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Sesquicentennial Descendant Corner
Ensign Israel Stocking
Ensign Israel Stocking was born in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1836 to John Jay and Catherine Stocking. They became some of the first settlers of Herriman, Utah. Ensign married Elizabeth Arnold in 1863 and left for a mission to England three days later. Ensign and Elizabeth had eight children. At the dying request of his good friend, George Butterfield, he took George's widow, Emma, as a second wife. He moved his family to South Jordan in 1876 and was called to serve in the bishopric with Bishop Bills shortly after their arrival. He was a shipman and a farmer throughout his life. He claimed to be the happiest man in the world for he had his family, a home and owed no man. Ensign and Elizabeth's son (Hyrum) married Eliza Orabell Beckstead. They had a nice home, barn, and outbuildings at 9780 South 1300 West. Hyrum was in the sheep business with his twin brother (Joseph) and brother in law (George Shields). Hyrum served as bishop of the LDS South Jordan Ward from 1924 to 1930. They have many descendants still living in South Jordan.
John C. and Jane Seal Wheadon
John C. and Jane Seal Wheadon were from Dorset, England. They were the parents of eight children. Three of their children died in childhood and were buried in England. The parents and their five remaining children immigrated to Utah and came to South Jordan in 1877. Their son's (John William) passage to America was financed by a man in Kanosh, Utah. John worked for that man for one year and then went to work in Frisco, Utah. His family had lost contact with him and finally found him through an advertisement they placed in a newspaper. John and Jane had settled in South Jordan and he joined them there immediately. South Jordan was called "Gale" at this time. John William married Ellen Maria Rands in 1886 and they also had eight children. All were born in South Jordan. Their youngest son (John) married Pearl Jensen. When she died, he married Essie Holt. John was bishop of the South Jordan Ward from 1945 to 1955, served sixteen years on the Jordan District School Board, served on the South Jordan Town Board and was justice of the peace. He died in 1993 six months short of his 100th birthday. John and Jane's youngest son (Alma) was born in England. He came to South Jordan with his parents and married Margaret Winward. They resided on a small farm at 10100 South 1300 West and were the parents of eleven children. The Wheadons have many descendants in South Jordan.
Oake Nil Oakeson
Oake Nil Oakeson was born in 1853 in Sweden. He was the fifth of six children born to Nils and Elna Olsson Akesson. His family immigrated to America over a period of years in the late 1870s. Oake settled in South Jordan. He married Hedda Lundberg of Sandy, Utah in 1879. Oake operated one of the first blacksmith shops in South Jordan. After living in several different South Jordan locations, they eventually bought 20 acres of land at approximately 9700 South 1300 West. They had nine children. They moved away from South Jordan in 1971, but many of their descendents still live here. They are buried in the South Jordan cemetery. Their oldest son, Harvey, married Maria Elizabeth Leak. Harvey and Maria reared ten children on a farm at 9504 South Redwood Road. Niels Wilhelm Oakeson, third child of Oake and Hedda, married Dollie Smith. They had nine children and lived on a farm at 10130 South 1300 West. Niels used horses-as many as three teams at once-to farm his alfalfa and sugar beet fields. Even in his advanced age, Niels and his horse plowed snow to clear a walkway for the children to get to school on 1300 West. In February 2009, Niels and Dollie's son, Frank was honored by South Jordan City as the oldest citizen.
Joseph Samuel Maynard
Joseph Samuel Maynard was born in Wiltshire, England in 1856 to James and Jane Draper Maynard. He married Sidse Marie (Mary) Peterson in 1878. Sidse was born in Denmark and was the daughter of Peder and Dorthe Pedersdatter Olsen. Samuel and Sidse moved to South Jordan in 1879 and lived at 10091 South 1300 West in a log and brick home. They had ten children. Many of their children married into other early South Jordan families. Both Samuel and Mary are buried in the South Jordan cemetery. William "Bill" Maynard (relative of Joseph Samuel) was also born in Wiltshire, England to William and Elizabeth Maynard. He married Jane Shields in 1886 in South Jordan. Jane was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Shields. Bill and Jane were the parents of nine children. Bill was considered one of the best hands in the sheep business. He herded sheep on both summer and winter ranges. He was an excellent marksman who consistently hit targets as small as a quarter tossed into the air. He owned a .22 caliber rifle with a gold gun sight.
