SMITH CHRISTINA JACK by ARTIE and HAWS

STORY

of

JORGEN (JACK-JOHN) SMITH

Sarah Sariah   Jack Smith

Jorgen (John) Smith was the son of Jorgen and Christine Marie Birkedahl Smith.  He was born the 13th of September 1861 in Fountain Green, Utah, Sanpete County.  In 1863, when he was two years old the family moved to Richfield, Utah.  In 1867 they moved to Fountain Green, Utah again (Brigham Young ordered all the settlers from the Richfield area until the Indian War was settled) and then again moved to Richfield. 

When he was Nine years old, Jorgen went with a couple and a family crossing the Sevier River with team and wagon in high water time, the river started taking the wagon down, and Jorgen swam out and unhitched the horses from the wagon carrying all to safety on the horses and saving their lives. 

Then he went to work with the Hunt family of Monroe, Utah, and later became engaged with their daughter, Lida.  He later came to Wayne County with Church cattle.  Frank Haws, who later became his brother-in-law, took their cattle to New Mexico as partners.  Jorgen was poisoned on ivy and had to leave, so they moved to Durango, Colorado, then to the Boulder Mountains.  While they were on their way, they ran into Frank's sister, brother-in-law and family on their way to California and Arizona to live.  Jorgen was introduced to Sarah Sariah Durfey after which he broke his engagement to Lida, and on the 12th of April 1887 John and Sarah were married. 

Jorgen and Sarah soon took up a Homestead on the Fremont River with one hundred acres where he grubbed and cleaned sage brush, dug ditches, put up fences and where fourteen children came to gladden their home.  On the 16th of February 1888, John Floyd was born.  Jorgen was out on the mountains when Floyd took sick.  Sarah was alone with the baby.  When the baby did not seem to be getting better, Sarah jumped on her horse bare back, riding side ways , took her sick baby up Red Canyon to hers fathers and mothers home.  She woke her parents and her baby was sick all night.  The next morning Floyd would go to the window and look up the road and would say, "I wish my Daddy, Jack would come home."  Jorgen felt worried and told the men he was working with that he was going home.  Just before he arrived, their Floyd passed away (June 19, 1889).

On the 14th of February 1890, his second son was born: he died three days later on February 17.  They named him Charles William.    Amanda Melvine was born April 11, 1891 and Artie Jane was born March 17, 1893. 

Jorgen and Mr. Nielson (Hans Peter Nielsen husband of Maren Catrine Nielson, James Nielson's sister) went to Salt Lake City to purchase the machinery for a grist mill.  Jorgen was half owner of this grist mill for many years.  It was called the Nielsen Mill. 

Jorgen purchased a saw mill from Matthew Mansfield.  During the summers he and his family would live at the saw mill up in the mountains where he would make lumber. 

Becoming discouraged with their present surroundings and, I guess, certain happenings,  the family moved away leaving Amanda, Artie and Lynn.  They sold their farm and all they owned and bought a home in Midview, Utah.  Before buying their home, the family lived for ten days at Duchesne.  They farmed seventy acres in Midview and it was there that their fifteenth child was born, Jay Durfey Smith, on May 15, 1917. 

possibly Artie Smith Taft

The Bishop of Midview, Alma A. Burgener, paid a great tribute to Jorgen for his honesty.  He said he would always be poor because he permitted other people to take advantage of him.  Jorgen would always pay more than his share of Fast Offerings and Tithing, and he was always kind and loving father to all who knew him.  He would ask people to eat with his family and he always had a bed for everyone.  He did a great deal of work on the Manti Temple and after the temple was completed he and his wife were sealed for time and all eternity on December 4, 1889 soon after their first child died.  As a tribute from his family of 15, there was never a time the children went cold or hungry their whole lives. 

In 1922 they had a bakery in Myton, Utah.  They lived in Myton for awhile but later moved back to Midview then to Park City, Utah where Jorgen worked as a miner and Sarah ran a boarding house.  Jorgen worked at the Daily Judge Mine.  They then moved back to Midview where Merin and Cora moved them and furniture back to Fruita where they lived until Easter Sunday Morning 1932.  Sarah took very sick and was taken to William and Amanda's home where she passed away April 14, 1932. 

Being alone and very lonesome without his wife and family, Jorgen lived at Livermore, California with Lincoln and Ardella for nearly six years after which he moved back to Utah again and lived with all of his children until on the 25th of June, 1938, while sleeping at Dee and Artie's home, he passed away in his sleep.  He was laid to rest beside his loving and kind wife and three sons at Bicknell, Utah, Wayne County where he always wanted to be laid.  He was laid to rest June 27, 1938 in his L.D.S. Temple Robes which he well earned throughout his life.  He had a very large funeral service.  He had a total of 225 Progenitors, with 23 passing away making a total now living 191. 

SARAH SARIAH DURFEY SMITH

by HAWS DURFEY

Amanda    Sarah Sariah  Durfey

Jayson Lynn had bought a new car and the family went to Salt Lake City, a very joyous occasion until they entered an intersection and was hit by a Murray Laundry truck.  All were thrown from the auto except Amanda and the baby she was holding.  The seat she was sitting on was thrown out leaving them sitting on the floor unhurt.  Lynn was slightly injured but Sarah Sariah had broken her back and suffered from it for the rest of her life.  Alma, her Father, was also slightly injured 

HALLOWEEN in BICKNELL

by HAWS DURFEY

There were two Jacks in town, one Red Jack and Black Jack, young Jorgen was Black Jack.  He was the one they seemed to like to tease on Halloween.  His cows had disappeared one night, a search by all the towns people had begun but not a track could be found leaving the town, or anywhere.  A day or two later when the ladies opened the Relief Society Building, the cows came running out. 

Another year he searched in vain for his buggy only to find it high on the roof of this same building.