JOSEPH PAGE AND ALICE MILLS PAGE ~ Elizabeth (Sisters) ~~~ PIONEERS OF THE MONTH ~~~ APRIL 2026

 

 

Joseph Page & Alice Mills

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Joseph Page, born Feb 6, 1830 to Daniel Page and Mary Sockwell in New Jersey, migrated to the west after joining the church. He and his family arrived in Nauvoo just as the saints were being expelled so they came by wagon to Utah. In 1862 he was sent to Florence, Nebraska to help immigrants come to Utah. In 1863 he married Elizabeth Mills to whom three children were born before her death in 1869. Joseph asked her younger sister Alice to take care of his three children and they were married that same year. Alice eventually had ten children.

Alice, born Jan 2, 1847 to Thomas Mills and Alice Allen in England, was converted in England with her family and then baptized aboard the ship as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. She enjoyed seeing a whale, not far from the ship, spout water.

Joseph was one of the first school teachers in Mount Pleasant. He had a good voice and people would walk for miles to hear him sing. He was elected mayor of Mt. Pleasant in 1870; a position he held for ten to fifteen years.*

In 1873, he was appointed postmaster for Mount Pleasant which position he held for twelve to fifteen years.* His wife assisted him in the post office when he was gone with his freighting business. During his appointment as postmaster, some money sent through the mail was lost, and he was accused of stealing it. In court, he was promised that his sentence would be easier if he admitted to stealing it. He told them he had not taken the money. He had to sell a good share of his large herd of sheep to pay the attorney fees. When the new postmaster was installed, a large table that was fastened to the wall was moved and the envelope of money found.

During the Black Hawk War in 1867 Joseph was a Commissioned Regimental Adjutant with the rank of Major in the 1st Regiment Cavalry. While making a trip to Nevada in 1871, he was ambushed and shot through the knee. His leg was crippled the rest of his life permanently bent at the knee. He got around on a wooden leg strapped to his leg and waist. He turned to bee keeping and raising orchards to provide for his family.

While living on a ranch in Orangeville, Alice helped care for over a 100 hogs. She had many friends in Orangeville and served as secretary in the Relief Society for many years. Joseph died in 1911 and she followed in 1920.

*Family histories vary on time.

Source:

History of Joseph Page written by his granddaughter Elizabeth Pearl Preston Redmond.

Joseph Page 

Alice Mills Page

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Alice Mills, daughter of Thomas and Alice Allen Mills was born January 2, l847 at Radcliff, Lancashire, England.

Through the Mormon Elders, her father and family were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and shortly after Alice was 8 years old, they started for Zion, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. When they were a few days out Alice was baptized on board the ship.

While on the ocean, Alice saw a whale spouting water not far from the ship. They were delayed in sailing by stormy weather and after a month on the water they landed at New York, they settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania where they lived for some time. While here the children would gather walnuts by the bushel from the woods and store them for winter use.

Alice’s father was very industrious and desired the children to be the same, so he required the girls to knit so many rounds on a stocking every day.

They moved to Alton, Illinois and while living here Alice’s brother Willie was very ill and her father went to get some Mormon Elders to administer to him. He had to run all the way as the Elders were leaving that day and he was afraid they would be gone before he could get there. He arrived just in time, but in doing so he over did himself and never recovered.

His death was a very heavy blow to the family as they were left to provide for themselves as well as earn money enough to migrate to Utah. While there Alice worked at a boarding school (a girls’ seminary) as a nurse maid for two lady teachers who taught her in the evenings.

Later they moved to Council B1uffs, Iowa, always getting a little closer to Utah. From Council Bluffs the family started on their journey across the plains in l86l in a wagon with ox team. I have heard mother tell how the young folks would gather around the camp fire, sing songs and enjoy themselves until bedtime.

After reaching Salt Lake City they lived there for awhile then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah. Here Alice became acquainted with Joseph Page who married her sister Elizabeth. After three children were born to them his wife died and later he married Alice. Joseph was the mayor of Mt. Pleasant and postmaster for fifteen years. He also taught school eighteen years and Alice assisted him, she was also assistant postmaster and did the business at the office while Joseph freighted with an ox team, which consisted of three yoke of oxen and two wagons, to a mining camp in Nevada.

