A Story of the Life of James Brinkerhoff Sr.
Written Sept. 25, 1952 by Mattie B. Fish, his granddaughter

Our Grandfather, James Brinkerhoff Sr. was born May 22, 1816 at Sempronious, Cayuga County, New York. His parents were George Brinkerhoff and Hannah DeGroff, who were probably farmers. Their son, James, was a farmer, beekeeper, maple sugar maker and a fish peddler while a young man in New York. He also made barrels.

James was married January 24, 1836 to Sally Ann Snyder, born October 22, 1815, at Sempronious New York also. They were evidently married in Cayuga County, New York, as their oldest daughter, Jeanette Brinkerhoff Leavitt was born at Moravia, Cayuga County, New York, October 30, 1836.

Sally Ann gave birth to eight children whose names are: Jeanette, Hannah, who died in infancy; Mary Ann; James Jr., who died on the plains crossing the Missouri River at the age of 2 years 3 months; Levi; Hyrum; George and Willard. Grandpa accepted the gospel and was among the first converts to the church. He was baptized in 1841. One year later he moved to Nauvoo where he helped build the Nauvoo Temple. He went on a mission for the church in 1842 in the state of Ohio and was called home to Nauvoo at the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith. He was also at the meeting where he saw the transfiguration of Brigham Young to the form and voice of Joseph Smith.

His home was near that of the Prophet Joseph. His oldest daughter, Jeanette, tells of picking peaches in the orchard at the Smith farms. Grandpa had a box the size of a cigar box full of $20 gold pieces. He gave them to the church. We have no record of credit for it. It may have been used for finishing the temple.

James Brinkerhoff, with his wife Sally Ann Snyder and three small children started west with the Saints in the first company of ox teams. When they reached Winter Quarters, he was obliged to leave his wife and babies while he went to Missouri to work for money to buy provisions so they could continue their journey. It was during this hard winter that their 4th child, little James Jr., age 2 years 3 months, died and was buried in the "Camp of Israel" burial grounds at Winter Quarters. He died while crossing the Missouri River.

They started for the Rocky Mountains again in the Spring of 1847 with the Perrigrine Sessions Company. Their 11-year-old daughter, Jeanette, helped drive the ox team the last 600 miles. As a good provider, he was able to provide buffalo meat and plenty of wild fruit for his family. There was plenty of feed for the animals; they milked their cows and the jolting of the wagons churned it into butter. Sunday was always a day of rest and worship, while every evening all met together for prayers, singing and occasionally amusement.

We know of one incident that happened during that journey. While they were crossing a creek, their wagon tipped over, their chicken coop smashed, and the chickens were all turned loose. But soon the wagon was set up, chickens caught, and all went safely on their way. They arrived in Salt Lake City September 25, 1847, where the men folks set right to work building a fort to make themselves comfortable and to protect their families from the Indians. it was very necessary that it be done in a hurry for the stork was on its way as Sally gave birth to another son, Levi, November 3, 1847, a month and ten days after their arrival. They lived in Salt Lake about four years when James was called to move to Centerville, Davis County, Utah, about 20 miles north of Salt Lake. His special calling was to teach the people how to farm. We can see the wisdom of that movement now, as that little settlement is one of the most fertile, productive spots in the valley.

At this time, James Brinkerhoff took a second wife. He married Rebecca Hannah Hawk who was born August 12, 1835 at Parke County, Indiana. They were married September 28, 1852 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake, Utah. She was not quite 17 years old. Aunt Rebecca gave birth to nine children whose names are; Clark James (1854-1915), Mary Caroline (1856-1889), Margaret Nina (1859-1932), Samuel William (1863-1928), Alonzo (1864-1922), Jesse (1867-1936), Ira (1870-1950), Sally Edith (1873-1937) and Loretta 1875-1961) who was born four months after the death of her father. Aunt Rebecca married again after the death of James Brinkerhoff. She married a man named Andrew John Gardner (1838-1908) on January 2, 1900 and lived in Emery County, Utah. At the time of her death on December 22, 1905 she was with her youngest daughter, Loretta Young in Price, Carbon County, Utah. She was taken to Huntington, Emery County, Utah for burial in the Huntington City Cemetery on December 24, 1905.

