John Fenton Shields

His great-granddaughter, Charlotte Jones, wrote out Martha's biography. Its saved to Martha's memories. Even though I have the original document in my possession, passed down from Charlotte, someone in my family has a partial copy and that's what's saved to Martha Ann Shield's. According to her account - Brigham Young sent a letter to John requesting him to go to Mesa, Arizona to organize a new church. Martha didn't follow because her mother, Mary, refused to go. Mary hadn't converted to the church when it came to polygamy. John and Eliza, with their 3 boys, moved to Mesa. After that Martha never saw her father again. I do have the last physical letter, in hand, that John sent his family. See attached under memories. ----- __________________________________________________ http://genforum.genealogy.com/shields/messages/3490.html John Fenton Shields was born in Beaver Co. PA, probably very close to the Columbiana Co. OH line; his older sisters were also born there; the birthplace of a brother Increase Wisdom Shields (b. 1830 is given as Columbiana Co. OH, 6 mi. from New Lisbon, near the head of Little Beaver and the Beaver Co. PA line". His parents appear to be in Gallia Co. OH in 1840 but must have moved to Warren Co. IL by 1847; JFS was probably living with his parents in Warren Co. IL. He married Mary Howell July, 1847 in New Lancaster, Warren, Illinois, United States . A son was b. & d. 1848 in IL (reportedly in Wabash Co. IL, although this is far SE from Warren Co. and probably wrong, unless Wabash Co. was a marshalling area for Mormons headed west) He moved to Utah in 1849 with the John Brown company, but soon went on to Caklifornia. He was in Calaveras Co. CA by 1852 (perhaps joined the gold rush?); From 1854 to spring 1859 he was in Monterey Co. CA, where his sister Mary (Shields) Cronk had moved ca. 1853 (Mary and her husband Joseph Cronk had died shortly after arriving in Monterey Co. CA. Their dau. Maria Cronk mar. Thomas Walker, owner of the Walker Ranch where one of John Fenton Shields' sons is buried) In June 1859 daughter Rhoda is born in San Bernadino, California and when the 1860 census was taken John was still living there. Although Brigham Young had recalled the saints from San Bernadino in 1857 when Johnson's army was approaching Salt Lake, many had stayed and join the Josephite movement. By 1863 when Martha was born John had moved his family to Salem, Utah. John lived in Salem for the next 20 years. In 1866 John is listed in as a second lieutenant in the Black Hawk War which took place in Utah and Sanpete counties. In 1870 John (47) married Eliza (18) as a second plural wife. Eliza had three children. He was called to serve a mission to Iowa in 1877. In 1880 he is in Salem, Utah Co. UT with both wives and ch. by each. Family accounts record a daughter Sarah and perhaps other relatives living around Eureka in Juab Co., not far from Salem. Other family sources also say JFS resided Tooele, Utah. Sometime after the death of his first wife may in 1890 and by 1896 he moved to Gila River, AZ which was probabaly near Pima. There is no record of John and his family in th 1900 census. At some point he settle in Pima, Arizona which was colonized by the Mormons in 1879. He died at Pima, AZ. in 1908. Eliza died there in 1921. The Gila Valley LDS temple is located near Pima. Conquerors of the West: stalwart Mormon pioneers, Volume 2 By Florence C. Youngberg, National Society, Sons of Utah Pioneers. On page 2327 is John Fenton's pic and children's and wife's, names births etc. John loved music especially the violin. He was a wonderful violin player. He played for dances and entertained in many public places. He also was a bee keeper.