PECTOL GEORGE GLENWOOD TORREY

George Pectol

Before we leave Glenwood, I will add, there is a feeling of home there. A longing to return often and try to recapture the many situations, customs and a more personal insight of my grandparents. One reason this little town in so dear to me is because my father was born there and the little adobe house where he was born is still standing, vine covered and old. The short history he has left has added some interest to this history. He adds these thoughts.
"Shortly after the town of Glenwood was surveyed families began to sift into this picturesque pastoral countryside so full of charm and beauty, to make their homes. It was with nostalgia my mother's parents, Jens K. and Helena Peterson, thought this nearest to their beautiful Denmark and they were content to make their home here. It here they are buried.
By the time 1865 rolled around my father had establish himself as one of the very first settlers in Glenwood, and later his family through the marriage of my father and mother; two young people who had every right for romance, courtship, and marriage even though adversities surrounded their union for some time. The story of their hardships, deprivations, their fight for existence, their faith in a Supreme being, all lead us to believe that the tie of marriage and devotion to each other was not just a thrill of loves dreams pulsating in their beings, but some deep love of the old fashioned kind which they knew could and would last into the eternities. The story of their romance is a closed book to us as it has gone to the grave with those two of whom we speak, as their personal secret and maybe that is how it should be. Their oneness with their everlasting love has endowed us with a proud heritage. My father was first school teacher in Glenwood, second assistant in the first Sunday School organized there May 14, 1871 for 6 years. He was road supervisor and justice of peace or constable; 1st counselor in Sunday School 1877 10 1880; Secretary 1881-87/ He was a musician and active in dramatics.

I remember as a child seeing father working on the house, one room. He molded the adobes, sun dried and mixed the morter, did the mason work and completed it for occupation in three months besides earning a living for his family. I remember him shaving leaves from cane preparing stalks for crushing, the juice of which was made into molasses. He handled cow hides and worked in the leather tannery. I was just a small child, but I also remember everyone wore home-made shoes, overalls, jumpers, hats, etc. These things and pioneer incidents indelibeled themselves in my mind at that time.

When Glenwood held its big fund raising celebration toward a new Chapel, 24 July 1946, I was given a special invitation to represent the Pectol family at this event. I have visited our little one room home which still stands and is lived in. May it always be a memorial to our family."

SPRING CREEK AND CLOVER FLAT, APRIL 1879-MAY 1888. Left Glenwood March 27, 1879. Again from Grandpa George Peter's day book we quote: "After planting was over worked a road in the canyon and got out some poles. On the 2nd of April 1880 J. E. Peterson, Uncle Eph, my wife's brother, arrived here with his effects. He built a house for me and moved into the one that I had built. My brother William Pectol and Joseph farmed with me this year. I continued farming and improving during 1881. In the spring of 1882 we moved our effects down on the Manin Creek, where I settled on a quarter section of school land. (In teach township there were three sections set aside for school purposes. If so l, rented, leased or otherwise, all proceeds go to the schools for their maintenance. Section 2, 16 and 32 are set aside for this purpose). With all the home-made, awkward, inefficient farm implements I even took on six acres of land for Neals Johnson. Raised 180 bu. oats and 54 bu. wheat on his land and 242 bu. wheat and 95 bu. oats on my own land. A total of 571 bu. We had good water rights on the Creek, and rich virgin soil to till and raise crops in. In the spring of 1883 the boys and I grubbed (cleared land of sage brush and greasewood) about fourteen acres of land and put it into wheat and oats. Raised 260 bu. oats and 50 bu. wheat on my land, and 230 bu. on Neals Johnson's land. Total bu. raised during the summer of 1883 were 542.
We hauled timber and put up about 200 rods of fence on my own land in March 1884. I bought forty acres of land from Neals Johnson for which I gave $1.25 per acre, and I also let him have about fifty or sixty acres of my school land. We cleared about ten acres of the land I bought from N. Johnson on the 5th of March 1884 as soon as the ice and snow began disappearing. Finished putting in our grain on the 10th of April 1884. Raised 482 bushels of wheat and oats all together during the summer of 1884. Myself and my boys put up about 100 rods of fence for ourselves. In 1885 myself and boys put in about 35 or 36 acres of grain on our own land, and about eight acres on Allen Froshees. Raised 1,134 bushels grain this summer.
During this summer there was trouble over the water and in the fall of 1885 there was a law suit about the same between Neals Johnson, James E. Peterson and George Brindley defendants, and James E. Forshee, Byard Smith, and Rubin Jolley, as Plaintiffs in which the defendants lost $150.00 damages and about $175.00 cost. This loss also affected all the farmer in the district. The water was taken away from us.
In the summer of 1886 our crops netted 228 bushels of grain.

