Thanks for All Who Participated in the 2024 Milo Day of Service
March 26, 2024
It was a great success.
Winter 2023 Newsletter Now Available
February 14, 2023
Fall 2022 Newsletter Now Available
November 22, 2022
Look inside for:
- A message from the newly elected president Susan Fuller
- Highlights of the 2022 family reunion
REMINDER: Reunion This Saturday
June 12, 2022
Join us at the Milo Andrus Family Reunion this Saturday, June 18th at 9am.
DATE
Saturday, June 18, 2022
LOCATION
Bountiful Chapel Park
2285 South 200 West
Bountiful, Utah, 84010
SCHEDULE
—9:00 am: Arrive, meet and greet
—10:00 am: Business meeting, nomination and election of new officers (Join virtually: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85139686548?pwd=VjRmRGJuWTY3RC9JRWhTK0MrZ2ZpZz09 Meeting ID: 851 3968 6548, Passcode: 134520)
—10:30 am: Wife-line meetings
—11:30 am: Lunch served
—12:30 pm: Activities/social (some virtual)
For lunch, the family organization will provide hamburger, chicken, and vegan options on the grill, along with condiments, utensils, etc.
Please bring a potluck appetizer, salad or dessert to share.
Photo display, photo booth, T-shirt/hoodie orders and more!
REUNION T-SHIRTS
Order your reunion t-shirts and have them shipped to your home. Place your orders here.
QUESTIONS?
President@MiloAndrus.org.
Spring 2022 Newsletter Now Available
May 5, 2022
Highlights include:
- 2022 Family Reunion Schedule – June 18, 2022, Bountiful, Utah
- Ordering Family Reunion T-Shirts
- Milo Andrus Day of Service Report
- Matty Abernathy: Temple “Work”
Reunion Shirts Now Available
April 14, 2022
Reminder: Milo Andrus Day of Service This Saturday!
March 24, 2022
It has been a long time since we have been able to get together to have a clean-up day at the Milo Andrus Home at This is the Place Heritage Park. This will take place this Saturday, March 26, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. We will start with a quick and delicious light breakfast and then get to work. We need to be finished by 10:00 a.m. for the spring season opening of the park. The weather should be great. Please invite those who can physically make it to be there. We encourage all those in other locations to do some kind of service as a part of our “Day of Service”.
Please bring rakes, shovels, clippers, loppers, leaf bags, etc.
Questions? Contact president@miloandrus.org.
Winter 2022 Newsletter Now Available
March 2, 2022
Look inside to find out more about:
- 2022 Milo Andrus Day of Service – March 26, 2022
- Milo Andrus Family Reunion – June 18, 2022 in Bountiful, Utah
- Ordering 2022 Family Reunion T-Shirts
- Doug Andrus: What being a descendant of Milo Andrus means to me
- RootsTech 2022: A Closer Look
Join Us For The Milo Andrus Day of Service – Saturday, March 26, 8 A.M.
March 1, 2022
Mark your calendars, set your alarm clocks and dress for the weather. We are gathering early Saturday, March 26, for the 2022 Milo Andrus Service Day at the Andrus home at This Is the Place Heritage Park, 2601 East Sunnyside Avenue, Salt Lake City. Our service will primarily involve outdoor cleanup, beginning with a light breakfast at 8 a.m. and wrapping up by 10 a.m. Please bring rakes, shovels, clippers, loppers, leaf bags, etc.
If you can’t join us in Salt Lake, we encourage you to do some kind of service as a part of our “Day of Service”.
Quesitons? president@miloandrus.org
Fall 2021 Newsletter Now Available
November 13, 2021
Look inside to find out more about:
- Milo Andrus Family Reunion – June 18, 2022 in Bountiful, Utah
- March 2022 Day of Service update
- D. Calvin Andrus: What being a descendant of Milo Andrus means to me
- Book spotlight: Forty Years by Mark Henshaw
Summer 2021 Newsletter Now Available
August 14, 2021
Highlights
- Milo Andrus Family Reunion Information – June 18, 2022
- Kathryn Ellis: What being a descendant of Milo Andrus means to me
- Connect with your wife-line representative
- Help us with social media
Spring 2021 Newsletter Now Available
April 26, 2021
Highlights
- Save the date: Milo Andrus Family Reunion – June 18, 2022
- Updating your email address
- Milo Andrus on social media
- Book Review: Zion’s Camp 1834 March of Faith
- Letter from the Editor: What being a descendant of Milo Andrus means to me
- 2021 dues
Spring 2019 Newsletter Now Available
June 2, 2019
New DNA Research Points to Joseph Johnson as Ruluf’s Father
October 9, 2017
Ruluf Andrus research report Oct 2017 (PDF)
Is Eber Andrews Milo’s Grandfather? – New Research
July 5, 2017
The Milo Andrus Family Organization commissioned new research into the ancestry of Ruluf Andrus, Milo’s father. Read the report here: Ruluf Andrus research report 6_21_17 (PDF).
This report, and other research reports, can be found on the Milo Andrus website: http://miloandrus.org/genealogy/research-reports/.
Spring 2017 Newsletter Now Available
June 1, 2017
Milo Andrus Family Organization Newsletter – 2017 May
Obituary: Hyrum Andrus
February 13, 2016
Hyrum Andrus (Jane Munday wife line) served as the Genealogical Chairman of the Milo Andrus Family Organization and editor of the Andrus Recorder from 1964-1984. He was also the editor of Trumpeter of God: Fascinating True Stories of the Great Missionary and Colonizer, Milo Andrus published in 1992 and wrote some of its chapters.
1924-2015
Hyrum Leslie Andrus passed away at home in Alpine Utah October 23, 2015. He was born March 12, 1924 to Newton Leslie and Zina Alberta Andrus of Lyman Idaho. He married Helen Mae Hillman March 31, 1949 in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple.
Hyrum was a dutiful servant and missionary to his God and church, a patriot to his country, a renowned scholar, author, lecturer and teacher with a Doctorate degree from Syracuse University. Hyrum was a loving, caring husband and father.
Hyrum is survived by his loving wife Helen Mae; children: John Leslie Andrus of Elko, Nevada; Richard Milo Andrus of Stansbury Park, Utah; David Hyrum Andrus of Evanston, Wyoming; 16 Grandchildren and 16 Great Grandchildren; and his sister Nyal Merrell of Orem Utah.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00AM, Thursday, October 29, 2015 at the Alpine 1st Ward chapel, 890 North Heritage Hills Drive, Alpine, UT 84004. Friends and family may visit at the church from 9:30AM to 10:45AM prior to the services. Interment will be at the Sutton Cemetery in Archer, Idaho.
Obituary reprinted rom The Daily Herald.
What are your memories of Hyrum? Post them below.
February 2016 Newsletter Now Available
February 13, 2016
The February 2016 issue of the Milo Andrus Family Newsletter is now available:
Milo-Andrus-Family-Organization-Newsletter-2016-Feb
May 2014 Newsletter Now Available
May 8, 2014
The May 2014 issue of the Milo Andrus Family Newsletter is now available:
http://miloandrus.org/wp-content/uploads/Milo-Andrus-Family-Organization-Newsletter-2014-May.pdf
Milo Andrus Day of Service — March 15, 2014
January 27, 2014
Milo was Born on March 14, 1814 — How Will You Celebrate His 200th Birthday?
Milo Andrus left a legacy of service. Throughout his life he served his family, church and community. During the month of March 2014 we encourage you and your family to plan a day of service to benefit your family, church, or community.
Take photos of your service project and share them with the Milo Andrus Family Organization (send them to webmaster@miloandrus.org). We will include your photos in the next family newsletter.
For Those Who Live in the Salt Lake Area
If you live in the Salt Lake area, join us on Saturday, March 15, 2014, from 9am-12pm at the Andrus Halfway House at This Is The Place Heritage Park (2601 E. Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah). We have the opportunity to perform spring cleaning and yard work at Milo’s house and other pioneer buildings in the park. Here are the things we will be doing and tools needed:
- General cleanup along creek and elsewhere (shovels, rakes, hoes, weed whackers, etc.)
- Repairing fences (hammers, nails, drills, gripper screws, saws, pliers, etc.)
- Pruning fruit trees (chain saws, limb loppers/pruners)
In addition, you will probably want to bring coats, gloves, hats, etc. as it may be cold.
- We especially encourage youth ages 12-18 to participate
- Drinks and snacks will be provided
Please RSVP for this activity by clicking here: http://whoozin.com/WUF-4AW-X7YG. Let us know how many people you will be bringing.
Spread the Word! Pass this information on to anyone you think would like to come (kids, grandkids, cousins, etc.).
Questions? Contact Russ Mathis: phone (801) 968-3779 or email russm1517@yahoo.com.
