Story of the Week: 7-11-2008: Settling West Jordan-Conclusion

Note: This is the final section of the Jane & Thomas Silcock History

Move to West Jordan
The 7th of May 1865, the family left Grantsville and located in West Jordan Ward. They endured more pioneering hardships and privations. They reached their destination the 18th of May 1865 and the 25th of July she had a daughter, Nina Etta, born.

The following winter was a very hard one and very lonely. They lived far from any neighbors and Thomas was away from home to work. Most of the time Jane did not despair, but did all she could to help in such isolation by sewing, spinning, weaving, taking milk cows on shares. They had taken up a quarter of land on the banks of the Jordan River. They lived for the time being in one log room and a dug out. At this time there were only six families from the Jordan Narrows to West Jordan. Later Thomas took up a homestead. During the summer of 1868 Jane had a spell of sickness that lasted two months. On the 25th of January 1869, her oldest daughter, Martha, was married to Robert Pixton. On the 8th of September 1869, Jane had another son, William Hulme, born and still it was a struggle in their surroundings to keep the wolf from the door.

A New Home
In 1870 and 1871 they had quite a number of cows on shares and by this helped her daughters. Jane got three adobe rooms added to their one log room that had been their only shelter for more than six years. Just before the house was ready to move into a son, Samuel Ephraim, was born on the 5th of September 1871. The baby was born in the dugout, which was a great disappointment at the time, but she made the best of it and when she was able to get up her daughters moved her and the baby to the new house. One girl wheeled Jane in the wheel barrow and the other carried the baby. They did this to surprise Thomas when he was away from home. They suffered no inconvenience from this journey. When the baby was a month old they went to Salt Lake to get shoes and supplies for the family. They were caught in a cold fall rain storm on the way home. They sat down in the bottom of the wagon and covered up until they reached home with the supplies. Neither Jane nor her babies caught cold.

In the winter 1872 Jane had a very severe spell of sickness, but she regained her health and planned how she would get work for herself and daughters. In the summer of 1873 the house was plastered inside, having been without plaster for two years. During the summer of 1873, when the threshing was under way they found they needed more room to store grain. Jane said she would clear out one of the bedrooms for the grain. It seemed so good to have a good crop after so many years of waiting and struggling to get along with a big family. Now, they had their homestead and the water to it and part of it was under cultivation. On the 12th of October 1879, their daughter Rosena Silcock Dansie died leaving two children. Jane took them home with her and cared for them for nearly a year.

Jane’s Callings in the Church
About this time South Jordan Ward was organized. Jane was called to act as a visiting teacher in the South Jordan Relief Society. On the 1st of February 1880, a branch was organized and called Riverton. When the Sunday School was organized Jane was appointed teacher of the Book of Mormon class. Soon after this she was called to act as President of the Relief Society of the Riverton Branch. She served faithfully in this office for sixteen years.

More losses of children
October 5, 1881, her youngest son, Samuel Ephraim, died at the age of ten with diphtheria and on the 7th of November another son, John Walter, eighteen years old followed of the same dreaded disease. This was indeed a sad blow from which Jane never would have recovered if it had not been for the great faith she had in the gospel. She said as Job of old, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In October 1890 their daughter, Sarah Silcock Bowld, died leaving five children and Jane was still able to minister to the motherless for she did her best to care for the helpless and those in need. April 1893, they attended the dedication services of the Salt Lake Temple. In November 1896, their daughter, Almira Heath Silcock Henderson, died leaving thirteen children. The two oldest were married and the other eleven were at home. The two youngest were twin boys seven months old. After burying this daughter, Jane remarked to Thomas as they returned home, that they had lived to lay the biggest half of their family away.

In 1899, Jane had a grandson, Seth Pixton, son of Martha & Robert Pixton, go on a mission to England, her native land. Jane continued her labors in the Relief Society until some time in 1900, when she was released. In July 1901, she had the pleasure of welcoming her returned missionary home again. Although the only grandson, he was the only one of her family to go to the nations of the earth to preach the Gospel and Jane felt to rejoice in having this privilege.

Early in January 1902, Jane met with an accident. The horse she had been driving started too quick and consequently Jane was dragged a short distance and was shaken up and bruised. Jane got up and un-harnessed the horse and put him in the stable. She walked to the house, but the end came and she failed more rapidly.

Thomas Silcock was the first Presiding Elder of Riverton and served as a home missionary all over the county. They had fifteen children and one stillborn, thirteen living past the age of 8. They were Alma, Thomas, Martha, Esther, Rosena, Almira, Sarah, Paulina, John, Nina, Nicholas, William, and Samuel.

Jane died April 27, 1902 and Thomas died May 10, 1906.

When Thomas said grace or family prayers he would always say, “Hasten the day of they Judgment, Lord, and he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Originally typed by Jewell Dansie
Feb 25, 1966

Taken from a biographical sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton.
Italics indicate text added by Marie Arnold.