ZABRISKIE, Margaret

1877 - 1936  (58 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	ZABRISKIE, Margaret
  Birth	25 Oct 1877	Mount Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah, United States
  Gender	Female
  Death	2 Mar 1936	Bluebell, Duchesne, Utah, United States
  Burial	4 Mar 1936	Bluebell, Duchesne, Utah, United States
  WAC	9 Mar 1950
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I21040	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Family	BRISTOL, Christopher Columbus ,   b. 17 Apr 1875, Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Nephi, Juab, Utah, United Statesd. 5 Aug 1956, Orem, Utah, Utah, United States (Age 81 years)
  Marriage	20 May 1897	Mount Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah, United States
  Family ID	F11380	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

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• Notes

  MARGARET ZABRISKIE & CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS BRISTOL AND FAMILY (Compiled and Written by Pat L. Bird Sagers) CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS BRISTOL Christopher Columbus Bristol was the last child born to Annie and William Bristol. Christopher was born 17 April 1875, at Nephi, Utah – several months after the unexpected death of his father, William Bristol. Christopher was most likely named after his (step) grandfather, Christopher Fuller - and the famous Christopher Columbus, himself. The Fuller family was probably a big help to Annie during the mourning and adjustment period of the recent death of William. They also would have been a help with the other small children, and chores, during Annie’s confinement period following the birth of their son, Christopher Columbus Bristol. While Christopher was still an infant, his mother married an older bachelor, Joseph Cambron, so Christopher and his older brother and sisters grew up with their mother and step-father along with four half-sisters and a half-brother. Since Joseph Cambron was a miner who worked in the Eureka area mines, this is where Christopher grew up, until his step-father died and his mother moved the family back to Nephi. While living in Nephi, Christopher’s mother married again, but this time to a man who was about ten years younger than herself. Annie married Charles Rambo on January 17, 1891 in Nephi, Utah, and he was apparently a bachelor also. Charles Rambo was born in New York City, and was listed as a carpenter and mason. One of Annie and William Bristol’s granddaughters, Karolyn Bristol East, stated that Charley drank a lot and was intoxicated on their wedding day, and he thought he was marrying one of Annie’s daughters, when instead he married Annie. Annie probably married Charley Rambo for security and support of her large family. She had no children with Charles Rambo. One story state that Charley Rambo had very little patience and love for children. Annie’s granddaughter, Ruth Ann Renberg Nay, said that Charles Rambo was a big, huskily built man, who drank a lot, and they were all afraid of him. Apparently, Charley traveled around a lot in his work. Ruth Ann also stated that whenever the kids would go to visit their grandmother, they would stand outside the gate and yell for their grandmother. Family stories state that Christopher C., as well as his brother Charles William, didn’t get along with this new step-father, so they both left home. Charles William moved in with and lived with his grandparent’s - the Christopher Fuller family, who emigrated from Canada and lived in Nephi, Utah. Christopher Columbus was a young boy of fifteen or sixteen years old when he left home to escape his step-father. He got a job herding sheep. Several years after his mother married Charley Rambo, the family all moved over to Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County. Christopher’s mother bought some property in Mt. Pleasant on February 28, 1900 for seventy-five dollars, and the Warranty Deed was in her name only. MARGARET ZABRISKIE Margaret Zabriskie was born 25 October 1877 in Mt. Pleasant, Utah to Alma Zabriskie and Mamie Margaret Tidwell. Maggie’s parents were born in Vermillion County, Indiana, and migrated to Utah with the pioneers in 1849, living first in Provo, Utah. Alma moved his family to Mt. Pleasant, Utah shortly after his marriage to Mamie Tidwell, and lived there the remainder of his life. Maggie Zabriskie was born into a family of twelve children - six boys and six girls. Her father had been involved in the Black Hawk Indian War in 1865. Lillian Bristol Bird said that her father, Christopher, met her mother, whose name was Margaret