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Fall 2013 Newsletter Now Available
December 14, 2013
The latest edition of the Milo Andrus Family Organization Newsletter is now available on the Milo Andrus website. Click here to access it:
We will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Milo’s birth at a special family reunion on June 28, 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Make plans now to attend!
Obituary: Brent Wakeman
July 17, 2012
Brenton “Brent” H. Wakeman (Jane Munday wifeline), 71, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, July 15th, 2012, surrounded by family. Death came from complications due to heart and kidney failure.
Brent was born June 8, 1941, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Herman and Verda Andrus Wakeman and spent a happy childhood on a ranch in Grays Lake, Idaho, which always remained dear to his heart.
While attending Soda Springs High School, Brent contributed to the Football team, Track and Field, and the Band. He continued his education at Carbon Jr. College in Price, Utah, where he played football. He then received a Bachelors Degree of Business Management at the University of Utah in SLC, Utah.
Brent spent his life with his high school sweetheart, Caroline Yost of Bancroft, Idaho. They recently celebrated 52 years of marriage, having been sealed in the LDS Salt Lake City Temple.
Following college, Brent began work with the Coleman Company, managing factories in Cedar City, Utah, and Wichita, Kansas. He then engineered and put into operation his own sewing factories in Soda Springs, Idaho, Canby, Oregon, and Salem, Oregon. He retired in Nampa, Idaho.
Brent’s life was filled with travel, having visited all fifty United States, as well as having extensively toured Europe. He and Caroline also visited all 40 County Seats of Idaho in one summer, an accomplishment which they enjoyed very much. He was a great outdoorsman, enjoying camping, fishing, hunting and RV’ing.
Brent belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, most recently a member of the Nampa 35th Ward. He loved to give service in quiet, unpretentious ways and generously donated of his means.
He was a man of few words, yet being gifted with a brilliant mind, his well-chosen words showed great insight and thoughts which ran deeply.
Brent is survived in death by his beloved wife, Caroline; four daughters, Wendy Lynne (Rod) Peatross of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Leslie Adell (Mark) Anderson of Canby, Oregon, Ardith Anne (Brian) Haws of Salem, Oregon, and Suzanne Marie (Duane) Peck of Kuna, Idaho; and one son, Wayne Brent (Lis) Wakeman of Kenmore, Washington; a beloved sister, Sandra (Robert) Christopherson of Farr West, Utah; 16 beloved grandchildren of whom he was most proud; and 5 sweet little great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, and his parents-in-law, Glenn and Frances Yost.
Services for Brent will be held Saturday, July 21, 2012 in Soda Springs, Idaho, at the Bailey Creek LDS Church at 361 S. 3rd East. The Grays Lake Ward Bishopric will be conducting the services. The family will visit with friends at 9:30 am at the church, with funeral services immediately following in the chapel at 11:00am. Interment will be at the Fairview Cemetery in Soda Springs.
In memory of Brent, perhaps you might share a quiet kindness with another who is in need.
To share your sympathies, condolences and memories, leave a comment below or visit the Sims Funeral Home website.
Report of the 2011 Milo Andrus Family Reunion
July 12, 2011
Upon my arrival early on a cool, slightly overcast Saturday morning the Liberty Park maintenance crew was just finishing their clean up of the Rice Terrace Pavilion. Gary Ball and family (Margaret Boyce wife line) were already busily engaged in preparing a delightful breakfast. Don Andrus (Jane Munday wife line) and his group of volunteers—mostly members of his extended family—were preparing for reunion registration. During registration, special color-coded name badges were given to attendees, identifying them as members of their specific wife lines.
As attendees arrived, they were greeted with friendly smiles at the registration tables along with the pleasant aroma of pancakes, eggs and ham cooking nearby. Pictures of the several wife lines were also spread out on tables for all to see. An opening prayer by Craig Anderson (Jane Munday) got things officially started.
Following the all-you-can eat breakfast, I conducted our family business meeting (see official meeting minutes for all details). The main order of business was to elect a new president and vice president for the organization. Craig Jensen (Sarah Miles) was elected president, and Andy Andrus (Jane Munday) was elected vice president.
Newly elected president Craig Jensen (Sarah Miles wife line) and vice-president Andy Andrus (Jane Munday wife line).
Brief reports were then given by the following:
- Don Andrus (Jane Munday): Financial report
- Dean Andrus (Jane Munday): Information/Mailing lists
- Laura Anderson (Jane Munday): Research
Laura also asked each wife line to visit with her in their wife line meetings to discuss ongoing research needs within the wife lines and to encourage further participation.
Family genealogist Laura Anderson gives a research update.
Outgoing president, Brent Andrus, conducts the business meeting.
I reviewed the progress of the organization, including research, communications, expansion of social media, and the need to reach many more of Milo Andrus’s descendants. Mark Andrus (Abigail Daley), who chaired the reunion committee, then reviewed the events for the remainder of the day. Don Jensen (Sarah Miles), maestro extraordinaire and game organizer, reviewed the musical and game events for the day.
Wife line meetings immediately followed the business meeting, and then people were off to participate in many activities, including guessing contests, organized games, kiddie rides and paddle boats on the lake or just relaxing for awhile. I chose the last option and relaxed while listening to Don Jensen’s exceptional string orchestra as they practiced. Others took advantage of the free time to have individual family picnics or to visit various Milo Andrus historical sites around the Salt Lake Valley.
Newton Andrus conducts the Jane Munday wife line meeting.
Family members discuss genealogy.
Displays of thousands of historical family photos.
Pioneer games.
Three-legged races.
Getting to know new cousins.
The guessing contests were a challenge for both young and old.
Paddle boats.
Amusement park rides.
Cotton candy, mmmmm.
For dinner, Gary Ball and company returned and cooked up another great meal of hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixings. We were treated to delightful music from Don Jensen and orchestra during the dinner hour. Then precisely at 5:45 pm (well almost) we gathered for group and wife line pictures. Try getting 200 people moving in the same direction and lining up so all can be seen in the picture! Thank goodness for the color-coded name badges! My daughter Lori Barnhurst (Jane Munday) was the official photographer for the day, taking the group photos as well as numerous candid photos.
Dinner was great! It was hamburgers, hot dogs and watermelon, followed by mint brownies (yum).
Everyone was able to talk and get to know each other over dinner.
The innagural Andrus Family Orchestra under the baton of Don Jensen (Sarah Miles wife line).
Following the group photos (or group chaos, if you prefer) we all settled down for the highlight of the evening, the re-enactment of the play presented at the last reunion, The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus, written and directed by De Lane Andrus Hyer (Ann Brooks).
Performers in the readers’ theater play: The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus.
Following the play, we sang the hymn Come, Come Ye Saints. After my concluding remarks and testimony, we ended the day as we began, in prayer.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to all who helped in any way with this reunion. By every measure it was truly a successful event. It was wonderful renewing old acquaintances as well as making many new ones. I will sincerely cherish the memory of this event throughout my life, and will always be grateful for the privilege of serving as your president these past four years.
New Book About St. Louis Mentions Milo
June 15, 2011
A new book was published in March 2011 entitled The Best of the St. Louis Luminary. It was edited by Susan Easton Black, a professor of church history at BYU.
St. Louis was a major trailhead along the Mississippi River that attracted thousands of Mormons in the 1850s, where they set up shops, practiced their trades, formed congregations, and prepared for the journey West. It was there that Apostle Erastus Snow published the St. Louis Luminary, a weekly newspaper featuring epistles from church leaders, doctrinal treatises in defense of Mormon practices—especially plural marriage—and news and letters from the Salt Lake Valley.
The book includes an essay by Susan Easton Black about the Latter-day Saint experience in St. Louis in the 1850s and the historical importance of the St. Louis Luminary. The rest of the book is made up of highlights from the newspaper: counsel given by the First Presidency, poetry, marriage and death notices and even humor.
Milo served as the stake president in St. Louis from 1854 to 1855. Many of his speeches and letters were published in the newspaper.
In the book, Milo is mentioned in Susan Easton Black’s essay and three or four of his speeches and letters are reprinted.
The book also includes a searchable DVD-ROM of all 52 issues of the newspaper. (To see all of the references to Milo in The St. Louis Luminary, click here.)
The book is available at Amazon, Deseret Book and the BYU Bookstore.
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Map: Milo’s Property in Oxford, Idaho
June 15, 2011
View Milo’s Property in Oxford, Idaho in a larger map.
According to county records, Milo bought 35 acres in Oxford, Idaho in 1885 for $950.
See the above map for the approximate location of his property. The property would have been on both sides of the highway.
He lived here until his death in 1893.
Map: Milo’s Properties in St. George, Utah
June 1, 2011
View Milo’s Properties in St. George, Utah in a larger map.
