Isaac Van Wagoner Carling by Daughter Martha Jane

8/7/2019 Isaac Van Wagoner Carling by Daughter Martha Jane

1/25

Martha Jane Carling Webb Porter

born Martha Jane Carling

25 June 1867 - 3 October 1952

by Elaine Johnson

Submitted to the USGenWeb Project and IDGenWeb Project Archives by Elaine

Johnson on

28 November 1996.

USGenWeb Project NOTICE:

In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet,

data may be used

by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied

material. These

electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for

commercial

presentation by any other organization.

Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other

than as stated

above, must obtain express written permission from the author, or thesubmitter and from

the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.

FAMILY HISTORY BY MARTHA CARLING WEBB PORTER

Logan, Utah, June 20, 1932

A bit of Family History which I shall write for the benefit of my

children in

years to come, when they become interested in genealogical work, for the

purpose

of doing temple ordinance work for kindred dead. I will first tell you

something of

my parents. I did not realize the importance of recording their history what

they

could have given me before they were gone, and now it is too late, and so I

will try

to record those things which I think will be of interest to them when I shall

no

longer be with them.

My father, Isaac Vanwagoner Carling, was born Nov. 30, 1831,

Klinesopus, Ulster County, New York. He was son of John Carling, who was born

Sept 11, 1800, Kingston, Ulster County, New York. He was the son of Gabrael

Carling. We have no farther record of Gabrael Carling at present.

Isaac V. Carling's mother was Emmeline Keaton, born Nov. 1, 1806, died

Jan 1, 1844. She was the daughter of Jacob Keaton and Catherine Keaton.

At the time of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latterday

Saints, in the year of 1830, by the Prophet Joseph Smith my Grandfather John

Carling joined the church in its early days, cannot give the dates, but the

family

with the other early members of the church, suffered mobbings and drivings

from


2/25

their homes and those persecutions and hardships which were forced upon them

by

their wicked enemies.

My mother, Asenath Elizabeth Browning, born Nov. 17, 1835, Adams Co,

Illinois. She was married to my father I.V. Carling in the Endowment House,

in

Salt Lake City, in 1854. They lived at Ogden with my mother's people for

about

two years, after their marriage. Sarah their oldest child was born in Ogden

Feb. 25,

1856. Upon coming to Utah, John Carling and his family including Isaac

Carling

settled in Provo, but in 1853 they were called by the authorities to move to

Fillmore

to help build up that new settlement, which at that time was the Capitol of

the

Territory of Utah. Both of my Grandfathers John Carling and Jonathon Browning

served terms in the Legislature which was held in the old State House in

Fillmore.

My father I.V. Carling made their home in Fillmore after the first two yearsof

married life, where their children Emeline Asenath, Ann, Laura Malvina, Olive

Charilla, Catherine Aurelia, Martha Jane, Phebe Malinda, Isaac Vanwagoner

Jr.,

Mary Alice, Miriam Eliza, Barbara Amelia were all born in Fillmore with the

exception of Barbara Amelia, who was born in Orderville, Kane County, Utah.

[According to the Fillmore Ward records she was blessed 7 June 1867 by Thomas

R. King.]

Our parents moved to Orderville about the month of May 1875 for the

purpose of living in the united order, as the people there seemed to be

making a

greater success of living it than attempted to live this co-operation, and

they had

failed, and had gone back to the old way of living. Our parents felt that to

live and

practice this order of living would be a better way to live, and raise their

children,

and so they sold the home in Fillmore and cast their lot with the Orderville

people.

Turned in all their property to the association, excepting the personal

property, and

all members of the family who were old enough to work, were soon given their

work to do, and were soon absorbed in the hive of industry, where all were

united

in the work for all.

At this time I was eight years old, and of course not big enough to do

much

work, but looked forward to the time when I would be old enough to take turns

with the older girls waiting on the big table, for the people all ate at one

table all

together. I will tell you of the founding, and of the founders of Orderville.

These

are the names of the company of people called from Nephi to the Muddy country


3/25

to pioneer that place make settlements and homes in that part of Utah,

Sanjaun

County. The seasons were too short there to allow the crops to mature, before

the

frost would come and ruin them in fall, and they were so far away from, and

such

bad roads to the settlements, that it became necessary for them to abandon

that part

of the country. The Indians too, were very troublesome, they would steal and

drive

the cattle, horses etc off, and made it very hard for these sturdy pioneers

to live

there, and so President Brigham Young (who had the supervision of the

pioneering

and colonizing Utah, as well as parts of other western states) recalled this

little

company, consisting of Samuel Claradge, Israel Hoyt, George Harmon, Thomas

Stalworthy, William Heaton, there may have been others who I do not know, yes

there is John Esplin also, and these faithful and trusted men with their

families were

sent to Long Valley which is a long narrow valley, in the center of thisvalley in the

wilds, here they established a settlement and called it Orderville, in Kane

County,

Utah. This company procured a sawmill, others came and joined them, and

turned

what property they had, into the order, for the use of all. [Martha was

baptized 13

August 1876 when she was nine years old.]

This order had been running more than a year, when my parents moved

from Fillmore to Orderville. Here all were poor alike, none felt above the

others

because of wealth, because all shared alike.

The people who joined the United Order were given work that they could

do best, or liked to do best, so far as they could consistently, but this was

not

always possible.

The people who joined this settlement were all rebaptized and made

covements that they would keep the commandments, there were certain rules

called

Rules of the United Order, to be observed by all members of the United Order.

We did not have much money to turn in, but what he did have was turned

over to the authorities with the other property. My mother's dishes were also

included, all but a few choice pieces that were given to her as gifts, allothers went

to the public kitchen, for they were needed there, and, as we were going to

eat at

the public Dining Hall, we would not need them at home.

I well remember the first meal that I ate at the big table, a little

girl living

near by asked me to go to dinner with her to the big table, as it was called

by the


4/25

children. On our way there, she warned me not to leave any food on my plate,

for

she said, if you do, Aunty Harmon (this was the name of, or at least, what

the

children called the head matron who took charge of the children, and waited

upon

them during their meals) will make you eat it whether you can or not.