This turn of event caused another set-back. In 1887 I went to Cainville, Wayne County, Utah where my sister Dorothy and husband William T. Carrell were living. This place seemed to be the answer to my prayers. I bought twenty acres from George W. Carrell, William T's father, and five from my brother-in-law William. I paid $80.00 for this twenty five acres. I raised about thirty gallons of molasses, some corn and about five tons of lucern hay and a little garden stuff. This helped sustain us until I could get my effects in order to move to this place.
We left Clover Flat and wintered in Grass Valley in 1887 making plans to go East into Wayne County in the spring. I will say here that my eldest son, George James Pectol and Gertrude Clark, of Koosharem or Grass Valley, were married on the 10th day of May 1888.
My father, Ephraim P. and Uncle Chris, his brother, tell a few human interest stories that I would like to record here. "Spring Creek is a small stream running down from the West mountain past what we called the big black knoll. Father built a one room log house about one mile south east of the Black Knoll before he moved the family there. That summer was mostly spent in getting out timber for building corrals and stables, and a lean-to on the house when we were not clearing land or tending the small crops we had planted in the spring. We would go down to the "bottoms" (meadow bottoms), cut the native grass with a sythe, rake it together with a hand rake and haul it home two miles for the stock during the winter. we stayed on Spring Creek only two summers. There was not enough water to insure enough crop for our sustenance, and in the winter of 1881 much suffering and loss was felt by the livestock all around us. The snow fell so deep that cattle could find nothing to eat; even the Sage brush was covered and so cold that many cattle froze to death. This known as and called thereafter the "hard winter."

One night about 9 o'clock the dog made an awful howl and wouldn't be quiet. Soon we heard the neighbor dog and upon investigating, discovered a man by the name of Ketchum and a boy about fourteen or fifteen years old riding up to the house. Mother soon had a warm drink for them. We also rubbed them until they were warm. Our brother George took the horses and fed them. After a warm supper our visitors felt better. Mr. Ketchum decided to go on two miles to James Forshees ranch, but the boy, I don't remember his name, stayed with us all night. When Mr. Ketchum came back the next morning, the sun was shining brightly and they felt very much refreshed and were on their was grateful in their hearts for what they had received from us.
The next summer we moved down on what was known as Otter Creek, as Uncle Chris remembers it. There was much more water there and we were closer to pasture for the cattle. We worked hard and soon had a large productive farm in operation. (The large farm of those days would be nothing compared with today.) We had changed our team of oxen to mules then to horses and George boasted about plowing two acres a day with his team and hand plow. We prospered there for quite some time. We had accumulated about twenty head of cattle, two teams, and a lovely riding horse; built three room home a very commodious house we thought, and had it furnished quite well. This little settlement of Clover Flat is now named Angle.

