Thomas Miles Family

THE THOMAS MILES FAMILY Beth Davies AG Thomas Colborn Miles was born March 12, 1856 in Salt Lake City, Utah., the son of Samuel and Hannah Marinda Colborn Miles.1 He moved with his parents to St. George in 1862.2 He was baptized Aug. 14, 1864 by Henry Eyring.3 He was ordained an Elder on Nov. 14, 1875.4 Frances Annie Pulsipher was born Oct. 29, 1860 at Union Fort, Salt Lake Co., Utah, the daughter of Charles Pulsipher and Sarah Robbins. 5 Her father, Charles Pulsipher, was called to Dixie in 1861. He surveyed St. George, built roads, participated in the Black Hawk war, was a counselor to the bishop of the Hebron Ward, and a traveling agent for the temple fund. Charles was in charge of the Church's Winsor Ranch from 1877-1880.6 Winsor Ranch is located in Arizona, between the Utah State line and the Grand Canyon7 and is presently known as Pipe Springs National Monument. Thomas' father wrote in 1878, "Thos. C Miles married Frances Anne Pulsipher in the St. George Temple March 27, 1878". 1879, he wrote, "Thomas and wife come here to join us in our family labor unions....Not having room for all the family to winter in Price Gustavus, Saml. Thos. and their families moved to St. George. " In 1880, "Thomas & wife went back to their former home in Sink Valley, Kane Co. to live." and in 1881, "We had a New Years dinner, all the family being prest including Thomas who has come down to work for a short time."8 Frances and Thomas appeared to follow the Pulsipher family around during the years they were married. Their oldest child, Samuel, was born at Winsor Castle.9 The 1880 census, taken shortly after their marriage, showed Thomas, Frances, and Samuel living in the Glendale Precinct of Kane County, next door to Charles Pulsipher. Charles is listed as a rancher and Thomas Miles and Andrew Allen (whose family apparently shared living quarters with Thomas' family) were listed as stockmen.10 It was here that their 2nd son, Thomas Franklin, was born.11 The Pulsiphers and the Miles' moved to Huntington, Emery County, Utah shortly thereafter. Charles Pulsipher served as

1

Price Ward, St. George Stake, Record of Members, #19, FHL film 26,419.

2

Sam uel M iles: Rem iniscences, p. 19.

3

Price Ward, St. George Stake, Record of Members, #19.

4

Price Ward, St. George Stake, Record of Ordinations, #27, FHL film 26,419.

5

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

6

Davis Bitton, Gu ide to Mo rmo n D iaries and A utob iogra phies, (BYU Press), p. 284.

7

Elsie C hamberlain Carroll, History of K ane County, (The U tah Printing Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, 1960),

8

Sam uel M iles: Rem iniscences, pp. 29-32.

9

Huntington Ward Records, p. 12.

p. 412.

10

188 0 U .S. Census, G lenda le Pre cinct, K ane C ounty, U tah, p. 32, Dwellings 2 20 and 221, F HL film

1,255,336. 11

Huntington Ward Records, p. 12. The place is listed as "Upper Kanab".

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 13 use.

Bishop of the Huntington Ward from 1883 to 1891. He later served as a Patriarch.12 Thomas' daughter-in-law, Nettie Miles, wrote, "Huntington was one of the wide open spaces where the Mormons had been sent to settle, farm, make new homes for converts and cultivate the lands as they had in the northern part of the State. Some of the Pulsiphers and Mileses, who had earlier been sent to Southern Utah for the same reasons, had been asked to settle in that part of the country. Tom Miles, along with Tove Whitmore and others, had started a freight and stage line. It also became the stage line between Carbon and Emery County and over into the Uintah basin. When the opportunity came to sell it, they sold it. Mr. Whitmore used his half to start a bank in Price while Tom Miles took his and headed back down south where he had lived before. He ended up running what they called Twenty Mule Team Borax Runs between Arizona and California from Death Valley."13 A History of Emery County reports: "Transportation and communication remained rather rudimentary throughout the period. "Freighters" drove heavy wagons over almost impassable roads to haul the county's produce to market and bring back goods for local stores. Several Emery County men contracted to haul freight from the Price railhead to the federal installations in the Uintah Basin. They typically carried loads of gilsonite on the return trip. The mail was delivered from Price to Castle Valley communities at first by packhorse and later by "white top stages" that also carried passengers. Stables at Huntington and Ferron provided for a change of horses on the long daily journey from Price to Emery. Among those who held the mail contract at various times during the period from 1881 to 1900 were Samuel Grange and sons, Elisha and Joseph Jones, and Thomas Miles of Huntington: G.T. Olsen of Emery; Nephi Williams of Castle Dale; and Erastus Curtis of Orangeville."14 Family tradition says that when Thomas wanted to move south, Frances refused to go with him, so he left her and the children and went by himself. Nettie Miles wrote, "On May 4th, 1893, a baby boy was born to Frances Pulsipher and Thomas Miles, in Provo, Utah. She had been sent there as there were no doctors available in the small town of Huntington, Utah, to take care of her when she had a nervous breakdown after her husband left her while she was pregnant with Francis... His (Tom Miles) desertion of his family, four boys and a girl, left a woman with no way of raising a family. She had to move from the brick home he had built her back to a 3 room log house they had lived in the first years of their marriage... During those early years the children in Huntington had worked for farmers plus the other Pulsiphers were able to try and help Frances Pulsipher Miles and her family."15 This is at least partly a family legend. On May 9, 1889, a warrant of commitment to the state mental asylum was signed concerning Frances. The physician's certificate that accompanied the 12