Albert and Celestine Mabey
Albert and Celestine Mabey were married in 1873 in Salt Lake City. Albert originally came from Dorsett, England. Celestine's father had been with the original company of pioneers who came into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. She was an early member of the Tabernacle Choir. They moved from Bountiful to South Jordan around 1884. Albert was a veteran of the Black Hawk War and helped construct the transcontinental railroad which was completed in 1869. He hauled ore from Brighton and Butterfield canyons to smelters in the valley. Their first home in South Jordan was a log cabin at 1230 West 10091 South. They moved to a large brick home at the head of Mabey Lane in 1896. It is still in use today and is occupied by their great grandson and his family. Albert was a farmer and raised sheep in South Jordan. He was director of the South Jordan Canal Company, a school trustee, and was a counselor in the South Jordan Ward Bishopric from 1892 to 1900. They had ten children, four passing away in infancy. Both Albert and Celestine are buried in the South Jordan cemetery. Quite a few of their remaining children and grandchildren stayed in South Jordan where they have served in both community and ecclesiastical positions.
Christian and Marial Madsen
Christian Peter Madsen was born in 1890 in South Jordan. His parents had immigrated to the United States from Denmark around 1885-1886. The family rented large farms when they moved into this area. Christian walked a long distance to school each day. When he was sixteen years of age, his father mortgaged his home to buy a farm for his sons to operate. The farm was located at 1945 West 11800 South. The boys were responsible farm operators and eventually paid off the mortgage. When Christian was 14-years-old, his father returned to Denmark and served as a missionary for the LDS Church. Chris, his mother, and elder brother (Niels Jr.) supported their father and husband on his mission by sending him $20 a month and took care of the rest of the family's immediate needs. They operated three farms at the time. They had to toil day and night as it was very difficult to make ends meet. Chris followed in his father's footsteps by serving a mission in the northern states when he was 21-years-old. He returned home and began a career in farming. He married Marial Huggins (Marysville, Idaho) when he was 30-years-old. They raised seven children at 11249 South Redwood Road.
Joseph Thomas and Marinda Hutchings
Joseph Thomas Hutchings was born in 1852 on the Isle of Guernsey. His family was originally from Somersetshire, England, but had moved because of religious persecution after they joined the LDS Church. Joseph was one of nine children, but only he, his mother and three sisters immigrated to Utah. Joseph married Marinda Nancy Wheadon of Dorset, England in 1879 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. In October 1886, he moved his family to a 20-acre farm in South Jordan at 11200 South Redwood Road. Two years later, they moved to a larger farm to the north along the canal. Joseph worked hard on his farm and insisted "idle hands were tools in the devil's workshop." Both Joseph and Marinda are buried in South Jordan. Their oldest son (Joseph Nephi) remembers attending school in the "Mud Temple" which was located where the South Jordan cemetery is now. James Oliver was his teacher. Nephi married Elizabeth Ann Bird in 1905 in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived at 9786 South Redwood Road for most of their married lives. Nephi was a dairy and poultry farmer and was very progressive in his farming techniques. Both Nephi and Elizabeth were very active in politics, community, and ecclesiastical endeavors. Elizabeth was ward Relief Society president for 11 years. Both are buried in South Jordan.
William and Mary Sheppick
William George Sheppick and Mary Symonds Ostler were both born in Dorset, England. They married in 1860 in England and later immigrated to Utah with seven of their ten children. They arrived in South Jordan in 1886. Three of their children had died as infants. Mary died in 1911 and William died in 1912. Both were buried in South Jordan. Three of their sons (William, Herb and Thomas) lived most of their married lives in South Jordan and raised their families here. Many of their children and grandchildren still reside in South Jordan. Herb was a farmer and a blacksmith. Thomas was a farmer and a plumber. Thomas was also the caretaker for the South Jordan Community Well and Waterline and was a cemetery caretaker for a little while. All of them were involved in both community and church callings. The three sons, their wives and many of their children are buried in South Jordan.
George Shields
George Shields (born in 1828) and his wife, Jane, were both born in Renfrew, Scotland. They joined the LDS Church in 1847 and immigrated to Utah in 1853. They moved to South Jordan in 1859. They had eleven children, three of whom died when very young. George was a farmer and a weaver. He helped bring several family members across the ocean in subsequent years, including his father and stepmother. Both George and Jane are buried in the South Jordan cemetery. Three of their sons (James, George Wallace and David Albert) remained in South Jordan with their families. James operated seven freight wagons for hauling ore from Bingham Canyon. George Wallace was a very generous businessman. He was a sheepsman and every Christmas gave food to all the widows in South Jordan. David's son, James B., was a very successful masseuse. All of them had farms and homes around Shields Lane (approximately 9800 South).