Zabriskie, while she was working as a waitress or a cook on a train, and as time went on he began courting her. The following is a story about the train that Margaret would have worked on as a young woman: THE SANPETE CREEPER *(An article by the Editor, Hal Edwards in the Richfield Reaper, tells us about the train that serviced Mt. Pleasant, and other towns in Sanpete and Sevier Counties.) “It was affectionately known as “The Sevier Valley Creeper. Unless you lived in Sanpete County. There it was the “Sanpete Creeper.” The “It” was the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad which linked the outside world to Sanpete and Sevier counties when the Marysvale Branch line was completed into Gunnison and Salina in 1890, later into Richfield in 1896. The passenger train operated daily to Richfield, making a round trip back to Salt Lake City via Sanpete County and joined the Rio Grande’s main east-west line from Salt Lake City to Denver in Thistle. But in 1949, after two years of substantial revenue loss, the passenger train was discontinued, bringing an end to an era which was one of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of southern Utah. ...However, freight trains continued to operate into the area regularly until April, 1983, when a giant mudslide near the town of Thistle covered the tracks. But for nearly 90 years the small but important branch line, which provided this area’s only railroad service, was a major part of southern Utah’s economic development.The railroad actually brought service into Gunnison before 1890, providing service to the Sanpete County communities of Mt. Pleasant, Ephraim, Manti and Gunnison. ...The story is told of the engineer, James M. Bolitho, who, when pulling into the depot, shouted to the crowd, “Git out of the way, I’m going to turn her around.” While most didn’t realize that was impossible, they scurried out of the way, expecting to see some kind of miracle! The same story is told of Mr. Bolitho when he took the first train into Marysvale, Sept. 9, 1900. A historical account of that situation stated a panic, occurred in which two women were knocked down by the crowd, another fainted and a wagon driver who had contracted to haul mail to the south got so excited he drove his shiny new rig into a ditch and broke a wheel. Perhaps the only reminder of what was once this area’s most important transportation mode will be remembered in Haywire Mack’s legendary song, [sang by Burl Ives], “The Big Rock Candy Mountain,” a song of the Rio Grande Railroad in southern Utah.” MARRIAGE OF CLUM AND MAGGIE Christopher and Maggie were married on May 20, 1897 at Mt. Pleasant, Utah. On their marriage certificate they give their names as Christopher C. And Maggie. From that point on most records refer to them as “Clum” from his middle name, Columbus, and Maggie instead of Margaret. Clum and Maggie lived in Mt. Pleasant, near both of their families. It was nearly three years after their marriage that their first son, Stanley Christopher was born on August 15, 1900. Two more children were born to them there in Mt. Pleasant - four years later, Ina Melvera, was born on 3 April 1904, and another daughter, Lillian Leora, was born on May 20, 1908. In 1907, Clum and another man, whose last name was Stevenson, went to the Uintah Basin to homestead. In 1908 Clum went back to Mt. Pleasant and brought his family to their new land. They made their first home at a place in Duchesne County which was later called Upalco (which is actually between the towns of Upalco and Bluebell, and would now be located about one mile east of the Big Sand Wash Reservoir.) [Upalco stands for Utah Power And Light Company.] This small family moved into an old log cabin, on top of a hill above the ledges. The story was often told that it was these ledges which were sometimes used as a hide-out for Butch Cassidy and other outlaws. MAGGIE BRISTOL’S TRIP FROM BLUEBELL TO MT. PLEASANT (This is a story that was told by Dorthella Bristol about her mother.) “In the spring of 1913, Mother received word that her father, Grandfather Zabriskie, was very ill. Father and mother decided that she should return to Mt. Pleasant with the three children, while he stay behind and take care of the farm animals and chores, and continue with the planting. Mother made preparations for the trip and they soon left. Because of the length of the trip they would have to make camp and spend one night. It was during the night, while the family was sleeping that the horses became uneasy, waking Mother. Mother, thinking it might be a bear, quickly built up the fire, put the children in the back of the