINES; ROCK MINES WHERE THE PINK ROCK WAS THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEPHI HIGH SCHOOL AND WHITMORE MANSION. THAT AREA STILL HAS GOOD FARM LAND WHERE HEBER OCKEY LIVED AND HIS SON- JAMES H. OCKEY SR. AND HIS SON- JAMES H. OCKEY JR. WHO STILL RESIDES THERE AND JIMMY'S SON AND DAUGHTER. NOW BACK TO EVAN. HE AND A BROTHER HAD TWO SAWMILLS AND BROUGHT THE LOGS DOWN FROM NEPHI CANYON FOR THE BUILDING OF THE PIONEER CABIN AT THE NEPHI PARK. EVAN AND ELIZA HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED MAGGIE VERA AND SHOULD BE ATTACHED. AROUND HER NECK IS A GOLD WATCH. SHE DIED ATR AGE 9 AND BURIED IN VINEBLUFF IN NEPHI. AFTER SHE PASSED, EVAN AND ELIZA WAS HOPING FOR ANOTHER GIRL AND LAVON HARRIS WAS BORN. THE WATCH ON MAGGIE WAS REMOVED BY HER FATHER BEFORE BURIAL AND GIVEN TO LAVON. SHE THEN GAVE IT TO ME AND I GAVE IT TO MY SON. I HAD TAKEN IT TO A WATCH DOCTOR WHO SHOWED ME THE VARIOUS SMALL DATES ON IT, AND AS I RECALL IT HAD BEEN FROM THE EARLY 1800'S IN WALES. AFTER I GAVE IT TO MY SON, WE THEN HAD IT STOLEN. I WAS A SCOUTMASTER AT THE TIME, AND ONE OF THE NEW INVITED KIDS WAS A GOOD FOR NOTHIN KID. AT THE TIME I HAD A LOT OF CONNECTION WITH THE SALT AKE COUNTY SHERRIFF'S OFFICE, BUT AS MUCH AS I PEACHED AGAINST IT, A CITY ANNEXED IT AND THE AREA WENT TO HELL. THE NEW OFFICERS SAID THEY WOULD NOT TALK TO THE CULPRIT AS I SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE DOOR LOCKED. I HAD FOUGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION BUT SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS ARE BAD, AND THESE COPS WERE CREAM OF THE CRUDE! PERHAPS GOD WILL PUNISH THEM IN HIS OWN WAY. THE OTHER PHOTO IS OF MY SISTER-JAYNETTE GRIMARD AND THEIR APPEARS TO BE A FAMILY LOOK ALIKE. JAYNETTE WAS A YEAR OLD THEN. MAGGIE VERA MADE THE JACKS SACK FROM A FLOUR SACK AND JAYNETTE SAID THE SACK MAY HAVE BEEN TO HOLD JACKS- A GAME OF THE PAST.

NEPHI JONES FAMILY DID WELL ON THEIR BIG GAME HUNTS THIS YEAR

IN SPITE OF THE NEW HOMES AND BUSINESS' THAT WAS RECENTLY BUILT ON THE DEERS  WINTER FEEDING GROUNDS, THE NEPHI JONES FAMILY DID WELL IN THE JUAB MOTTO OF TAKE WHAT YOU NEED FOR FOOD OR LEATHER BUT PROTECT OUR WILD ANIMALS  TO HAVE FOOD FOR THE WINTER. PHOTOS OF KAREN;TRAVIS AND McCORD JONES WITH A BUCK BIGGER THAN THE SMALL TWO POINTS THE OTHER JONES FAMILY SAW YESTERDAY, WE LEFT THE SMALLER ONES FOR ANOTHER DAY. AND HOPE THE FISH AND GAME STOP THE SELLING MORE TAGS FOR THEIR OWN FUNDS..SINCE 1852, THE NORTONVILLE AND NEPHI JONES FAMILY HAVE A GREAT ADVENTURE HUNTING TOGETHER AND NEED NOT SLAUGHTER THEM LIKE THE INCREASED TAGS AND CANYON ROAD SPEEDERS THAT ARE KILLING THEM AND WITH POLITICANS WILLING TO BUILD A BIGGER GOLF COURSE WHEN WE HAVE LITTLE WATER AND THE DEER ARE FORCED TO CROSS THE NEPHI CANYON ROAD TO  GET A SIP OF WATER IN SALT CREEK, WHERE LOCAL OFFICALS REFUSED TO BUILD MORE DAMS LIKE JENKINS FLAT AND BOBS POND, AND YES ALL OF THEM WERE TAKEN  "KINDA BY POLE". 

