John Monroe Lancaster & Sarah Elizabeth Talley

John Monroe Lancaster was born in Oct 1847 (1842?) in Tennessee to William B Lancaster and Mary Ann “Polly” Davidson. Sarah "Elizabeth" Talley was born on Dec 7th 1847 to Allen Talley & Feriba Hemby probably in Hickman County, Tennessee. They had seven children: Elizabeth (16 at the massacre), John William (11), Jesse W (8), Margaret (6), Mary Maude (4), and Martha M (2) all in Tennessee (Lou was not born yet).

John was one of the first few baptized at Cane Creek and was Branch President early on. He lived on the north side of Cane Creek near Elisha Talley. Just up the hollow from him lived Thomas DePriest. Brother Lancaster appears in multiple missionary journals. He may have been a cobbler of sorts since several times he is noted noted as having repaired the missionaries shoes. In truth this may have been at most a side business, farming being the primary occupation of nearly all the residents of Cane Creek. Missionaries would also eat at his home, though I have not found a reference to any of them sleeping there.

John served as Branch President until October 3 1880. He was replaced by Buswell Blandon. The “eldest daughter” of John Lancaster [Elizabeth at age 12] was baptized on June 20 1880. On September 4 1883, Elder Gibbs records blessing the daughter of brother Lancaster and giving her the name Martha Louisa [Lancaster].

John's sister, Rachel, also joined the Church. She left for Colorado in 1883, well before the massacre. There she married William F. Campbell, a widower from North Carolina with a daughter from a previous marriage.

According to W. L. Pinkerton, after the massacre John immediately took his family to live in Colorado. He was probably in the company that followed John Morgan to Manassa where his sister already lived. Before 1900 he had returned to Tennessee to live in Catroost Perry County following the death of his wife in May 1886 [4th or 25th] in Colorado, and perhaps the death of his sister. John is in Tennessee to sign a deed selling his father's land in Lewis County in September 1891, so he may have moved back to Tennessee before that. Ward records in Colorado indicate that most of his sister Rachel's children returned to Tennessee too. Their names were removed from the church records in 1909.

Many of the saints who left their homes in the lush South for the cold, dry, high altitude plains of southern Colorado decided to return home. Though the historical record tells me where they went, it does not always tell me why.

William H. Jones

[William Howell Jones was the other missionary who survived the Cane Creek Massacre. Sorry I haven't been able to find a photograph.]

The son of Ricy Davis Jones and Anne Howell, William was born on 7 Oct 1858 in Brigham City Utah into stark poverty. For a time he lived in Wellsville, Utah. When he was 9 years old his mother divorced his father. She married John Davidson Burt almost a year later.

Elder Jones spent much of his early mission in Alabama and Mississippi. He was a talented debater and was considered a good match for Elder Gibbs on their tour to publicly defend the Church.

William H. Jones was 25 and unmarried at the time of the Massacre. Described by Deseret News as “short of stature, moderate build, and of polished and agreeable address.” He “joined Brother John H. Gibbs on Cane Creek” in April 1884.

He knew how to play the Beatie organ, or at least practiced it on one occasion. I have not been able to determine what that is, but it is some kind of musical instrument that Elder Gibbs slept through while his companion practiced.

Elder Jones stayed behind at the Garrett's home on August 10th, to read a sermon in the Deseret News. As he later made his way to the meeting he was captured by the mob and left under the guard of one of their number. He was later allowed to escape.

Elder Jones is described in Elder Gibbs own words.

"I recd word from Pres. Robert that ... one W.H. Jones was to be my companion. I met the said Jones at Bro Elisha Tally's - but little did I think it was my esteemable old friend W. H. Jones from Brigham City. My heart was lit up. my soul revived And I am proud of my Co laborer. Elder Jones is a Young man of 25 years. unmarried. has a good knowledge of the principles of Gospel. and has great faith in the power of God. He is blessed with talent, education good, He is good company, joval, comical yet spirited with sufficient good common sense to make time pass agreeagle. He came into the Mission is April 83. has labord in Ala and Miss. While there he debated publicly with one Rev. Wheeler made many friends and baptized six. "

Gibbs would later say that Jones....

