Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Unknown Couple ~~~ Frank F. Pyott and Maude Berg Pyott

Amongst our treasure trove of photos, we find 
this one.  Listed as Dr. Frank F. Pyott and his wife Maude Berg Pyott.
However, I cannot find any connection to Mt. Pleasant.  Help us out if you can.

 

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Mt. Pleasant's Own Brass Band




The following was recorded by Mrs. Louise Hastler
: In the autumn of 1869 the governor sent out a notice to the citizens of Sanpete County that a military drill would be held the first week
in November, did requested all soldiers and men that could bear arms to be ready and on hand for a three-day drill. The gathering place would be between Ephraim and Manti. All captains and officers of the Indian War organizations should be represented and also the Military bands . . . .

When this notice was served the brethren wanted to make a good showing and made necessary preparations. John Hastler had arrived in Mt. Pleasant in October and brought with him a full set of musical instruments from Switzerland. Bishop Seeley and the leading brethren engaged him to organize a Brass Band at once. This was affected about the 15th of October, 1869, with John Hastler, James Hansen, Bent Hansen, John Waldermar, Andrew Beckstrom, Daniel Beckstrom. James C. Meiling, August Wall, Aaron Oman, Peter Syndergaard. Andrew Syndergaard, Soren Hansen, Lars Nielsen (Fiddler), Mortin Rasmussen, Jacob Hafen, Ulrich Winkler, Oscar Barton, Charlie Hampshire, and Paul Coates. John Hastler and Olaf Rosen­lof were chosen as their leaders. John Hastler distributed the instruments at once.

In three weeks, at the appointed time, they were able and ready to play six or more of our national and popular tunes, which made a good showing for Sanpete County. Their efforts were much praised and appreciated by the visiting staff."
At these drills all the Indian War officers and soldiers wore blue coats trimmed with brass buttons. These coats were home­made, but, in the different communities there were a number of tailors as well as women who came to the various homes and made men's clothing. It is remembered that Mrs. Jepsen Stohl, as well as others, were thus employed.
HISTORY OF MT. PLEASANT by HML pp 131-132

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Kyle Douglas Pranab Draper














Kyle Draper formerly of Mr. Pleasant 
and currently of Logan Utah, passed away 
in his sleep at his home on September 12, 2023.
Kyle was born in Calcutta, 
India on August 18, 1988. 

His parents Douglas Draper and
 Shauna Hepworth adopted him 
on April 2, 1989. 

He was welcomed into his family and loved like their own.

Kyle had many health challenges throughout his life. 

He was born with Cerebral Palsy and lost his left eye at four and a half years old. 

Kyle underwent many surgeries 
and many hours of various therapies.
 
He never complained and was a bright spot for others. 

Kyle was a very happy guy.
 
Everyone loved his big smile and friendly attitude. 

He made lifetime friends everywhere he went.

Kyle was an “old” soul. 

He liked old movies, old music, and older people. 
He always continued to learn, he enjoyed music, 
trying new recipes, and making friends.

 He loved history and especially 
information about the U.S. Presidents. 
He loved holidays but his favorite was Christmas. 
He would put up his Christmas tree in October.

Kyle was a very determined young man
 and tried his best at whatever he wanted to achieve. 

He graduated from North Sanpete High School in 2006 with honors and was his  
Senior Class President. He attended
 Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. 

He enjoyed getting to make friends 
living in Ephraim at 5 different apartments. 
He worked at the counseling office. 

Kyle fulfilled a service mission 
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 
while living in Ephraim.

Kyle made the move to Logan, Utah in 2014. 
He kept active and enjoyed being independent.
 He served others and did volunteer work at the mall.

Kyle had many Special mentors, teachers, therapists, and friends who helped him increase his quality of life. Stan and Teresa Clark's family of Garland Utah included him as one of their own. 
He was very close to TaNeal Jenkins (Mt. Pleasant) and Diana Robbins (Manti) special friends who helped him fulfill throughout his life.

Kyle was preceded in death by friends; Colton Dyches (Moroni) 
Bryce Warren (Tremonton)
Curtis Hardman and 
Mickey Frodsham (Logan). 
Also, grandparents Val and Beverly Moore
 (Salt Lake City), Eva Staker (Mt. Pleasant), 
and Uncle Pat Moore (Salt Lake City).