Emery Co unty History So ciety, Emery County, 1880-1980 (Taylor Publishing Co., 1981), p. 393.

13

Nettie Miles, Fra ncis M arion Miles, Recollection on his life by his wife, Nettie, p. 1, typescript in possession o f Beth D avies. 14

Edward A. Geary, A History of Emery County (Utah State Historical Society, Emery County Commission, 1996) p.140. 15

Nettie Miles, Fra ncis M arion Miles, p. 1-2.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 14 use.

warrant says that the "attack" first appeared on May 5, 1889, but she had minor impairment for some time. It stated she had an insane uncle, that her physical health was gradually growing weaker, that the supposed cause of insanity was paralysis, and that her class of insanity was acute mania. Thomas C. Miles and Sariah Pulsipher had been witnesses at the insanity hearing. Frances was discharged Oct. 2, 1889.16 This means that even though Huntington Ward records claim that her 5th child, Wallace, born Aug. 27, 1889, was born in Huntington, he was probably born at the State Asylum in Provo. Frances was recommitted to the asylum on Jan. 27, 1893 with Thomas C. Mile and C.R. Riley giving testimony at the hearing. The Physician's Certificate for this commitment says that this attack first appeared Dec. 14, 1892 and that her previous attack lasted six months. It claims she had hallucinations relating to deeds of property and that she had a disposition to injure others, especially directed at relatives. This time she was reported to have both an uncle and a cousin who were insane. Her physical health was little changed. The supposed cause of insanity was heredity and pregnancy and the class of insanity was insanity of pregnancy. She was discharged June 3, 1893.17 Since Francis Marion Miles was born May 4, 1893, this supports the tradition that he was born at the asylum, though no birth records apparently were kept there. By the time the 1900 Census was taken, Frances Annie reported her marital status as divorced. "Annie" was living with all but her oldest son, Samuel, in Huntington.18 The actual divorce did not take place until June 19, 1906, shortly before Frances' 2nd marriage.. Frances was awarded custody of the minor children, Edwin, Wallace A. and Francis M. Miles, but given no monetary or property awards.19 Thirteen years after Thomas left (and less than two months after her divorce), Frances Annie married Claybourn Elder, who was almost twice her age (he was 79, she 45) on Aug. 6,1906, at Castle Dale, Emery County, Utah.20 On Nov. 4, 1909, a third Warrant of Commitment was filed for Frances. The commitment was based on information supplied by her husband Claybourn Elder, and the witnesses at the hearing were two of her children, Ida McAdow and Wallace Miles. The Physician's Certificate says that on Oct. 28, 1909 she became violent and unmanageable. She had sore eyes and suffered from Opthalmia. As a permanent hallucination she wanted bread and butter. She also had a disposition to destroy clothing and to wander. She was feeble and ate very little, but had rational intervals. The cause of insanity this time was listed as weakness and the class of insanity was acute mania. No discharged date appeared on the papers, but the personnel at the State Hospital records office commented that she was only there for 5 days.21 Frances died Nov. 10, 1909 16

Warrant of Commitment and Physician's Certificate dated 9 May 1889, Utah State Hospital Records Office, photocopy in possession of Beth Davies 17

Warrant of Commitment and Physician's Certificate dated 27 Jan. 1892, Utah State Hospital Records Office, photocopy in possession of Beth Davies 18

190 0 U .S. Census, H untington Pre cinct, Emery C o. Utah, E.D . 197 , sheet 10, dwelling #1 57, F HL film 1,241,683. The head of the household is Annie Miles, and her marital status is divorced. 19

Divorc e Dec ree, 7th Judicial D istrict, State of Utah, Emery C ounty, copy in po ssession of Be th Davies, received from Emery County Clerk July 12, 1997. 20

Emery County Marriage Licenses, Book B, FHL film 483,518.