While he was freighting, the Black Hawk and Indian War broke out and he enlisted in the Utah militia. He was made adjutant general with the rank of major. During this war, he was shot through the left knee crushing the bone. He was taken home and as there was no doctor nearer than Salt Lake City. Alice had to take care of him until the doctor arrived from Salt Lake City, a distance of over one hundred miles, by ox team.

When Dr. Anderson arrived he said there was no use of doing anything for him as the bone was so badly shattered and the leg was swollen so badly, but Alice being so determined to do all that could be done to save him. She wanted the doctor to dress it and she took care of him. Finally through their faith and prayers after one and a half years he was able to get out of bed though the leg was bent straight back from the knee leaving him a cripple for life.

Alice became the mother of ten children in Mount Pleasant. She had many friends and was loved and respected by all who knew her. When her youngest child was 6 months old she with her husband and family moved to Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. Soon after arriving in Orangeville their next to the youngest child died.

While living in Orangeville she made many friends and was secretary of the Relief Society for many years. After living in Orangeville, some years her husband bought a ranch ten miles east of that place on Huntington Creek, and during the winter months the children attended school at Orangeville.

While living here they had a herd of over 100 hogs. One day 6 or 7 of these hogs had got into the granary under which was a potato cellar. They had gone down a dozen stairs to get into the cellar when Alice found them. Joseph wasn’t able to get them out on account of his leg, so Alice coaxed them and tried to get them out every way they could but finally could see they would stay there until they had eaten all of the potatoes. So she carried 30 bushel of them up and put them in a bin in the granary above the cellar. When the hogs got hungry enough they walked up the steps and came out. Joseph thought Alice had left the door open but the next day he saw one of the hogs climb over a tight pole fence which was around the granary and stand on its hind legs with its front ones against the wall while with its teeth it pulled the spike out of the staple which held the door shut. Then he knew Alice hadn’t left the door open.

When the Uintah Indian reservation was opened in 1906, Alice and her husband and family moved to Roosevelt where she with her husband went into the bee business.

Four years later her husband died at the age of 8l leaving Alice to finish life’s journey alone. Nine years later she had an attack of the influenza from which she never recovered and on the September 13, 1920, she died at the age of 73 years.

This history written by her daughter Lorana Page Anderson

Alice Mills Page

Alice Mills Page

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Alice Mills, daughter of Thomas and Alice Allen Mills was born January 2, l847 at Radcliff, Lancashire, England.

Through the Mormon Elders, her father and family were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and shortly after Alice was 8 years old, they started for Zion, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. When they were a few days out Alice was baptized on board the ship.

While on the ocean, Alice saw a whale spouting water not far from the ship. They were delayed in sailing by stormy weather and after a month on the water they landed at New York, they settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania where they lived for some time. While here the children would gather walnuts by the bushel from the woods and store them for winter use.

Alice’s father was very industrious and desired the children to be the same, so he required the girls to knit so many rounds on a stocking every day.

They moved to Alton, Illinois and while living here Alice’s brother Willie was very ill and her father went to get some Mormon Elders to administer to him. He had to run all the way as the Elders were leaving that day and he was afraid they would be gone before he could get there. He arrived just in time, but in doing so he over did himself and never recovered.

His death was a very heavy blow to the family as they were left to provide for themselves as well as earn money enough to migrate to Utah. While there Alice worked at a boarding school (a girls’ seminary) as a nurse maid for two lady teachers who taught her in the evenings.

Later they moved to Council B1uffs, Iowa, always getting a little closer to Utah. From Council Bluffs the family started on their journey across the plains in l86l in a wagon with ox team. I have heard mother tell how the young folks would gather around the camp fire, sing songs and enjoy themselves until bedtime.

After reaching Salt Lake City they lived there for awhile then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah. Here Alice became acquainted with Joseph Page who married her sister Elizabeth. After three children were born to them his wife died and later he married Alice. Joseph was the mayor of Mt. Pleasant and postmaster for fifteen years. He also taught school eighteen years and Alice assisted him, she was also assistant postmaster and did the business at the office while Joseph freighted with an ox team, which consisted of three yoke of oxen and two wagons, to a mining camp in Nevada.

While he was freighting, the Black Hawk and Indian War broke out and he enlisted in the Utah militia. He was made adjutant general with the rank of major. During this war, he was shot through the left knee crushing the bone. He was taken home and as there was no doctor nearer than Salt Lake City. Alice had to take care of him until the doctor arrived from Salt Lake City, a distance of over one hundred miles, by ox team.