Uncle Eph, mother's brother, built what we called the Hawthorn Patch on the south side of a point later known as the Brindley Point and father built 2 1/2 miles further south. Niels Johnson was a swedish bachelor who settled near us and boarded with our parents. The Brindleys were an English family who settled on the river one mile above or north of the Brindley Point. Joseph West settled his family within three miles further north.
An irrigation company was formed and farming began on a much greater scale. Seborn Humphrey and family moved in in 1881 building near our home. Byard Smith and family with James Forshey, a bachelor, the Ruben Jolly family, stockmen, owned most of the meadow land between our pasture and the town of Coyote, now Antimony, This land is now covered with the waters of the Otter Creek Reservoir. Allen Forshey came from Washington County. In the midst of this small but interesting group, the next seven years of our family life is centered in Clover Flat. George, Christ, Stena and Port came with our parents from Glenwood.

While living in Clover Flat, Sunday Schools were held in our home. Father traveled from here to Beaver, Utah to serve on the Jury many times. He was the first school teacher at this place and our first schooling was under him. He was certainly a teacher of the "old school". My, what some interesting methods of punishment were used at that time! (Why weren't some recorded?). Mrs. Allen Forshey was the second teacher along with her father. School was held in one of the rooms of Allen Forshey's house. She taught there then later her son Bert taught. We remember times when the snow was so deep we children would wrap burlap around our shoes to keep our feet warm. George would lead the way, Stena follow and the rest of us according to age followed. You who have lived through hard winters can only know what those winters were like. We were clothed in the warmest and best our mother could provide. We survived and were none the less bad off for this experience.
Father saw to it that Sunday School was held about every Sunday. First in his own home, and later at the home of Uncle Eph who became Superintendent. How we loved him! I can see him now standing there with his pencil for a baton leading the singing. How we would all try to sing as loud as we could. Father was not one to neglect his religious or church duties, and saw to it that we two, Chris and Port were baptized in the creek just in front of our house 16 August 1883 by Volney King. Chris was confirmed by Cluvert King and Port by father. We belonged to the Antimony Ward. Culvert King was Bishop.
We were happy in Clover Flat those years. Although we had but little of this worlds goods, we didn't worry much about it. At least we children didn't seem to.
There was no trouble to amount to anything with the Indians. However, we did get a scare one night when father was gone and we were having our "Saturday night bath". Little Port, as we called him, was in the tub when a knock came on the door and in walked several Indians. Mother almost drowned Port. As soon as they had taken as much food as they could find, they left with only a grunt. In her fright, mother had almost drowned Port!
Children born at Spring Creek and Clover Flat were: Dorothy Amelia, 18 Sept. 1879 at Spring Creek, died March 1930 at Salem, Utah. Effie or Effa May, born 26 August 1882, died 23 April 1884 at Spring Creek; Joseph Archie born 24 March, 1884, died 16 August 1896; Tilman Ray born 25 Oct. 1887 at Spring Creek, died 5 Feb. 1888.

Making plans to leave our home and farm was not easy. It was such a big part of us. George was 20, Stena 18, Chris 16, Port 12 and Tilman Ray just a baby few months old. We children felt this was OUR home for we had worked hard on the land, our roots were deep and we loved our home. Our father had made a decision, however, reluctantly, we tried to make believe we were all busy helping to sort, pack and load when all the time we were wishing it were only a dream. Our hearts were turned to our mother as we watched her caress one little keepsake after another. We listened to her hum one of her favorite hymns as she quietly supervised the packing of her household utinsles, clothing and furniture for the long hard, dusty road to Caineville about ninety miles east of Grass Valley. Dear mother, we marvel that your frail body withstood all the hardships and sorrows you bore during your lifetime. Now, when father came in, the hustle and bustle began. It was hard for him also, but never once did he add to our unhappiness by a negative word or action. We had to sell all our cattle but one spotted cow. This cow was tied behind the wagon, more easily led than driven. Some of us children had to drive her until she became used to the rope and would lead easily. Little Archie at four years tried to be a big help to mother.
After our family prayer, we started on our way. Some riding, some walking, all of us crying. The tear stained cheeks of our little mother will never be forgotten. She was a lovely, sweet, beautiful, affectionate, thoughtful mother, very small but ever willing to do her part. Her main concern was her family. Her thoughts turned back to the little twin graves, Franklin and Francis, they had left in Springdale; Lovina Loretta and William Wallace, in Glenwood, and now they were leaving two more here. Effie or Effa had drown in Spring Creek 23 April 1884, and the baby Tilman Ray had died Feb. 5, 1888, four months old. Their little bodies had been put to rest by our parents with a little homemade wooden marker to indicate where they were, and dedicated to our Heavenly Fathers keeping. Thus my mother, father and we children turned our faces to the east and set out into another dawn.
CAINEVILLE
We were five days on our journey. The country over which we traveled was beautiful in most parts, but the roads were, especially from Torrey on east exceedingly rough. Often mother would have to hold to the wagon or bows over which the cover was stretched to hold on and many times she and we children would get down and walk over some very bad places.
Down over Sand Creek, Sulpher Creek, past the twin rocks, on down to Chimney rock, the majestic red sandstone Rock which stands out away from the main ledge alone resembling very much a chimney hill. In many places the road was steep and always narrow. Sometimes it took more than two horses to pull the wagons up hill. It was almost impossible for wagons to pass each other if we had been unfortunate enough to have met one.