21

Warrant of Commitment and Physician's Certificate dated 4 Nov. 1909, Utah State Hospital Records Office, photocopy in possession of Beth Davies

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 15 use.

in Provo. The State Hospital has no death records and Utah County has no record of her death, but she probably died at the hospital. The Eastern Utah Advocate reported her death the next day, "Mrs. Annie Elder, mother of Sam Miles of Price and aged about 53...passed away at Provo yesterday. She was the mother of six children and was well known throughout this section of the state by most of the pioneers and others, having made her home in Emery county for a number of years. The body will be in Price this evening. The funeral will be held from Town Hall on Saturday.22 Several years after Frances Annie's death, her oldest son, Samuel, petition for letters of administration to settle her affairs. The petition shows that "Francis Annie Miles Elder died on or about the 10th day of November A.D. 1909 at Provo, Utah County, Utah, that at the time of her death she was a resident of Ferron, Emery County, Utah..." She owned a piece of property which was sold to pay her debts and the expenses of administration.23 Nettie Miles, tells of her only meeting with her father-in-law: "It was at Ida's (Ida Miles McAdow) in Salt Lake that I met Francis's dad, the only time I ever saw him. His face was so bad with cancer, the whole side was gone. The $2,000 extra we thought we had for living, $500 went to bury him in Phoenix. First we paid for him to get back to Phoenix to the hospital and then when he died we didn't have enough to bury him. We had to borrow $500 from Francis's brother, Sam. None of the older boys would help. They were old enough to know how he had treated their mother, but Francis wasn't born when he left home. Francis had seen him once when he was seventeen, and then he'd seen him at Ida's, where he came to stay because she'd feed him. So we felt we had to help him, because nobody else would."24 Thomas died May 6, 1923 at the County Farm Hospital in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona of cancer. His death certificate indicates he had been operated on 6 months previous to his death. He is buried in the Greenwood cemetery in Phoenix.25 THE CHILDREN Samuel Charles Miles was born 14 Jan. 187826 or 187927 at Winsor Castle (which is presently in Arizona, though it was probably part of Utah when he was born) , where his grandfather, Charles Pulsipher, was in charge of the LDS church's Winsor Ranch. Sam married Edith McIntire in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah on 10 July 1905.28 22

Mother of Sam C. M iles is Dead, Eastern Utah Advocate (Price, Utah), Vol. XV #44, Thursday, Nov. 11, 1909, front page, BYU film 92ea. 23

Emery County, Utah Probate Record A, pp. 468-471, 484-485, 490, FHL film 483,522.

24

Nettie Miles, "T he Elopement", (M other's Mem oirs as R ecorded by Lee--typescript in po ssession of Beth Davies) p.8. 25

Death Certificate, State of Arizona, copy is possession of Beth Davies.

26

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

27

W orld W ar I Draft Registration Card, Carbon Co ., Utah, FHL film. The 18 79 birth year is more consistent with the 188 0 Census (G lenda le Pre cinct, K ane C o., Utah, E.D . 29, p. 31, FHL film 1,255,3 36) which lists his age as 1, and with his parents marriage date. Samuel's death record (State of California Death Certificate # 35055231) also lists his birthdate as Jan. 14, 1879. 28

Davies County Marriage License Records, Book 2, 1901-1907, p. 256, FHL film 483,530.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 16 use.

Nettie Miles, Sam's sister-in-law, wrote about her husband's family, "The older boys worked for other farmers, etc. until they could find something else to do. Sam, the oldest, became a barber and went to the mining camps where men could afford to have their hair cut. Then, as the town of Price grew, he had a barber chair in one of the saloons and by 1912 was able to build his barber shop in Price.....Sam and his wife, Edith McIntire, had started their married life in Sunnyside, where he ran a barber shop. At that time Sunnyside was one of the biggest mining camps. Around two thousand people lived there. Then Price began to grow and Sam got a barber shop in one of the saloons. As his business prospered he built his own building, which had three barber chairs....He (Francis, Nettie's husband) loved Edith like a mother. She had four little kids he could love and help tend, and they grew up more like his little brothers, as he was older. The one little girl they all worshipped, Mowena, and she got plenty of their attention. Their house was crowded, as his brother Ed and wife had moved to Price. Ed was a barber, too, and was working for Sam. Then Sam had a buyer for his building. He had located a fruit orchard in Oroville, California, where he thought it would be better to raise a family. It had peach trees and olive trees."29 In the 1910 census, Samuel, his wife, his three oldest children, and his brother Francis were living in Price.30 The Eastern Utah Advocate reported on June 22, 1911, "S.C. Miles has moved his barbershop and pool and billiard hall to his new building, adjoining the Price Commercial and Savings Bank on the east...He has the neatest place of its kind between Salt Lake City and Grand Junction Colorado and an investment running into the thousands of dollars.31 He registered in Carbon County for the draft during World War I. His draft registration card indicated he was of medium height and build, with brown eyes and brown hair, and that he was deaf.32 Samuel and Edith were in Butte County, California, by the time the 1920 Census was taken on January 2nd and 3rd.33 Records of the Gridley Branch of the LDS Church for Edith and the children show that they were in the area until 1924, when their records were transferred to Oakland.34 Apparently it took a few years for the church records to catch up with the family, because Samuel is listed in Polk's Oakland (California) City Directory from 1923 until 1935. The lst two years, he is listed as a grocer, but by 1925 he was back working as a barber. By 1929 the family home had been established at 1666 East 38th and by 1930, Samuel's barber shop was consistently listed as 4197 Park blvd. Intermittently, Sam's wife Edith was listed as "beauty shop" at the same address as the barber shop.35 Sam died of suicide (gunshot wound to the head) in Oakland on Oct. 14, 1935.36 His obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune read: "Funeral services for S.C. Miles, who died at his home in Oakland, Cal., October 14, were 29

