A lifetime resident of Mt Pleasant, UT, Gerald Theron Marx passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of August 25, 2021.
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Thursday, September 9, 2021
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
The Town Blacksmith and the Town Farrier
Almost all of the farming implements were homemade and hand-made. Peter Madsen Peel, who was the first blacksmith in the colony, is credited with having made most of them; however, some people made their own.
George Farnsworth, who in his native land learned the farrier trade, was said to be an excellent "Shoer," assisted, and also kept the oxen shod. Iron was very scarce and hard to get, being obtained usually from the wreckage of immigrant wagons. Straight oak sticks were brought from the mountains for making bows for ox yokes. These sticks were cast into a fire long enough to roast them thoroughly, then they were bent into the required shape, and when complete was thought to be just as good as those brought "from the States."
In 1859, on the 11th of August, they began harvesting their first hay crops, consisting of native grasses growing in abundance in the lowlands, called the Hay Field, which was south and west of where Chester is now located. The only means of cutting the grass was with homemade scythes and snaths, raking it with rakes and pitchforks which were made from native wood and such iron as could be obtained. Much time was consumed in haying on account of this simple method, and the use of ox teams, sometimes one ox and a cow, in hauling it so great a distance. As soon as hay crops were put up, harvesting of the grain began. This was handled in about the same manner as the haying.
The grain was cradled, raked up into bundles and bound by hand, then hauled into the yards and threshed by being trampled on by oxen or flailed with willows or flails by men. The separating of the grain from the chaff was accomplished by waiting for light wind or breeze, at which time, the farmers would toss it into the air, against a canvas, erected upright like a wall, the grain falling into another canvas, while the chaff was blown away. This was repeated several times, or until the wheat was thoroughly separated or clean. Sometimes, when the people did not have a cradle, the wheat was pulled up by the roots with the bands. When this was done, the stacks would be as black as the earth. The crops were good and much grain was harvested; however, much of it matured late and some was frozen, due to the fact that some of the settlers had arrived late in the spring and did not get their seeds planted early enough to mature. The women always took an active part in the harvesting, helping with the raking, binding, and gleaning, etc.
The railroad was built for the purpose of getting the coal from Wales, where coal had been discovered in 1855 and was the first discovered in Utah. Later it was recognized as of good quality for blacksmithing and other purposes.
George Farnsworth, who in his native land learned the farrier trade, was said to be an excellent "Shoer," assisted, and also kept the oxen shod. Iron was very scarce and hard to get, being obtained usually from the wreckage of immigrant wagons. Straight oak sticks were brought from the mountains for making bows for ox yokes. These sticks were cast into a fire long enough to roast them thoroughly, then they were bent into the required shape, and when complete was thought to be just as good as those brought "from the States."
In 1859, on the 11th of August, they began harvesting their first hay crops, consisting of native grasses growing in abundance in the lowlands, called the Hay Field, which was south and west of where Chester is now located. The only means of cutting the grass was with homemade scythes and snaths, raking it with rakes and pitchforks which were made from native wood and such iron as could be obtained. Much time was consumed in haying on account of this simple method, and the use of ox teams, sometimes one ox and a cow, in hauling it so great a distance. As soon as hay crops were put up, harvesting of the grain began. This was handled in about the same manner as the haying.
The grain was cradled, raked up into bundles and bound by hand, then hauled into the yards and threshed by being trampled on by oxen or flailed with willows or flails by men. The separating of the grain from the chaff was accomplished by waiting for light wind or breeze, at which time, the farmers would toss it into the air, against a canvas, erected upright like a wall, the grain falling into another canvas, while the chaff was blown away. This was repeated several times, or until the wheat was thoroughly separated or clean. Sometimes, when the people did not have a cradle, the wheat was pulled up by the roots with the bands. When this was done, the stacks would be as black as the earth. The crops were good and much grain was harvested; however, much of it matured late and some was frozen, due to the fact that some of the settlers had arrived late in the spring and did not get their seeds planted early enough to mature. The women always took an active part in the harvesting, helping with the raking, binding, and gleaning, etc.
The railroad was built for the purpose of getting the coal from Wales, where coal had been discovered in 1855 and was the first discovered in Utah. Later it was recognized as of good quality for blacksmithing and other purposes.
James Wilson had a blacksmith shop on the corner where the drugstore now stands. James Borg and Ole Clemmensen had a harness shop and Abner Crane had a blacksmith shop on first west. Anderson's Blacksmith Shop was located on the east side of State Street, about Third South.
Several Blacksmiths and Farriers were needed to keep up with the demands of planting, cutting, and harvesting.
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| Wilson Blacksmith Shop |
One story told by Peter Gottfriedsen: It was the inherent nature of an Indian to steal, and this brings to my mind an incident told of an Indian who brought a half-worn-out ax to a blacksmith to be fixed. The blacksmith said, 'I can't fix it, it hasn't any steel in it.' 'Oh, yes,' said the Indian, 'It all steal, me steal it last night.' "
(excerpts taken from Hilda Madsen Longsdorf, "Book of Mt. Pleasant")
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Mt.Pleasant Pioneer Day 2021 ~~~ Held August 28th
Our annual PioneerDay was postponed from the usual March date because of the Covid Virus.