When Dr. Anderson arrived he said there was no use of doing anything for him as the bone was so badly shattered and the leg was swollen so badly, but Alice being so determined to do all that could be done to save him. She wanted the doctor to dress it and she took care of him. Finally through their faith and prayers after one and a half years he was able to get out of bed though the leg was bent straight back from the knee leaving him a cripple for life.

Alice became the mother of ten children in Mount Pleasant. She had many friends and was loved and respected by all who knew her. When her youngest child was 6 months old she with her husband and family moved to Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. Soon after arriving in Orangeville their next to the youngest child died.

While living in Orangeville she made many friends and was secretary of the Relief Society for many years. After living in Orangeville, some years her husband bought a ranch ten miles east of that place on Huntington Creek, and during the winter months the children attended school at Orangeville.

While living here they had a herd of over 100 hogs. One day 6 or 7 of these hogs had got into the granary under which was a potato cellar. They had gone down a dozen stairs to get into the cellar when Alice found them. Joseph wasn’t able to get them out on account of his leg, so Alice coaxed them and tried to get them out every way they could but finally could see they would stay there until they had eaten all of the potatoes. So she carried 30 bushel of them up and put them in a bin in the granary above the cellar. When the hogs got hungry enough they walked up the steps and came out. Joseph thought Alice had left the door open but the next day he saw one of the hogs climb over a tight pole fence which was around the granary and stand on its hind legs with its front ones against the wall while with its teeth it pulled the spike out of the staple which held the door shut. Then he knew Alice hadn’t left the door open.

When the Uintah Indian reservation was opened in 1906, Alice and her husband and family moved to Roosevelt where she with her husband went into the bee business.

Four years later her husband died at the age of 8l leaving Alice to finish life’s journey alone. Nine years later she had an attack of the influenza from which she never recovered and on the September 13, 1920, she died at the age of 73 years.

This history written by her daughter Lorana Page Anderson

Alice Mills Page

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Alice Mills, daughter of Thomas and Alice Allen Mills was born January 2, l847 at Radcliff, Lancashire, England.

Through the Mormon Elders, her father and family were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and shortly after Alice was 8 years old, they started for Zion, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. When they were a few days out Alice was baptized on board the ship.

While on the ocean, Alice saw a whale spouting water not far from the ship. They were delayed in sailing by stormy weather and after a month on the water they landed at New York, they settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania where they lived for some time. While here the children would gather walnuts by the bushel from the woods and store them for winter use.

Alice’s father was very industrious and desired the children to be the same, so he required the girls to knit so many rounds on a stocking every day.

They moved to Alton, Illinois and while living here Alice’s brother Willie was very ill and her father went to get some Mormon Elders to administer to him. He had to run all the way as the Elders were leaving that day and he was afraid they would be gone before he could get there. He arrived just in time, but in doing so he over did himself and never recovered.

His death was a very heavy blow to the family as they were left to provide for themselves as well as earn money enough to migrate to Utah. While there Alice worked at a boarding school (a girls’ seminary) as a nurse maid for two lady teachers who taught her in the evenings.

Later they moved to Council B1uffs, Iowa, always getting a little closer to Utah. From Council Bluffs the family started on their journey across the plains in l86l in a wagon with ox team. I have heard mother tell how the young folks would gather around the camp fire, sing songs and enjoy themselves until bedtime.

After reaching Salt Lake City they lived there for awhile then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah. Here Alice became acquainted with Joseph Page who married her sister Elizabeth. After three children were born to them his wife died and later he married Alice. Joseph was the mayor of Mt. Pleasant and postmaster for fifteen years. He also taught school eighteen years and Alice assisted him, she was also assistant postmaster and did the business at the office while Joseph freighted with an ox team, which consisted of three yoke of oxen and two wagons, to a mining camp in Nevada.

While he was freighting, the Black Hawk and Indian War broke out and he enlisted in the Utah militia. He was made adjutant general with the rank of major. During this war, he was shot through the left knee crushing the bone. He was taken home and as there was no doctor nearer than Salt Lake City. Alice had to take care of him until the doctor arrived from Salt Lake City, a distance of over one hundred miles, by ox team.

When Dr. Anderson arrived he said there was no use of doing anything for him as the bone was so badly shattered and the leg was swollen so badly, but Alice being so determined to do all that could be done to save him. She wanted the doctor to dress it and she took care of him. Finally through their faith and prayers after one and a half years he was able to get out of bed though the leg was bent straight back from the knee leaving him a cripple for life.