Nettie Miles, Francis Marion Miles, p. 1, 3.

30

1910 U.S. Census, Price, Carbon County, Utah, E.D. 31, sheet 3b, dwelling #49, FHL film 1,375,616.

31

Eastern U tah A dvo cate, Thursday June 22, 1911, p. 5.

32

World War I Draft Records, Carbon County, Utah, FHL film 1,983,883.

33

1920 U.S. Census, Wyandotte Precinct, Butte County, California, E.D. 13, sheet 1A, dwelling #4, FHL film 1,820,094. 34

Gridley Branch LDS Records, 1920, 1940, #331-335, FHL film 2527.

35

Polk's Oakland (California) City Directory (R.L. Polk & Co ., San Francisco, California, 1921-1935).

36

State of California D eath Certificate #35 -0552 31, copy in possession of Beth D avies.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 17 use.

conducted at the Wallace mortuary Thursday afternoon, with interment in Price city cemetery. Mr. Miles was engaged in business in Price for over 20 years prior to moving to California, where he has resided for about 15 years. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Edith McIntyre Miles; four sons, Sam F., Thomas, Max and Robert of Oakland, Cal., and two brothers, Wallace A. Miles, Reno, Nev., and Francis M. Miles of Price."37 Thomas Franklin Miles was born June 13,1882 at Upper Kanab, Kane Co., Utah.38 He appears to have left few records of his life. In 1920, Frank was living with his brother, Wallace, in Hermiston, Oregon. He was still single and his occupation was listed as restaurant cook.39 His brother Francis tells of spending the winter in about 1921 in Feather River Canyon with Frank, gold prospecting. He says they came back to Utah in 1922.40 Frank died Sept. 22, 1927 in Marysville41 and was buried there in Pauper's Field of the City Cemetery, Grave No. B750.42 Ida May Miles was born May 15, 1885 at Huntington, Emery Co., Utah.43 She married Sam A McAdow on Oct.16, 1906 at Green River, Emery Co., Utah.44 A short note in the Price newspaper in 1909, indicates that Ida moved frequently in the first few years of her marriage: "A. McAdow, late of American Falls, Ida., but formerly of Green River, has opened a short order place in the room adjoining the Mint saloon of Thomas Dumayne."45 By 1920, Ida and her husband (listed as Alvin) were living in California, two houses away from her brother Sam. Her husband's occupation was listed as "poultry man--poultry farm".46 Apparently they moved back to Utah because Nettie Miles wrote concerning the birth of her oldest daughter (my mother) in 1923: "Ida came down and stayed for three weeks to help out when Jean was born. She and Wallace were living in Salt Lake. She was Francis' sister and they were really close. His brothers were all in California by then.....Ida had been married to Macado (McAdow) for seventeen year. They cooked in cafes and for the railroad work crews. They lived in a boxcar that had been fixed up like a nice house, really had a beautiful living room. They were in the Salt Lake yard, cooking there. but while 37

S. C. M iles, Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah), Oct. 19, 1935, p. 38.

38

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

39

192 0 U .S. Census, Precinct No. 54, H ermisto n, Um atilla Co ., Oregon, E .D. 164, sheet 5b , FHL film

1,821,504. 40

Francis M . Miles, A B rief Histo ry of F rancis M. Miles, undated typescript in possession of Beth D avies.

41

State of California C ertificate of Death, cop y in possession of B eth Davies.

42

Letter from City of Marysville City Clerk to David H. Miles, dated May 25, 1959, copy in possession of Beth D avies. 43

Huntington W ard R ecords, E arly to 1938 , Record of M emb ers, p. 12..

44

Emery County Marriage Licenses, Book B, p. 20, FHL film 483,518.

45

Eastern U tah A dvo cate, (Price, Utah), Thursday, Nov. 18, 1909.

