Boyhood Home of Nathaniel Cooper - My Grandfather

For quite a while I have wondered where my grandpa, Than Cooper lived in Panguitch when he was a boy.  Recently I found a very good history about the Henrie Family written by descendants of John N. Henrie, who was Mary's brother.  Mary Henrie was Than Cooper's mother.  Click here for the link to this history.  

One thing that this history contains is the location of many of the Henrie Family homes in Panguitch.  The house that Grandpa lived in is no longer standing.  It was located at 152 East 200 South, three blocks east of the house where Than and Bell Cooper lived.    

Mary's mother and father (Christena and James Henrie) lived in a north-facing home about 14 East and 3rd South.  That home is also gone.

August 9, 1973

It was a Thursday evening, it was dark out.  My father was outside. He had just come home from getting some fish bait from a neighbor's house because he and my little brother were leaving for a vacation in California the following morning.  A sheriff's car pulled up in front of our house and gave my dad the news.  I was in my room with Mom when Dad came into the house.  I will always remember the look on my father's face when he came into my room to break the news to us.  Mom knew right away something was wrong, but I suppose she never thought it would be something so terrible.  I can remember vividly the words he spoke when he came in.  He was quite shaken, but tried to retain his composure.  He told my mother to get a hold of herself because he had something to tell her.  Mom sensed it and hysterically asked what it was.  Then Dad said, "Lynn has been killed in a car accident.  He and the Bickmore boy were killed."  My mom started sobbing and cried over and over, "My poor Lynnie!"

Earlier that day my older brother Lynn had come home from his classes at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.  On his way into Tooele, he saw a couple of his friends who invited him to go fishing in the Uintas, and he decided to go along.  He left a note at home saying he would be home late that night.

Once in the Uintas, the boys separated along the river, each looking for the best place to fish.  Later in the afternoon, Lynn and Steve met back up, but they could not find Wayne for quite a while.  When they finally found him, it was late afternoon.  Steve had a date that night and had to get home.  They were probably in a hurry traveling the curving road of the Mirror Lake Highway.  Near Soapstone campground, their car left the road and rolled*.  Lynn and Steve were in the front seats of the car, not wearing seat belts, and they were ejected as the car rolled.  Lynn  was thrown clear from the car but Steve was thrown in the path of the rolling car.  A piece of chrome went through his body and he was instantly killed.  

Lynn was having trouble breathing.  A doctor happened to be camping in nearby Soapstone Campground. I don't know if he saw the accident, or was called upon, but he performed a tracheotomy on my brother**.  Lynn was alive for around ten minutes after the wreck, then he died.  The two bodies were taken to Coalville where the embalming was done.

After my dad broke the news to my mom, she began to nervously hurry around the house cleaning, "because people would be coming."  I remember that I sat on the table as my dad called the mortuary, his brother to tell him he would't be coming to California, and the rest of our relatives to break the news.  When I went to bed that night, Mom was still up.  When I woke up the next morning, she was already up and cleaning the house.  I know she was just trying to keep her mind occupied.

We all tried to eat breakfast, but had a difficult time.  Then the paper came, and I looked for an article on the accident.  We hadn't known too many details about the wreck.  This was when we found out that Wayne had been with them and he had been slightly injured. 

Shortly after, our good neighbors came over to our house, and then people came all day long.  The next few days were a blur.  There were arrangements to be made for the funeral and burial.  We were all still in shock and could hardly believe what we were doing.  Our bishop and the mortuary took care of almost everything.

We had to go to the mortuary to do what we had dreaded doing, view Lynn's body.  We had already gone to the mortuary and cemetery to pick out the casket and lot.  We had also had to pick out the clothes he would be buried in.  Going to the mortuary that day was probably the proof and realization for us that what had been happening for the last few days was real.

Our family and a few other relatives went with us to the mortuary.  We all kind of held onto each other as we went to view his body.  I was relieved and my anxiety laid to rest when I saw that Lynn looked perfect.  I was afraid that he would have cuts and bruises, but there was nothing wrong with his appearance.  He looked as though he was peacefully asleep and it gave us peace of mind to think that he looked like he had not gone through much pain.

Most people hate to go to viewings, but if you have ever been a family member of the deceased, you realize that you appreciate the people who have come to pay their respects.  People expressed words of praise, words of kindness, words of love, and words of sorrow.  One of Lynn's high school teachers told my parents, "Lynn was a mastermind!"  It was really hard on all of us to have to go through all the tears over and over again, but it was a real comfort to know that people cared.  The funeral was held the next day at our church, and then he was laid to rest.  A meal was prepared for the family at our house.  I was relieved that it was finally all over.