Milo lived in St. George, Utah from 1873-1881. According to Washington county property records, Milo owned three properties during that time:
1. 130 East St. George Boulevard
From 1875 to 1879 Milo owned Lot 2 Block 27 Plat A. This is on the south side of present-day St. George Blvd. between 100 East and 200 East. It is now the east side of the Sunfirst Bank.
2. 272 South 100 East
From 1876 to 1882 Milo owned Lot 1 Block 2 Plat A.
He bought it from Miles P. Romney for $2,000. He sold it to Moses T. Farnsworth in 1882. The house on the property had two front entrances and seems to have had two families living in it. At least two of Milo’s wives, Mary Webster and Margaret Boyce, lived with him in St. George.
The house is still standing. In front of it is a plaque entitled “Romney-Andrus Home.” The plaque lists the different owners of the house from 1862 to 1936. Milo and the house are mentioned on the Washington County Historical Society website and in the booklet, “Landmark and Historic Sites,” published by the city of St. George in 2009 (pp. 45-1 through 45-2).
3. Price Farm (Bloomington, Utah)
In county records Milo is listed as the trustee for Price farm, which was operated under the United Order. This whole area was known as Price City and was along the Virgin River in what is now Bloomington Gardens in Bloomington, Utah. Price City was a farming area that never really flourished.
4. James Andrus Homes: 196 West 100 South and 164 West 100 South
Milo’s oldest son, James, from first wife Abigail Daley, moved to St. George in 1886. He had two wives, Laura Gibson and Manomas Gibson. He built a house for Laura at 196 West 100 South and a house for Manomas on the same street at 164 West 100 South.
According to the Washington County Historical Society, “James moved his families to St. George from his ranch in Canaan in 1886. He was known as the cattle baron of southern Utah. He was a pioneer, Indian fighter, bishop, businessman, statesman, and accomplished equestrian.”
Milo Andrus, St. Louis, and the St. Louis Luminary
June 1, 2011
Map: Milo’s Property in Nauvoo and the Nauvoo 5th Ward Boundaries
June 1, 2011
Spring 2011 Andrus Family Newsletter Now Available
May 10, 2011
Driving Tour: Milo Andrus Historic Sites near Salt Lake City
May 10, 2011
Milo’s Mission Journal – Liverpool England – 1849 to 1850
May 10, 2011
Map: Granite Paper Mill
May 10, 2011
Map: Milo’s Residence in Liverpool
May 10, 2011
Maps of the Missions Served by Milo Andrus for the LDS Church
May 1, 2011
Impressions of Milo Andrus By Apostle Matthias Cowley
May 1, 2011
History of Sarah Miles (From “The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus”)
May 1, 2011
History of Lucy Loomis (From “The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus”)
May 1, 2011
Alyn B. Andrus, Former Family Organization President, Passes Away
April 1, 2011
“The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus” (A Play)
March 30, 2011
A Map of Major Events in Milo’s Life
March 12, 2011
New Milo Andrus Website Coming Soon
September 22, 2010
Cal Andrus Obituary
May 26, 2010
Family Newsletter May 2010
May 5, 2010
Board Meeting Minutes – March 2010
April 15, 2010
History of Elizabeth Brooks (From “The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus”)
March 30, 2010
History of Abigail Daley (From “The Life and Wives of Milo Andrus”)
March 30, 2010
Family Newsletter November 2009
November 24, 2009
The Anderson Report: Progress On Ruluf’s Family?
May 21, 2009
Wife Line Representative Cyrus McKell Dies in Car Accident
May 18, 2009
Dear Family Members,
It is with a deep sense of sadness and loss that I report to you the death of Cyrus Milo McKell. Cyrus was serving as the Lucy Loomis Tuttle wife line representative.
Cyrus was out working in his yard in Holladay, Utah, Wednesday afternoon, May 13, when he was struck by a car that left the road. He died at the hospital overnight Wednesday night.
Here is a link to his obiturary.
This article about the accident appeared in the Deseret News. The Salt Lake Tribune ran two articles: Article 1, Article 2.
Cyrus's viewing will be held at the Holladay Town Hall, 4580 South 2300 East, in Holladay, Utah at 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 11:00 a.m., with a short viewing period from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Holladay North Stake Center, 4395 South Albright Drive (2145 East). Interment and Dedication of the Grave will be at the Spanish Fork Cemetery following the service at 2:00 p.m.
Our sincere condolences go out to his family. We will miss him greatly.
Brent M. Andrus
President, Milo Andrus Family Organization
Family Newsletter May 2009
May 6, 2009
The May 2009 Family Newsletter was mailed this week.
In this issue:
- Laura Anderson's Trip to Mormon Grove 2009
- De Lane Hyer's Transcription of the Simkins Wills
- Research Team's Family History Library Meetings
- Connect on Facebook!
To read a PDF version on the newsletter, click the link below.
Milo Andrus Family Newsletter May 2009 (PDF)
If you did not recieive one and would like to be put on the mailing list for future printed newsletters, visit the Update Mailing Information page.
Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting Held March 21, 2009
May 6, 2009
A meeting of the Board of Directors was held March 21, 2009. Click the link below to read the minutes of the meeting.
Board of Directors Meeting - Minutes – March 2009 (PDF)
The Wills of Ann Brooks’ Father, Uncle, Grandfather, and Grandmother
May 6, 2009
DeLane Hyer has been doing research on Ann Brooks (Milo's seventh wife). She recently located and transcribed the wills for:
- James Simkins (Ann's father)
- William Simkins (Ann's uncle)
- Edmund Simkins (Ann's paternal grandfather)
- Mary Wyberd Simkins (Ann's paternal grandmother)
According to DeLane, these wills clear up a lot of confusion we have had in the past.
In this document (PDF) you will find transcriptions of the wills and a summary of the important information found in each one.
James Simkins (Ann's Father) Proved Will
A "proved will" is a copy of a will. The original will has been established as genuine by the court and then copied into official records.
Click each picture below to enlarge them.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
William Simkins (Ann's Uncle) Proved Will
Page 1
Page 2
Edmund Simkins (Ann's Paternal Grandfather) Original Will
Original Will
Close-up of signature.
Elizabeth Brooks Simkins Widow Attachment – This was attached to the end of the will. It was part of Elizabeth's effort to claim her inheritance. It is the only place we can find where she calls herself Elizabeth Simkins or indicates that she was married.
The Anderson Report: Trip to Mormon Grove – March 2009
May 5, 2009
Andrus family genealogist Laura Anderson traveled with a group of researchers to Mormon Grove (near Atchison, Kansas) in late March 2009. The group was featured in an article in the Atchison Globe newspaper. Click here to read the article.
To read Laura’s full report, please see the Spring 2009 issue of the Milo Andrus Family Organization newsletter (coming soon).
Read more about Milo Andrus' role at Mormon Grove here: Milo Andrus and the Founding of Mormon Grove.
Photo: Milo Andrus – Late 1880s
March 20, 2009
Obituary of Larry J. Andrus of Ucon, Idaho (Jane Munday)
February 9, 2009
Larry J. Andrus of Ucon, Idaho passed away in April of 2008. His obituary is reprinted here. He is descended from Jane Munday through her son Heber Andrus and then Todd W. Andrus. Heber settled with his brother, Robert, in Ucon, Idaho. Ucon is about 8 miles north of Idaho Falls. Many members of both families still ive in the area.
Larry Joel Andrus, 71, of Ucon, passed away April 4, 2008, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center of lung disease. He was born May 10, 1936, In Idaho Falls to Todd Woodruff Andrus and Hortense Naomi Hansen Andrus. He grew up in Ucon, where he attended school and graduated from Bonneville High School. He went on to attend Ricks College, BYU and Utah State University.
Larry served his country in the Idaho National Guard.
On September 14, 1961, Larry married Shirley Gruvman in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Together, they had six children. He lived in Ucon his entire life. He owned his own trucking business, Larry J. Andrus and Sons Coal and Grain. For the last 14 years, he worked for Doug Andrus Distributing.
Family Newsletter November 2008
November 22, 2008
The November 2008 family newsletter is now available!
In this issue:
- Report of research trip to England
- Milo Andrus and the Joseph Smith Papers project
- Afton Buchanan, Margaret Ann Boyce wife line representative, passes away
- New e-mail addresses for officers and wife line representatives
- The first "virtual" board meeting
For a PDF version of the newsletter, click here:
Milo Andrus Family Newsletter Nov 2008
If you would like to receive newsletters and other updates by e-mail, enter your e-mail address in the "Subscribe to the E-Mail Newsletter" box on the left.
The print version of this newsletter was also mailed this week. If you did not recieive one and would like to be put on the mailing list for future printed newsletters, visit the Update Mailing Information page.