Kyle is survived by his parents Douglas Draper (Mt. Pleasant), Shauna, and (Terry) Hepworth (Mt. Pleasant). Siblings Kristy (Dave) Mayo (Mt. Pleasant), Klint Draper (Fairview) and Kim (Jaymes) Lamb (Wales). Many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held
Saturday September 23, 2023
Fairview Dance Hall
65 South State Fairview, UT
Open house from 2:00-6:00 pm
Casual dress

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Ann Watkins Seely

Ann Watkins 


Ann Watkins Seely and William S. Seely


Seely - History of Coming to America from Wales

Ann Watkins Seely daughter of Thomas Watkins and Christiana Waters born May 22 – 1846 at Gilwern, Lanessay, South Wales, left South Wales at the age of 19 years, one year after her parents had immigrated, and crossed the ocean to America, leaving her only living brother Thomas. Before leaving went to Barry Ryde, President of the Manmash Conference, and received a blessing wherein she was told that a great storm should arise on the ocean but through faith she would be spared and safely reach her father and mother in America. During the journey, a terrible storm arose, the heavy ocean waves greatly threatened the destruction of the vessel and all but she clung to the blessing and landed safely in America, in New York. She Left New York the next day and went to Rush Dale, Pennsylvania, where she met her parents and sister Christiana, lived there for sixteen months during which time she worked out doing housework to get money to come to Utah, then started to Utah, went by train eight days and landed at end of the railroad at Fort Laramie, from there started with Wm. S. Seely’s company (afterward her husband) with ox teams to cross the desert, journeyed four weeks and landed in Salt Lake City on Aug. 29 – 1868. During this journey had no bed at all, She and another young woman sat up every night in a wagon load of brooms sitting in between the bundles of broom handles with a blanket wrapped around them. Left Salt Lake City Aug 30 – 1868 with her parents and came to Mt Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah, where she has made a home ever since. Three months later Nov. 25 – 1868 married Wm S. Seely in the endowment house in Salt Lake City, being married by Wilford Woodruff. Later May 24 – 1875 a son Wm Alfred Seely and on December 4 – 1883 a daughter Annie Rebecca Seely were born to them. Her husband died on Sept. 16 – 1896 and since that time she lived as a widow.


 

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

MARY YOUNG WILCOX ~~~1847 PIONEER TO UTAH - 1852 PIONEER TO HAMBLETON - 1860 PIONEER TO MT. PLEASANT By Annie Carlson Bills

 

Mary Young Wilcox 
 


       Mary Young Wilcox was born June 6, 1831, in Upper Canada, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Seely Young.

       In the spring of 1846 they started from Kainsville, Iowa, on their westward journey across the plains to Utah.

After traveling about three hundred miles, the call came from the government for five hundred of their young men to go to Mexico. This was the choosing of the "Mormon Battalion."

       The Battalion was packed with their packs, which weighed about thirty-five pounds.

The scene which followed, Mrs. Wilcox says, she can never forget. Widowed mothers parting with, sometimes, their only son, sweethearts, husbands and wives, a scene which only the ones who witnessed can realize the sadness of.

After the Battalion marched away, they resumed their journey, traveling as far as Winter Quarters, where they camped for the winter.

They built log cabins, with no windows, and taking their wagon boxes off the wagons, placed them inside of the houses, replacing the bows and covers. There they slept in. They had no stoves so a hole was dug in the center of the house and a fire was made in it. A hole in the center of the roof served as a place for the smoke to escape and light to enter. Thus they lived during the winter, suffering with cold and hunger. Many died from disease, through being so poorly nourished and clothed. Wher­ever a grove of timber and trees could be found, as many as could made cabins and stayed there through the winter.

Mary left Winter Quarters in May 1847. Traveling on the plains from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake Valley, she yoked and unyoked her oxen and drove them every step of the way, and was only sixteen years old. Suffering with the rest on the journey, she reached the valley on September 29, 1847. After resting a couple of weeks, they began making preparations for winter. She went with her father to get logs for their cabin. She also made the adobes that made the chimney for their cabin. She says, "No kings could be happier than we, when we reached the valley and had built our first log cabin."