46

1920 U.S. Census, Wyandotte Precinct, Butte County, California, E.D. 13, sheet 1A, dwelling #4, FHL film 1,820,094.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 18 use.

she was down taking care of me he got drunk and sold all her stuff. She had a trunk full of beautiful linens, crocheted bedspreads, lovely things. So she divorced him. She came back down and stayed with us for three weeks again and then went to San Diego to live with Marie (Wallace's ex-wife)... In San Diego, Aunt Ida met and married Bob Hansen. After she married him the depression hit. He couldn't make a living in the symphony any more. Price needed a violinist for the movies. they were silent movies then. So they moved back to Price. He played the violin and Edith Olson the piano in the orchestra. It paid him $125 a month, good money, but three or four months later the talkies started and pretty soon that job ran out. He tried teaching violin. We have a picture of our house with the violin lesson sign hanging on it. Then he finally had to give in and go to Hiawatha and work in the mines for a living. Aunt Ida got pregnant there, at 42, but lost the baby. They moved back to San Diego and she was 44 when she finally had her Bobby..."47 This 2nd marriage took place probably about 1924-25, as the Price Cemetery records show the burial of Dorothy May Hansen (stillborn at Hiawatha) on Aug. 7, 1926.48 Ida died in San Diego March 1, 1934.49 Edwin Miles was born April 8, 1887 at Huntington, Emery Co., Utah.50 He married Lillian Whitlock on Sept. 6, 1910 at Vernal, Uintah Co., Utah.51 In an oral interview in 1984, Lillian said she took nurses training at LDS hospital and Ed was an orderly there. Then she had to go home because her mother was ill. Ed came out there to see her and asked her to marry him and they were married at her mother's bedside and then moved to Price.52 Ed registered for the draft during World War I in Carbon County, where his registration card listed him as being of medium height and build with dark brown hair and grey eyes. At that time he was a coal miner employed by Spring Canyon Coal Company.53 His daughter Berniece recalled that she and her brother Ted lived with her Dad and her stepmother Nellie after he and Lillian were divorced, for two and a half years, when she was bout 7 to 9 and Ted under 10. Ed had met Nellie at Fort Lewis in WWI, after he had divorced Lillian and she was a nurse there. He barbered at Hermiston, Oregon, the first year and then they moved to Pendleton. He never let Lillian know where they had moved to and told the kids their Mother didn't want to see them anymore. Purely by accident Berniece saw an envelope from her mother, so she wrote a letter and asked her to please send for them. She borrowed a stamp from a neighbor and mailed it and in three days a ticket arrived for them to go home. Nellie had also believed all he told her, so she insisted he let the kids go if they wanted to go home. Berniece never saw him again, but

47

Nettie Potter M iles, Mother's Memoirs as Recorded By Lee--The Elopement, typescript in possession of Beth Davies. Lee is Lee Miles Gates, daughter of Francis and Nettie. 48

Price Utah City Cem etery, Vol. 1, Sec. C Block 150, FHL 979.2556/P1V3p.

49

California Death Index, 1930-1939, FHL film 1,686,049.

50

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

51

Uintah Co. Record of Marriage Licenses, Book 1C, 1907-1921, p. 123, FHL film 481,101.

52

Lillian M iles Searle, Fran cis Marion M iles--Recollection s, oral interview July 1984 as transcribed by Jean Westwood. This does not appear to be an exact transcription, but rather a retelling of what Lillian said. 53

World War I Draft Records, Carbon County, Utah, FHL film 1,983,883.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 19 use.

after she was married...Nellie came to see them and several years later Berniece went to live with her (when Berniece got divorced). When Nellie died they buried her in the same grave with Ed at the Presido in San Francisco...He was never sent overseas because he had bad rheumatic fever .."54 During World War I, Ed belonged to Company Btry, D 348th FA with the rank of Private and was discharged on Feb. 21, 1918.55 Ed married 2nd Nellie Hanson.56 Ed and his 2nd wife Nellie appear in Polk's Oakland Directory, with Ed's occupation listed as a barber for 1927-1933. They lived first at 696 24th Street, then 579 23rd, then 633 Sycamore. In 1933, Nellie was listed as a cook at the True Blue Cafeteria. Neither of them was listed in 1934. In 1935, Nellie was listed by herself at 602 25th.57 Ed died Nov. 10, 1934 in San Francisco58 and was buried Nov. 13, 1934 at Golden Gate National Cemetery. Nellie was born Oct. 23, 1886, died Dec. 1, 1957, and was buried Dec. 4, 1957 in the same grave, #1092, Section C.59 Wallace Arlo Miles was born 27 August 1889 at Huntington, Emery Co., Utah.60 He married Marrietta Speierman some time prior to 1916. His sister-in-law, Lillian Miles Searle recalled going to the courthouse in Price with Wallace and Marie when they got married61, but neither Carbon County nor Emery County has a record of this marriage. "Marie" was born Dec. 21, 1895 in LaGrande, Oregon, the daughter Charles W. Speierman and Clara R. Johnson who were both from Logan, Utah.62 Wallace's oldest son, Robert Arlo, was born in Walla Walla Washington in 1916.63 His World War I draft registration card in Walla Walla says he was a depot agent for the Northern Express Co. in Walla Walla and describes him as of medium height and build with brown eyes and black hair.64 By 1918, his family were in Oregon, where his next son, Wallace Farris Miles, was born at Pendleton on Feb. 28th.65 In the 1920 census, Wallace and his family were living in Hermiston, Umatilla County, Oregon, where Wallace's occupation was listed as keeper--restaurant. 54

Ibid.