It was a beautiful day despite the smoky haze that enveloped the valley.
There were a few new faces, but the crowd was small.
The program was "Dancing Through Time".
The dancers came from the BYU Dance Program with one dancer from Mt. Pleasant.
They demonstrated a variety of classic ballroom dances and also some exotic Latin dances.
Each Pioneer Day we honor the oldest lady and the oldest man in the audience.
Oldest Lady: Roberta Olsen Sorensen
Roberta Olsen Sorensen
Monday, September 6, 2021
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Joseph and Alice Thalman Farnworth (from our archives)
Joseph and Alice Thalmann Farnworth I posted the photo of Joseph and Ann Dutton Coates years ago. I had no history to share and so I wrote Pam Gardner and she sent me the following histories and a new photo. It also includes the History of George Farnworth and Susannah Coates Farnworth. Also, Alice Thalman Farnworth and James Albert Farnworth. We will call these our Thanksgiving Special. Thank You, Pam !!!
James Coates Jr.
Born October 12, 1812 in Chesterfield, England
Died June 6, 1865 in Mt. Pleasant, UT
Anne Dutton Coates
Born February 24, 1817 in Chesterfield, England
Died March 16, 1876 in Mt. Pleasant, UT
Joseph Coates Jr. was born in England to Joseph Coates Sr and Hannah Cantrell Coates.
His father Joseph was born May 11, 1777 in Chesterfield England. He passed away April 7, 1852 in Chesterfield England.
His mother Hannah was born January 9, 1780 in Chesterfield England. She passed away January 2, 1848 in Chesterfield, England. Joseph and Hannah were married December 25, 1801 also in Chesterfield, England.
Anne was born in England to George Dutton Jr and Elizabeth Coates Dutton.
Her father George was born April 8, 1817 in Chesterfield, England.
Her mother, Elizabeth was born March 13, 1794 in Chesterfield, England. They were married January 24, 1814 in Chesterfield, England.
Joseph and Anne were living in Chesterfield, England when in 1839 the family was taught the Gospel by Parley P Pratt and Brigham Young, who became their first converts in Chesterfield along with Joseph’s brothers James and John and their families. Every member of the family came into the church willing and gladly. A few years after accepting the Gospel, Joseph’s brother James died and his family remained in Chesterfield, but Joseph and Ann had partaken of that irresistible spirit of gathering in Zion. His brother John also stayed in Chesterfield as he was unable to afford the move. So in early 1847, Joseph, Anne and their three children, Susannah, George and Elizabeth set sail for Zion. (6 children had previously died and were buried in Chesterfield. 4 were yet to be born)
Fifteen years after leaving England, Joseph and Anne found the means to assist his brother John and family to come to American where they came directly to Mt. Pleasant.
After nine weeks at sea, they landed in New York and took a steam ship to Dry Hill, MO where they lived for three years. Their twin sons, Thomas and William were born during this time. In 1852, the family came to Utah with the James J Jepson 2nd Company. After living in Salt Lake City for a time, they moved to Battle Creek UT, now called Pleasant Grove. Here they lived for nine years and were quite comfortable. But Brigham Young called for settlers to go south to Mt. Pleasant or Hambleton as it was called then. The Coates answered the call.
They were received with a hearty welcome and given their allotments of one city lot and 20 acres of land as was stated in the Mt. Pleasant History Book.
Joseph was a large man of stature, weighing nearly 200 lbs. He was a mason and builder by trade. He built many of the towns best homes and structures. Some of those may still be standing. During the early stages of Mt. Pleasant, the homes were all built in the fort.
Life was very rough in Mt. Pleasant during the early years. They had a lot of trouble with the Indians. Many of the settlers were killed, and many fought in the Black Hawk War. The peace treaty to end the war was signed in Mt. Pleasant during this time.
Joseph was appointed to preside over the High Priests on March 25, 1860. He held that position until he passed away on June 6, 1865 in Mt. Pleasant.
Anne passed away on March 16, 1876 in Mt. Pleasant. They are buried side by side in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
On March 4, 1917, an act to pension the survivors of the Black Hawk War was approved. Joseph Coates was named to that even though he had passed away years earlier.
Children of Joseph and Anne Coates were……
Charrlotte,
James Coates Jr.
Born October 12, 1812 in Chesterfield, England
Died June 6, 1865 in Mt. Pleasant, UT
Anne Dutton Coates
Born February 24, 1817 in Chesterfield, England
Died March 16, 1876 in Mt. Pleasant, UT
Joseph Coates Jr. was born in England to Joseph Coates Sr and Hannah Cantrell Coates.
His father Joseph was born May 11, 1777 in Chesterfield England. He passed away April 7, 1852 in Chesterfield England.
