James Richard Bailey 1867-1948

James Richard Bailey 1867-1948

James Richard Bailey 1867-1948 (Compiled by Mary Renberg and Edna Arbon, his daughters)

James Richard Bailey, son of Charles and Susannah Hawkins Bailey, was born February 26, 1867, in Wellsville, Cache County, Utah. His father was born in Honley, Yorkshire, England, September 1, 1839, and his mother was born in Kensington, England, March 8, 1847.

His father was a stalwart member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, having been converted in England about 1852. He sailed to America on the "Charles Buck," arriving in Salt Lake City, September 25, 1855. He moved to Wellsville, Utah, in the fall of 1859. He believed in the principle of polygamy and married three women in the Logan Temple - Johannah Fredrika Amanda Adamson and Susannah Hawkins on November 7, 1863, and Hannah Jones, April 4, 1870. He was the father of thirty-two children, twenty-one sons and eleven daughters. Dad was the oldest son and he had nine brothers and four sisters.

Father received his early schooling in Wellsville. He left school early in his life, as he started freighting at the age of twelve. He drove freight wagons from Wellsville to various sections of the West. He drove through Arbon Valley, where, he said, the grass was up to the horse's belly. This gave him an idea where he would like to live when he was older. He said that his freighting trips were long and hard, going only thirty to forty miles a day, camping when there was grass and water.

Father married Annie Kerr (our mother) in the Logan Temple, June 11, 1890, having met and courted her at Aspen, Wyoming, where she had gone to cook for the loggers. Immediately after their marriage they moved to Huntsville, Utah, where he was employed laying tracks for the Five Points Railroad. After three months there, they moved to Bear River, Utah, where he worked on the Bear River Canal system. They took their only possession - a greased pig caught in a 4th of July contest in Huntsville.

They moved to Aspen, Wyoming where dad helped get out logs for the sawmill as he had done before his marriage. They were there for two summers, going back to Wellsville in the winters.

On June 21, 1892, Dad, John Bowen, Sam D. Davis, and Edward H. Davis went into Arbon Valley to seek new homes. There was considerable snow in Knox Canyon and they could not tell whether there was water there or not, but later in the summer they found a good stream of water and soon commenced to dig a canal to get water down into the valley.

Dad was one of the original pioneers to the valley. He applied for 160 acres of land under the Homestead Act, and in the spring of 1894 settled on his homestead. He had fixed a "dugout" for a house, having gotten there before mother. However, when she saw it, she said: "I will not live in a hole." So he set up a tent, which served as a home for the first summer. they went back to Wellsville for the winter. The next spring, sufficient logs were cut for a one-room log cabin. Later another room was added, and still later on a three-room frame house was built. The house was remodeled, adding two bedrooms and a sleeping porch.

Also, in the year 1894, Dad with D. J. Bowen and the Arbons (a few others) clubbed together and bought wire to fence each a small portion of land in order to seed wheat. D. J. Bowen had purchased an Osborne dropper, with which the grain was cut and hauled in wagons, as the grain was too short to bind. They secured a thresher from Samaria, which was brought down through Mine Canyon to the valley. This was used to thresh the grain that was raised that year. The crops were very meager.

In 1896 the crops were good and all of them together purchased a 10-foot header and there were just enough men, who had remained to "tuff it out" to make up a crew. All the grain in the valley was cut by this header.

The winter of 1896-97 was very bad and a break did not come until April 10th. On April 7th there was the worst blizzard of the season.

A postoffice was established in 1898, with D. J. Bowen as postmaster. Dad took it from Brother Bowen (who had been postmaster for one and a half years) and he was the postmaster from 1899 to about 1903. Mrs. Tom Evans took it for a year, then Dad was again appointed postmaster, which position he held until 1916. He built a shanty to house the postoffice. He also stocked grocery items for sale.

On August 19, 1900, a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized in the valley, with ten families and a few single men. D. J. Bowen was the first presiding elder, and Dad was the first sunday school superintendent, with Ed Davis and Joe Arbon as assistants. He held this position for seventeen years.

In 1901 a church building was completed. This was an all-purpose building, used also for dances and elementary school. The first teacher in the new building was Maude Evans.

By this time (1901), seven children had been born to Dad and Mother - Jane (Jennie) was born January 6, 1891, at Wellsville; James, born October 1, 1892, (he died October 15, 1892); Susannah (Anna), born September 23, 1893, at Wellsville; Melvin, born November 24, 1895, at Wellsville; Charles, born September 4, 1897, at Wellsville; Thomas, born May 5, 1899, at Arbon; and Erma, born January 29, 1901, at Arbon.

