Daughter of Isaac Allred and Julia Ann Taylor

Wife of Miner Wilcox


Julia Ann was born in 1845 Nauvoo, Illinois, the seventh child in her family. The fall of this same year, brought persecution among the people there. Mobs came, homes were burned, and there was carnage all about.

The large James Allred and William Taylor families were preparing to move again and to follow their leaders of the Church. Julia's father worked on the temple and helped quell the mob. He did endowments in the temple. He was thirty-two years of age when Julia Ann was born.

In February, 1846, Julia Ann left the city of Nauvoo as an infant with her family, who were destitute of anything to help themselves. The Church helped them get to Garden Grove, and James Allred, her grandfather, helped them to Council Bluffs in the Spring of 1848. At that time, her family was left alone while her father preached the Gospel and worked at various jobs to prepare to travel West.

Julia Ann was five years old when they made the trek west with the pioneers in the Spring of 1851, with the Isaac Allred's Fifty. They arrived in Utah in August of that year. Her father was called to serve a mission to England in August 1852 and served there until 1855, leaving two young families in Kaysville. Soon after he returned, they moved to Ogden.

Julia Ann later moved with her family to Ephraim when she was nearly thirteen years old. They settled in a new life with her father's three families. The next year, her father, Isaac, who was almost forty-six years old, was clubbed the the head over a trivial matter while sitting around a campfire on May 11, 1859, and died the next day which left three families fatherless. Her mother was a widow at age forty-three, and she moved her family back to Ogden, Utah.

Ten months later, in March of 1860, Julia Ann, at the age of fourteen, was married to Minard (Miner) Wilcox. He had come to Utah with his parents in 1847 and settled at Mt. Pleasant where he had met Julia Ann. They resided there until called to help settle Bear Lake Valley.

Julia Ann gave birth to twins, a son who died at birth, and a daughter, Julia Minett. Julia Ann had experienced much heart ache and trials for a young woman of fifteen years. In June, 1864, they traveled by covered wagon to Paris, Idaho. They lived in the wagon until Miner built a one-room log cabin. Julia was compassionate and took into her home a man to care for. She and Miner gave him their bed, and they took their babies and slept in their wagon. She took care of him until his death. He was the first person to be buried in Paris, Idaho.

The threat of Indians was of great concern to Julia Ann. She watched her children very closely, because she had heard threats of the Indians going to take a white child.
Julia Ann gave birth to eight of her eleven children while living in Paris, Idaho. While Julia Ann was awaiting the birth of her tenth child, Miner was called on a mission to Tennessee. He was able to serve only one and a half years because he contracted malaria fever and was sent home. He was very ill when he returned which required much care until his fever broke. Julia Ann had her eleventh child when she was forty-three years old. About this time, in March, 1888, her oldest son, twenty-five year old Isaac Francis, was hunting ducks when he was shot and killed. She had to go to bed to await the birth of Elnora because of the tragedy.

Julia Ann was supportive of her husband's various church callings and his life as a farmer. She was considered an excellent seamstress, and made her family's clothing. In her later years, she and her daughter, Annie Elizabeth, owned and operated a milliner shop. Julia Ann was also wonderful cook and homemaker.

In the Fall of 1919, Julia Ann and Miner went to Nampa, Idaho to spend the winter with their children. Miner took sick and passed away on February 10, 1920 at eighty-six years of age. He was taken back to Paris, Idaho for his funeral and burial.

Julia Ann lived alone in the small three-room house just south of the old family home in which her son Elmer and his wife lived. They cared for her in her last years until her death on September 15, 1933, at the age of eighty- seven years. She lived a great life of sacrifice and service.

Julia Ann was truly a pioneer woman of much faith and fortitude and was loved and honored by her posterity for these qualities she possessed.