Great Grandma & Grandpa Beard's History Part II

I cooked for the mill hands that winter, I only had one complaint on my cooking, that was Eserrel Clark. Will and Tom cut and skidded logs with the oxen that winter, 1913. They did all their work with ox team, very interesting the way they handled them.

That spring we moved down on Grandpa Beard's (James T. Beard) hay ranch to help put up hay. We lived at the ranch in the summer. The house still stands where we lived. Henry Beard lives there now. We lived at sawmill in winter, to keep logs cut ahead to saw in summer, we loved the work.
Will worked in sawmill through his childhood days. He worked while the other kids went to school and none got much schooling.

We had a family of eight. One died at birth (May), we had five girls and three boys.

Our first child, Deloris Jerrine, born 29 Dec. 1914. Dr. Keith was her doctor.

Second child, born 10 Jun 1916, William Richard, by Dr. Roseman down on old fish hatchery ranch. Uncle David Beard bought this ranch later.

Third child, Ella Maxine, born 23 Sep 1918. We went to my brother's, Rhode Jackson, to help hay and harvest their crops, there this child was born, in Pratt Ward, Wyoming. Dr. Smith was her doctor and Grandma Jackson was midwife.

Fourth child born, Mary Opal, 1 July 1920 at North Leigh on the old Beard ranch by Dr. Coulbertson.

Fifth child born was May on 1 May, 1922. She died at birth.

Sixth Child born, Margie Rose, 19 April 1923 by Dr. Martin, on old Flam place where Aunt Pansy and Jim Beard now live.

Seventh child born, Mirt Wallace, 6 March 1930 by Dr. Andrews on old Beard ranch.

Eighth child born, Gail Merrill on 16 September, 1937 at Driggs.

Grandma Beard was a midwife for all the children except Maxine and Gail.

From 1913 to 1927 we worked for Grandpa Beard. In 1927 rented the old Jackson ranch. In the latter part of 1928 we bought Charley Williams homestead. Three hundred and sixty acres, north of Jackson ranch on Wyoming line, four miles, we were so happy to have something of our own. We lived in a one room cabin with an upstairs, so we did have room to sleep and eat.

We enjoyed our family very much, and was real close. We did most everything together. We picked huckleberries, wild strawberries, choke cherries, gooseberries, wild game. We went fishing a lot, when we were at the mill I would go and catch enough fish to feed the mill-hands.

Eserrell Clark built a two room cabin near Grandpa Beard's cabin, he lived there for a while, then they assigned the cabin to Will and I, we lived there every summer to help in saw mill.

Great-Great-Great Grandpa Thomas Beard's Mission Journal Part I

I was called on a mission to Great Britain September 15,1887. I started from home October 14, 1887. I was set apart at the Historians office, Salt Lake City, for my missionary labors by Apostles J. H. Smith and H. J. Grant and Presidents S. B. Young and A. H. Cannon, the last named being mouth. On October 15 I stayed at Sister Hopwoods till Monday 17. She was very kind to me and give me two dollars. We went on the R. D. Railway. The scenery was very grand but I was very sick the two first days. The swinging of the train made me very sick, like sea sickness. After two days I was a great deal better. I wrote letter in pencil and sent them to my folks at Coalville. There were many wonderful sights to be seen. One great thing at Kansas City was that the carriages we rode in were run on a large boat in the river then went across the Mississippi River on to the other side. We stayed one Sunday at Norfolk in Virginia. We went 36 miles by sea and then the rest by railroad to New York and got there 8 a.m. October 24. We loaded on the Nevada October 25 and sat sail half past 11 a.m. We had a very pleasant voyage the fore part of the trip. It was a little rough a few days. We landed at Liverpool at 6 p.m. November 4. There were nineteen missionaries besides myself. There was only one that I knew and it had been so long since I had seen him that I had forgot him. He was from Morgan County and used to haul coal out of Grass Creek to Elko and the mouth of Grass reek. He was a Swede. We were met by Brother Jeasdale and recommended to hotels where we paid for our lodgings and food.

Great Grandma & Grandpa Beard's History Part I

In Opal's words:

John William Beard was born 10 Aug. 1891 at Coalville, Utah To James T. Beard and Mary Goodworth.

Opal Nathalia Jackson was born 20 Dec., 1896 at Castle Dale, Utah to Samuel George Jackson and Elizabeth Ellen Sanderson.

In 1912 John William Beard (Will) met Opal Nathalia Jackson and they started a beautiful courtship. They were married Dec. 9, 1913 in St. Anthony, ID. My brother, Mirt Jackson, took us to Driggs, ID with horse and buggy to catch the train. We went to St. Anthony and were married. We stayed for two days. No snow, real nice. When we got back to Driggs there was plenty of snow. We got in Driggs and got in our old sleigh and team, went up old South Leigh to the sawmill. We lived in Grandpa and Grandma Beard's old house. It was a two-story log home, small kitchen in one end, a large living room in center. About 36x16 with one large table in center of room with long benches on each side. Then a bedroom to end, more bedrooms upstairs.