On the tenth of October 1874 Joseph Weston Gibbons was born in Laketown, Rich County, Utah. He was the first child of Joseph and Mercy Weston Gibbons. As a boy he grew up in Laketown, Round Valley, Garden City and Meadowville, Utah. He played with his cousins-the Hodges, Westons, Lamborns and others living in these communities. They played the games pioneer children played such as baseball, Pomp-Pomp-Pull Away and coasting. Most of their play things were homemade.
As all pioneer children did he shared in the farm and home work. He helped feed and care for the livestock. There was wood to get and chop for cooking and heating of the house in winter as well as water to carry to the house for cooking, washing and other house hold uses, and cows to be milked.
When his father married his second wife Katherine Newcomb, Joe says he can remember the chivalry. His mother's living in a two roomed log home with a lean to built on one side. The children were all in bed when the people began to arrive. They all had noise makers of some sort - cans with rocks in them, old pans they could beat on or hit together, bells, etc. When the people left they threw these things on the roof of the house too. They made so much noise Joe was frightened.
In 1888 the family moved to Round Valley. There wasn't a house or any buildings on the land. The land had to be cleared of sagebrush before any crops could be raised. Soon after they moved to Round Valley his father was called on a two year mission to England. A house was rented and the family went to work to build a house and prepare the land for farming.
In April 1891 his father left on his mission. At this time his mother had eight children and was expecting her ninth child. Joseph was the oldest child in the family so much of the responsibility of getting the work done was his. He had a wonderful mother to guide and help him.
The winter after his father left on his mission was a real hard one following a dry summer. Feed for livestock was scarce. Joseph was the only one in the family to go to school that winter. He did this by riding a horse five miles and back each day. He has told about riding one horse one day and tying it up in grandfather Weston's barn then giving it a good feed of hay. When he got ready to go home he took a sack full of hay to feed the cow. The next day he'd take the other horse. This way they were able to keep three animals. Grandfather Weston took the rest of the stock and feed them. Joseph was a good student in mathematics and always enjoyed doing it. He helped others with their math problems.
Soon after his father returned from his mission the family moved to Garden City on part of what was the Bisbane Ranch later called Hodges Ranch.
About one year after his father returned from his mission he was ordained bishop of the Meadowville Ward and when the family were able, they moved to Meadowville. Joseph worked for his Uncle "Nat" Hodges and made his own way. When his father's family moved to Oregon he stayed in Bear Lake and worked . His Uncle "Nat" Hodges still owned the ranch in Garden City and he worked for him most of the time. Joseph was a steady man and not afraid of work so he nearly always had work and money. He had learned from his mother not to waste money. By the time he was about thirty years old he had saved quite a little money.
It was in Garden City he met and courted his future wife, Lydia Luetta Cook (called Lettie). They were married June 23, 1905 in the Logan Temple.
In July 1905 he departed to fill a two year mission in the Eastern States with headquarters in New York City. He spent most of his time in West Virginia among the rural people. With his own money he was able to finance his own mission as well as have some for a down payment on a home and farm in Garden City when he returned home.
His wife lived with her parents and helped them on their ranch while he was on his mission. After his mission he spent the remainder of his life in Garden City.
He was always active in the community. He served as counselor to Bishop C.W. Pope for a number of years. In 1923 he was sustained bishop of the Garden City Ward which office he held until 1926. He also served in the Sunday School Superintendence, on the genealogical committee and as a ward teacher and Stake missionary.
He was president of the Swan Creek Canal Company and for many years and secretary treasurer of the same company. He served as a school board member for Rich County. When the town was organized he served as a member of the town board and helped supervise a number of community projects.
All his life he was a hard worker. He liked to help his neighbors with harvesting their crops and stacked hay for many. At the age of 65 he was stacking hay for two buck rakes, irrigating and carrying the work of his farm because his only son Lowell was in service of his country.
One man in Garden City told some young people that if they could be as honest as Joe Gibbons they would do well.
He passed away the 3rd of February 1956 at the home of his daughter in Fairview, Wyoming. He had 4 children: Lydia Cook Gibbons Willets (deceased); Vera LaThel Gibbons Hale of Fairview, Wyoming; Joseph Lowell Gibbons of Garden City, Utah; Eva LaRetta Meyers of Minersville, Utah.
Contributor: Bruce (51173639)