55

Records of Internment, Golden Gate National Cemetery, 1300 Sneath Lane, San Bruno CA, received by correspondence July 12, 1997. 56

State of California Death Certificate #57-118394 (Death Certificate of Nellie Miles), copy in possession of Beth Davies 57

Polk's Oakland (California) City Directory, 1926-35, FHL films 1,759,975-977.

58

California Death Index, 1930-39, H-R, FHL film 1,686,049.

59

Records of Internment, Go lden G ate N ational Cem etery.

60

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

61

Jean M. Westwood, "These are the notes I took from Lillian Whitlock Miles Whitmore in April of l984", typescript in possession of Beth D avies. 62

San Diego County, California, Death Record #47 053833, information received via e-mail from Karen L.

63

LDS Records, San Diego Branch, 1919-1941, #1183, FHL film 889,376.

64

WW I Draft Registration Cards, Walla Walla County, Washington, FHL film 1,992,177.

65

LDS Records, San Diego Branch, 1919-1941, #1184.

Page.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 20 use.

His brother Thomas was living with him and is listed as a restaurant cook.66 Wallace's wife was in San Diego by 1921.67 His children were listed in LDS records in San Diego by April 24, 1927, when both his sons were baptized in the LDS church.68 Only the children appear in the San Diego Branch records. Wally and Marie were divorced (date unknown) and both remarried. The only record I have of Wallace's 2nd marriage is a photograph labeled Wallace and Anna, 2nd wife, with the date Sept. 15, 1941 stamped on the back of it. 69 My father moved to San Diego to go to aircraft school and remembers this about Wallace and his family: "Uncle Wallace came to San Diego when we were living there. We were living out in Linda Vista. To back up a little bit, when I moved to California to go to aircraft school (this would have been 1940), I got my job at the aircraft plant in San Diego and Mother Miles wrote and said that Jean had an aunt living in San Diego and they had talked to her or written to her that I was down there and said I could go stay with her until I got a job, so I went and visited her when I got there and she let me stay until I got a job. Her name was Marie Narrans then, but her sons were named Miles, Bob and Farris Miles. They both lived in San Diego. After I got a job, I moved into a rooming house, but I kept visiting and in contact with them. They were really hospitable and friendly to me. When Jean came to visit once, she stayed with them. Anyway, later on when Jean and I were married and living in Linda Vista why Uncle Wally came to town to visit his sons. At that time he was a mining promoter and he was interested in some mining properties at Fallon, Nevada and he said that some of his associates had invented a machine or a process that could separate gold from ore and sands in a lot more efficient way than anything that had yet been invented and he was selling stock. Actually it wasn't stock, it was certificates of partnership as it turned out. Bob and Farris were pretty skeptical, but Bob Miles made a trip over to Fallon, Nevada with his dad to check over the operation and apparently they did a pretty good selling job to Bob because he came back all enthused about the process and he invested money in it. And so Jean and I thought, "That's good enough for us" so we cashed some war bonds--this was in the '40's during WWII--we cashed in some war bonds and bought some stock or partnership interest in the gold processing deal. As time went on, the war ended and we moved to Utah and eventually we got a letter from the government that had been forwarded from our address in San Diego saying that the company was 2 or 3 years behind in paying their Social Security and so forth to the government, different things that they owed the government, and so they were assessing each of the partners for their share of the amount that was owed to the government. We were pretty discouraged about it at that time and felt that we shouldn't be responsible. Whether we legally were or not, I don't know. Apparently we were. But we never answered their letter and they never caught up with us. That was the extent of my contact and

66

1920 U .S. Census, Precinct No. 54, Hermiston City, Umatilla Co., Oregon, E.D. 164, sheet 5b, dwelling #114, FHL film 1,821,504. 67

Death Record of Marietta S. Narans, San Diego County, California #47 053833, complete transcripition sent by e-mail from Karen L. Page Aug. 12, 1997, in possession of Beth Davies 68

LDS Records, San Diego Branch, 1919-1941, #1184.

