My parents were Nicholas Vance Sheffer, Sr. and Sarah Jane Staker. My father was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, 18 Sept. 1830. My mother was born in Pickering, Canada, 4 Jan. 1834. I was the only child to this union. My parents came to Utah in 1852 and settled in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

        About the time of the gold rush in Southern California my father felt he had to have some of that gold. Mother agreed father should go alone and mother remained in Pleasant Grove to wait his return.

        Nicholas Vance Sheffer, Jr. was born 26 Feb. 1853 in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

        My father sent my mother money in gold coins under the seal of her letters as they did in those days. But she never did receive either the money nor his letters. She wrote to him regularly and he never received her letters. This brought about a misunderstanding and a separation.

        I was about 10 or 11 years old when my father returned to Utah. He was all broken up when he learned the cause of trouble, that someone had been interfering with their mail. Mother decided something had happened to father and had listened to the persuasions of one Mr. William John Hawley and had married him as a plural wife. She had 3 children by Mr. Hawley, Sarah Ellis who lived to quite an old lady and died in California, the other two, a little girl and a boy, died in infancy.

        I spent some time with my father while he was around. I slept with him several nights and he opened his heart to me and told me how he had sent money to mother and had not heard a word from her. He cried like a baby when he found her married to Mr. Hawley.

        She too felt very badly about it but there was nothing that could be done to help the situation. Mother did not object to my being with my father as long as he was around, but she asked me to promise I would not go away with him and I kept that promise for I did love my mother very dearly and would try to never do anything I knew she would not approve of. My mother was a very good woman and taught me to be honest, truthful and industrious.

        I remember one summer when I was quite small, she was quite ill and hadn't much of an appetite. I heard her express a wish for an apple. I knew a man that had a tree of apples that were ripe enough to eat so I went and asked him if he would let me have a few for my mother who was ill. He refused me. It hurt me so badly I filled my pockets and hands with rocks and I didn’t leave an apple on that tree. Of course when he saw what had happened it didn^’t take him long to decide who had done such a deed. He went straight to mother about it. She called me to her and asked if I did it. I told her that I did. She gave me a good talking to and sent me to get a switch but I took my knife and every few inches I cut just deep enough that the first time she struck me the switch fell to pieces. She was shocked but she had to laugh about it. I felt bad to think I had done something that hurt my dear mother's feelings. Still I felt it served that man right for being so stingy, he wouldn't let a poor sick, person have a few apples as my mother didn’t expect them for nothing.

        My mother's health failed quite fast. She was afflicted with what was known in those days as "consumption^". She passed away 22 Jan. 186 leaving me very lonely when I needed a mother's love and care very bad. I was 12 years old 26 Feb. 1865.

        In early pioneer days the boys that were to small to do much on farm were put to herding the stock in the nearby foothills. I was one of that number.

        There was one Danish boy in the group who wore wooden shoes. Some of the larger boys would tease him by taking his shoes and wearing them until their feet were so sore they could hardly walk. This boy’s name was Andrew Jensen. The same that wrote "Added Upon", "Piney Ridge Cottage^", "Chester Lawrence," "Daughter of the North,^" and others.

        After my mother^'s death I made my home mostly at my stepfather's for a time until I felt I could go for myself. I had one especially dear friend by the name of George Halliday. I spent a good share of my time at his home until he passed away, which was a sad experience for me. I missed him very much.

        There was quite a group of young fellows in Pleasant Grove and we had what we thought were good times, especially a Halloween time. I remember one year a group got together and took a wagon apart and put it on top of a public building and set it up. Then there would be changing of horses, cows, calves, and pigs from one farm to another to mix them up for the owners. There were always some who seemed to delight in destroying property. That was something I had been taught by my dear mother was not right, so when that kind of entertainment started I would slip away and not be one of that party. Still by being seen with the group, I would be charged with being guilty. But I knew I had not had a hand in destroying property or whatever had happened. My stepfather always had a barrel of homemade wine in the cellar and I could have all I wanted any time but that was not too much of a temptation me. I did try using tobacco for a time and I have made the statement many times, I would rather have a chew of tobacco than a stick of candy but I later learned it was not good for man and I quit it and have been very happy doing so.

