In clearing my Dad's office, I found an unlabeled disk with a Word perfect document on it. I had already uploaded an excerpt from this to his Memory on Family Search. But I feel like now is a good time to share the rest of the story. It does overlap with living individuals but I think it is so long ago, that it will be ok with them and will bless their kids to know more about how they lived. I think this document was created by Myrna McGee Smith.
THE ROSS SOLON MCGEE STORY
The continuation of Ross Solon McGee's
story after 1900. The McGee family had been living in Fruitland, New Mexico and
at last had bought a farm at the head of the valley. It was a beautiful farm to
them, with plenty of fruit trees and other good crops and they felt that nature
was smiling down on them.
William James and Elese Schmutz Hunt began their life together on March 22, 1878 and were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Their children are Annie Elizabeth born Jan 2,1879 and William Albert born Sept.15, 1880 while they lived in St George, Utah. They then moved to Pine, Arizona where on Apr. 10, 1882 their third child Martha Louise was born. Then between 1883 and 1888 Ida, Cecelia and on May 6,1888 Irene was born.
In the spring of 1883 the people of Pine, Arizona built a fort and lived in it with all their livestock for several weeks to protect themselves from the
Apache Indians who had
threatened all the country until the troops from Fort Defiance defeated the
Indians and took them back to the reservation.
Then the Hunts had to give up the home they had worked so hard for because they were asked to go to Tuba, Arizona. On Oct 10, 1892 another son was born to them and was named Elroy.
On Mar.3,1902 they left Tuba and let the horses lead the way and they traveled toward San Juan County New Mexico and finally arrived at Olio (now Kirtland). They finally bought a place in Jewett Valley with the $2,200.00 they had received from the sale of their property in Tuba, Arizona.
It was at this time in 1902 that the McGee family became acquainted with the Hunt family. Elwood and Ross began dating their daughters Cecelia and Irene, and Ulysses was dating Matilda Palmer. During the next six years there would be a wedding every year for the older children.
On Oct.11,1904 Elwood and Celia Hunt were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of Harvey, Stella, Ruth, William Elwood, Charles Ellis, Richard, Clifton, Lawrence and Celia.
The following year on September 8, 1905 Ulysses and Matilda Palmer were married in Kirtland, New Mexico. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on April 10,1912. They are the parents of Iona, Ethel Ruby, Ray, Newell, Bertha, Erma, Glen, Wayne, LeRoy, and a child Amelia. The correct order for her is not known.
On Mar. 22, 1907 Ross McGee married Irene Hunt in Kirtland, New Mexico. They are the parents of Gladys, Golda, Russell, Elise and Solon.
It was during the year of 1901 that Sally met Jim Washburn in Kirtland, New Mexico when they were eleven years old. Jim's family had moved from Huntington Utah. A son of James Fredrick and Lydia Spencer Washburn. They went to school together, rode horses, danced etc., and as all young folks do. . . they fell in love!
There had been so many storms and flooding that it ruined a lot of the farm ground and it became hard to make a go of the farming so the Solon and Emily McGee family moved to LeGrand, Oregon in 1907 looking for better farming. It seemed that if one member of the family moved most of the others soon followed.
Jim Washburn soon followed Sally to LeGrand, Oregon, there he worked in the apple orchards and stayed close to the McGee family. In October 1908 at the age of eighteen Jim and Sally traveled by train to Salt Lake City, Utah and were married in the Salt Lake Temple October 8, 1908.
At this same time Henry was dating Laretta Wilson whose family had previously moved from Salem, Idaho. A daughter of James Henry and Phoebe Coleman Wilson. They also traveled to Salt Lake City and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on Oct. 8, 1908. They are the parents of Thelma, Ivan, Arden, Carl, Cleome and Kenneth.
On Feb. 10,1909 Carr married Pearl Vilate Stolworthy in the Salt Lake Temple. They made their home in New Mexico. They are the parents of Melvin Carr, Roscoe Henry, Jewel Solon, Fern and Kenneth Lamar (called Kelly).
Jim and Sally Washburn made their first home in Nampa, Idaho. Solon and Emily and the rest of the family left Oregon and followed them to Nampa, Idaho still looking for work and farm ground. They contracted with some farmers to clear their ground for farming. They would take large log poles and wrap heavy chains around the poles and would pull the poles with the team of horses to clear the sage brush from the ground to cultivate it for planting.
Here in Nampa, Idaho Ross and Irene had their first child Gladys on July 23, 1909 and Jim and Sally's first child Nita was born on Aug. 27,1909.
In 1911 the McGee family along with Jim and Sally Washburn moved to Oakley, Idaho. On July 7, 1911 Ross and Irene's second child Golda was born.
On Dec. 18, 1911 Jim and Sally's first child Nita died and was buried in Oakley, Idaho. They grieved greatly over the loss of their baby.
