A
Sketch of the Life of Joseph Hyrum Ogden
Written by his
wife Martha V. Ogden
Type written
by his daughter Fern O. Anderson
February
1950
Joseph Hyrum Ogden was born 25 March, 1873, in Enterprise, Morgan
Co., Utah, in a one room dirt roofed log house. The surrounding
circumstances was typical of early pioneer life in Morgan Co.
He was the second son of William G. and Sarah Harris Ogden.
His beloved mother died when he was very young, and he missed
her tender care, being only four years old, he had to rough it
a great deal in his young life. He was the third child in a family
of six children and he learned to share the work at home at a
very early age.
His father taught school for several years, then followed the
occupation of farming. He could play the violin very well. His
kind and loving father guided him through these many hardships
into paths of honest work and virtuous ways. The many hours or
work he did on the farm and at carious other jobs prepared him
for the vocation he followed the rest of his life. His parents
and grand parents were pioneers of the highest type, and faithful
Latter Day Saints, teaching their children the principles of the
Gospel, and at an early age, Joseph showed the religious zeal
of his father and the loving devotion of his wonderful mother.
His father married Jane Roxborough becoming his third wife. They
moved into a log house which had two rooms and a hall, and an
attic which was used for a bedroom. When it was warm the four
boys would sleep up in the attic. They could lay in bed and see
the stars shine through the cracks in the roof. When winter came
they used to keep their bed tick in the little hall and drag it
out every night and make it down by the stove.
Joseph’s school advantages were not many, but he made the
most of them, and learned from life the lessons that helped him
build a noble character. The school he attended was a one room
frame building which served as school, church, and Ward amusements.
Long redwood boards two feet wide were fastened to the sides of
the building with hinges. These were propped up and used as desks,
long benches were used as seats; the girls sat on one side and
the boys on the other. He had no electric lights to study by,
just a small coal oil lamp.
The chief amusements at that time were Ward plays, dancing, baseball.
Swimming and sleigh riding. He became an expert swimmer, being
the means of saving his life several times. He used to enjoy playing
baseball, running races, wrestling and other games with the Indians
when they used to travel through the country, often times camping
on his father’s farm.
When but a boy not large enough to ride a horse only on the walk,
he used to take four or five horse from Enterprise to Kaysville.
He would ride one horse and lead the others.
An interesting incident happened one day when his father, his
Uncle Edward Ogden, his brothers, and himself were working on
their upper farm. He went over to the river to get a drink of
water, he saw a half grown bear drinking, he ran and told his
father, they went over to where the bear stood, they went nearer
and nearer, but the bear took no notice of them. Uncle Edward
went still closer and hit the bear in the head with a small ax
he had in his hand and killed it. Some people had been chasing
the bear on the other side of the river and it was tired out.
The little ax was called the bear ax after that.
Joseph was blessed by his father William G. Ogden. He was baptized
by Elder John K. Hall, 2 June 1881; was confirmed on the same
day by his father; was ordained a Deacon by Elder John Croft,
24 October, 1886; was ordained an Elder by Bishop Barnard White,
of the Ogden third ward, October 1896. He was ordained a High
Priest 11 June 1911, by Elder Anthony W. Ivins.
He has held many positions of responsibility and trust, and performed
them in a trustworthy and efficient manner. He was Supt of the
Sunday School, Pres. of the Y.M.M.I.A. in the Enterprise Ward.
First counselor in the Bishopric in the Peterson Ward at two different
times. Was a Stake Missionary several times in the Morgan Stage.
He has been a Ward teacher the most of his life.
When he was ten years old a horse fell on him and broke his leg.
He was staying in Kaysville with his grandmother at the time.
Some girls coming from school saw him fall, they carried him for
nearly a mile to their home, then he rode in a limber wagon four
miles to his grandmother’s home. The Dr. set his leg without
giving him anything to deaden the pain. When he was able to get
around on crutches he fell on the ice and broke his leg again.
This was the cause of his right leg being shorter than the other.
He was in bed for six months. His sister Saidie was the nurse,
and a very good nurse she was. He never forgot her kindness to
him. While lying in bed a bad east wind blew the roof off the
house and he had to be carried on a bed one half mile to his Uncle’s
home.
