John Morgan and Joseph Standing 1876 Mission Travels Concluded.

(Continued from here.)

Covington, May 12, 1876 – Plowed during the forenoon, crossed over the River after dinner. Came to Mr. Shelby’s and helped to put down carpet all afternoon for them.

May 13, 1876 – Went up to town today and walked about for some time.

May 14, 1876 – Laid down on the floor during the forenoon, in the afternoon crossed the River and held meeting at Brush College. Mr. Shelby with me.

Covington, Indiana, May 15, 1876 – Assisted to plant some melons this morning. Rode with Mr. Shelby out East several miles after cattle. Secured a Church to preach in and made an effort to get another, but failed.

May 16, 1876 – Went to town this morning to see Joseph [Standing] off. Fasting today. Went fishing this afternoon. 

May 17, 1876 – Came down to the River with Mr. Shelby, crossed over in a canoe and had dinner with Mr. Salts. Rode up to the  Lumter School House with young Jones. Came over to Mr. Crossiklutso. From there to Mr. Johnson’s where I am tonight. A good feeling. Raining some tonight.

Two years later in early 1878 Joseph Standing was again set apart for a mission to the South and assigned to the state of Georgia. In January 1878 John Morgan was called to service as President of the Southern States Mission.

(To be continued.)
John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. http://theancestorfiles.blogspot.com/2010/03/19th-century-presidents-of-southern.html

Lookout Mountain and John Morgan and Southern States Missionaries.

The November 14, Men and Women of Faith in the Latter-days Lecture in the Assembly Hall “Faith to Persevere; Southern States Mission” was highlighted in yesterday’s Church News.  I attended the lecture and enjoyed hearing Heather Seferovich’s research and look into the lives and service of the missionaries who served there. Including Great Grandfather John Hamilton Morgan. The picture included in yesterday’s newspaper account caught my eye. Nicely dressed young men perched on the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

John Morgan’s journal of his years in the South recounts numerous trips to that site. A hike up Lookout Mountain was a rite of passage with President John Morgan and all of his newly arrived missionaries, visiting friends and family.

He recorded two visits to that mountain in 1886. In January John Morgan’s sixteen-year-old daughter Mellie traveled with him as secretary to the SS Mission. She became ill during her stay there and her planned return home had to be delayed. After four-six weeks of convalescing in Tennessee he wrote of his daughter’s renewed health and stamina. Prior to their departure West in the latter part of March he took Mellie and some friends up to Lookout Mountain.

In November of that year his wife Mellie traveled from Salt Lake City to Kansas City to join him for a month in the SS Mission. She accompanied him on his mission work throughout the month, and traveled home with him and converts emigrating West. While they were in Chattanooga John took his wife Mellie to Lookout Mountain.

Lookout Mountain from Wikipedia

On November 24, 1863 the Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought on the slopes of the mountain. The majority of hand to hand combat took place near Cravens' house about halfway to the summit. Lookout Mountain’s shape and location can in some conditions cause a unique weather phenomenon. After dawn, fog will sometimes descend from the cooler mountain top to the valley below and stop about halfway down, an event which took place the day of the battle and is the reason for its romantic name, the "Battle Above the Clouds". The battle was won by Union forces, enabling them to lift the siege of Union forces in Chattanooga.

An account of John Morgan's Civil War Service is posted here at The Ancestor Files.

John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Bessie Morgan Rex, letter to Harold. 1938 undated January.

"Oh, and does it make me sick to see my boy"

Undated early 1938 letter from Randolph

My dear son,

You wont mind, will you, if I just scratch off a few lines with a pencil. Must get this off to you this morning.

I do hope we hear from you today. We didn’t get one last week, but I thot that a month ago then you were on your way to your new field of labor. I do hope you like it there, and enjoy your work.

Hear from Helen & Winnie every week. Helen is grand down there [Oakland, California]. Think – 130 lbs. that is more than she ever weighted, I think. She found Aunt Lile and her girls. Families do get scattered.

There is a picture of the Joinville R.S. sisters in the Dec. magazine. I don’t suppose you get the magazine. Wish I could send you mine, but I am afraid it would get lost. I do like to keep them. It has so many grand things in it.

