SHIRTS, Emma Jean

1861 - 1933  (71 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	SHIRTS, Emma Jean
  Birth	2 Apr 1861	Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States
  Gender	Female
  WAC	2 Nov 1910	MANTI
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Death	2 Feb 1933	Escalante, Garfield, Utah, United States
  Burial	5 Feb 1933	Escalante Cemetery, Escalante, Garfield, Utah, United States
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I54293	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Father	SHIRTS, Don Carlos ,   b. 28 Jul 1836, Kirtland, Geauga, Ohio, United States Kirtland, Geauga, Ohio, United Statesd. 19 Jun 1922, Escalante, Garfield, Utah, United States (Age 85 years)
  Mother	WILLIAMS, Elizabeth ,   b. 11 Mar 1840, Lakefork Township, Logan, Illinois, United States Lakefork Township, Logan, Illinois, United Statesd. 6 Jul 1907, Escalante, Garfield, Utah, United States (Age 67 years)
  Marriage	23 Aug 1857	Parowan, Iron, Utah
  Family ID	F26642	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	LISTON, Perry Martindale ,   b. 6 Jun 1850, Keg Creek, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Keg Creek, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United Statesd. 5 Aug 1926, Escalante, Garfield, Utah, United States (Age 76 years)
  Marriage	20 May 1876	Escalante, Iron, Utah, United States
  Family ID	F26527	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