PART TWO OF JUAB STAKE SEMINARY PAGEANT OF 1931

                                                

                                                                     

PART TWO OF TRUTH, THE KEY TO HAPPINESS

 

PART TWO OF 1931 JUAB STAKE GRADUATION PAGEANT

 

PART TWO OF 1931 JUAB STAKE COMMENCENT EXCERSISES

 

LAST PAGE OF PART TWO OF SEMIARY PAGEANT OF 1931

 

TODAY WE OFFER THE GRADUATION PROGRAM OF THE LDS JUAB STAKE SEMINARY OF 1931

                                                                       PART ONE

We just came across a 12 page program that detail events for Seminary graduation which was for LDS students in JUAB COUNTY, Utah back in 1931. This writer is unsure if they still have Seminary classes in conjunction with high school classes or not. Many years ago the Juab Stake Seminary in Nephi was in a building that stood just north of where the Utah Community Bank is now. That first building had been there for many years, but Mormon official's built a new one north of the Nephi/Juab High School, that is now known as the Juab County Building. Back then, the School officials thought the school was too old and crowded but some of us knew it was built to last a 100 years and it has now surpassed that. But DC politician's and other elected and selected officials make a truck load of mistakes and still do. The new Seminary building was built, but now occupied by the Nephi City Police Department, but too small for invaders to what used to be a small town, so their is a plan to build a new one, somewhere to the South. If one walks by the present cop shop, you may smell the drugs where they keep confiscated items, but it is more difficult to get in, as it is better than Fort Knox, and from what I hear, there is no gold Fort Knox! The first Seminary building was determined to be unsafe when Highway 91 had too many kids running over there with drivers-like today, won't stop or slow down. But students never got run over to the Uwanna to play the pin ball machine or to the bakery on a burntblack run! Anyway, the program is here, but we will try to put it from the back first, so hopefully we will proceed in reverse first, but don't do that in your cars as kids run down 7th North and downtown and today's drivers won't give people the right away! I watched one of our local walkers cross Main on First South and I didn't think the walker could move that fast, but he did and the Salina Truck Driver didn't seem to give a rats ass about it. Now I hope James H. does strike me dead from above. In one of these blogs, I think I put a photo of that first Seminary building with students. I know that James H. Ockey Sr, taught on the top floor and a gal taught in the basement. In those earlier years, the LDS Church wanted only men holding the Melchizeadek Priesthood as the teachers, who had the room upstairs and a female teacher was in the basement. She may have made Church history as women didn't teach Seminary for salary, but they did it as a volunteer only. Men could teach, but had to get permission from their wives and when I asked a former Nephite who taught in a Seminary south of here, I asked him how his wife is doing as I set them up together years ago. He answered something like "It better be good or the church will fire me". They are still hitched and moved to another County. But like Nephi, which used to be a small and great town, it ain't like what it used to be, so all things change and we must accept it. If the reader is younger than Methuselah, who died at age 969, and the grandfather of Noah, you may find a family member in the program. But even in 1931, some of the participant's had already graduated from High School and Seminary(some good for nothings called it Cemetery) but I have repented after each time I referred to that. Graduates still liked to attend graduation and be a part of that event. The computer folks have changed these programs, and my brain damage from the Vaccine poison which was forced on us so my efforts to put this together may not come out clean as a whistle. Mr. Corbett and Vaugh Paxman can check the breath of this Jones Boy, as coffee has kept me going through this multi-day writing. If you don't find your family in the program, they will still go to heaven, or they just may be at one of the listed stores who helped finance this pamphlet. And I remember the Venice Cafe, as I used to be an assistant to the Assistant of the guy who ran the movies at the Venice Theater. One day I walked down the old wore out wooden steps to peer into the cafe when they closed it and left plates and cooking items there. And no I didn't eat that left over Steak. And remember, the gals that were listed with their maiden names. I recognized my mother's name of LaVon Harris, then a Jones, and she was on the program and finished High School three years before. And her nieces were Aleta Harris, who become a Mona Swasey;  then Blanch Harris who married an Orem Anderson and she was an excellent cook, then I wonder why Glade Sanders was an Apostle in 1931, but when younger, he was just High Council, and wonder if Beth Lunt was teaching for or against Adultery! Check the great stores Nephi had, with Allen's Cash Store, where you could work there if you could whistle; Nephi Cafe is where Kens Army and Navy store was and the flour mill, where I worked with King Sidwell and Sam Winn, and fell asleep the next day in History, and Mr. Brough warned his next class to come in quietly and finally woke me up and wondered where all my classmates went. It was the laugh of the year. 

