Pioneer Heritage of Vivian Vilate Kohler Jacob
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Pioneer Heritage of Vivian Vilate Kohler Jacob Arnold Bigler Birth: 25 July 1849 in Musingen, Bern Switzerland (born two years after Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley) Christening: 11 August 1849, Bern, Bern, Switzerland Death: 8 April 1916, Park City, UT (67 years old) Burial: 11 April 1916, Mt. Pleasant City Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, UT “Your great, great grandfather (meaning Vivian’s grandchildren’s great, great grandfather), Jacob Arnold Bigler, (Grandma Kohler’s father) joined the church in Switzerland. His family disowned him. Being from a wealthy family, he had enough money to get passage to America. He had been in France studying art. When he got to America, he had no money or a trade to help make money. He joined the army and then deserted and ended up in Arizona. He as a man with two wives. He moved his first family to Ephriam, UT. And then returned to Arizona to get the other family (that family included your great grandma, Mary) and more children. It took the family eight weeks to make the trek to Utah. They traveled by wagon and camped by the trail each night. One night a man walked into their camp carrying his saddle as his horse had died. Grandpa Bigler was afraid that the man might try to steal on of their horses, so he sat up all night with his rifle in hand. In the morning, the visitor picked up his saddle, thanked them and walked out of camp. One of the children, a girl, became sick and the family didn’t know what to do. There happened to be an Indian woman in camp (don’t know why), but she asked if she could hold the girl. The woman was chewing something, and when she got the girl, she made her open her mouth. She then proceeded to spit into the little girl’s mouth. The girl got better in just a day or two. The girl always had darker skin than the rest of the family, and they all said it was because the Indian woman spat in her mouth. The family got to Provo, Utah. The Kohler family came to meet them and help them on the rest of their journey to Midway. It was then that Grandpa Kohler met Grandma Kohler on a wagon ride up Provo Canyon to the Heber Valley.” As told by Vivian Vilate Murri, daughter of Mary and Ernest Kohler and written by Blaine Murri in March 2012. Blaine went and asked his mother, Vivian about pioneer stories to share with his grandchildren, Cameron and Jenna Dey while they went on a pioneer trek at the YO Ranch in Texas. Gottleib Kohler Birth: 4 December 1845, Meiringen, Bern, Switzerland Death: 16 April 1914, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, 69 years old Burial: 18 April 1914, Midway, Wasatch, Utah “Your great, great grandpa, Gottleib Kohler, (meaning Vivian’s grandchildren’s great, great grandfather) and his family were converted to the church in Shirley in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. He sent the two oldest children, a boy and a girl to America with two LDS missionaries. They came to Charleston, Utah where they worked so they could earn money to send back to the rest of the family in Switzerland. Your great grandfather, Ernest Kohler, and the rest of the eight children and their parents then came to the U.S.A. Your great grandfather, Ernest, was the oldest of the children that came over. He was eight years old at the time. They settled in the small town of Midway, Utah. It was a town many Swiss people who had joined the church settled in. It reminded them of their home back in Switzerland. The family was very poor, and so as the boys became old enough to work, they went to the town of Park City to work in the silver mines. When they would come with pay, their father would take all the money and give them $2 each. Albert, one of the younger boys, who was not old enough to work, said that Ernest would give him .25 cents each time he got paid. None of the other ever did anything like that for Albert. Gottleib had a big, long beard and looked mean. All of the neighbor kids made fun of him, and he in turn would swear at them in Swiss. “Your great grandpa Ernest was a small man, who looked to me that he could have been one of St. Nick’s elves,” recalled Blaine Murri (grandson of Ernest). Ernest Kohler married Mary Bigler on December 28, 1900. They moved into the old pot rock house that day. Their family were all born and raised there. The