Johns, William Robert - Biography

WILLIAM ROBERT JOHNS

 

WILLIAM ROBERT JOHNS

 

      William R. Johns was born August 27, 1855 in St. Brides, South Wales to William and Elizabeth Williams Johns.  When he was a small boy, his father died.  He and his mother went to live with her parents.  His mother worked as a maid, dying early in her life, leaving him to be reared by his grandparents.  Schooling commenced at the usual age in St. Brides.  After the school day was over he tended sheep.  The Mormon missionaries visited them and told them of the wonderful new religion.  Immediately they knew that it was the faith they had been searching for.  William R. Johns was baptized in the sea near Ogmore, Wales by

 

      Whatever doubt that seemed to be in his mind, there was unquestionably very little about the new church and of Zion.  He was not the only one, for there were many more in the small quaint town of St. Brides in the South of Wales.  William R. Johns was only 10 years old when he left Wales with its abundance of Lush green foliage, the warm sunlight giving warmth and the moist climate keeping the rolling hills and country side heavy with growth.

 

      In 1866 William Williams, his wife and grandson William Johns decided to leave their native land for America in order to be with the Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.  On May 18, 1866, a group of 600 saints left their cozy cottages and most of their belongings to climb aboard a train in the picturesque town of Bridgend to journey on to Liverpool, England, where they stayed for one day.  The following day they boarded the sailing ship named the Arkwright, and at last after weeks of preparation they were on their way.  Their food consisted of salt bacon and salt beef, which was soaked in the sea water before cooking on large community galley or stove.  The also had sea biscuits which were put on rations.  I was at this time that the first successful cable was being laid across the Atlantic Ocean.

 

      No sooner had they landed at Castle Gardens, Ellis Island, till they again boarded a river steamer and were off to Buffalo.  From here by train they went to Canada, this being due to the Civil War at that time.  They crossed the St. Lawrence River by Niagara Falls to Michigan.  Across the state to Chicago, Illinois, they went by way of train.  From here they traveled in cattle cars with wooden slabs for benches.  In this manner they traveled very slowly as the rebels were burning bridges.  They transferred to boat on the Missouri River for two days until they reached a small town in Nebraska situated on the Little Blue River near Nebraska City.  Here they camped on the banks of the river awaiting the arrival of the wagon train from Utah.  Some Welsh people at this place tried to persuade the Mormons to stay where they were and not try to cross the long dreary plains, but William Williams said, "No, I am going on to Zion if I die on the way."  After traveling a short distance the oxen were stampeded, causing one of the teamsters to break one of his legs.  During their travels the company had to be put on rations, each person being allowed one pound of flour and a little bacon each day.  Often water was not fit to drink and many people died or became seriously ill.  After much suffering, William Williams died August 1866, on the Nebraska Plains.  His last words were, "I am at peace with all men and on the road to Zion."  A shadow of sympathetic gloom rested upon the whole company.  Jane Williams was permitted to keep her husband’s body in the wagon until the company camped for their noon meal.  His body was wrapped in a piece of bedding and placed in a shallow grave covered with sod and a few rocks.  Grass growing nearby was put on top.  Following the North Platte and the South Platte they came to Laramie and Fort Bridger them on down through Echo Canyon to Parleys Canyon and  finally the long awaited arrival at Salt Lake City late in November 1866.  It was raining when they arrived.  Jane Williams and the boy William Johns sat down on a box in the old tithing office, where Hotel Utah now stands.  They were waiting for a friend or saint to tell them what to do, or where to go.  She said, "Well, well, if this is Zion I wish I were back in the land of my birth, dear old Wales."

 

      They stayed a few weeks in Salt Lake City until just before Christmas then came to Spanish Fork with Ed and Llewellyn Thomas.  After a winter with them, William R. Johns worked four years for William Banks for his board and clothes.  Him first team was yoke of oxen for which he paid $50 dollars each and $100 dollars for a wagon.  He then began logging and hauling poles from the canyon.  He and his grandmother lived in a small house on the northeast part of town known as Denmark.  For 20 years he sang tenor in the Spanish Fork choir, going to Salt Lake to compete with other singers, where they took the prize, although they were called the "Hay Seeds."  The song they sang was called, "The Voice of Armany," by Evan Stevens.  Professor Henry Giles came to town once a week to train them.  They were called the Silvers Greys and have all passed away now, William R. and Mrs. Ellen Thomas were the last survivors.

 

      William R. Johns married Ann Llewellyn on November 27, 1879, in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City.  Daniel H. Wells performed the ceremony.  They drove to Salt Lake in a covered wagon and Team.  They went from home to the Point of the Mountain the first day, camping there that night.  He paid 50 cents for his bride for a bed at Dunions and he slept in the covered wagon, watching the team during the night.  Returning to Spanish Fork they lived with his grandmother until the following spring. They then moved to Eighth North and Third West in a two room adobe house.  Two daughters blessed their home, Annie and Sarah Jane.  Then they moved on a farm down where David Gull lives north of the Airport.  Three more babies were born, a daughter Lilly Latitia and two sons Llewellyn and William Grover.  The little home consisted of two rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom.  During the First World War in 1917 and 1918 there was the flu epidemic.  Hundreds of people died form its effects.  Most of the people were so frightened but not William R. Johns.  When anyone needed help or death knocked at their door he was right there to get the body prepared for burial.

 

      A few years later three sons and two daughters were born, David, Arthur, Francis, Irene, Ruby in town at 257 West Sixth North.

 

      For several years he hauled freight to Pioche, Nevada (and surrounding areas like Alamo and Delmar), also working at railroad construction in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona.  In Connection with this work he was honored at the Golden Spike Jubilee in Ogden in 1919.

 

      Later in his life he took up farming in the year of 1884 and continued till 1933 when he retired from active labor.

 

      In the earlier days of Spanish Fork he was set apart by the church as one to care for the bodies of the dead.  He did this until professional undertakers made his service unnecessary.  He was one of the larger stock holders in the First National Bank of Spanish Fork, and also of the Farmers Mercantile Association.  In 1929 he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding with a family reunion which their five living children attended.  During his life, he felt the principles of Mormonism were right and tried to live up to its teachings.

 

      He was the father of 10 children; five died before him.  Two died later and there are three boys now living.  There are 11 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, 20 great-great grandchildren now living.

 

      William R. Johns died on January 20, 1937 in Spanish Fork,

Utah.

None

Immigrants:

Jenkins, Jane

Johns, William Robert

Williams, William A.

Comments:

No comments.