Sanborn: #8 George Benjamin Sanborn and #9 Sarah Jane Smith. Part 4 of 4.

George Benjamin Sanborn, on the left, 1935, after retiring from the Union Pacific Railroad, at the time he was working for the Salt Lake City Streets Department.

Daughter Mary Ann Sanborn was married in 1904 to George Francis Hovey. And daughter Ella married John Kellerher in1910. Son Jennings married Iona Cushing. Bill married his sister Sarah’s widowed niece, Mary Schilling. They had a daughter known as “little Mary.” Joseph traveled to the Philippines. He married and settled there. In 1932 he returned home for a visit.

After retirement from the railroad, George Benjamin went to work for the Salt lake City Streets Department, where he swept streets. He was ninety-one years old when he died on November 7, 1936. He was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery.

At that time Sarah Jane moved to Washington and lived with her daughter, Mary Ann. When she was eighty-four she returned to Salt Lake City to visit her son and daughter-in-law, George Benjamin and Amy Haywood Sanborn. Sarah Jane passed away in their care on January 15, 1940. She too was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery, beside her husband, and sons, John and Henry.

It appears the family never placed a marker on their mother/grandmother's grave. We are going to do that in the Spring. All interested in contributing are invited to contact me at my e-mail address on this blog.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

From Marlene Sanborn Silotti histories. I took the picture in the Ogden Cemetery this year.

Sanborn: #8 George Benjamin Sanborn and Sarah Jane Smith. Part 3 of 4

View Sanborns, George Benjamin and Sarah Jane homes in a larger map

Seven additional children were born to George Benjamin and Sarah Jane Smith Sanborn after they moved from Paradise, Utah to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1885.

Eva, March 15, 1885 (died from pneumonia, November 14, 1885). Mary Ann, 1886. Henry, 1888. John William, 1890. Ella, 1892. Gladise, 1894 (died after being ill for four months, October 28, 1895). Jennings Bryan, 1896.

Their first year in Salt Lake City they lived at 549 Post Street. In 1896 they moved to 520 South 8th West, where they lived until their move to Pocatello, Idaho in 1903.

In 1895 George Benjamin began working for the D. & R. G. (Denver and Rio Grande) Railroad as a machinist. Five years later he was working as a blacksmith at the Fort Douglas Shops, and in 1893 he was working for the Union Pacific Railroad as a blacksmith.

According to his granddaughter, Marlene Sanborn Silotti, George Benjamin worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for 36 years. In 1903 his sons began appearing in the Polk Directories, also working for the railroad; George B., Jr., Joseph, William, Henry, John and Jennings.

Marlene traced the family through their ward records, and every other record she had access to. In 1885 they moved into the 6th Ward in Salt Lake City, which became the 25th ward in 1902. George Benjamin was listed as an Elder there. They moved to the Pocatello, Idaho 1st Ward in 1903. In 1909 the family moved to Ogden, Utah where they resided in the Ogden 2nd Ward. And in 1913 the family moved back to Salt Lake City. All of the children were blessed, baptized, and confirmed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Their oldest daughter, Sarah Jane, married William Mikesell in 1895. George Benjamin Jr., married Amy LaVena Haywood on June 23, 1898. And the following February 1, 1899, Amy’s brother, George Mark Haywood , married daughter Laura Ellen Sanborn. Two younger sons, Henry and John William were both baptized three days later, on February 4, 1899. John was baptized by Hyrum Groesbeck. [An unexpected early tie.]

John married Henrietta Gall in 1911. They remained in Ogden, after his parents moved back to Salt Lake City. He was still living there in 1914, when he contracted pneumonia and died. He is buried in the Ogden City Cemetery.

The following year, in 1915, George and his sons were playing poker together in their Salt Lake home. “Henry suddenly threw down his cards and without saying a word walked out of the room. Suddenly there was a terrible scream and they found Henry on the back screened-porch. He had drank carbolic acid.” Henry had been discouraged and separated from his wife. His death was called a suicide. Nearly a hundred years later, drinking carbolic acid sounds more like an accident to me. What kind of a bottle was the acid stored in? Could it have looked like a liquor bottle, or anything else?

John Sanborn (1890-1914) and Henry Sanborn (1888-1915) are buried in the Ogden City Cemetery. (Picture taken October, 2009)

In 1924 George and Sarah Jane moved to Winnemucca, Nevada. Sarah received her Patriarchal Blessing while they lived there. Five years later George retired from the railroad, and they moved back to Salt Lake City. They bought a home at 349 Bothwell Court, and lived in the 25th Ward.

(To be continued.)

Family history from Marlene Sanborn Silotti.

Sanborn: #8 George Benjamin and #9 Sarah Jane Smith Sanborn. Part 1 of 4.