wagon and went to calm the horses so that they would not break lose, leaving them stranded. The next morning as they prepared to break camp, they did indeed find bear tracks. While at Mt. Pleasant Mother’s Father died. A week after his death the family returned to Upalco. They found the way very hazardous due to the melting of spring snow. At one point they came to a very steep hill. Mother, being frightened that the wagon might hit a rut, flip upside down and kill them, made the children get out, walk down the hill, and stand a little ways off. To slow the wagon Mother tied a log to the back, climbed in and started down the hill, slipping and sliding every which way but finally making it to the bottom. The rest of the journey was made with little difficulty.” NEW HOME IN BLUEBELL, UTAH Christopher began going into the mountains and hauling out logs to build them a new home. On November 8, 1914 Charles Bernis was born. About two years later, Clum had just about finished their new home, but hadn’t moved into it yet. Maggie and Clum liked the Bluebell town area, and after talking and thinking about all the circumstances, they decided it would be a better place for the children to go to school and church, etc. Clum learned of a man, named Carl Johnson, who would trade his place in Bluebell for the Bristol’s place in Upalco, so the bartering began. It was decided that Clum would trade his home in Upalco, a team of horses, and $400 for Carl Johnson’s 40 acres, and Mr. Johnson’s help in building a home on the west side of the creek up on the hill. About 1916 Clum and Carl Johnson began building the house. At that time it was a log house with only one large room, with wood shingles for the roof. Later on though, Clum would add a lumber lean-to with two rooms. BAPTISMS INTO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Lillian Bristol Bird stated in her own history that her parents (Clum and Margaret) were baptized in Mt. Pleasant, but their records were left behind in a box in Mt. Pleasant, and they were all destroyed after they moved to Bluebell. (Margaret was probably baptized in Mt. Pleasant as an 8 year old child, but it is doubtful that Christopher was ever baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, until he was baptized August 12, 1917 by Leslie Goodrich in his pond in Bluebell, Utah.) Christopher’s wife, Margaret, and daughter Lillian, were baptized the week before Clum was, on 5 August 1917; because Christopher happened to be away from his home and didn’t make it back in time to be baptized with them. Christopher was confirmed the same day by William Merrill. MAGGIE’S AND CLUM’S LAST CHILDREN In the new Bluebell home, Alma Lavor was born on September 11, 1918. Christopher was ordained a Priest, March 5, 1922 by James O. Larsen. In that same year, on October 14, 1922, a baby girl, that they were going to name Margaret Elizabeth Bristol, was born and died (she most likely was stillborn). Lillian Bristol Bird, told her daughter, Patsy, that her mother was out picking strawberries while she was pregnant with this baby, and she was startled by a lizard. Then, when the baby was born she had a birth-mark of a lizard across her stomach. (*NOTE: People were very superstitious back in those days - so the birthmark probably had nothing to do with Maggie being startled by a lizard.) Anna Dorthella was the last child born to Clum and Maggie, she was born June 2, 1924. Colum and Maggie had seven children in all. Clum was forty-nine years old, and Maggie was forty-seven years old when Dorthell was born, and that seemed to take a lot out of Maggie’s health, and was never very well after that. LAVOR DIES Alma Lavor was only 9 years old he died on November 6, 1928. His death certificate stated that the cause of death was Diabetes Mellitus, coma, and contributory was Scarlet Fever for 8 days. Lavor was their first child, besides their stillborn baby, to die. SPRING RUNOFF EXPERIENCE Dorthella Bristol told an experience of her parents, Maggie and Clum: “It was in the spring time of one year that Father and Mother crossed the bridge on the Jenkins farm to go into Roosevelt to purchase supplies. As they returned home they found it impossible to cross back over the bridge, because the spring runoff had arrived during their absence, swelling the creek to thrice its size. The spring runoffs would always collect mud and limbs and anything else that unsuspectingly happened to be in its way, as was the bridge claimed by it. Father and Mother found it necessary to take the team farther down along the creek. As they came to the Crebbs ranch on the opposite side, Mr. Crebbs knowing