My father, Washington Perry McArthur, was born 24 December 1824, in Scrubgrass, Orange Co., Pa. He was the fourth child in a family of 14 children. My mother, Urania Gregg, was born 13 February 1826, in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois. They were married 'in the states' 25 October 1846. Their first two children, Almeda Jennette and Emma Locretia, were born in Fort Madison, Iowa.
My mother's people, the Greggs, helped William Penn found Pennsylvania. My parents crossed the plains in 1849 in a company going to Oregon. My uncle, Daniel McArthur, was the captain of the handcart company while crossing the plains. When they arrived somewhere near Fort Hall, Idaho, my father decided to go to Pleasant Grove, Utah, and visit with his father, Duncan McArthur. My parents did not come west for the sake of the gospel, but while they were visiting my grandfather at Pleasant Grove, my mother accepted the Gospel, after which my father was converted. As a result of an embracing the gospel, my parents remained in the Pleasant Grove. My brother, Duncan, was the first child born in Pleasant Grove, where the next six children were born to increase the happiness of their home.
Father moved with his family to Mount Pleasant, Utah, in 1860 where he spent the remainder of his days on earth. Father and mother were sealed on 22 November 1861 in the endowment house by Pres. Wilford Woodruff. Witnesses were Brigham Young and S. L. Sprigg.
Father had brown, curly hair, and brown eyes. His height was 5'10" and his weight was 165 pounds. I think he was an unsurpassed, extraordinary man. He was a counselor to the bishop in Mount Pleasant. He was the town physician for several years, and was also a shoemaker. He was a very successful farmer and fruit grower. He had cattle, oxen and sheep, and some of the nicest horses in Mount Pleasant. She was a lover of horses, and sleigh racing was a choice of sports. He owned three orchards and did a lot of grafting of trees. He brought the first bees to Mount Pleasant; he brought them at Springville and pay $20 for the high. He was very charitable. He took in two Indians, and also the family of Gunar Peterson.
My mother was a very handy with the needle and had learned the tailor trade before coming to Utah. Women from all over town came to her to get advice on weaving and dying cloth. She was an expert in weaving, dying, and decorating. Her home was always unusually neat and attractive with paintings and decorations from her own hand. She passed from this sphere on 15 November 1867, when I was 4 1/2 years old.
About six months after the death of my mother, father married Eliza Rebecca Scovil, his father's second wife who was young and widowed. To this union six children were born. He passed from this life on to September 1878. I was then 15 years old.
My parents were the first ones to move out of the old fort at Mount Pleasant. I used to run races with the boys. When we brought the cows home at night we would get hold of the calves tails. We used to go outside the city limits to pick flowers among the unusually high sagebrush. Whenever we saw any Indians we could jump over the highest Sagebrush to get back home. We moved To grandfather's place when I was 13, to Jones's two story house on the north east side of town. I stayed for a while with Mary Ann Winters because they had so much regard for my grandfather. Then I stayed with Aunt Susan and sewed sacks for a load of flour, and also made a wagon cover for my uncle Louis Lund. Then when I was 14 I helped cousin Tom Fuller's wife through a severe seige of typhoid fever and took care of him and the three children at the same time. At 14 I had a strong desire to go back home to help my father in his last days. I have always been thankful for this privilege. I have always had great admiration for father, and he was well-liked by all who knew him.
When I was about nine or ten years old I had the privilege of seeing Pres. Brigham Young. Even though I was barefoot, I pushed my way into the crowd to see him. The next time he came to Mount Pleasant I followed him to the bishop's office. I have always seen his sons, Brigham, John W., and Joseph H. (or A.) and other notables, as Erastus Snow, Franklin D. Richards, George Q. Cannon, John Taylor, and Orson Pratt. When John Taylor came to Mount Pleasant with the other notables, he drove up to me and asked where Mrs. Morrison lived.
I went to District school. My first teacher was Charlotte Hyde, a wife Apostle Hyde. She used to call the children to school by yelling 'To books! To books!...” Whenever any of the children got into fights she would lick them with a pair of stress. Later I attended the Wasatch Presbyterian Academy when it first opened (I was 10 or 11 then) And completed the eighth grade, and then to algebra, Latin, and history as high school subjects. I was recommended to go to Oberlin College in Ohio, but was unable to because of lack of financial support. The next year I went to teach at Milburn. I started to teach school when I was 16 years old, and taught two terms there. I was the first teacher at Milburn.
Before going home to my father I had been drawing the line in my mind between the LDS church and the Presbyterian Church and comparing them and wondering which one I would prefer to join when I prompting came to me which seem to say, 'What authority have they?' I had been leaning toward the Presbyterian Church because they had treated me so nice during my schooling at the Academy. I can say that after receiving this prompting I have thoroughly enjoyed the Gospel. Mr. MacMillan, the man who first establish the Presbyterian Church at Mount Pleasant, said to me while I was in the eighth grade, 'You are one that I will not be able to get in my church.' He later succeeded in getting all the eighth-grade class into his church except me.
After my father's death we stayed on the ranch part of the time. We, my half-aunt Laura, and I, had to milk egg cows. It was during this experience that I became very efficient in the art of lassoing cows. I became very discouraged after his death. I had to shift for myself and was unable to get any support or any kind of help from any of the members of my immediate family. I thought I would leave home and go to George Q. Cannon's home in Salt Lake City and then on out to Aunt Polly's at Portland, Oregon.
Erastus Frandsen and I were married in the endowment house. We lived with my husband's folks the first winter, then moves to the ranch. There 14 of my children were born. We have built three houses. We came to Kimball, Idaho, on 15 April 1903, where we built a large home. Erastus died 20 June 1918. I had six unmarried children at the time of my husband's death.
I was a district Relief Society teacher for 26 years. I have been teacher for all the courses of study and assistant secretary in the Relief Society. I taught the intermediate class in Sunday school for five years. Shortly after coming here I talked to the parents' class. I was also the Literacy teacher in MIA. In 1910 I was put in as principal of religion class for two years. Was also a judge at election for the Democratic Party. Grandma was widowed eight years when she married James Neilson, a widower (Aunt Thera's father-in-law). Complied from Lloyd's notes Viola F.A. Johnson
Annice and Erastus had a significantly large family of (18) children:
1-Urania Aurella (Aug 27 1881/ July 07 1942)
2-Victor Erastus (Oct 28 1882/ Oct 22 1954)
3-Earl Gregg (Oct 25 1884/ Feb 27 1920)
4-Willard Irvin (Sept 12 1886/ Oct 26 1909)
5-Perry Lacartus (Aug 17 1888/ Jan 19 1946)
6-Charles Ralph (June 30 1890/ Oct 29 1909)
7-Royal Raymond (Dec 04 1891/ Sep 04 1923
8-Athol Evan (Sept 04 1893/ March 24 1933)
9-Annice Thera Floy(Jun 13 1895/Nov 27 1971
10-Loomis Lynn (Apr 25 1897/ June 25 1983)
11-Leland Que (Feb 02 1899/ March 02 1899)
12-Sarah Olea (Jan 29 1900/ May 18 1903)
13-Ordella (Jan 29 1900/ Jan 29 1900)
14-Cecil Burke (Feb 20 1902/ March 07 1947)
15-Allen McArthor(April 05 1904/Nov 23 1979)
16-Beulah Fern (Oct 05 1905/ Jan 25 1943)
17-Blenda Roenna(July 05 1907/May 20 1983)
18-Lyle Maeser (Aug 06 1910/ Jan 14 1977)
Found on Find a Grave