The first tragedy in the family occurred March 23, 1912, when Jennie, who had married Lawrence Gibbons, December 20, 1910, died during childbirth. She and Lawrence had planned to go to Malad for the birth, but she went into labor at their home in Arbon and by the time Dr. Ray, from Malad, could get out there, she had died and the baby, also. She had gone into convulsions and could not be saved. She was buried in the cemetery in Arbon. The snow was very deep and it was a major job to dig the grave.

In addition to the seven children, referred to above, six more children were born to Dad and Mother - Elizabeth, born April 2, 1903, at Wellsville; Mary, born February 28, 1905, at Logan; Edna, born September 7, 1906, at Samaria; Tressa, born July 15, 1908, at Arbon; Merle, born July 20, 1910, at Arbon; and Earl, born February 17, 1913, at Arbon.

Dad and Mother worked together trying to support their family. Cows were always milked, butter made and sold. There were chickens to supply the eggs, so their living was pretty well made from the farm. In the summer a garden was grown, which also supplied the necessities of life. It seemed Mother could always set a table of good things to eat. She was known for rice puddings, which were super. She fed a lot of people and especially on Sundays after sacrament meeting. Dad was a sociable man and liked to visit. On Sundays members of the Church from Pauline would come to the little church house and he would invariably invite them to dinner, most of the time unbeknown to Mother until they arrived.

Dad was a school trustee and he always insisted that his children attend school. Many of the children got certificates for being neither tardy or absent during the school year. Winters were very bad most every year and snow would entirely cover the fences. The children would walk the one and a half miles when the weather was good, then Charles would drive them in his sleigh when it looked as if a blizzard was in the making. It was a hard deal to get children to school, but everyone graduated from district school.

Dad was also chairman of District 12 School Board in the years 1918-19.

Every year after the canal was built (which brought the water down to the valley for irrigation purposes) the ditch had to be worked so water would not sink and waste. Dad was always present with his horses to help. He irrigated alfalfa and usually raised enough hay to feed his stocks in the winter. By this time, the boys were old enough to help hay, plow, and do all the jobs that had to be done on the farm.

Father had good health, except for a hernia which bothered him. One day, while on a leveler, which was drawn by several horses, he got deathly sick, so he unhitched the horses to let them go and he started to crawl to the house, which was about three-fourths of a mile away. Someone saw him and went after him in a buggy. He was taken to American Falls, where he was operated upon by Dr. Schultz. He had good health afterwards for many years.

Dad had many brothers and half-brothers who were noted for their singing, but he, having to work when so young, did not have the advantage to practice and sing in the group, and, consequently, he couldn't sing as well. He loved music. His was one place in the valley that had an organ. This was played so much that the pedals came off. He then bought a Gulbransen piano and many hours were spent with the children, singing and playing the piano. Anna, Mary, Edna, and Merle learned to play the piano and took their turns playing for church and other events in the Arbon branch.

Dad was ordained a High Priest by Joseph Fielding Smith on October 31, 1915, in the Arbon Ward, Curlew Stake. He believed in the power of the Priesthood, and one time, with Bishop Arbon, administered to a lady possessed of evil spirits. He always remembered that as a faith-promoting experience, as the evil spirits were dispersed and the lady recovered. She was still living in 1979.

Every year, a trip was made to Brigham City, Utah, for fruit and vegetables to be canned. It was common to get twenty bushels of peaches. Mother also canned plums, apples and every fruit that was available. These were canned in two-quart jars and usually there was enough to last until the trip was made again the next year. The mode of travel was a white-topped buggy, drawn by two horses.

Dad bought more land, a homestead his half-brother Charles had filed and settled on, and other land until his farm totaled 500 acres. Many times his wheat crop was frozen (seven years in a row) and very little grain was raised. Somehow the family survived and although we never had a lot of luxuries, we were able to have all we wanted to eat and nice clean clothes to wear.

During the fall of 1917 and winter of 1918, the flu was prevalent all over the country and thousands died. Arbon wasn't left out. Many families were hit. The James Bailey family was stricken, all but Erma and Dad, and they had to be nurse and doctor. It was a terrible time for everyone because there were not antibiotics or medicine to treat the victims. Seems it lasted three weeks before any improvements were seen in the patients. There was one death in Arbon - Raldo Wood. Schools were closed and no assemblies were held. (World War I ended.)