You just wont know you are in Randolph Church when you come home. It is all changed so.

Well, we have had no snow & no cold weather so far. I certainly think we will

get some. You see, I am like the old farmers’ wife who said,

“There is a heart, there is a hand we feel but cannot see

We have always been provided for and we shall always be.”

There just isn’t anything of importance around here. We go along in the same old way I guess. Ah last week I wrote a play & we put it on in R.S.

Hope you have written to Helen. She is so eager to hear from you.

I think I better close this. My mind just isn’t perking this morning. Heard “Red Sails in the Sunset” last night on the radio, Oh and does it make me sick to see my boy. I’m afraid as these missionaries start coming home, I’m going to get more impatient about you coming home.

Tell us all about your new home. We all send a bushel of love and surely do pray that the Lord will ever help you in your work.

Lovingly,

Mother 

John Morgan and Joseph Standing Mission Travels continue. May 6 - 10, 1876.

Wabash River at Covington, Indiana from Wikipedia

(Continued from Joseph Standing's letter to the Deseret News, and from these  prior journal entries.)

Covington, May 6, 1876 – Read and slept during part of the day. Went to town in the afternoon; walked about the street, visited the cemetery. Went to the Court house, started a fire and wrote awhile. Rung the Bell and called the people together to meeting. Had a good attendance and a good feeling manifested. Came out to Shelby’s tonight.

Grange Hall, May 7, 1876 – Wrote a letter to the Danville Times. Came over in Shelby’s buggy to this place. Spoke to a very full house who gave close attention.

Mt. Zion, Indiana, May 8, 1876 - Mr. Wright brought us up to the cross roads, where we got out and walked down toward the river. Mr. Singer overtook us and gave me a letter from Mellie. Walked over to Mr. Jones’. Had dinner and walked over to Mr. William’s, from there to Mr. Gamison’s, then to Mr. Wright’s, where I had supper; then down to Mr. Jones’ where we stay tonight.

Mt. Zion, May 9, 1876 – Took a boat this morning and went out on the water and moved the logs off the land that Joseph had plowed. Went to Widow Maginnis’ and stayed all night. Preached at the log school house to a good audience.

Mt. Zion, May 10, 1876 – Went up the Railroad to Mr. Jas. Johnson’s where I spent the greater portion of the day very pleasantly talking and listening to Miss Dora play the piano. Came down in the afternoon to Mr. Gamison’s, at time for the meeting went down to the school house but found it locked up. Two gentlemen called on the Director to get the key but were refused; in the meantime I commenced service in the woods to quite a large audience who gave close attention. There was a strong spirit of mob violence, but the Lord overruled it for our good. After the meeting a man by the name of Cole came up and tried to cause difficulty, but failed. The efforts of the evil one only made us friends.

(To be continued.)

Susan's Birthday!

Susan Frazier

October 20, 1951 - November 26, 2006

Leonidas Morgan "FOUND"

Leonidas Morgan April 28, 1847 - May 10, 1923

Twenty-three-year-old Leonidas Morgan was in Salt Lake City in 1870 working as a school teacher in his brother John Morgan’s college. He lived with his brother and sister-in-law Helen Melvina “Mellie” Morgan, and their 5-month-old baby daughter.

Since that time Leonidas Morgan has been elusive—one of John Morgan’s missing siblings.

John Morgan noted Leonidas’ kindness to him during an 1883 visit to Chicago, Illinois.

1883, November 8, Up early this a.m. and took the 6:44 train into Chicago. Lon [Leonidas] assisted us and was very kind.

Other than that I have had no luck locating him. This morning after reading James Tanner’s post on the value of probate records, I followed one of the links he provided.

Ever looking for my Great Great Grandfather Garrard Morgan’s actual place of death and the date he died, I searched for his name in Illinois. And up came,

“Garrard Morgan in entry for Leon Morgan,

“Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947”

Leon Morgan died May 10, 1923 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, at 76. He was born April 28, 1847 in Greensburg, Ind. to Garrard Morgan and Eliza Hamilton. His occupation was Salesman Advertijements [sic], and he was married to Mary E. Morgan.

