Sone of Enos Curtis and Ruth Franklin Curtis
Husband of Matilda Miner Curtis (a step sister daughter of Tamma Durfee and Albert Miner) and Almira Curtis (daughter of Jared Starr and Eunice Burdick)
Father to
Almira Curtis
Elial Strong Curtis
Orson Hyde Curtis
Almira Curtis
Matilda Miner Curtis
Ellen Curtis
John Franklin Curtis
Diantha Miner Curtis
Rozella Curtis
Courtland Curtis
Cerepta Curtis
Frances Eva Curtis
Tamma Arminta Curtis
Enos Curtis
Alfred Curtis
Almira Curtis
Asael Curtis
Wallace Curtis
Polly Curtis
John White Curtis and Matilda Miner
John White Curtis, twin to David Avery Curtis, was born August 1820, Tiago County, Pennsylvania, son of Enos Curtis and Ruth Franklin. He crossed the plains with his father and family about 1848 or 1849. He suffered the hardships of pioneer life, but was very faithful. He was taught the gospel by his parents and became a very dutiful son in helping his father build a home and make a successful farm. His wonderful character protrays to us the great lesson of faith and endurance. He married Almira Starr. They had two children. She died on the 12 December 1883. She was the daughter of Jared Starr and Enice Burdick of Greenfield or Westfield: Campden County, Mass.
He married Matilda Miner about 1856. The two families lived to gether in both Springville and Aurora, working together and shareing things alike as if it were one family. Her life was one of hard work, hard strggles, nobly born, with a heart full of love, never complaning, and faithful always to the end. She was the mother of fourteen children and always suffered and endured for them untill her death. She passed away with out suffering great agony, just went to sleep naturally at night and never wakened. A great shock to all of us, but such a glorious passing was well earned by her life struggle.
The story is told of Bishop Aaron Johnson going to John White Curtis and asking for assistance in men to go back to Missouri for emmigrants. Grandfather’s means were limited, but he willingly sent his eldest son Eliel. He left in April 1856, and returned the same year. On the way back, when they came to the Platt River, it had to be forded. They got all the wagons across safely but Uncle Eliel’s. He and a brother Lyond entered the stream together in his wagon. The swift current caught the wagon and capsized it. Brother Loynd could not swim well, and would have drowned, but Uncle Eliel caught him by the hair of the head and swam to the shore.
In 1866, a call came from Brigham Young for men to go to Sanpete COunty to protect the people from the indians. Uncle Eliel served on this mission untill the fall of 1867. At one time while on this trip, others were carrying the pony Express from Gunnison to Richfield. On their way back, they were confronted by Black Hawk and his band in battle near Vermillion. When the Indians caught sight of the Express, they immediately gave chase After a mile run, Uncle Eliel’s pony gave out, and he was way behind the others. One of his companions looked back and said, “if you die, I die with you.” By this time the other saw what had happened and came to rescue. The Indians turned and fled. They chased the Indians to Fish Lake into a box canyon, where it would have been suicide to pursue them further. The same band of Indians had just killed the whole Ivie family, burned their homes and taken their cattle.
That was all my family had on John White Curtis and Matilda Miner I did a little research and found the rest.
John White Curtis joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints shortly after it was organized and was baptized 25th June 1832. He was endowed in Nauvoo Temple 27th January 1846. He married Almira Starr 13th May 1841. They crossed the plains in one of the first companies with his father, Enos Curtis and the rest of their families after burying their beloved mother, Ruth Franklin Curtis, in May 1848.
They left all their possessions and suffered all the hardships of pioneer life. They were taught the gospel by their own parents and by missionaries and were anxious to travel and be with the church leaders. They settled in Springville in May 1851.
Enos had married Tamma Durfee and shortly after arriving in Utah. She also had a family. Her husband, Albert Miner, died while crossing the Plains. The two families lived together in both Springville and Aurora, working together and sharing as one family.
John White lived near his father in Springville and Aurora. Both were good carpenters as they worked most of the time together, building, surveying and farming. John married Matilda Miner in 1855. His first wife was an invalid most of her life; so, Matilda raised her two children, Elial and Almira, besides fourteen of her own.
John White Curtis was a Civil War veteran. In 1872, he was made Captain of the guards in a militia organized for protection from the Indians, Sevier County. He was a Black Hawk Indian War Veteran. He was a faithful church worker and an honest tithe payer.
His first Aurora home was built of logs, later he built a more spacious rock house. He made some of his own furniture such as beds, tables, benches, stools and chairs. He had erysipelas of the bone, which crippled him a little and he used a cane to walk.
John White Curtis is my great-great-great grandfather on my maternal lineage.
ReplyDelete