On down to Fruita a beautiful little vale almost surrounded by ledges several hundred feet high. There were only two or three homes there at that time. Thence south to the Capitol Gorge, or Capitol Wash as it was commonly called, a very narrow gorge with ledges on either side several hundred feet high at the entrance, but lowering as one passes on down. Those tall ledges were frightening. All we could see was the sky above us for miles through it. Our little caravan would have been doomed had a bad storm bee encountered while traveling this route. It is hard to explain traveling and camping conditions; there was much to be desired, but we got along with what we had. We knew no other way, and we accepted it. There were times of fun along the way climbing hills, looking for caves, wondering what was around the next bend. We played hide and seek in the hills along the way and when we camped, took care of our animals; exhausted we slept out under the stars anxiously awaiting what was ahead of us the next day. One cannot comprehend the beauty of the trees and wild flowers we found along the way. We swam in the Dirty Devil river which was an exciting adventure for kids whose swimming hole had been nothing but the small creek we lived on.
Pleasant Creek was the next stop where Jorgen Jorgensen and a family by the name of Smith lived. We found it very windy and the sand was blowing so hard we could hardly see. One day as we were cooking and eating our dinner Isaac Norton decided the place should be called "Unpleasant Creek."
From here on the road was more sandy and not so rough. These roads were no more than cow trails as we would call them today. However, what we called the "Blue Dugway" was a very steep hill and quite often we would have to double up the teams on one wagon to get it up and then go back for the other. This dugway was very narrow; wagons, or even a horse and wagon, couldn't pass each other only in one or two places and, MUDDY! It was nothing but blue clay and would stick to the wheels of the wagons until sometimes the mud would rub up to the wagon box. It would have to be dug off with a shovel or big stick.
This hazardous piece of road lay behind us. We were now in Caineville Valley only two miles from the town. People, teams and all concerned gave a sigh of relief. On the 19th day of May we arrived with most of our effects in Caineville. When we gazed on this little garden of eden, we knew our father had not been wrong in bringing us here. Our mother's tears dried and we all began the task of creating a nice home and farm in this beautiful place."
Grandpa goes on to write: This summer we rented a farm from John and George Burr. During this summer 1888 we got out a set of house longs, but did not use them for that purpose. In the spring of 1889 we bought the farm and improvements on the rented farm. George and Gertrude had come with us so I let them have the house and farm I had bought of the Carrells. In the summer 1890 we commenced grubbing and improving, sowing lucern and we raised 150 gallons of molasses, some corn and 42 bushels of wheat, about eight or ten ton of lucern hay, a little garden truck and in 1890 we continued improving building corrals, stables also bought one set of house logs from Enoch Larson. Paid one cow and $10.00 cash.
Jesse LeRoy was born to us 5 April 1889 the first year we were in Caineville. He was the last child born to our union.