69

Photograph in p ossession of B eth Davies. T his is part of a collection of pho tographs m ounted o n loose scrapbook p ages that appear, from the cap tions, to have originally belong ed to Francis Marion M iles.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 21 use.

knowledge about Uncle Wallace Miles."70 A brief obituary appeared in the Price, Utah, paper when Wallace died. It read, "Funeral services for Wallace A. Miles, 59, brother of Francis M. Miles of Price, were conducted at San Diego, California, on February 1, under the direction of Bishop Willardson of the Chula Vista ward of the LDS church. He died January 29 at Reno, Nevada. Other survivors include two sons, Robert A. and Farris Miles of San Diego. The deceased was at one time a resident of Price and will be remembered by many of the older residents. Francis Miles attended the funeral services."71 Funeral home records in Reno indicate that Wallace died at Washoe General Hospital of uremea and chronic nephritis.72 Francis Marion Miles, my grandfather, was born May 4,1893 at Provo, Utah Co., Utah.73 Family tradition says that Francis was born in the State Mental Hospital in Provo where his mother was sent because she had a nervous breakdown when her husband deserted her and went to Arizona prior to Francis' birth. The Huntington Ward records indicate that he was baptized on July 6, 1901, was ordained a deacon (no date given), and was ordained a teacher on Nov. 4, 1907. There is no record in this ward of any of his brothers receiving the priesthood and the two just older than him, who would have turned 8 after Thomas deserted his family, have no record of even being baptized. Francis' wife, Nettie, wrote: "The baby boy born to Mrs. Miles was bless and named by Apostle Francis Marion Lyman who gave his own name to the baby. (This appears to be just a family legend, as the Huntington Ward records indicate that Francis Marion Miles was blessed on July 6, 1893 by A. J. Allen.74) . Though he always felt he had been given two girl's names, Francis was one of the most loving and kind men anyone ever knew. Francis' mother had wanted another girl so much she wouldn't let them cut his hair until he was about to start school. He had curls and she just didn't want them cut off, so that added to the feeling about the girl's names. He said many times how they would go take an egg from the chicken house and trade it for some candy at the only local store. If one of the older children took the eggs they knew the man running the store would give Francis the candy. As a little boy he always had to go with his mother if she went out in the evening, as she had what they called night blindness. When he lit the lamp she could see around the house, but not out in the dark. There were two women in Price that had lived in Huntington at the time he was in grade school, and they said he was one of the smartest ones in the class. Soon after he was eight years he started to go with his Grandfather Pulsipher writing the patriarchal blessings. He was patriarch for the Carbon-Emery Stake, covering all of both counties, so sometimes they would be gone for two or three days, staying with the families they had visited 70

Richard W estwood , Oral Interview, June 25, 19 97, transcript in po ssession of Be th Davies.

71

Services Conducted For B rother of Fra ncis M . Miles, The Sun Advocate (Price, Utah), Thursday Feb. 10,

1949. 72

Funeral Home Records, Ross-Burke Funeral Home, Reno, Nevada, 1900-1953, p. 345, #462, 1949, FHL film 14,921. 73

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

74

Huntington Ward Records, Early to 1938, Record of Members, p. 12, FHL film 26,020.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 22 use.

to give blessings to. Of course he also gave Francis his blessing, and that was some of the nice things he remembered."75 In a brief history which he wrote, Francis says, "My mother and father separated when I was six months old and I did not see my father until I was nine years old but lived with my mother in Huntington, Utah, until I was twelve years old, where I attended public school and passed the sixth grade which was the extent of my school education. When I was Thirteen, my mother married Clabe Elder Sr. of Ferron, Utah and we went there to live. We lived on a ranch in the mouth of Ferron Canyon, and I worked at a sawmill in upper Joe's Valley for two years during the summer months for $15 per month and my board. In the winter I worked on an adjoining ranch and also helped my step-father on his. The fall I was fifteen, myself and another boy from a neighboring ranch packed our few clothes and started out on our own. We first found work at a sawmill at the head of Hiawatha Canyon. We worked there until snow forced them to close down. We then came to Price, Utah, drew our pay and hitch-hiked to Sandy, Utah where we did odd jobs on a ranch for our board and room. In February we started back for Price, riding freight trains, and nearly froze coming over Soldier's Summit. In fact I did have my right foot frozen but reached Castle Gate in time to save it by soaking it in ice water for about half a day. I then went to work for my oldest brother in his barber shop doing the porter work and shining shoes for my board and room and $10 a month. In October of that year my mother died and I was left an orphan as my father had never contributed to the support of any of us since he and mother separated. I continued to work for (my) older brother for two years after which I grew tired of indoor work and started doing odd jobs. I worked at many different occupations during the succeeding four years, among them mining, farming, carpenter's helper, concrete-mixing, etc. and gained much valuable experience but didn't get much ahead as wages low as $3 being considered a large wage for ten hours work. I continued to follow this kind of work until 1917 when the world war started. I enlisted in the infantry division of the army on April 27, 1917, and served until July 28, 1919, when I received an honorable discharge. I then went to Oroville, California where my brother Sam had bought a fruit ranch. He gave me work on his ranch for $50 per month and board. I worked there for two years and after saving a few hundred dollars, lost most of it in the chicken business. My brother Frank and I then took a contract cutting cord wood and after completing the job spent the winter months in Feather River Canyon gold prospecting. Our prospects didn't turn out well, but we did manage to eke out a living. The following spring we flipped a coin to see if we went to Portland, Oregon or came back to Utah. I won, so we came to Utah. This was in 1922.76 In the 1920 census, Francis was living with his brother Charles in Wyandotte Precinct, Butte County, California and his occupation was listed as laborer in an orchard (Charles was listed as an orchard farmer).77 In a 1984 interview, his aunt, Lillian Miles Searle, said, "Francis came to Price. He went down to the man who had bought Sam's barber shop and pool hall when he got home, wanting to train to be a barber. Instead, they gave him a job dealing and playing pool for a 75

