pafn29

Descendants of John Curtis (Curtice) Sr.

Notes

Agnes Mary Hunter

Father: James Forbes HUNTER (AFN:1L9D-HF) Family

Mother: Sarah Calvert WILSON (AFN:1L9D-LX)

2 children whose information is private

Mary Beatrice Curtis (Curtice)

Mary Beatrice Curtis Rudy Richardson

I was born the oldest child of Gideon Daniel Curtis and Mary

Elizabeth Bennett Curtis , O ct 17, 1898 at Vernal, Uintah, Utah. I was

blessed and baptized in The Church of Jesus Ch ris t of Latter Day

Saints. From my earliest childhood I attended church and received great j

oy i n doing my small part in the church. In my early childhood my

parents homesteaded a far m on t he Uintah Indian Reservation. It was a

pioneer life, the Indians at times were hostile . My fa ther and

grandfather journeyed from Vernal to the reservation and built us a one

roo m log cab in and pitched two tents for my grandfather on his

homestead, joining them together , boardin g up the sides to make it

higher and putting in board floors, making it quite livab le. That f irst

year I stayed in Vernal with my Grandmother Curtis and attended school.

Tha t seemed lik e the longest year of my life. I loved Grandma dearly

but I got so homesick fo r my parents an d brothers and sisters. I was a

mighty happy little girl when I came home fro m school one nig ht and

found Mother waiting there to take me home with her.The next year m y

brother Cecil an d myself walked to and from school each day 5 miles

through snow and storm s. Our school was o ne room with students from

kindergarten to 8th grade. Each year our schoo l conditions bettere d,

and the last two years of my schooling a fine schoolhouse was built o n

the corner of Grand pa Bennett's farm. It had two nice big rooms and we

were really proud o f it. It seemed lik e a mansion to us. Grandpa built

a nice large one room church on the sam e corner of his farm , which

served as church and dance hall. He had moved a two room house f rom Ft.

Duchesne on t his corner and had the first P.O. in his home and it was

called the Ben nett P.O. He was Bisho p, carpenter, blacksmith, flour

mill worker, undertaker, councilor an d friend to all white an d Indian

alike. Anyone in need always found Grandpa Bennett willin g to help. He

worked earl y and late, prospered, and had the finest farm in the county.

Non e ever left his door hungry . The community was named Bennett in his

honor. At the age of 1 6 I married Lloyd Rudy who wa s raised in Vernal

Indian Reservation as I was. We married Apri l 28, 1915, in Vernal, by

Reub en Clark. Coming back to the old Rudy homestead, me trying t o cook

for the farm hands while G randpa Rudy taught school. He taught for 34

years.

I found it a very hard job for a young girl that hadn't much

experience in cooking. My me a ls just didn't seem to turn out like my

Mothers. In less than a year our first child was bo rn , a fine boy. We

thought the finest ever, we named him Walter Lloyd. He was blessed by hi

s Gr eat Grandfather Bennett, he is now the Father of two sons and a

daughter. I was a ver y prou d and happy Mother, life seemed almost

complete. When on Dec 3, 1917 a beautiful littl e gir l come to our home,

we named her Lula Beatrice. She is now married and the mother o f 6

childr en living in Salt Lake. When she was a year old I took very ill.

After being admin istered t o several times by Grandpa Rudy I was rushed

to Roosevelt and had an emergency oper ation whic h seemed to be the

start of my long life of illness and surgery. In 1918 we move d to Lehi,

Ut ah to join my parents. In Nov, 1919 my third child, a son, was born,

named Arth ur Phillip wh o is now the Father of 4 children. In 1921 we

moved to American Fork, Utah, whe re in Sept.. 1 921 our fourth child, a

son was born. It was in the next spring after a sever e spell of flu w e

nearly lost this child. We carried him on a pillow for nearly a year afte

r the doctor had t old us they could'nt do any more for him I knew God

spared his life throug h constant prayer a nd administering, we named him

Daniel Karl. He has one child. It was at t his time my brothe r Avery

came home from the mountains with typhoid fever and nearly died.

