DAVID SAMUEL TRACY

My Grandfather was David Samuel Tracy, born August 15, 1860 in Ogden, Weber, Utah.
My Grandmother was Rebecca Harriet Taylor, born April 10, 1868.

David Samuel went to work at the age of 21 for Abe Chadwick caring for cattle and horses. One time, he took some cattle to the desert and was caught in a fierce, cold blizzard. He tried to keep the cattle together but some of them were frozen in their tracks. Frontier life was always challenging and sometimes brutal.
David met and married Rebecca Harriet Taylor in Lake Point, Utah. They left Lake Point by covered wagon (the mode of transportation for most) and moved to Park Valley, Utah where they built a rustic log cabin. In 1884, they traded the cabin for a wagon and moved to George Creek and built another cabin with a dirt roof. David became the Post Master and the post office was located in their home.
David and Rebecca had their children sealed to them in the Logan Temple.
They lived in George Creek and at some point it was renamed Yost, Utah. David owned a store called Tracy Mercantile Company for several years and finally sold it to one of his sons-in-law. David was great with people, and whenever someone needed a place to stay, they were always welcome in his house. He died at the age of 85 of diabetes.

TRACY FAMILY LEGACY

The Rice-Durfee Families were my Father's Ancestors. I will give a brief history of my Mother's Ancestors, the Tracy- Taylor Families.

My great, great Grandfather was Caleb Tracy, born 1786 in Danbury, Rutland, Vermont. There is no history on him.
My great, great Grandmother was Susannah Colvin, born 1787 in Pawlett, Addison, Vermont. I could not find any history of her either.
My great Grandfather was Silas Horace Tracy, born Mar. 23, 1830 in Elllisburg, Jefferson, New York. No history on him. My great Grandmother was Fannie Marilla Garner, born July 2, 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Fannie Marilla was the second daughter of David Garner and Dolly Durfee. She was born just five days after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The lives of the Saints were in turmoil and as soon as possible the David Garner family moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa to escape the persecution in Nauvoo. They began the long trek to the Salt Lake Valley in 1850, suffering many hardships along the way.
Fannie became the third wife of Silas at a very young age. They were the parents of nine children. After years of contention, Fannie divorced Silas and moved her family to Park Valley, Utah. At some point Fannie moved the family to Yost, Utah, and married David Graham.
She died at the age of 96 years.

ALICE JANE DURFEE

Alice Jane Durfee born January 23, 1872 in Beaver Dam, Box Elder , Utah married
Nathaniel Able Rice born July 30, 1869 in Providence, Cache County, Utah.
Alice was born in Beaver Dam and was the seventh child in the Durfee family. The family moved to Providence, a rough frontier town. They left Providence when Alice was just 8 years old and moved to Almo, Idaho. Alice's early life experiences were that of primitive pioneers. She continued to live in Almo the rest of her life. Alice married Nathaniel Rice and although their marriage was all too brief, it was a happy and loving union. Alice became a very young widow and raised eight children without ever remarrying. She lived to be 101 years old and witnessed dramatic changes from horse and buggy to modern day progress during her lifetime. She stayed mentally alert and was the darling of all the nurses when she was hospitalized.

After Nathaniel's death, Alice struggled to care for her family. My father William was the oldest child and at a tender young age, only 13 years, when he took over the ranching chores. Dad later left home to herd sheep to help pay the taxes. Grandmother Rice's ranch was just a few miles from ours and we were very close with her and my aunts and uncle. In spite of all their hardships, they were the happiest people I have ever known. They were always laughing and telling funny experiences. Grandmother attended my birth along with my sisters and brothers with the exception of my youngest sister who was born in a hospital. We formed strong and loving bonds and I have an unending supply of fascinating and fun stories and a lifetime of good memories. I'll tell some of the stories in future postings.