His mother Hannah was born January 9, 1780 in Chesterfield England. She passed away January 2, 1848 in Chesterfield, England. Joseph and Hannah were married December 25, 1801 also in Chesterfield, England.
Anne was born in England to George Dutton Jr and Elizabeth Coates Dutton.
Her father George was born April 8, 1817 in Chesterfield, England.
Her mother, Elizabeth was born March 13, 1794 in Chesterfield, England. They were married January 24, 1814 in Chesterfield, England.
Joseph and Anne were living in Chesterfield, England when in 1839 the family was taught the Gospel by Parley P Pratt and Brigham Young, who became their first converts in Chesterfield along with Joseph’s brothers James and John and their families. Every member of the family came into the church willing and gladly. A few years after accepting the Gospel, Joseph’s brother James died and his family remained in Chesterfield, but Joseph and Ann had partaken of that irresistible spirit of gathering in Zion. His brother John also stayed in Chesterfield as he was unable to afford the move. So in early 1847, Joseph, Anne and their three children, Susannah, George and Elizabeth set sail for Zion. (6 children had previously died and were buried in Chesterfield. 4 were yet to be born)
Fifteen years after leaving England, Joseph and Anne found the means to assist his brother John and family to come to American where they came directly to Mt. Pleasant.
After nine weeks at sea, they landed in New York and took a steam ship to Dry Hill, MO where they lived for three years. Their twin sons, Thomas and William were born during this time. In 1852, the family came to Utah with the James J Jepson 2nd Company. After living in Salt Lake City for a time, they moved to Battle Creek UT, now called Pleasant Grove. Here they lived for nine years and were quite comfortable. But Brigham Young called for settlers to go south to Mt. Pleasant or Hambleton as it was called then. The Coates answered the call.
They were received with a hearty welcome and given their allotments of one city lot and 20 acres of land as was stated in the Mt. Pleasant History Book.
Joseph was a large man of stature, weighing nearly 200 lbs. He was a mason and builder by trade. He built many of the towns best homes and structures. Some of those may still be standing. During the early stages of Mt. Pleasant, the homes were all built in the fort.
Life was very rough in Mt. Pleasant during the early years. They had a lot of trouble with the Indians. Many of the settlers were killed, and many fought in the Black Hawk War. The peace treaty to end the war was signed in Mt. Pleasant during this time.
Joseph was appointed to preside over the High Priests on March 25, 1860. He held that position until he passed away on June 6, 1865 in Mt. Pleasant.
Anne passed away on March 16, 1876 in Mt. Pleasant. They are buried side by side in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
On March 4, 1917, an act to pension the survivors of the Black Hawk War was approved. Joseph Coates was named to that even though he had passed away years earlier.
Children of Joseph and Anne Coates were……
Charrlotte,
James
Susanna,
Susanna,
George
Mary Ann,
Mary Ann,
Elizabeth
Everett,
Everett,
Joseph
Thomas,
Thomas,
William (twins)
Hyrum Levi,
Hyrum Levi,
Eliza Jane
Emaline Ann,
Emaline Ann,
John
George Farnworth
Born January 24, 1818 in Landreton, Lenord, France
Died July 11, 1903 in Mt Pleasant, UT
Susannah Coates Farnworth
Born December 12, 1836 in Chesterfield, England
Died November 2, 1998 in Mt Pleasant, UT
George was born in France, even though he was English. He father was in the English Army and stationed in France at the time of his birth. George had one younger brother, William Richard who was born in Ireland on July 3, 1820. His parents were Joseph and Margaret McBride Farnworth.
Susannah was born in England, the daughter of Joseph and Anne Dutton Coates. She was one of fourteen children. Her brothers and sisters are; Charrlotte, James, George, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Everett, Joseph, John, Thomas and William (twins), Hyrum, Eliza Jane and Emaline Ann.
George was a blacksmith by trade. He married Elizabeth Bustard on June 24, 1840. Elizabeth was born in Sheffield England.
George and Elizabeth heard the Mormon missionaries and joined the church. They had one son, Earl in 1847. That same year, they set sail for America. They lived in St Louis, MO where Elizabeth and their son, Earl passed away in 1849.
George then married another Elizabeth, Elizabeth Hitchins in 1850. Elizabeth was born in Glowschester, England. They did not have any children and on March 7, 1853, Elizabeth passed away in St. Louis.
George came to Utah alone, arriving on July 18, 1853. He was baptized or re-baptized as was the custom back then, on October 30, 1853 in Salt Lake City. Here he met Susannah Coates. They were married on December 12, 1853 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, UT. In 1855, they moved to Battle Creek, UT or Pleasant Grove as it is now called. In 1856, they were called by Brigham Young to help settle a new town called Hambleton or Mt. Pleasant as it was commonly called. They were received with a hearty welcome and given their allotments of one city lot and 20 acres of land. George continued to work his trade of blacksmith. He was know to be “an excellent shoer” by many in the town. He helped keep the oxen and horses shod. George and Susannah had 13 children….
