Jane Blake Branch 20 Dec 1857 - 22 Mar 1947
Jane Blake Branch
20 Dec 1857 - 22 Mar 1947
20 Dec 1857 - 22 Mar 1947
Although Jane Blake Branch was too young to remember anything of the family home in Salt Lake City, she does remember distinctly the day they arrived at the old Adobe Yard Camp in St. George in the winter of 1861. She was almost four years old, and when their wagon came to its stop in the lineup, her father took her in one arm and her sister Harriet, nearing two years old, in the other, "saying Mother, where I shall put these girls while we unload”. The ground about the wagon was so thick with sand and ants and cactus, he could not find a place for them until he had cleared these objectionable, items away. So he hoisted them back up onto the wagon to wait till he had made a small clearing and they could make their camp along with the others called to this Dixie Mission.
Born in Salt Lake City 20 Dec. 1857, Jane was ninth in the family of thirteen children born to Benjamin Frederick and Harriet Hollis Blake, L.D.S. converts from the London area of England. They came to Utah in 1853, bringing five of their seven children, two having died in England. Jane's sister Emma was just six weeks old when they began their voyage to America. Her father was an apprentice-trained upholsterer and paper hanger, and in England operated a large furniture store, along with which he did upholstering and repair work. Her mother, though of a wealthy family, was an expert needlewoman, a training which was a positive asset when the Blake's came to Utah. She was the only member of the Hollis family to join the L.D.S. Church at that time.
In Salt Lake City, Jane's father learned from Brigham Young the making of glue from hoofs of animals, also the manufacturing of nears foot oil, and this work along with furniture repairing helped to make a living for his family. They ware doing fairly well in Salt Lake City when the call came for the Dixie Mission, the Blake family being included, and the trek south began in Nov 1861, the company arriving just ahead of the Erastus Snow wagon, being of that company.
Among her memories of the weeks at the Adobe Yard Camp was the day her little sister, Harriet, in their play, sat down on the piping hot lid of their Dutch oven, which had been set aside near the camp fire one which the cooking was done. Oh, how that poor little sister cried from the burns inflicted. Enough to say, it was many days before Harriet could sit down again. Jane also remembers the first Christmas celebration and the weeks of rain that followed, with the discomforts of wet bedding, wet fire wood, and soggy wet clouds forever drizzling or pouring rain on the camp for forty days and nights
She also recalls one of the early May Day celebrations. This English custom was also observed with great ado. On that particular year, Pres. Brigham Young was also with them. A large beef was barbecued and the entire town of St. George turned out for the big event. Miss Annie Birch was Queen of the May Day and was beautifully suited for the role. In the afternoon, following the community program, there were horse races and other sports, and her brother Benjamin, won a horse racing prize of five dollars, a coveted purse in those days.
In this new place her father’s trade of furniture repairing and making was of definite value. He operated a turning lathe and became known as “Chair maker Blake” because of the work he did along this line and to distinguish him from the others of the same name. Many people in Dixie until recently, owned chairs and other furniture items of his making. He also made a spinning wheel and a large loom for his own family to use and on this loom, Jane wove enough material for homespun cotton underwear. They grew the cotton in their own yards, she picked it herself, took the seeds out by hand, spinning her own thread and weaving the cloth. This was the last homespun they made on their loom, although they did weave lots of rag carpet, Jane making some for her wedding outfit.
Often when her father was rushed with furniture orders, and when he could not get help, Jane and her sister Harriet turned the lathe for him. Often too Jane’s arms ached so from this heavy work, she wished people just wanted their furniture made plain, instead of all the curves and curleyques which meant so much work, although she admired her father's skill in this art. Jane and Harriet often applied the first coat of paint for this furniture, to assist their father in completing his orders on schedule.
When they first came to St. George, the little Blake girls had only silk dresses made over from the many dresses their mother had brought with her from England. They were often the envy of other girls because of their clothes, which her mother's clever hands’ fashioned from her own gowns of wealthier days in England. Jane and her sisters were plenty happy when all of these made over dresses were worn out and they could have calicos, brand new calico prints from the factory. Jane's first calico print was such a thrill to her and so fragrant of the dyes used in making the pattern of bright flowers on it, she kept taking it from its place in her dresser to smell again and again the perfume of the new cloth, new pattern cotton clothier instead of silk.