Two years after his marriage to Rebecca Hawk, James Brinkerhoff took a third wife. This time he married Eliza Jane Henderson, born April 29, 1831, at Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois. They were married June 11, 1854, in the Glendale, Kane Co., Utah Endowment House when she was 23 years old. Grandma Eliza Jane was only 5 years older than his oldest daughter, Jeanette. Eliza Jane gave birth to eight children also. Their names are; David (1855-1925), John Silas (1859-1931), Eliza Ann (1861-1935), Lucinda (1863-1923), Joseph (1866-1932), Maryette (1869-1911) and Wilford (1871-1872). She died December 20, 1905 at the age of 74 in Glendale, Utah where she is buried beside her husband.

In all, 25 children were born to this good man. At the time of this writing they are all dead except Aunt Rebecca's youngest daughter, Loretta B. Young, who lives with her niece, Lucinda Snell, in a little home owned jointly by the two of them. Their home is 6803 Orchard Drive, Val Verda, Utah, a few miles north of Salt Lake City and joins Bountiful.

After living 15 years in Centerville with his three wives, James Brinkerhoff was called by Brigham Young in 1863 to go to Southern Utah where again he helped start the farming work. This time in St. George, Washington County, Utah and again in 1870, nine years later, he was called to help settle the "muddy" in Nevada. He was there at the time Brigham Young released them because of hard times and Indians troubles and told the people to go elsewhere if they wanted. This was early in the summer and they had crops almost ready to harvest. Many people just went away and left the crops for others to harvest. Those who left faced winter without food for their families or animals.

Shortly after 1867, Father went to the "muddy" and stayed until early summer of 1871. They stayed in Orderville until the crops were gathered, then went to Glendale. Grandfather James Brinkerhoff moved to Glendale, Kane County, Utah and was living there at the time of this death due to sunstroke March 4, 1875. He was only 59 years old. This left the three wives with large families. They helped each other and all have raised honorable families. Having good teachings from their father, made it much easier.
Aunt Sally Ann was a twin and was never very strong, but everyone loved her and helped her all they could. She died February 8, 1895 at Thurber, Utah. Aunt Rebecca was a good seamstress and she helped manage the sewing for the family while Aunt Eliza Jane was a weaver and helped make cloth. So, each one doing her part made it more pleasant for all. Aunt Rebecca lived in Salt Lake.

James Brinkerhoff was a good husband to his wives and a good father to his children. He treated his wives alike, as much as possible and was very attentive and considerate of his children. He wanted them to learn to work and to be honest and honorable in their dealings with others. Evidently, he has succeeded well as he left his family honorable, fine people, whose families and posterity will reach near to the 1000 mark. What a credit to a grand old man! No doubt, he is equally proud of his family as they are proud of him.

May we all live so that we can do as well with our families as our Grandfather James Brinkerhoff Sr., has done with his family and have as much to our credit as he has.

(Levi Brinkerhoff, son of James Sr., is said to have been the first boy baby birth after the Saints arrived in Utah.)

James Brinkerhoff
Taken from LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol.3, p.327

Brinkerhoff, James, Bishop of the Woodruff Ward (Snowflake Stake), Navajo county, Arizona was born March 20, 1880, at Glendale, Kane county, Utah, the son of David Brinkerhoff and Lydia Ann Nelson. Together with his parents he went to Lee's Ferry as an infant, his father helping Warren Johnson to run that ferry across the Colorado River. The family moved to Tuba, Arizona, when James was about six years old, Here he received a limited education and became a faithful Church: worker in his youth, his father being Bishop of Tuba. He was baptized, March 31, 1888, by Joseph Y.C. Lee, ordained a Deacon Oct. 12, 1890, by David Brinkerhoff and ordained a Teacher Jan. 7, 1900, by James A. Allen. He also acted as secretary of the Y.M. and filled a mission to the Southwestern States (later the Central States) in 1902-1904. Returning from his mission, he settled at Woodruff, Navajo county, Arizona, Tuba having been broken up as a settlement during his absence. Ever since then Woodruff has been his permanent home. He was ordained a High Priest by Smith D. Rogers, Nov. 13, 1904, and set apart as second counselor to Bishop Levi M. Savage; he acted in that position until Sept. 29, 1918, when he was sustained as Bishop of the Woodruff Ward and later (April 26, 1919) ordained a Bishop by Richard R. Lyman and set apart to preside over that Ward. In 1905 (Oct. 5th) he married Sarah Huldah Eagar (daughter of Joel S. Eagar and Lucy J. De Witt), who was born Nov. 6, 1883 at Pima, Graham county, Arizona. The children of this marriage are the following: Belle, Nina, Alta, James Ross, June, Ruth and Lester Grant. Bishop Brinkerhoff is a farmer by vocation.