        As I grew older and the boys and girls began to gather for social entertainment. Among other entertainment there were choir practices. I would attend with the group to be with the others mostly not for the real good I could have gotten out of it had I realized at the time what a benefit it would be to me in later life.

        On the 20th of March 1874, I received my endowment in the Endowment. House in Salt Lake City, Utah.

        After a courtship of about seven years I married the girl of my choice, Wealthy Halliday, the daughter of Bishop George and Prudence Kendall Halliday. Her father had two families. He was Bishop of Santaquin, Utah and been to Pleasant Grove on a visit to the family living in Pleasant Grove. Wealthy decided she wanted him to perform the marriage ceremony before returning to Santaquin. He decided very suddenly to go soon after breakfast and said, "If you want me to perform this ceremony for you, you had better stand up here."

        Wealthy was washing dishes; she took her hands out of the dishwater, wiped them, and we were married right there in her mother^'s home on the 18th of May 1877, by her father Bishop George Halliday. We were sealed for time and all eternity in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 3rd of November 1881.

        Soon after our marriage, I went to work in the mines at Eureka, Utah, where there was an accident that almost cost me my life. There had been some blasting going on and it was decided they were all gone off when I started in the mine a belated blast went off and filled my face with dirt and fine gravel. I thought my eyes were put out, but I had closed them in time to protect them. I was truly thankful for that great blessing. For weeks after, my wife picked gravel out of my face where it had lodged. One piece about the size of a large pinhead lodged in the side of my nose next to my eye so deep she couldn^’t remove it and I carried it there for years before it finally worked out. I did not go back to the mines any more. I went up north where I worked at cutting railroad ties. I had other experiences that one runs into in such places. When that job was finished I returned home for a season.

        I then decided to go down in the Sevier country to a small settlement called Joseph City where one of my uncles lived. I took my wife and moved down there. She became very homesick, along with morning sickness. She lost our baby at about three months. When she was able to stand the trip, I sent her home to her family in Pleasant Grove to visit and regain her health.

        I was not satisfied at Joseph City. I scouted around and located in a place called Loa in Sevier County on the Dirty Devil River where I built a home and lived for several years. The settlement proper was on the west side of the river. Our home was on the east side about 3 miles. There were several families in that locality and the church authorities organized a Sunday School and Primary for the benefit of the children. The people built a one-roomed log schoolhouse where they could meet. There was also school held here for the children on the east side of the river. My wife, Wealthy, taught school here for all children from the first to eighth grades. There was also a lady by the name of Lutz (I do not remember her first name) also Lauretta Young daughter of Franklin W. Young, who taught school in this small schoolhouse.

        Wealthy was a good woman and the daughter of a plural wife and very devoted to her mother. So much so she said, when she passed away she wanted to be able to associate with her in the eternities. In order to be able to do that she should live that same principle and she wanted me to help her prepare for that here but I did not take to the idea very readily. But she kept urging me till I had about decided to try it, when there was an announcement made there were to be Stake officers coming to visit us and a man by the name of Edward Stevenson, a newly returned missionary would accompany them.

        The bishop of Loa was Elias H. Blackburn with Franklin W. Young and James Darton, my near neighbors, the counselors.