And so, I remembered what she said, and sure enough, Aunty Harmon was

the one who gave me my dinner, a very liberal allowance of potatoes and

gravy,

and bread and butter if I remember right, well, there was more than I could

eat, I

tried, but it seemed that if I ate the last piece of potatoe, which I felt

that my

stomach could not hold, I would be sick, and so, I watched my chance, and

when

Aunty Harmon was busy looking after the other children, I slipped the piece

of

potatoe into my pocket, and took it out and buried it under a sagebrush.

In after years, this incident was a lesson to me in dealing with my own

children, such a course with children is apt to teach them to be deceitful

and

untruthful, and so, parents should be careful how they deal with children..

As time

passed, I was very anxious to grow up, as most children are, I wanted to wait

on the

big tables as my older sisters were doing, and learn to spin yarn for weaving

cloth,

and to sing in the choir as all my older sisters did, there were six of my

sisters and

my eldest brother singing in the choir at that time, six more of us joined

the choir as

we became old enough, at times the majority of the singers were of my

Father's

family. When I became ten years of age I was asked to sing in the Sunday

School

choir at that time they had a Sunday School choir, they did not sing together

as

they now do. In a few more years I was asked to join the adult choir, and

from then

on I was a member of the choirs wherever I lived for many many years, and

always

loved to sing.

[From a sketch written 23 Jun 1934 at Logan, Utah.]

The Big Table

Everybody ate at the Big Table. The women took turns cooking in the

community kitchen, six women would do the cooking one week, the next week six

more women would take their turn and so on. There were always men to do the

heavy lifting etc. The bakery was built adjoining the kitchen, and there was

always

a man who did the baking. The dining room was adjoining the kitchen and this

was


5/25

as near as I can remember about 40 by 60 feet. Six girls at a time waited

upon the

tables that extended the length of the hall.

When I became ten years of age, I was asked to help to wait upon the

tables, this I was very glad to do, and enjoyed my work very much. In the

same

year I learned to spin also, and after this I did a great deal of spinning.

We girls

used to have spinning bees often, we would compete for the honors of being

the

fastest spinners, also for making yarn of the most even and best quality.

There were

two other girls of our crowd, who could spin a little more in quantity, or

more

skeins in the day, but none of them could make better quality than mine. As

time

sped on, we the people of Orderville seemed almost like one large family,

while

there were always those who grumbled, and some family would become

dissatisfiedand leave. But I count my experience gained during the ten years that we

lived in

the United Order, a very valuable experience, a very good way to learn of

human

nature.

I forgot to mention before that Howard Orson Spencer of Salt Lake City

was called to preside over this community of united workers. He chose my

father

soon after his arrival in Orderville to be his first counselor in the

Bishopric, and so,

from this time on thru the years, until he thot that he could not

conscientiously

sanction the way things were turning for the breaking up of the order, this,

he did

not think was right, and so, he resigned his position as counselor to the

Bishop.

However Howard O. Spencer had been promoted to the Stake Presidency, but the

new Bishop Thomas Chamberlain chose him to be his councilor and so, he held

this position for many years. A little mistake here corrected. Instead of

I.V. Carling

being counselor to H.O. Spencer, Thomas Chamberlain was Bishop of the

Orderville all this time and it was Thomas Chamberlain chose father to be his

counselor, and Howard O. Spencer was already a counselor to President L. John

Nuttell of the Kanab Stake.

Here I must say that my father I.V. Carling was a man of his word, agentleman in every sense of the word. An old friend of his once said of him

"I

would be willing to trust brother Isaac with uncounted millions of money." No

hypocrisy about him. No one who was acquainted with him would fear to trust

him, he prized his honor and virtue above all earthly riches, and always

taught us

his children to be examples as well as precept, to live pure, clean,

virtuous, honest,


6/25

honorable, useful lives, to prepare us for better higher living, to cultivate

refinement

and kindness.

My mother, Asenath Elizabeth Browning Carling, Than whom there was no purer,

more devoted and faithful mother, always setting good examples to her

children

and all who knew or associated with her. No deception or dishonesty here, no

taking advantage of anyone to get gain, I think that she came as near living

the

"Golden Rule" as any mortal could do, and in my life I am trying to live my

life in a

way that will reflect the good examples and training which they gave me while

they

lived. And in turn am trying to set worthy examples for my children tho they

are all

gone from my care, have grown into maturity, and all of them, who live, are

rearing

families of their own, and I hope and pray our kind Heavenly Father to give

them

each wisdom and power to perform the sacred duties of parenthood at all timesin a

way that they will be successful in rearing their families in honor and

purity and

usefulness and righteousness, that you will have no regrets nor remorse to

make

you unhappy. I am very unhappy when I look back on my past life and remember

any neglect on my part of doing my full duty to my precious children. I thot

that I

was doing the best that I could towards you all in our struggle with poverty

and

neglect, and being ignored as we were, but it seemed at times that I was

almost

crushed, and reason almost left me, and I now censure myself for allowing and

enduring the slights and neglects that my own dear children endured. But, I

hope

that you will forgive me for this, as well as to forgive him for his

treatment of you

while you were little and needed a father's love and care. Do not censure the

Church for this, for our gospel teaches all parents to support and care for

and train

their children, and love and educate them, and make useful citizens of them,

and so

when a parent neglects, or refuses to support and nurture his children, he is

going

in direct opposition to the commandments of the Lord in our Gospel. This

neglect

and sorrow were the result of another's selfishness and lack of stamina to dohis

duty regardless of others opposition. And so, we must forgive, as we wish to

be

forgiven, and trust in our kind Heavenly Father to deal out justice to all

when His

day of reckoning comes, for that day will come, and then each one of us will

receive the reward which we have merited, according to the lives that we have

lived. Then all things will be made right, and I would rather be one who has

been


7/25

wronged, than to be one who had wronged others, and made their lives

miserable

or unhappy. It is much harder to forgive the wrongs done to my dear children,

than

the wrongs done to me individually, but am trying to forgive all and leave

the

outcome in the hands of a just God. I must not dwell on these unpleasant

memories

longer, but I thot it best to mention these things that you may know how I

feel

about them. But looking at them from another point of view, these experiences

have been a benefit us in one way, that we having endured these things, will

have

sympathy for all suffering such hardships in life, and want to help to

relieve their

suffering and want to bring them happiness if that were possible.