"Is a refined young man of good education and qualifications - aged 25 years formeraly from Wellsville Cache Co. His deportment is good, is expression in average and in all I think I have been blessed with a good partner"

After his mission William H. Jones married Ellen Jane Stark on 28 Dec 1887 in Logan, Utah. They had three children. He died on 6 May 1916 in Brigham City, Utah. Ancestral file shows that he and his wife died on the same day. I have not been able to confirm this, but if true there is more to discover as it is unlikely they both died of natural causes on the same day.

[addendum: William Jones died from a complication of pyorrhea, a very serious stage of gum disease, where the bacteria spread through the blood stream. He and his wife had been separated for some time. Jones was living with his mother at the time of his death, taking law courses at the University of Utah. BAllen 10 Oct 2017]

Early Branches in Tennessee

I came across a document by Lyman D. Platt listing the early branches of the Mormon Church from 1830 to 1850 which is basically the pre-Utah period. Of course branches at the time functioned more like the way Stakes do today. I pulled out just the ones that were Tennessee.

ACADAMY, HENRY, TENNESSEE
26 Feb 1836, 8 members in good standing. 29 May
1836: 10 members. By 27 Apr 1837, 200 members of the
church in some forty wagons left Tennessee and Kentucky
for Far West. This branch was undoubtedly included in the
group because of the residences of some members that have
been identified. (WWJ 159: So. States Ms.: AOS:17)

BLOOD RIVER, BENTON. TENNESSEE
Mar 1835, organized with Abraham 0. Smoot as the
branch president although only a deacon. Members
included his step-father, Levi Taylor, and his mother, Ann
Rowlett. 20 Feb 1836, Abraham 0 . Smoot ordained an
elder. 29 May 1836, 10/11 members of the branch in good
standing.
By 27 Apr 1837, 200 members of the church in some
40 wagons left Tennessee and Kentucky for Far West. This
branch was included in the group. Mrs. Margaret T.
Adkinson, who was in the caravan; became the wife of A.
0. Smoot. (AOS:10,1 1.17,19 ; WWJl:59,60; JHC. 29 May
1836)

CHALK LEVEL, BENTON, TENNESSEE
2 Jul 1835. branch organized by William Woodruff at
the home of Seth Utley. Warren Parish ordained Abel B.
Wilson a deacon. 26 Feb 1836, 21 members in good
standing. 27 Apr 1837, 200 members of the church in
some forty wagons lei1 Tennessee and Kentucky for Far
West. This branch was undoubtedly included in the group
because the residences of some members have been
identified. (WWJ1:36,59; AOS: 17)

CLARK'S RIVER, TENNESSEE
Brother Thomas led there. 24 Jan 1836, Wilford
Woodruff blessed 2 children. (WWJI :56)

CYPRUS, BENTON: TENNESSEE
26 Feb 1836, 9 members in good standing. By 27 Apr
1837, 200 members of the church in some forty wagons
left Tennessee and Kentucky for Far West. This branch was
undoubtedly included in he group because of the residences
of some members that have been identified. (WWJI:S9;
AOS: 17)

DRESDEN, WEAKLEY, TENNESSEE
18 May 1844, William Camp, a member. May 1844.
a conference was held here. Jun 1844. 9 members baptized.
(AOS 3 1,33.34; So. States Ms., 26 May 1844.) [This is the
branch from which Elder William Shanks Berry's family
came - Bruce Crow]

DUCK RIVER, HICKMAN, TENNESSEE
In the 1840s, there was a branch there. (So. States Ms.,
Aud 1883) [This branch was called Shady Grove at the
time of the Cane Creek Massacre. - Bruce Crow]

DYER COUNTY, TENNESSEE
20 Jan 1844, about 13 members. (So. States Ms., 20
Jan 1844)

