Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Tereethei Rosetta Josephine Noble Spendlove 1847 PIONEERS—Life was hard for the early pioneer settlers. So much, that young Julia Rozetta Thurston longed for a better life which she thought she would receive by becoming the sixth polygamous wife of her father's dear friend, the industrious Joseph Bates Noble. Both families came across the plains from Florence, Nebraska in the second group of pioneers that arrived in the valley on October 2, 1847. The Thurstons were part of the Jedediah M. Grant Company and Joseph Bates Noble was captain of another company. Joseph was a good man, valiant, faithful, kind and honest, had been with Zion's Camp and a bishop in Nauvoo, and at age of eighty-eight was called as a Patriarch. He was thirty-two years her senior when he married fourteen year old Julia in January 1856. THE MOVE SOUTH—In 1857-58 the United States government, believing the false reports that the Mormons were rebelling, sent troops to squelch it. President Brigham Young called on the Saints to abandon their homes and head south. Over 30,000 lined the road in a mass exodus from their communities. As they left they scattered leaves and straw on the floors of their homes and the plan was for a few men called the "Home Guard" stationed (in hiding) throughout the community, to set fire to the homes and other buildings if the actions of the military should make it necessary. But as it turned out the army left peacefully. The suffering of the families as they lived in very crude temporary shelters exposed to the weather caused much suffering and privation. They welcomed springtime with its green herbs, sego lily roots and mushrooms that seemed like "Manna from heaven." They returned to their homes after the all-okay was given, in destitute condition, many dressed in rags. It was under these trying circumstances that on March 13, 1858, sixteen year old Julia gave birth to her first child, named Rosetta Josephine Noble, also known as Josephine Rosetta. Julia had another baby girl, named Harriet, also born in Salt Lake in 1860. SEPARATION—When dark clouds hung heavy over the plural marriage families as a result of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Law of 1862, Joseph took Julia and their two little girls to Milton to live near her family. Another daughter, Sarah, and son, Charles, were born while hiding in Milton. Anxiety, an afflicted son, poverty and the unknown future of marriage relations, brought discontentment into Julia's heart. Perhaps with her life still before her, in her early twenties, and the desire to gain some measure of control over her life; divorce seemed the only thing she could do. YOUNG GIRLHOOD—Raised in Salt Lake, Milton and Bountiful, Josephine was only seven when her mother left polygamy. Her grandparents, Thomas Jefferson and Rozetta Thurston, provided a place for them to stay, in a small home near theirs in Milton. Josephine's grandfather was known for opening up the Weber Valley for settlement in 1855. Being the oldest of the children, Josephine tried her best to help. She attended school in Milton, but often visited with her father in Centerville for weeks at a time. She became a favorite of her father's and it is said that he gave her a number of fine dresses. He loved his children very much and did many things for them. In 1865 her mother Rozetta was married to her second husband James Jacob Arthurs. He built a cabin and eventually moved his family to live in Hardscrabble where he owned and operated a sawmill. They shared the cabin with a family by the name of Davis. Julia had several more children by Jacob Arthurs, one of which drowned in the creek. As the years went by, making a living became even harder and Arthurs left his family just before Julia had a baby boy in 1878. He went to Alaska in pursuit of an inheritance left him by relatives and was never heard from again. COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE—As a young teenager Josephine spent time visiting her grandparents in Milton and with her uncle, Peter Franklin Thurston and his new bride Mary Ann Spendlove from Middleton. Mary Ann had an eighteen year old brother and he spent much of his spare time visiting them. Josephine was only thirteen in 1871. William would often ride his pony down to Centerville to visit her and go to dances at the old schoolhouse. Their courtship ripened into a deep love, on November 15, 1875, William took his father's horse and buggy and with his intended bride, traveled to Salt Lake to be married in the endowment house. The young couple held a wedding dance on January 7, 1876, in the Milton school house. There were sixty couples in attendance and a big supper was served, and it lasted until two o'clock in the morning, and was greatly enjoyed by all. FIRST HOME—For the first years they lived in William's Uncle James' home, since he was not