        On such occasions, the people were all notified and usually turned out to hear the message the servants of the Lord had for his people. It was announced that Elder Stevenson would recount some of his missionary experiences. After the opening exercises of the meeting, Elder Stevenson said he was to tell of some of his experiences but said he, "There is someone present this evening seeking a testimony regarding a certain principle. In order to bring out my point I will relate a story about two gentlemen living in the same neighborhood here on the earth. The one had a beautiful home and very pleasant surroundings. He seemed very happy and thought he had all he could wish for. He rather looked down on his friend because he couldn't make quite the show in material things that he did. The other gentleman had a comfortable home and provided for his family, still he felt he was not entirely satisfied with the way he was conducting his life and felt he was not keeping all the commandments of the Lord and he was not afraid of responsibi1ity, he accepted the teachings of the gospel in full. He took the responsibility of another family. The Lord blessed him so that he was able to provide for his families and was very happy in striving to serve the Lord. In time these two gentlemen were called home to receive their just re-ward. The first gentleman was called home and was taken into a beautiful home with all the conveniences one could wish for. A nice easy chair to recline in with all kinds of reading material he liked in earth life. All kinds of flowers and everything enjoyed in mortality, and was apparently very happy, until his friend was called home to receive his reward. He seemed very happy to meet his friend and greeted him in a friendly manner till his friend^’s guide came along and ushered him into a much more elegant palace that had been prepared for him. This was a real disappointment to the first gentleman as he had thought himself so much better in earth life than his friend. He could not understand how it was possible that he should be assigned to so much nicer a place than he had. The guide explained the second gentleman had worked in earth life for what he was receiving there. He had not been afraid of responsibility and had raised a large family, had kept the commandments of our Heavenly Father by giving service to others. While he seemed to think of earth life was just his own comfort and surroundings."

        After listening to that story given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as it was, I could not deny it was given for my benefit. The next time Wealthy brought up the subject of taking another wife, I said, "Alright, I will ask the first girl that comes through that door which I did. She was the daughter of Franklin W. and Nancy Green, my nearest neighbor. The girl's name was Allie.

        She accepted my proposal and we planned on getting married in the near future. But in the fall of 1883, I worked on the threshing machine, the dust and thresh seemed to have poisoned my eyes and they became very sore for some time. I suffered a great deal of pain with this affliction. However they got well apparently and I went about my labors without any trouble.

        In the spring of 1884, I received a call to go on a mission for the church, which I accepted. This made it necessary for me and my young lady to postpone our marriage until my return.

        I left Salt Lake City on the 8th of April 1884. My young lady was willing to wait. I went away happy and confident everything would work out for the best. Her parents did not want to see her take that step with me because Wealthy did not have children, they thought Allie would and that would spell jealousy on Wealthy's part and trouble for Allie. Consequently, as a result, I had not been in the mission field but a short time when I received a letter from Allie asking to be released from her promise to wait my return from my mission. I granted her request although it was a real disappointment and shock to me. I was interested in my labors and tried not to let it hurt me enough to interfere with my work.

        But the bad spell I had with my eyes before I entered the mission field left them weak and the constant study and exposure, they became bad again, paining me so badly I could not study or make any progress at all. The doctor that was treating them did not seem to be able to tell what the trouble was at all. Then when he learned I was one of those so-called Mormons he made the remark, he would sooner put my eyes out than try to help me in any way.

        The mission president notified the leaders of the church of my condition. The mission president was instructed to give me an honorable release and send me home, which he did.

        I returned to Salt Lake City in September, not quite six months after my departure from that city in 1884. I was entered into the Salt Lake City L.D.S. Hospital where I was treated for my eyes about six weeks. They did everything according to their knowledge that was possible. After the doctors took my case under consideration, it was decide that whatever had been the cause of the trouble in the first place had affected the optical nerve and they did not know how to handle it. So I was released from the hospital and I returned to my home in east Loa where I continued to suffer extreme pain for several weeks. I could not stand the least bit of light, if I did happen to get little flick of light, it was like someone had stuck a sharp instrument in my eyes. It made it very hard for Wealthy, for she had to grope around in the dark to do what she could even in the daytime, the windows and doors had to be darkened. But when she saw how I suffered she did the best she could in the dark and was so patient and kind; she did all she possibly could for my comfort. Our friends and neighbors did all they could to help to make life more bearable, especially the Elders holding the

        When I improved and was able to mingle with the public again and came in contact with Allie, she was very sorry for what she had done in asking to be released of her promise. She came to me and begged me to forgive and renewed her promise to be true. I accepted her apology and we were on good terms once more, but her parents were so opposed to our union they sent her to Salt Lake City to her mother's sister, Lula Green Richards, to get her away from me. She was not permitted to write or get in touch with me in any way. So that ended the affair as far as I was concerned with Allie.