Alice became the mother of ten children in Mount Pleasant. She had many friends and was loved and respected by all who knew her. When her youngest child was 6 months old she with her husband and family moved to Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. Soon after arriving in Orangeville their next to the youngest child died.

While living in Orangeville she made many friends and was secretary of the Relief Society for many years. After living in Orangeville, some years her husband bought a ranch ten miles east of that place on Huntington Creek, and during the winter months, the children attended school at Orangeville.

While living here they had a herd of over 100 hogs. One day 6 or 7 of these hogs had got into the granary under which was a potato cellar. They had gone down a dozen stairs to get into the cellar when Alice found them. Joseph wasn’t able to get them out on account of his leg, so Alice coaxed them and tried to get them out every way they could but finally could see they would stay there until they had eaten all of the potatoes. So she carried 30 bushel of them up and put them in a bin in the granary above the cellar. When the hogs got hungry enough they walked up the steps and came out. Joseph thought Alice had left the door open but the next day he saw one of the hogs climb over a tight pole fence which was around the granary and stand on its hind legs with its front ones against the wall while with its teeth it pulled the spike out of the staple which held the door shut. Then he knew Alice hadn’t left the door open.

When the Uintah Indian reservation was opened in 1906, Alice and her husband and family moved to Roosevelt where she with her husband went into the bee business.

Four years later her husband died at the age of 8l leaving Alice to finish life’s journey alone. Nine years later she had an attack of the influenza from which she never recovered and on the September 13, 1920, she died at the age of 73 years.

This history written by her daughter Lorana Page Anderson

John H. Seely and Margaret Peel Seely ~~~ Pioneers of the Month ~~~ June 2025

 

Photo Shared by Marlane Harless

John Henry Seely as remembered by his grandchildren, Margaret Merrill Nelson and Madeline Merrill Mills

Contributed By

John Henry Seely (1855-1920)

As remembered by his grandchildren,

Margaret Merrill Nelson and Madeline Merrill Mills

John Henry Seely was the son of Justus Wellington Seely (1815-1894) and Clarissa Jane Wilcox Seely (1821-1908). They were married on 10 March 1842 in Charleston, Iowa. Both of their families had earlier converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They lived across the Mississippi River from Nauvoo, Illinois in Iowa. They joined the exodus of the saints from Nauvoo in 1846 with their three children; Orange, Sarah and Don Carlos. They spent the winter of 1846-1847 in Pigeon Grove near Omaha, Nebraska. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September, 1847 with the John Taylor Company.

In March 1851, Justus Wellington and Clarissa Jane were called by Brigham Young to take their family of five small children; Hyrum and Justus Wellington, Jr. had been born in Salt Lake City; to San Bernardino, California to make a settlement there and to grow olives. They traveled with the Charles Rich and Amasa Lyman groups. His brother, William Hazard, was born in 1852 in San Bernardino.

John Henry Seely was born on 29 April, 1855 in San Bernardino, California. When he was only two and one half years old, his parents responded to the call of Brigham Young to return to Utah at this time. His grandparents lived in Pleasant Grove, Utah and they first went there to live until they were called in the spring of 1859 to colonize Mt. Pleasant, Utah. He would spend the remainder of his life in Mt. Pleasant.

Life was hard and luxuries were non-existent in a pioneer settlement. Our mother told us that as a small boy, our grandfather had no shoes and played with things from the yard for toys. He had a toy made from a board with a nail half pounded in to which he attached a rope to pull it and he used it as a sled. When his little brother, David Alma Seely, died on 20 October, 1860, he gave up his sled to make a coffin for David.

The young children in the family worked hard. The boys went along with their father and learned from him to do a man's work. John Henry herded the sheep and cattle from the time he was a very small boy and he told Dwight Lincoln, a colleague in the Rambouillet Sheep Association that he had day-dreamed as a child of having his own great herd.

John Henry was a veteran of the Black Hawk Wars but we never heard about this from him. He was seventeen years old when he was honored in 1872 so he was a very young soldier having served before that. He hurt his arm about when he was fifteen when he was carrying his gun and climbed through a fence. The gun caught on the wire, discharged, and a bullet ripped through his arm. He injured a tendon and he had a stiff forefinger on his right hand for the rest of his life. Our mother told us that his mother insisted that he carry buckets of water, milk or whatever with his right hand to strengthen his right arm.

