JOHN FRANKLIN HAWS
and
WILHELMINE SMITH HAWS
by J. C. Haws, a grandson, 1973
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| John Franklin Haws |
His father, Jason Haws, was born in Kirkland, Ohio, July 12, 1820, but left his home at an early age. Jason's father's last name was spelled "Hawes", but Jason apparently shortened the spelling to "Haws".
From genealogical records, it is learned that the progenitors of John Franklin Haws originally migrated from England about 1620, but the exact location and the circumstances surrounding their leaving are not known. Records indicate that the Hawes family first resided in Dedham, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, until the turn of the Century. In the early 1700's the family apparently moved to Wrentham and Boston, Massachusetts. By the turn of the 18th Century, the Hawes family records indicate another move to Schoarie County, New York and in 1825 they moved to Kirkland, Ohio and on to Vanburen County, Iowa. From there the family must have moved West as some brothers and sisters of John Franklin were born in such distant places as Palwalnia, Iowa; Payson, Utah; San Bernardino, California; Salem, Utah; White Pine, Nevada; and Benjamin, Utah.
Both of John Franklin's parents were buried in Bicknell, Utah, even though they had been divorced and both remarried. Jason Haws' second wife was Mrs. Clarinda Jane Doffelmyre and Mrs. Jason Haws', Sariah Hillman Haws, second husband was Mr. John Safley.
Genealogical records indicate that John Franklin's grandfather and grandmother, Elijah Hawes and Catherine Floyd Pease were baptized, received their endowments and were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple, January 28, 1846.
As the apparent result of John Franklin's father, Jason Haws having left home at an early age, not only was the spelling of the family name changed but few if any of Jason Haws' own personal family were baptized members of the Latter-Day Saint Church during their life time. The exceptions could have been Jason's oldest daughter Amanda Malvina and John Franklin whose baptism records may have been lost.
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| Wilhelmine Smith Haws |
Jorgen Smith was born May 28, 1823, in Fasted, Haderslev County, Denmark. As far as is known, he left no written record of his early life. It is known, however, that he was drafted or enlisted in the Danish Army and took part in the "Thirty Year War" with Germany (1848-50).
On October 6, 1850, Jorgen Smith married Christine Marie Birkedall who was born in Rodding, Haderslev, Denmark, April 11, 1825. Jorgen and his wife joined the Latter-day Saint Church, February 27, 1854 and decided to come to America. They set sail on the ship Tuscarora in the year 1857.
After brief stops at Burlington, Iowa and Leharpe, Illinois, Jorgen Smith and his wife came West and settled in Fountain Green, Utah. Ten children were born to them, one of which was Wilhelmine who became the wife of John Franklin Haws.
Jorgen Smith later married Mette Marie Willis (Wilson), a twenty-two year old girl from Denmark, and Wilhelmine Pederson, also a Danish emigrant who had three children by a previous marriage.
Jorgen Smith was a father of twenty-three children by two of his wives and he legally adopted the three children of his third wife, Wilhelmine Pederson.
Jorgen Smith and his families were among the early settlers of Richfield, Utah, where he made a considerable contribution to the community with his talents as a blacksmith, shoemaker, tinsmith, and druggist. He later moved to Wayne County, Utah, pioneering Pleasant Dale (Notom) where he was postmaster. From 1885-1888, he was the Presiding Elder over this branch of the Church. He later moved to Thurber (Bicknell), Utah, where he lived until his death, August 28,1908.
Wilhelmine Smith Haws, wife of John franklin, received her early schooling in Richfield, Utah, and was always a hard worker, undertaking almost any task in order to help her family make a living.
Very little, if anything is known of the early life of John Franklin except that he moved with his family to Utah where he apparently met his future bride in Richfield.
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| Minnie Frank Haws |
Jobs were difficult to find and money was extremely scarce, so it was not easy for a young couple to get started for themselves. They decided to accept an invitation to go to New Mexico with Wilhelmine's brother, Jack, where they hoped to procure some land and start a cattle ranch.