Then for the next few weeks there was an emptiness in our home.  Feelings were still very tender.  There were matters to be taken care of that caused my mother much heartache.  We had to arrange for his car to be sold or at least taken away from the house because if we looked out and saw it there, we automatically expected him to be coming through the door any minute.  When we would walk by his room, we'd expect to see him there reading.  Subconsciously we anticipated his arrivals, but of course they never came.  We also had to clean out his clothes and belongings which were again a heartache.  It sort of seemed that we were cleaning away any remembrance of material things that would bring back the pain.

I know my father felt more pain than he ever showed.  He had to "keep it together" for the rest of us.  I don't know if my heart ever pained more than when I saw my father cry.  My dad went through quite a change after Lynn's death, our whole family did.

We became a closer, more loving family.  We grew together as we helped each other through it all.  My little brother had a very hard time.  He was ten years old and so he didn't have the support from friends that the rest of us had.  It was a very sad time for him.  He idolized his older brother.

Mom didn't get better for a long time.  In fact, I don't know if she was ever the same.  As time went on, it got a little better, but she mourned for Lynn the rest of her life.  I'm sure I have no idea how much she suffered.

When my mom died, it gave me comfort to know that she was reunited with her son again.  It had been 36 years since they had been together.  I felt the same way when my dad died.  What a glorious reunion for both of my parents to be with their son and their parents again.

Today is the 39th anniversary of Lynn's death.  I love you big brother, give Mom, Dad and Dave a hug and kiss from me.  

Clicks here to view Lynn's Findagrave Memorial.

Epitaph on headstone: "Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams."

*The time of the accident was 3:25.  A week or so after the accident, we received a package in the mail containing Lynn's possessions that were in the car.  Among the items was Lynn's Timex watch he had been wearing at the time of the accident.  The crystal was cracked and the time stopped at 3:25 p.m.
**He performed the tracheotomy with his pocketknife.

1940 Census - Than Cooper Family

The 1940 Census was taken in April 1940.  It has recently been released after a 72 year waiting period.  Census takers went door to door to gather the information.  The 1940 Census used 175,000 maps as guides for the workers taking the census, so that they could personally visit every house, building, tent, cabin, hut or other place where a person might be living or staying.  If a family was not at home at the time of the first visit, the census taker would return later.

In April 1940, the Than Cooper family was living in the same home as in 1935.  They owned their home and the value was listed as $700.  Their neighbors were the Ira Webb family, Frank Hatch family, and Carl Boyles family.

There were four children living at home:  Jim (age 19), Grant (age 16), Mae L.(age 14) and  Fae Ann (age 9).  Grandpa was 47 and Grandma was 46.  The individual who transcribed this page of the census apparently could not read the writing.  Grandpa's name was listed as "Heller Nathaniel." The word Heller looked to me as it the census taker had written something then scribbled it out.  Grant was listed as "Trant," and Mae was listed as "Mal."

Grandpa was listed as the head of the household.  His occupation was sheep herder.  He said that he had worked 56 weeks in 1939, earning $550.  His highest grade completed was grade 7.  Jim was also listed as working as a sheep herder.  He had worked 52 weeks the previous year.  Grant was listed as not working and was not looking for a job even though he was 16.   

My mom was 10 years old when she was diagnosed with her hip problem.  That would have made the year 1940, so she was probably having trouble with her hip at the time.

In 1940 Europe was in the middle of World War II, although the United States didn't enter the war until the next year with the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  The country was just leaving the depression behind.  Gasoline was 11 cents a gallon, and the average cost of a new car was $850.  The average cost of a new home was $3,920.  The average salary was $1,725.

Nylon stockings had been invented the year before and were all the rage with women.  The movie "Gone With The Wind," was in theaters and Disney made the movie "Pinocchio."   Bennie Goodman and Count Basie were popular bands.  Life Magazine cost 10 cents.  Franklin D. Roosevelt had just be re-elected as the first third-term president.

Niels Christian Anderson Schow - Great Grandfather of Than Cooper

Niels Christian Anderson Schow - Great Grandfather of Than Cooper, Grandfather of Mary Henrie, Father of Christena Rasmine Schow.