Frederick Alfred Cooper
Frederick Alfred Cooper was born in Godmanchester, Hunt, England in 1837. He journeyed to Utah with the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company. He married his wife, Mary Ellen, in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. They had eleven children but six died very young. Fred and Mary Ellen were original settlers in South Jordan arriving in 1859. He was a popular and successful businessman. Their farm property was located at 9375 South 1300 West. When South Jordan was divided from West Jordan (at approximately 9400 South), they maintained their ties to South Jordan. Most of their children and grandchildren chose spouses from close by. As a result, they have many descendants in this area.
John Winward
John Winward was born in 1830 in Chowbent, Lancashire, England. He married Sarah Elizabeth Beckstead in 1854. She was the daughter of Alexander and Catherine Beckstead who the first settlers of South Jordan. John and Sarah were the parents of 13 children. They moved to South Jordan in 1859, where he became the first teacher in the small adobe school/church house south of where the cemetery is located. They both died in South Jordan. Their eighth child, Peter, was born in 1870 and married Lucy Cowley. They raised all of their children in South Jordan also. Their home still stands on Cemetery Road. Pete was a colorful character. He hunted skunks, extracted their oil, and sold it. He also kept beehives and sold honey. He was also a shoemaker. He was a custodian at South Jordan Elementary School and gave free hair cuts to the students. Many of their descendants still live here.
Robert and Mary Ann Holt
Robert and Mary Ann Holt are the ancestors of many Holts still living in South Jordan and the surrounding area. They (with four sons and one daughter) immigrated from England to Utah in 1863. Mary Ann was in ill health and died a year after their arrival. He later married Barbara Rook of Switzerland. Robert and Mary Ann's son, Matthew, married Ann Harrison of England. Matthew was a farmer and a stock raiser. He had fruit trees and a wonderful vegetable garden. He donated the land for the "purple church" on 1300 West. Ann was a midwife and a doctor who delivered more than 500 babies in the area. She had received her training in England. Ann was also the first Relief Society President in South Jordan serving for 32 years until her death. Matthew and Ann's son, William, owned the farm where the Jordan River Temple now stands. Their family donated their land for the temple. Almost all of Robert and Mary Ann's children and grandchildren helped settle and build South Jordan. One grandson, Robert, managed the White Faun Flour Mill, and another grandson, Joseph, managed the Jordan Mercantile.
William A. Bills
William A. Bills was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1835. His parents were early converts to the LDS Church. They were driven by mobs from Far West, Missouri and Nauvoo, Illinois with the rest of the Church. He had four wives (Emeline Beckstead, Matilda Amundsen, Patrenia Amundsen and Annie Eastwood). He had at least 30 children borne to him and his wives. Quite a few of those children died as infants. William and his family moved to South Jordan in April 1863 and located their home on Cemetery Road. He was called as a counselor and then as branch president of the LDS Church. When the branch became a ward in 1877, he was called a bishop. In 1886, federal marshals began searching for polygamists to arrest. They came looking for "Billie Bills," as they called William. Fortunately, Joseph T. Hutchings was able to warn William and he escaped via an irrigation ditch and hid in the Hutchings straw stack for three days. Mrs. Hutchings supplied him with food and water. He served as a spiritual leader in South Jordan for 34 years. He later moved to Riverton. There are many descendants of William living in the surrounding area.
Peter Olsen
Peter (Peder) Olsen, born in 1815, and Dorthea (Dorthe) Pedersdatter, born in 1823, were both from Holbaek, Denmark. They married, joined the LDS Church, and decided to immigrate to Utah. They spent six weeks crossing the ocean. When they arrived in New York in 1868, Dorthea, the mother, was hospitalized for nine weeks while the family went on without her. The two oldest sons, Ole and James, traveled to Utah by ox team and wagon while the rest stayed in Council Bluffs for three years. The family was eventually reunited in Utah and settled in South Jordan in 1871 where most of them remained. James married Sophie Simonsen and they were the parents of 13 children. James was instrumental "in building up the surrounding territory, building railroads, roads and canals." Their son, J. Reuben Peterson (grandson of Peter and Dorthea) was instrumental in organizing a potato grower's co-op and was a voting director of the Utah & Salt Lake Canal Board. He was also a member of the Utah House of Representatives during the mid 1930s. He was the first president of the South Jordan Town Board when the city was incorporated in 1935. Both the Olsens and Petersons contributed much to the building of South Jordan and many of them are buried in the South Jordan cemetery.
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