During this same year in New Mexico the great flood of 1911 washed away much of the best farming land. All the Hunt family could do was to save their cattle by going on higher ground and there they planted fruit trees.
Jim's family had moved from New Mexico to Blanding, Utah so Jim and Sally decided to go there, too. They traveled in a covered wagon. Here in Blanding their three children Emily, Myrl and James LaVar was born. Then three years later they moved to Springdale and here two boys Guy Mack and Clem was born. In 1920 they moved to St George where Jim worked at farming. He peddled farm produce to Cedar City. One child was allowed to go with him. Jim taught good things to do and say. He gave 13 eggs to the dozen, an extra ear of corn and heaped his cups of fruit. He said this was his "...and then some". It made him happy. The days ended with the children kissing their parents. They always said " Good night, I love you". Jim and Sally often said, "Don't let the bugs bite". There was no electricity and no inside water. The water had to be carried in the house and boiled on the wood burning stove.
After Jim and Sally left Idaho with much struggle in finding work the McGee family moved back to Utah and settled near Richfield. They worked on a ranch in Siguard, Utah and Ross and his brothers ran a show house in Richfield.
On July 4, 1913 Ross and
Irene's third child Russell was born in Richfield, Utah.
On July 22,1914 James Grover McGee married Martina Nelson Grevsen in Richfield Utah. Their marriage was solemnized in the St George Temple Mar. 26, 1918.They are the parents of Garth, EuGene, Dorothy and Louella. They also had Solon, son of Ross and Irene McGee in their home for many years after the death of his mother.
On September 2, 1914 Louella married Herbert Norman who is the son of Mons and Julia Johansen Norman from Mt Pleasant, Utah. They are the parents of Rex, Miriam, Clarence, Rowland and Bonnie. After their children were grown they went to the Salt Lake Temple on Aug. 10, 1973. Through their life they were very involved in Lodge and Club Organizations. Herb worked as a farmer, railroad worker and later in his life construction in building bridges. He was very proud of the many bridges he built.
The McGee family left Richfield and moved to Springdale, Utah during the year of 1915. Ross and Henry still made their molasses. Henry would usually boil his until it was real dark but Ross made his into a caramel color and his would always sell first. They would haul it on wagons to Cedar City to sell it.
Irene was expecting Elise and shortly before her birth she was resting under a tree at their home laying on a hammock when a snake came down the tree onto Irene's shoulder and scared her so bad she went into labor. It wasn't quite time for her birth since she wasn't due until Dec. 22nd so Ross and Henry had traveled to Las Vegas in their wagons with the team of horses to sell their molasses so he was not at home when Elise was born on Dec. 4, 1915. Elise only weighed three pounds and could fit in a shoe box.
For a number of years William Hunt had encouraged Ross to take his family to the Temple. Eleven years after their marriage they went to the St George Temple and were sealed together on March 22, 1918. On this same day Gladys was baptized at the St George Temple and then she and Golda, Russell and Elise were sealed to their parents.
Early in 1919 Grandma (Emily) McGee became ill and on May 2, 1919 at the age of almost 64 she died. The many years of packing up and moving across the country must have been very hard on her. She was buried in Springdale, Utah
The family later moved to St George. Ross and Irene lived in a home in St George in Berry Springs, here they raised water melons. Ross, Grover and Henry ran a bakery and a candy store.
On Sept. 16, 1919 Golda was baptized at the St George Temple. Two days later on Sept. 18, 1919 Solon was born to Ross and Irene. Four months after Solon’s birth Irene became very ill with the flu. From the memory of Golda, second child of Ross and Irene: In early 1920 much flu was going around, but at the church the Primary was having a dance and party and she wanted to go so bad.
Her mother said she didn't
want her to go and get around the other children because there was so much flu.
Golda stomped her feet and cried until her mother finally let her go. Soon both
Gladys and Golda were sick and then Irene caught the flu and it was soon an
epidemic. Irene was to sick to care for
herself and go to bed because of her young family and a small baby. When she got worse she had to stay with Aunt Orpha, she was the wife of one
of Elese Hunts brothers. She lived under
the D at the black hill in St George. Irene just couldn't get better and it was
here that she died February 12, 1920. She was buried at St George, Utah.
After Irene died Ross's brother Grover and his wife Martina took Elise and Solon. Golda stayed with them quite awhile to help with Solon and Elise.
It was a very hard time for Ross and his young family to be without Irene. Elwood and Celia were living in St George at this time so Gladys and Golda stayed quite often with them after their mother died. Gladys was staying at Julia Foster's home where she worked for her doing housework after she got out of school.
Ross would travel in the
wagon with the team of horses to Grover and Martina's to see Solon and
Elise. Elise would hide out in the wagon
so she could go home because she didn't like staying with Grover and Martina,
so Ross took her back home with him.
to be continued:
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