He had previously met mother and they were married in September, 1846. They went to Woolwich where father was ship keeper in the British Navy. He belonged to Her Majesty's flagship for three years. In Woolwich they met Lorenzo Snow and Franklin D. Richards. They believed the Gospel when they first heard it and were baptized on Christmas, two weeks later. This occurred in 1848, in the Thames River.

Soon after, father worked for Ravenhill and Miller and was leading seaman for rigging purchases, for lifting heavy machinery. He worked at this for nine years, sometimes going on short voyages. He was anxious to emigrate to Utah, and went on a voyage to China to get money for that purpose. On the voyage over, the chief engineer was very friendly and told father that he would keep him on the steam-boat to run from Hong Kong. Soon, however he was discharged. This caused him to feel grieved and disappointed. He went to the engineer and asked if he had not given satisfaction. The engineer replied, "Yes, George, you know how I like you, but you are a married man, and I think you had better go back to England." Father tried to get work elsewhere, and succeeded in getting on another steamboat, but he had a large boil on his arm, and was sent to the hospital, which cost him four dollars per day. Everything seemed to go against him, and he felt so discouraged that he went on a mountain and prayed for guidance. The impression came,-- "Go home."

At first port on this way home, he heard of the massacre of European sailors. The Chinese War with England had begun. Had he remained there he might have been slain with many other sailors. The Lord over-ruled for his protection.

He had only sufficient means with what mother had earned and saved, to bring them to Boston. This was in 1857. Father cooked on the way across the ocean, leaving Mother alone with the care of the five children.

In Boston, he worked for small wages and at anything he could get to do for three and one-half years. During this time they contended with sickness and poverty. Mother was ill all the time while in Boston, and in bed for four months at a time. Two children were born there. One died of cholera at the age of four months. The only place they could rent was in an unhealthy quarter, near the water. The cellar was full of water. Father would have to leave mother and the children at home alone while he worked. Thus mother and the small baby were left to the care of the other children. They could not afford any help.

There was a great deal of prejudice, at this time, against the Mormons. It was, also, the time of a panic, and father found it very difficult to get work. When he did have a good job, he lost it because he defended Brigham Young, and thus quarreled with his boss. It was desperately cold--potatoes wold freeze near the fire. They suffered for want of food and fuel. Mother's nature was one of pride and independence. she kept one pound of butter for show in case anyone called at meal time.

She was so loyal to the Church and to father, that she failed to make friends of her would-be sympathizers. These people blamed father for bringing her from a comfortable home. She told them that she would have come alone if father had not brought her. She failed to make friends, but maintained her loyalty, pride, and independence.

While mother was so very ill, Brother George Q. Cannon came to Boston and came to administer to her. He told father the only chance for her life was to get her out of Boston. As soon as possible, they sold their few belongings, and managed to get to Florence, Nebraska, the frontier of the emigrants, about one thousand miles from Salt Lake City.

Father was employed by Brother Cannon making tents and wagon covers for the Church. Through President Cannon's intercession, the light luggage of the family was distributed among the company, on condition that they all walk, except mother. President Cannon made arrangements for her to ride in a light wagon of his, and had employed a man named Hunt, to drive. As soon as Brother Cannon was out of sight, (he traveled ahead of the company), Hunt and his wife were very unkind. Mother was not permitted to ride and, if while walking she put the baby in the back end of the wagon, they objected. Father had wanted to get a hand cart before starting, but Brother Cannon arranged for mother to be more comfortable, he thought. Now they longed for a handcart as the younger children had to be carried. Brother Richard Morris was very kind. The only time father rode was with him for a little rest. Father had said, when he was trying to get means to emigrate, that he would go to Zion if he had to walk, and so it came about.

There were some mishaps on the plains, but their lives were spared and they reached Salt Lake City in August, 1860. Six weeks later, a son was born, whom they named Heber. The journey had been a very trying one for mother. She records that one day she was so weary, she cold not possibly go any farther. She announced that she did not care if the Indians did get her, she had to rest. It was against counsel to lag behind. As she and another woman were resting, they fell asleep. her little girl, Amelia, awoke them saying that the Indians were coming. The train of wagons were just going around a corner out of sight. They forgot their weariness and lost no time in catching up with it. They found later that the supposed Indians were men of the company out hunting.

Quoting from mother---"When I saw the valley, where God's people were, I felt that I could endure a great deal more for the same privilege. I felt thankful to see Brigham Young and to hear him speak."