New Mexico was a raw frontier in the 1880's with many renegade white men and half civilized Indians still lurking about. While desperately trying to carve for themselves a home in this lonely western frontier, they encountered trouble with the Indians and cattle thieves which gradually discouraged this young couple.
It was while they were living in New Mexico that Frank and Minnie's first two children, a son Henry Jason and a daughter, Sarah Jane were born. It was here that Minnie learned that if she were to learn to conquer the West, that she had to be not only a good mother and wife, but a doctor, a midwife and an Indian fighter as well.
soon after little Henry Jason was born, they found a need for some additional milk for him. His Uncle Jack went to the Indians in an attempt to buy a goat but with no success. However, he later returned to the Indians but this time with his little nephew in his arms to prove his need. Upon seeing the infant, the Indians quickly gave Jack his pick of their goat herd.
another day, when the men folks were away, Minnie looked down the road to see an old Indian coming toward the house at a slow pace. She was terrified and quickly picked up her two little children, she ran out into the tall brush back of the house where she hid in the thicket. Here they quietly remained in their seclusion for the entire day hardly daring to breath for fear of being found. Toward evening the men folks returned home to learn of Minnie's terrifying experience. Frank knowing just where the old Indian was camped, went immediately to determine why he had frightened his family. Upon being confronted by an angry husband, the old Indian replied, "When I travel slow, Indian not angry; when I travel fast, Indian angry, women better run and hide."
After a number of years in New Mexico, Frank and Minnie decided that their dreams of fame and fortune were doomed to failure. So leaving most of their possessions behind, they moved back to Utah and settled in Thurber (Bicknell). It was while living here that four additional children were born to them, Amanda, Sariah, Claud, and Frank A. who passed away in infancy.
After living in Thurber for a few years, they heard that a new area had been explored south-east of Thurber which may be a good place for ranching. After visiting this particular valley known as Boulder, Frank and Minnie decided to move their little family onto some land that they had obtained under a Homestead-entry in this explored region.
Boulder proved to be a beautiful and peaceful little valley resting at the base of Boulder Mountain endowed with ample water for irrigation and surrounded by abundant range land for grazing livestock. Even though it was isolated from the outside world by several miles of almost impassable mountains and deep canyons, it seemed as a "Garden of Eden" to those early stouthearted and adventurous pioneers.
The Boulder area was one of the most isolated settlements in Utah. It's nearest neighbors were Escalante and Tremont Valleys, each over thirty miles away. Boulder was an area approximately six hundred square miles of the roughest and most inaccessible territory of the State with an elevation of 6676 feet.
The Frank Haws and Amasa Lyman families began to spend their summers ranching and dairying on Boulder Mountain in an area known as Bear Creek in 1889. This stream was so crystal clear that it appeared almost transparent where the pebbles could be plainly seen in water as soft as rainwater. This area was very beautiful and picturesque with lush meadows and which their dairy stock could graze.
Returning to their home in Wayne County during the winter so their children could attend school From their several head of dairy cattle, they made cheese and butter which the would transport to the outside world to sell or trade for other necessities of life. They also raise pigs which fed on the whey from the cheese and the acorns from the mountains. Frank had an ingenious way of storing whey in a large, raised vat so when a cork was pulled the whey automatically ran into several troughs to feed the pigs. The little daughters of the family were once known to have attempted to ride the pigs for a little added excitement which ended in near tragedy. Mandy, the second oldest daughter, was thrown and hit her back on a peg that was used to anchor the trough to the ground.
In those pioneer days the Hawses had no butter mold, so the For several years the Haws continued to spend their summers dairying on Bear Creek, butter was rolled into balls, wrapped in cloth and put into sixty gallon barrels of brine for storage until it could be taken to market. Such commodities were then transported to Wayne County by wagon either to be sold or traded for other household necessities.
Frank had one large work horse and one small red mule that had to serve as his team. He would put the big work horse on the short double tree and the little red mule out in front when it came time to freight the cheese and butter to the outside world.