My brave Mother nursed him through this ordeal. All my other brothers and

sisters had typho i d later, which she nursed alone and at the same time

took care of my Father who was sufferi n g and later died of cancer. The

following Oct I gave birth to a lovely little girl, my 5t h ch ild. Due

to the ordeal I went through the past year, she wasn't ever well. My

husband ca me t o California to get work , leaving me still in American

Fork, Utah with 5 little childre n, th e eldest was 7 years old. My baby

took pneumonia and I had to call him home. As soon a s she w as well

enough to travel he took us with him to Calantie, Nevada, where he was

workin g on th e railroad. While there in March my husband had a dream

that our baby died and we ha d to bur y her on the side of the hill. So

early the next morning we made preparations to lea ve ther e and go to

California. My husband couldn't seem to erase that dream from his mind. W

hen we a rrived in San Bernardino our baby was very ill. I walked the

floor all night to kee p her fro m crying and disturbing the household.

Next morning early I thought we would fin d a house an d get settled, as

my husband had a job on the railroad, but he put us all in th e car with

th e announcement we were moving on to Los Angeles.

That was the most beautiful ride I ever took, but my heart was heavy

knowing my baby was i l l and going to a strange place knowing no one.

When we arrived in Los Angeles we stopped t o g et hamburgers, while

waiting my husband asked the waitress if she knew of a vacant hous e whic

h she did and directed us in the next block. We moved in the apt. and I

started doctor ing m y baby. I asked the landlord if he knew of any

Mormons there and he said that he did, t hat th ey had a friend in the

next block that was a Mormon. He went and got her, she was a sw eet ol d

lady and she directed us to the Huntington Park Ward not far from us that

had just b een org anized. My husband went and got the bishop and he

administered to our baby. The Elde rs cam e several times but she kept

getting worse. We took her to the hospital where she die d the th ird of

May at the age of six months. She was buried in the beautiful Rosedale

Cemete ry. My hu sband found immediate employment.

We began to prosper, bought a nice little home in Huntington Park where

in Nov. 1925 our six t h child a boy was born, Donald Roger who now has 2

children. Our 7th child Gerald Robert w a s born on Mothers day May 12,

1928. It was then the depression was starting and my husban d de cided we

better leave Los Angeles. Having learned the plastering trade, we went to

Fresn o fo r two years. He kept busy but we decided to move on to San

Jose, California where we arr ive d April 1930. When on Dec. 16, 1930,

another little girl was born, Mary Alice, now the mo the r of 2 children.

October 23, 1932 our 9th child a boy John Howard was born.

One year later Dec 14, 1933, another little girl, our 10th, Nona Gwen was

born. In Dec 193 6 w e took our family to Mesa, Arizona and had our

temple work done. We managed to find tim e to d o our church work. I

worked mostly in the primary while daddy worked in the Sunday Sch ool an

d Priesthood, he getting calls all hours of the night to go administer to

the sick. Ma y 13, 1 937 our 11th child a son Fredrick Curtis was born.

When he was one year old we decide d to mov e back to Los Angeles, but it

proved to be a big mistake. In a year we moved back t o San Jos e where

we have lived ever since. Arriving on Oct. 30, 1938.

On Jan 23, 1939 our 12th child, a little girl Afton Eileen weighing 12

lbs 9 oz arrived. T h e following year we built a beautiful new home.

While cleaning the ceiling I fell nearly ki ll ing myself in the fall. My

husband rushed me to the hospital where I was operated on havin g m y

gall bladder removed. Six months latter I was operated on having tumors

removed. The n ex t few years were the saddest memories of my life. War

broke out and my sons were called t o wa r. Karl the third son was the

first to leave, he being the eldest son without any chil dren . 29 Oct

1942 he left for short training, while in training his father took sick.

In Fe b o f 1943 after an operation and two months in the hospital we

brought him home. The thir d da y he dropped dead of heart failure. Karl

was brought home for the funeral leaving the ne xt da y for the

embarkation center. He had a perilous journey across being under fire

from th e enem y many times. He was in the Italian and African campaigns.

29 Oct. 1943 Walter joine d the nav y, he was in almost all the invasions

of the Pacific.

In December of 1943 Arthur was inducted in the army. He served in the

Philippines. January 1 9 44 Donald joined the army serving in Okinawa.