Susanna Ellen
George
Joseph
Samuel
Hyrum
James
Moroni
Rosella Anne
Eliza Jane
Un-named twins who died at birth
Herbert
William R.
In 1860 he was chosen to be on the committee for the 24th of July celebration. During the celebration George gave the two following quotes.
“May the people of Mt. Pleasant, like the parts of a well-made machine, work together”
“May Mt Pleasant be noted throughout the world for ingenuity and industry”
George was very active in both civic and church. Many records are found in the Mt. Pleasant History book. He was a major in the Black Hawk War, sent out to track down Indians. He was one of the first Sunday School teachers in 1865. He was elected first City Recorder in 1868. He was ward choir director, Tithing Clerk and Bishop. Many times he was called to help pioneers coming to Utah. He had to deal so much with the disease Cholera. One trip so many parents died of Cholera, there were 53 children left for him to find homes for.
George wrote a letter that was published in the Deseret News on March 3, 1871. He said that on an account of a very mild winter, fears of the scarcity of water during the coming summer for irrigation purposes have been very general throughout the Sanpete Valley. But all such fears have been dispelled by the abundance of snow which has fallen during the two or three weeks prior to the date of this letter.
On February 22, 1861, George took a plural wife, Mary Jane Allen. They were married in Mt. Pleasant. George and Mary had eight children, John William, Charles Henry, Nephi, Brigham, George Heber, Mary Violet, Alfred Lorenzo and Susanna. The children from George and Susanna treated these children as their full brother and sisters. They called his plural wife, Aunt Mary.
On August 2, 1884 George was set apart as Bishop of the Mt. Pleasant Ward. In 1890 he served on a committee for an old folk’s party.
When the Manti Temple was completed George began doing for his kindred dead. One day on his was to the temple to do the last names he had, a wonderful thing happened. This is in his own words. This morning about 10:00 while traveling between Pigeon Hollow and Ephraim but the grave yard, I felt a very strange sensation, as I have never before experienced. Under this influence, I went along and as I looked ahead, it seemed that right in front of me there was a vast multitude of men. To the right and a little in front stood a large man, who would weight about 242 pounds. He waved his hand and said, “They are your kindred and we have been waiting for your temple to be finished. We want you to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. You have had the privilege of hearing the Gospel of the Son of God. We have not that great blessing.” Just then I looked at them and saw that they were all men and through it strange that there were no women. I tried to recognize some of them, but knew none. I was thinking, “how can I find out their names?” when it appeared that a voice by me said, “When that will be required, it will be made know.” Just then the tears were rolling down my cheeks and in the humility of my soul I shouted, “God help me. God being my helper, I will do all I can.” It seemed as if the whole host shouted as if one voice, “Amen”. I cried and cried aloud, while wiping my eyes and face. After I could control myself, I looked ahead and all had gone. When I got to Ephraim I felt so over come, I had to tie up my team and rest before I could go to Manti.
When George arrived at the temple, the recorder handed him some sheets of names and said, “Brother Farnworth, these are for you.” The recorder was Moses Franklin Farnsworth. He had just received them from England. Some of the names went back to ancient times. He was their representative, to help them attain perfection. George and his family were faithful in performing the ordinances for them. There were 300-400 names on the list.
George lived a full and productive life. He passed away July 11, 1903 and was buried in Mt. Pleasant.
Alice Thalmann Farnworth
Born March 22, 1866 in Thurgau, Canton, Switzerland
Died September 3, 1953 in Bountiful, UT
Alice was born the 4th of six children to Johanes and Susanna Winkler Thalmann in Switzerland. Her brothers and sisters were;
Robert
Albert
Lucetta
Anna Selina
John Jacob
Her parents were converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When Alice was seven years old, she immigrated with her family to America. Her family settled in Mt. Pleasant, UT where a lot of other Swiss immigrants had settled. It was a hard life going up here, but they still loved the town. At the time she was growing up, they still had a lot of trouble with Indians, but it was home to them and they were surrounded by members of their beloved church.
On January 23, 1889, Alice married James Albert Farnworth, Sr in the Manti Temple. This was a wonderful union. Alice had a sister named Lucetta who five years earlier had married James’ brother Joseph. So now, they were not only sisters, but sisters in law as well. Alice and James had three loving children;
Florence Susanna – January 25, 1890 – September 26, 1978,
James Albert Jr March 1, 1893 – February 7, 1975
Estella Lucetta March 8, 1897 – February 5, 1927
Sometime before 1897, Alice, James and their family along with Lucetta, Joseph and their family bought a farm together in West View, a town just outside of Gunnison, UT. Here they raised sheep and farmed.
In 1904, the two families decided it was time to move again. They moved to a large, nice farm in Joseph, Wallow Co, OR. Here they raised hogs and sheep. The farm was beautiful. They really loved it here except for the fact there were no other Mormons around. They would have missionaries every once in a while. Alice would read to the children every Sunday from the bible. Alice and James really felt the family needed to attend church so they decided to sell this wonderful farm and moved to Idaho. The lived in Marysville and Ashton ID for may years. Here they regularly attended church services and were involved in many church activities.