PARLEY P. PRATT WAS AN LDS APOSTLE THAT WAS LATER MURDERED PART TWO

                                                                     B.H. Roberts Part Two

Many students of the history of the Mormon Trek to Salt Lake, which at the time-was claimed to be the property of Mexico. But if we study all history, we find that the land of Utah and western States were claimed by the people of Spain, who sought ownership by killing or ravaging the women here and those invaders claimed to be the new owners until the Texasans who fought to their Alamo death to retake what they claimed was there's. Still others would site that what would become California and Texas were owned by the Aztec's; Fremont's and other  Ancient Ones. Even in today's history of America, governments of their own still practice Manifest Destiny and take what they believe is there's, if "it is for the good of the people". I watched in person as the State of Utah claimed Antelope Island as there's, and it remains as such, although the sheep owners disagreed. When I spent a week digging with professional's at the Anasazi State Park, it was considered legal, but  Federal Law was changed since then. When Fur Trappers and the Mormons set their wagon wheels down in Utah, they offered to just purchase all the land from the Native  Indians here. The Ancient Ones said "How do we sell land that only belongs to God". In Juab County, there was no Chief Yuba. and after me taking on the Utah Director of the Division of Natural Resources, she caved in and admitted it was just easier to call it U.B. rather than Utah's Biggest Dam, as it was at the time that farmers built it. Besides, they didn't want to go after taxpayer dollars to change all the pamphlet's and maps. I accepted that and took off the boxing gloves. The murder of Parley P. Pratt was committed by Hector McLean, who was estranged from his wife, and he thought, much like folks in the British Isles while I was there- that Mormons only came to marry more than one wife. That didn't happen to me, as I was asked that, and my retort was short and not so sweet, as I would shout, "Hell No, I don't want even one". Well, there are times when our thoughts change, as mind did, at least for awhile. Now back to Parley P. Pratt. One of things that may have tricked the Van Buren, Arkansas madman off, was that in 1857, a group of people were traveling through the area near Mountain Meadows, west of Parowan, Utah, and along with them were haters of the Mormons, and announced to the Saints in Parowan that they were a part of the ones that murdered Joseph Smith; his brother Hyrum and helped funnel the flames that slaughtered men, women and children of the Mormons that kept the killers from attacking them. And some no accounts followed them to Utah and many say they have remained. The brother of Parley Pratt was also an original Twelve Apostle of the latter days, and continued in that position along with various other church assignment's, and buried in Spring City, Utah, where my brother Weston and I have visited. After Parley Pratt was murdered, nobody was brought to justice, similar to what many other politician's didn't do, in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. But B. H. Roberts was not about to leave the slain body of Parley Pratt down south to be ridiculed. Another Apostle dressed down in the clothes of a Tramp and off he went and brought the body home, and buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery like many other LDS Leaders. He served several Missions but not to Arkansas. Parley's Canyon above Salt Lake was named after him for how he helped and well as a road from Highway 89 to the Freeway South of Beaver, Utah which was first traveled by Father Escalante. That's all folks.