Robert joined the Navy in January of 1945, se rv ing in the South

Pacific. God has greatly blessed me. My six sons all returned to me and t

hei r families. After going through the horrors of war some received

wounds, Arthur came hom e wit h Malaria. John is still in the service on

Guam. I had six sons, two son-in-laws, one s tep-so n in the service. I

have had 12 children and 18 grandchildren. Sep 13, 1945 I marrie d Don C

R ichardson of a fine big Mormon family, of Ogden, Utah.

Another chapter has been added to this story, My husband Don died very

suddenly Wed. morni n g 10 May 1950 with a heart attack. My son John

being out at sea 1 hour on his way oversea s t o serve his country,

having joined the army in Nov 1949. This left me again a widow wit h thre

e minor children and it seemed like the final blow but I realized I must

keep on livin g for t he sake of my children who needed me. Withe the

help and blessings of my Heavenly Fat her I ha ve managed to provide and

keep our home together.

Mary Elizabeth Bennett

All previous Church Blessings reconfirmed and ratified for Mary Elizabeth

on 30 Aug 1967.

Mary Elizabeth Bennett Curtis

Richardson

I was born 4 February 1878 at Bloomington, Idaho and was the oldest

child of John Brigh a m and Maria Elizabeth Stevens Bennett. When I was

about five years old my father set out f o r Arizona taking myself and my

brother John, his sister Annie and brother Dave. We began i n D ecember

1883, it took us six weeks to make the trip traveling by wagon. There

were quit e a nu mber of families in the caravan and it was a long cold

journey. I remember a few incid ents th at happened along the way. It

snowed on us and one family had a stove in their wago n and my f ather

used to carry me over and let me ride with them and warm my feet. The

road w as rough an d one wagon tipped over and killed a baby. We had to

ford streams, all but the Co lorado Rive r and that we crossed on a ferry

or so it was called, but it was not like the fer ry boat of t oday, just

a flat boat and one of our horses jumped overboard.

The first town we stopped at was Pima, Arizona. We just lived there a

short time. A few d a ys after we arrived, while we were still camped

out. our wagon caught fire at night while t h e horses were tied to it

eating hay and our best horse burned to death. We moved on to Saff or d

where we lived for about two years. Fathers health was not too good.

There was lots of t yph oid and malaria fever there, but we stayed long

enough to build us a new home and plant a n or chard. It seemed good to

have a home. But the Indians were bad, they often came into tow n an d

stole the farmers horses, then when the men followed them they would

ambush them and k ill t he men. So my father moved again, this time

farther South. He worked as an engineer o n the ra ilroad at a little

town called Bowie Station. I was then about eight years old and w e staye

d there eight years, but the Indians were still bad. So in 1894 we again

set out fo r Vernal , Utah.

Father loved to pioneer and when he heard of a new country that was to

be opened up tha t i s where he wanted to go. It took us just two months

to make the trip from Arizona to Vern al , again by wagon, where now it

can be made in one day. The roads were rough and there wer e n o signs to

tell us which way to go and in some places there were no roads at all or

bridg es t o cross the streams. When we would come to a swollen stream

father would unhitch his bes t hor se and ride out in the stream and see

if it was possible to cross. All the way we wer e in dan ger from the

Indians. Just one little incident I will relate: When we were near For t

Apache A rizona we were camped for the night, we had eaten our supper and

were playing arou nd the cam p fire when an Indian scout came riding into

camp at break-neck speed and told u s the Indian s were _coming and had

just killed a family, so we gathered our belongings toget her and move d

on about two miles to where the soldiers were camped. But the next day we

ha d to face it ag ain and so it continued all the way through Arizona

We arrived in Vernal on the seventh day of October 1894, and lived

there for several ye a rs. It seemed awful cold our first winter in Utah.

It was while we were lining in Vernal th a t I meet and married Gideon

Daniel Curtis in 1898 and to us were born eight children, fiv e o f whom

are now living, I have 36 grand children and 21 great-grand children. My

mother di ed i n 1899 while we were still in Vernal When the Uintah

Indian Reservation was opened my h usban d and I bought a homestead

nearby, but it was tough going again but we held on anothe r 12 yea rs.