Years later, Alice and James decided to sell their farm in Ashton and move to Woods Cross, UT. Here they continued to farm, raise cattle and sell milk to the local dairy.
A few years later, they sold the farm and retired and moved to Salt Lake City.
James and Alice celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on January 23, 1939 with a dinner and reception in the home at 567 East 5th South in Salt Lake City which was attended by two of their children, Florence and James, Jr. Estella had passed away in 1927.
James and Alice always went everywhere together. Many people have said that he seemed to rely on her help and suggestions. They were very congenial together. So when James passed away four short months after their 50th anniversary, it must have been very hard on her.
Alice passed away on September 3, 1953 at the age of 88. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, next to her beloved James.
James Albert Farnworth Sr.
Born January 14, 1864 in Mt Pleasant, UT
Died May 21, 1939 in Salt Lake City, UT
James was the fourth of thirteen children born to George and Susannah Coates Farnworth. His brothers and sisters were;
Joseph
Samuel
Hyrum
Moroni
Rosella Ann
Eliza Jane
Unnamed twins who died at birth
Herbert
William
George
Susanna
James grew up in Mt. Pleasant, UT. His parents were very poor and did not have the money for a lot of things. They also had a very large family to raise. Many times James and his siblings did not even have shoes. They would wrap sacks around their feet to keep them warm. James helped his parents work their farm a young boy. He would also have to help out his mother with the children. In his teens, he also worked at a saw mill.
He married Alice Thalmann on January 23, 1889 in the Manti Temple. James and Alice had three children, Florence Susanna, James Albert, Jr. and Estella Lucetta. The family continued to live in Mt. Pleasant where James continued to farm and work in the saw mill. After a while, the family, along with James’ brother Joseph and his family decided to move to a small town outside of Gunnison, UT. James continued to farm and began working at another saw mill. He along with his brother Joseph also had a herd of sheep.
In 1904, James, his brother Joseph and their families moved to Joseph, Wallow Co. OR where they bought a large farm together and raised hogs and sheep. James and Joseph had married sisters, Alice and Lucetta, which was one reason they were so close and would move around together. In Joseph, OR, there were no other Mormons so they only ones they ever saw other then the family were occasional missionaries. This was very hard on James. He felt his family needed to attend church. So in 1907, James decided to move to Marysville, ID where he bought a farm. After a couple of years in Marysville, James and his family moved to Aston, ID where he bought another farm. Here, their farm prospered greatly.
James took part in many church affairs. He was very active in the church as was his family. He was very happy he moved his family so they had the influence of other members of his church. The family continued to live in ID, where they prospered for many years. Years later, James and Alice decided to move to Woods Cross, UT where they farmed, raised cattle and sold milk to local dairies.
James retired from farming and bought a home at 567 East 5th South in Salt Lake City, UT. James was a very generous man. James would always help others and give them whatever they needed. James and Alice had a very loving relationship with each other. They were very dedicated to one another.
James passed away at the age of 75 of a heart ailment on May 20, 1939. He was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
George Farnworth
Born January 24, 1818 in Landreton, Lenord, France
Died July 11, 1903 in Mt Pleasant, UT
Susannah Coates Farnworth
Born December 12, 1836 in Chesterfield, England
Died November 2, 1998 in Mt Pleasant, UT
George was born in France, even though he was English. He father was in the English Army and stationed in France at the time of his birth. George had one younger brother, William Richard who was born in Ireland on July 3, 1820. His parents were Joseph and Margaret McBride Farnworth.
Susannah was born in England, the daughter of Joseph and Anne Dutton Coates. She was one of fourteen children. Her brothers and sisters are; Charrlotte, James, George, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Everett, Joseph, John, Thomas and William (twins), Hyrum, Eliza Jane and Emaline Ann.
George was a blacksmith by trade. He married Elizabeth Bustard on June 24, 1840. Elizabeth was born in Sheffield England.
George and Elizabeth heard the Mormon missionaries and joined the church. They had one son, Earl in 1847. That same year, they set sail for America. They lived in St Louis, MO where Elizabeth and their son, Earl passed away in 1849.
George then married another Elizabeth, Elizabeth Hitchins in 1850. Elizabeth was born in Glowschester, England. They did not have any children and on March 7, 1853, Elizabeth passed away in St. Louis.
George came to Utah alone, arriving on July 18, 1853. He was baptized or re-baptized as was the custom back then, on October 30, 1853 in Salt Lake City. Here he met Susannah Coates. They were married on December 12, 1853 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, UT. In 1855, they moved to Battle Creek, UT or Pleasant Grove as it is now called. In 1856, they were called by Brigham Young to help settle a new town called Hambleton or Mt. Pleasant as it was commonly called. They were received with a hearty welcome and given their allotments of one city lot and 20 acres of land. George continued to work his trade of blacksmith. He was know to be “an excellent shoer” by many in the town. He helped keep the oxen and horses shod. George and Susannah had 13 children….