Update to Lucy Loomis’ Gravestone
November 17, 2008
Pay Membership Dues Online
November 15, 2008
That’s right! You can pay your membership dues in the Milo Andrus family organization online using your credit card!
We have had problems in the past with our PayPal link, but those have now been resolved. Just click here to learn about the benefits of membership and for a link to our PayPal account.
Annual membership is only $25 per family.
Family Newsletter May 2008 — Print Edition
May 19, 2008
The May 2008 Family Newsletter was mailed this week.
If you did not recieive one and would like to be put on the mailing list for future printed newsletters, visit the Update Mailing Information page.
To read a PDF version on the newsletter, click the link below.
Milo Andrus Family Newsletter – May_2008 (PDF)
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting Held March 22, 2008
May 19, 2008
A meeting of the Board of Directors was held March 22, 2008, at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Click the link below to read the minutes of the meeting.
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting – March 22, 2008.pdf
Timeline of Milo Andrus’ Life (with Major Events in LDS Church History)
January 1, 2008
| Events in Milo Andrus’ Life | Events in LDS Church History | |
| 1805 | Joseph Smith Jr. born in Sharon, Vermont. | |
| 1814 | Born March 6, in Jay Township (now Wilmington), Essex County, New York. | |
| 1816 | The Smith family moved from Vermont to the Palmyra, New York, area. | |
| 1816-24 | Moved with family to Dunkirk, New York; Henrietta, Ohio; and East Norwalk, Ohio. | |
| 1820 | The First Vision: God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. | |
| 1823 | The angel Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith and told him of the gold plates that would eventually be translated into the Book of Mormon. | |
| 1827 | Moroni gave the gold plates to Joseph Smith. | |
| 1829 | Priesthood restored. Translation of the Book of Mormon completed by Joseph Smith. |
|
| 1830 | Moved to Florence, Ohio. | First edition of the Book of Mormon published. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially organized in Fayette, New York. |
| 1831 | Joseph Smith moved to Kirtland, Ohio. | |
| 1832 | Mother Azuba Smith died. | The School of the Prophets began in Kirtland, Ohio. Recent converts Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, to meet Joseph Smith. |
| 1833 | Married Abigail Jane Daley. Baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ordained an Elder. Served two short missions in Ohio. |
Construction began on the Kirtland Temple. |
| 1834 | Marched to Missouri and back as a member of Zion’s Camp. | Zion’s Camp marched to Missouri. |
| 1835 | Ordained a member of the Quorum of the Seventy. Served mission to New York. |
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Quorum of the Seventy organized. The Doctrine and Covenants is accepted as part of the scriptural canon of the Church. |
| 1836 | Helped build the Kirtland temple and was present at the dedication. Called as president of Florence, Ohio branch. |
Kirtland Temple dedicated. Saints began to settle in Far West, Missouri. |
| 1837 | Missionaries arrive in the British Isles. This is the first Latter-day Saint mission outside of North America. | |
| 1836-37 | Led Florence branch to Caldwell County, Missouri. Settled just south of Far West. | |
| 1838 | Due to mob persecution, moved from Missouri to Adams County, Illinois (southeast of Nauvoo). | Due to mob persecution, Joseph Smith forced to flee Kirtland, Ohio. He and his family settled in Far West, Missouri. |
| 1839 | Joseph Smith imprisoned in Liberty jail. | |
| 1838-40 | Served 3rd mission to Ohio. | |
| 1841 | The First Presidency issued a proclamation urging all Saints to gather to Nauvoo, Illinois. Construction began on the Nauvoo Temple. |
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| 1842 | Moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. | Relief Society organized. Articles of Faith published. |
| 1844 | Called as bishop of Nauvoo 5th ward. Served 4th mission to Ohio. Activities included campaigning for the presidential candidacy of Joseph Smith. Helped build Nauvoo temple. |
Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum are murdered while imprisoned in a jail in Carthage, Illinois. Both men had been arrested under false charges. |
| 1845 | Received endowment in the Nauvoo temple and served as an ordinance worker. Called as president of one of the Quorums of Seventy. |
Portions of the Nauvoo Temple dedicated. |
| 1846 | Due to mob persecution in Nauvoo, moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa and then to Winter Quarters, Nebraska. | Due to persecution, the first groups of Saints left Nauvoo for the West. The Mormon Battalion began march to California. Winter Quarters established. |
| 1847 | Remained in Winter Quarters to grow crops for Saints going west. | First Pioneer Company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. Brigham Young sustained as second Church President. |
| 1847-57 | The Saints established about 100 colonies in the American West. | |
| 1848 | Married 2nd wife Sarah Miles. | |
| 1848-50 | Served 1st mission to England. Served as president of the Liverpool conference. | |
| 1849 | Father Ruluf Andrus died. | The Perpetual Emigration Fund was established to assist Saints traveling to the Salt Lake Valley. |
| 1850 | Led his 1st wagon company of 51 wagons and 206 people across the plains to Salt Lake City. | Utah became a territory of the United States. |
| 1851 | Divorced by 1st wife Abigail Daley. Married 3rd wife Lucy Loomis . 2nd wife Sarah Miles died. |
The Book of Mormon is published in Danish, the first foreign-language edition. |
| 1852 | Married 4th wife Adeline Alexander. Married 5th wife Mary Webster. |
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| 1854 | Sent from Salt Lake City to be president of the St. Louis stake. | |
| 1855 | Led his 2nd wagon company of 461 people across the plains to Salt Lake City. Married 6th wife Elizabeth Brooks. Married 7th wife Ann Brooks. Married 8th wife Jane Munday. |
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| 1856 | Severe snowstorms trapped the Willie and Martin handcart companies in Wyoming. Many were saved by rescuers from the Salt Lake Valley. | |
| 1857 | Married 9th wife Margaret Boyce. Served as a Major in the Utah Militia during the Utah War. |
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| 1858 | Served as bishop of Big Cottonwood ward. Married 10th wife Emma Covert. |
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| 1859-61 | Served 2nd mission to England. Served as president of the Birmingham district. | |
| 1860 | Andrus halfway house built by 3rd wife Lucy Loomis at Dry Creek (now Sandy), Utah. (The halfway house was moved to Utah’s This is the Place State Park in 1981.) | |
| 1861 | Led company of 600 Saints from England to New York on the ship Underwriter. Lead company of 900 Saints to Florence, Nebraska by train. Lead his 3rd wagon company of 38 wagons and 620 people to Salt Lake City. |
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| 1862 | Married 11th wife Francenia Tuttle. | |
| 1864 | Divorced from 4th wife Adeline Alexander. | |
| 1869 | The forerunner to the current Young Women organization was established. | |
| 1869-70 | Called to mission in the eastern states. | |
| 1873 | Sent to St. George, Utah to organize and serve as chairman of the United Order. Helped build the St. George temple. |
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| 1874-81 | Served on the high council of the St. George stake. | |
| 1875 | The forerunner to the current Young Men organization was founded. Brigham Young Academy is established, Provo, Utah. (In 1903, the name was changed to Brigham Young University.) |
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| 1877 | The St. George Utah Temple was dedicated. Brigham Young dies. |
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| 1878 | The first meeting of the Primary was held. | |
| 1880 | John Taylor sustained as third President of the Church. The Pearl of Great Price is accepted as part of the scriptural canon. |
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| 1881 | Sent to colonize Blake City (now Green River), Utah. | |
| 1882 | Moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Appointed chaplain of the council of the Utah Legislature. |
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| 1884 | Moved to Oxford, Idaho. Called as stake patriarch. |
Logan Utah Temple dedicated. |
| 1886 | Remarried 1st wife Abigail Jane Daley. | |
| 1888 | Manti Utah Temple dedicated. | |
| 1889 | Wilford Woodruff sustained as fourth President of the Church. | |
| 1890 | The “Manifesto” is sustained in general conference, ending the practice of plural marriage (found in Doctrine and Covenants, Official Declaration 1). | |
| 1893 | Died at Oxford, Idaho, June 19. | The Salt Lake Temple is dedicated after 40 years of construction. |
| 1896 | Utah becomes a state. |
The Anderson Report: August 2007 Research Trip
December 5, 2007
For this trip we had three main goals!
1. Separating out the Andrus (Andrews, Andress, Andros…) lines in Vermont.
This I did by calling all of the living Andrus families in Vermont in the hopes of doing DNA testing with them.
- One group, the Andrus name came from their mother. This line does not qualify for DNA.
- One group descended with the farm in Danby. We got a DNA sample on this line.
- One group lived in Stowe. His wife was familiar with DNA so he gave a sample.
- One knew they descended from Bildad and they were not in our area.