Now I will try to tell you something of my life as I grew to maturity in

the

environment of the United Order. Here I attended my first school, with the

exception of a few days just before we left Fillmore. This first school washeld in a

bowery by what we called the Big House, in which our family was given two

large

rooms to live in. I will first describe town.

Town or village was laid out in the form of a fort. The eating house,

kitchen, bakery in the center, with all the different shops, store houses,

business

places on the outside, with a street surrounding the village between the

center

where the dwellings were, which consisted of small lumber shanties, of which

the

average families were allotted two rooms. Larger families were given three

rooms,

and lone persons were given only one room.

At first the diningroom was used for a meeting house, also for a schoolroom

the

first winter, also for a social hall, the tables, and benches which were used

for

chairs, were pushed to one side, to make room for the doings whatever they

were.

But in a short time they built a schoolhouse and other buildings.

Father turned all of his property into the order which consisted of

wagons,

horses, carpenter tools, turning lathe for turning both wood and iron, Scroolsaw

and Circle saw, Coopers tools, etc. all went in for the use of the community,

and

even mother's dishes were turned in, all except two, little fine dishes that

had been

given to her for a birthday present. All clothing bedding etc. were retained

by each

individual of course.


8/25

My father was a master workman at building, cabinet making, cooper,

turner, farmer and gardener, shoemaker, not merely a mediocre workman at

them,

but a first class workman at each of these trades, anytime there were very

difficult

things to do, such as repairing broken machinery etc. they would always come

to

get him to do this work if no one else could do it.

And besides all these accomplishments, he was an artist of no mean

ability.

I well remember when I was a small child, of him teaching a class to draw and

paint

pictures. My mother and older sisters were students in his class, and he

always had

the most beautiful flower garden in the community wherever he lived. My

mother's

health being poor, so that she was unable to do much beside the necessary

work of

caring for her children, her health broke under the burden of caring for my

father'sother family of children after their mother died, there were four of them,

and my

mother being about to be confined at the time, and father's wife who had died

left a

baby boy only six weeks old weighing only three pounds. Father hired Aunt

Caroline Dutson to take care of this tiny baby until mother was able to care

for him.

When her own baby my sister Phebe, was two months old, she took the little

motherless mite of a boy, (my half-brother Jesse) to her own bosom, and cared

for

him as her own. The three other children of Aunt Miriams were taken by my

mother as soon as their mother had died and they all fared the same as her

own

children, of whom there were eight. And they all remained with us until they

were

married. I remember one day after I was married, I went home to see the

folks, and

Mother and I while we were alone were talking about the family, and how she

had

done her part by us all, and I said to her, well Mother you always loved Aunt

Miriam's children just the same as you did us, did you not? to which she

replied

that she always tried to treat them just the same as she did her own, but

that she

could not feel just the same towards them. This was a surprise to me, because

I had

never seen her make any difference in her treatment of us. One of AuntMiriam's

girls, Lydia May, was about nine months older than me, and we were so nearly

the

same size and my mother always dressed us alike, and my father called us his

twins,

we knew no difference in which belonged to Mother, and she had the reputation

of

being an exceptionally good stepmother. This shows her splendid character.


9/25

I could not refrain from writing telling you my children of these

splendid

characteristics of my parents, for you have not known much about them. One

more

thing about them, and then I think it will suffice. They were both splendid

singers,

tho bashful, never sang in public. Father was a violinist, and used to play

for

dances. Mother played the accordian.

Marriage of Martha Jane Carling [All but one of Martha's sisters married

into polygamy. It was a principle they had been taught at home and church. It

was

accepted and encouraged within the Order as the best way to conduct ones

life.]

On March 21, 1883, in the Saint George Temple I was married to Francis

Adelbert Webb, who was thirty years old the day before we were married, and I

was sixteen Jan. 25, 1883. [Before the wedding her father went to Delly and

told

him that while Martha was a wonderful girl she wasn't always completelyhonest.

He based this on a misunderstanding he hadn't even asked her about. Trust

between

them was destroyed before their marriage began. Martha never blamed her

father

for this. In her eyes he could do no wrong.] He had a wife and four children

before

I married him, and I having been born and reared in the Church of Jesus

Christ of

Latter-day Saints, which taught polygamy as one of its principles and I

wanted to

live the Gospel to the fullest, and I refused severall offers of young single

men, and

accepted this offer. [Plural marriage had been outlawed by act of Congress in

1862

and the law was upheld by the supreme court in 1879.] He being a good man,

and I

thot I would be happy with him. But met with sad disappointment. You my own

dear children know a bout these disappointments and trials, and so I will not

dwell

on them here, only to plead with you to forgive those who wronged us, and

don't

let these wrongs hold you back from accepting and living the Gospel, but

first make

a thorough, unbiased investigation and search out the points of value that

other

churches do not include, do your best, and don't forget to pray to ourHeavenly

Father for his spirit to guide you, and show you the right, and then do not

disregard

its promptings. Read with earnestness and sincerity and prayer, believing

that you

will be helped. Do not listen to the enemies of the church, for who can judge

it

better, or who knows more about it than those who have studied its principles

and


10/25

workings, and have spent their lives in it. Of course none of its members are

without faults, for, our schooling in this church is to help us to overcome

our

selfishness for selfishness causes more sorrow than anything else in this

world,

because selfishness is the cause of nearly all crimes. Now just consider

selfishness

is the cause of jealousies, when you go or delve right to the bottom of

abuses, and

crimes, you will see and understand that selfishness is the root of all evil,

not

money, but money in many cases is illegally gotten to gratify selfishness.