Susanna Ellen
George
Joseph
Samuel
Hyrum
James
Moroni
Rosella Anne
Eliza Jane
Un-named twins who died at birth
Herbert
William R.
In 1860 he was chosen to be on the committee for the 24th of July celebration. During the celebration George gave the two following quotes.
“May the people of Mt. Pleasant, like the parts of a well-made machine, work together”
“May Mt Pleasant be noted throughout the world for ingenuity and industry”
George was very active in both civic and church. Many records are found in the Mt. Pleasant History book. He was a major in the Black Hawk War, sent out to track down Indians. He was one of the first Sunday School teachers in 1865. He was elected first City Recorder in 1868. He was ward choir director, Tithing Clerk and Bishop. Many times he was called to help pioneers coming to Utah. He had to deal so much with the disease Cholera. One trip so many parents died of Cholera, there were 53 children left for him to find homes for.
George wrote a letter that was published in the Deseret News on March 3, 1871. He said that on an account of a very mild winter, fears of the scarcity of water during the coming summer for irrigation purposes have been very general throughout the Sanpete Valley. But all such fears have been dispelled by the abundance of snow which has fallen during the two or three weeks prior to the date of this letter.
On February 22, 1861, George took a plural wife, Mary Jane Allen. They were married in Mt. Pleasant. George and Mary had eight children, John William, Charles Henry, Nephi, Brigham, George Heber, Mary Violet, Alfred Lorenzo and Susanna. The children from George and Susanna treated these children as their full brother and sisters. They called his plural wife, Aunt Mary.
On August 2, 1884 George was set apart as Bishop of the Mt. Pleasant Ward. In 1890 he served on a committee for an old folk’s party.
When the Manti Temple was completed George began doing for his kindred dead. One day on his was to the temple to do the last names he had, a wonderful thing happened. This is in his own words. This morning about 10:00 while traveling between Pigeon Hollow and Ephraim but the grave yard, I felt a very strange sensation, as I have never before experienced. Under this influence, I went along and as I looked ahead, it seemed that right in front of me there was a vast multitude of men. To the right and a little in front stood a large man, who would weight about 242 pounds. He waved his hand and said, “They are your kindred and we have been waiting for your temple to be finished. We want you to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. You have had the privilege of hearing the Gospel of the Son of God. We have not that great blessing.” Just then I looked at them and saw that they were all men and through it strange that there were no women. I tried to recognize some of them, but knew none. I was thinking, “how can I find out their names?” when it appeared that a voice by me said, “When that will be required, it will be made know.” Just then the tears were rolling down my cheeks and in the humility of my soul I shouted, “God help me. God being my helper, I will do all I can.” It seemed as if the whole host shouted as if one voice, “Amen”. I cried and cried aloud, while wiping my eyes and face. After I could control myself, I looked ahead and all had gone. When I got to Ephraim I felt so over come, I had to tie up my team and rest before I could go to Manti.
When George arrived at the temple, the recorder handed him some sheets of names and said, “Brother Farnworth, these are for you.” The recorder was Moses Franklin Farnsworth. He had just received them from England. Some of the names went back to ancient times. He was their representative, to help them attain perfection. George and his family were faithful in performing the ordinances for them. There were 300-400 names on the list.
George lived a full and productive life. He passed away July 11, 1903 and was buried in Mt. Pleasant.
Alice Thalmann Farnworth
Born March 22, 1866 in Thurgau, Canton, Switzerland
Died September 3, 1953 in Bountiful, UT
Alice was born the 4th of six children to Johanes and Susanna Winkler Thalmann in Switzerland. Her brothers and sisters were;
Robert
Albert
Lucetta
Anna Selina
John Jacob
Her parents were converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When Alice was seven years old, she immigrated with her family to America. Her family settled in Mt. Pleasant, UT where a lot of other Swiss immigrants had settled. It was a hard life going up here, but they still loved the town. At the time she was growing up, they still had a lot of trouble with Indians, but it was home to them and they were surrounded by members of their beloved church.
On January 23, 1889, Alice married James Albert Farnworth, Sr in the Manti Temple. This was a wonderful union. Alice had a sister named Lucetta who five years earlier had married James’ brother Joseph. So now, they were not only sisters, but sisters in law as well. Alice and James had three loving children;
Florence Susanna – January 25, 1890 – September 26, 1978,
James Albert Jr March 1, 1893 – February 7, 1975
Estella Lucetta March 8, 1897 – February 5, 1927
Sometime before 1897, Alice, James and their family along with Lucetta, Joseph and their family bought a farm together in West View, a town just outside of Gunnison, UT. Here they raised sheep and farmed.