He always tried to follow the teachings and instructions of his
father and mother, never forgetting the value of prayer. In a
great many ways the Lord has saved his life through the answer
to prayer. Some of these remarkable instances were in his younger
life, and has been the means of giving him great faith in the
Lord. He related as follows: -
"I well remember one day when my brother Will, my sister
Annie and myself were coming from Kaysville to Enterprise. Annie
rode a horse, Will and I walked. I was barefooted and the roads
were rough and rocky, my feet were sore and bleeding, the distance
we had to do was sixteen miles. When we reached the Weber Canyon
we walked up the railroad track, When we were about half way across
the track bridge at devils gate we saw a train coming down, we
were so frightened, we turned to run back, I stumbled and fell,
the train was on the other end of the bridge, the next thing I
knew we were off the other end of the bridge watching the train
go by. It all happened so quick. We surely received assistance
from the Lord in helping us get off the track bridge."
"Another time a neighbor boy and myself went down to the
river to fish, It was in the spring, the water was muddy and very
high. We waded part way across one branch of the river, trying
to get over to the main stream. This stream was much deeper than
we had figured it was a very swift. It began to take us down stream.
If we went down much farther we knew we would never get out as
we would be into the main part of the river. As we were washed
down we were washed nearer to the other bank; we caught hold of
an old stump of a tree that had been washed down and lodged in
the mud. We pulled ourselves up out of the water and was able
to get up on the strip of land that lay between the two streams
of water. We were soaking wet, had lost our fish poles and were
very much frightened. We did not know how to get back; the only
way we could see was to swim back the same way as we came over
but we were afraid to do that, the water was so swift and deep.
We knelt down and prayed to the Lord to help us back over the
water. When going back the way we came, we were prompted to follow
up this strip of land, jumping over puddles winding in and out
we were able to get out safe. Our prayers were surely answered."
When he was from twelve to fourteen years old, his brothers and
himself used to go in the canyon after loads of wood, and to the
coal-beds after their winter’s supply of coal.
Joseph assisted his father on the farm until he was fifteen years
old, then started to earn his own living. That summer he worked
for his Uncle Frank King on his fruit farm. The following winter
he worked for James and Joseph Ball on their ranch in Echo Canyon.
In working for other people he always did his best and took as
much interest as if working for himself and was always liked and
could go back and get a job the second time wherever he worked
and for that reason he was left alone on a ranch four miles away
from any other ranch to feed and care for four hundred head of
cattle, many times. The winters was very cold some of the time
it was fifty degrees below zero. Hay was scarce that winter and
corn had to be shipped from Nebraska. The snow was deep and many
of the cattle died. He worked from Nov. to April for five dollars
a month. At the end of the five months he had ten dollars saved
up. With part of the money he had earned he bought his first underwear
and his first pair of over shoes.
The summer of 1890 he worked for William Taylor of Parley’s
Canyon, also the winter of 1890 and 91, he worked for the same
man and attended school at Mt. Dell. The summer of l891 he worked
in Silt Lake at various jobs, such as gardening, clerking in a
dry goods store, blacksmithing and running an engine in a planing
mill. The winter of 1891 and 92 he logged in the canyon for John
Croft and was the only man working for him that did not have the
log-cart or sleigh tip over. He farmed in Kaysville during the
summer of 1892; attended school at Enterprise the winter of l892
and 93. Starting in the spring of l893 he went to work for Win.
Taylor and remained in his employment until the fall of l895.
He attended the Weber Academy during the winter of 1895 and 96;
In the spring of l896 he started to work for Edward Laird, and
worked for him until the 20th of July the same year.
After a courtship of four years he married Esther Smylinda Winmill,
daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Laird Winmill. They were married
the 28th of July l896 by Bishop Wm. B. Hardy. They received their
endowments and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple, Oct. l896
by Elder John R. Winder. Of this union seven little girls were
born. They were:
Esther Elizabeth, (died at the age of 25 years, eight months
after her marriage to Henry Ezra Holley.) Annie Hazel (Married
Fred Pincock, she passed away 17 May 1943 leaving 4 children and
her husband) Elmyra; Ella Harris; Nellie Louie; Sarah May; and
Tacy Mildred:.
Joseph and his brother Nephi and their wives moved to South Jordan
and went into the mercantile business, then back to Ogden and
started up in the grocery business. Times were very hard then.
He helped keep his brother William T. Ogden on a mission to the
southern States for two years.
He moved back to Enterprise Morgan Co. and farmed his father’s
farm. During their stay here in the fall of l897 he and his brother
Win. T. Ogden built the first brick home that was built in that
town. It consisted of two rooms a pantry and clothes closet and
hall.
