My early life was spent riding after cattle in Morelos and helping
variously in making canals, fencing and all types of work incident
to making a new settlement.
My schooling began in Jurez under Sarah A. Clayson and under
Martha Cox and daughter, Geneva: T.C. Romney in Morelos and
Lorenzo L. Payne in Dublan; Rose Bunker in Guadalupe. I missed
some time then took preparatory work at Juarez Stake Academy.
I worked at El Tigre mine in Sonora for one summer. During the
Revolution of 1912 rebels looted the mine carrying off all
bullion and the mine closed. I started home arriving at Colonia
Dublan and found the general exoudus of Mormons from the Colonies
had taken place, some 60 men were left and the last train had
just pulled out as we entered town--the most desolate sight one
could wish to see. The next day howling dogs were running hither
and thither. Loose pigs and cattle wandered at will through the town.
After the family had left for El Paso, Father returned to his
railroad contract at "The Park" in the Mountains, leaving Lehi
in Guadalupe where I joined him. Father sent orders by a mexican
for him to gather up our horses, travel at night and take them
to a point near him. The mexican was 48 hours in delivering the
message so when we reached camp some 500 rebels camped there had
taken over all provisions, etc. Father, Joe, and Mr. Johnston had
gone through the mountains to Sonora. Lehi and I hid by day and
traveled back to Juarez by night, hiding our our horses in a wash
west of the Academy, we walked to Ivin's place to get food in the
form of apples.(the orchard hung full.) While gathering we were
arrested by rebels and at the point of rifle poked in our ribs
obeyed orders to open barn doors and corral gate while they hunted
for guns and ammunition. Some 24 hours before we reached Jurarez
all Mormon men had left over-land for the the United States. The
rebels, thinking Lee and I were lost stragglers from them treated
us with contempt. Apples were the only food for two days. While we
were in a small room in Ivin's barn I whispered to Lee to make for
our horses. Soon I saw my chances, pulling the door shut we made
our escape. We filled our shirts and hats with apples and put them
in our saddle pockets when we reached the horses. We made for
Guadalupe through the mountain pass west of Casas Grande. We found
the river swollen. At sunrise we unexpectedly came on to a camp of
rebels at Don Jacobos' ranch. We rode right through and on to the
river and we were pursued by them. We swam our horses through the
swollen stream and hid our saddles and turned the horses loose and
hid ourselves for some three hours while observing the situation.
We each had a rifle and I also had a pistol. We expected we would
have to kill or get killed at any moment.
We headed for Guadalupe
on foot and reached there about noon. We found it had been
ransacked and gutted. No food was available other than fruit. We
learned throgh a mexican that a train was being made up to go to
the states. We went to Casas Grandes to try to get passage. Our
horse and buggy was taken from us. We could buy no provisions
such as flour or tortillias. We started home, raiders saw us and
took us back for questioning. We made friends with General Alanez,
head of the rebel forces, who befriended us. His wife, Mrs.
Alanez and two small children were being sent to the states for
safety. the train consisted of about 36 box and cattle cars and
one passanger coach at the rear in which we rode with Mrs. Alanez.
It was after many hours of anxious waiting that this wood
operated train finally pulled out leaving day break. It was laiden
with 500 wounded soldiers, their hidious shrieks and groans rent
thr air continously. Some were rebels and Federals, and Tapasitus.
Railroad ties were burned for the engine fuel. Lehi and I were
placed as guards at the rear end and 20 mexicans at fore end of
Mrs. Alanez coach. She gave us breakfast of tortillas. We all
had orders not to let anyone enter. There were som 50 soldiers on
board in case of an attack.
The Mormons had quarters at "Cattle Pens", so-called (an
incompleted lumber yard) in El Paso. When we arrived, Father had
arrived via Douglas and our family was occcuping a place at
Highland Park until transportation could be arranged.
Louise, with whom I had corresponded all summer, had come out with
Dublan folk. We now decided to start ourselves. We went to the
Court house to apply for a marrige license. The clerk asked if we
expected to get married that day, we anzwered affirmative. He
pushed a button, the judge appeared and said the ceremony, I in
overalls. Father had bought a wedding dress, but it was unwrapped
as we expected to have Bishop Thurber oficiate for us, but it was
all over before we knew it, August 17, 1912.
On the 19th of August in the A.M. We all left for St. George,
Utah, as people were leaving fast as possible to points where
relatives lived. We stayed at Modena, Utah with Uncle William
Defriez until outfits from St. George arrived to take us overland.
In September we were taken to Aunt Rose Jarvis' place. Lehi and I
soon found work at a company ranch near Modean at New Castle
Development Co, where we worked until early December.
Father left to attend October Conference in Salt Lake City and
then he went on to Mexico. He gathered up and disposed of what
few cattle he could find. Things were too unsettled for any
immediate future so he went to Douglas where he had left animals
in Will's charge and they moved to St. David Arizona. Here Father
traded outfits for a 40 acre homestead near Benson, Arizona. He
sent (to St. George) for Mother, Pearl and familes to come to
Benson. We all returned overland to Modena leaving St. George
17 December. We spent a very cold night camping out on the desert.
Louise and I went to Salt Lake City to visit her Mother, going
to folks in Benson weeks later. I found work for a while with
Myer Brothers wholesale Company and later with ...