She remembers her mother telling of how once she traded one of her fine black silk dresses for a little flour during the cricket troubles in Salt Lake City. Her brother-in-law had two wives. His wife Emma had a fine Black silk dress and the other wife had none. Uncle Gale also had flour, and though be would sell none of it; he did offer to trade some for one of Mrs. Blake's black silk dresses to give to his wife. The Blake's were in dire need of flour so the exchange was happily made, for Mrs. Blake had other black silk dresses and was willing enough to part with this one which matched that of her sister-in-law Emma Gale, and the flour would make bread for her little family. This is only one of the interesting stories of early days still clear in her mind.
Along with other pioneer children, Jane had little schooling, but she does recall her first teachers. Lovingly she speaks of her first teacher, Orpha Everett, in whose home she went to school. Later teachers were James G. Bleak, John M. Macfarland, and John Spencer and still later, her final teacher for two years, Elida Crosby Snow. She completed the old fourth reader, which was a fair start at schooling those days. She also liked rote singing of Geography, which she still recalls. It was Elida Crosby who helped her to understand parsing in Grammar.
When they were just small children, Jane’s father and brothers took up land at the foot of Pine Valley Mountains which is still known as the Blake ranch. Here they spent the summer and often their ranch was the center for young people to gather. What fun they had when a load of friends would come from St. George to visit for a week or longer. They had plenty of milk and vegetables which they exchanged for cheese and other things, and always had plenty of food for the visitors. They also put down a winter's supply of butter for themselves in the jars made by John Eardley. Often too, they visited in Pine Valley and enjoyed the social events of that place.
Jane was just a small girl when she learned to dance, in fact, her entire family were-good dancers, and loved parties and social affairs. Their home was often the scene of molasses candy parties, little home made dramas, and dancing parties. One of their main helpers in these events was Mary Mansfield (now Bentley) who was near Jane's age, and Marion Carter (Bentley). Often when they had candy pullings, they would dance in the kitchen to music made by their father on his fine old violin. They had a large kitchen, which their father fitted with curtain rods and other essentials for their dramatic exploitations, which the neighbors attended and participated in. All of these events stand out in her memory to obliterate the hardships which were plentiful enough those days, She was always so happy, the hardships and work were not irksome.
When she was age 15, Jane went to Salt Lake City with her parents and sister Harriet to attend the wedding of her sister Emma to John Benbow Carter. This was a great event. John and Emma were married in the Salt Lake Endowment House and returned to St. George while the others spent the summer in Ogden. This was a gay summer, picnics dances and so many good times. They were guests at the home of Uncle Gale (Brother-in-law of Jane’s father.) The girls did the house work and cooking, while mother Blake and Aunt Emma Gale patched quilts, quilted then, made netting spreads, and knitted and did all manner of sewing while they visited. Sundays all of then went to church, but on work days while their father helped Uncle Gale in his furniture store, the others had a merry time at home,
On the night of her sister Emma's wedding, Jane tucked her piece of wedding cake under her pillow and did dream of the boy who became her husband a few years later. This was Eugene Elisha Branch of St. George, of whom she had known through association with his brother Henry; butt did not meet him until after they returned from the summer in Ogden, since the Branch family lived in the farther part of St. George until after her return. They met in the ward circle of young people.
By the time she was 16 they were already good friends, in fact she was allowing Eugene dates for dances and parties but they did not marry until 18 Jan. 1877 when she was age 19. The St. George Temple had just been opened for services one week earlier, and many of the young people who had awaited this opportunity, were married there during the first weeks after the Temple opened. After the Temple ceremony, they had a big family dinner at the Blake home and in the evening a wedding party, once more dancing in the Blake's spacious home, in a large room which had just been added. Many of their friends were there and it was a happy time.
Prior to their marriage, Jane was one of the large throng who attended the Dedicatory services of the St. George Temple, 1 Jan. 1877. Well does she remember what took place on that memorable occasion, the singing, the deep and humble prayers, and the righteous indignation of Brigham Young, who rebuked men for their lack of reverence and left the imprint of his cane ferrol across the pulpit from which he was speaking, in emphasizing his statement. She also attended the final dedication of the building 6 April of the same year when the annual L.D.S. conference was held.