        Still I did not give up the idea of taking another wife. With my eyes being so afflicted, I had bad spells every once in a while and I would feel very discouraged at times, but I found another young lady who proved true to me. In the fall of 1886, I asked the parents James and Alice Cherrington Darton for the hand of their Sarah E. Darton in marriage. When my eyes would trouble me at times, I would get very despondent and say some very discouraging things to Sarah but she stayed true and we were married the 20th of January 1887 in the Logan L.D.S. Temple.

        Wealthy did not have very good health and I made arrangements for her to go to Doctor Ellis R. Ship in Salt Lake City for treatment. In the meanwhile we had moved from east Loa to Freemont in the northern part of the valley.

        The U.S. Marshals were on the lookout pretty close at this time for men with more than one wife so I did not take Sarah to my home for awhile. Not that I was ashamed of her or of taking another wife but just to be a little cautious. It was rather lonely, Wealthy being gone leaving me alone, so I brought Sarah home and upon Wealthy's return, we all lived together there after.

        During the summer of 1887, I worked in the mountains cutting timber and preparing my place for spring crops. Wealthy taught school during the winter. That fall the U.S. Marshals were quite busy in our section of the country, rounding up all they could find with two or more wives, so it kept us dodging around a lot. With my eyes like they were I could not take to many chances of having to run to get out of the way of the officers, or so called officers of the law, in all kinds of weather and exposure.

        I talked it over with my family and it was decided that I get out of the country close around, find some kind of a job and get located for the winter. I went on horseback. Didn't find any kind of a job ‘til I reached Bluff City, Utah. A man by the name of Lemual Redd had a place up in the mountains where he kept his cattle and fed them. He hired me at a rather low wage but under the circumstances, I accepted.

        It was rather a hard, long, lonely winter for me. I was alone part of the time, poor mail service and part of the time the snow was so deep the mail could not get through at all. There I was so far from my family and loved ones and no way to get to them or word from them. When I did get some mail I found I was the father of a little girl born the 7th of January 1888. We named her Sarah Alice. Knowing this event was nearing; it is easier to imagine my anxiety than to describe it. I had to stay with my job till spring as I could not get out of those mountains till then. At that time I was helping move some stock from one place to another down in the country when my horse got into the quicksand in the river bed and I could not get him out and had to shoot him. That left me afoot and a long way from home. I had sent what I could home to my family and did not have the means or way of getting another horse to take me home. The man I had been working for was a person that looked after self and let the other person do as best he can. He had gotten what he wanted out of me but had failed to his part of the agreement.

        I had to work my way home as best I could so it was some time in June when I reached my family in Freemont, Utah, where I found my little girl had had measles and whooping cough and had passed away and was buried in the Freemont Cemetery on the 31st of May 1888. I had been on the way home and my family had no idea where to find me to notify me about the sad news. It was a very great shock and disappointment to me more than can be described by words. In the mean time I had written home and had Wealthy make arrangements to dispose of our property in Freemont so when I arrived everything had been disposed of that we couldn't take with us in our wagons and there was nothing to do but rest and visit with relatives and friends for a few days, load what we could of our household goods into the wagons and be on our way.