Nettie Miles, Fra ncis M arion Miles, p.2. Note: Francis Marion M iles received his patriarchal blessing from his grandfather on Jan. 23 , 1899 (typewritten copy (no t original) in possession of B eth Davies) 76

Francis M . Miles, A B rief Histo ry of F rancis M. Miles, undated typescript in possession of Beth D avies.

77

192 0 U .S. Census, W yandotte P recinct, Butte C ounty, C alifornia, E.D . 13, sheet 1a, family #4 , FHL film 1,820, 094.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 23 use.

percentage in he downstairs gambling part. He had no other training, so he took the job.78 The Sun Advocate of Jan. 27, 1927 reported, "Francis Miles, Nick Bernardi, F.E. Steele, Jack Lindsay and Hero Yasukoehi are tied for the lead in the Carbon pocket billiard tournament at the conclusion of the first pairing play, Miles is the leader as far as high run is concerned, having clicked off fifty-eight, thirty-four, twenty-eight and twenty-two in the regulation 150-point match here."79 Francis' wife, Nettie Potter Miles, tells of their courtship and marriage, "I didn't really meet Francis until he came back to Price when I was working in the cafe. I was still in high school. He was ten years older, and he was the gambler...He came into the cafe a lot and then he started walking me to my second job....When he asked if he could see me more, I told him, well, if he wanted to he could walk me home after I got off work from the show at ten o'clock. He was dealing cards then, anyway, although I didn't know yet what he did. I knew he worked in the pool hall, but didn't really know what he did except play pool....When I started at B.Y.U. I had been seeing Francis quite awhile, ever since I was just a junior. After Dad got home from his mission, I took Frances up and introduced him. They questioned him a million time and he told them he was working and saving his money so he could go to barber school. He told them about his brother Sam and his other brothers being barbers, and that he had almost enough to go to barber school and after he got through he'd like to marry me. They said "no way" and told him to get out." Nettie kept seeing Francis anyway. Eventually, Nettie got mad at her parents and told Francis they would never consent to the marriage and she wanted to get married then. When returning to BYU from Christmas vacation, instead of getting off the train in Provo, she kept going to Salt Lake where Francis was going to Barber school.80 Francis and Nettie were married Jan. 3, 1923 in Salt Lake City. 81 They returned to Price in April and Francis spent the rest of his life there. Nettie wrote: "Francis got this other part-time job hauling trucks, he just couldn't make enough barbering. You had to start as a trainee and only got to keep 40 percent of what you took in. They were tough times."82 His daughter, Jean Miles Westwood, wrote, "When the depression hit people quit getting their hair cut, so Dad got on at Scowcrofts as a warehouseman, and Mother got up and baked six pies for the drugstore every morning on her old coal stove before getting the rest of us up. Finally Dad got on with the post office in the early thirties and worked there the rest of his life."83 In 1949, Francis was appointed to the board of Civil Service Examiners in Price for the Post

78

Lillian M iles Searle, Fran cis Marion M iles--Recollection s, oral interview July 1984 as transcribed by Jean W estwood. 79

Five are Now T ied for Lead in To urnam ent, Sun Advocate (Price, Utah), Jan 27, 1 927 , photocopy in possession o f Beth D avies. 80

Nettie Potter M iles, Mother's Memoirs as Recorded By Lee--The Elopement.

81

Marriage Certificate of Francis M. M iles and Nettie Potter in possession of Beth Davies

82

Nettie Potter M iles, Mother's Memoirs as Recorded By Lee--The Elopement,

83

Jean Miles W estwood, Eulogy for Ne ttie Potter Miles, Feb. 10, 1987 , typescript in po ssession of Beth

Davies.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 24 use.

Office.84 Francis died April 30, 1956 in Price85 of cancer.

84

United S tates Civil Service Co mmission, dated Feb . 25, 194 9, in possession o f Beth D avies.

85

Ancesteral File.

©Beth Davies AG. Permission is granted to copy for personal 25 use.