In the Fall, the pigs were transported by wagon to Boulder for butchering. Due to the extreme change in temperature from their summer mountain home to the lower alley, it was necessary to keep the pigs from becoming overheated by pouring cold water over them each time that a stream was crossed.
Frontier hospitality was an expression made famous by those early pioneers living on the thresholds of civilization. Mabel Baker Haycock gave details of her father, George Baker, when he and his family made their first trip into Boulder. They came with two loaded wagons filled with household goods, one pulled a span of horses and the other attached to a yoke of oxen. As they came over the summit of the mountain and began their descent down into the Boulder Valley, they stopped to rest and visit for several days with their good friends, the Hawses. What wonderful occasions these must have been when strangers and friends alike would stop to visit and share news of the outside world. No one was ever turned away from the Haws' door.
In 1891, Frank Haws and Amasa Lyman took up ranches in Lower boulder. The Hawses, however, continued to return to their mountain dairy home each summer for the next several years. Frank would go back to Wayne County each Fall to get the family's winter supply of flour and sugar, and occasionally would get snowed in on his return trip home. On one particular occasion, he got snow bound in an area known as the "Big Corral". He had to leave the supply wagon and return for it later. However, upon his return to retrieve his supplies, he had to push long poles down through approximately twenty feet of snow in order to locate the wagon.
In the summer time, Boulder mountain was a beautiful area where fish and wild game were easily available. Grass grew in rich abundance, water was plentiful and livestock thrived in the pasture land. The Hawses first built a log house on the edge of Bear Creek but laster constructed a more substantial frame, a two room home further up on the mountain slope and nearer their pasture. This particular building continues to stand and shows the remarkable fortitude and skill of its builder. The long strips of sawed lumber, all in one piece, reaches over twenty feet from ground level to roof top. The obtaining of building materials for use in such an isolated area, seems almost impossible Even today.Life in early Boulder for its few brave and hearty inhabitants, was one of survival of the fittest. No doctor or medical care was available within one hundred miles and only of the fittest. No doctor or medical care was available within one hundred miles and only then over almost impassable roads, particularly during the winter. Each family had to rely on their own ingenuity or on their neighbors of what help they need from time to time. It was while living under such circumstances that Minnie Haws assumed the role of "Angel of Mercy" not only for her own family but for her neighbors as well. Her skilled and tender care were always freely given to those in need.
These isolated people were loyal to their church as well as to their country and they tired to celebrate the holidays as best they could. Everyone had to participate by sharing whatever talents they possessed. On such occasions, Frank Haws and Mr. Cornellus playing violins and Cal Gressman on his banjo tickled the feet of all those who enjoyed dancing one other special occasions they would entertain their neighbors with their music from the bed of a hayrack or sled pulled by a wiry team of horses.
Winter time was extremely difficult for those living in the far away valley. Johnny Houston, one of Boulder's first school teachers, dating back to 1901, recorded the following in his personal diary.
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| Haws Home in Boulder |
"Today is a lonesome and dreary one, the wind has been whistling and blowing all day..'tis dark and melancholy. An old grandmother here is quite ill and has been since Christmas. When I got to school this morning, a lady came and told me that the old lady was dying, so her grandchildren, the Hawes went home crying. As they made up quite a portion of the school, it has been rather small today because of their absence."
The old grandmother spoken of by Mr. Houston was the mother of Frank Haws. Upon her death, it became necessary for her son to construct a light sled on which her body was secured and pulled by men on snowshoes over the snow packed Boulder Mountain to Bicknell for burial. Frank, Minnie and family had to make the long, tedious journey around the mountain by buggy in order to attend the funeral.
While living in Boulder, there other children were born to the Hawses, Mina, Dee and William. Later, another bay son was stillborn and was buried in Escalante in 1907.