We continued to improve and enlarge our holdings. We were happy and proud of this for the house that I had bought with the farm and the improvements we made, was the best one in the valley."
Grandpa's recorded words end here. However, I will continue with notes Uncle Chris gave me, as well as my own, and put it in the first person as though Grandpa were still telling the story.
In 1892 we continued to improve an enlarge our holdings. Nothing of an unusual nature happened, however, some facts of interest that are history making I will record here.
On Sept. 28, 1893 at a special conference held at Loa, the Saints residing in the Fremont Valley were separated from the Sevier Stake and organized into a new Stake called Wayne Stake of Zion. Six wards were created under direction of William H. Seegmiller who was president of the Sevier Stake of Zion. At that time it comprised all of Sevier county, the northern part of Piute county and lla of Wayne County. Walter E. Hanks was set apart as Bishop with George B. Rust first Councilor and myself, George P. Pectol, as second. I held this position until I moved to Teasdale in 1910. this position afforded me a lot of responsibility, pleasant work and much satisfaction in knowing that I was engaged in the Lord's work. I will say there, that during my whole life since joining the Church 14 Jan. 1850, I have been active in the church wherever I have lived. I was ordained to this position by Apostle Francis M. Lyman.


While we lived in Caineville, our lives were filled with varied experiences. Even before our homes were ready to live in, we began bringing water in to irrigate our crops. When the canal company was organized I was appointed secretary, and did that service for a number of years. the upkeep of the canal was very expensive owing to the nature to the soil adjacent to the river and numerous floods to which the river was subject to during the later part of July, August, and September. It was almost, if not impossible to put a dam in the river that would stay longer than from one flood to another. Often the canal would be washed away in places near the river. Much time and hard work by all available namepower and horses was spent trying to keep water available for our crops. They consisted of sugar cane, alfalfa, grain in small amounts, corn, all kinds of vegetables, and mellons which were available, which were the basic foods used for us. All kinds of fruit was abundant because of the climate. We would haul a load of molasses to Rabbit Valley (towns above Torrey in Wayne County), trade it for wheat, get it ground into flour at the old grist mill between Bicknell and Torrey to take home for bread and cereal foods. One gallon of good rich molasses was worth one bushel of wheat. Being so far away from market which had to be reached by team and wagon and over the kind of roads I have mentioned, sometimes requiring a weeks time for the trip, was very discouraging. We soon learned of, and developed ways of becoming more self reliant, independent of outside consumption, and ways to take better care of our surplus. O, yes, we had to scheme, plot and plan for existence. No one questioned whether or not we could...we did!

Hay was a scarce commodity. Some people had to cut their sugar cane when it was about four feet high. A good feed for stock, but difficult to cure. We herded our stock and grazed them along the river where there grew abundant wild cane and other forage which the cattle would eat. Here we faced another problem. There was quicksand at places in the river. Almost every day some animal would have to be dug out; other times we would be less fortunate and the animal would go under.
The river I speak of from Caineville to the Colorado River is known as the "Dirty Devil", a mighty good name for the water in it was muddy and dirty. When it flooded one would think the Devil surely was in it the way it tore its banks and washed land away taking crops, fruit trees, and even homes. Our canals would fill up with sand until we were compelled to devise what we called "sand gates" several of them down the ditch for about a half mile. These were placed several feet below the bottom of the ditch and when the hole and ditch above was full of sand the water master would turn the whole stream out until the sand was washed back into the river. This saved much hard work for us men.

In 1909 a disastrous flood came washing much of our crops, fields and homes down the Dirty Devil River (Fremont River) leaving chaos, utter disaster in its uncontrollable courses, taking with it the canal we had so laboriously built, and all we could do was stand and watch helpless, brokenhearted and discouraged. The task of relocating was so overwhelming that many of the old settlers, and in fact many of the younger ones, abandoned the town under the advice of the Wayne Stake Presidency. Some of us moved to a larger farm at Teasdale which the Church bought from James Mansfield an divided it up among us who had left our homes, and sold it to us at cost. I drew 20 acres, John G. Carrell, 40 acres which he traded to my son Chris.
No more than ten families lived in Caineville at this time. William T. Carrell and some of his married children, the Chancey Cook family, Isaac Norton's family, Bill Foy's family, Stephensens. They were all sturdy and tried pioneers, farmers and stockmen. There was our family along with George and Gertie, and we all worked together helping each other as needs arose.