Gottleib family consisted of mom and dad and 13 children, three of which were born after they came to America. The family of 13 children were so poor, they would go to the slaughter house that was between Midway and Heber. They would the heart and liver from the animals so they would have something to eat. Ernest and Mary had four boys and three girls. They were all hard workers. They raised their own food. When growing season was over, Grandpa Kohler (Ernest), went and worked in the mines. They never had inside plumbing until Vivian was a young girl. They had to go outside” As told by Vivian Vilate Murri, daughter of Mary and Ernest Kohler and written by Blaine Murri in March 2012. Blaine went and asked his mother, Vivian about pioneer stories to share with his grandchildren, Cameron and Jenna Dey while they went on a pioneer trek at the YO Ranch in Texas. Letter to the Editor-Wasatch Wave May 10, 2006 Vivian’s writing along the margin of the Sad Day in Midway newspaper: This was our home. All of us kids were born in this house. Editor: It’s a sad day when a 100 year old, well-built pot Our home in Midway – up by rock house is torn down. It is really sad when it is in a 100 foot set-back area of open space approved by the city Schnietter’s Hot Pots. Mom/Dad council. bought and moved into on their Maybe it could have been a public rest room from the trail wedding nite, December 28, 1900. system that is going right by it. Competition runners on Bought it from Sam Mitchell. I Homestead Drive could use the rest room instead of don’t know who built it. Over 106 people’s yards. years old. Bull dozed it down to Along with the house, they are about to cut down an build a subdivision along south of enormous old Weeping Willow tree and replace its beauty the Homestead. with some shrubs. Randy Lundin, Midway 10 February 1988 – Friday Snow blower, Snapper, purchased from Carpenter Seed for $456.88. Two year guarantee. 19 June 1988-Sunday Father's Day We were all up to Diane and Charles in South Jordan. Sandra Murri our second granddaughter received her diamond from Stewart Johnson. Will be married August 27th 1988. 18 July 1988 The debates started in Atlanta, GA for the President election in November. Jesse Jackson, black man, was running for President on the democratic ticket, but he has lost to Michael Dukakis. But the blacks have come a long way and they now have their foot in the door, so to speak. Hard to tell how far they will go in four years. August 1988 Gladys and Ralph have set their marriage date for December 10, 1988. She has ready started selling furniture. 11 August 1988 – Thursday Sis came home from hospital. She is feeling real good. They caught it before it became really serious. 14 August 1988 – Sunday Today was Sis’ (Gladys) 81st birthday and her and Scotty’s (Lolan) Turner’s 60th wedding anniversary. Blaine, Diane, Gladys and Janice and their families had a dinner for them at our home. Then had cake, punch, mints and nuts on the patio later for the relations. Stella Kohler, Dorothy and Ben Myers, Bud and Glenna Kohler, Doyle and grandson Casey Kohler came. There aren’t many of interested anymore. Everyone too busy. Our entire family was here to honor them. Blaine and Debbie, Julie and Ward Dey, Sandra and Stewart Johnson, Corby, Rebecca and Amy, Diane and Charles Kimmerle, Gladys and Ralph Coomes, Janice and Gary, Ronalyn and Cami, Ray and I. Beautiful hot August day. 92 degrees. Had an earthquake, the center in Price, UT. We felt it here about 2 pm was felt as far north as Salt Lake City. 27 August 1988 (Three entries for this date) Sandra and Stewart Johnson wedding reception at the Bungalow Reception Center in Lehi, UT 7-11 pm. Amy Lou Murri broke her leg again. Bake in the Utah Valley Community hospital in traction. 27 August 1988 A beautiful, hot summer day. Picked up Sis and Scotty at 10 am. Drove to Salt Lake to Mulboon’s Café on 6th South and 7th East at Trolley Square to join Sandra Murri and Stuart Johnson’s wedding brunch. We were served crepes, hash browns, cantaloupe slices and a drink. There were 35 present. August 27 1988 We came home and at 4 pm picked Sis and Scotty again and drove to the wedding reception center in Lehi, UT. Sandi and Stu were married by her Bishop Craig Miller. It was a short ceremony after listening to Julie and Ward’s. But it was a beautiful wedding. They are a beautiful couple. Now if they will just live a good life.