baby. Acts of heroism, sorrow, and courage were not uncommon. Winter came early that fall. The rockies slowed them, finished their shoes and supplies. It turned cold when the snow fell. The leaders forced 28 miles, then 20 the next day. The strong in the first company made it in, the weak fell behind. Hearing of their plight President Young rushed out wagons and provisions to the rescue those still 2 days out fighting high bands of snow. It was too late for Mary's father who died, leaving his wife and seven children. Esthers baby was so ill when they entered the Valley September 27, 1856 -- he was buried 4 days later, first of October. There were high drifts of snow.
The Heatons settled in Payson. In time they built a home, cleared gardens and fields, acquired chickens, pigs and livestock, but more important, four more sons. Our grandfather, Jonathan was their first child born in America. He was eight years younger of the same mold as CHristopher. They looked alike.
Johnston's Army was at Camp Floyd when ALvin Franklin 1860-1910 arrived at Peteelneet Creek near Salt Lake City. Lincoln was president, the Civil War flared from 1861-65. The first pony express rider left Missouri River to ride to Fort Kearney, Laramie, Fort Bridger, Great Salt Lake City, Camp Floyd, Carson City, Washol Silver MInes, Placerville to Sacramento. This war and the Westward Movement was the backdrop for the boys' childhood.
All the Heaton brothers were nice looking but alvin was so handsome he was given the lead in theatrical productions. All of them could sing but Will and Alvin were the best.
Wilford Wild Heaton 1862-1936 was born in Payson. He had dark, really curly hair and a voice impediment but liked to sing. He wanted to be a doctor but there was not opportunity for such training. He did pull teeth, set legs, helped with burials, made coffins, dug graves and sat with the dead. He also cut hair and was an excellent carpenter. He made closets, cabinets, helped Grandpa make chairs, tables and the picket fence that lined the cane on either side of the poplars. He did less ranching than some of the others, later had 2 plots and raised a good garden, had 4 girls, no boys -- so essential to pioneer life. He married Emma Plamer when 21. Jonathan was in charge of the United Order's Cotton Farm. Chris over them at the Moccasin Farm when they raised fruit, vegetables, made molasses, and had experience with cattle raising for the Order. Jonathan said there were feelings in camp over such things like when Sister Palmer sat on the breadbox, and then put the meat between the mattress to hide it until it spoiled. Much later Jonathan objected to Jessie Palmer courting his daughter, Lucy. After he turned to shy, plain little Ella and Jonathan relented. Wilford (called Uncle Will) often made long visits to Moccasin but never brought his wife or girls. He had been married in the temple, but when old was a chain smoker, and unhappy family "black sheep". The only Heaton I ever knew who broke the "Word of Wisdom". He did not seem as eager or as ambitious as Grandpa, Uncle Alvin or Uncle Fred. Perhaps because he didn't get one of the Carroll sisters for a wife. His wife didn't measure up to the Carroll sisters.
The baby of the Family was Fred Walker 1866-1914 born in Payson. He was only 9 when his mother died. Wilford was 13. September 27, 1875. Jonathan had his mother go to Salt Lake Provo with them while Amy Hoyt and he took out their endowments. She wasn't well and died in Provo and was buried in Payson, her home of twelve years. She was only 45 but had followed her husband across the Atlantic, when William Jr. was only 3 months old, walked the Plains, pioneered Payson, pulled up stakes to ride in a wagon to help settle St. Joseph on the Muddy which is now covered by Lake Meade. In tow years Nevada carved out the area from the State of Deseret and became a state with unfriendly officials who levied fees, a poll tax, to be paid in gold and made other impossible demands on pioneers who had little but their willingness to drain swamps, build canals, build adobe homes, there was not close timber for fuel or lumber, and clear farms and fields. Jonathan had trailed down their livestock from Payson alongside the wagon when he was eleven twelve. Some attachments had Indians scatter and kill animals but the Heatons were not confronted by them on their trip. There were problems for the new settlements later and when they abandoned the Muddy Mission after Brigham Young visited them, Indians and outsiders took everything of value with no thought of payment.
William and his oldest Chris married a year after Ester died but in another year 1877 William had died of cancer of the stomach. Brigham Young also died that year. The two younger boys worked with their brothers in the United Order and lived with Aunt Sara Jane Carroll Heaton and later Aunt Lucy Elizabeth Carroll Heaton. Returning to Utah from the Muddy they stopped temporarily with Captain Allen whose wife had died at the Muddy. He only had a duaghter who married Willis Webb. They bought the Giles Carroll Moccasin claim, but Heatons, Hoyts, Chamberlains and .... They had stopped temporarily at Moccasin, then in Mount Carmel in 1872 and Ordervile 1875 whe nthe United Order was established the year Esther died. They stayed in the United Order until it broke up. Fred married LaVina Carroll in 1885 then years after his mother's death. He and Aunt Vine lived ina sheep wagon for 3 1/2 years from Pip to Bull Rush to Brian Head. He went in with Fredrick Carroll -- Papa was named for these two. They bought land and water rights from Center Street to south hill in Orderville, ten acres below town, fifteen acres on the east side of the creek under Mt. Carmel and 15,000 sheep. He homesteaded Strawberry on Cedar Mountain and built a log cabin there, ran teh Garden House, his home, laid 3 miles of pipe to get water into Arizona, bred horses and cattle, bought a cream separator, corn sheller, and poured the first cement in Kane County. Their step mother of one year, Susan Snyder, remarried a Terrry and wasn't a factor in their lives. Charles Negus and Kezia were the greatest influence. The only grandparents Papa knew. His Heaton grandparents were dead before he was born. Kezia Giles Carroll lived 25 years longer than Charles. She and Wilford, her stepson, helped with the grandchildren's education in the Orderville School and on visits to Moccasin. Grandpa Heaton's parents died before he was born.