NATHANIEL ABLE RICE

Nathaniel was born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah. He was the second child of seven children born to William Hyrum and Olive Emily Smith. Nathaniel's father raised stock and did a lot of freighting in the Cache Valley area. They moved to Almo, Idaho where Nathaniel helped his father on his ranch until he acquired a ranch of his own. The Rice and Durfee families were close friends and Nathaniel and Alice Jane Durfee became friends and later husband and wife. A year after they were married, they traveled to Logan, Utah and were sealed in the Logan Temple. Nathaniel came from a rough frontier family but became a righteous man who always had family prayers. Eight children were born to this union with the last child being born a few weeks after Nathaniel died. Nathaniel worked hard all his life, clearing brush, plowed virgin land, built roads and logged timber. When contractors refused to pay their workers, Nathaniel paid them from his own earnings. He was always upright and honest in all his dealings.
Nathaniel loved horses, especially spirited ones and while leading one of his favorite horses through a gate, the horse reared and struck him in the head. It was a severe blow, and Nathaniel began to have frequent strokes. Several months later he was taken to the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City,Utah where he died. He was only 35 years of age.
I never knew my Grandfather, nor did I hear many stories about him. My father William was only 13 years old when he died and had to grow up overnight. All I know about my Grandfather is he was an honorable man who was held in high esteem by his fellow man.

WILLIAM HYRUM (HYRUM SMITH) RICE

The Rice Family Saga begins with the first post (RICE FAMILY LEGACY)
My great Grandfather was William Hyrum (Hyrum Smith) Rice born May 5, 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois. My great Grandmother was Olive Emily Smith born December 12, 1845 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

Hyrum left Nauvoo at a young age (4 years) with his family to go to the Salt lake Valley. He lived with his father until he was about 17 or 18 years old when he left home to find work. He loved working with horses, as did his father and brothers, and wanted to live on a ranch. Hyrum worked for many years as a freighter and bought a piece of land called Round Mountain. He built a ranch house and used the land for a way station for freighters, stage coaches, and mail carriers on horseback. He also ran a herd of horses on Black Pine Mountain. His way station was also used by traffic coming from Oregon, Northern Calif. and Idaho heading to Utah. When the railroad was built, it basically put Hyrum out of business and he sold the ranch and moved back to Almo, Idaho. Hyrum drifted away from the Church and dropped the Smith from his name. He was a good and kind man when he was sober, but was abusive when drunk which was often after Olive's death. One day the family was going to visit the neighbors when Olive met with a tragic accident. She climbed into the buckboard wagon and reached down to lift her little three year old daughter into the wagon. Just as she leaned over, the horse reared and lunged and Olive was thrown from the wagon . She suffered a compound fracture of her arm. Her son Nathaniel rode furiously for hours to get the doctor but by the time he got to the house it was too late to save her. Infection set in and she died leaving several children. Hyrum had a difficult time keeping the family together and so the three youngest children were sent to live with their aging Grandmother Smith.
Hyrum was a restless man and moved several times to find work, finally ending back in Almo where he and several children moved in with my Grandfather Nathaniel and his new bride Alice Jane. She had an instant family. Eventually Hyrum lived alone and it is not known for sure where or when he died. It was probably while staying with one of his daughters.

FOOTPRINTS OF IRA RICE

My great, great Grandfather Ira Rice was born Oct.28, 1793 in Berkshire, Ashworth, Franklin
Massachusetts. My great, great Grandmother Sarah Ann Harrington was born Jan. 30, 1801
in Glouchester, Providence, Rhode Island. Ira enlisted in the War of 1812 when he was just
18 years old. During Ira's eighteen months of service (he felt it was his patriotic duty) and,
while at Fort Erie, the British set fire to a powder keg that exploded with great force. The blast scattered a small force of two hundred men in every direction. Most of the Americans either
drowned trying to cross the river, or were shot while still on the banks. Ira survived by
swimming downstream four miles to safety. His survival skills would serve him well during his lifetime. Ira married Sarah Ann Harrington and they moved to the 'wilds' of Michigan. Ira along with the other frontiersmen cut down trees, built cabins, and planted crops. Ira and his older sons learned to hunt bears for bed coverings and rugs. More than once he found himself staring into the gaping jaws of a very large, very angry bear. Ira always won the fight. In time Ira became a very wealthy landowner. The Rice Family was introduced by Missionaries to the LDS Church. They became Members about 1840. The family then moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where Ira again owned extensive property and livestock, had they stayed, they would have become very wealthy again. Instead, they crossed ice covered streams and rivers with icy water rising up to the bottoms of the wagon beds soaking feet and legs. Many of the Saints had to leave their homes in the middle of the night.
Ira and his family crossed the mighty Mississippi into snow covered wilderness. Ira was asked several times to go back to Nauvoo for more grain and supplies before leaving Council Bluffs, Iowa with the first Company of Immigrants. He owned good teams and wagons and was able to freight supplies and assist families to Winter Quarters. The Lorenzo Snow and Orson Pratt families were among those being helped. Eventually Ira and a few family members left to go to the Valley. He left his wife and several children behind so he could first establish a home and would then send for them. When the rest of the family finally arrived in Salt Lake City, Sarah was not with them. It was assumed she was too ill to make the journey and died. Ira was sent to settle many communities and in his later years went on a Colonizing Mission in
Southern Utah. He died at Washington, Utah.