In 1904, the two families decided it was time to move again. They moved to a large, nice farm in Joseph, Wallow Co, OR. Here they raised hogs and sheep. The farm was beautiful. They really loved it here except for the fact there were no other Mormons around. They would have missionaries every once in a while. Alice would read to the children every Sunday from the bible. Alice and James really felt the family needed to attend church so they decided to sell this wonderful farm and moved to Idaho. The lived in Marysville and Ashton ID for may years. Here they regularly attended church services and were involved in many church activities.
Years later, Alice and James decided to sell their farm in Ashton and move to Woods Cross, UT. Here they continued to farm, raise cattle and sell milk to the local dairy.
A few years later, they sold the farm and retired and moved to Salt Lake City.
James and Alice celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on January 23, 1939 with a dinner and reception in the home at 567 East 5th South in Salt Lake City which was attended by two of their children, Florence and James, Jr. Estella had passed away in 1927.
James and Alice always went everywhere together. Many people have said that he seemed to rely on her help and suggestions. They were very congenial together. So when James passed away four short months after their 50th anniversary, it must have been very hard on her.
Alice passed away on September 3, 1953 at the age of 88. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, next to her beloved James.
James Albert Farnworth Sr.
Born January 14, 1864 in Mt Pleasant, UT
Died May 21, 1939 in Salt Lake City, UT
James was the fourth of thirteen children born to George and Susannah Coates Farnworth. His brothers and sisters were;
Joseph
Samuel
Hyrum
Moroni
Rosella Ann
Eliza Jane
Unnamed twins who died at birth
Herbert
William
George
Susanna
James grew up in Mt. Pleasant, UT. His parents were very poor and did not have the money for a lot of things. They also had a very large family to raise. Many times James and his siblings did not even have shoes. They would wrap sacks around their feet to keep them warm. James helped his parents work their farm a young boy. He would also have to help out his mother with the children. In his teens, he also worked at a saw mill.
He married Alice Thalmann on January 23, 1889 in the Manti Temple. James and Alice had three children, Florence Susanna, James Albert, Jr. and Estella Lucetta. The family continued to live in Mt. Pleasant where James continued to farm and work in the saw mill. After a while, the family, along with James’ brother Joseph and his family decided to move to a small town outside of Gunnison, UT. James continued to farm and began working at another saw mill. He along with his brother Joseph also had a herd of sheep.
In 1904, James, his brother Joseph and their families moved to Joseph, Wallow Co. OR where they bought a large farm together and raised hogs and sheep. James and Joseph had married sisters, Alice and Lucetta, which was one reason they were so close and would move around together. In Joseph, OR, there were no other Mormons so they only ones they ever saw other then the family were occasional missionaries. This was very hard on James. He felt his family needed to attend church. So in 1907, James decided to move to Marysville, ID where he bought a farm. After a couple of years in Marysville, James and his family moved to Aston, ID where he bought another farm. Here, their farm prospered greatly.
James took part in many church affairs. He was very active in the church as was his family. He was very happy he moved his family so they had the influence of other members of his church. The family continued to live in ID, where they prospered for many years. Years later, James and Alice decided to move to Woods Cross, UT where they farmed, raised cattle and sold milk to local dairies.
James retired from farming and bought a home at 567 East 5th South in Salt Lake City, UT. James was a very generous man. James would always help others and give them whatever they needed. James and Alice had a very loving relationship with each other. They were very dedicated to one another.
James passed away at the age of 75 of a heart ailment on May 20, 1939. He was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Thursday, September 2, 2021
ALDEN LEON JOHANSEN
Alden Leon Johansen, Our Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather passed away August 27, 2021, of Cancer at the age of 82
Born April 12, 1939Oldest of 3 sons of Dean N and Evelyne Whitman Johansen
Alden went to school in Mt. Pleasant and graduated in 1957. Alden was very active in football, basketball, and track. He set a record in a summer sports competition that took place at BYU. During that competition, Alden set a record in the 4/40 race, which stood for many years.
After Graduation Alden moved to Salt Lake City to find work. He was working construction for MH Cook Construction Company when he met his sweetheart and wife to be Martha (Marty) Waters.
Alden and Marty were married the following spring on April 9th, 1961 a few days before his 22nd birthday.
Alden took a job in South Dakota and worked on the military underground missile silo. This job took nearly a year. Within the same year, Alden and Marty welcomed their first child Steven.
After heading back to Utah in 1964 Alden went to work for Tempest Company, a gas pipeline installation company. Alden operated equipment, eventually becoming a foreman then superintendent for Tempest Company.
During these years his daughter Annette was born. Alden and Marty bought a home in Cottonwood Heights. Over the next few years, the 4 of them did a lot of camping and fishing at Strawberry Lake, and wherever the fish were. During the winter Alden also snowmobiled and Skied at Brighton.
In 1976 Alden had the chance to move back to his hometown of Mt Pleasant, which he loved, and work with his father and brother in Johansen Construction Company. The company grew and thrived in the field of underground utilities working in all areas of the state of Utah.
In 1983 Dean Johansen retired leaving Alden to run the company. Again the company thrived giving Alden the chance to move into Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho for work.