- One group from Rutland City left the state and went to Huron County, Ohio. We will need to track them if we do not locate a match from the tests now in progress.
We are starting to separate out the lines. The results are back on the gentleman from Stowe (so are Ray and Merrill Andrus’s Jane Munday line). They were not a match so that eliminates that line.
We are still waiting on "Family Tree DNA" for the rest of the results to come in.
2. Put Ruluf’s land in Essex County on the map.
Ruluf was Milo’s father. We found the land that Ruluf had once owned with the help of the Essex County assessor’s office. The land was located in Jay, NY. Jay was later divided off in the 1820’s and named Wilmington. Ruluf owned land in current-day Wilmington across from Fox Farm Road to the east. It consisted of 100 acres on the south side of “Lot 27”—part of a piece of land originally granted to a Nathan Mallory. Ruluf mortgaged this land in 1808 and lost it in 1809. John Smith (father of Ruluf’s future wife, Azuba), owned land across the street from Ruluf’s.
If you enter "Indian Rock Rd., Wilmington, New York, United States" on Google Maps this is what you will see:
Half way down the Indian Rock Rd. loop (off highway 12) is where Ruluf’s land was located. If you go across highway 12, to the north of Fox Farm Road that is where John Smith, Azuba’s father, had his land. (Azuba was Ruluf’s wife and Milo’s mother.)
[This photo is taken from Ruluf’s land, looking west. The mountain in the picture is Whiteface Mountain. Whiteface Mountain is just north of Lake Placid.]
3. Get as much information as possible into our digital library so research can be done at home.
We gleaned information from:
- Vermont Historical Society in Barre town and County: histories, old maps, box of original documents on Ezra Andrus family (Danby farm) containing 420 original documents—three days’ work by three people.
- Vermont State Archives in Middlesex: all Andrus and variant spelling names—one day, three people.
- Burlington Historical Society in Burlington Vermont: Andrus and Dutcher names—one day.
- Tinmouth City offices: Andrus and Smith names, especially Joseph son of Isaac of Shaftsbury.
- Poultney Historical Society: all associated names: genealogies, grave sites, tax records—especially Roswell and Isaac son of Isaac of Shaftsbury.
- Pawlet City offices: all Andrus and Dennison’s land, birth, marriage, and death records.
- Pawlet Cemetery: descendants of Ezra Andrus and other Andrus persons
- Shaftsbury Cemetery: descendants of Isaac Andrus of Shaftsbury
The Trip
As for the actual trip, this trip did not go as planned!
Family Newsletter November 2007 — Print Edition
November 20, 2007
The November 2007 Family Newsletter was mailed this week.
If you did not recieive one and would like to be put on the mailing list for future printed newsletters, visit the Update Mailing Information page.
To read a PDF version on the newsletter, click the link below.
Andrus Family Organization Newsletter – November 2007 (PDF)
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting Held September 22, 2007
November 13, 2007
A meeting of the Board of Directors was held September 22, 2007, in Bountiful, Utah. Click the link below to read the meeting minutes.
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting — September 22, 2007 (PDF)
The Anderson Report: Milo’s Children Photo Project
October 29, 2007
From family researcher Laura Anderson:
I am working on a project to locate pictures for each of Milo’s children who lived to adulthood and their spouses.
This picture is of 19 of Milo’s children. It is fuzzy but may help with this project if we can identify them all. Please look at this picture and see if you can recognize any of them! (Click here for a larger version of this photo with each person numbered.) Leave a comment below if you recognize anyone. Here is what we currently think: #3 James Andrus (Daley line), #6 I think is Laron (Alexander line), #7 is Lewis I think (Alexander line), #13 is Mary Jane Andrus Hendricks (Daley line), #12 is Amanda Ann Andrus (Daley line).
Below is a list of Milo’s children and their spouses that I have no known picture for. If you have pictures of any of these people, please send them to me (paffanatic10@yahoo.com). Or, if you have any leads on where we might find these pictures, leave a comment below.
To see the pictures I currently have, visit the Andrus Family online research library.
Thanks, Laura
Report of Wife Line Reunions Held June 2007
October 2, 2007
Wife line reunions were held June 15, 2007 in conjunction with the Milo Andrus family reunion. Here is the report on each of the reunions held:
Abigail Jane Daley
The get-together was held in the cultural hall of the LDS Chapel 650 E. Stadium Ave. in Provo from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Our theme was to “Meet, Greet, Munch and Mingle” A reminder was mailed about a week before to the 145 people on the mailing list identified as being from Abigail’s children. Since this was the first meeting for Abigail’s descendants in many years, we had no idea how many families to expect. We planned refreshments for about 100 and about 35 people attended; so there was plenty of food. We were pleased to get acquainted with these descendants/cousins during the evening.
A large banner welcomed all who came to the reunion. Display tables were set up for each of Abigail and Milo’s 5 adult children with a color-coded sign for each child. The color on the descendant’s name badge, which they received when they arrived and signed in at the “Welcome” table, made it easy to see from which child they were descended and find others with the same color. Pictures and written biographical stories were displayed at each of the 5 children’s tables. Round tables had been set up to enjoy visiting and eating during the evening. Families had come from the Denver, Colorado area, Vernal, Ogden, Cottonwood Heights, Ivins, Bluffdale, Riverton and Provo, Utah. The person from the furthest distance was from Escondido, California.
The Anderson Report: Would the Real Ruluf Please Stand Up?
October 1, 2007
From family researcher Laura Anderson :
Here is an E mail I got that I thought many of you would be interested in! Laura
Dear Laura,
I googled Ruluf Andress to see what information was out there. It appears to me that the best sites are the ones that have your name attached to them. I do have a question or two and I’m betting you probably know the answer.
Some sites list Joseph Andrus and Sybil Andrews as Ruluf’s parents. Others list Ruluf Andrus Sr. and Azuba White. Still others indicate no parentage can be found. Which one do you think it is?
Also, was young Ruluf the "Ruluf Andrus" placed under the Guardian Bond or not? One site says no with 99% surety, but another says that was before you knew the guarantor of the bond was Sybil’s brother-in-law. Of course, if Sybil is not Ruluf’s mother, the whole issue is solved.
Thanks for all the information you have posted, not only on Ruluf and his family, but also on Milo and his numerous wives as well. With Milo having the 4th largest family in the LDS church, there are many people who are indebted to you — including me! (Wife #1 Abigail Jane Daley through daughter Mary Jane)
Thanks for your help with these questions. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.
Stefenee Hymas
Hello and glad to meet someone who is studying the issue. I believe there is a Ruluf and that he probably is the son of Sybil and guardian bonded to Joseph Johnson but I see absolutely no evidence that any of that group ever met any of our group.
I have traced Ruluf to a logical family but as the records in Poultney burned and therefore we have no evidence we are turning to a Y-chromosome test from one of the known descendants of that line and are awaiting the results from it. If that is a match then we know which family to study. The Sybil theory came from the finding of the Guardian bond and went back from there.
The Ruluf and Azuba White theory was originally purposed by a grandaughter of Ruluf through Carlo. I am still confused by that one as anyone who put the dates together would know it could not work. There is no Ruluf Andrus coming in to the country at the time he was supposed to, he never shows up in a single record anywhere. I have put that one on a back burner until something leads me in that direction.
At this point all I can say is that in the past all people could do is guess. With DNA testing now we can know 100% when we get into the correct line and for us that day is coming soon I hope.
Bye for now! Laura
The Anderson Report: DNA Research Trip
August 27, 2007
From family researcher, Laura Anderson:
I am leaving on the 23 of Aug 2007 for a 17 day research trip to Vermont and New York where I will be trying, among other things, to get DNA data on Andrus families that have stayed in that area to match against our Andrus males. I project this trip will cost $600 for airfare, + hotels + $700.00 for the car + gas and, DNA kits at $195.00 Each. That will come out to around $3,000. If you appreciate the work we are doing please help with a tax detectable contribution! They can be sent to the Milo Andrus 503B Corporation in care of the Secretary Don Andrus:
Don Andrus
540 West Kim Drive
Perry, Utah 84302
Thanks to all those who have helped in the past!
Laura Anderson
PS I have set up this site I am not sure how to use it yet but thought people might be interested! Laura
http://www.relativegenetics.com/genomics/search/projectprospect.html?pid=54428
Ray B. Andrus (Jane Munday line) is having his DNA done on the new 43 marker test and I am taking at least one 43 marker test to try to establish the Lt. John Andrews of Ipswich line. The descendants of his son John are the ones that took the "Andrus" spelling to differentiate them from all the "Andrews" and "Andros" lines. Some of them lived in Poultney, Vermont in 1800 which is the first time we see Ruluf. Also from the neighboring town of Pawlet there are Andrus’. This is where the Hancocks lived. (Azuba’s sister Polly married Uriah Hancock).