EAGLE CREEK, BENTON, TENNESSEE
6 Jun 1835. Wilfbrd Woodruff preached at the meeting
house of Eagle Creek. Baptized 2 persons the next evening
at Brocher Fry's place. 28 Sun 1835, Warren Parish
preached his farewell sermon. Elder Calvin H. Nicholson
was present. Wilford Woodruff was ordained an elder by
Warren Parish. Waswell Medlock was ordained a deacon
over the branch by Warren Parish. 29 Jun 1835, 1 person
baptized at Squire Ivins place. Brother Walker was a
member.
2 Feb 1836, 15 members in good standing. By 27 Apr
1837, 200 members of the church in some forty wagons
left Tennessee and Kentucky for Far West. This branch was
undoubtedly included in the ,group because of the residences
of some members that have been identified. 9 Jun 1844, 17
members, including Robert Petty, elder; Sea Velie,
president; and B. B. Barnett, teacher. 22-23 Jun 1844, Elder
Abraham 0. Smoot organized a branch of 17 members and
baptized 4 new members. (lWJ 1 :31,33,36.58.59; So.
States Ms., 9 Jun 1844: AOS: 17,34)

EBINE COUNTY, TENNESSEE
20 Jan 1844. about 13 members in the branch. (So.
States Ms.: 20 Jan 1844) perhaps this is supposed to be Obion County

GIBSON COUNTY. TENNESSEE
20 Jan 1844, about 13 members. (So. States Ms., 20
Jan 1844)

HENDERSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
20 Jan 1844, about 13 members. (So. States Ms. 20 Jan
1844)

JACKSON COUNTY. TENNESSEE
11 Dec 1839, 21 baptized. (So. States Ms. 1 1 Dec 1839)

MADISON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
20 Jan 1844, about 13 members in the county. (So.
States Ms. 20 Jan 1844)

MCNARY COUNTY. TENNESSEE
Aug 1839, 14 members. 1 Mar 1841 , 28 members.
(So. Stares Ms. 26 Dec 1839, 1 Ma 1841)

OVERTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
1 1 Dec 1839, Julian Moses baptized 17. 12 Jun 1840,
65 members. (So. Stares Ms. I 1 Dec 1839, 12 Jun 1840)

PUTNAM COUNTY, TENNESSEE
18 May 1841. branch organized. (So. States MS. 18
May 1841)

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TENNESSEE
May 15 1841, 30 or more members in the western
part of rbe county. 29 O ~1L879 . Elder Joseph Argyle wrote
that in Williamson County, Tennessee, he met a sister Mary
Hickman, who told him "chat her husband. William R.
Hickman. and she were baptized by John D. Lee in
Rutherford County, Tennessee in the year 1843. She s t a d
that there was an organized branch there. all of whom
gathered with the main body of the church except her
husband, herself and one sister." (So. States Ms. 15 May
1841, 29 Oct 1879)

SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE
1 Mar 1841. a branch organized in the county at that
time. (So. States Ms. 1 Mar 1841)

SMITH COUNTY, TENNESSEE
15 May 1841, a branch organized. (So. States Ms. 15
May 1841)

TENNESSEE
Nov 1839. George W. Gee and Julian Moses were in
Tennessee in DeKalb. Overton and Jackson counties. There
were 51 members in six counties. (So. States Ms., Nov
1839)

WHITLEWILLE, JACKSON. TENNESSEE
Nov 1839, about 30 members. (So. States Ms. Nov
1839)

Willard Washington Bean

I have recently received some manuscripts from the Church Archives about Cane Creek. The first manuscript I have looked through was written by Willard Bean.

Now some of you may know of Willard Bean as the man tapped by Joseph F. Smith to manage the Smith Family farm in Palmyra for the Church. The Church had purchased the farm with the understanding that the current inhabitant, William Avery Chapman, could stay there until he found a new home. After seven years, Chapman found a new home and Willard Bean and his wife were asked to live there, maintain the farm and become friends with the local people. He also quietly purchased land in the area as it became available, including the Hill Cumorah, the Martin Harris and Peter Whitmer Farms, and the Sacred Grove.

But before this he served a mission in Tennessee. At the end of his mission, in 1895, he was authorized to visit Cane Creek in Lewis County for the purpose of learning as much as possible about the events of August 10, 1884. His charge included securing a photograph of the Conder home, which he was unable to do for lack of an available photographer.