Instead of Mary E. as his wife appeared in more than one census, her name is Marie Rice Morgan. She was married to Leon Morgan on November 27, 1895 in Pittsfield, Berkeshire, Massachusetts. Leon’s parent as they appear on the Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910 records are Gaward Morgan and Eliza H. Hamilton. That is a very different way to write Garrard. Perhaps that’s the way it sounded to a clerk, or the way it looked from someone’s handwriting.

Their children are, Sarah D. H. Morgan, born October 5, 1896 in E. O. Essex, New Jersey, and Leon Morgan, born November 18, 1897 in E. O. Essex, New Jersey. From “New Jersey, Births and Christenings, 1660-1980”

Leon Morgan family is found in Chicago, Cook, Illinois Census 1910, 1920, 1940.

Bessie Morgan Rex letter to Harold. January 19, 1938.

John Morgan, Percy Harold, Maeser Morgan Rex, 

standing in front of their Randolph, Utah home, prior to Morgan's deployment.

 Randolph, Utah

January 19, 1938

My dear dear boy,

Right now, I am going to sit down and write to you. It is nearly six o’clock and I am getting supper ready. Just received your letter of Dec. 17, and was, oh so pleased to get it. Of course it was written before your airmail letter, but nevertheless we enjoyed it very much, so I will chat about it first.

That is a lovely picture of Winnie, isn’t it. I have mine where I can see it all the time. I think my daughters are just grand but don’t say it’s too bad you are her brother. My dear, you have no idea how proud I am of my boys. Your work down there is a constant joy to me, and Morgan is growing into a fine serious fellow who loves things like physics and geometry. I do hope you can accomplish all the things you desire to so much. I am surely happy these days, especially when I think of my children. I received a letter from Helen also tonight

I am so glad she and Glenn are working [in] the ward. Have you heard from her? You should have by now.

Last night a young man came to see me. Do you remember those three salesmen you met in Evanston a day or two before you left. You know they sold Helen a couple of dresses. Well, one Karl Page, liked Helen very much, and so he came up to see me. He kept saying “She is one swell girl.” I should like to capture him for Winnie. He is the sweetest kid. He always wants to know all about you and is looking forward to seeing you when you come home. I like him because he is fine & clean looking, and does he love life.

You mentioned buying a camera. I do hope you were able to keep it. We are looking forward to seeing pictures of Brazil. I am wondering if you have enough money now. Do be very observing. We shall have many many questions to ask you. Did you write to Mr. D. P. Murray. Possibly you didn’t get my letter saying he was much interested in you and will help

you if you go the the A. C. [Agriculture College in Logan. Utah].

I have written a play for the R.S. today. It has been fun, but I do get tired. Myrtle Jones is the new R.S. Pres. And I still teach literature.

Have you decided to come straight home. Possibly that is the best. Daddy has some debts to pay and a hundred dollars is quite a bit right now. If you come home by N.Y. I shall send you Vash Young’s address and you can call on him. He gave me or my family a very urgent invitation.

They cleaned the church today to make it ready for carpet and drapes. Wont that be grand.

We have no snow so far, and a very mild winter. Different from any winter I have seen here so far.

And now my dear, you are much further away from us, but I’m so glad it is cooler. I looked it up on the map, and the weather, I judge, is about the same as our southern states. I do hope you like it. I think you have been rewarded for your good work.

Did I tell you Roy went back to his mission Monday morning. Bob W. will be home next month.

Did I tell you Helen found Aunt Lile. They didn’t know her.

Dear dear, I told you about the boy’s baby beef didn’t I. I am getting tired and sleepy, so I better be closing. There isn’t any news in town of any importance.

Keep up your good work, my son and the Lord will ever bless you. We wait for your letters each week and love to hear from you.

Love & kisses from all of us.

Lovingly,

Mother

Note: Eliza Ann Morgan Smith is Bessie's older sister born February 8, 1875. Vash Young is #8 in Bessie's classroom picture on this post.