SMITH CHRISTINA HISTORY of ALMA DURFEY by JULIE TIPPETS

HISTORY

of

ALMA DURFEY

SARIAH and JORGEN (JOHN-JACK) SMITH FAMILY

from JULIE MOORE TIPPETS

Durfey family   Amanda Melvina & Alma front center

Alma Durfey was born 8 February, 1844 at Montrose, Lee County, Iowa.  The only son of Royal Durfey and Lydia Abel or Abell.  His three sisters were Olive, Emma and Sarah.  Alma was eight years old in the year 1852.  He came with his parents to Salem, Utah County, Utah.  He drove the ox team to help his father on the long journey.  No records were found in his younger years of being baptized.  In later years on 10 October, 1867 giving his record date.  He was sealed to his parents 6 February, 1869.  Alma also began to herd cows and horses and walked behind one.  It was frightened and kicked Alma in the face.  No doctors were near in those days and he had a broken nose and scares he carried to his death.  At the age of eighteen, he drove an ox team and wagon back to Iowa for another load of emigrants which took eight months. 

Alma asked for a Patriarchal Blessing, which he received.  He was born in a good Latter-day Saint home were he was loved by his parents and sisters.  He often told of it.  Alma learned from the books he could study.  There was no schooling where he was living at times. 

He came back in time for the Black Hawk War 26 February, 1860.  A man by the name of Bill Berry worked in the government store in Palmyra, Utah.  He left men there to guard the store while he went to Spanish Fork on business.  When he returned, Old Black Hawk and a band of Indians had broken into the store, took the guards, loaded their horses with all the groceries they could an left.  The rest of the tribe was waiting in the mountains waiting for them to return.  Bill Berry came back to Salem for all the men he could find to go after them.  Alma was with the blacksmith when he came.  He borrowed the blacksmiths horse and started before the other men.  Alma soon caught up with them, took the reins off old Black Hawks horse and took the brass bucket from the horn of the saddle and hit him over the head.  By that time all the men were there to help, they gathered all the goods the Indians had stolen an went back to the store.  By this time the Indians were mad.  They gathered their tribes and came back and began war.  Black Hawk was badly wounded and that war ended for a while. 

When Alma was 23, he was introduced to Amanda Melvina Haws.  She came across the plains from Iowa when she was six months old, the same year Alma came.  Amanda's parents took their children to California to be away from the Mormons.  When they came back to Utah for a while, Alma and Amanda fell in love and were married 26 January, 1867.  Alma farmed and built a nice brick home in Red Canyon near Thurber, Utah.  One year the wolves were so very bad.  When they were away to stay over night, the wolves came and killed all their fat hogs that they were going to butcher and sell and also use for Winter. 

Alma was a proud father, having nine children.  Their oldest son, William Alma's, wife, Sariah Thomas passed away leaving him with a very small baby girl, named Lulu Sariah after her mother, Sariah.  They took her into their home, having ten in the family which many people thought were their own.  Alma was a kind husband and father and he was loved by all who knew him.  Alma was endowed 26 March, 1896.  having his wife and children sealed to him 26 March, 1996 at the Manti Temple (Manti Temple records No. 5022, Book A-Living, page 145).  His death came on the 15 September, 1924 in a car accident.  He was taken to the LDS Hospital at Salt Lake City, Utah Where he passed away at the age of 80 years, 7 months and 7 days.  Services were held 18 September, 1924 and burial in the Bicknell, Utah Cemetery.