Daniel ⁷ BIGELOW

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[This was scanned from a copy of the original document by Stephen Rawlins January 1997]
I was born 25 April 1899 in the small town of Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, the daughter or Daniel Don Louis Bigelow, known in life as Don L. Bigelow. He was born 22 May 1866 at Heber, Wasatch, Utah and died at our home in Provo, Utah, Utah, on 5 July 1954. My mother was Annie Maria Boren, born 24 October 1873 at Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah. Their marriage took place 29 April 1891 in the Manti Temple in Manti, San Pete, Utah. Mother died at our home in Provo, on 5 January 1947. They were buried side by side in the Wallsburg cemetery.

My father was the son of Daniel Bigelow, who was born 18 March 1842 at Camp Creek, Mercer, Illinois, and Permelia Mecham (Meacham) who was born 11 September 1832 in Delaware, Mercer, Pennsylvania. They were married 23 July 1865 at Siler Creek, Summit, Utah. In the spring of 1866 an Indian scare in Wallsburg sent the settlers to the fort at Heber for protection. It was there my father Don L. Bigelow was born. His parents later returned to Wallsburg to resume their daily pursuits of life.

Daniel Bigelow was the son or Nahum and Mary Gibbs Bigelow, and crossed the Plains in the 6th Company (the Capt. Joseph Young Co.) in 1850. He was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) in his early years and prominent in church and civic affairs. He married three wives in polygamy. In later years he became so engrossed in financial matters and providing for his growing family he became negligent in his Church responsibilities. He was blind in one eye, having lost the sight of his eye when driving cattle. He was hit in the eye with a whip. In his later years unscrupulous men took advantage of his failing sight, which annoyed him very much. He died in Vernal, Uinta, Utah at the home of his daughter Emily B. Batty on 22 October 1921 and was buried in the Wallsburg Cemetery.

My grandmother, Permelia Mecham, crossed the plains in a handcart company pulling a handcart all the way. She was the first wife of Daniel Bigelow. She was exceedingly happy in her marriage until polygamy came into her life and she missed the close association of her husband as he had been a devoted and loving father and husband up to this time in their lives.

Permelia Mecham was a lovely lady with dark flashing eyes, long black hair that she could sit on when it was combed out. She parted her hair in the middle and wore it in braids twined around her head.

I remember a lesson she taught me about honesty. She said she would not keep a pin that she found in a neighbors yard (pins were scarce in pioneer times). She taught her family well, for I can remember my father's word was as good as his bond.

Permelia and Daniel Bigelow were the parents of five children:

Daniel Don Louis, born 22 May 1866, Heber, Wasatch, Utah
Permelia Emily, born 25 September 1867, Heber, Wasatch, Utah
William Cecil, born 27 August 1869, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Polly Adora, born 18 February 1871, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Emma May, born 30 July 1873, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
*Barney (adopted), born 10 February, 1887, Provo, Utah, Utah
*Barney Boberg was adopted by my grandparents Daniel and Permelia Bigelow. He is listed on the Wallsburg Ward Records as Barney Bingham Bigelow.

Permelia Mecham Bigelow died at her home in Wallsburg on 10 June 1911, and was buried in the Wallsburg cemetery. I was twelve years old at the time of her death and this was the first funeral I had ever attended.

Daniel Bigelow's second wife was Emmaline Augusta Stevens and they were married 9 April 1882 and were the parents of six children who were all born in Wallsburg.

Moronia Theophilis, born 1 August 1883, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Mary Maria, born 1 February 1884, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Rhoda Ronia, born 19 November 1885, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Parley Percival, born 26 November 1888, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah (see below)
Ellen Charlotte, born 15 December 1891, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Leslie Stevens, born 07 February 1895, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Daniel Married his third wife, Clara Fredricka Ostensen, 9 May 1887 and they were parents of eight children:

Lafey LeRoy, born 27 May 1888, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Lucy Lovina, born 21 January 1890, Provo, Utah, Utah
Hyrum Harold, born 19 July 1893, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Clara Caroline, born 16 December 1895, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Daniel Dewey, born 17 July 1898, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Philip Eddie, born 26 February 1901, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Ada Marjorie, born 11 January 1903, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Elzie Emil, born 27 August 1905, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
My maternal grandfather William Jasper Boren was born 29 November 1837 in Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, the son of Coleman Boren and Malinda Keller. He crossed the plains with his parents and other Mormon Pioneers in 1851. Of him, I remember my mother saying he was a kind and loving father but a strict disciplinarian. He only had to speak once and the children knew he meant what he said and just one look from him and they had better obey. He never raised his voice. He died of diabetes 16 May 1900 at Wallsburg, Utah and is buried in the Wallsburg cemetery.

My maternal grandmother Lucina Mecham (Meacham) was born 11 Mar l841 in Lee County, Iowa, the daughter of Moses Worthen Meacham and Elvira Derby. She was a small woman and very precise. She was the mother of thirteen children and had the responsibility of raising this large family after Grandfather's death. She was very devoted to the church. She loved flowers and liked to be surrounded by them. She died instantly of a stroke on 21 June 1925 at the home of her daughter, May B. Snow, at Provo, Utah and is buried in the Wallsburg cemetery.

The children born to William Jasper Boren and Lucina Mecham were:

William Jasper, born 11 April 1860, Provo, Utah, Utah
Samuel LeRoy, born 8 May 1861, Provo, Utah, Utah
Lucina Izora, born 1 October 1862, Provo, Utah, Utah
Malinda Elvira, born 20 September 1864, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Moses Marcus, born 16 July 1866, Provo, Utah, Utah
Lorana Jane, born 25 September 1868, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Clinton Coleman, born 22 October 1870, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Annie Maria, born 24 October 1873, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Alma Lionel, born 5 June 1875, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Ida Viola, born 5 March 1878, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Sarah Minerva (Mina), born 18 November 1881, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Wilford Wells, born 23 September 1883, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Polly May, born 29 March 1885, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Don L. Bigelow, my father, was the eldest son of Daniel Bigelow and Permelia M. Bigelow. On the Heber Branch church records, his name is recorded as Daniel Don Louis Bigelow. On the Wallsburg Ward records his name is recorded as Daniel Don Bigelow. Due to a rift with his father he dropped the name of Daniel and preferred to write his name Don L. Bigelow. In his declining years he told me emphatically he wanted his name written as he signed it, Don L. Bigelow.

He was a very kind man, considerate of other people, a very loving and devoted father. Father liked things kept in order, He used to say, "A place for everything and everything in it's place". He was an ambitious man and an early riser -- and when Father arose in the morning the cogs started turning -- everyone in the family was called to awake, get out or bed and help with the work of the day. Father was the head of the house. He held the priesthood and was so respected and esteemed, his word was law in our home. If mother ever had to make a decision she would remark, "What would your father say?" Though Father was the "head" of the house, Mother was the "neck" that turned the head, figuratively speaking. We were taught respect for our parents and to obey them and obey others who held authority. Father went to Brigham Young Academy. In those days it was important to write well, and he prided himself on his handwriting.

My mother, Annie Maria Boren, was the daughter of William Jasper Boren and Lucina Mecham (Meacham). Mother was a gracious lady, good natured, patient, understanding, and very discerning. It was a pleasure to be around wherever she was. She had a sense of humor that was worth cultivating. She had the ability to make a joke and laugh with you even if the joke was on herself. Mother was very poetic. In fact, she wrote her complete history in poetry form. It was typed by my sister, Emily B. Stoker and is a priceless possession of mine.

Our family home nights are a fond memory for me. They were something special. Father and Mother used to sing beautifully together sometimes and how we loved that. Father also played the guitar and would sing and play for us. Everyone participated in the stories, songs, jokes, and
games, and of course, at the close was a surprise, a treat which we all looked forward to. Occasionally Father would come home with a special treat for the family, and jokingly say he purchased it with his "Booze Money". Father was not a drinking man.

My father and mother were a very devoted couple. Father once made the remark, "I love to sit across the table from your mother and look into her beautiful blue eyes."

Mother was an excellent cook. In fact, Father said she was the best in the world. After eating a good meal Father always complimented Mother and showed his appreciation for her good cooking. He used to remark, whenever he came to our homes and had a good meal,"Your mother sure taught you girls how to cook." That became a standing joke and a fond memory of our father.

As a family many times we worked together and after completing our tasks we would play games. We would most always have a picnic lunch with plenty of good things to eat. Some of the good things I remember are the meat they used to cure, especially their corned beef. They also had a special way of curing their pork. Mother made delicious pies. I did not especially like pumpkin pie. One time I told Mother this and she asked me what kind I did like. When I said I would like a raisin pie, she called it a "Jealous Pie," and made a special pie for me. Mother's biscuits were out of this world, as the saying goes, and they would melt in your mouth. She made her cake from sour cream and it was delicious. After Father's mission in the south where he learned to like corn bread Mother said she would make some. Father said, "Oh, you cannot make corn bread like those women in the south." Mother made it anyway and when Father tasted it he said, "That mother of yours has been in the cream jar again." That was one of the secrets of Mother's good cooking -- fresh separated cream. Father kept bees and the corn bread was delicious with honey and good fresh butter churned at home.

Mother was famous for her homemade ice cream. They had their own milk, cream and eggs. They made ice cream for the 4th of July to sell in the store. In the winter Father had stored blocks of ice in sawdust in a large bin in our granary. We used it to freeze the ice cream and we turned the freezer by hand. At first they sold the ice cream for 10 cents a dish. Then ice cream cones were made available and everyone wanted ice cream in cones which sold for 5 cents each. They could never make enough ice cream to last the day through.

Father went to school at the Agricultural College in Logan, Utah for three months. He planned on building a creamery. This plan never matured but Father learned how to take care of milk and make butter. When the cows were milked the milk was poured in a can and cooled in the creek that ran through their pasture. After cooling the milk was separated. To churn, the cream was soured at the right temperature and time, then churned to butter. Father's butter was in such demand they could not supply all that the market wanted. They sold the butter to a market at 5th East and 4th North in Provo.

Mother's specialty was chicken and noodles or dumplings which she was an expert at making. Relatives loved to visit our home. They knew there was always a good meal to be had. Many times I remember that they made remarks about our congenial family and the love and good feeling in our home.

Mother and Father were the parents of eleven children:

Annie Adora, born 6 May 1892, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, died 11 February 1902
Ida, born 25 August 1893, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, died 6 February 1902
Eva, born 30 January 1895, Vernal, Uinta, Utah, died 8 February 1902
Don Ervin, born 28 February 1897, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Elva, born 25 April 1899, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Floralia, born 25 November 1900, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, died 9 February 1902
William Wells, born 17 October 1904, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, 18 November 1917
John Alton, born 12 July 1906, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Emily May, born 26 May 1909, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Winona, born 31 December 1910, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
Okie, born 24 November 1912, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah
The three older girls Adora, Ida, and Eva all had blue eyes like our mother. My older brother Ervin also had blue eyes and a fair complexion. He was very special since he was the oldest son in the family. He was two years and two months older than I. An interesting thing in this family was that the first four children had blue eyes and fair complexions. Then I came along to change the picture, a brunette with black curly hair and brown eyes. From then on the rest of the children were born with dark eyes and hair.

The sixth child, Floralia, was a little curly head and only a baby when tragedy struck the family in 1902. I was too young to remember -- yet I am sure the sadness of the tragedy affected my life. The three eldest girls and the baby girl died within one week, of diphtheria and black measles. Two of them Eva and Floralia were buried together in the same grave. After the death of their children Mother said, "I guess they were just too good to live". Ervin became ill and then I was the last child to become ill with the dread disease diphtheria. I can remember hearing Mother tell how for two days and nights they watched and prayed for the Lord to spare my life. It is needless to say that much love and affection was showered on the only son and daughter left.

In the fall, after the death of my sisters in February.1902, Father was called on a church mission to Kentucky. He hesitated about going and leaving Mother with so much responsibility of a family, a store and the U. S. Post Office to take care of. He left in November and had only been gone about nine months when Mother became seriously ill with a heart condition and Father was called home from his mission in the summer of 1903.
continued on link below:
http://www.rawlins.org/histories/html/carter_elva_b_history.html

and:  http://www.rawlins.org/histories/html/bigelow_don_life_sketch.html

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Parley Percival ⁸ Bigelow, born 26 November 1888, Wallsburg, Wasatch, UT; was the father of LaVell ⁹ Bigelow and grandfather of William ¹⁰ Bigelow below

Name: William Bigelow
E-Mail: wistbi@gmail.com
Location: Riverton, Utah
Comments:
Came across the site while looking for Bigelow family history information. I am the son of LaVell Bigelow, who was the son of Percival Bigelow, who was the son of Daniel Bigelow (Wallsburg, Utah). 

Leslie Stevens Bigelow and Nora (Davis) Bigelow
Spanish Fork cemetery