In the summer of l898, his brother-in-law, William Winmill and
himself went up into Marsh Valley, Idaho and took up a homestead.
They cleared off some sage brush, plowed a little and dug a well
on each place. While digging one of these wells he had a very
narrow escape of this he relates:- " We dug down about twelve
feet and struck a large clod of clay, this clay was about six
feet through it we thought it was a large body of clay so we did
not take the curbing past it; after we got through this clay we
started with the curbing again to a depth of about thirty-feet.
Being greatly impressed to go back up and inspect this spot I
found one side of it was very thin, and the weight of the gravel
began to push it in, and large cracks were in one side. I Immediately
put a floor on top of the curbing that was at the bottom of the
clay. I had no sooner accomplished this than the clay gave way
and in tumbled tons of gravel. The floor I put in held up the
gravel and being just twelve feet from the top, and on holding
to the rope, I was able to keep on top of the gravel as fast as
it came in, and was The means of saving my life. Had I not listened
to that still small voice I would have been in the bottom of the
well and buried under many feet of gravel."
In the spring of 1901 Joseph moved his family to Sterling, Alberta,
Canada. Here they ranched and raised cattle. One spring while
here he says:— " I witnessed one of the worst blizzards
I ever saw. I was out on our ranch, about twenty miles south of
Sterling plowing, it was the latter part of May, it began to snow
and the wind began to blow; not having any place of shelter for
my teams I made for the nearest ranch which was one mile away.
On arriving there I found every shed and place of shelter was
occupied by range riders and homesteaders so my brother-in-law,
John Winmill and I decided we would try to reach home, which was
nineteen miles north west. It was impossible to follow in any
road as the snow began to pile in drifts and in about two and
one half hours there were drifts three and four feet deep. We
had two teams on the wagon but was unable to handle them on account
of the severe blizzard, so we tied one team behind the wagon and
drove the other. We flowed northward about three miles along side
a lake. Then was when we took a great chance of being lost. It
was about two and one half miles between this lake and the railroad.
The sleet and snow froze to the bridle blinds so the horses could
not see and we would have to stop and scrape them off. We reached
the railroad and followed it until we reached home. On arriving
home we found the storm had drifted the cattle past the town.
This blizzard lasted about ten days. When it cleared up I lost
twenty head of yearling steers I had just purchased. The loss
to native cattle was not as large as we had expected. Herds of
sheep and their herders were separated from their camps by the
storm. The herders were compelled to crawl among their sheep to
keep from ‘freezing to death. The sheep were so hungry they
ate the wool off from each other. When the storm stopped, the
sun came out so hot that men who attempted to ride the range became
snow—blind and were compelled to be assisted to their homes.
Some cattle drifted along with the storm for fifty miles. When
the snow was gone there was plenty of green grass for the cattle
to eat."
"One winter a man by the name of borup and I took the contract
to haul the posts around a township of land consisting of 36 sections,
for Jesse Knight & Co. It was a very cold winter and often
we would level the snow to make our bed. arising in the morning
with from six to eight inches of snow on top of us. This was in
the Milk River District in Alberta. We would cross and re-cross
the river on the ice with our loads. The job was completed with
a loss on our part, as we did not clear expenses .
He sold out in Canada and moved his family to Sugar City Idaho.
Here he worked for the Sugar Co. and run the first four-rowed
beet cultivator that was used in that country.
At his step-mothers death they-moved back to Enterprise, taking
care of his father most of the time until his death the 25 of
April l908, He died a faithful Latter Day Saint. He was buried
in the cemetery in Enterprise, Morgan Co., Utah.
While they were living here his wife Esther became ill and after
two months illness passed away. The death of his wife was a great
shock to him. Their lives had been in perfect harmony and they
were very devoted to each other. All down through the years he
has cherished and hallowed her memory. In his hours of greatest
trial ,in times of discouragement and sorrow, her sweet spirit
has been near to comfort and encourage him. She has been a living
presence in his life that has been the means of uplifting him
to a higher plane of endeavor. She was buried in the Enterprise
Cemetery. She died a true Latter Day Saint. She was a model wife
and mother and left a family to be proud of
After having this great loss his life was very empty, and the
responsibility of caring for these seven little daughters and
a large farm to take care of was more that he could do alone.