And inasmuch as we are all, to some degree afflicted with selfishness,

and

sometimes some of us are greatly afflicted by the selfishness of others. For

instance

(our sufferings and privations in the early lives of my precious children)

were

mostly caused by the selfishness of another, only considering self, and

disregardingothers. You will understand, and so, be in the battle always to fight

selfishness. Our

church teachings always stress overcoming selfishness, one doing to others as

you

would be done by.

I have digressed more, but my concern for you dear ones is so deep and I

am so anxious to have you to, or that you believe in the Gospel for you have

been

away from organized wards the most of the time since you were married, and

just

dropped everything pertaining to the church, and in the struggle for a

livelihood you

have neglected your religious training and the religious training that your

children

should have to prepare them for life's mission, and preparing for eternity

which is

so much more important than this life, but this life is a school to prepare

us for

promotion into one that will never end, and so, our preparation here is very

important for on it will depend what we are promoted to after we leave this

life,

will be just what we have worked for while we are in this life.

Now to resume my story

My first baby was born the next December fifteenth, his uncle EdwardWebb blessed him and named him Edward Milo in honor of his Grandfather and

Uncle Eddie whose name was the same, but we called our baby Edward, not Eddie

as his uncle was called. I am reminded of the time when my baby cut his first

tooth,

he had been sick for several days and his Uncle Eddie called to see how he

was,

and when he asked how the baby was, I said O Eddie! Edwards got a tooth, then

I

felt ashamed for having called the man by the baby name and the baby by the


11/25

man's name, but your father whom they all called Delly and the uncle whom

they

all called Eddie, said one day they didn't see why their mother had them

called baby

names and so we decided to call our boy the man's name at first and then when

he

becomes a man, he will not be called by a baby's name, tho this seems rather

stiff

though. He grew into a beautiful child, has a very kind and sympathetic

disposition,

and all thru the years he has been and is, a very kind and helpful son and

brother.

Then, he being the oldest of the children, the heavy responsibility fell upon

him,

and he has borne it well. I often think that he must be one of the Lord's

choice

spirits, who is being tried as gold in the furnace seven times, as the

scriptures say,

and I believe that he will yet emerge from these trials and tortures,

purified and

proven to be the pure gold, speaking symbolically, and that there is greathappiness

in store for him, thru his faithfulness and integrity to what he believes to

be right

and just.

My second child James Owens born Dec. 19, 1885 at Orderville, Utah. At

the time when he was four months old, my husband and his brother Edward Webb

made a move from Orderville to Woodruff, Arizona, started for Mexico, but,

when

we arrived at this place we staid over for a few weeks, on account of Aunt

Bell's

health not being good, also for the horses to recuperate and all, both people

and

animals needed a rest and so, they, or we never finished the journey to

Mexico, but

remained at Woodruff for about for years. Then we moved to Snowflake for a

few

years. But while at Woodruff our little boy James or Daimie as I sometimes

called

him, was taken away at the age of one year and a half. He died of Cholora

Infatum.

[She had thought he was just teething but he died in the night from

convulsions.]

This was a heavy blow to me and being so lonely of being separated from

parents,

brothers and sisters I felt my baby's loss more keenly I believe than I

otherwisewould have done. He was buried in the cemetery at Woodruff. My husband got a

chance for me to go back on a visit to Orderville, or Kanab, with Frank

Perkins and

wife.

No this is not right. I with my little Edward who was now in his fourth

year,

and a real comfort to me, we went with Brigham Duffin a neighbor of ours to

Kanab, and after our visit of one year and eight months, we returned to

Woodruff,


12/25

Arizona with Frank Perkins and wife.

Four months after my arrival at Orderville, Dec. 27, 1887, my little

girl

Alice Asenath was born. She was named Asenath in honor of my mother. She was

the most beautiful child that I had ever seen, a very clear complexion,

bright blue

eyes, light curly hair, and the most angelic features imaginable. My people

all loved

her so, my father especially made over her. She lived to be a little over a

year old,

then she too was taken by death. This added sorrow seemed to me more than I

could bear, but my Heavenly Father helped me to bear it. This little

one her father never saw. The next April we went back to Woodruff. Upon

arriving

there I discovered that my husband had sold the two little rooms that he had

bought

for me in the old fort. It was part of the old fort that had been built as a

protection

against the Indians when our Mormon people first settled in Arizona, but it

was ahome, if ever so poor, the first home that I had had since my marriage. My

husband being at Snowflake working at the time there was nothing for me to do

but

go to his other family and ask to be taken in until I could write to him to

find out

what I could do, as he had made no provision for our returning.

In answer to my letter telling of our arrival and asking what he

intended for

us to do, or where we could live, he wrote that a certain man of Snowflake

would

be along on business in a few days, and that he had arranged for this man to

call

and get us and take us to Snowflake for a while. He had rented a room for us.

Of

course we were glad to go to be with him for a while. We staid there a few

months,

then he sent us back to Woodruff to live in Aunt Bell's home, and had her

come

with her family to Snowflake. We lived there about a year, and then we went

to live

at the sawmill to cook for the sawmill hands, down to Snowflake in the winter

then

back to the sawmill the next summer. I cannot remember time and dates of all

these

moves, but my husband finally built a little two roomed house at Snowflake,

that hesaid was for me, but, still he soon sold it and moved me to a house he rented

on a

farm but while living in this little home that I called my own my little

Marcellus was

born June 6, 1890. It had been it seemed to me a long time since our little

girl left

us, and this little boy was surely appreciated and loved. I had often prayed

to the


13/25

Lord in those lonely years that he would send me another child to fill the

emptiness

in my life and heart.

When he was two years old we were at the sawmill, and one day an Indian

came in the house which was some distance from the sawmill. The men had just

a

few minutes before left the dinner table, and gone back to work at the mill.

The

Indian closed the door and stood with his back against the door. He was a

wicked

looking Indian and I saw that he was armed with a rifle, a pistol and a

butcher

knife. All looked new and shining, and the saddle on his horse also looked

new.

The food left from dinner was still on the table. I hastened to give him

food, which

he accepted with a grunt, and rode away. I asked the men if they saw him.