This is the story of an entire family that joined the Church in Denmark and then came to Utah settling several different communities.  The emigrant family consisted of the parents, five children, grandmother and step-grandfather.  The father, Niels Christian had 3 wives.  Two of his daughters became polygamist wives of James Henrie.  He fathered 13 children, 5 children of which died in infancy.

Niels married Marie Pedersdatter (Peterson) on April 6, 1839, in Budolfi, Aalborg, Denmark.  She also went by the name of Marie From, taking her step-father's surname.  Her name is engraved on her headstone as "Mary."  

The Niels Christenson Schow Family first heard the gospel preached by Apostle Erastus Snow and Elder George P. Dykes, who with two other elders were the first Latter Day Saint missionaries in Denmark. On April 13, 1851, Niels and Marie, daughter Christena, and their sons were baptized by Elder Hans Peter Jensen.

They left their home and native land and headed for Utah in December of 1853.  They traveled by sailing vessel to Liverpool, England.  They sailed on the ship, Jessie Munn, to New Orleans, arriving there on February 20, 1854.  The voyage continued up the Mississippi River to Kansas City, Missouri, where they remained for a time preparing for the journey across the plains.  

They crossed the plains with an ox team with Captain Hans Peter Olsen's Company.  While crossing the plains, many people died of cholera.  Among those who died was their grandmother, Kerstine Rasmussen and step-grandfather who died within ten days of each other.  Kerstine died on June 26, 1854, step-grandfather, Erik Christian From (1788-1854) must have died about July 6, 1854.  They arrived in Salt Lake City on October 5, 1854.

Their first home was made in Bountiful where they had many trying hardships. He married a 2^nd wife while living in Bountiful.  Her name was Ane Larsen.  She was born in Denmark in 1822 and died on December 7, 1858 in Bountiful. They lived in Bountiful until about 1859 when the family moved to Brigham City.  During this time they suffered great hardships and the Indian troubles kept them in constant fear.  Then came the grasshoppers which caused famine and their family of six persons lived for ten weeks on pig weeds, sour milk and ten pints of flour a week.  When the wheat and grain that missed destruction was harvested, the family gleaned wheat and barley from the field of Brother William Brown and carried it two miles to the Burr Mill to be ground.

In the Spring of 1863, the family joined a small group of Latter Day Saints who founded the community of Mantua, Utah.   Niels Schow was called to settle Panaca, Nevada.  In 1871, they were told that they could leave Panaca and settle elsewhere but were asked to go to Panguitch, Utah.  They really wanted to go back to Bountiful but followed the call to move to Panguitch.

Children of Marie and Niels Christian Schow.  All children were born in Denmark:  

Ira Christian Schow (1837-1907, died in Panguitch,Utah)

Andrew Peter Schow (1839-1913, died in Manti, Utah but lived and is buried in Escalante, Utah)

Kirstine Rasmine Schow (born 1842 and died at age 1 in Denmark)

*Christena Rasmine Schow Henrie (1844-1927, died in Panguitch, Utah)

Michael Juel Schow (1848-1925, died in Mantua, Utah, buried in Brigham City)

James Jen Schow (1848-1932, died in Escalante, Utah)

Mary Magdaline Schow (born and died in 1851 in Denmark).   

Anne Marie

On October 19, 1861, Neils married a 3^rd wife, Anne Marie Kirstine Rasmussen.  She too was from Denmark, born on April 3, 1842. 

The following children were born to Niels and Anne Marie:

Marie Schow (born 1863, died 1 month later probably in Brigham City, UT)

**Gedske Schow (born 1864, died 1933 in Panguitch)

 Niels Christian Schow (born 1866, died 1962, buried in Milford)

Anna (1871, died at 4 months old, buried in Panguitch)

Louis Rasmussen (born 1873, died age 5 months in Panguitch)

Carl (Charles) Frederick (born 1874, died 1948 in Milford)    

Niels died in Panguitch on February 3, 1879, and his wife Marie died January 7, 1883. 