John King and Frank Haws were the best of friends, even as young men. Their friendship endured through the years as neighbors and fellow ranchers. John King told of an experience when he and Frank had corralled some cattle on he Boulder Mountain. Some Indians came along and during their visit one of them traded knives with Frank. Later, the Indian apparently decided that he wanted to trade back so he and a few other Bucks got into the corral refusing to let the cattle out until Frank traded back the knife. Frank quickly removed a large fourteen foot bull whip from his saddle and it required only one quick whack across the seat of a Indian's trousers to convince all of them to abandon their plan of holding the cattle any longer.
The first Haws home in Lower Boulder was built of logs on what later became known as the "Baker Place". This home had a dirt roof which leaked when it rained. A new frame house built later on a new ranch in Central Boulder that housed the family for many years. It was while living on this ranch, that Frank built a most prestigious barn to house his blooded race horse stock that he loved so much. He and his son, Henry, hauled the necessary lumber from the "Old Wilson Mill" on sleds during the winter time.
As the years went by Frank and Minnie decided to leave their Boulder home and their past strenuous pioneer life on the ranch for a new home either in Escalante or Richfield. their good friend, John King, had mentioned to them that Charlie and Mabel haycock had a home for sale in Escalante, so they went to inquire. When Frank learned that Charlies' asking price for his home was $3,000, he quickly wrote them out a check to close the deal. After moving into their new home, Minnie said that it was the first time in her life that she had ever found herself without anything to do. She, how ever, did find herself faced with the necessity for furnishing her new home, so relied upon the use of the Montgomery Ward Catalog to fill her needs.
Even after the Hawses had purchased a new home in Escalante, members of the family continued to commute back and fort to Boulder in order to care for their property and livestock. Their youngest daughter, Mina as a young girl, became her Father's race horse jockey which required her to return each week to Boulder in order to help work out the race horses. She and her father, however, would return to Escalante on Friday evening for the week-end dance but would return to Boulder early the next morning in time to do the chores.
Soon after moving the Escalante, Frank contracted with his neighbor Art McNeiley to build him a barn for his race horses even larger and more spacious than the one he had left in Boulder. In this early cow town of Escalante with its may saddle ponies, horse racing became a natural form of recreation and led to many pleasant and enjoyable afternoons for its town folks. Frank, had always exhibited a great love for horse racing and for several years was the proud owner of several fine thoroughbreds. He had become known, on many of the race tracks throughout the State, as being an honest and square-shooting competitor. His racing string was always recognized as among the best.
Frank, had first built himself a circular race track near his Boulder ranch on what was known as "Home Bench". Here he would work-out his race horses in preparation for the several annual State Meets. Escalante had no race track until 1914 when Frank Haws, with full community cooperation, cleared land west of town for such a facility. Frank and Alfred Sherman had purchased this particular 12.5 acres of land from the State two years before and had deeded it to the town for such purposes. This site was used for horse racing but was not really completed until April 1917.
Frank was the proud owner of several fleet thoroughbreds that became well-known around the State. His horse, Brady, won many races at several tracks including the State Meet in Salt Lake City Utah. Tiger Tim, Joe, Smit, Maud E., and Bud were also among the Haws' race horse winners.
A race horse named Red Wing, however, was one of Frank's favorites and won the State Championship in the one and one-sixteenth mile race but died suddenly under mysterious circumstances On day after Red Wing had been matched for a big race in Salt Lake City and had been returned to her stable after having been galloped around the track several times, she staggered and fell dead. Frank apparently was too tender hearted to have an autopsy forced on his beloved horse, but it was always felt that she was either poisoned or died of a heart attack.
The Haws' race horses were a family project in that Frank's two youngest sons Bill and Dee became his jockeys, along with his grandson, Clifford Gledhill. It was not at all unusual, however, for his married sons and daughters, along with their families, to join their parents at the race tracks to share the thrill that horse racing brought to all of them.
While living in Escalante, Frank and Minnie purchased a small lumber building on the northside of Main street and opened an ice cream confectionery. This was where Frank and Minnie happened to be working the evening that their son Claud first brought his new bride home to meet his family. Claud's sister Mina had gone with him to Cedar City in the father's new Oldsmobile for the wedding.
