Joanna Durney Whitehead, Sarah and John William Whitehead
1895
Beautiful Joanna Durney was born on the late summer day of 31 August 1867 in Richmond, Cache, Utah. She was the youngest child of James Holiday and Sarah Ellison Sutton Durney. The family had lived in Cache valley for a few short years.
Joanna's father, James, was a polygamist who died on 29 December 1873 leaving two wives and twelve young children. He left his families in the process of homesteading land in Richmond which for Sarah Durney would not prove out for six more years.
Undoubtedly, Joanna and her family would have been devastated at the loss of the young husband and father. Living conditions of the time would have been difficult enough without this loss, and Joanna being the youngest, would not have understood all of the implications.
Her days probably were filled with chores around her home and property. Her older siblings by-and-by began to marry and leave their mother's care. But most of this close-knit family did not remove too far from one another.
Joanna herself married at the age of 17 a young man named John Charles Whitehead on January 28, 1885 in Franklin, Oneida county, Idaho--a community just two and one half miles north of Richmond.
John left Joanna quite often in their newly married life traveling to other communities hauling freight to support his family residing in Franklin. He eventually decided to become a "squatter" in Cherryville, Idaho. He went to work clearing land and built a house on the property. John and Joanna were young, strong and determined to improve their land along with stables for their cows. They also planted orchards of which they watered from ditches they had built from a nearby creek.
There were ten other families who also homesteaded land along the creek. They often joined together for church, school, socials and dances.
Joanna and John traveled to Logan, Utah by wagon and were sealed to one another and their oldest daughter Ethel May in the Logan LDS temple on 16 May 1888. Temple president, Marriner M. Merrill sealed the young couple together. Joanna surely knew president Merrill as her father, James H. Durney, had served as his ward clerk in their former Richmond ward.
The Whitehead family grew to include children:
Ethel May, 1885
Bertha, 1888
Edith, 1890
John William, 1893
Sarah, 1895
Margaret, 1898
James Leo, 1901
Florence Ordella, 1902
John Whitehead became a successful sheepherder. He raised the sheep in several areas and employed many men to help him especially during shearing season.
Joanna and John were able to build a new, large, eight-room house in Cherryville in 1901--the same year they lost their newborn son, James Leo. The remaining children happily grew up playing on the hills of this area tucked away in beautiful Cache Valley.
John became more prosperous and was able to prove up more land in Cherryville and leased land on Sugar Creek as well as other properties. He raised horses and cattle including milk cows. Joanna and John's children were taught how to work hard. They helped him run a milk wagon from Cherryville to Franklin for many years.
John became ill in the fall of 1916 and died on 29 April 1917 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho. For Joanna this must have seemed like a bad dream she had similarly lived through as child. The couple still had three young children in their home--the youngest just 14 years old.
Joanna continued in Franklin, renting her home, and remained there until a short time before her death in Preston, Franklin, Idaho on 10 January 1929 leaving a large posterity to mourn her.
Joanna's father, James, was a polygamist who died on 29 December 1873 leaving two wives and twelve young children. He left his families in the process of homesteading land in Richmond which for Sarah Durney would not prove out for six more years.
Undoubtedly, Joanna and her family would have been devastated at the loss of the young husband and father. Living conditions of the time would have been difficult enough without this loss, and Joanna being the youngest, would not have understood all of the implications.
Joanna herself married at the age of 17 a young man named John Charles Whitehead on January 28, 1885 in Franklin, Oneida county, Idaho--a community just two and one half miles north of Richmond.
John left Joanna quite often in their newly married life traveling to other communities hauling freight to support his family residing in Franklin. He eventually decided to become a "squatter" in Cherryville, Idaho. He went to work clearing land and built a house on the property. John and Joanna were young, strong and determined to improve their land along with stables for their cows. They also planted orchards of which they watered from ditches they had built from a nearby creek.
There were ten other families who also homesteaded land along the creek. They often joined together for church, school, socials and dances.
Joanna and John traveled to Logan, Utah by wagon and were sealed to one another and their oldest daughter Ethel May in the Logan LDS temple on 16 May 1888. Temple president, Marriner M. Merrill sealed the young couple together. Joanna surely knew president Merrill as her father, James H. Durney, had served as his ward clerk in their former Richmond ward.
The Whitehead family grew to include children:
Ethel May, 1885
Bertha, 1888
Edith, 1890
John William, 1893
Sarah, 1895
Margaret, 1898
James Leo, 1901
Florence Ordella, 1902
John Whitehead became a successful sheepherder. He raised the sheep in several areas and employed many men to help him especially during shearing season.
Joanna and John were able to build a new, large, eight-room house in Cherryville in 1901--the same year they lost their newborn son, James Leo. The remaining children happily grew up playing on the hills of this area tucked away in beautiful Cache Valley.
John became more prosperous and was able to prove up more land in Cherryville and leased land on Sugar Creek as well as other properties. He raised horses and cattle including milk cows. Joanna and John's children were taught how to work hard. They helped him run a milk wagon from Cherryville to Franklin for many years.
John became ill in the fall of 1916 and died on 29 April 1917 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho. For Joanna this must have seemed like a bad dream she had similarly lived through as child. The couple still had three young children in their home--the youngest just 14 years old.
Joanna continued in Franklin, renting her home, and remained there until a short time before her death in Preston, Franklin, Idaho on 10 January 1929 leaving a large posterity to mourn her.
This is the story of my great, great grandparents. I come through their son John William and then through my grandmother, Barbara Miralda. Thanks for sharing so many wonderful stories. Please post more!
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