Erma, who had married Park Lusk when he was home on furlough from the Army, April 18, 1918, and who was the mother of two children, James and Ralph, took pneumonia in the winter of 1922. She was so sick that she couldn't be moved to a hospital, and she passed away February 24, 1922. This was a sad time for Dad and Mother. The winter was bad, with lots of snow, and it was a task to dig a grave beside here sister Jennie's grave. Her funeral was held in the Pauline church house. The trip to the cemetery was long and cold. Grandpa and Grandma Kerr and others came from Wellsville. The snow was drifted so that we couldn't see Uncle Ren's house from the front windows.

In April, before the snow had melted, Dad had to take Mother to Pocatello to be with Stella, Melvin's wife, who was expecting a baby. In April 1922, Lamond was born. She stayed about a week with Stella, and poor Dad had to take care of everything at the farm. Mother seemed to be indispensable. She was always called whenever sickness was present. Many Arbon babies were brought into this world by her. It seemed the doctors couldn't be present at the time needed, so she was summoned. There were never any complications with the mothers she assisted.

The water on our farm, supplied by a pump, was hard and unfit for washing purposes, so every week a trip was made to Brother Bowen's spring to get water. This was hauled in fifty gallon barrels. About 1924, another well was drilled and the water was soft enough to use for laundry and culinary uses.

Dad took over the postoffice again in 1920 for about a year, then Mrs. Tom Evans was made postmistress. But, in 1924, Dad again became postmaster, taking in from Mrs. Ellis Logan. It was kept in his home until 1928, when Mrs. John Bullock became the postmistress. The salary was very low, just the cancellation of the stamps and a percent of the stamps sold. It was a good month if the salary reached $30. Many farmers sold cream in Pocatello and sent it by parcel post, so that helped with the salary.

Dad and Mother had their first train trip in 1928. Their daughter Mary, with her husband Erin and son Lowell, were living in Butte, Montana, where Erin was working in the Anaconda Mine office, so they, with Edna visited them. Dad thought the trip was wonderful and enjoyed every minute of it. Many things along the way reminded him of freighting days.

The church members of the valley were called upon to give their views as to the building of a church house. All seemed to be in favor of contributing time, labor, and money, so a carpenter from Malad was hired, and the building, which is still in use, was finished in 1928. Dad did his share on the building, and enjoyed going to church there for several years. This building was dedicated, August 17, 1939, by President Heber J. Grant. It was a wonderful and memorable day.

Earl, the youngest child of the family, was so ill he wasn't able to attend the dedication of the church building. He had married Aseneth Ramell from Tetonia, May 17, 1939. His illness worsened as time went on. He was hospitalized in Pocatello, and was in and out of the hospital until November 23, 1939, when he passed away. His funeral was held in the First Ward, Pocatello, Idaho. Samual Mitton, a cousin of Dad's (and a noted musician) played the prelude and postlude music, as well as a musical selection. (Mitton was married to Grandpa Bailey's sister, Mary Ann.) Earl was buried in the Mountain View cemetery in Pocatello.

On the 10th day of June, 1940, Dad and Mother celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in the church house. Many of their brothers, sisters, and other relatives came from Wellsville and other parts of the country to share the joy of this great event. All their living children with their families attended.

After Earl's death, Dad decided he couldn't farm any longer, so he and Mother moved to Pocatello and turned the farm over to Soren and Merle. However, he decided to sell the farm to Melvin, which he did in March of 1941.

Both Dad and Mother worked at the Bishop's Storehouse in Pocatello, which was just across the street from their apartment (Fox Apartments). Both were complimented on their honest work and cleanliness.

Mother, who had had many bouts with gall bladder trouble, took terribly ill on May 27, 1946. She had done her laundry and while hanging it on the line became ill. Her doctor didn't think it necessary to hospitalize her. This attack was more severe than any she had had before, because the next evening, May 28th, around 5:30 she passed away. Dad had gone to the grocery store to get some ice cream that she wanted and when he returned she had expired. He never fully recovered from this shock. Mother was buried May 31st in the Mountain View Cemetery, Pocatello, Idaho.

Nancy Palmer Livingstone, who had worked with Dad and Mother at the storehouse, wanted to keep house for dad, but he refused. However, later on they started keeping company and decided to marry. On October 15, 1946, they were married in the Idaho Falls Temple. Not long after their marriage, Dad was working at the storehouse when he fell off the steps and broke his hip. This laid him up for a time, but he fully recovered.