Frank added additional property to his Escalante holding by purchasing a ranch in the lower Pine Creek Basin in 1917 from Ambrose Shurtz for $18,000. Shortly, thereafter, he made filings for enlarging the two reservoirs on the Escalante mountain that had originally been built in 1900. Later, he had some large used wooden water pipe excavated near Marysvale and transported by wagon to his Pine Creek Ranch with which he was able to irrigate additional acreage. Through perseverance and many hours of tedious back-breaking labor, Frank and his sons made the Pine Creek Ranch blossom in spite of its limited water supply.
Frank and Minnie lived on the Pine Creek Ranch during the summer time and personally directed the necessary activities. It was during a particular time of year when the Haws had the "threshers" that Frank's daughter, Sariah, heard him ask her mother "How come you never inquire if the men are going to be staying for supper, as some other women do?" Her mother replied, "Because you always see that I have something here for me to fix to eat which cannot always be said of other husbands.". Frank was a good provider for his family and his dear wife always knew that she could depend upon him, not only for the necessities of life, but for his love and devotion as well.
Frank Haws had the distinction of being the second individual in Escalante to own an automobile. Al Sherman was the first with John Black the third. All of their cars were Model T Fords. Upon first purchasing the car, Frank commented that the family should not be nervous in riding with him for everyone was aware of the fact that he know absolutely nothing about driving, so no one would surely get in his way. His daughter, Sariah said that her father was as "proud as a peacock" when driving that new car and would neither look to is right or his left but straight ahead expecting everyone to watch out for themselves.
Frank owned several fine cars during his life time. His grandson, Leland Haws tells of a time when his father, Henry, drove a white-topped buggy to Panguitch the same day that his Grandfather drove his new automobile. Apparently, they passed each other several times on the road that day but Henry, in his white-topped buggy, was the first to arrive at the destination.
In the winter of 1919, several members of the Haws family contracted Typhoid Fever including Frank's wife Minnie. Even though all the medical attention and loving care were given to her that was possible, she did not recover. December 3, 1919, was a sad day indeed for Frank and his family when his beloved companion and devoted mother passed away.
If there ever were such beings as "Angels of Mercy," Minnie Haws was surely one of them. She was one of the most loving mothers, wife , grandmother, friend, and neighbor that had ever lived on this earth. The days were never too long, the nights never too long and cold; her love, cheerfulness, and all her earthly possessions were to be freely shared with those in need. She always gave the peer, the lonely, and the sick of her time and sustenance to lighten their burdens. Up to almost the day she died, she was busily engaged in administering help and comfort to her loved ones who were already afflicted with this dreaded disease of Typhoid Fever.
At the time of Minnie's passing, she and Frank were the proud parents of ten children, two of them having died in infancy. Two of their four sons and all four of their daughters were married with families of their own.
Henry Jason had married Maud Else Peterson on April 7, 1909 and were living in Boulder; Claud had married Anna Matilda Nelson on August 8, 1917; and had their home in Escalante; Sarah Jane had married Albert F. Gledhill on November 1, 1905, and were living in Boulder. Sariah Christina had married Samuel James Alvey on March 12, 1908 and were living in Escalante and Mina had married Roland Porter on September 14, 1927, and were living in Escalante. Their two youngest unmarried sons still at home, were Earl Dee, age sixteen and William John, age fourteen.
After Minnie's death, her dear husband Frank, then age fifty-seven, who possessed the same genuine characteristics as his beloved wife, attempted to carry on the traditions that they both had exemplified during their thirty-seven years of married life. He lived in the Escalante home and continued to care for his family and friends with the same true devotion that had become characteristic of the Hawses through the years. His son, Claud, his wife Nan, and their family moved into the home with their Father and tried as best they could to fill the void.
