JOHN WILLIAM JARDINE

Transcription

1 JOHN WILLIAM JARDINE The life of John William Jardine born t he 8 March 1884 at Lewisville, Idaho. The first child born in Lewisville, en Bingham County, changed later to Fremont, later to Jefferson. It was 20 below zero and e snow was 2 feet deep on e level. No doctors assisted in bringing a child to is world just a midwife. Grandmoer Poole of Menan was called. She brought a good many babies into is world. The way of travel was e team and wagon. Some had home made sleighs. We lived about 200 yards nor on e east side of e street from where Wallace Fife now lives. Then Faer built a 5 room house on e lot now owned by Neal Erickson. We lived ere until Moving to a new 6 room home built on e sou side of Lewisville where Elizabe Harker now lives. At e age of about 8 I started herding e cows on e knolls and beams flat. Sometimes we took em over to Menan on e school sections. Sometimes on foot but most of e time we had a horse to ride. That was 1894, e year e big bridge was built between Menan and Roberts. The pilling was got out by Harry Howard, James Wilson (broer-in-law) and Lee Jardine (a broer). The timber of piles was got out and rafted down e river by em. This was done while I was herding e cows ere at Table Rock. I was just 10 and it was probably 40 miles home and one day I decided to go home, so I saddled my pony early in e morning and started home. Taking e road down rough Lyman, where I stopped to talk to a Mr. Briggs. He asked me to stop and have dinner wi em. I was sure a hungry boy. After dinner I anked em for my dinner and rode on home. As I remember I never met a person all day. I was sure glad to get home, being away about 2 mons. In 1896 I went to Marysville, now Ashton, and worked for a man plowing wi 3 horses wi a walking plow for 50 cents a day and bread and milk for dinner and supper. Then e man never did pay me. In 1900 I went out to Wyoming and drove team on e railroad all summer, before going I worked at Pocatello on e grade. I also worked a while at Idaho Falls on e railroad. At Pocatello e contractor had a big team on e plow at had e habit of running away almost every day. One day I told e boss at I could drive em. He just laughed and said If you can leave your team at camp and I will pay you e price you are getting. That afternoon I started driving at bad team. I wrapped e bits wi wire and when ey bolted I had blood running from eir mous, but ey never did get away from me. At Idaho Falls I drove 4 on e plow and ey were a real plow team. Jack Knives owned em all blacks and real horses. The team I drove in Wyoming, out-pulled any team on e grade. We had 50 teams in our camp. Going back to e winter of I worked wi 3 of my broers-in-law, getting out posts from e Lost River. Jim Kinghorn, Jim Wilson, and Horace Andrus. Jim Kinghorn and myself die e hauling, and in some bad weaer. One day e snow was blowing so hard you couldn t see e horses. Jim took e lead and my team followed. I walked in order to try and

2 keep warm, but in e afternoon between 3 and 4 I just sat down and Jim drove for probably 2 miles before he missed me. He stopped, un-hooked, got on one of his horses and came back and found me down in e snow. I was so nearly frozen, I could not help myself, but very little. But he got me back to e wagons, rolled me up in e bedding and finally got me warmed up. I was a very sick boy. That night it snowed on us about 8 inches. In 1901 early in e spring I bought a fine saddle, shaps and a fine bridle and started out as a cow hand. I went to e Pahsimeroi country and started work for a Mr. Reece. My first job was breaking 5 colts to ride. But I had to do all kinds of farm work. A lot of fences had to be fixed, tending e water, putting in some oats and barley. I had to sow it in by hand. No drill. I worked for him until e first crop of hay was up. I rode my pony home for e 24 of July, en back I went to work for e Pahsimeroi Stock Association. Riding wi anoer man, I worked ere 3 mons. I came home and worked on e reshing machine. This machine was run by horse power, 6 teams. It was a 32 inch resher and I was one of e Bond cutters. In e spring of 1902, I went wi a man named Sam Harris. We went out to Little Lost River and got a job from a Mr. Frank Coffman working wi cattle. About e first of May we started driving about 480 head of cattle to Canada. There were 5 of us. One drove a calf wagon, one e mess wagon, wi anoer wagon trailing behind. If e roads were bad we used 6 head of horses. Most of e time we used 4 head. Three of us drove e cattle and I drove e lead one. It was very stormy e first 2 weeks. We arrived in Canada at Cardston about e 20 of June. Harris and myself started back. We rode our horses back to Great Falls, sold em and took e train to Red Rock, Montana. We got work ere for different men. I got e job of breaking 50 head of horses to ride. Arriving home in time to work on e reshing machine again. The one owning e machine bought a large steamer to pull e resher. This year I helped feed e machine. In 1903 I went out to e Reno Point and worked for a Frank Reno. I helped ride after stock, broke some horses to ride. A man named Harris and myself did e irrigating. It was not uncommon to kill 20 rattle snakes in one day. In e fall I went home and worked on e reshing machine in e fall. I fed e machine wi John Webster of Grant. In e spring of 1904 I went out to Little Lost River and went to work for e A. J. Knowlen Sheep Co. At at time e largest outfit in e United States. I was back later on e resher again. That fall I received a mission call and went to Rexburg and took e Missionary Course. In March 1905 I went on a mission to e Nor Western States. Received a Patriarchal blessing by John Smi on 3 March The winter of 1906 & 7 I labored at Tacoma, Wash. I was in charge of e Elders ere. I also was appointed to preside over e Tacoma Conference. I returned from my mission 6 March Arriving late at night I was met by my broer, Joe, and Bert Marler. I sang in a choir wi Oscar Kirkham. I also loved to dance. At one of ese dances at Menan I met Rhoda Geisler. It was 3 years I courted her and we had many rides in e old horse and buggy. We were married in e Salt Lake Temple 12 Jan Rhoda and I danced many a beautiful waltz togeer and won many a prize for e grand old waltz. We lived and farmed at Lewisville. Faer gave us boys 10 acres each on e west end of e place. I bought out Joe and Lester. I owned 2 lots joining Welby Walker on e nor. I bought out e land owned by my Faer. Sold e lots and lived on e farm. A little dark eyed girl was born to us 4 Nov She was blessed when 8 days old by