I presume he was selected for two reasons. First he was President of the Middle Tennessee Conference, something like a Zone leader, but with far more responsibility in those days. So he had already been entrusted with considerable responsibility and had proved his ability. Second his brother had been in the area before and had befriended at least two local families. This connection proved valuable in meeting just the right people to learn what he had been asked to learn.

Bean interviewed dozens of people. Some of the interviews he “quoted” in his journal. However for most of his trip he was in “disguise” as a timber businessman. So, at best, he transcribed each night what he could recall from the day. Most of the people he recorded their names although in a few cases only a first name or last name was given. Regardless his detail is remarkable. Only a few details are obviously incorrect, but understandably so considering his methods.

For example, while interviewing a person who was farming the land around the former Conder home, but who was not an eyewitness, Bean was told that Babe Hinson was shot and that his brother (David?) had threatened to shot someone to get them to help carry him away from the farm. In truth it was David who was shot. And Babe was likely the person doing the threatening. But since the story teller was not an eyewitness, and Bean recorded the story later that night, the rolls could have been switched at some point. It doesn’t invalidate the account. It merely underscores the nature of the source. Eyewitnesses are unreliable and second hand eyewitnesses are even worse.

Church Archives - Another update

Those who have been reading here long will know that I have been waiting for a package from the Church History Library and Archives (read here and here). Well yesterday it arrived. Well, actually it could have arrived two days ago since I frequently neglect my mailbox, but that is a whole other subject.

The package included the manuscripts (two on a CD and one on paper), some photocopies of pictures I already had (the copies included the back of the pictures too which is often every bit as interesting as the photo itself), a copy of the original research request filled out by Christine (thank you) and a bill. Yes, a bill. They don't do this stuff for free.

I know you are thinking "how much?" When I called the Archives price was never on my mind. I knew what I wanted and there was no way I was going to let cost get in my way. How expensive could it be after all? Over the last few weeks I have waited for it to arrive I have thought to my self the very same thing. And what did it come too? ... $8.45 A bargin by any definition of the word.

In the next few days I will comb over these documents and I hope to have some wonderful new things to share. But for now I will just say to the librarians and archivists who helped, Thank you.

Henry Thompson

[This is one of the two missionaries to survive the massacre. ]
Henry Bronson Thompson (sorry no photo yet) was born on 6 Mar 1859 at Filmore, Millard Co, Utah. His parents were Daniel Thompson and Laurinda Elizabeth Bronson. By the time he was called on a mission he was living in Scipio, Utah, about 25 miles away.

He started his mission in October 1882 at the same time as Elder Willis E Robinson, who would also serve in Tennessee. Elder Thompson spent the first part of his mission working south and east of Nashville with Elder Martineau, while Elder Robison worked with Elder Alfred. The four of them frequently worked together. His companions included Elders Geddes, Miles, Styler and finally Elder William S. Berry.

Probably in June 1884, Elder Thompson was assigned as a companion to Elder Berry. Thompson was at the Condor home during the Cane Creek Massacre but escaped out the backdoor after Elder Gibbs was killed but before Elder Berry and the others were shot. His survival can be best attributed to Elder Berry's quick thinking when he push aside the guns aimed to shoot at Elder Thompson.

He is one of the primary sources for the events at the Condor home. His version was published in the Deseret News and is combined with the accounts of Elder William H. Jones, and several unnamed witnesses interviewed by B. H. Roberts, Willis E. Robison and J. Golden Kimball.

In the Deseret News interview shortly after the Massacre, Henry Thompson is described as “somewhat over medium height, somewhat heavy build, and fair complexion. His age is 25 years. He speaks with deliberation, and has a pleasant and modest address.”

After his arrival home Elder Thompson was married to Hannah Elizabeth Yates on 25 Dec 1884. They had nine children.