They

said no, and when they heard my description of him we all decided that he

musthave been the Apache warrior for whom the government was offering a large

reward, he having killed a number of white people. They had been hunting and

watching for him a long time, but he had evaded them so far. The Apache

Indians'

trail that they traveled to go to Pinedale to trade, lead right past the

mill, and a few

times when I and my baby were alone, (Edward was now at school staying with

the

other family at Snowflake) they came, I would try to appear calm, but could

not but

feel afraid, because this tribe of Indians had been so ferocious, and had

killed so

many white people, but the only thing that I could do was to trust to God for

protection and help.

In the fall this year I moved to the farm mentioned called the reservoir

farm,

between Taylor and Snowflake, staid there with my two little boys. We three

alone

until two days before the birth of my son Isaac, who was born Oct. 19, 1893,

at

Snowflake, Arizona at the home of my husband's other family, who took care of

us

for two weeks, when I was taken back to the ranch to spend the winter alone

with

my little family. Edward walked to Snowflake about two miles to school that

winter. I well remember the time that I took Isaac my baby to Snowflake to beblessed. He was six weeks old before I had had a chance to have him blessed.

My

husband sent one of his boys with a wagon, this was a common way of

conveyance

in those days. It was a cold day, and we sat upon a high seat, the cold

cutting wind

was blowing, and I was so afraid that my baby would get cold, and I guess

that I


14/25

wrapped him too warm. That night he took the croup, nearly choked, but I

worked

and prayed over him, and he recovered.

We struggled on thru the hard winter and in April we were taken to

Taylor

Arizona where we lived in a rented house a few months, then my husband bought

a

place here for us, where I set out some fruit trees, and berry bushes, but we

staid

here only a year.

Let me here digress again

I must tell you something about my public activities during these years,

while at Snowflake I served as counselor to the Primary President, also first

counselor to Ellen Smith who was president of the Young Ladies Mutual

Improvement Association.

When I moved to Taylor I had been there about a month but had not yet

gone out to any of the meetings, when one Sunday one of my neighbors came in.She had just returned from the sacriment meeting. She told me that they had

reorganized the Young Ladies M.I.A. and asked me to guess who the new

President is. I said, I am not much acquainted with the young ladies here, so

I could

not guess. She said, well it's you. Imagine if you can the shock and surprise

this was

to me. I insisted that she was joking, but the Bishop soon told me about how

it

happened. Taylor belonged to the Snowflake Stake, and the Stake presidency

who

had known me at Snowflake had suggested my name as one for this office. Well

I

tried to do whatever I was appointed to do the best I could, tho when I first

heard

what they had done I said I can't do it, but upon further considering the

matter I

told them that I would accept the office and do the best that I could, and

so, when I

left to go away they seemed well pleased with the work I had done, and I felt

better

than I would had I refused to do as I was asked by those in authority over

me.

In August 1895 we left Taylor, Arizona, and moved back to Utah. My

husband decided to move his family back to Utah, and so we undertook the long

arduous journey back to the beloved Utah. I being in delicate health at the

time, feltthe arduousness of it. My son Edward, the little man he was, for he was only

eleven

years old, at that time, drove our team all the way from Taylor Arizona to

Orderville, Utah. Here my husband left me and my family of three children,

and

took the other family to Fillmore, where he would go and locate the family in

a

home, and would come back for us later.


15/25

Here at my parents home Sept. 17, 1895, at Orderville, my son Alma was

born. My father and mother, and sisters all did all they could for me and the

children, fed us all this time from August to Feb. and nursed me back to

health and

took care of my family of little ones while I could not do it, and none of

them

would take a cent for their work. I certainly love and appreciate them for

it.

Finally in February my husband came and took us to Fillmore. There was

no place still for us to live, but I insisted upon him taking us, for my

mother's health

was not very good, and both my parents were getting along in years, and I

would

not impose upon them any longer. After they had reared their own large family

or

families, it was too much for me to stay and impose upon them longer, and so,

his

son Frank and his wife kindly offered to let us live with them until his

father could

make arrangements for a home somewhere.

After inquiry my husband found that there was an eighty acre piece of

land

uneven(?) and had not been taken, but I was very glad to file on it in my own

name.

[Delly and Ed built a small shack with a blanket across the door. The

wind

wistled through and it was a very bad winter. They didn't have shoes so they

wrapped rags around their feet. Their vegetable supply was eaten by rats.

They

burned sage brush to keep warm. Their horse ran away and it was difficult to

find

close to home. They had only dried corn left to eat and Martha was sick when

Ed

went for help. He met two of Delly's sisters coming to check on them. They

brought food and helped gather sage. They also reported what they found to

Delly.]

Thomas Callister, who was Aunt Bells brother, he was a true friend to

me,

as he afterward proved his friendship with me.

My husband moved his family to Abraham Utah. As soon as I had lived

upon the 80 acre piece five years, the time required by law to prove up on

the land,

I procured the deed to it and moved, after selling it to John Jackson, movedback to

Orderville where my father was still living, was given a church divorce, and

my son

Edward assumed the responsibility of doing all that he could for the family,

and

together with what the little children they were not old enough to do much to

help

themselves and my health was poor, and the burden of supporting the family of

whom there were five small children who were not old enough to do any heavy


16/25

work rested upon Edward. He was only 17 years old. Marcellus was the oldest

of

these little ones, and he was only 10 years old. The baby Leslie not two

years old.

[Martha received word that her brothers and several of her sisters were

moving to Mexico. She quickly wrote a letter asking them to wait but by the

time

she could dispose of her land they had left without her. Years later they

were

forced to leave their homes and possessions because of the Mexican

Revolution, so

it may be just as well she missed them.]

And so you can see what a helpless little family I had. But with Edwards

fine manly part that he played, and my father who helped us alot, and all of

us

doing what we could, we got along better than we had before. There is no one

knows what it is to be a lone parent, with double responsibility upon them,

unless

they have had the experience themselves. No wonder the Lord said for theelders to

visit the orphans and widows and minister to their wants.

Here I will go back and tell of the birth of my daughter Daphne, in

Fillmore, Millard co Utah, Nov 5, 1897. When she was two weeks old we

went back to our home on the sagebrush plat. I appreciated our little home

tho ever

so poor, because it was our own, but the five years that we lived there was a

continuous struggle with poverty and privation, having been left alone the

most of

the time with my little ones hardly ever going to town or anywhere, just

existing is

about all.

Here too at this little home on March 21, 1900 my son Leslie was born.

My

husband had been gone some time since he moved the other family away, and so

Edward was obliged to go for the doctor four miles away in the bitter cold

night.

He was certainly an extra ordinary good boy to his mother, brother and

sister, no

sacrifice was too great for him to make for us. May the kind Heavenly Father

reward him for it.

Tho his life so far has been disapointments and struggles I pray that he

will

be richly rewarded for his goodness, with happiness and joy beyondexpression.

And when the time comes for a promotion into higher and better life, may he

be

well prepared to receive that reward which is waiting for him if he will but

prepare

himself for it by serving and believing in our Heavenly Father, who loves all

of his

children, but puts us thru severe dicipline sometimes to school and prove us

that we


17/25

may be fit for membership in His Kingdom.

Alma and Daphne too have ever been loyal and kind to me their mother,

but they were too young during those years of our worst troubles to realize

much

about the causes of it, tho they suffered with the rest of us.

And our dear ones who were taken from us Marcellus, Isaac and Leslie

were all good and kind and considerate of me and each other. None of them but

Edward knew the two sweet little babies James Owens, who died when he was

only

one year and a half old, Alice Asenath died when she was only one year old,

both

very bright beautiful children. It will be a very happy reunion when we as a

family

can meet and associate together again, which I am anxiously looking forward

to.

After living in Orderville for three years, we decided to move to Idaho

where Edward went to find work in order to make means to go to school, and do

what he could for the family. By this time some of the little boys were oldenough

to work at thinning beets etc. and so he wrote that he thot that if I would

go to

Idaho there would be work in the beet fields for the little boys, and so,

after

consulting with my father about it we decided to go to Idaho where Edward

was.

We sold our home again and hired a man to take us and our few belongings to

Marys Vale where we took train for Idaho. When we arrived at Firth Edward was

there with a team and wagon to take us to the home of L.D. Cox where they had

a

little shanty in readiness for us. We lived there the first year and they,

all who were

old enough to work got work there for the summer. The little boys too proved

to be

good workers as they grew into the work and got used to it, and thereafter

they had

no trouble finding work because these boys were dependable and could be

trusted.

All were soon, after a year or two, engaged in working in the beet fields

even

Daphne and Leslie the baby, made good workers, and there were always and are

still, exceptionally good workers.

It is certainly good, to have the confidence and respect of those we

love and

associate with.

During the first two years we lived in Idaho the children Marcellus,

Isaac,

Alma and Daphne walked two miles to school. Then with money that we sold the

home in Orderville for we bought a small piece of land in Basalt, Idaho, and

the

boys built a little two room house on it after living on rented farms for

five years.

But at the same time that we moved into our little home my son Edward married


18/25

and left the little home and home folks, but he still sort of looked after

our welfare

until the other boys got a little older and they always helped each other as

long as

they were together.

Love for my children

Language is inadequate to express my great love for my precious

children,

tho feel at times, that it was almost like deserting them when I moved so far

away

from them, but I think that you my dear ones all understand my attitude on

this

question, for I think it better that we live apart, than that I would be the

cause of

friction and trouble in any of the families of my children, for my desires

and hopes

are only to be a help to give happiness and contentment to them, and unless I

can

do this, I feel it is better for the cause of friction in the family shouldso far as

possible be removed, for we should all live in peace with each other and if

we are

not doing this we are failing this much to make the most of our opportunities

in life.

Then there is another reason for living so far from my own. It is that I

consider that I have a mission to do temple work for our kindred dead. I have

been

promised by two patriarchs in my blessings that I shall do a great work in

the

temples for the redemption of

my kindred dead, and I consider that this is the time to do this. If not,

then when

would be a better time?

I have not means to travel to the temples, and so think it best,

everything

considered, to try to get a little home here, where it will be handy for me

to go to

the temple as often as I can and do what I can to give the dead the

opportunity of

accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ if they will. It seems bad to me when I

consider how hard I am working to give our kindred dead, who have not had a

chance during their lives upon this earth, to hear nor embrace the gospel, to

give

them a chance, and still my own dear, precious children (who are dearer tome

than the kindred dead who I am trying so hard to help, could possibly be) but

who,

I am powerless to help in this respect, because, they are right where these

blessings

of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are available to them, but they do not accept

them,

because of the stumbling blocks which have been laid in their paths by

professors


19/25

of the Gospel.

I am every day, pleading with my Heavenly Father that you my dear

children will not be losers, for those stumbling blocks, that caused you to

lose faith

in the Gospel, because, if everyone who professes the gospel, would live

according

to its teachings and principles, and there would be no stumbling blocks put

in

anyones path.

Of course, my own comes first in my interest, and I would gladly do

anything that was in my power to help you see and understand the Gospel, but

we

each one has to be responsible for our own doings, and one can't gain a

testimony

of the truth of the Gospel for another nor can we do anothers work here, but

everyone has their free agency to do as they choose, and all depends upon how

we

use this free agency as to the degree of promotion that we will receive when

thislife is past, and we will be called to account, and promoted to that life

which we

have proved by the cource that we have pursued in this school, that we will

be

entitled to, this will be just what we have merited no less no more. And so

it is up

to each ones self just what they will receive, there will be no complaints,

because

the rewards will be just.

I want to say right here that my own precious children are the dearest

treasures that I could have, no wealth nor jewels of whatever value, could

compare

with my jewels that are my children, and life without you dear ones would be

dreary indeed, especially if I knew that we would be separated in the

eternities, that

would be unbearable to me.