*Our Ancestor

**1/2 sisters, Christine and Gedske were plural wives of James Henrie 

 A more complete history can be read on this link:  Niels Christian Anderson Schow History

Abraham and Polly Emmons Church, Great Grandparents of Isabell Church

 Parents of Hayden Wells Church, Grandparents of Robert Robbins Church, Great Grandparents of Isabell Church,

Abraham Church was born to Thomas Church and Elizabeth Betsy Collett on October 16, 1790 in Burke, North Carolina.  He married Mary Jones “Polly” Emmons on September 14, 1816 at the age of 25.  Polly was born on October 1, 1875 to Isaac Emmons and Christiana Wakefield in Burke, North Carolina. Abraham and Polly Church moved from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to Williamson County, Tennessee some 300 miles away.  Later they moved a few miles west to Shady Grove in Hickman County.  Their log home was one of the first built in the county as it was wilderness at that time.  The following children were born to them:

Haden Wells Church, August 29, 1817

Isaac Emmons Church, June 13, 1820

George Brown Church, July 18, 1822

Thomas Holiday Church, January 20, 1824

Robert Robbins Church, May 21, 1825

Christine Elizabeth Parthena Church, December 15, 1827

Nancy Carolina Margaret Church, June 17, 1830

Sarah Ann Martha Church, September 18, 1833

Charles Houston Church, June 20, 1836

The Church family first heard about the gospel in 1840.  Their son Haden Wells Church went to Nauvoo, Illinois to meet the prophet, Joseph Smith and was baptized there by him.  Other members of the family that joined the Church were Robert Robbins, Isaac Emmons, Thomas Holiday, and Charles Houston.  Some of the family stayed in Tennessee, others moved to Utah.  I don't think Abraham and his wife joined the Church while they were alive.  

There never was an LDS church in the area so the Church family home was a gathering place and headquarters for the Church in Tennessee.  For years, members met at the house for Sunday Services.  Missionaries received their mail there.

Abraham Church died on July 17, 1851.  Polly died 18 years later on September 12, 1869.

Click on Church Family Home to read my post of what happened to the home.

The following was taken from the history of Abraham’s son, Haden Wells Church, (1991) compiled by Hyrum B. Ipson.  Appendix A:  Church Family Burial Sites. 

“The community of Shady Grove is presently known as Duck River.  In 1878 there was a population of about 125, and the three churches there were the Methodist, Christian, and Mormon.  The Church Family cemetery is just outside the town.  It is located on what is known as the "Old Shelby Place" and the land is now owned by the Hooker Chemical Company.

Some of those buried in the cemetery include Haden's father and mother, his Aunt Nancy Emmons, his brothers:  Isaac Emmons and Robert Robbins, and his sister Nancy C. Nichols.  His brother, Charles Houston Church, is buried across the Duck River in the Charles Church Cemetery (which is locally called the "Grainfield Bin Cemetery").  Also in this cemetery are the graves of Charles' wife and their daughter Elliza Snow Church.

Another brother, George Brown Church, is buried close by in a small cemetery located on the Sam Church farm.  One writer wrote the following in a book about cemeteries in Hickman County:  "George B. Church was baptized into the Mormon Church by his brother, Haden Wells Church who had two wives, Anne Arterberry from Ala. and Katharine Gardner of Utah.  H.W. Church was baptized by Joseph Smith at Nauvoo, Ill. and he made the trek to Salt Lake City, Utah with Brigham Young in 1847.

Haden's brother, Thomas Holiday, came to Utah in 1877 and settled in Deseret and Oasis, where he died in 1917.  Eight of his children were born in Tennessee and four were born in Utah.  Haden's other two sisters, Christine Elizabeth Parthena and Sarah Ann Martha, married Hoover brothers and moved to Cedar County, Missouri, where they later died and were buried.  With the exception of these two sisters and one brother, all of Abraham and Mary Jane's children were buried close to each other in Tennessee.  The epitaph on Haden's brother, Robert Robbin's headstone engraves his and the family testimony as:

"Shed not for him the bitter tear nor yield to sore regret

 Tis but the casket that lies here, the gem is sparkling yet"

Abraham Church Headstone
Picture from staylor5109 on Ancestry.com

Inscription on the headstone:  Sacred to the memobry of Abrahm Church born Oct 16, 1790 died July 7, 1851 aged 60 years 8 months and 21 days

Abraham’s son, Haden Wells served five missions for the Church. He died on his last mission at the home of his family.  Both his father and his mother were dead by this time, the home must have belonged to someone in the family.  I read that it probably belonged to his brother, Robert Robbins.  Haden was buried in the family cemetery.  Some years ago, the original headstone was replaced and the old headstone was moved to the Panguitch Cemetery where his wife is buried.

Many, many members of the Church are descendents of this family.  

Click on Church Family Cemetery to read a blog post about the family cemetery today.

Cooper Family Line

For your convenience, this family group sheet will permanently be located at the bottom of the blog.

Church Family Line

For your convenience, this family group sheet will permanently be at the bottom of the blog.