RICE FAMILY LEGACY

England was a cold, damp Country in the early 1800's. The living conditions were harsh and many families longed to find a better life, dreaming of the land of opportunity across the ocean called America. Among those were my Grandmother Alice Jane Durfee Rice's ancestors.
My great, great, Grandfather Frederick Barker born Sept. 18, 1800 in Diss. Shelfanger, Norfold, England and my great, great, Grandmother Ann Blygh born Feb. 18, 1802 in Tebenham, Norfolk, England decided along with Frederick's brother George to move with their families to America. They set sail on March 23, 1830 on an old warship called 'The Newbrunswick. '
Their journey was fraught with peril. Enduring much seasickness on a rolling, pitching upward then downward ship was difficult enough but the crowded conditions on the ship left them vulnerable to diseases. Both families came down with Small Pox and George's wife died. After a three month ocean voyage, they arrived in Staten Island, New York.

Frederick and Ann were converted to the Gospel at Waterstown, Jefferson County, New York and soon began their arduous journey westward. They came to Nauvoo, Ill. and before leaving , they with the other Saints went up on the roof of the Temple. They then crossed the Mississippi River and ended up in the fall in Council Bluffs, Iowa to form a Company to cross the Plains. They arrived in Salt Lake City in 1849 and were sent to settle a town called Ogden, Utah.

My other great, great Grandparents were Francillo Durfee born May 12, 1812 in Lincoln, Addison, Vermont and Miriam Jones born August 29, 1809 in Pittsfield, Addison, Vermont.
Francillo left Nauvoo with the first Company of Saints, 'the Exiled Saints.' While traveling West, he was called to be among the 500 Saints in the Mormon Battalion. He ended up with a detachment of men who became ill and left Santa Fe for Pueblo to winter on the Arkansas River. He was honorably discharged from the service, and traveled to Salt lake City, Utah. He was called by Brigham Young to settle various areas, one being a settlement on the Salmon River in Idaho. There he worked with the Indians teaching them farming and the other White Man's ways. He died in Beaver Dam, Utah. Miriam Jones never made it to the Valley, she died in Nauvoo, Illinois.

My great Grandfather was Henry Dennison Durfee born Sept. 6, 1833 in Westport Essex, New York. My great Grandmother was Jane Isobelle Barker born May 10, 1839 in Watertown, Jefferson, New York. Henry Durfee made several trips across the Plains to assist the Immigrant Saints coming to the Salt lake Valley. He was among the rescuers sent to bring the stranded hand cart companies that were trapped in early snow storms in Wyoming. He tells the story of one hand cart family. Somewhere along the trail their cart tipped over and rolled down a small ravine. When found by the rescuers, the father was exhausted and the mother was still struggling to move the cart. The family was brought to camp and after eating some hot soup, the mother and children went to bed. The father wanted to stay up by the fire a little longer. When they checked on him a little later, they found he had died. Henry Durfee was also a member of the Pony Express and had many trials and adventures. Both Henry and

Jane Isobelle died in Almo, Cassia County, Idaho.