Jane and her husband were among those called to the Muddy Valley Mission and settled in Mesquite, Nevada. They had two children, a girl and a boy and a second son was born in Mesquite. After being released from this Mission where they spent three years 1881 to 1883, they spent another year in St. George and were then called to help settle Carbon County in 1884, moving to this cold part of the state in November. They lived in Price for several years, and her husband was then called to be the ward clerk in the Wellington Ward of Carbon County. They had three children when they moved to Price, three more were born during their sojourn in Price, and three more in Wellington. Then Mr. Branch was called on an LDS Mission to the State of Montana, where he spent two years. After his return home he was made Bishop of Wellington Ward. A year later their tenth child was born. When this baby was age five, Mr. Branch died suddenly.
A plasterer by trade, her husband followed this throughout his life. In Wellington they also kept a small store and Mr. Branch had just gone to his place of business one morning when he suffered a sudden heart attack and died before help could come. This was a great shock to his wife, but like many of the pioneer women, she knew what her responsibility was with respect to her family, and shouldered her burden bravely. Already three of her children were married and with steadfast courage she reared the other seven to manhood and womanhood and saw all of them set up in their own homes and rearing their own families.
Before her husband went on his mission, he had been appointed as the Wellington Postmaster, and when he left this duty fell on her. She also kept the store, took care of affairs at home and was made registration agent, thus was able to make a fairly good living. After her husband's death she disposed of the store and, other interests and took in boarders. One by one her children married, and after they were gone, she was fixed financially so she could devote her time to visiting among them and to doing Temple work, something she had long desired to do.
Even with all her responsibilities otherwise, she never did neglect her religious duties. She was Primary President for 18 years, and for another 18 years was President of the Wellington Relief Society. She also took active part in the Mutual Improvement Work, serving as a counselor for a short time. Besides helping to keep her husband on a mission, she provided later for four of her sons to fill missions and gave all of her children a fairly good education, at least sufficient for them to be self-sustaining. Their third son Levi died during the influenza epidemic of World War 1, leaving a wife and 6 small children. Jane recognized that much of her success in rearing her family was due to the fine cooperation of her children, and even since their marriages, they have been devoted to their mother.
Reflecting back on the sweet memories of her home life with her parents, Jane wishes to tell how her father always rose early in the morning to begin his day's work. Then early in the afternoon, he liked his wife to don one of her silk dresses and for all of the family to be cleaned up and have an enjoyable time together. This they did whenever possible. Mother Blake would read while the girls bathed their father's feet and combed his hair, and then all did fancy sewing. This was a very enjoyable time of the day and stands out as on of her happy recollections. Since marriage Jane has devoted her time to Temple work, performing these ordinances for hundreds of dead relatives. She died 26 Mar. 1947 at the age of 90.
Born in Salt Lake City 20 Dec. 1857, Jane was ninth in the family of thirteen children born to Benjamin Frederick and Harriet Hollis Blake, L.D.S. converts from the London area of England. They came to Utah in 1853, bringing five of their seven children, two having died in England. Jane's sister Emma was just six weeks old when they began their voyage to America. Her father was an apprentice-trained upholsterer and paper hanger, and in England operated a large furniture store, along with which he did upholstering and repair work. Her mother, though of a wealthy family, was an expert needlewoman, a training which was a positive asset when the Blake's came to Utah. She was the only member of the Hollis family to join the L.D.S. Church at that time.
In Salt Lake City, Jane's father learned from Brigham Young the making of glue from hoofs of animals, also the manufacturing of nears foot oil, and this work along with furniture repairing helped to make a living for his family. They ware doing fairly well in Salt Lake City when the call came for the Dixie Mission, the Blake family being included, and the trek south began in Nov 1861, the company arriving just ahead of the Erastus Snow wagon, being of that company.
Among her memories of the weeks at the Adobe Yard Camp was the day her little sister, Harriet, in their play, sat down on the piping hot lid of their Dutch oven, which had been set aside near the camp fire one which the cooking was done. Oh, how that poor little sister cried from the burns inflicted. Enough to say, it was many days before Harriet could sit down again. Jane also remembers the first Christmas celebration and the weeks of rain that followed, with the discomforts of wet bedding, wet fire wood, and soggy wet clouds forever drizzling or pouring rain on the camp for forty days and nights
She also recalls one of the early May Day celebrations. This English custom was also observed with great ado. On that particular year, Pres. Brigham Young was also with them. A large beef was barbecued and the entire town of St. George turned out for the big event. Miss Annie Birch was Queen of the May Day and was beautifully suited for the role. In the afternoon, following the community program, there were horse races and other sports, and her brother Benjamin, won a horse racing prize of five dollars, a coveted purse in those days.