of their plight was able to throw a chain to Father, Father then hooked the chain to his team and with the help of Mr. Crebb’s team was able to pull the wagon across a more shallow part of the raging creek. I remember as a child being able to hear when these first spring runoffs would begin. You would always hear it long before you could see it. Our family would run to the top of the hill above the creek and wait for it to turn the bend by the Hancock’s place.” MAGGIE DIES IN BLUEBELL, UTAH Grandma Bristol was never very well after their last child, Dorthella, was born. In fact, Margaret and Clum were grandparents about five months following the birth of Dorthella. Margaret Zabriskie Bristol died 2 March 1936 at Bluebell, Utah, when Dorthella was only about 12 years old. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HAS A STROKE Christopher lived 20 years longer, following the death of his wife. He had a stoke which caused him some health problems. Rola remembered when Grandpa had his stroke, which seemed to paralyze him on his right side. Clum was able to drag himself out towards the road, where there was a tree. In order to be seen and get someone’s attention, he pulled himself up the tree trunk, and was hanging from a tree branch with his good arm, and probably yelling when anyone drove by. Leslie Goodrich happened to drive by and saw him hanging from the branch, and stopped and asked if he needed help. He told him to go and get his daughter Lillian and Leroy, which he did. Pat Sagers (grand-daughter) remembered him being paralyzed on one side, but was able to walk with a limp, but didn’t use his one arm very much. At least once a week, maybe twice a week, he would walk from his home up to the Bluebell store, and get his mail. Sometimes he would buy a sack of (pink, most of the time) peppermint candy with little xxx’s on the top, and bring them over to our place and give them to me [Patsy] (and probably Dennis, too). (I don’t remember him giving anybody else anything like that, and Dennis doesn’t remember getting anything from him, but, if not, I hope I shared my sacks of candy with everyone!) I always remembered that - and pink peppermint (wintergreen) candy will always be one of my favorite candies. The following spiritual story was told by Leroy Bird, Colum’s son-in-law. “One time Lillian's father, Christopher Columbus Bristol, had a stroke which paralyzed his right arm and leg. Finally he got so he could walk pretty good, but he couldn't talk. He went to stay with his daughter, Dorthella and Ralph Blanchard, and I was doing his chores. I had to feed his two cows, milk and separate the milk and save the cream to sell for him, then wash the separator parts and the buckets, feed the chickens and gather the eggs. One night it snowed about twelve inches of snow. I went down and did all the chores. I had just finished gathering the eggs, then went to the granary to lock the door, which had a padlock on it. I snapped the lock. Then I discovered I had lost the keys to the house and the granary somewhere in the snow. The chickens had nests out in the weeds, and had trailed from one nest to another in the snow. I was pretty worried about it. I couldn't unlock or lock the house or granary without them. I followed my tracks to the coop and from one nest to another in the snow several times, but I couldn't find them. I went to the granary and stood there for quite awhile thinking--then it came to me to pray and ask the Lord if He would show me where the keys were. It came to me like a flash -- to go to a certain nest in the weeds and raise up the weed, I did, and there they were! The Lord inspired me where to go and what to do, to find those keys. Then I thanked the Lord for what he had done for me.” CLUM DIES IN OREM, UTAH Christopher lived 20 years longer than Maggie. A stroke caused him health problems, so Dorthella Bristol Blanchard, their daughter, took her Dad to live with her family in Lindon, for awhile, but when he needed more care than she could give him, she had to put him in a nursing home in Orem, Utah. Apparently gangrene got started in a sore on his leg, and he lived until the poison went to his heart. He died in Orem, Utah on August 5, 1956. Both Christopher Columbus and Margaret Zabriskie Bristol are buried in the Bluebell Cemetery. MEMORIES AND STORIES FROM THEIR GRANDCHILDREN GRANDPA BRISTOL’S NEW CAR Arvil Bird (grandson) said when he was about fifteen or sixteen years old, he was helping Grandpa Bristol, and they decided to go up to the Bluebell store to get something, and Grandpa suggested that they take his new car, which he had never driven