During the next 15 years, the Johansen family traveled and cruised to many special and beautiful places. Alden enjoyed showing, especially the younger members of his family, the special places such as Hawaii and Pearl Harbor.
Alden realized many of the needs in Mt Pleasant and built a motel and restaurant in 1994. For entertainment, a chuckwagon ride and Dutch oven dinner became a big part of the motel and restaurant. The resort was sold in 2004 as Alden slowly started to retire and start the next chapter in his life. As his family grew including 4 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Alden was passionate about helping his hometown of Mt Pleasant. Using his spare time beautifying the area such as the “Welcome to Mt Pleasant” greeting signs at the North and south ends of Mt Pleasant. Many other small projects around the area were completed.
In the spring of 2021 with all his family around them, Alden and Marty celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary, such an amazing accomplishment for an amazing couple. The family was everything to Alden and Marty.
Alden is survived by his wife Marty Johansen.
His kids are Steve (Tracy-deceased) Johansen, Annette (Kelly) Johansen.
Grandchildren Jaclyn (Jeff) Lewis, Chelsea (Mallori) Oliverson, Justin (Josee) Johansen, Mallory (Chris) Hall
The family also includes 9 Great-grandchildren
Graveside Funeral Services will be held Thursday, September 2nd, 2021 at 11:00am at Mt Pleasant Cemetery. A viewing will be held at 10:00am before the service, also at Mt Pleasant Cemetery. Online condolence rasmussenmortuary.com
In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to donate to any Cancer Awareness Foundation.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Jens Gunderson Pioneer of the Month September 2021
 | ||
| Bertha Marie Pederson Gunderson Jens second wife
|
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Dance Photos from Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Day
Western Line Dance
Line dancing began in the 1970s disco era, along
with the "Electric Slide"; then the "Cowboy Boogie".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AMERICAN BANDSTAND
JITTERBUG
The Jitterbug is a dance popularized
in the early 20th century.
The Polka is originally a Czech dance
and genre of dance music familiar
throughout all of Europe.
Monday, August 30, 2021
Dance Photos from Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Day
ELECTRIC SLIDE
The "Electric Slide " is a line dance enjoyed by
people of all ages at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and all
parties of every kind. 
The "TWIST", a dance done by swiveling the
It started in the '70s set to the song "Electric Boogie"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TWIST
The "TWIST", a dance done by swiveling the
hips became a worldwide craze in the 1960s
Then it became even more popular when
Chubby Checker came out with the song,
"The Twist".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WALTZ
The original waltz form came into being
in the 13th century by peasants of Germany.
In the 1700s it evolved into the more
elegant form it is today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TANGO
From the suburbs of Buenos Aires
to the dance salons of Paris in 1912.
We'll have more tomorrow.
Sunday, August 29, 2021
Helen Emeline Frandsen Lasson
May 13, 1913 - June 14, 2009
Funeral services for Helen Lasson, 96, life time resident and daughter of founding pioneer ancestors of Mount Pleasant will be held in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint at 461 N. 300 W. Mount Pleasant, Utah. The viewing will be at the Church from 12:00pm until 12:45pm; the funeral service at 1:00pm.
Mrs. Lasson passed away early Sunday morning, June 14, 2009, due to congestive heart failure and the effects of breast cancer. Helen has lived in Sanpete County all of her life except for the time she and her husband Edgar (Ted) Lasson spent in the Kentucky Louisiana Mission for the church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day-saints. Her love for the people of Sanpete Valley was only exceeded by her love of God and her family. Dedicated service to her family, church, and community has always been of high priority in her life. Helen has always loved to serve and socialize with friends and loved ones. Her humor and happy pleasant personality will be missed by all who knew and loved her. She is well known and respected for her hard work and determined spirit.
Helen and Ted were married on 12 Aug. 1936 and later sealed to each other and their children, 30 Oct. 1947 in the Manti LDS Temple. Helen was preceded in death by her parents Leonard & Cleo Frandsen; sister Bernita; brother Russell; brother Oscar Reed; grandson Gordon Shelley; daughter Gloria and her husband Edgar Eugene Lasson. She is survived by her sister Lucile Stevens and her children: Marjorie Lasson Shelley (Elwin) of Salt Lake City, Robert Lasson (Sheila) of Alpine, Keith Lasson (Minty) of Cedar City, Alan Lasson (Jolene) of Salt Lake City, and Kenneth Lasson (Sue) of Salt Lake City. Helen has 18 Grandchildren; 34 Great-grandchildren and 2 Great-Great-grandchildren.
The Lasson family would like to express gratitude to Helen's special close friends: Jon & Loyce Schuman, Bob and Joanna Skelton, Linda Larsen (Helen's friend & hairstylist for 30yrs.), and Bishop Mike Olsen. The family also acknowledges the kind loving care from Jan & Shawna and the staff at Autumn Park Assisted Living in Nephi with special appreciation to her nurse Tiffany Hurst.
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