John Henry Seely and Margaret Folkman Peel were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 15 January 1880. They had known each other most of their lives. Both were raised in Mt. Pleasant of pioneer parents. Margaret's parents, Peder Madsen Peel and Christiana Folkman Peel, were Danish converts who came to Utah in 1854 and settled in Lehi, Utah where she was born 1 March 1858. They were later sent to Mt. Pleasant to colonize and lived there the rest of their lives.

At the time of their marriage, John Henry was the owner of two horses, one cow and a small amount of money. With these two horses and a wagon, and in the company of many others, the couple left Mt. Pleasant on the 10th of January, 1880. A large amount of snow fell that day so they only got as far as Fountain Green, Utah. The next morning, the ladies in the group waited for the men to make a trail over the summit to Nephi, Utah. A friend from Castle Valley, Utah was driving the team until a young boy in the group contracted diphtheria and he and his father took the train so the friend took over driving their wagon so John Henry had to drive the rest of the way. They drove to Mona, Utah the second day and to Pleasant Grove the third day, and Cottonwood, Utah on the fourth day. The ladies in the group slept in the wagon and the men slept on piles of hay under the wagon.

On the 14th of January, the couple and others drove into Salt Lake City where they stayed with Patriarch Hyde. Patriarch Hyde's son notified all of his friends that there were "newlyweds" staying at the home so that a crowd came with noisemakers and "shivereed" them. John Henry gave the young boy money so he could buy shrimps for the participants.

While in Salt Lake, they purchased a stove, some dishes, a lamp and a clock at the ZCMI store. When they returned to Mt. Pleasant, her parents had a lovely wedding supper for them at their home. John Henry and another bridegroom, Peter Anderson, organized a big wedding dance to which the whole town was invited. John and Maggie went to Antone Beauman's furniture store and a bed, six chairs, a rocking chair, a table and a mirror. This cost $35.00.

At about this time several members of John Henry's family left to settle Castle Valley, Utah. John Henry bought the home of his brother, Justus Wellington, Jr. (Wink) for $200.00 giving his older brother some needed cash for the upcoming journey. He also traded a horse for 200 acres of land in Chester, Utah.

The home was on Main Street and about 500 West. Four children were born to this couple while they lived in this little home; Ethel Alberta, 7 October 1880; Zella Gertrude, 6 December 1882; Earl Henning, 10 December 1884 and John Leo, 4 April 1887.

During this period of time, John Henry and his father, Justus Wellington Seely, and several of his brothers, changed the spelling of their surname to Seely from Seelye for the purpose of securing a brand. It was cheaper to use less letters.

In May, 1887, they moved into a larger home on 400 West and 100 South. It was purchased from Peter Meiling. They later put on a second story. It was a very comfortable home and they lived in it until their deaths. Six more children were born to them in this home; Leonard Joseph, 13 June 1890; Abrelia Clarissa, 19 September 1892; Lucretia Vern, 26 January 1895; Chesley Peel, 20 March 1898; Margaret Rae, 27 September 1901 (she died young); and Oliver Dwight, 27 April 1902.

While they lived in the small house, Grandpa had started a small sheep herd but over the years, he acquired more animals, more land for grazing and through breeding obtained better quality animals for which he was recognized throughout the world by the people in his field. At the National Ram Sale in 1918, he sold a ram for $6200.00 at auction. This was the highest price ever paid!

Grandpa was an organized man, loving and kind, but high expectations for good behavior. He did not like rowdiness or disobedience. If he saw us sliding down the banister, we were pulled off and told in no uncertain terms that banisters were for hands. Once Uncle Will Candland was saying the blessing on the food and he prayed so long that the children got to tittering and we all were banished from the table.

He respected his children as individuals and allowed them to make their own decisions. They had many advantages that other young people in Mt. Pleasant did not have the opportunity to enjoy. Uncle Bob Hinckley related that when he went to ask Grandpa for permission to marry Aunt Arbrelia, Grandpa seemed to avoid him. Finally, Uncle Bob asked Grandpa and Grandpa responded, "Have you talked with her?" "Yes." "If it is alright with her, it is alright with me. I don't have to live with you."