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• Notes

  In behalf of the members of the Relief Society, we wish to express our sorrow in the loss of one of our faithful and sincere workers. We also wish to express our happiness in the association we have had with Sister Liston. As Aunt Em, as she was later known, we acknowledge the hand of our Heavenly Father, who doeth all things well. We shall miss her in our meetings, especialy the service she has given as a block Teacher. During the many years while a Block Teacher, she always has been conscientious and faithful in making her report. Aunt Em possessed many qualities which made her an outstanding woman in our community. She was kindly, generous, and hospitable character. Her hospitality, a keen sense of humor, and her cheerful outlook on life has won her many friends. I remember when she lived up the Canyon where Johnny Davis now lives; that many a traveler, cold and hungry, has found food at her table, and warmth by her fire. Salesmen, who in those days had to travel by buggy, made it a point to make it to the Liston Ranch House for the night, because they enjoyed the warm hospitality and jovial companionship of Brother and Sister Liston. Never was anyone in want or need turned away from her door. Her father and mother were among the first settlers of this valley. They came from Panguitch, Garfield County, Utah. Sister Emma was born in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah, and when a small child, moved to Kanarra and Rocketville with her parents. She remembered all the trying times of Dixie and trouble with the Indians. Especially one instance was vivid in her memory; when they went to the corral one morning to milk. The mules had arrows in their sides, and the Indians had stolen the milk cow whose name was “Old Beaut”, and they had to follow then to get her back. She also remembered many other such instances. She had little chance for learning when a girl, but her sesires were so strong that she went to school two winters to John Miles after she had four or five children, and learned to be a good reader, and to do her business well. She died at the age of seventy two, the 2 February 1933, at the closing of a birthday party she had given to Leon Cowles at the age of twelve years. Just previous to this time, she had had pneumonia and was very weak and died of a heart attack. She had pneumonia seven times during her life time. When Sister Liston was a young girl, the schooling, what little her parents could afford, was received from Brother George Dodds. Sister Sarah Ann Shurtz and Sister Liston went to school together at Panguitch. She used to go to dances barefooted in an old Log Barn that was on George Campbell’s lot. This barn had a dirt floor, and the people would take grain, potato’s and squash or anything that could be exchanged as a ticket to the dance. The material of her firat best dress was made of calico. When she was first married, she and her husband lived in a little log house in the Northwest Section of our lot. The floor of her house was made of Native Lumber, which was told many times that she kept so clean that people could eat off her floors. At that time she would cross the Creek and gather Cottonwood which was burned and the ashes was used as lye, which she used to clean her floors and clothes. She also used white sand to clean her floors with. It was shortly after arriving at Escalante that Emma married Perry Martindale Listen, and since that time she had endured many hardships in helping to pioneer this Valley. She used to tell of cooking and eating tender Pig Weeds, and also she would gather the tender leaves of the Dandelions which they would put vinegar over them and eat as a salad. The vinegar which she used was made by the fermentation of fruits and was sweetened with the addition of honey. It was told that she with her good husband helped to build the first log school house and also the old white meeting house which was on the hill. Nothing seemed too hard or hazardous for them to undertake. It might be said that they helped to kill snakes and to build bridges and many other things which were of help to build up this country. She was always a hard working woman, she raised a large family of ten children. Two of which have filled missions, and she was very devoted to her children. For a number of years she made quilts which she would leave for children and grandchildren. She was a very neat seamstress and did a lot of crocheting. She had a great devotion for her sister, Melissa Duel. It would behoove all to builf characters so when we die our ideals may live in the hearts of our many friends and children. The year of 1876 my mother and Father came from Panguitch Utah and settled in the lot where he lived and died, also mother died in this home now owned by Orilla and Daniel. At this same time two of fathers brothers moved to Esaclante in the year of 1876 along with Joe Lay. Father first built a long house up near the north west corner of the lot and lived there until they could get the brick grainery built then they lived in it until the brick home was built in 1890. Perry Martin, Elizabeth (Lade as she is known) Don Carlos, According to Lade, father built another log house near where the barn used to stand and then Marcy, Riley and Philo were born. Alonzo was the first child born in the new brick home now standing in in 1894, and mother almost died as she was 36 hours giving child birth to Alonzo. Emma Jean, Ammon and myself Orvilla was born in the brick home. In June 11, 1887 Riley was born and he died 27 Aug 1887 and all others lived to be married and had families. The family of ten are all dead except myself and I am now 72 years of age. In 1887 father went to Arizona to work in a gold mine and mother was pregnant with Riley and he was born and died without my father ever seeing him. Father worked in a gold mine for uncle Jim Liston, dad left t=here early in the spring and Riley was born in June lived to be two months old. Lade said father was gone three years leaving mother to care for the family an mother got typhoid fever and she was living with Grandmother Elizabeth Shits and grandfather shirts. Fathers mother Elizabeth Reeves Liston came to take care of the family as mother was so sick, she mother lost about all of her beautiful hair so they had to cut it off and it measured three feet in length, it came back in and when mother died she had a beautilf head of hair and hardly a grey hair in her head and she wore iton top of her head, she died at the age of 72 yrs, Mother had just three children at this time Perry Martin, Elizabeth (Lade) and Don Carlos. Mother had real black hair and white skin and was a very pretty woman when she died. Lade stated it was after Dad came back from Arizona that he started the brick home 1890. My parents had a ranch in the Upper Valley where in the summers they would milk cows and make butter and cheese and mother would make a strong brian and pack the butter in a crock jar and it would keep all winter. In the fall they would lead a wagon with cheese and butter and go to Salt Lake City, and buy groceries, dry goods some times by the bolt, buckes of candy, a burlap sack of peanuts weight 100 pounds, can meats by the case so when the boys would go to geather the cattle they would have groceries to take along. My parents owned a ranch in the main canyon which was first owned by Christian Moosman who was the Great grand father of Euzell Roundy Cottam also a great grand parent of Dell McInelly. At this time all the dances were held in Don Carlos Shirts house that stands where Nellie Bailey now lives and some of the colored glass still in the door windows. Later they would dance in a barn that George Campbell owns now owned by Gordon Haycock. Don Carlos Shirts played the violin and made many other instruments, some of the Shirts family still have a dulsemer that is well over a hundred years old. He was a very good carpenter and was the father of twelve children my mother being the second child. Don Carlos Shirts, my father all came from Panguitch the year if 1876 when mother was only about 15 years old. Before this time father lived in St. George Utah and mothers parents were from New Harmony or the Old Harmony just south of Cedar City, Utah. My fathers parents came from Iowa on their way with the Saints in 1852 when dad was only two years old, they helped settle about all the new town from Pleasant Grove to St. George, living in a place just long enough to get settled and home built when the president of the church would call them other places. My grand parents Commodore Perry Liston and his wife Elizabeth Reeves Liston Lived in Pleasant Grove, Beaver, Minersville, Ceday and on to St. George where the family settles for good except Commodore Perry Liston and he wassent to several places to help make new towns and he died in Woodruff, Navajo, Arizona 1879. Grand father Don Carlos Shirts helped many placed and there is a ridge near the Black Ridge between Cedar and St. George that is called Peters whip up as they had to take the wagons apart at first to get through, Peter is my second great grand father and he taught the Indians and helped to make piece in many places, peter died in San Juan New Mexico 1882 His wife Margaret Cameron died some where along the Platt River coming to Utah 1849 and Peter took some of the board from his wagon and made a coffin and wrapped her in a sheet for burial. By Orilla Liston Cowles In 1877 Father and Mother built a small log house where Jennings Allen now lives, Perry, Elizabeth, or as she is better know, as Lade, and Don, were born in this log house. Later Father and Mother and Rufus Liston built another log house on the corner where the brick house now stands. Marcy, Riley, Philo were born in the log house. The rest of the children were born in the brick home, namely Alonzo, Gean, Ammon and Orilla. In 1877 Father went to Arizona to work in a Gold Mine for Uncle Jim Liston, Mother was pregnant with Riley, who died when only two months old. Father left here early in the spring and Riley was born in August. Father didn't get to see Riley as he was gone three years, during that time mother had typhoid fever. At this time Mother lived with Grandmother Shurtz, Mother almost died and she lost about all of her beautiful hair, so they cut it off anf it measured three feet long. Her hair was black. Elisabeth Liston, Father’s mother, came here to take care of Mothers family while she was so sick with typhoid fever, at this time she just had the three children. When Father came back from Arizona he built he granary where they lived until he built the brick house, Father started the brick house in 1880. They had a Ranch up in the Upper Valley where they made cheese in the summer, then in the fall they would load a wagon with cheese and butter they had made during the summer and go to Salt Lake to trade for groceries and dry goods. They would bring back buckets of candy, sacks of peanuts, Cloth by the blot, canned meats by the case. Here on the Ranch, Ammon Roundy came to see Lade. The first Ranch Father owned was up in Pine Creek, around the place called Oger Hole. There they made Butter and cheese to sell. They later bought the Ranch in Main Canyon, it was first owned by Mr. Moosman who was Sarah Moosman Roundy’s father. At this time the people in Escalante had all their dances and entertainment in Don Carlos Shurtz house fo a long time. Johnny Bothman built our brick house, Lade, Perry carried most of the brick. By her daughter Lade