Nancy owned a house on Yellowstone Avenue, and, in May of 1947, they moved out there. He would go to Arbon to visit whenever the opportunity came. He took care of the elevator at the Arbons' during harvest in 1947, and enjoyed his work.

In June of 1948, he spent some time with Edna in Arbon, as he loved to be around his granddaughter JoAnn. A lot of odd jobs were done by him. After doing back to Pocatello, he became ill and a growth developed in his groin. He was admitted to the General Hospital in Pocatello, where he passed away July 12, 1948, and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, July 15, 1948.

The Spiritual Side of James Richard and Anna Kerr Bailey (Compiled by Merle Bailey Christensen, daughter)

I am really nervous to say something that will be of value, to the descendants of James R. and Annie Kerr Bailey. You all know their are only three of us left, from a family of thirteen. We are still getting up in years and a short time left to be here. We want to leave something for you younger kids, that will help you to remember them. They were two lovely people - Our Dad and Mom.

I thought to say a few things on the religious or spiritual nature of this couple. Do you know that all our progenitors joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in England and Scotland? Our paternal grandparents joined the Church in England, and came across the plains in handcarts. Grandpa (Charles Ramsden Bailey was a very stalwart man in the Church.) He believed that polygamy was a commandment, so he took three wives. He had thirty-two children. Wouldn't you like to set a family down to three meals a day, with the prices like they are today?

Our maternal grandparents joined the church in Scotland and also crossed the plains. Grandmother (Jane Leishman Kerr) was born in Little Cottonwood, Salt Lake, but her parents came across the plains with handcarts. Coming to Salt Lake in 1850. The church was only twenty years old. They gave up so much, their homes, friends, and all that they held dear to come here to the Rocky Mountains or Zion. They suffered trials and tribulations, that we can't even believe. My Grandmother Kerr, tells that for six weeks all they had to eat was pigweeds! She said that when the wagons did come with food and flour, that they were so hungry they licked the flour sacks. I am so thankful and owe so much to them. I am privileged to be born here in these states of Zion.

Our parents James and Annie Bailey were just as brave and God-fearing to go into Arbon Valley and settle it. There were only five families that went there at that time. We know the sacrifices they had to make to endure all.

I would like to tell a little of their Church life in Arbon. The first thing they did was hold Church in their homes, until August 19, 1900. A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was built and organized in the valley. Their were ten families and several single men. D. J. Bowen was the presiding elder and our Dad was sunday school superintendent. He held the position for may years - seventeen in fact!

Our Father was ordained a High Priest by Joseph Fielding Smith in October 1955. He believed in the power of prayer and the power of the Priesthood, and remembers one time that he and Bishop Arbon administered to a lady possessed of evil spirits. The evil spirits were dispersed and she recovered. She is still living today. This, to our Father, was a testimony to the power of prayer.

My Mother also believed in the power of prayer, and tells of a time in early Arbon. She had two little girls. She happened to see a terrible looking man ride into the yard. He had guns strapped on him. She was so frightened she didn't know what to do. She couldn't see a soul around anywhere. She took the girls into a cellar, knelt down, and said a prayer to protect her little girls. She arose and looked out, and she saw a neighbor man riding into the yard. He took care of the man. She later learned that he was an escaped convict. This was a strong testimony to her of the power of prayer. She also tells that when our Father was away, and she was alone at night, she used to sit Dad's shoes on the doorstep, so that anyone would think Dad was home.

They held Church in the old building until 1928. I can remember going to this old building for years. There was only one big room. For classrooms they had curtains they would draw, and one could hear was the other classes were talking about. This building was also used for a school, but I never went there. In 1928 the families got together to build a new church house. This took money and labor from all. Our Father and Mother contributed many long hours and money to it. It was dedicated in 1939 by Heber J. Grant. It still serves as the building for the Arbon Branch, and a very good building.

Our parents were real God-fearing folks. They were very, very honest in their dealings. Dad always believed in giving an equal share - only he always went beyond the mark and ended up holding the sack. Mother was the same in her dealings.

They tried hard to teach us honesty, integrity, and to be clean. Today as I meditate on the things about my folks, I became so close to them, and I truly know everything they tried to do was in the best interest of their family.

They had thirteen children, and loved each one so very much. Wouldn't it be hard to sit thirteen kids down to the table three times a day. They worked so hard and sacrificed so much for us. All I can say is they were the best of parents. We all love them.