I was the third presiding Elder of Caineville as well as officiating in other organizations.
There was very little need of civic organizations here in Caineville. Every celebration, etc was under supervision of Church leadership. Even though there was little or no broken laws, I was elected Justice of the Peace for some time. (2 May 1892-96). The Pectol family took an active part in our social, educational as well as religious affairs. Chris was in charge of all dramatics for a long time and helped arrange and direct most all plays. Recreation consisted mainly of dancing and baseball. Blue Valley and Cainville used to join together in both sports although the towns were ten miles apart. We joined in sports competitively, other things socially. Those were the good old days and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

March 16, 1892 Sarah Christena was married to Joseph Huntsman Bankhead in the Manti LDS Temple. George James and Gertrude (Gertie) were sealed to each other 7 Nov. 1888 in the same Temple. Chris married Dorothy Lucinda Carrell on the 16th of June 1897 in the Manti Temple. This same year Chris was called on a mission to the Eastern states. He left in November of that year where he spent twenty-nine months preaching the gospel. After their son Floyd died 25 July, 1989, George and Gertie left Caineville and moved to Sigurd, Sevier County, Utah. He worked for Dr. Shock for several years. He died of the dreaded cancer suffering immensely. Both are buried in Siguard cemetery. Dorothy Amelia married John William Carrell 13 April 1898 in the Manti Temple. After his death she married Heber Petty. Port married Dorothy Delilah Hickman 21 June 1899 in the Manti Temple. Jesse married Minnie Alveretta Carrell 28 Sept. 1911. They were endowed 18 Nov. 1912 at Manti, Utah. It gives me much pleasure to know that all my children have been to the house of the Lord to be married for time and eternity. The distance they had to travel to do this was no obstacle to them for they knew it was the right principle.
My good wife and I tried to give the children as much education as we could. Port was not a healthy child. After he had gone as far as he could in the school here, we sent him to Glenwood where he went to school and lived with my wife's parents for two years. In 1897 both Chris and Port went to the Snow Academy at Ephraim where Chris was when he received his mission call. Port also attended the B.Y.A., now BYU. In 1907 he was called from Caineville Ward to fulfill a mission to New Zealand where he was district president and taught school part of the time he was there. Port went out to preach the gospel leaving a wife and four little girls to support as well as help to sustain him on his mission. Dorothy (Dot) has told us she could not have managed without our help as well as brothers and sisters along with the wonderful people of Caineville. I failed to mention that when Chris left his wife pregnant with their first child.
It is with many regrets and many fond remembrances that we leave our homes in Caineville; over twenty years of our lives have been spent there. Many, many are the happy days, months and years spent here. Among our happiness have come some sorrows and sadness in misfortune, death, sickness and almost unsurmountable difficulties which beset us.

Torrey School

Our son Joseph Archie who was born at Spring Creek was accidently shot and killed while playing with a gun at the home of one of his cousins. We leave him buried in the cemetery by his little nephew Floyd and his grandparents William T. Carrell and my sister Dorothy who donated the ground for this purpose. There are others here whom we have loved.
After Grandfather Peterson died in 1899, Grandmother Peterson came from Glenwood to live with us until she died 1st June 1903. She asked Chris to promise he would see that her body was laid beside her beloved husband in Glenwood which he did. Chris took her body in a wagon to Glenwood which took nine days, but the satisfaction that came from it paid off in large dividends in happiness.
In 1909 on November 2nd I received a personal invitation to be a special guest in Manti, Utah as one of the "pioneers who assisted in the establishment of a settlement on Nov. 1849 or joined the colonists within the following ten years, Manti's 60th anniversary."
TEASDALE AND TORREY