George Benjamin Sanborn
b. 10 Aug 1845, Brooklin, Maine
p. Isaac Sanborn, Sarah Cobb
m. Sarah Jane Smith, 16 Nov 1874, Endowment House
d. 7 Nov 1936, Salt Lake City, Ut
b. Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Utah

Sarah Jane Smith
b. 1 Apr 1856, Keokuck, Lee, Iowa
p. William Smith, Jane Rawlings
d. 15 Jan 1940, Salt Lake City, Utah
b. Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Utah

Sarah Jane was born in Keokuck, Iowa on route to the Salt Lake Valley, with her parents and three older brothers. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on August 14, 1856.

By 1860 her family was settled in Paradise, Utah, having first lived in Draper, Utah. Her family’s history is posted here.

They washed and corded wool, spun yarn, knit stockings, and spun the yarn for their family’s clothing. Sarah was too small to reach the wheel so her father made a bench for her to walk on while she worked. Her mother dyed the yarn for the children’s stockings. The dye was made from indigo and chamber lye. “They knit comforters for the men and boys and also for the quilts.”

“They were happy in those days.” Saturday night dances were held every week and entrance tickets were purchased with squash, potatoes, cabbage and other products. One man had a checkered shirt he saved for the dance by wearing a shirt made out of a gunny-sack to work in during the week.

The first hat Sarah Jane ever made was from some straw she and her sister gleaned—it was white leghorn.

“When they started raising sheep and stock, the girls [Sarah had four sisters] sheered as many as twenty-eight head of sheep in one day.”

When their father would bring the corn in, and they wanted cornmeal, they would take a tin pan and hammer holes in the bottom of it, then use that as a grater and rub the corn on it. For three years Sarah Jane never had shoes on her feet. She tied rags on them to save them from being cut by rocks. She gathered rose leaves for her mother’s tea, which she made after the leaves were dried.

In 1875 Sarah Jane married George B. Sanborn in the old Endowment house. “We came all the way from Paradise by horse and wagon. That was seventy years ago last November. We had twelve children; six sons and six daughters. Four sons and two daughters are living and married. Two of my sons are living in Salt Lake. Two sons have been in the World War; one served eighteen months in France, the other served two terms as coast guard and is now in Honolulu working for the Government Air-Line. One of my daughters lives in Washington. I haven’t seen her for 22 years and she is coming in April to see us.”

Record of Ward Members to 1940 in Paradise Ward, lists George Benjamin Sanborn as being baptized, 21 February 1864. Where, or by whom, is not indicated.

(To be continued.)

DUP History, Sarah Jane Smith, A Utah Pioneer of 1856, submitted 1936 by Dau. Fla Barton. Family History records and picture belonging to Marlene Sanborn Silotti. This picture was sent to Marlene by an unknown man she met at the Family History Library many years ago. When the man saw the family name marlene was researching, he said he had a picture of her grandparents standing on the back porch of their home in Ogden that he would mail to her. He and his family lived next door to George Benjamin and Sarah Jane Smith Sanborn.

Mid-century dancers identified!

Thanks to a friend in Woodruff, Utah, I’ve identified the 1950 tap dancers posted here earlier. They are, left to right; Nina Rex, Rose Dean, JaNae Hellstrom, Dick Stuart, Kathy Rufi, Nanette Stuart, and Bessie Frazier.

From The First 100 Years in Woodruff, Art City Publishing Co., 1972, I learned that Dick and Nanette Stuart are cousins. I am cousins with Nina Rex (g-grandfather, William Rex), Rose Dean (g-grandfather, Stephen Vestal Frazier), and Kathy Rufi (g-grandfathers, William Rex and Jacob Rufi). I appreciate all who helped identify these mid-century dancers!

Bessie Morgan Rex, DUP, Daughter of Utah Pioneer, 1935.

This picture of Bessie Morgan Rex [1891-1938] belonged to her granddaughter, Susan Frazier, and hung in her Bethesda, Maryland home. Susan outbid her cousins at the 1998 Rex Family Reunion auction, and took it home. It is granddaughter Susan B.'s creation. She had a small 5x7 shot enlarged, tinted, fixed, and framed. Then she donated it to the auction. This picture was taken about the time of grandmother Bessie's marriage to grandfather Percy Harold Rex (1912]. She is probably wearing her wedding dress.

Bessie's application for membership in the Society for Daughters of the Utah Pioneers is written her hand. It includes all kinds of information, familiar Randolph, Utah names, and a bit of information about her father, John Morgan, I'd never heard of before.

I do apologize for the bits and pieces of this document (which is in my possession). My scanner could not accommodate the large sheet. Picture from my collection.

The First Relief Society Presidency in the Southern States

After reading The Amateur Mormon Historian’s December 1st post, The First Relief Society Presidency in the Southern States, I couldn’t resist. "Sister Victoria Faucett was unanimously sustained as president, Sisters Sinia Lawrence and Emmeline Faucett, her counselors. Sister Joan Manning, secretary; all of whom were elected for six months." It was organized August 10th, 1878. I have a copy of that portion of the John Morgan Journal at home, so I looked up the date.