He secured the services of a young lady from Milton, Morgan Co.,
by the name of Martha Vera Mecham, to assist in caring for the
children and the home.
Through her kind services and gentle thoughtfulness she endeared
her self to him and on the 19 Sept. 1908 they were married and
were sealed in the Temple 3 Nov. 1908 by Eider John R. Winder.
Home, how sweet those words were to her and how much she did
appreciate that home. There were gossips who shook their heads
and whispered how Essie was hardly gone before another woman had
stepped into her shoes. She has been a faithful wife over for
one years, and having borne to him eleven children, six sons and
five daughters, they were:— Joseph Lester; Martha Ruth: William
Pascoe: Jesse Rich(who died at 17 years of age). Edward Leroy;
Rachel Grace: Raymond Grant; Baby Ogden( died at birth) Daniel
Howard; Beth Eva; and Fern.
Vera was the daughter of Daniel Lester and Martha P. Richards
Mecham. She was the granddaughter of sturdy pioneers and was well
prepared to take up her life’s work of motherhood and home
making. She has devoted her life to her husband and their large
family. They live and work together in place and contentment.
Joseph purchased the old homestead, and greatly improved it,
built five more rooms on the home. He brick veneered it on the
outside being the first he had ever done that kind of work, and
he did an excellent job. Together they worked, farming, raising
cattle etc. In the spring of 1916 he had a heart attack, Dr. Rich
Pugmire was the attending physician, Dr. made the remark to one
of the neighbors that Joseph would never do another days work.
But the prayers that were said for him by his family were answered
and before three weeks had passed he was carrying on his work.
He sold out the farm, in Enterprise, purchased a home in Roy,
Weber Co., Ut. 9 April 1918. While here he improved the farm,
remodeled the home, then sold it again, moving around several
times then located in Slaterville, Weber Co. While here he was
Ward Clerk of the Slaterville Ward for nearly twelve years, keeping
the records in his charge in a very neat and accurate way. He
was Scout master for two years; was a Foreign Home Missionary
in the North Weber Stake two years: was road supervisor in that
district for some time; was water-master of the North Slaterville
Irrigation Co. several years. While here he remodeled the home,
making it partly modern; drove a flowing well, leveled the farm
land etc. He had an acute attack of gall-stones and was operated
on for the same, and hovered between life and death for ten days,
but through the faith and prayers of his loved ones and the Elders
he was restored to his health and strength, he was in the hospital
eighteen days.
Jesse took sick with Leukemia .and after three weeks illness-passed
away. He was a lovely child, kind and thoughtful to every one.
The whole community mourned at his passing.
He traded the farm in Slaterville for one in Roy, Utah. He remodeled
the house and made it modern, he built up the farm and surroundings
in such a way that it did not look like the same place.
He is always very neat and orderly in all his work, keeping his
farm and surroundings neat and attractive so much so that it attracts
the attention of the people as they pass by. While he was here
he was operated on for Hernia in the Dee Hospital, was in the
hospital nine days and was removed to the home of his daughter
Ella and her husband Clyde Fowles. He improved rapidly and was
soon up and around. Later he had a bad heart attack, was bed fast
about one month, but the Lord poured out his blessings upon him
and he fully recovered from the same.
Besides being very busy providing for a large family of seventeen
children sending them to school etc., he had been able to help
each child financially when they were married; besides this he
has been busily engaged in Church work, in the different Wards
and Stakes where he has resided. He has always had time to help
a friend and neighbor in time of need, sickness, or death, giving
them what help and comfort he could.
He is one who appreciates and is grateful for any loving service
that is performed for him by members of his family. He carries
a sweet, peaceful influence with him and deals justly and generously
in his home. All his life he has been devoted first to his family,
second to
humanity and always to God and his purposes. Not only has he
been spiritual minded but he has been very wise and practical
in all his everyday affairs of life, and his children often seek
his sound advice in their different walks of life.
All his children love and respect him and are proud to do him
honor. He is pure in heart and honest in purpose and has always
had a strong desire to live a righteous life. He has been a leader
and a teacher by example as well as by precept.
He has been thrifty all his life. He has never been in debt and
during the depression, he was happy that he was free from debt.
He feels that the Lord has greatly blessed him and that his financial
success has been largely because he has always paid an honest
tithing -and has attended to his family prayers. Through the great
faith he has had in the Lord, he has had that wonderful gift of
the Holy Ghost bestowed upon him, the gift of healing the sick.