In this new place her father’s trade of furniture repairing and making was of definite value. He operated a turning lathe and became known as “Chair maker Blake” because of the work he did along this line and to distinguish him from the others of the same name. Many people in Dixie until recently, owned chairs and other furniture items of his making. He also made a spinning wheel and a large loom for his own family to use and on this loom, Jane wove enough material for homespun cotton underwear. They grew the cotton in their own yards, she picked it herself, took the seeds out by hand, spinning her own thread and weaving the cloth. This was the last homespun they made on their loom, although they did weave lots of rag carpet, Jane making some for her wedding outfit.
Often when her father was rushed with furniture orders, and when he could not get help, Jane and her sister Harriet turned the lathe for him. Often too Jane’s arms ached so from this heavy work, she wished people just wanted their furniture made plain, instead of all the curves and curleyques which meant so much work, although she admired her father's skill in this art. Jane and Harriet often applied the first coat of paint for this furniture, to assist their father in completing his orders on schedule.
When they first came to St. George, the little Blake girls had only silk dresses made over from the many dresses their mother had brought with her from England. They were often the envy of other girls because of their clothes, which her mother's clever hands’ fashioned from her own gowns of wealthier days in England. Jane and her sisters were plenty happy when all of these made over dresses were worn out and they could have calicos, brand new calico prints from the factory. Jane's first calico print was such a thrill to her and so fragrant of the dyes used in making the pattern of bright flowers on it, she kept taking it from its place in her dresser to smell again and again the perfume of the new cloth, new pattern cotton clothier instead of silk.
She remembers her mother telling of how once she traded one of her fine black silk dresses for a little flour during the cricket troubles in Salt Lake City. Her brother-in-law had two wives. His wife Emma had a fine Black silk dress and the other wife had none. Uncle Gale also had flour, and though be would sell none of it; he did offer to trade some for one of Mrs. Blake's black silk dresses to give to his wife. The Blake's were in dire need of flour so the exchange was happily made, for Mrs. Blake had other black silk dresses and was willing enough to part with this one which matched that of her sister-in-law Emma Gale, and the flour would make bread for her little family. This is only one of the interesting stories of early days still clear in her mind.
Along with other pioneer children, Jane had little schooling, but she does recall her first teachers. Lovingly she speaks of her first teacher, Orpha Everett, in whose home she went to school. Later teachers were James G. Bleak, John M. Macfarland, and John Spencer and still later, her final teacher for two years, Elida Crosby Snow. She completed the old fourth reader, which was a fair start at schooling those days. She also liked rote singing of Geography, which she still recalls. It was Elida Crosby who helped her to understand parsing in Grammar.
When they were just small children, Jane’s father and brothers took up land at the foot of Pine Valley Mountains which is still known as the Blake ranch. Here they spent the summer and often their ranch was the center for young people to gather. What fun they had when a load of friends would come from St. George to visit for a week or longer. They had plenty of milk and vegetables which they exchanged for cheese and other things, and always had plenty of food for the visitors. They also put down a winter's supply of butter for themselves in the jars made by John Eardley. Often too, they visited in Pine Valley and enjoyed the social events of that place.
Jane was just a small girl when she learned to dance, in fact, her entire family were-good dancers, and loved parties and social affairs. Their home was often the scene of molasses candy parties, little home made dramas, and dancing parties. One of their main helpers in these events was Mary Mansfield (now Bentley) who was near Jane's age, and Marion Carter (Bentley). Often when they had candy pullings, they would dance in the kitchen to music made by their father on his fine old violin. They had a large kitchen, which their father fitted with curtain rods and other essentials for their dramatic exploitations, which the neighbors attended and participated in. All of these events stand out in her memory to obliterate the hardships which were plentiful enough those days, She was always so happy, the hardships and work were not irksome.