We now had our eight children. We moved to Lehi, Utah and then to

American Fork , Utah whe re we lived about five years, when my husbands

health began to fail and for abou t three year s he was unable to work.

Then the load of making a living fell on my oldest chil dren.

My three boys did all they could, but my husband thought if he came to

California it wou l d improve his health. It did for a short time, but

after two years in California he died i n L os Angeles. Now my two

oldest children were married and I had one son and five daughter s i n a

strange land. I could see that it was impossible for us to live unless I

could work . S o I got me a job soon after my husband passed away and for

18 years I sat at a sewing mac hin e to raise my family, and they never

had to want.. I had no help from any other source bu t m y own children.

Inside of eighteen years they were all married. They all have families .

I los t my oldest son and two daughters. All left small children. I have

one grandson to ra ise, hi s mother and father both passed away. He is

now sixteen and I have had him for 11 yea rs. In 1 946 I met and married

Joseph Richardson, formerly of Ogden, Utah, now of San Jose, h e was a w

idower. We live at 185 South 23 St. in San Jose in a lovely little house,

my husban d and myse lf and my grandson. My oldest daughter has a

beautiful home near by. We make occas ional trip s to Los Angeles where

four of my children live. We also make trips to Utah and Wy oming to vi

sit our relatives. We are trying to enjoy the rest of our lives now and

no more p ioneering. M y husband is eighty years old and I an

seventy-five, he still drives the car wh ere ever we w ant to go

Francis Marion Hoopes Jr.

Records of other researches show they had over 10 children still living

1552. Laura D. Cook(E)

: ANCI Green River, Emery County, Utah

Hyrum Earl Hansen (Hanson) (Twin)

: ANCI Monroe, Sevier County, Utah Helper, Carbon County, Utah

: BLES DATE 8 Sep 1960 PLAC Baptized : AUTH Endowed

:AGNC Sealed to Parents : CENS DATE 14 Nov 1933 PLAC Buried-Spring Glen,

Carbon County, Ut a h : IDNO Spring Glen, Carbon County, Utah

He owned two coal mines in Spring Canyon but the big mining companies took him to court fo r a ll they could get. He was left with water rights to the land, but sold them for $300.

1566. Elizabeth Brown(E)

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

1756. Hannah Libby Carter

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

1757. John F. Carter

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

1758. Ann Carter

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

1759. Ruth Carter

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

1760. Ilass (Ilis) Carter

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

Dominicus Carter

Excerpts From "Leaves From My Journal" by Wilford Woodruff

Heart Throbs of the West, Kate B. Carter, Vol.3, p.339

In 1848, after my return to Winter Quarters from our pioneer journey, I

was appointed by t h e Presidency of the Church to take my family and go

to Boston, to gather up the remnant o f th e Saints and lead them to the

valleys of the mountains. While on my way east I put my ca rriag e into

the yard of one of the brethren in Indiana, and Brother Orson Hyde set

his wago n by th e side of mine, and not more than two feet from it.

Dominicus Carter, of Provo, and my wife and four children were with me.

My wife, one child a n d I went to bed in the carriage, the rest sleeping

in the house.

I had been in bed but a short time, when a voice said to me, "Get up, and

move your carriage . " It was not thunder, lightning nor an earthquake,

but the still, small voice of the Spiri t o f God�Xthe Holy Ghost. I told

my wife I must get up and move my carriage. She asked, "Wha t for ?" I

told her I did not know, only the Spirit told me to do it. I got up and

moved my c arriag e several rods, and set it by the side of the house. As

I was returning to bed, the sa me Spir it said to me, "Go and move your

mules away from that oak tree," which was about on e hundre d yards north

of our carriage. I moved them to a young hickory grove and tied them u p.

I the n went to bed.

In thirty minutes a whirlwind caught the tree to which my mules had been

fastened, broke i t o ff near the ground and carried it one hundred

yards, sweeping away two fences in its cour se , and laid it prostrate

through that yard where my carriage stood, and the top limbs hit m y c

arriage as it was. In the morning I measured the trunk of the tree which

fell where my ca rria ge had stood, and I found it to be five feet in

circumference. It came within a foot o f Broth er Hyde's wagon, but did

not touch it. Thus, by obeying the revelation of the Spiri t of God t o

me, I saved my life, the lives of my wife and child, as well as my

animals.