        We traveled by way of Emery County, had to be ferried across Green and Colorado Rivers. We reached Moab the 4th of July 1888. Drove a few miles south to a small village called Summerville where we rested a couple of days or so, where I got a place for Sarah to stay and Wealthy and I went on out into Colorado and met Al Farnsworth and George McConkie, who were there working on a canal for the summer. They each had their first wives with them…(missing sentence)…where I had left Sarah. There was also Al Farnsworth's father-in-law, Father Johnson, in the group. We all worked on this job until October when the ground froze so hard it stopped the work. During the summer we talked things over and decided that in the spring of 1889, we would take our families and go to Old Mexico, so we could live with our families in peace without dodging around all the time to keep out of the way of the so called U.S. Marshals.

        The families of Farnsworth, McConkie and Johnson had all left Summerville in the fall and had settled elsewhere for the winter. Wealthy and I returned to Summerville in October of 1888, found Sarah well and very happy to be with us once more. It had been quite some time since Wealthy had been to visit her mother and family and thought she would like to go and have a nice visit before she got so far away as Old Mexico. So I took Wealthy to Colorado Springs to the nearest railroad station and she spent the winter in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her mother and family. Sarah and I spent the winter in Summerville. It was very pleasant only I became quite ill with a running at the bowels. We did everything we knew of and that our friends and neighbors would tell us, but nothing seemed to do much good. I was able to be around but not much good. In the spring of 1889, I had to go to Colorado Springs to meet Wealthy who was returning to us. While there I met a man who told me if I would eat a teaspoonful of dry green tea, it would straighten me up. I was willing to try most anything, I was so miserable. It was a terrible dose but it did the trick and was much improved in my health.

        I had hired a good trusty team of a neighbors to make the trip to meet Wealthy and we were very happy to be together again. On our return trip we had to ford the Colorado River and I was not very much accustom to the crossing of that great stream but the team had crossed the stream a great many times and knew the course very well. I was trying to guide them the way I thought we should go and I could see the team knew the course better than I for we were getting into very deep water. I gave the team their way and was very thankful, for I fear we would have found a watery grave had they not known the course better than I. Soon after our return to Summerville where we found Sarah well but anxiously waiting our return, we received word from Brothers McConkie, Farnsworth and Johnson. They would be ready to start for Old Mexico on a given date in April 1889. We started our preparations right away, was ready, and left Summerville on the 16th of April 1889. I had rigged up for the trip, one wagon, one mule and three horses for my family and our belongings what we could take with us. We loaded our cookstove, beding, dishes, clothing, three or four chairs and a kit of tools. With our provisions also, grain for our teams in such a way, we all three slept in the wagon very comfortably and happy we were all together.

        We were to meet the other three families at Farmington, New Mexico where we had to cross the San Juan River by ferryboat. When we arrived, the other three families had already crossed and were waiting for us. We were soon landed safely and were soon starting on our long tiresome journey over Indian territory, mountains and deserts. We had some rather trying experiences, also some very interesting ones.

        None of the company had enough cash to put us through the long journey without replenishing our cash supplies. When we reached a soldier fort somewhere in Arizona, near the mountain, (I do not recall the name of the place,) we stopped and inquired about a job for a month or so. They were very kind and seemed glad to oblige us. We drove o outfits up into the mountains among the tall pine trees where there was plenty of nice clear cool water and made our families comfortable. The four men then took them each a cook and went back to the soldier fort and worked till we got enough each to take us farther on our journey.

        My eyes still bothered me at times and that interrupted my work some, still I was able to do enough so that we made out very well. When we thought we had enough cash to take us to Deming, New Mexico, we continued our journey reaching this place sometime in July of 1889. We saw the city officials about a camping place. They permitted a very nice place just south of the city limits where we pitched our tents, made our families as comfortable as possible and found work for about two months.

        While at this place we had various experiences. George McConkie’s son Charles had a sweetheart in Utah he was anxious to get back to and when he helped his father with his family this far he wished to return to Utah. But he had what he feared was seven-year itch. He had done all he knew of to get rid of it without any success. He did not like to go back with that troubling him and he hardly knew what to do. One day in camp he was scratching as usual, when Wealthy went up to him and said, "Let me see what this itch looks like," and as he opened his shirt collar, body lice were so thick they dropped to the ground. While at the soldier fort where we were working, the younger boys who had nothing to occupy their time had been scouting around and ran into some body lice somewhere and nearly every person in camp had some before they realized it, till this happened. Charles' mother as well as every one in camp got busy right now! In a few days there wasn't a louse in camp. There were several large red ant beds in the yard nearby where the bedding was laid around and on them, and those red ants soon cleaned the lice out of the bedding. The clothing was treated to strong boiling lye water till it was surprising how soon the pests were gotten rid of. Charles was a happy man to know the seven-year itch had disappeared so quickly, and he returned to Utah immediately.

        In September while camped here, there were two babies born in the tents. One of the ladies, Lyde Farnsworth, was our mid-wife. Emma McConkie gave birth to a son and my wife, Sarah, gave birth to a daughter on the 12th of September 1889. We named her Wealthy.

        Winter was now getting close upon us when it would be too cold to live in tents with small children. So it was decided to see if we could find an opening for work here later if we broke camp now and took our families with small children into the Colonies in Old Mexico where they could be more comfortable. We got a promise of a job in the mountains when we returned.

        We took our families into Colonia Juarez, arriving there the 9th of October .1889, just a few days under six months after leaving Utah. In passing the customhouse entering Mexico, we had a little difficulty that delayed us a. couple or three days. We got our families settled as soon as possible and returned to our job with a cook each, to Deming, New Mexico, where we worked for a short time, when one of the worst storms came up I ever experienced. It was a real blizzard. We had a hard time to keep warm in our tents and the next morning when we got up to build fires in our stoves, we found small birds that had tried to find shelter around the stove pipes that came up through the tents, frozen to death.

        This caused a shut down of work for the winter and we returned to C9lonia Juarez in Old Mexico. Found our families we had left there all well and happy. We were all united under such favorable circumstances. I had rented a small comfortable place from a Sister Thompson on the west side of the river for Sarah while I was away. But it was too small for the three of us and the baby. I looked around and located a large rock house on the east side of the river about 1 block west of the Henry Eyring store. We were very comfortable in this place; it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In January of 1891, Sarah's parents, Brother and Sister James J. Darton joined us and there was…(missing)…us for a time. Brother Darton bought a piece of ground about three miles up the river, north of town. There were also two small plots of ground on the south of the one Brother Darton bought that were for sale. A friend of ours, Brigham Pierce and I bought those and we all three went to work preparing for the spring crops and building our homes. It being too far to go back and forth every night and morning, we camped up there for the week.

        We were all up there for the week when on the evening of the 6th of March my little daughter was playing and romping till about10 P.M. when apparently in the best of health, she and the folk went to bed. In a short time they were awakened by the child in a great deal of distress. They all got up and tried to do what they could to relieve her but to no avail. They decided I should be there. Wealthy started out but being in a strange place she was at a loss to know just what direction to start to find our camp, so she called Sister Thompson for help, she dressed and they two came to the camp. We rustled a team as soon as possible and returned home about 3:30 or 4:00 A.M. The grandfather was with us. He and I administered to the child and she received a great deal of relief but she was not long for this life. She passed away at about 6:00 A. M., leaving us very sad and disappointed as she was a very promising child of about 18 months old and the second time we had had to part with our only child. There were no doctors to be had in the country at this time, but from all indications, she had what was known as membrainous croup. We can’t always understand why these things come into our lives, but sometime perhaps, it will all be made plain to us.