Frank along with the other responsibilities continued to take time with his race horses with his two sons and grandson as jockeys. This special interest, along with the many other daily hours of strenuous work, did much to help him overcome his grief and loneliness for his dearly departed companion.
Frank traded his Main Street property, that once housed his confectionery, to Carl Deuel for a brick building across the street. He secured some used brick from an older power plant and added on to the building which later housed a pool hall, a general merchandise store and barber shop. It was here that many of his grandchildren came to learn of their grandfather's generosity due to this seemingly inexhaustible supply of root beer and candy.
Frank was instrumental in organizing the State Bank of Escalante in May 1920 and became one of its directors. His son Dee was later employed as an assistant cashier. Frank purchased the building where the bank was housed from Robb Hall.
After acquiring range permits on the Escalante District, Frank purchased two thousand head of sheep from a Mr. Seegmiller of Kanab, Utah, at $18 a head. He and his four sons went into partnership in the sheep business. Through the years, Frank gave much attention to the sheep business but his sons actually cared for them directly as was needed.
Frank's son, Dee, married Edna Barker, February 18, 1925, and soon afterwards accepted a mission call. During his absence, Frank's daughter's-in-law, Elda and Nan helped him mow the hay on the Pine Creek Ranch as the need arose.
Bill, Frank's youngest son, married Myrtle Sargent on December 2, 1916, and continued to help his father with the sheep and on the ranch.
Frank, along with his three sons, Claud, Dee, and Bill extended their business ventures by purchasing a herd of registered dairy stock for their Pine Creek Ranch. This gave Frank four separate businesses to supervise and operate at the same time, namely, the mercantile store and pool hall, the sheep her, the ranch, and the dairy cattle. Frank, however, was a good organizer and seemingly had no difficulty in operating several business interests simultaneously. He relied heavily upon the help of his three sons particularly with the sheep and the ranch.
Frank portrayed those qualities exemplified by frontiersmen of his day. He could be a stern taskmaster when it was required, as well as a considerate and generous father and friend. He had learned early in life to rely upon his own courage and wits in order to survive and accomplish his goals. He was strong willed, and most determined when it came to overcoming the obstacles that seemed so often to block his path. His any accomplishments during the life were ample proof of his wisdom and determination to succeed.
His generous nature and reputation for honest business dealings were well-known among all who know of him. It was not at all usual for him to give a friend a work horse, a few dollars, or take him in his car several miles for medical attention when such needs arose. Frank was devoted not his family and continued to shower his special love upon each of them during his life time. He was amply blessed in return by rearing a family who honored and loved their parents.
John Franklin Haws passed away quietly on February 17, 1930, 48 years to the day and in the same community (Marysvale, Utah) in which he and Wilhelmine Smith had been married. He passed away in his sleep at the age of 68, after apparently suffering a stroke.
He had not been feeling well for several days and his children had finally prevailed upon him to go to Richfield for medical attention. His oldest son, Henry, had taken his father as far as Marysvale where they had stopped overnight with Frank's brother. They had all remained up quite late to visit and Frank appeared quite jolly and feeling better. During the night Henry noticed that his father was breathing rather heavily and spoke to him. Frank's breathing appeared to return to normal so Henry went back to sleep. In the morning an attempt was made to arouse Frank for breakfast, but to no avail.
The news of Frank Haws' death was a great shock to all of his family and they quickly went to Marysvale to accompany their father's body back home. Funeral services were held in Escalante on Thursday, February 20th with his sorrowing family and many close friends and associates in attendance. He was buried by the side of his beloved wife who had preceded him in death by twelve years. Frank Haws was survived by eight of his ten children: Henry, Claud, Dee, Will, Jennie, Amanda, Sariah and Mina, also the following brothers and sisters: Mrs. Fred L. Simmens of Salt Lake City, Mrs. Alma Durfey of Bicknell, George Haws of Marysvale and Charley Haws of Salt Lake City.