After leaving Caineville with what we could salvage of our belongings, we went to Grover, Utah, 1910 and lived in a house Port had purchased from David Stewart until we moved to Teasdale in 1911 or 1912. All this has been very hard on her and her health which has not always been the best is now failing more rapidly, asthma being the main trouble. She is a wonderful wife and mother. Our youngest son Jesse is married now leaving mother and I alone again as before our children were born. Thirteen times she has laid her life down and some times dear death to bring into this world our wonderful children. We thank God that we have such loving and devoted children and grandchildren. They visit us frequently bringing cheer and happiness into our lives again. Now, may the good Lord see to it that in our remaining years we may have the privledge of enjoying each other in the quiet confines of our home.
We built a four room home on the lot we bought on Teasdale. William is living with us as he did in Caineville and Glenwood.
I tried to run the farm on the Mansfield tract and with the help of Chris did a fairly good job. I find I am not able to do hard work any more. I do the riding jobs, Chris does the harder ones. I am 71 years old now. Jesse moved to Upalco, Duchane, County.
I took great pride in my team of horses, Kit and Bess. When I was unable to do other work I took Bess and Kit on the mower and cut they hay or marked off the grain. I get much pleasure in seeing plants grow. I take inspiration from them.


We enjoy our association with the people of Teasdale. The same spirit is everywhere. My church work gives me much pleasure here as other places I have lived in. During my ward teaching I was assigned to a district in which the Niels Larsen family lived. The wife and girls were especially active members, but the husband wanted nothing to do with the Church. He had refused to listen to former Teachers, but somehow was attracted to what God had me say, and with the spirit accompanying it his heart was touched and soon after joined the church. He said I was the first teacher to touch his heart and I had made him the happiest man in the world. He died several years true to the faith.
On Dec. 3, 1918 my good wife Annina died. This one of the hardest trials of my life. Blessed be her name. We buried her in the Teasdale cemetery. After her death my daughter, Dorothy, whose husband had previously died, came to live with me. She was a comfort and help to me. She lived with me for two years when she married Heber Petty. After she left I discontinued farming and rented my farm out to Chris. He also managed the cattle.

Dorothy kept in touch with me often. I worry about her, but she tells me in her dear letter that she is fine.
Port and Chris are so good to Will and me, each in turn providing a home for us and their good wives taking care of our needs. Although I must quit most of my physical labor, I help a little with the garden, and putter around at the farm with Chris. It is only three miles to Torrey to Ports. I enjoy each change.
A year after I moved in with Chris, his house burned down so they moved into my house to care for Will and me. Chris built a sawed log room on the North end of my house where Will and I spent most of our time reading, talking, playing a game of solitaire, a game of checkers which we especially enjoy, or just reminiscing of bye gone days.

road to Hell's Backbone

There is not much Will and I can do any more. (1925) We know the time for our passing is not far away. Will has been a blessing to us, always helpful and understanding. He never married. There was not a single girl around who could say that Will Pectol did not show her the best times, escorting a wagon load of them at a time to dances and parties. He could not have been contented with any other life than a bachelors. He enjoyed seeing all his "girls" having a good time.
What we have learned of life and experiences of those have gone before, we must all return to earth. I contemplate on this event. Sometimes a smile of pleasure permeates my face as I think of the happy meeting with my good wife, children, relatives and friends over there waiting for me. The thought of leaving those who still remain if painful, but I know they will continue to do well taking their place in this world of men, remaining upright and steadfast to the gospel. My presence is not helpful here any more and I am sure I will be able to find something I can do when I leave this earth.
Having been active in the Black Hawk War, the Government granted me a small pension of $24.00 a month. With it and the rent from the farm I am able to increase my savings a little for the children when I am gone.
May the time not be too long. God bless all of you I pray."