President’s Message: July 2007 — From New President Brent Andrus
July 20, 2007
It was wonderful meeting and visiting with so many of you at our recent Milo Andrus Family reunion. Many thanks go to those who worked so hard to make the reunion such a tremendous success. Special thanks go to Craig and Laura Anderson and extended family for their many contributions to the reunion. The Saturday morning breakfast was absolutely fabulous, and the park was the ideal setting for everything else. Thanks to De Lane Andrus Hyer for the play about Milo and his wives, and again to Laura for her dedication in organizing and presenting it. The play was the perfect ending to a great reunion. I am certain that Milo, his wives and our other ancestors would be very pleased with all of the events of the reunion.
I would be remiss if I did not add my special thanks to Merrill Andrus for his leadership of this organization over the last four years. Much has been accomplished under his leadership, and he has left some very big shoes to fill. Thanks also to Don Andrus for his vision and courage in revitalizing this organization four years ago. I am grateful for the talents, dedication and willingness of each of you in moving this organization forward. As I assume the responsibility for leading the Milo Andrus Family organization, I am both humbled and honored to represent you. There remains much work to be done in many areas, including ancestral research, descendancy tracking and temple work. I encourage each of you to get involved in any way you can to help further the work of this great organization. Your donations of time, talents and money are greatly appreciated and much needed to accomplish our mission. I expect that we will witness some significant developments in many areas in the coming months and years. If you haven’t done so already, be sure you sign up to receive email updates as new information is posted on this website.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support.
Sincerely your brother,
Brent M. Andrus
Original Documents Timeline
June 8, 2007
From family researcher Laura Anderson:
I have a great interest in accuracy and so was excited when I located a site where there were over 200 original documents that had Milo Andrus as a name on it. I started with that information and have added things out of LDS.org and other sources. These are original source documents about Milo.
If you locate an original source document about Milo that is not on this page please send it to paffanatic10@yahoo.com and we will eventually post it here.
(Some documents may be in an abi word 2.2 format, this is the word processor I use, it is open source so free to download.)
Have fun with this!
President’s Message: June 2007 — My Last Message as President
June 1, 2007
This is my last message. At the Milo Andrus Family Reunion, in the business meeting scheduled for Saturday morning, 16 June 2007, a new president will be elected.
I appreciate the members of the Board of Directors who have faithfully guided the affairs of the Organization during the past four years. These include:
Brent Andrus, Vice President
Donald R. Andrus, Secretary
Ray B. Andrus, Research Coorinator
Garth Andrus, Robert Andrus, and Andy Andrus, Web Site Managers
Mark M. Andrus, Mailing List Compiler
Wife Line Representatives:
Dale C. Andrus – Abigail Jane Daley
Irene Witmer – Sarah Ann Miles
Cyrus Milo McKell – Lucy L. Tuttle
Berwyn J Andrus – Adeline Alexander
Edwin Andrus and J Mark Andrus – Mary Ann Webster
Kathrine Bowthorpe – Ann Brooks
G. Rich Andrus – Jane Lancaster Munday
Afton Buchanan – Margaret Ann Boyce
Matthew Turner and Ronald M Morgan – Emma Covert
In addition, a great deal of research had been done by Laura Anderson and her husband Craig Anderson. Gary K. Ball has filled in for Afton Buchanan and has contributed expertise on DNA tracking of ancestry.
All these and many others have taken seriously some responsibilities for moving forward the various projects and activities of the Milo Andrus Family Organization. They all have my most profound gratitude for the service they have rendered. I hope all of you are also thankful for the efforts these people have put forth.
Many more will be participating in the Family Reunion and I urge every descendant of Milo Andrus to attend.
Sincerely your brother,
G. Merrill Andrus
“One of the Hardest Burdens that I Have Been Called to Bear”: The Story of Milo’s Second Crossing of the Plains (1855)
May 26, 2007
Milo led three wagon trains of pioneers across the plains to Salt Lake City in 1850, 1855, and 1861. What follows is an account of his second crossing in 1855. This account is gathered from journals and other historical records.
This was the last of the Perpetual Emigration Fund companies for 1855. Milo Andrus received the assignment to captain the train the night before the party was to leave Mormon Grove (just outside Atchison, Kansas Territory) and had just 12 hours to get himself ready. Two things made this last-minute appointment necessary: the season was very late and no one else with plains experience was available. Thus Andrus and his two assistants had an enormous responsibility. The company had few oxen, and many of these were small and unbroken, so they had to be trained en route. Part of the company left Mormon Grove on August 1; the rest left on the 3rd. Inexperienced drivers had to shuttle some wagons forward, then return with the teams to bring up others. One emigrant recalled that early on it took four men to drive one yoke of oxen. There were 461 individuals in the company when it set out.
No sooner had the company left Mormon Grove than the U. S. Marshall for Kansas Territory arrived with an order to “attach” the train for debts attributed to Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Jedediah M. Grant (at that time the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Captain Andrus convinced the marshall that the train belonged not to the First Presidency, but to the Perpetual Emigration Fund Company. The lawman then tried to take Andrus back to Atchison to “get sufficient good security from amongst the Citizens there to secure the debt & cost,” but the Captain refused to leave his train. At this critical moment, the marshall “was taken with the bellyache and wanted a little brandy,” which Captain Andrus quickly supplied. He then fed the marshall supper and drove him in a buggy to his lodgings. Nevertheless, the marshall ordered Andrus and three other brethren to appear at the October 3rd term of the U.S. court in Leavenworth, and when he got back to Mormon Grove, he attached four or five Mormon-owned wagons, “a few lame cattle,” and some calves.
The Andrus train overtook Captain Allred’s emigrant company on Big Grasshopper Creek; later, both parties camped on Walnut Creek. Tired of leapfrogging his wagons, Captain Andrus decided to leave a Perpetual Emigration Company thrashing machine in the care of a local farmer (Captain Allred left five wagons with this same man at that time). Andrus now set a pace that was “as hurried as he could urge, push, and cajole, the group over the plains, up and down the mountains, through the canyons, across the rivers, and through the miles of the thick dust of the trails.” At some point, the train encountered a large herd of buffalo that “ran across our train, while in motion, and knocked down and [bore] off the horn of one of the oxen.” The Indians that the train met were friendly. At Big Blue River the train used the ferry because the river was running high. Near there the party camped just a few rods west of Captain Harper’s company. It was here that Andrus “nailed our colors to the top of the mast.” From Little Blue River, the Captain wrote: “Two wagon axles, one wheel, and several tongues broke which has caused us some delay; but notwithstanding . . . I . . . am doing all in my power to push on this camp . . . as I am deeply anxious for their welfare.” Two elderly emigrants had died. The train followed the Platte River and must have crossed the South Platte. It stopped at Ash Hollow, where Andrus learned that General William S. Harney and about 700 soldiers had “found a party of the Sioux Indians about eight miles from Ash Hollow and a battle had ensued on the 3rd of October. The General sent over word to Andrus on the 5th keep an advanced guard stating at the same time that the best information that they could get was that they had killed one hundred and twenty Indians, taken about fifty-eight prisoners, mostly women; had four soldiers killed and five wounded. He stated, also, they were going to lay out a fort a small distance below Ash Hollow after which they calculated to proceed to Fort Laramie, and from thence to wherever they could find any of the Sioux Nation.”
“A few miles from where they were encamped there were about forty Indians that were in the battle near Ash Hollow. Nothing came of this. The company passed Court House Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scotts Bluff. By September 13 the company was 12 miles below Fort Laramie. It then passed Laramie Peak, Independence Rock, and Devil’s Gate. At the latter place, on September 28, the emigrants met brethren from the Salt Lake Valley. On October 4 the train crossed Devil’s Backbone, “a most awful mounting [sic] of stone.” That night “came on a dredfull [sic] storm of snow.” On the 6th the train crossed South Pass. Near Chimney Rock 20 oxen and 2 cows died “from something the[y] had eat or drank [sic].” Upon reaching the Sweetwater River many more cattle died. There was little feed for the animals; in all, the Andrus train “lost 11 animals above 50%.”
At the fifth crossing of the Sweetwater it snowed three inches. The train
crossed the Green River on October 11 and arrived at Fort Bridger four days later. From the fort, Captain Andrus sent word to Salt Lake that he needed fresh animals and that “many of the men, women and children were almost barefoot and very destitute of clothing.” By the time the train reached the Weber River, the emigrants were running out of provisions. They crossed Big Mountain and Little Mountain. A delegation of dignitaries from Salt Lake met them at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Here the emigrants formed a circle around the welcoming party and “sang a piece of poetry composed for the occasion”:
“Come Zion’s sons and daughters,
Who seek this blest abode,
That over plains and waters
Have come to serve our God;
Our gratitude demanding,
Let praise to Him abound,
That we are favored, standing
On consecrated ground.