        I continued working on my place, taking odd jobs as they came along to help make ends meet. We planted shrubs, fruit trees, blackberries, and strawberries, built a home or sort of lean-to of lumber expecting to build on the front of it later. Our fruit trees and berries began to bear fruit, our gardens and other crops did fine. While living in this home in Colonia Juarez, we were blessed with the arrival of our third daughter on the 15th of January 1892; we named her Almina. In the spring of 1893 Wealthy was getting very homesick to see her mother and family. As her brother, John, was a railroad worker, he got her a pass on the train to go up. It being the dedication of the Salt Lake City

        L.D.S. Temple, I accompanied her and attended this great event. Wealty's people lived at Pleasant Grove and she spent some time visiting. I returned home, found all well at home and went on improving our home.

        On the 15th of March 1894, our fourth daughter, Clara, was born at Colonia Juarez.

        Wealthy returned home from her visit at her mother's.

        My eyes kept giving me quite a lot of trouble. The very warm weather seemed to hurt them quite bad. I went up into the mountains to Garcia for a time and my eyes were some better. We talked it over and decided to sell our property at Colonia Juarez and make that move. I went up to Colonia Garcia, got out a set of logs to build a good sized house, hued the logs and laid up my house. It was nearly winter so ~ moved my family up and kind of camped in with my mother's sister, Aunt Mary Farnsworth, until I got my house so we could move into it, which was shortly before Christmas of 1895.

        My eyes were so bad before we moved from Colonia Juarez, I could hardly see my team as I sat in my wagon and I had to have someone with me all the time to see for me, which was a great handicap. Wealthy was usually with me. After this move my eyes improved considerable and I got so I could drive my team and get along quite well. When we got settled in our new house we were very thankful for the many blessings that were ours.

        In the spring of 1896, Wealthy received word that her mother was very seriously ill and sent the ticket to take her to her mother's bedside. It caught us in rather a bad situation as Sarah was expecting to be confined most any day. As luck would have it, she gave birth to our first son on the 17th of March 1896. We named him Vance Darton. In a day or two I arranged with Aunt Mary to stay with Sarah and the baby a few days while I took Wealthy to the railroad station and saw her started on her way. I took the two little girls with me so as not to leave too much for Aunt Mary to care for. I returned home with found everyone fine. However, our small son, Vance Darton, was not long for this life, as he passed away at 26 days old on the 12 of April 1896. I loved my little girls and was very pleased with a son. I felt I was being tried very sorely, but we have no control over these thing.' and when they come into our lives and we are submissive to His will who knows all things that is best for us and He gives us strength and courage to carry on. I felt I was blessed very much in having the companionship of two faithful, good women who were ever ready to stand by and encourage me at all times. I do thank the Lord for them.

        Our house was the largest center place in the community at this time as there wasn't any public building to hold church and other public gatherings in, we met in our home for the time being. At this time there was only a branch organization with Alonzo Farnsworth as presiding Elder. In the meantime, we were building a church house that also served as a schoolhouse. This made it much more convenient and our small village began to grow. More people moved in and we began to feel the need of a ward organization.

        On the 15 of August 1897, our second son, Rulon, was born at Colonia Garcia, which brought much joy and happiness to our hearts and home. We truly enjoyed the love and companionship of each other and felt we were truly blessed with far greater riches than the riches of this world's goods. We really enjoyed the friendly and happy companionship of our small community as one large family.

        On the 9th of March 1898, we were blessed with the presence of John Henry Smith and John W. Taylor, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, for the purpose of organizing a ward. John J. Whetten was sustained as Bishop with Vance Sheffer as 1st counselor and James A. McDonald as 2nd counselor, with all of the auxiliary organizations for both young and old. Giving all the opportunity to do their part in helping our ward to grow and develop in building a thriving ward in the Juarez Stake of Zion. Everyone tried to do their best and our Father in Heaven blessed us and we had very enjoyable times together.