They had been in Salt Lake City about one year and were beginning to be comfortable as father and the boys had work, when at the October Conference in 1861, President Brigham Young called for volunteers to Dixie. Father was one of the first to stand up. Mother was less impulsive, she knew that they were not prepared to such an undertaking. She had suffered so much and wanted to stay at headquarters, so she pulled father's coat, but he paid no attention to her. He had no wagon nor team, but he was determined to come, so mother helped him to get ready. He bought an old wagon that was condemned before it left Nauvoo. President Young was owing father enough to get a good yoke of cattle, so for Dixie they started. They bought a quantity of Brother John Eardley's pottery, which was very heavy. The poor old wagon could not stand much, so they all walked. Mother and the children threw loose rocks out of the road to prevent a break-down, while father was trying to drive perfectly ignorant of the art. Sam was a little fellow and one day was so tired, that he told Brother Turner he would be his second wife if he would let him ride in his wagon.

The family arrived at the adobe yard with the first company on December 5, 1861. Father could not bring a year's provisions as had been counseled, so they had a very little to eat. The first Christmas day in Dixie they had bran for dinner. They had no stove nor anything for their use. Their first meal on the city lot the first lot to be occupied after the survey consisted of flaxseed.

They had seven children, hearty and hungry, and often, mother says she has seen the tears roll down their cheeks because of hunger. She had no food to give them. Father sold his yoke of oxen for a few hundred pounds of flour. Then they mortgaged their land, after it had been cultivated for one hundred and seventy-five pounds of flour. Mother was always dainty and she just could not eat caneseed, bran, shorts, etc. Father had a patch of turnips that he was raising for seed, and orders were given that they must be left alone. Mother used to limit herself to one a day, just one raw turnip to ease her conscience, for she didn't want father to know.

In preparation for a layette for sister Emma, mother washed pieces of an old tent, rubbed to soften it, as an important part of the layette. Emma was born in 1863. mother cut up her own underskirts, and took in washing to earn a few yards of bleach (bleached cloth?). No doubt I inherited that same layette.

There were years of great poverty in Dixie. Fortunately for herself and family, mother was of a cheerful and jolly disposition. She did not complain but made the best of things. One night, during a severe wind and rainstorm, mother sat and held to the tent to prevent it from blowing over. During this time she sang all the songs she knew.

She had cards and a spinning wheel and washed to pay for the weaving of the cloth for the clothing of the family. Their dresses were beautifully dyed by the pioneer processes. Father and the boys worked on the ditches and dams in the early days. They also worked on the temple and tabernacle. Father worked on the temple the entire time it was being built. He was in charge of the scaffolding for that and the tabernacle. The baptismal font was lifted into place on the oxen, under his direction. It was fitted together by a man sent from Salt Lake. Then father stationed four sailors, Ebenezer and Charles DeFriez, John Miles, and Thomas Crane--in each corner of the room manipulating ropes at his command. There was a crowd of spectators and some of the "land lubbers" had the temerity to shout instructions. Father endured it for awhile, but it was causing confusion and father was responsible, so he ordered every man to shut his mouth and keep it shut until the font was in position. They did so. Then with a few "nautical orders" to his men, the font rose slowly and was swung over onto the oxen without any trouble.

Father's labors in the Dixie country are well known by the older people. He was always interested in horticulture. Grandmother Prior sent some grape seeds to him in a letter. He planted them and they grew. The Gardner's Club named them the "Jarvis" and "Rio Virgin" grapes.

In addition to his hard manual labors, raising a family of ten under such trying circumstances, often going to his work without any pretense at breakfast, father was always an active church worker. In Woolwich, England, he was presiding teacher; in Boston he was Sunday School Superintendent; in the First Ward in St. George, he was Bishop's counselor for a number of years, and was Sunday School Superintendent for years.

In 1902, he was ordained a Patriarch and expressed himself as more pleased than if a legacy of millions had been left him. He performed this labor faithfully and gave hundreds of blessings.

To my mind, father was almost a perfect character. He was very upright and honest. I never knew or heard of an act that was dishonest. I never heard him profane or use a vulgar word.

During his voyages he visited Australia, Africa, Spain, Holland, China, Portugal, West Indies, Ceylon, Gibralter, Bengal and Java. This in itself was educational and he was a great reader.

Father lived to be nearly ninety years old. Mother helped and encouraged him in all of his labors. Mother was a woman of rare principles and noble character. When she knew that father was dead, I am sure that she prayed to soon follow. She had always said, "Father, if you go first you must wait on the banks for me." She did not keep him waiting long. In four days she followed, aged eighty-three. They had been married sixty-seven years.