Oh! This we’ve long expected,
For this we’ve prayed and sighed,
Like Israel’s sons neglected,
By Babel’s limpid tide;
And now befo
. . . When on the way to Zion,
And every heart was hope,
The means we’d to rely on
Was fastly closing up;
But as the darken’d shadows
Declared a brighter sun,
We felt a power to glad us,
Th’ Apostles would make known.
Tho’ elements did battle,
As late the season pass’d,
And weakly seemed our cattle,
We’re in the “hive” at last:
No power should withstand us,
Declared Erastus Snow;
And Captain Milo Andrus
Thank God, has brought us thro’.
We come not here for pleasures
That carnal minds can prize,
Nor seek aurif’rous treasures
Of th’ West to aggrandize;
We come with spirits fervent
To fully serve the Lord;
To hear His holy servant,
And live by every word.
And as the arms of Moses
Required bearing up,
So every soul proposes
To be our Brigham’s prop:
Tho’ late and last our carriage
Across the mountains’ brow,
We hope, like Jesus’ marriage,
There’s best wine even now.”
The Andrus train, with “upwards of 50 wagons,” arrived in Salt Lake City October 24th. Because of the lateness of the season, Captain Andrus had pushed his people hard. Undoubtedly, this is why one of the travelers described him as “a terrible bully and tyrant.” However, another emigrant wrote, “It was not an altogether unpleasant trip.” For his part, Captain Andrus had been ill during much of the journey. He said that leading this 1855 train was “one of the hardest burthens that I have been called to bear in the midst of Israel during my sojourn in mortality” this from a man who had been with Zion’s Camp, who had been in Nauvoo at the time of the Martyrdom, who had “helped watch the city by night, and worked on the temple by day,” who had gone to Carthage at the time of the indictment of the murderers of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, who had experienced the persecutions leading up to the abandonment of Nauvoo, and who had participated in the Latter-day Saint exodus westward, a man who, himself, had led several other emigrant companies.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Learn More
This account is reprinted with permission from the LDS Church’s website Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel. On this website you will find more information including a list of all the people who traveled in this company as well as related journals and historical documents.
Do You Know Anyone in this Picture?
May 26, 2007
This picture is from the 1948 family reunion held in Ucon, Idaho. We are trying to identify everyone in the picture. Do you recognize anyone?
Milo’s Living Grandchildren (5 of 7): Rosetta Fern Andrus Woolf Gibb
May 26, 2007
This is the fifth in a seven part series highlighting Milo’s remaining living grandchildren. These profiles were written in 2006.
I am Rosetta Fern Andrus Woolf Gibb (Maragaret Ann Boyce), the fifth daughter of Benjamin Boyce Andrus and Lydia Rosetta French. I was born on December 10, 1918. Imagine dad and mom’s disappointment when they so wanted a son, to get a big gawky awkward daughter—daughter No. 5. But they loved me anyway. My only brother, Milo, was born two years later, followed by three more girls. Mom and dad were always proud of their daughters and said they could all work like boys.
Our family consisted of dad, mom, Grace, Nellie, Jacquetta, Gwen, Fern, Milo, Phyllis, Alice, and Beth.
I was born in Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada, and lived there for 80 years. I goy my schooling in Hill Spring up through grade 11 as that was all they had at the time. I always had to work and learned the value of work at a young age. Milking cows, feeding pigs, hoeing gardens, wrangling horses, stocking grain, picking berries, and topping beets was a way of life for me.
Are You Coming to the 2007 Reunion?
May 6, 2007
Poll for May 2007
The great 2007 family reunion is this June. Are you coming?
For more information about the reunion, check out the 2007 Reunion page.
The Lord Has Opened The Way Before Us: The Story of Milo’s First Crossing of the Plains (1850)
May 6, 2007
Milo led three wagon trains of pioneers across the plains to Salt Lake City in 1850, 1855, and 1861. What follows is an account of his first crossing in 1850. This account is gathered from journals and other historical records.
In early 1850, Church leaders advised emigrants that pioneer companies would travel on a new route on the south side of the Platte River. By taking this new route they avoided some river crossings on the north side that had proved dangerous because of high water in the previous year. They also expected to receive additional military protection on a new army supply road. This was a factor in their decision because they wanted to avoid conflict with the Plains Indians, who had been agitated during the 1849 California gold rush. The 200-mile long army road connected "Old Fort Kearny," located 50 miles below Kanesville on the Missouri River, to "New Fort Kearny" following the south side of the Platte River to the west.
Milo’s Living Grandchildren (4 of 7): Gwennie May Andrus Barfuss
May 6, 2007
This is the fourth in a seven part series highlighting Milo’s remaining living grandchildren. These profiles were written in 2006.
I, Gwennie May Andrus Barfus (Margaret Ann Boyce), was born to Benjamin Boyce Andrus and Lydia Rosetta French on August 24, 1916, in Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada. I had seven sisters, Grace, Nellie, Jacquetta, Fern, Phyllis, Alice and Beth, and one brother, Benjamin Milo, who was killed during WWII.
My dad had a farm southeast of Hill Spring. It was here that I learned what a hard days stooking as was as well as milking cows, feeding pigs, and driving six head of horses attached to a plow. I spent many hours working the fields with my dad. We were a very close family; we had to be as there was not room not to be close. Our home was very tiny in today’s standards.
All my activities centered around church, school, and family. I had good teachers both at school and church and I liked to go to both. I want to emphasize that my childhood and my growing-up years were fun and full of all good things. I was in theatre productions, participated in basketball, softball, and hockey.
Family Newsletter April 2007 — Print Edition
April 22, 2007
The April 2007 Family Newsletter was mailed this week.
If you did not recieive one and would like to be put on the mailing list for future printed newsletters, visit the Update Mailing Information page.
To read a PDF version on the newsletter, click the link below.
Andrus Family Organization Newsletter — April 2007 (PDF)
2007 Reunion Information Updated: Wife Line Meetings
April 22, 2007
The 2007 Reunion page has been updated. As part of the 2007 Family Reunion we will be holding meetings for each wife line. They will be held Friday, June 15, 2007 in various locations.
Check out the information on the 2007 Reunion page, and then join us for what will be a great family experience.
Milo’s Living Grandchildren (3 of 7): Ted Garner Andrus
April 22, 2007
This is the third in a seven part series highlighting Milo’s remaining living grandchildren. These profiles were written in 2006.
A cold winter day, January 24, 1919 in Elba, Cassia, Idaho, Ted was born to Hyrum Andrus (son of Milo Andrus and Margaret Ann Boyce) and Virginia (Jenny) Garner Andrus. They lived in a two-story frame house and it was very nice. The home was located on 80 acres where they raised grain and were surrounded by beautiful mountains, crystal clear mountain streams and a close-knit community. He was born into a family of one older sister, Margaret and four older brothers, Charles, William, (Brother Bill), Owen and George. Ted was the youngest.
Ted describes his father Hyrum as “the best of four-team drivers.” He hauled freight to the end of the railroad in Utah to the Alma Elba stores. He also would build the grades to make roads in these areas and in Yellowstone Park and throughout the West. His group prepared the bare ground, filled the gullies, etc. so they could make a road. He could stack hay faster than younger men.
Milo’s Living Grandchildren (2 of 7): Beth Andrus Cahoon
April 22, 2007
This is the second in a seven part series highlighting Milo’s remaining living grandchildren. These profiles were written in 2006.
My name is Beth Andrus Cahoon (Margaret Ann Boyce). I was born in Cardston, Alberta, Canada, the ninth child of Benjamin Boyce Andrus and Lydia Rosetta French. I was welcomed into their large family on a cold morning of December 2, 1930. My appearance must have been a total shock as the Andrus clan had finished their family (they thought) six years earlier. I was, however, a delightful child and soon won their hearts—I’m told.
My childhood was happy and carefree as I roamed the hills of Hill Spring, rode our old horse “Babe,” swam in the canal in summer and skated on one of the three ponds around our little hamlet in the winter. The foothills west of Spring Hill were crowded with sleighs and toboggans every Saturday during the winter months.
“The Lone Ranger” galloped into our home on the airways of our old Marconi radio at 5:00 p.m. every week night. We were glued to the old set to witness his wonderful adventures. Every Monday night we welcomed glamour into our huge kitchen as we settled as a family for the Lux Theatre. There was always a great show, and the star of the production always talked personally to each of us as she told us of her perfect complexion obtained from using Lux Toilet Soap.