The houses were so built as to form a fort, it being two blocks long and one block wide when completed. Two gates, one at the north and one at the south, were made. It being located about where the Seventh ward is.  About Christmas of 1847, their cabins were ready to move into.

On March 14, 1848, she was married to John Henry Wilcox. Spring came and they began to survey the land and let each couple have a chance to draw for the land. They drew the land where the Sugarhouse Ward is.

They made a brush "shanty" and began to work on their land. Her husband grubbed the brush and she piled and burned it, and prepared the land for plowing. They sowed a nice piece of the land and had a nice garden planted, having brought the seed across the plains with them. The seeds took root and grew and looked very prosperous. But by this time the crickets had hatched out and they soon consumed the whole crop. Then came the blessed "Sea Gulls." They came in great Hocks and devoured the crickets. They would stay a few hours at a time, then fly away
 with a squawk, and after a while return for more crickets. It was not too late to replant, but no more seed could be had.


After the crickets had destroyed their crops, the people went back to the fort for the rest of the summer.

After the people of the northern sections had harvested their crops, they allowed them to go and glean. Her husband grubbed oak brush for a peck of corn a day and boarded himself out of what little they had. In this way they saved a little for winter. Later her husband went to the canyon and got a big load of poles. A man offered him forty pounds of wheat and he sold the poles to him for the wheat. He sowed one and one-fourth acres of ground where the crickets had eaten his crop the spring before. The next summer they threshed seventy bushels of wheat from the forty pounds of seed.

The first potatoes were brought from California on pack animals and sold to the people for twenty five cents a piece and only four being allowed to each man.

       In the spring of 1849 they planted a peck of potatoes; when they dug them they got thirty bushels.

       In the fall of 1850 they were called to settle Manti. They stayed there three years. Built homes and raised a crop.

In the spring of 1853 her husband went to Hambleton. The Indians killed all his cattle and oxen and burned the wagons, saw. mill. and all the lumber, and they were left once more without anything. They moved to the fort at Manti.

In 1853 they gave all they had for one yoke of oxen and wagon, and moved to Pleasant Grove. In 1860 they moved to Mt. Pleasant. They lived in Mt. Pleasant ever after. 

There are five living generations. Her mother also lived to see five generations. Mrs. Wilcox died May 16, 1929.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The following additional information comes from:

Birth: Jun. 6, 1832
Whitby
Ontario, Canada

Death: May 16, 1929
Mount Pleasant
Sanpete County
Utah, USA
Parents: James Young and Elizabeth Seely
Married John Henry Wilcox
COD: Myocarditis, chronic

Death certificate State of Utah

Records may also be found under Wilcox


Family links:
 Parents:
  James Young (1804 - 1894)
  Elizabeth Seely Young (1807 - 1900)

 Spouse:
  John Henry Owen Willcox (1824 - 1909)

 Children:
  Hazzard Wilcox (1849 - 1925)*
  Sarah Wilcox Bills (1853 - 1936)*
  James Henery Wilcox (1855 - 1939)*
  John Carlos Wilcox (1858 - 1938)*
  Mary H Wilcox Day (1860 - 1946)*
  Clarissa Jane Wilcox Meiling (1863 - 1951)*
  Sabra Ellen Willcox Oliver (1865 - 1914)*
  Hannah Wilcox Carlston (1868 - 1943)*
  Martha Anna Wilcox Westwood Foy (1871 - 1962)*
  Justus Azel Wilcox (1874 - 1945)*

*Calculated relationship
 Burial:
Mount Pleasant City Cemetery
Mount Pleasant
Sanpete County
Utah, USA
Plot: A_128_2_7
Edit Virtual Cemetery info [?]
Maintained by: Penne Magnusson Cartrigh...
Originally Created by: Utah State Historical So...
Record added: Feb 02, 2000
Find A Grave Memorial# 139581

Monday, September 11, 2023

Pres. Smith's Opening Conference Address ~~~ April 1947


These clips are partial and maybe not in be in  order.
However, it all gives us good history thoughts and instruction.