3 her Grandfaer Richard Franklin Jardine and was named Vera. Many a time Rhoda has sat at e organ and pumped it and played it and held a baby in her arms. On 4 August 1914 anoer little girl was born to us. She was light complexioned and was given e name Fern Kaerine Jardine. She was blessed by her Grandfaer Richard Franklin Jardine when one mon old. Vera and Fern were life-time playmates. A little red headed boy was born to us 21 March He was named Emmett Geisler Jardine and blessed by his Grandfaer Richard Franklin Jardine. Anoer little girl was born to us 1 October She was blessed by Bishop P. B. Green and named Rhoda Virginia Jardine. Time marches on. Little Emmett became ill. We were unable to get a doctor, so we took him to Rigby for medical treatment on 4 March The end came Wednesday morning at 1:45 6 March He was too weak to be taken back home before his dea. His funeral was held Friday 8 March at 2 p.m. The day after e funeral Baby Rhoda took sick on 9 March We did all we could possibly do, but again e fate of dea hovered over our home. The end came 14 March at 8:50. Funeral services were held Sunday 17 March at e L. D. S. Church. She was buried by e side of her broer in e Lewisville Cemetery. Pneumonia was e cause of her dea. We faced is as many parents have had to, wi fai and trust in e Lord at someday we will understand. On 20 Jan a little red headed girl was born. This wasn t a little red headed boy nor a little dark haired little girl, but was named Roba Jardine by P. B. Green. On 5 August 1921 anoer dark eyed girl was born. She was blessed by her Grandfaer Richard Franklin Jardine on 27 Sep and given e name of Nellis Ru Jardine. That was a boys cry. Grant William Jardine was born 19 Oct and blessed by his Grandfaer Richard Franklin Jardine. We sold e farm in We lived at Roberts for 3 years. Many friends were made here, Many wonderful experiences we had. We lived about 1 mile nor and 2 miles west of Roberts. Alough receiving several failures of crops, we were able to keep going. I milked 5 or 6 cows, and we always had about 200 to 300 chickens. We sold e eggs. While here at Robert s a very interesting incident happened. In e fall during potato digging time, one of our cows happened to get a potato in her roat. I tried to save her, but it seemed noing could be done. Nellis had gone into a wash house and knelt down in prayer. When I went back to e cow, e potato was gone and e cow was allright. I was Superintendent of e Sunday School for 2 years and President of e Young Men s Mutual Improvement Assoc. The spring of 1931 we moved to e Bybee Ward on e place now owned by Herbert Anderson. This was about 2 miles nor of Rigby s main street and en 1 mile west, en one half nor. Spring of 1932 we moved to Annis, Idaho on a farm just east of e Little Buttes. While living here Nellis was operated on for appendicitis. It was e 7 July She recovered very rapidly. The spring of 1935 we moved to Menan a half mile from Rhoda s old home. While living here Roba was operated on for appendicitis. It was August Her recovery wasn t as rapid as Nellis s had been. In e spring of 1937 we moved on a farm just a mile nor of e Menan Depot. This we did enjoy because is was to be ours. This was owned by Floyd Merrill. Living here 10 years before we sold out in The summer of 1944 I bought my first Ford Tractor. They are surely e ing to have on e farm. We sold our farm and moved to Idaho Falls at 475 L. Street. I have worked at different jobs. Mostly as custodian at e different jobs and at e present age of 73 I am taking care of e 4 Ward L. D. S. Church. This would not be complete wiout a word of my family:

4 Vera e oldest married Harry C. Mills of Nampa, Idaho. They had 3 children: Colleen rd Joy, Kenne Harry and Vera Dawn. Vera was taken to e hospital for e bir of her 3 child, but she did not know of e bir of her child. The baby did live and was given e name of Vera Dawn, but Vera did not live. Vera Dawn is 14 and a fine looking girl. Fern never married and lives wi us and has quite a talent and she can do almost anying. She is now working at e desk at e Temple here in Idaho Falls. She plays e piano. Roba, a red haired girl, taught school, went on a short term mission, en married Reed Crystal of Garfield. They have 5 children: Billy Ray, Janet, David, Dixie, and John. (Scott was born a year after daddy died.) They are farming nor of Paul, Idaho now. Nellis married Merlin Hart and ey have 4 children: Ronald, Brent, Annette and Sally. (Becky was born after is was written.) Nellis worked as a telephone operator and now at e desk at e L. D. S. Hospital. Grand, a fine boy, after serving his time for Uncle Sam came home and helped on e farm. Then he married barbara Dansie. They have 4 children: Richard (Dick), Christine (Chris), Kenne Ray, and Carol Ann. Grant took up e Jewelry trade and lives now at Ashton and is a good church worker. The girls Vera, Roba and Nellis are fine singers. Fern played e piano for em to sing. Moer taught e girls how to play e piano. Grant also plays e cornet. All of e children have been active in e church, music, and plays. Rhoda always played for me whenever I sang a solo. Some of my favorite songs were Silver Threads Among The Gold, Face to Face, and The Holy City. 4 June 1957 e girls were here is evening and we enjoyed having em sing for us and Fern at e piano. I have been e Gospel Doctrine Class Pres. I was also put in as Group Leader of e High Priest class of our 4 Ward, Nor Idaho Falls Stake. I have always liked to sing, being a tenor. I have sung in e choir for about 58 years. I have been a Ward Teacher over 50 years. During e summer of 1960 Daddy had many slight heart attacks and was taken to e hospital wi a severe one Sunday morning 31 July Uncle Joe Jardine was in to see him and asked him how he was. The reply I m good spiritually, mentally I m fine, but physically I m not up to much. The end came on Friday evening, 5 August as he passed on to a greater mission. And dea is a mission, dea is a call, just as bir. His responsibility will be great. Though his voice is stilled, e memory will live and become a challenge to we his family. He fought a good fight, he kept e fai, and he had finished e course, and has gone on to his next sphere of activity. As was said at his funeral: Broer Jardine had a firm grip on e iron rod at leads to salvation and exaltation, and I am sure ere is a season, and a time to every purpose under e heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up at which is planted. Will Jardine, husband, faer, and Grandfaer was one who acted well his part; as a boy, as a cowboy, as a successful farmer, as a missionary for e Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints, as a member of a choir, a member of e High Priest Quorum. Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us footprints on e sands of time. Dear Daddy left his footprints on e sands of time and his Golden Tenor Voice will long be remembered. May we as a family follow in ose footprints is our humble wish. Dear Daddy was proud of his family. Uncle Joe Jardine years ago told Daddy one day: Will, you should sure be proud of your family. Today he would be especially proud wi 8 grandchildren and 43 great

5 grandchildren as of 10 July Information of e history is by e family. Typed into e computer by Kaleen Jardine Woolf Idaho Falls, Idaho 17 Nov 2002 Called Will, was my 4 broer. As he was leaving for a mission when I was small, I remember of him picking me up in his arms and loving me. He always seemed to love me. He sent Mary and I several cute ings while he was gone. I still have a red silk hankie and a cute hand woven picture at he sent to me. When I was 10 he gave me my last doll A beautiful one at I still have. He was a nice singer and was called on to sing real often. His favorite song was Jerusalem and I ink he sant it more an any oer. After we came to California I would go to Idaho nearly every summer, he always wanted us to stay wi em all night or go to a lovely dinner. He took us for some nice rides, always a good broer. He was 5 ft and 10 or 11 inches tall, had blue eyes and red hair. They lost 2 babies a week apart, very sad. Ru Jardine Norton 9 Aug 1990 (Aunt Ru sent is remembrance she had written to me. Kaleen )