[Update. I just ran across this tidbit. According to Stan Larson of the UofU Manuscript library, "On p. 232, note 332, of David O. McKay's Scottish Missionary diaries, which is entitled "What E'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part," it says: Henry B. Thompson (1859-1941) served as a missionary in the Southern States Mission from October 1882 to September 1884. Because of his near-tragic experience on that mission (see the next footnote), when he was called on another, he was allowed to pick the place where he wanted to serve." He is also quoted on p. xxxviii and 240." He served in Scotland starting in 1899. In May 1900 he was appointed President of the Scottish Conference and returned home in June 1901.]

Around 1905 Henry and his wife move away from Scipio, Utah. First they moved to Ogden, Utah and later to Plain City, Utah. He died on 8 Mar 1941 in Plain City, Weber Co., Utah, three years after his wife.

William Shanks Berry

William Shanks Berry was born on February 3, 1838 in Dresden, Tennessee. His parents, Jesse and Amalia Berry, were among the first to join the LDS church in the state of Tennessee. To unite with the saints they went to Nauvoo, Illinois, arriving shortly after the death of Joseph Smith. In 1844, Jesse died and is buried in Nauvoo. Amalia took her ten children to Utah.They settled at Spanish Fork and later moved to Kanarraville.

In a biography found in the Lewis County book, he is described as having “a fine personal appearance, being fully six feet in height and powerfully built. He was somewhat slow of speech, but endowed to a remarkable degree with good, sound sense, and was of a mild and genial disposition.”

As a young boy William helped Charles Price defend cattle from Utes. The two charged and shot at the larger Ute raiding party scaring them off and saving the cattle. Price was shot in the leg and crippled during the attack. William was unharmed.

In the spring of 1866, two of his brothers and a sister-in-law were killed by Indians. Determined to exact revenge, he tracked down the leader of the Indian marauders and came close to killing him, even “held a knife to his stomach.” But when it came to actual bloodshed, William couldn’t do it. He let the Indian escape unharmed telling friends that he “wanted no human blood on his soul.”

On April 15th 1884, shortly after his arrival in Tennessee, he was described by Elder Willis Robison as being “a man of some experience.” Accordingly he was assigned to serve with Elder Reynold A. Crump on Tumbling and Indian Creeks. (Robison Journal, vol 4, Page 66). After just two weeks Elder Berry was reassigned to work with Elder Henry Thompson. While Elder Gibbs was on special assignment, Berry and Thompson periodically met with the branch at Cane Creek.

On August 10th 1884, when a mob attacked a church service at Cane Creek, Elder Berry died trying to defend his companion from being shot by holding or pushing aside the guns aimed at Elder Thompson, allowing him time to escape. He was immediately shot by another member of the mob.

He was the only polygamist at the meeting that Sunday, although it did not appear to have been public knowledge at the time. Even the mission president B. H. Roberts said when asked by the papers that as far as he knew none of the missionaries had more than one wife. Below are each of his wives and children with the ages of the children at the time of the massacre.

He married Rebecca Rocena Beck on 22 Nov 1860. They had 10 children: William Alfred (23), Amelia Rebecca (21), Hannah Margaret (19), Harriet Louisa (17), Martha Eleanor (15), Lucilla Diantha (14), Rocena Adeline (11), Mary Wilhelmina (10), John William (7) and Minnie Melvina (19 mos).

He married Diantha Allen on 15 Oct 1864. She died in 1873, 11 years before the massacre. They had no children together but Diana had these children from a previous marriage: Alfred Alonzo Higgins (27), Sarah Ann Higgins (24), Alfred Moroni Higgins (23), and Louisa Jane Higgins (22).
He married Lovinia Nicholson Sylvester on 22 Jun 1874 and had 5 children: James Sylvester (9), Jesse Arthur (7), Althea Rebecca (5), Emma Lovinia (22 mos), and William Andrew (3 mos).

Short-term Missions

I ran accross a reference to "Short Term Missions" in an Deseret News article last week. The article was from 1943. On the same page (a photocopoy) were portions of other articles: "Bishop on Short Mission" and "Bishop Drowned on Short-term Mision." when considered with the reference to a short-term missions in the article I wanted in the first place, that makes three on a single page. So being the curious sort I am I had to ask "what was a short term mission?"