In the morning, I went on my way rejoicing.

Heart Throbs of the

West, Kate B. Carte r , Vol.5, p.342

Dominicus Carter, one of the earliest pioneers, built a two-story adobe

house as a residenc e . There were two large rooms upstairs, and the same

on the first floor, with a long room o n t he north with a porch on the

west. This room was used as a dining room, on the east wa s a kit chen, a

door connected it with the dining room. The wooden stairway on the

outside o f the hou se led to the rooms above. Seeing the need for

entertaining the weary travelers, Do minicus op ened his home to them. He

also built a large barn north of his home to house the O verland Sta ge

Coaches, and care for two or three span of horses.

Thus the Lion House, as it was called, was the first hotel in Provo. It

was located on the c o rner of First North and Fifth West (which was Main

Street then) and across the street eas t fr om the Third Ward Chapel. It

was operated for many years by Dominicus Carter and his wif e, Ma ry, and

was greatly appreciated by travelers.

Heart Throbs of the

West, Kate B. Carter , V ol.9, p.47

In the famous Kirtland camp, which traveled from Kirtland to Far West,

were Dominicus Cart e r with six in his family, Aaron York with four in

his family, and John Carter with two. Dom in icus, on July 18, was

appointed commissary of the camp. Once when three of the camp member s w

ere unjustly thrown into prison, Dominicus Carter voluntarily returned

and stayed with th em i n prison until their release was obtained.

On August 11, in the fore part of the night, Sarah Emily, daughter of

Dominicus Carter, ag e d about two years and three months, died. Hers was

the fourth death of the journey. Her fun er al was held at two o'clock

the next day.

Heart Throbs of the

West, Kate B. Carte r , Vol.9, p.48

It is said that Dominicus Carter would have been one of the first company

of 1847 pioneers , b ut being an expert blacksmith he was requested by

the leaders to remain at Council Bluff s an d help prepare the emigrant

trains for the long journey.

He crossed the plains in 1851, accompanied by his aged mother, and they

arrived in Salt La k e City June 20, 1851. Shortly afterward he went to

Provo, and in 1852 was selected as couns el or to George A. Smith, who

was called to preside over the settlement. This position he occ upi ed

for years. The first president of Utah Stake was James C. Snow,

son-in-law of Hannah C arte r.

She remained at Provo during the time of the Echo Canyon war, and when

the body of the sain t s moved south to Provo and adjoining towns. She

lived in her later years at the home of Dom in icus Carter. Those who

remember her describe her as short in stature, with a round face, i mpr

essive blue eyes, and refined and dignified bearing. She frequently wore

a lace cap and w as v ery prim and neat. She was well-educated and always

very industrious, keeping her knitti ng cl ose by and working even in her

advanced years.

A New Kind of Living

Heart Throbs of the

West, Kate B. Carte r , Vol.12, p.152

Babtized for the last Time on the 15 day of March 1857 in Provo City in

the new Font, by Dom i nicus Carter, first Councellor to President James

C. Snow and confirmed the same Evening un de r the hands of President J.

C. Snow & Dominicus Carter. The Day above written I was just F ort y

three years of age, it being My Birth Day. The Same day I was called upon

to lay hand o n on e of Dominicus Carters Wives, Caroline. I found

hardness existing between her & her husb and a nd some others of his

wives. I refused to lay on hands untill all Difficulty was Settle d. I l

aid on hands on her the Same Evening all Difficultys being Settled She

got well. Monda y Marc h 16 Alex Williams invited me to go to B. K.

Bullocks to correct Sis Moore a boarder f or abus e to the family. Wednes

Day the 18 got some Straw and helped to lay down the Carpet i n the Ci

rcle room at A. J. Stewart�2 CONC ected a rong Principle that had been

Taught; viz , that woman would be given to men the most r epugnant to

their feelings to try their faith . 23 Settled a difficulty in Br. B. K.

Bullock�2 CONC s family. Found Sister Moor was the cau se of the

Trouble--told her to leave the Family. She s aid she would.

NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R); ;

File (R)

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws