Jesse Noah Thomas Rowley

Update 27 December 2002 Documents relating to the life of My Grandpa, Jesse Noah Rowley Compiled 2002 - by a grand daughter, April K R Coleman Part 1 The Life Story of Jesse Noah Thomas Rowley, An Autobiography page 2 Part 2 Genealogy of Jesse N Rowley page 8 Part 3 “Written By Jesse N T Rowley” – July 1960 page 8 Part 4 Jesse’s Personal Record Form 1960 page 11 Part 5 Diaz Ward Records of Members – 1886-1907 page 12 Part 6 “No Time for Tears” – the Norton family on Mexico page 12 Part 7 The Life Story of Mary Ann Gadd Rowley, by son Jesse Rowley page 13 Part 8 “History of Mary Ann Gadd Rowley” Excerpts by Mary LR Laws page 13 Part 9 AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Ann Jewell Rowley, Excerpts page 15 Part 10 “History of Samuel Gadd ,” by granddaughter, Mable G Kirk , Excerpts page 15 Part 11 “History of Eliza Chapman Gadd,” by, Mabel G Kirk , Excerpts page 16 Part 12 Mexico Colonies- excerpts- by Andrew Jensen page 17 Part 13 Jesse’s Patriarchal Blessing – Nephi page 18 Part 14 Jesse’s Patriarchal Blessing - Diaz page 19 Part 15 Missions and Appointments page 20 Part 16 Martha H Rowley Talks to me – Dec 1980 page 21 Part 17 History of Amy Mortensen, Jesse’s sister 3 pages page 22 Part 18 Lee’s Backbone – Heart Throbs of the West page 25 Part 19 Deceased Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS page 26 Part 20 Jesse Rowley’s History by wife Martha H Rowley page 27 Part 21 Heber’s Temple Work page 28 Part 22 Martha Haws Rowley’s own history page 29 Part 23 Jesse N Rowley Mission Blessing 1904 page 30 Part 24 Binghampton Cemetery page 30 Part 25 Cecil’s Life History – part (10 pages) page 31 Part 26 Clarence’s Life History & Obituary – part page 41 Part 27 “Dad’s Way with Enthusiasm” – Clarence by his son Ed – part page 42 Part 28 Gene’s Life History – part (19 pages) page 45 Part 29 Narvel Rowley’s life history – part page 64 Part 30 Ervin’s Obit page 67 Part 31 Robert H Rowley by his mother Martha page 68 Part 32 Jesse’s Birthday Poem by Joyleen “Saga of a Pioneer’s Son,” not here yet - page 69 Part 33 Jesse’s Birthday Article 1964 [2 of them] page 71 Part 34 Jesse’s Post Birthday Article 1964 page 71 Part 35 Lela’s story page 72 Part 36 Jesse’s Obituary page 73 Part 37 Jesse’s Reunion Article 1984 page 74 JesseNRowley my notes are in brackets [ ] akrc 9/20/2012 update printed 9/20/2012 akrc 1 The Life Story of Jesse Noah Thomas Rowley An Autobiography [I have a hand written copy in Jesse’s writing of this story– written April 2, 1955, 566 S Olive D., Mesa, Arizona – This is a little bit different format – no paragraphing. – This version has additions for Jan 1956 - akrc] I was born February 18, 1874, in Nephi, Juab County, Utah. My father was John Rowley ; my mother was Mary Ann Gadd Rowley . My first recollections were of living on a homestead north-east of the city of Nephi. I grew up along with the rest of the children and being the second son, I was closely associated with my older brother, John S Rowley who was about four or seven years older than I. I went with him into the woods for wood and posts. On one occasion, father was making a ditch to carry water to the farm. When the ditch was completed and he turned the water into it, the ground sank about 18 inches so that he had to begin again and dig a ditch in higher ground. In the lower ground where the first ditch was, one of the horses suddenly dropped into a hole when the ground sank under him. I helped put a chain around the horses body, then by hitching a team to the chain, he was pulled out. Even now, I can almost see the marks of the chain on the horse’s backbone. After the ditch was completed, the ground was irrigated and plowed and alfalfa planted. By this time, I was large enough to ride the mowing machine day after day, cutting hay. We had quite a tumble one day while hauling hay. About six of us boys and girls were riding on a load when it fell off the wagon, and some of us went under the hay. Later as we were finishing a large stack of hay, I climbed the ladder to get on top in order to stack the hay, but at the top of the ladder was a large swarm of flying ants, so I couldn’t get up. We had a large sled that we hitched a team to, to go sleigh riding. One day, after a snow storm, John and I went with it into the hills for some wood. While we were there, the sun came out and melted the snow so much that when we came back, we had dry ground or mud to pull the load through, so we were late getting back that cold night. Another day, we went up on the mountain known as Plaster Hill to get a load of gypsum rock to make plaster of paris. When we came down the road was wet. The head wheels being rough-locked with a chain, it made the road rough. When we came down the next time, it was frozen hard and rough. One big rock bounced off the wagon and hit one of the horses as he slid down the hill trying to hold the wagon back. It was a rough ride for me. I had another rough ride when Heber and I went up to take food to the men working in the hills. We were riding colts that were just half broke. Just before we got to camp, the horse I was riding got scared and jumped, and off I went with the provisions. The men were making and laying pipe to carry the water to the land to be irrigated. From the end of the pipe, it ran about a mile and a half to a reservoir where there was a fish pond. One hard winter all the fish were frozen. This water was added to that which came from the ditch that father built (or dug.) Father [John Rowley ] then built a lumber flume to carry the water out onto the top of a 30 foot water wheel which was used to create power to run machinery which he set up to make plaster of paris which in time he shipped to Salt Lake City and other parts, much of it being used in the temples. I went with Father to take a load of plaster of paris to the JesseNRowley my notes are in brackets [ ] akrc 9/20/2012 update printed 9/20/2012 akrc 2 Manti Temple when I was too little to “comb my hair before breakfast.” I afterwards drove a team for Mother over the same road which went up Salt Creek Canyon. We were taking water-melons over into Sanpete County to sell them in the town of Moroni. One day I was in front of the wagon and some of the town boys came and traded me a pocket knife for melons, while others stole melons from the back of the wagon. In the course of time, Father [John Rowley ] attached a cane mill to the water wheel to press out the juice to make molasses. He traded the molasses for about 1000 pounds of ripe peas which he ran through the plaster mill. Then we had cracked peas in abundance to eat. Father also ran a thrashing machine to thrash his wheat. He made other uses of the power also. He had me help him much of the time in the shop and the mill, while my brother John worked mostly with the teams, so that he became known in time as one of the best teamsters in Blanding, Utah. Well, back to the mill again. With me as helper, Father [John Rowley ] made a large vat or boiler and set it over the furnace built of adobe in which he cooked a half ton of plaster of paris at a time with scrapers going back and forth across the boiler to stir it while cooking it without any water. It boiled very much like a big batch of gravy and when it was done, we opened the gate and let it run out into an underground bin, then elevated it up into the second story where it went over a sieve and into sacks of 100 pounds each and was stacked up there ready for shipping. Then my brother Heber C Rowley and I would take a team and wagon and load on 20 sacks at a trip and take it and load it on the railroad cars. When I was 10 years old, Father went on a mission to England. He had his brothers Thomas Rowley run the mill while he was gone. He returned in about one year, at which time the Church was being persecuted because of plural marriage. Therefore, Father was not known in Nephi any more, so Mother and I had to run things. My two sisters, Zina and Lizzy, would tend the boiler sometimes all night long. At first we fired the burners with wood, then we changed to coal which cost $4.00 a ton by the carload.

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