(Incomplete story)
**************************
The previous material is from notes in the PAF (genealogy) file
by Pearl Jarvis Augustus. The remainder of this history is taken
from the book George Jarvis And Joseph George De Friez Genealogy
by Margaret Godfrey Jarvis Overson, 1957.
**************************
Soon Nephi heard of a new mine just opening up in Nevada, and
thought he could make more at freighting for awhile, so got outfits
and went there. At day break the morning of September 15th, 1914
while putting grain for the horses in nose bags, he got tangled up
in a piece of bailing wire, and the end flipped up and struck him
in his right eye, damaging it badly. He suffered some time and it
was affecting the other eye also, so decided to go to Salt Lake
City for treatment, and at last had to have the eye removed, and a
glass eye inserted.
He went back to Benson, where the folks were, and after some
shifting and changing of occupations and property, obtained an 80
acre farm about 18 miles from El Paso, Texas, got cows and
equipment for a dairy, and have made that their home.
Their children have attended district and High School – though it
has not been convenient to attend Sunday School and Church except
on special occasion.
Here he met with two different accidents, breaking his leg and
ankle, and had to go on crutches for a long time. They are
getting along quite well at present. [Presumably written shortly
before the book was published in 1957. -mwj-]
**************************
The facts of Nephi's second family are well known. The following
two paragraphs are taken from the account in
Bertha Louise Haag Jarvis.
As they prospered they bought real estate in the city of El Paso,
the farm was located about 20 miles outside of El Paso in a small
community named Socorro. About 1942 Nephi decided that the
remainder of the family should move into El Paso where they could
attend church easier and be exposed to more culture, so they bought
a house in the city and the family moved to El Paso.
Nephi was commuting between Socorro and El Paso for several years
and then decided to stay at the farm during the week. He hired a
young Mexican girl, Rosa to keep house for him and before long she
had his child. Nephi and Louise were divorced about 1955. Most
of their children were married by this time. Nephi and Rosa were
married and they had 7 children before he died on July 18,1967,
from heart attack.
**************************
The following is in the notes in the PAF (genealogy) file by
Pearl Jarvis Augustus. It has transcriptions of letters which tell
of Nephi's excommunication and eventual re-baptism.
The following is a letter written to Grace Fenn from Lionel West.
Dear Sister Fenn:
I am very sorry that I have been so long in answering your letter.
When it came to me I was on vacation for three weeks and when I
got back there was so much work and correspondence piled which
needed immediate attention that I did not get to it, then on the
8th of July I suffered a coronary occlusion. I was in the hospital
for three weeks but am up and around a little and am able to [get
to] some of these things which have piled up on me. I was released
from the Stake Presidency a week ago.
Now about Brother Nephi Jarvis; since he had another family out of
wedlock and he was a High Priest it was necessary to excommunicate
him from the church. Of course he lost his priesthood and all of
his rights and priveleges including temple endowments and sealings.
After several years he was finally baptized but his priesthood will
not be restored only by permission of the First Presidency and also
the High Council of the El Paso Stake.
He has been going to church at the Ysleta branch with his new family
and most of them have been baptized. So far his wife, who is
Catholic, has not come with him.
My heart aches for him and also for Louise who divorced him about
the time of the Excommunication.
I feel sure that a letter to the membership department of the
Presiding Bishop's Office will help you for some of these dates.
His Endowment date is null and void because of his excommunication.
Sincerely yours,
Lionel M. West.
The following is a letter from Dorothy Jackson to Pearl Jarvis.
(Probably Dorothy Jarvis Jackson, daughter of Nephi and Bertha
Louise Haag Jarvis. -mwj-)
Dear Aunt Pearl,
I Hope this finds you and your family well. We're fine.
Enclosed is a copy of a letter I just received and thought you
might like a copy of it for your files.
Have you made any new finds on the Jarvis line? If so please let
me know, I'd like to be kept up to date.
Dear Sister Jackson:
I am writing in response to your letter of 16 January 1981
concerning your father and his baptism back into the church
following his excommunication. Please excuse our slowness in
responding. We have a large backlog of unanswered mail. We hope
you will understand.
We have checked with the confidential area in the Membership
Department and have learned that they have your father's baptism
recorded as having taken place on 22 September 1962. Thus, we will
not have to worry about that. It was sent to Church headquarters
after all.
It is now necessary to have your father's priesthood and temple
blessings restored. Our office has responsiblity for that action
and we are prepared to proceed in your behalf.
Because of the special procedure used in this work, it is not
convenient for family members to participate as proxies in the
restoration ordinances. It may be a few months before the
restoration is completed [but it will be] as soon as possible and
you will be notified.
If you need to contact us again before receiving word of the
restoration, please feel free to write to [the address on] this
letter.
Sincerely your brother,
Val D. Greenwood, Manager.