Frank's obituary stated that he was a pioneer in Boulder and Escalante and had always been a progressive booster for the betterment of his communities. He was kind and charitable to his neighbors and had truly lived the admonition of "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" as was testified by his any friends. He was well-known as a racehorse an and for his square dealings around the race track. Thus ended the early life but not the reputation of one of God's chosen spirits.
Forty-two years have now passed since the death of John Franklin Haws and 55 years since the death of his beloved wife, Wilhelmine Smith Haws. Over this half century the loving memory of these beloved partners remains vividly imprinted in the minds and hearts of their family members. The posterity of these two beloved progenitors mow number over three hundred choice spirits.
Two daughters, Sariah and Mina, and two sons, Dee and Bill remain of Frank and Minnie's family. All eight of their children that grew to maturity raised families that would make their parents most proud and who have all brought added credit to the Haws family name.
After almost a half-century, what do Frank's grandchildren, that were privileged to know him, remember about their grandfather?
He is remembered as the one who pulled their first tooth, and one who pulled own teeth with the use of pliers after secluding himself in the barn. He is remembered as one who was always generous with the treats that delighted children and one who was not too busy to take them to a silent picture sow. He is remembered as one who would use several spoonsful of sugar on his hot cereal but no cream. he is remembered as one who knew just how to roast delicious pinenuts in the oven, but one who would prescribe quaking aspen bark tea as a tonic in the Spring to thin their blood. He is remembered for the way he would gallop his race horses around him while he held a rope attached to their halters and how he would stand for hours drawing water from a sixty foot well to quench their thirst and for house hold needs.
He is remembered for the pool table in the upstairs of his home where the family members would gather of an evening of relaxation and for the candy treats that always accompanied such evenings. He is remembered for the time he broke his arm while trying to remove a dead porcupine from a large wooden water pipe and how he paced the floor in pain before obtaining medical attention. He is remembered for how proud he was of his two daughters-in-law when they put on their bib overalls and preceded to mow the hay when other help was not available. He is remembered for the time that a pole broke while stacking hay and how he was able to protect his son from injury. He is remembered for having a sick horse called Old Bally and offering it to this grandson if it lived through the night which it did. He is remembered for permitting his grandsons to help with the race horses ad thus making them feel very grown up and special in their grandfather's eyes. He is remembered by his granddaughters who once feared their grandfather would kiss them due to his mustache but how he won them over with his kindness. He is remembered as becoming so aggravated when riding a little horse called Silver that he knocked it to its knees with a pair of pinchers he was carrying. he is remembered for the fast rides he gave them in the white topped buggy over the rough roads and how he would make his bed in the wagon when visiting the sheep herd. He is remembered for his fiddle and banjo playing in the parlor when there was company to entertain. He is remembered for his large and beautiful automobiles that he so proudly owned and for the thrill of riding with him. He is remembered for the admonition to never do anything that you should not so you would never had anything to regret. Last but not least, it is remembered how his family sat up all night with his body previous to the funeral, indicating their deep love and respect for their father.
Most of all over the year's any grandchildren and great grandchildren, regardless of whether or not they knew their grandfather Haws personally, have felt extremely proud when strangers have said to them, "Are you any relation to the Haws that had the race horses?" Then the stranger would generally continue to say, "He was the most honest and square dealing man that I ever knew."
One particular grandson, after having et such and admirer of his grandfather, said to his other, "If I could just live good enough to leave the reputation that Grandpa Haws has, I would feel that I was the richest man in the world". The life of John Franklin and Wilhelmine Smith Haws typifies the honest and stalwart pioneers of their day who left for their posterity a proud heritage. They faced hardship and adversity with courage and determination to help build for themselves and their family, a better world. Their numerous and posterity call their progenitors blessed with a deep and abiding love and respect due such honorable parents. Each descendent feels a personal responsibility to so conduct his life that the family name "Haws" will remain as honorable and prestigious as it was a half century ago.
Each descendant of John Franklin and Wilhelmine Smith Haws can also justly say, as did the ancient prophet Nephi of Old, "I...having been born of goodly parents."
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