Grandpa made annual trips to Salt Lake City to the Utah State Fair. He always came to our house to stay bringing suitcases filled with home-made casing sausages, hams, bacon and often he would bring the head of a dead animal so mother could make head cheese. It was gruesome to look into the big, dead eyes! Once when he was there, we were at the dinner table. The adults were talking and three-year old Madeline wanted some of his attention so she crawled under the table and tickled his ankle. He thought it was our dog, Brown Socks, and he kicked her right in the face. He felt terrible when she cried. He picked her up and loved her and soothed her but from this we knew that he did not want dogs under foot at the dinner table.

Grandpa had a gentle temperament and was darling with our Grandma. She knew he loved her and so did all the children. He never went on a trip - and he went on a lot of trips - that he did not bring her home a present, even if it was only to Salt Lake City. He was generous with his children, too. He was called Uncle John by a lot of his acquaintances and friends, especially those in the livestock trade.

This man was very community minded. He served as Constable Deputy in 1882, was a member of the Mt. Pleasant City Council from 1891 to 1893, and elected Mayor of Mt. Pleasant from 1899 to 1901. He was a Utah State Senator for Sanpete County from 1906 to 1910, and a member of the Utah State Fair Board from 1903 until his death. He served in the Rambouillet Sheep Association from 1900 until he died in 1920.

Even as we remember him now, he was not a big man physically. He stood about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and was the smallest son in his family. He was handsome with wide shoulders, brown hair and smiling brown eyes. He seemed a big man to us!

John Henry Seely, our grandfather, was a "great" grandfather. All of us who were at least three or four years old when he died remember him well. We have wonderful, warm memories of visiting with him and Grandma - the snuggles and hugs we enjoyed and "dry shaves" which we would struggle and try to get away from - but not really. It was nice to be his friend. He always carried XXX mints in his pockets and we were always free to reach in and take one.

He never learned to drive a car and the reason, he told Will Clos, his secretary, was because he would never have to go alone. Because he wanted company, the children and grandchildren who were around would be gathered up in a car or pickup truck and away we would go to the or to the hay field. He loved being with people and he was noted for his comradeship, generosity and sympathy, He was always helping someone. People came to him in times of need and he never turned them away. He gave them meals, beds, and very often found jobs for them. One man who had been convicted of rustling was eligible for parole but could not find a sponsor. Grandpa took him in and gave him responsible jobs and the man proved to be a good employee. He still worked for Grandpa when Grandpa died.

Grandpa was a good fisherman and he loved to go to Fish Lake. There are pictures of him showing large catches. There were several family reunions held at Fish Lake. Two of his friends, Doc Easton and his wife, ran the lodge at the southwest end of Fish Lake and the family stayed there. He died there from a stroke on July 31, 1920. It had been a hot summer and he wanted to go to Fish Lake to relax. So he and Grandma, Uncle Oliver, Aunt Abrelia Hinckley, and Aunt Vern Winters Erickson went to Fish Lake. He had been out fishing since early in the morning and when he came in about 11:00 am, he said he was tired and was going to lie down but to wake him when it was time to eat. When Grandma sent Uncle Oliver to wake him he was already in a deep coma. He died shortly thereafter. Our mother, Zella, was devastated. He died on Ina Morgan's 7th birthday and she was heard to say, "It wasn't very nice of Grandpa to die on my birthday."

His funeral is one of our most vivid remembrances. It was very hot in Mt. Pleasant and Grandpa was laid out under the west window of the parlor of their home. Ice was piled underneath the casket. Myriads of people passed by to pay their last respects. Three carloads of flowers were sent to express compassion and sympathy to Grandma and her family. There was a very long cortege to the services - 78 automobiles followed the hearse. The funeral was held in the L.D.S. Assembly Hall, sometimes called the Pavilion which was jammed with people - townspeople, shepherds (one had walked 30 miles to get there) and his large family, Utah State Senators, other notable people from around the state and the United States. The speakers included Senator Reed Smoot; former Governor, William Spry, W. D. Candland, President Lund, W. C. Winder of the State Farm Board. As children, we thought it was a very long funeral!

The McCall issue of August 7, 1920 had a long article about John Henry Seely, our grandfather. It began with:

"Speaking for the city -

Our friend is dead, his soul went out

And left its impress on our own;

Now life's more clear, and death less drear;

We'll reap where his clean hands have sown,

He is not dead to us!

And he is not dead to us either. We revere his name and are proud to be his progeny!

Rewritten by Katherine Mills Olsen, June 26, 2015.

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