WHO IS THIS MAN? IS HE A TRAMP OR AN UNDERCOVER MORMON? PART ONE

In the history of Utah and other places, some folks are amazed to find the hidden person under the exterior clothing or his habits. Such is the case of this photo which was found in the many photos and papers of the boxes of artifacts collected by myself and my family of those that have lived and died in our family of Tolley's; Jones' and Harris folks. The Nephi abode I was raised in was built in 1885, and various family members lived there when it had several different entrances and rooms that bedded family folks that would make their cots in the place they they were well taken care of as they were about to take those steps to  our real homes up the stairwells to Heaven's gate. That Nephi home is still a stable home for our younger sister-Jaynette Grimard, but the constant overloads of Semi Trucks and loud and speeding vehicles up and down to and from Schools and the new Gym are causing emotional and structural damage. As a youngster, it was a common occurrence that Hobo's would jump on & off the railroad trains that would stop at the Train Station in Nephi. There they would wander over to the Salt Creek that was behind the wandering eyes of those going and coming to the Utah Poultry. Over there, those free loaders could bath and clean up for their next criss cross on the rails. Then during the Ute Stampede and on Sundays, local folks would bring them a hot meal. When this want-to-be Historian first found this photo, my first thought was that it was held by the Nephi Jones residents which arrived in Nephi during 1852. The first Jones was Edward Jones, who had a son by the name of Edward Jones, and then he had two sons with the names of Willian and Edward, who was called "Uncle Lenny by my father Alma". Those two  brothers married the twin daughters of William Fisher Tolley, who was trained in driving railroads in the British Isles, and directed by Brigham Young to help build a road and railroad between Nephi and Ft. Green. He did just that, and eventually ended up with Brigham Youngs approval to take up three more wives, with the backing of  the first wife. The first Edward Jones in Nephi became a Blacksmith and built a home down where Wade Garrett now resides. Another home closer to the wagons going out to York(by Doc Steeles), and so his Blacksmith Shop was being built on First East and just south of where the Old Hollow runs. In  many regards, B.H. Roberts reminded this writer of Paul H. Dunn, who I became friends with in his latter days. As a General Authority, he wrote a letter to my Mission President in England and wanted to know how me and my Missionary Companion held the the record for more Baptism in the British Isles. My letter back to him told that he was under the heavenly inspiration as I was and to seek and find out himself. Later on when I worked with convicted Felons in Utah, I took Paul H. Dunn to various Prisons and Jails to encourage the convicts to take a different route in life. We became great friends. Back in the Mission Field, as the Mission President was so busy with Members of the Church, I was then promoted to the Proselytizing Assistant to the President, and Set Apart as that, and the Mission President authorized me to handle all matters of the Missionaries', including transferring Missionaries' as necessary. My new position didn't meet the standards of Spencer W. Kimball, who spoke firmly and with authority to me and the Mission President. Kimball authorized new carpets in the Mission Castle but not my office or sleeping quarters, but did direct me to be he and his wives Driver, then gave me an extra month to seek out Baptism for the Dead, and to use the Church car without a companion and on the promise I could be found without my earthly body if I dishonored that covenant. I remained faithful to that end and on my return to Juab County and with the help of a professional Genealogist- Lorraine Hayes, dozens and dozens of family member's names were taken to the Manti Temple for baptism by proxy. Kimball also sent a letter to my Stake President-Ross Garrett, who was also a grandson of Wm. Jones, who I believe paved the golden road for me as I traveled where he did, carrying his Journal with me. This story of truth will continue in Part Two, after I soak these arthritic typing fingers in Epsom Salt.

                                                          

                                                            WHO ART THOU REALLY?

IN ITS DAY, THE FORREST HOTEL OF NEPHI WAS THE PLACE TO STAY

The first real hotel in Nephi, Utah was the Forrest Hotel, which was located on 1st South and First  Prior to that, Nephi visitors often stayed in the Goldsbrough home, which was located at 1st North and Main Street, and in the 1960's, Shine Starr lived there, and his brother-Albert lived just north of that place. As Nephi became the stopping place for folks from all over the world, a team of horses pulled a buggy up to the railroad loading and unloading Dock, and the folks would take them where they wished to go. The Goldsbrough place was where a lot of folks would go, as it had a "Sample Room", where travelers could get a taste of fine wine. When strangers couldn't find a place to stay. "Uncle Harry" would make room for them by giving them a blanket and room on the floor. The Forrest Hotel was built in about 1880, and it was where the Forrest family lived as well as the travelers. They then built the new hotel on the corner of first north and main, which had excellent food and quarters to house any of the "High Brow" folks that wanted luxury and not sleep on the floor.  There should be two photos attached showing both the old and new Forrest Hotels, and this writer had the job to shovel coal in the furnace rooms and clean out the clingers that were there. Me and brothers Weston, Hal and Gary would take turns doing that. I don't remember the name of the owner back then, but my brain recalls, he looked like and dressed like  a gangster of Chicago, and we started calling him "Mr. Capone" behind his back. He paid the Jones Boys good wages but he made sure we went out the back door, so his customers didn't see us. When there wasn't enough beds for travelers, he built the "Annex", which is still there and although it has a Halloween story about it, they keep in nice and good place for folks just arriving with no place to live. On the South portion of the Annex, their is a different brick residence that used to be a home where gals would stay who are having babies, their waSa "Mid-Wife" there who knew how to gently take a breeched baby out okay. In fact, Gerusha ,ov