Joseph was born at Hauns Mill, Caldwell County, Missouri. He was a year and a half old baby in his mother's arms when the massacre of Haun's Mill occurred. His father, Jacob, was one of two survivors in the blacksmith shop after the massacre was over. When Jacob and Margaret moved their family to Nauvoo, Jacob was made bishop of the Fifth Ward. Excerpts from the "History of Bishop Jacob Foutz Sr. and Family" by Grace Foutz Boulter, Historian, and Mary Foutz Corrigan, Asst. Historian follows with, "When the family left Nauvoo they took two covered wagons for the family to cross the plains to Salt Lake City. Shortly after they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, Joseph's father died suddenly leaving Margaret with eight children to feed. In the spring of 1850, the widow Margaret Foutz, Joseph Lehi, Margaret, Jacob Jr. and Miranda moved south into Utah County settling at Pleasant Grove. Joseph Lehi, the eldest son, was then 10 years old. Even at that age he heroically assumed much of the financial responsibility of the family. He, like other boys of the time, had had little if any schooling, and so he had to resort to the kind of work an unschooled lad could get in a pioneer country. He was a born trader and a lover of animals, especially horses. By driving teams for others and by his trading he was able to help his mother greatly...Excerpts in the 'Biography of Joseph Lehi Foutz' by Alice Packer Foutz says, "Joseph was an excellent horseman and an expert on Military tactics. Joseph as a young man rose to Captain in the Utah Militia, trained the men in military tactics in Utah County as long as he lived there. Joseph Lehi married Caroline Amanda Child the 24 of February 1857 in Pleasant Grove, Utah Co, Utah. They had seven children while living in Pleasant Grove, had two more children in Richfield. In 1865, the Black Hawk Indian War broke out and lasted until 1872. Joseph fought in the Indian War with the rank of Captain for seven years until it ended. In the fall of 1871, Joseph and Caroline came to Richfield, Utah, where Joseph had charge of the military training in Sanpete and Sevier Counties. He served the people of Sevier County as sheriff for one year until he moved to Arizona. In 1875 Joseph accompanied Jacob Hamblin into the Navajo reservation and Hopi Indian Villages, Jacob and Joseph became fast friends. Jacob paid Joseph many compliments--one, that he was the best scout he had ever been out with...Joseph was an excellent marksman, was fond of target practice, and often indulged in this pastime with the Indians, who admired and respected him for his skill. October 7, 1877 the Mormon church held its General Conference calling many men to missions, foreign and in the United States. Joseph was called to move and colonize Arizona. In the fall of 1877, Joseph Lehi and his family made their way to the Colorado River and ran Lee's Ferry for one year. Their first home was Moen-Copi (Moancopy), ninety miles south of the ferry. The next year they bought John D. Lee's home called Moweabby where they lived for years. By this time Joseph had two wives, Amanda and Emma Elizabeth Crossland. When he brought the third wife, Susan Content, home with him, the Mormon church was calling an end to Pleural marriages. Amanda Caroline was so upset with him she packed her belongings and children into a wagon and left Joseph. She went back to Richfield, Utah, where she lived until she died. When the government bought out this section of the country and added it to the Navajo Indian Reservation, Joseph Lehi, his second and third wives and their children moved into New Mexico. Joseph started his Indian trading business in the 1870's, the business really growing when he moved to New Mexico in the four corners area of the Southwest. One year before he died in Aug 1906, he filled out an application for the Black Hawk Indian War Veteran Medal to be given by the State of Utah. He died the 19 Mar 1907. His son, Asbond Alonzo Foutz made out an application for his father for the Indian War Veteran Medal the 16 July 1907. August 12, 1908, the medal and a document from the State of Utah stated "Received from the State of Utah Medal for services in suppressing Indian hostilities, between the years 1850 and 1872, as provided in Chapter 86, Laws of Utah, 1905. The document signed by J. L. Foutz per S. B. Clawson came to Esbond Alonzo Foutz, the eldest living son after Joseph Lehi Foutz had died. By Nancy Foutz Rogers