I am looking forward to a reunion with all of my darling children, and

my

dear parents and brothers and sisters and am trying to work to this end and

hope

that you my own dear ones will also work to this end, and all be happy

together,

and when the call comes for us to leave this earth we will all be closely

associated

together there.

Now back to my history

[The night they moved in Martha and her boys stayed up all night setting

mouse traps. They caught 30 before morning.] While living on the Rubin Jensen

farm, which my boys rented for two years I was asked to be the President of

the

Primary at Basalt, which office I accepted, and worked in that capacity for

five


20/25

years. I resigned this position feeling that others could do the work better

and being

very busy myself.

During the first year in Jan. after moving into our little home, our

dear Isaac

died of pneumonia. He was at the time fourteen years old, and a very noble

boy a

hard worker and a very kind boy to the family, and we missed his cheery

presence

and kind helpfulness. At his funeral the Bishop said he had watched Isaac's

life,

and he praised him very highly, said that Isaac did the work of a man. He was

certainly a noble boy.

Marcellus married Lamecia Hiett in 1910. They together with Edward and

Alma took homesteads on the Idaho Desert, about the year 1914. Just after

this

Daphne had married and our home seemed lonely indeed but we must meet and

endure and make the best of all these things for all must meet them. Now

therewere only three of us at home.

Alma went to work on the railroad and until he met with a painful

accident

by falling from the top of a car while putting water into the boiler, he did

not go

back to that work but he was not at home much after this but worked at

several

places and trades, and Leslie was now old enough to do a mans work and he too

had to go away from home to work. He too was a hard worker, and they both

were

kind and good to me, and did all they could to provide and make my life as

pleasant

and easy to me as they could always considering my welfare before themselves

and

generous and kind. Edward, Marcellus, Isaac and Alma each year during their

school years, were under the necessity of staying out of school both in

spring

months while crops were being planted and in the fall months while crops were

being harvested to work for means for us to live upon, while other children

started

with the beginning of school, and were not interrupted in their studies until

school

closed. But these boys of mine did wonderfully well, regardless of the

interruptions

in their studies, and did better than many who were not interrupted at all in

theirstudies.

In Dec. 23, 1917, Alma married, and now, only Leslie was left single. He

too had to be away from home to work, and the time that I staid home alone I

was

lonely indeed, but I was always busy and tried to make the best of my lonely

condition.

In 1914 my sister Amelia asked me to go and take care of her during her


21/25

confinement at Bountiful. Leslie was going to herd sheep and Alma being away

from home, and so I went to take care of her. While there Leslie, on account

of late

storms which hindered the sheep shearing which was going to furnish him work

could not get work there, and so he went to hunt work and decided to travel

and

see the world.

He started out with another boy. They went and got work at one place

doing chores. Leslie was a good worker and gave his employer satisfaction,

but

James the other boy got discharged, and being far away from home Leslie thot

that

he must not separate from James and so he too left this mans employ and went

with James to find another job. They soon found work again, with the result

that in

a few days again James was fired. Leslie didn't want to leave the work but

felt that

he was in duty bound to stay with James, and so he left his second job on

James

account. They went and found more work but in a week or so, James was againfired and this time Leslie refused to leave or give up his work on James

account and

so James went back home and Leslie staid at the work as long as the job

lasted.

Then he would take what money he had saved and traveled then hunted

more work. While this was going on, I was anxiously waiting at bountiful to

hear

from Leslie. The other boys wrote to me. Daphne too wrote often, but not one

word from Leslie. I would go every day or send to the Post Office, and as

time

passed and no word came from him, I asked the other boys where he was but

they

too were worried, not knowing where he was, but they would not tell me

anything

about it and finally I told them that I would have to come home unless I

could hear

from Leslie. We must find him.

Just then I got a letter from Leslie. He was in Wisconsin, working at

building a school house, but he said the work was almost finished and he

would be

leaving to find another job. Of course I was thankful to hear from him, but

very

worried to know that he was so far away from home and so young and

inexperienced, but he did not stay long after this. The next time I heard

from himhe was back home and wrote to me from Idaho. This was certainly good news to

me, to know that he was safe at home with his brothers.

I staid at Salt Lake City working at nursing for nearly a year. Then the

boys

wanted and needed me to go to live on their Desert claims to take care of

their

places while they were working in the nearby settlements to get means to live

while


22/25

proving up on their lands.

January 9th 1935 Logan, Utah

I will now resume my story, it having been many months since I wrote the

forgoing. My sons Edward, Marcellus and Alma each took a desert claim of 360

acres of land on the desert about 14 miles west of Blackfoot in Idaho. Here

we

lived and struggled, trying to raise crops, and subdue the opposing elements

and

conditions. I spent the greater part of ten years trying to help my sons to

hold and

take care of their places while they were obliged to work elsewhere for

means to

live upon. The drouth, together with so many destructive wild animals and

things

that destroyed their crops finally forced them to abandon these desert farms

which

they had spent so much hard work, time and means upon.

My son Alma rented a farm from Leonard Cox near Basalt, Idaho. I wentwith him also Leslie to help and to be with my boys.

Here it was that my son Marcellus died, after having had bad health for

more than a year. His wife who had not been true to him, soon married again

and

went away.

Alma married Coral Kelsey 25 Dec. 1917 at Idaho Falls. Alma and wife

didn't need me longer and so now I was alone most of the time, and Leslie,

the last

one of my children had to go away from home to work. He worked for his

brothers

a part of the time, and the last two years of his life he worked for Leonard

Cox at

farming and herding sheep. He was taken sick while in the mountains herding

sheep. We took him to the hospital at Idaho Falls. He was operated upon for

appendicitis and died the fourth day after the operation, Sept. 30, 1920,

Idaho

Falls, Idaho.

No language can express my feelings of loneliness and sorrow. Now my

last

child had left me. All of my three children who were still living, did all

they could

to comfort me, and all of them offered me a home with them. I surely

appreciated

their kindness and goodness to me, but felt that I had better keep my ownlittle

home at Basalt, for I thought that it would perhaps be better all around,

than for me

to make my home with my children.