When I was a youth, a short term mission was a two week long stay with the full time missionaries. It was for 17-18 year olds to give them a taste of missionary life. We also called them Two Week Missions. To be honest, I at the time I thought "Why would anyone volunteer for that?" Ah, the self centeredness of youth.

The three examples above are clearly different. In two cases the person was a Bishop, and in the third the Elder was definately in his 60's. They appear to be for six months. and at least these were all in the United States. I did find references to LeGrand Richards serving a short-term mission to the Eastern States in 1926 (at age 40) for six months.

Anyone know anything else about this?

Emigration to Zion after 1868

Mormons are great record keepers. The Mormon Overland Travel, 1847-1868 is one example. It lists the Mormon pioneers across the plains and covers up to the advent of rail travel to Utah. It is pretty good but it isn't complete, so they are always looking for help improving it. Check to see if your pioneer ancestor is on it. If not, let them know. But emigration to Zion didn't end until the 20th century. There are thirty years of people coming to Utah, and the surrounding areas to join the saints in Zion. The record for that is less documented.

In late October or early November of 1884, shortly after the Cane Creek Massacre, many of the saints from Cane Creek who had not left already, followed John Morgan to Manassa, Colorado. According to B. H. Roberts, the church heavily subsidized this particular emigrant company. But neither the Family History Library nor the Church Archives have an official record available showing who was in the group. An online account said that 177 saints were in that group, but it did not quote the source. Arrgggh.

While in Salt Lake Last week I stopped in at the Family History Library. I thought perhaps I would have better luck in person. After a fruitless search I made my way over to the Archive. (I was able to to put some faces with the names I have come to know.) One of the archivists suggested looking at the Stake History that include the Manassa, Colorado Ward. Perhaps they will have a record of who arrived and where they were from. So I took five minutes and found it. Quickly I wrote down the number of the microfilm and took it up to the reference desk. Unfortunately I was there on New Year's Eve. They were closing early (at 4:00) and not taking any more requests from the stacks after 3:30 (it was 3:35). I had spent too much time at the Family History Library.

I'll be back. My next trip may be in August, and the Archives will be in their new home by then. Another excuse for a visit.

Cane Creek Membership List

One of the ongoing questions about Cane Creek I have been trying to answer is Who was there? I know the obvious ones, The Condors, and the Missionaries, but there were others there too. Who were they? Journals, letters, and newspaper reports give me about 20 names. But I'm not satisfied. I want more. We are a record keeping church There certainly must be records.

So while I was in Utah last week I took the advice I was given by the Archivist at the Church History Archives and stopped by the Family history library. It is very interesting how a different approach will limit your ability to research. Most people doing genealogy are looking for a person. For example, when you look in census records, you start with a name. I want a list of everyone who was baptized at Cane Creek between 1879 and 1884.

Before I go on I must say that every one was very helpful. Not only did they point me to where they thought I should be, they even walked with me to make sure I didn't get lost. So I started at the front desk. From there we went to Special Collections downstairs. Special Collections has, among other things, ordinance work for living people, (i. e. not by proxy). You need a current Temple Recommend to go through it. Well it turns out it doesn't include live baptisms. Living baptisms aren't done in the temple so they are not included. There was some head scratching and someone pulled out a book on LDS research sources. After admitting this wasn't her area of expertise, she said there was someone on the second floor who did know this stuff.

So we went up to the second floor (taking the stairs) and found the right person. He pulled out the same book on LDS records and showed me how to read it. A few tries brought us to a micro film copy of a a ledger book. The pages were huge and there were dozens of them covering all the baptisms in Middle Tennessee up through 1911. The only catch is they are sort of alphabetized (all the "C"s are together) and then by date. So the Cane Creek ones are scattered over dozens of pages. And it is hand written, in different handwriting, some in pen others in pencil, and many are crossed out. I guess they took the "have your name blotted out" part quite literally.

After a quick check to see if the Condors were there (they were) and a look around for other names at Cane Creek, I noted the file number and put it away. I will order permanent copy of this microfilm to be sent to my local family history library. It isn't expensive, about $15, I think, and to be honest the two week loan just will not be enough time. Our library is only open a couple nights a week. For what I want to do, I'll need to transcribe the ledger, and that will take hours. Besides, this film is exactly what a family history center in Middle Tennessee needs.