very much. There was a deep ditch which Grandpa was use to driving his horses and wagon across to the other side of the road which went along the edge of the hill they lived on. The edge of the hill dropped straight down into a deep ravine. Arvil said they got the car started, and he got in beside Grandpa. Grandpa pushed on the gas pedal and the car went bouncing through the ditch and they were headed for the edge of the hill, and Grandpa was pulling back on the steering wheel and yelling, “Whoa, whoa, you son-of-a-bitch!” Arvil said Grandpa swore quite a bit. He also rolled his own cigarettes and they said he went through a lot of matches getting his cigarettes lit. CHICKEREE WITH A GRANDSON Jerry Bird (grandson) remembers his brother, Bill Bird, telling him the story about Bill and his friends having a ‘chickeree’. A group of teen-age boys would steal a couple of chickens from some farmer. After killing the chickens, they would take them down near Grandpa Bristol’s place, where they would build a campfire, skin the chickens, and then cook and eat them. Apparently Grandpa would sometimes watch them skin, clean, and cook and eat them. One time they stole a chicken, and decided they needed another one, but they didn’t want to go all the way back in to town, so they went and grabbed one of Grandpa Bristol’s chickens from his chicken-coop, and killed it. They were skinning and cleaning it when Grandpa walked up to them, and recognized the chickens as his! He pointed at the chicken and said, “Hey, that chicken looks like mine!” They were caught in the act, but the chicken was already dead, so he sat down and ate it with them. GRANDPA’S BEREAVEMENT OVER GRANDMA BRISTOL’S DEATH Wayne Bird (grandson) remembered being at Grandma and Grandpa Bristol’s home when Grandma died. It was cold spring, and Wayne had crawled behind the stove where it was warm, and he was out of the way, and out of sight of the adults. He remembered Grandpa being distraught, and upset, and cussing the doctors because he blamed them for letting her die. Margaret Z. Bristol died from Cardiac Asthma, and Cardiac failure following chronic myocarditis. Dr. Miles, a female doctor, was the nearest doctor, and she lived in Roosevelt, Utah at that time. MEMORIES OF THE BRISTOL HOME AND BLUEBELL, UTAH - by Dorthella Bristol Blanchard - “During the spring time of the year I recall how beautiful the land was. Our home sat back in from the road and the pathway from the wooden gate leading back to our front door had a shade tree on each side with lilac bushes, rose bushes, sweet peas, and iris. Around the side of the home could be found California poppies, rose bushes and more lilacs. As you would look out over the hillside you could see the Bluebells dancing in the breeze and could smell the sweet fragrance they emitted. Pink and yellow prickly pears, dressed the hillside along with sego lilies, Sweet Williams and Indian Paintbrush. The smell of Father’s freshly plowed ground could also be found. The spring time fragrances from our blossoming apple, pear, cherry and plum trees were also lent to the air. In our garden Mother raised gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries and currants. When she first came, Mother raised one acre of strawberries for all those in the valley. Mother’s [vegetable] garden was always well kept and produced abundantly, and the harvest would last us throughout the winter. Then came the Summer time with celebrations of the 4th and 24th of July. They were held at the old Willow Bowery. A program at the Church started the days off. There were races for the young people with prizes at the end. Horse pulling, bronco and calf riding contests. Especially do I remember the homemade ice cream, and the ice water from the ice sheds of Joseph Anderson. In the Fall school began, and we would walk a mile to school and another mile back home. In the Winter time this walk was cold and even longer. At times the snow stood as high as the fence posts and I would walk on top of it as I made my way to and from school. The coming of winter did not curtail our fun. By our home could be found the best hills for sleigh riding and afterwards our home was used as a gathering place to warm the frozen hands and feet of the sleigh riders, with baking powder biscuits, chicken or oyster soup and hot chocolate to warm our insides. On the cool crisp winter nights the sound of the sleigh bells could be heard as the young people were being picked up and dropped off. Of such, are a few of my memories, as I grew from an infant to an adult in the little town of Bluebell.” – written by Dorthella Bristol Blanchard.