I see that I have repeated some things here. Please excuse me. I had

always

looked forward to a time when I could have the privilege of doing temple

ordinance


23/25

work for the dead, and now that I was left all alone, I naturally craved this

privilege,

and tried to plan some way whereby I may go to a temple and engage in this

work

for our kindred dead, and I succeeded in saving enough money to go spend the

winter of 1924, at Salt Lake City, to do this work, which I did, and in April

2, 1925

I married Justin R. Porter of Porterville, Utah. I was welcomed by my

husbands

family and relatives and treated well by all. Life was not easy there though

I had a

nice little home, I had to work hard as I had always done.

[History ends. Continued with excerpts from sketch written 15 Jun 1943 at

Logan,

Utah.]

I went the next winter to Salt Lake City to work in the temple for the

dead,

while I met Justine Porter and married him, his wife had died six years

before, sohe took me to his home to Porterville, Morgan Co, Utah, His children two

sons,

and two daughters all lived at Porterville. They all treated me well and

seemed to

like me, and all the people of the village treated me well and seemed to like

me, and

we lived there for five years and over, then my husband died and left me

alone,

At Porterville I became active in the auxiliary organizations of our

church

again, they called me to be a counselr to the president of the Relief

Society, also the

president of the Primary Association. They also appointed me as Captain of

"The

Daughters of the Utah Pioneers" in Porterville called "Porterville Camp of

the

Daughter of Pioneers of Utah".

In 1931 I sold my home in Porterville, and moved to Logan, Utah, to

spend

my time doing temple ordinance work for the dead. I spent most of my time for

about thirteen years there, doing Temple ordinances work for the dead, and

doing

Genealogical research work.

At eighty-five (when [Daphne's] sketch was written), she [lived] at

Blackfoot, in close proximity to her children and her church. She [was] ingood

health, considering her age -- [could] see better than many younger women,

and

still [kept] her interest in world affairs; and [found] rare contentment in

doing

whatever she [could] for others.

[Martha's daughter concluded her sketch with the following, written at a

later date.]


24/25

The preceding history tells the bare facts of Martha's life, but it

scarcely

begins to tell the story. It would take volumns to do that. It tells nothing

of the

struggle to raise a family without a father's help and guidence. It touches

only

lightly on the problem of stretching every penny until it howls for mercy and

still

failing to make it cover the actual needs of a hungry brood; of never eating

enough

herself so that there would be more for the little ones. It does not even

mention the

agonizing hours at sick beds, only to lose the loved ones in the end; or of

the misery

of going about her daily duties with sick despair her constant companion. The

sufferings and privations of her life are left mostly to the imagination.

However her children remember much more: the endless hours at the

spinning wheel, the click of knitting needles into the wee small hours of the

night;the scrimping and the saving; the patch upon the patch. The homemade soap,

and

the hours spent above odorous suds, sweating over dirty piles of laundry

which her

'rub-a-dub-dub' on the washboard made into snowy piles, to be delivered in

the

boy's express wagon. They remember the delicious salt-rising bread, the

spearmint

tea, the lumpydick for breakfast (whenever a cow was to be had), and the

delicacy

of the pan of clabbered [soured, curdled] milk for supper.

They remember the sulpher and molasses tonic in the spring and the huge

doses of sage tea -- (WHEW!) whenever a cold epidemic came along. They

remember gratefully the good people of Basalt one never-to-be-forgotten

winter,

caring for them when the entire family with the exception of Edward, was down

with pneumonia. The two smallest were only slightly ill, but thirteen year

old Isaac

died, and two other sons, Marcellus and Alma, were very ill. Martha, herself,

lay at

death's door for days. Bishop Dye took the very sick ones into his own home,

while

his brother Joseph's family [Edward's inlaws] cared for the smaller ones.

Without

their help, newly married Edward and his wife Mary would have been unable to

care for them all.

One of the pleasant memories is of her singing. She loved music; she

sang

-- at times almost through tears -- but she sang! That, and a cheerfulness no

less

effective because it sprang from courage rather than from happiness. These

things

and much, much more they remember with gratitude and affection.

[Martha Jane Carling Webb Porter, Pioneer of 1867, by Daphne Webb Jemmett in


25/25

Isaac V. Carling Family History, vol 2, pg 553]

She was a natural artist and made beautiful flower arrangements as gifts

and

for graves. All her clothing was homemade. Her obituary contains some errors.

A

picture was included but the quality was poor.

"Martha Porter, BLACKFOOT-- Mrs. Martha Jane Carling Webb Porter, 85, died

Friday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Daphne Jemmett, 598

Lincoln

St., of causes incident to age."

"Mrs. Porter was born Jan. 25, 1867, at Fillmore, Utah, a daughter of

Isaac

and Asenith Browning Carling. The family moved to Orderville, Utah, where she

attended school."

"When she was 16 she was married to Francis Webb and they moved to

Idaho, living on rented farms for several years until they moved to Basalt.

They

were later divorced."

"She returned to Utah in 1914 and was married to Justin R. Porter. Theylived at Porterville until Mr. Porters death in 1930."

"Mrs. Porter lived at Logan for 10 years where she worked in the Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints Temple. She also worked at various

times in

the Salt Lake, St. George and Mesa, Ariz., temples."

"She was active in church work wherever she lived. While at Basalt she

served as president of the Primary."

"Survivors include two sons, Edward M. Webb, Firth; Alma Webb,

Sterling; a daughter, Mrs. Daphne Jemmett, Blackfoot; two sisters, Mrs. May

Covington Lang, Short Creek, Ariz.; Mrs Catherine Porter, Tueson; 23

grandchildren and 64 great-grandchildren."

"Funeral services tentively set for Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Third Ward

Chapel, will be conducted by Arvel Draper, bishop. Packham Mortuary will

direct

the burial in Basalt Cemetery."

[Deseret News, 6 October 1952, pg A-8, also 7 October, pg A-10]

Questions? Email to: Elaine Johnson [[email protected]]

Documents

Isaac Van Wagoner Carling by Daughter Martha Jane