1878
August 10Conference met at 10 a.m. Attendance improved. The branch from a distance well represented. Held three meetings including a priesthood meeting.

August 11Conference met at 10 a.m. with a good attendance of saints and few strangers. Our meeting was interrupted by a slight shower. Conference adjourned at 9 p.m. after a good time and a general good feeling on the part of the saints. [“Wrote Deseret News” is written after this entry, by Nicholas G. Morgan (is my guess).]

I spent a little time studying the early part of John Morgan's journal looking for the sisters that President Morgan called to The First Relief Society Presidency in the Southern States.

From the John Morgan JournalCassandra [Georgia] 1877
September 10thWrote letters during the forenoon, in the afternoon went up to Mr. Bailey’s and stayed all night.

11th—Started out early in the morning to look up a place to baptize in. Mr. Bailey accompanying me. Selected a spot and went down to Bart Fawcett’s, from there to Mr. Parrs’. Had dinner, returned to Mr. B. and assisted to fix a baptizing place. At night had meeting and preached a long sermon to a good sized audience. Stayed all night at Bart Fawcett’s.

12th—Went up to Mr. Bailey’s and in the afternoon baptized the following persons:
Mrs. Martha Bailey Sr.
Mrs. Martha Bailey, Jr.
Mrs. Jane Payne
Mrs. Millissa Jennings
Miss Emma Fawcett
Miss Victoria Bailey
Stayed all night at Mr. Kerke’s.

Haywood Valley [Georgia] 1877

October 16th—Went to Uncle Jeter’s where we remained part of the day and stayed all night at Bro. Marshalls’. Uncle Jeter came over and informed us that he had some folks to baptize the next morning.

17th—Went over to the baptizing place and baptized the following persons:
B.F. Marshall [,] Confirmed by Elder L. [probably Lisonbee]
Jas. Keele “ [Confirmed by Elder] J. M. [John Morgan]
Sinai Lawrence “ [Confirmed by Elder] L.
Elizabeth Keele “ [Confirmed by Elder] L.

After dinner we went across the Mountain to Bro. Moyer's where we stayed all night.

John Morgan journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah. Picture from John Morgan descendant Geraldine M.'s visit to Haywood Valley, Georgia, 2008.

B. H. Roberts speaks at Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan’s funeral, 1930, 2 of 2.

[B. H. Roberts continues funeral address:] Now, in relation to Sister Morgan: You have already been told how Sister Morgan comes of an honored, pioneer family. I remember her father, Nicholas Groesbeck, and I remember his wife, Sister Morgan’s mother. She was a quiet, calm, dignified, splendid pioneer queen—no less! And possessed all of those qualities that I have spoken of in regard to Sister Morgan, the daughter. Her heart was ever open, and her hand ever free to give and help those who came in contact with her. They were a splendid Utah pioneer family of the old stock, and honorable, this Groesbeck family; and not only that, but they were alive to the situation as it arose before them. Nicholas Groesbeck laid the foundation for a great financial career and successful business life. No man outstripped him in that; and he struggled with pioneer conditions and circumstances and overcame them. No man possessed greater character than Nicholas Groesbeck. I know him historically as well as personally, and that is my testimony in relation to him.

As for John Morgan—a Prince! A Prince he was. He was like some of the under-ground springs that flow in the earth, and then by and by they crop up to carry out the purposes of God—that was John Morgan. A Prince in the spirit world and princely here.

John Morgan communicated that wonderful spirit that he was possessed of to many. There are hundreds and hundreds of eminent and successful men in Utah today who owe John Morgan a debt of gratitude for what he conferred upon them through his wonderful influence and through his school; and as President of the Southern States Mission. The numbers who were benefited by his influence are unknown, but they go into the hundreds and perhaps the thousands. He made a mighty contribution to the world in his capacity of leadership. And standing by his side, and ever ready to lend a helping hand, was his queen—that honest, direct, frank, lovely wife of wonderful nature—Sister Morgan. That’s how I regard her. As I looked upon her beautiful, refined face this day, clutched by the hand of death—not even death could mar that face, but gave it a new beauty—she was wonderful to me. That was my thought as I looked upon her and it is true.

We have assurance of the life eternal; we are converted to it. You can’t make me believe that God is so unreasonable that he will bring forth such people as Sister Morgan and then destroy them. He doesn’t go to such pains to produce such characters a these—to refine, to elevate, to purify them and then destroy them. He may permit them to suffer, but destroy them—I would as soon expect him to destroy himself. Such people as Brother and Sister Morgan are the kings and queens of God and of the universe.

Now, may God bless this family, everyone of them. I feel, if circumstances and conditions would warrant it, I would like to place my hands upon the heads of these dear sons and daughter and bless them in the name of God, and in commemoration of their noble father. May the Lord bless them and lead them on to ever hold sacred the life of their dear parents, and to emulate their examples, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

See references at Part 1.