        As time with the everyday duties of life passed, it came time to gather our crops and prepare for the winter. It was one morning in October 1899, I was preparing my wagon that needed greasing, and one of the wheels had a pin in the point of the axle to prevent the wheel from coming off. It was rather cool and hard to remove. I picked up a file laying handy and attempted to pry the pin out when the file slipped and struck me in the left eye. I was sure my eye was put out, there was so much liquid that run out but when it was cleaned up, it had not ruptured the ball of my eye at all. The fluid that ran out seemed to prove a blessing in disguise, for my eyes seemed better than they had been for a great many years. While there was a scar from the injury of the file formed over the right of the eye, the other eye seemed stronger than before and I did not have bad spells so often as before. I was indeed very thankful for this great blessing.

        On the 12th of December 1899, our third son, Vernee, was born at Colonia Garcia, giving us four living children and we were truly happy and proud of all of them. They were all strong, healthy children.

        I had a small farm which I enjoyed working to provide for my family what with hauling lumber down the mountain to the settlement in the valley and bringing provisions and other freight back. With some jobs in the timbers around the sawmill, as my farm did not produce sufficient for all the needs of my family, we had the necessities of life and were very thankful to our Father in Heaven for health and all the blessings that were ours.

        Being afflicted as I was in my eyes caused me to suffer continually with the headache until at times it was very difficult for me to carry on in my labors, especially attending Sunday School where there was more or less confusion during the class period, as the classes were divided by curtains. The Sacrament and other meetings were not so bad; I could enjoy them.

        Our little girls about 8 and 10 years of age didn^'t like the idea of their Daddy not going to Sunday School, so with the teaching they had received, they thought if they would fast and pray that my headache was better, I could go to Sunday School. They did that and on Sunday morning I arose free from the suffering for a few hours, went to Sunday School and really enjoyed it. This proved our Father in Heaven hears and answers the prayers of little children. My children were truly a great joy and comfort to my life. They were growing quite fast and we were trying to teach them correct principles, to live honest, up right lives, to love one another that they might be a credit to society.

        On the 3rd of November 1902, we had another little girl, Prudence, come to make her home with us, which made us very happy. We now had five living children and enjoyed them very much.

        In the spring of 1903, I had a. spell we thought perhaps was a sort of malaria. There were no doctors for miles around so we did what we thought was best but I did not improve, as I should.

        As time passed it came time to be looking ahead to get fruit for the coming year. Arrangements were made for Sarah to go to Juarez to her father's, James J. Darton, to put up fruit for the coming year for the family. Wealthy usually went but it was thought best for her not to go this time. Sarah went to Juarez with the baby. But she wasn't there but a few days until she was rushed home. Those around me thought I was dying. But I rallied and my life was spared a few months longer. I knew Sarah did not want to go to Juarez and leave me as she did uncomplaining. I knew it would hurt her very much to come home and find me gone. I felt I had to do what I could, not to hurt her so bad. This happened in August 1903, and I suffered till June 1904.

        I was afflicted with itching, the middle of my hands, the soles of my feet and every inch of my body and nothing seemed to relieve it any length of time. My wives did all in their power to relieve me, but not very much good. They were good and faithful to the last. I never was able to do anymore work, but I got a great deal of comfort with my family, especially the little one. She was so tiny and winning with her cunning ways. She helped me pass many hours, watching her toddle around.

        I, Sarah E. Sheffer, have written this story of Vance Sheffer's life with the hope of it giving his children just a little insight into what kind of a man their father was, who was taken from them when they were too young to remember much about him.

        He passed away 3 June 1904, at Colonia Garcia, Chihuahua, Mexico.

        The end came to the earth life of a very good man. He loved his family very dearly and he was loved by all who knew him. If he had an enemy, I never knew of it.

        He was 27 years old when I first saw him.

        The early part of his life, I have written as I remember the incidents as I have heard him relate them during his life. It has most all been written from memory as I have not kept too many dates. But I have tried to get the correct dates of the most important incidents I have needed, by writing to those who keep these records.

        I have finished writing this story this 18 July 1957.

        SARAH E. D. SHEFFER, Age 87