When she was age 15, Jane went to Salt Lake City with her parents and sister Harriet to attend the wedding of her sister Emma to John Benbow Carter. This was a great event. John and Emma were married in the Salt Lake Endowment House and returned to St. George while the others spent the summer in Ogden. This was a gay summer, picnics dances and so many good times. They were guests at the home of Uncle Gale (Brother-in-law of Jane’s father.) The girls did the house work and cooking, while mother Blake and Aunt Emma Gale patched quilts, quilted then, made netting spreads, and knitted and did all manner of sewing while they visited. Sundays all of then went to church, but on work days while their father helped Uncle Gale in his furniture store, the others had a merry time at home,
On the night of her sister Emma's wedding, Jane tucked her piece of wedding cake under her pillow and did dream of the boy who became her husband a few years later. This was Eugene Elisha Branch of St. George, of whom she had known through association with his brother Henry; butt did not meet him until after they returned from the summer in Ogden, since the Branch family lived in the farther part of St. George until after her return. They met in the ward circle of young people.
By the time she was 16 they were already good friends, in fact she was allowing Eugene dates for dances and parties but they did not marry until 18 Jan. 1877 when she was age 19. The St. George Temple had just been opened for services one week earlier, and many of the young people who had awaited this opportunity, were married there during the first weeks after the Temple opened. After the Temple ceremony, they had a big family dinner at the Blake home and in the evening a wedding party, once more dancing in the Blake's spacious home, in a large room which had just been added. Many of their friends were there and it was a happy time.
Prior to their marriage, Jane was one of the large throng who attended the Dedicatory services of the St. George Temple, 1 Jan. 1877. Well does she remember what took place on that memorable occasion, the singing, the deep and humble prayers, and the righteous indignation of Brigham Young, who rebuked men for their lack of reverence and left the imprint of his cane ferrol across the pulpit from which he was speaking, in emphasizing his statement. She also attended the final dedication of the building 6 April of the same year when the annual L.D.S. conference was held.
Jane and her husband were among those called to the Muddy Valley Mission and settled in Mesquite, Nevada. They had two children, a girl and a boy and a second son was born in Mesquite. After being released from this Mission where they spent three years 1881 to 1883, they spent another year in St. George and were then called to help settle Carbon County in 1884, moving to this cold part of the state in November. They lived in Price for several years, and her husband was then called to be the ward clerk in the Wellington Ward of Carbon County. They had three children when they moved to Price, three more were born during their sojourn in Price, and three more in Wellington. Then Mr. Branch was called on an LDS Mission to the State of Montana, where he spent two years. After his return home he was made Bishop of Wellington Ward. A year later their tenth child was born. When this baby was age five, Mr. Branch died suddenly.
A plasterer by trade, her husband followed this throughout his life. In Wellington they also kept a small store and Mr. Branch had just gone to his place of business one morning when he suffered a sudden heart attack and died before help could come. This was a great shock to his wife, but like many of the pioneer women, she knew what her responsibility was with respect to her family, and shouldered her burden bravely. Already three of her children were married and with steadfast courage she reared the other seven to manhood and womanhood and saw all of them set up in their own homes and rearing their own families.
Before her husband went on his mission, he had been appointed as the Wellington Postmaster, and when he left this duty fell on her. She also kept the store, took care of affairs at home and was made registration agent, thus was able to make a fairly good living. After her husband's death she disposed of the store and, other interests and took in boarders. One by one her children married, and after they were gone, she was fixed financially so she could devote her time to visiting among them and to doing Temple work, something she had long desired to do.
Even with all her responsibilities otherwise, she never did neglect her religious duties. She was Primary President for 18 years, and for another 18 years was President of the Wellington Relief Society. She also took active part in the Mutual Improvement Work, serving as a counselor for a short time. Besides helping to keep her husband on a mission, she provided later for four of her sons to fill missions and gave all of her children a fairly good education, at least sufficient for them to be self-sustaining. Their third son Levi died during the influenza epidemic of World War 1, leaving a wife and 6 small children. Jane recognized that much of her success in rearing her family was due to the fine cooperation of her children, and even since their marriages, they have been devoted to their mother.
Reflecting back on the sweet memories of her home life with her parents, Jane wishes to tell how her father always rose early in the morning to begin his day's work. Then early in the afternoon, he liked his wife to don one of her silk dresses and for all of the family to be cleaned up and have an enjoyable time together. This they did whenever possible. Mother Blake would read while the girls bathed their father's feet and combed his hair, and then all did fancy sewing. This was a very enjoyable time of the day and stands out as on of her happy recollections. Since marriage Jane has devoted her time to Temple work, performing these ordinances for hundreds of dead relatives. She died 26 Mar. 1947 at the age of 90.
posted by Dahlene Henrie Spencer @ 5:16 PM
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