Elders Gibbs And Berry Travel Again

I found a reference to a Deseret News article about the urban legend around the children/descendants of Elders Gibbs and Berry serving together in the Cane Creek area. The date was 18 September 1943. But none of the online resources include dates that old. So I posted a query at the Salt Lake City Public Library. I fully expected some direction on how I could request specific articles.
Instead, I return home to find a letter from the SLC Public Library with no name to whom I can give the credit and the thanks. Inside was a single page photocopy of the September 18, 1943 article.

Elders Gibbs And Berry Travel Again
Descendants of Famous Missionary Pair in South
by Ada M. Swain
(Phoenix Stake Correspondent)
Elders Gibbs and Berry are again traveling in the South.
They are a pair of young missionaries, each descended from the Elders Gibbs and Berry who gave their lives as martyrs at the Tennessee Massacre of 1884.
A recent picture received by Mr. and Mrs. Oron Berry of Phoenix Ariz. shows their son, Alfred Oron Berry with Elder Eugene Jens Gibbs of Hyrum, Utah. Elder O. D. Flake of Phoenix, recently returned from a short term mission in the South where he met the two Elders.
This is the third combination of Gibbs and Berry who have been companions in the same section of the United States. Elder Flake reports that when he was on his first mission 43 years ago he met a pair, Elder Gibbs and Berry who were travelling together in Tennessee. They were the sons of the two men who were murdered by the mob in that state.

Included is a photo of the most recent Elder's Gibbs and Berry. The article goes on the quote the Essential Church History account of the massacre. It closes the article with this.

These two young men, today touring the same ground as missionaries for the church are a grandson of John H. Gibbs and a grand nephew of William S Berry.

I have to say this falls short of the proof I was looking for. For starters, Elder Flake's story is interesting, but he gives no first names and a memory 43 years old can easily be a little wrong. My initial find of a Gibbs/Berry companionship (described here and here) may be all there is to Elder Flake's recollections. In addition, this Elder Berry is indeed related the William S. Berry, but is not his descendant. So this was close, but still falls short of proving the legend.

On another note though, On my recent trip I found an index of "all" of the missionaries the church has called. I was hoping to get a comprehensive list of the missionaries that served at Cane Creek. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. In order to use the index, you need to know the missionary's name. But having read this article I think I could probably look up all the Gibbs and Berrys and would probably have a reasonable size list to work through.

Family Relics

I unexpectently spent the last two weeks traveling the western United States. So I took to opportunity to visit with relatives from Indiana, California, Utah, and Oregon, and I found a common theme to my visits. In each case the conversation turned to the people through whom we were related. And when it did my hosts pulled out the relics that reminded us of our shared heritage.
Mormons loved relics. We don’t embue them with the miraculous power that other religions sometimes give to these artifacts, but we love them nonetheless. In my case I saw

• A 17th century key to the home of an ancestor who lived on an island in the Irish Sea.
• A boomerang picked up by my great grandfather on his mission to Australia.
• A leather covered lead police stick used to clear the patrons out of unlicensed bars in 19th century Salt Lake City.
• A 100 year old child’s top belonging to my grandfather.
• And of course endless photos of people – sadly most nameless - and places.

As I write this (my wife is driving) I am following Interstate 80 east back home and we pass through a tunnel likely built with the electrical work of my wife’s grandfather. That tunnel is a relic we will never be able to touch, but we feel just as close to the hole in the side of the mountain as we do to my grandfather’s childhood toy.
Why? Perhaps because it makes us feel connected to our history. Mormons perhaps more so. We are a religion grounded in history, most of it recent and full of documentation. Many religions are based in historic events, but for them we know only the year it happened, and sometimes not even that. For Mormon history we know the date, and sometimes even the time of day. We know who was there. For some of us we have relatives that were there, making church history equal to family history.
I return home after this unexpected trip having met several people I previously knew only by name and few conversations. I also return with a richer knowledge of my family history some of it only possible because of the relics of the past.