Milo’s Living Grandchildren (1 of 7): Phyllis Andrus Walburger
April 15, 2007
This is the first in a seven part series highlighting Milo’s remaining living grandchildren. These profiles were written in 2006. Watch for the other profiles in upcoming weeks.
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My name is Phyllis Edrie Andrus Walburger (Margaret Ann Boyce). I was born July 8, 1922, to wonderful parents, Benjamin Boyce Andrus and Lydia Rosetta French. I was the seventh child and the sixth daughter born, to take my place in this great family. My dad and mother, five sisters and my brother, Milo, who was just two years older than I, were very special to me and I loved them all so dearly. Then after two years, I got to have two more sisters, which brought a lot more fun and loving into my life.
I was baptized July 8, 1930, on my eighth birthday. Now, I was truly a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I have always been proud of this and have tried to be obedient and faithful to my Heavenly Father and he has granted me so many blessings. I thank Him for these blessings every day of my life.
2007 Reunion Information Updated with Temple Sessions
April 15, 2007
The 2007 Reunion page has been updated. As part of the reunion, for descendants of Milo who are members of the LDS Church, we have made arrangements to participate together in temple sessions on Friday, June 15, 2007, at the Bountiful and Salt Lake Temples. Arrangements have been made for sealings, endowments, and baptisms for the youth. Check out the information on the 2007 Reunion page, and then join us for what will be a great family experience.
Tom and Anne Andrus Take Their Four Kids Around the World and End Up on Oprah
April 15, 2007
Tom Andrus is a descendant of Milo Andrus. Tom and Anne Andrus always hoped to take their kids on an adventurous family voyage. Now, they’ve made their dream a reality with a 365-day expedition around the world! Anne, Tom and their four kids—14-year-old Dax, 12-year-old McKane, 7-year-old Kieran and 4-year-old Asher—left their Atlanta home and hit the road on August 27, 2006. First stop, New Zealand! About eight months into their trip, they have already had their fair share of adventure touring floating villages in Vietnam, dancing on Namibian sand dunes, tubing down a river in Laos, visiting museums in France and even meeting an elephant in Botswana…and they still have five months to go.
They appeared on The Oprah Show on April 2, 2007 via satellite from the summit of a mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.
To see photos and learn more about the family and their trip, visit their blog www.sixintheworld.com.
Where Did You Serve Your Mission?
March 31, 2007
Poll for April 2007
In his lifetime Milo served eight missions for the LDS Church. He served in Ohio (four times), New York, England (twice), and in the Eastern states.
If you are a descendant of Milo, and served an LDS mission, where did you serve?
Milo Debates Plural Marriage with Joseph Smith III
March 31, 2007
In the later years of his life while living at Oxford, Idaho, Milo had a public exchange of views with Joseph Smith III, the oldest son of the Prophet Joseph Smith, on the subject of plural marriage. Joseph III repudiated the practice and denied that his father had anything to do with establishing it.
E-Mail Newsletter Update
March 23, 2007
We have made a change to how the e-mail newsletter will be delivered. The e-mail newsletter will now be automated so anytime there is a new item on the website you will automatically receive an e-mail. You will probably receive e-mails from us 1-2 times per month.
In order for you to receive the new automated e-mail, you will need to subscribe by entering your e-mail address in the box in the left-side menu on this page. If you subscribed previously, you will need to re-subscribe.
This is a great way to keep up on the family happenings, so we hope you will subscribe.
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting Held March 3, 2007
March 21, 2007
A meeting of the Board of Directors was held March 3, 2007 at the LDS Family History Center. Click the link below to read the meeting minutes.
Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting — March 3, 2007 (PDF)
The Anderson Report: Report of the March 3, 2007 Meeting
March 14, 2007
We had a meeting of the Milo Andrus Family Organization Board of Directors at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, on March 3, 2007. I felt it was a success and much was accomplished.
We went over plans for the family reunion June 15 and 16 (see details here on miloandrus.org), reviewed what was happening in genealogy research and then went to a computer lab where each person had a computer in front of them.
While in the computer lab we looked at miloandrus.org and at the genealogy site. Spoke about why we need each wife line to complete a down line PAF file (the file will allow us to put documents, histories, obituaries, and pictures on the web for each person) and went over how to do that. To get involved with this ask your wife line person for an assignment. Or if you have a PAF file of your family send it to the rep.
We then went through boxes of original documents for the wife lines. Some of them acted like little kids at Christmas: "Oh look at this history," or, "Look at this, my dad is offering to be the wife line rep…," or, "look at this original document it is a certified copy of Milo’s marriage to Abagail Jane Daley" (February 14 not 21 as Milo had reported). I promised to stay till the last person was through and so I left the library about 8:00pm it was a long day but a worthwhile day.
I just wish Satan had got out of the way. I burned CDs and they did not work. I came home and burned them some more and everything is just fine now. I will get them out to the wife line people in the next week.
Laura
Milo in His 60s
March 5, 2007
President’s Message: March 2007 – Five Things You Can Do To Help
March 1, 2007
Recently a question arose, "What should the wife line organizations be doing and what should individuals be doing?"
Each wife line in the Milo Andrus Family Organization can work to become organized with assignments and meetings to take care of details such as the following:
1. DESCENDANCY
Our family will be better served if we can answer the question, "Who are the descendants of Milo Andrus and his wife _________." Someone in each wife line (or more than one person) should be assigned to work together to make such lists of descendants. You personally can help in this effort by putting together a descendancy list of your kids, your grandkids, your brothers and sisters, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, etc. and giving it to your wife line representative. (Don’t know who that is? You can look it up here.)
Milo’s Wives: Quick Facts
March 1, 2007
Click the link below for a comparison chart of Milo’s wives—where they were born, how old they were when they married Milo, how many children and grandchildren they had, etc.
Milo’s Wives – Quick Facts (PDF)
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Which Wife?
March 1, 2007
(Poll for March 2007)
The Anderson Report: Upcoming Meeting
February 27, 2007
From family researcher Laura Anderson:
We will be having a meeting at the computer lab at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 3, 2007 from 12:00 to 2:00. We will be showing the miloandrus.org web page, the phpgedview web page and giving instructions on how to do the inputing of the family groups. I will also have files of things divided into wife lines from the more than 15 boxes that I have now gone through. These documents will be available after 2:00 on for research and copying. We are asking that the files not leave the building for obvious reasons, however I will stay as long as anyone is still interested and working in the files.
Don’t forget the family organization executive board meeting will be from 10:00-12:00 that same day.
Laura
The Gravestones of Ruluf and Azuba Andress (Milo’s Parents)
February 27, 2007
Ruluf’s Hotel
February 27, 2007
Milo Andrus’ 1893 Obituary
February 21, 2007
Elder Henry B. Eyring: “On behalf of my family, I thank you.”
February 14, 2007
Tricia Seguine (Francenia Lucy Tuttle) lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. In February 2007 she attended an LDS Church stake conference where Elder Henry B. Eyring spoke. In his talk he mentioned Milo Andrus. Read on to hear what happened after his talk.
President’s Message: February 2007
February 1, 2007
LOOK AT THIS NEW WEBSITE
Andy Andrus has taken many of the features of the old format and has fashioned a new, attractive, and usable web site for the Milo Andrus Family Organization.
We all hope you will regularly visit this site. We hope you will "bookmark" or "favorites" this site and set yourself the routine of referring to it often. A number of important things can happen if you will refer often:
- You will be aware of the history of one of the families from which you descend.
- You will recognize that there is more to do in discovering your ancestry.
- You will become acquainted with relatives who also descend from Milo Andrus.
- You will recognize the advantages of knowing those relatives.
- You will learn about the big Milo Andrus Family Reunion to be held in June 2007.
- You will understand better the importance of family ties in all that you do now.
- You will understand better the importance of family ties in all that you do in the future.
Please communicate with the rest of the Family through the web site and through the links that will grow in scope and importance.
Sincerely,
G. Merrill Andrus, President
The Anderson Report: February 2007
December 29, 2006
From family researcher Laura Anderson:
Christmas has come and gone and here it is 2007. I remember a teacher in grade school about 1960 telling us how by 1980 cars would be flying and computers whatever they were would know everything about people and keep track of us all. Well she was 1/2 correct but by 2007.
How is our research going? Right now I am taking a little time to go through boxes (15 to be exact) of things done years ago and put into boxes. I located the first one from Elena Goodworth back in 2001, 3 from Uncle Hyrum Andrus (Jane Munday) in 2006, 5 from the secretary’s collection in 2006, 2 more from Uncle Hyrum in late 2006, and 4 more from the Minnie Fisher Ellsworth collection in possession of Jill Scott of the San Diego area. Most of the persons involved in creating these are long since dead (we are happy that Uncle Hyrum is still with us) so no one has known what has been done.
Here is a list of a few of the interesting things I have found:
