Justin Albert Skidmore Life Sketch

This brief biographical life summary was provided by David Skidmore and was transcribed by him. David reports that this document was found on the microfilmed journals of William Lobark Skidmore. He does not recall if what he transcribed was handwritten or type written, but thinks it was probably typewritten because he (David) bothered to note that the initials were signed.
Justin Albert Skidmore died in 1955, so this is an incomplete portrait of his life.

My mother has in her possession one of the medals won for butter making mentioned in this document. I'll try to take a picture of it next time I am home to add to this blog.



Delta Aug 27, 1941

I was born a twin (to Judson Alfred who died in infancy) May 6 1873, Richmond, Utah. Whooping cough left bad lung troubles for life, had to keep away from grain or hay dust. Among my first teachers were Maggie Thompson, Elmer Barrett, Joseph Campbell and Mrs. Fannie (Gibbs) Stoddard and C.Z. Harris and Thomas H. Merrill. (Also J.H. Paul and Wm W. Kerr at B.Y.C.).

In 1894 worked at saw mill on South Moody Creek, 22 miles from Rexburg Idaho, operated by Uncle Morgan Knapp and others. While there lost four toes in a circular saw, which laid me up from June 3rd to November but which healed in time without leaving me seriously crippled. (Strange that the large toe was not also cut off). It healed up finally while I getting out wood in the canyon and when there was snow on the ground.

Commenced working in the Union Creamery in Richmond the following holiday time. In the summer of 1896 became foreman. Remained in this and the Condensed Milk factory which bought it out, for a period of eleven years. Exhibited butter and cheese at the Utah Dairy Convention in Salt Lake City and took sweepstakes of both.

Next I sold out and became foreman of the Rush Valley Farming Co. in Vernon and Benmore, Toole Co., which had been organized by a number of B.Y. College instructors and other Cache Valley business men. I carried on a dry farm project and operated a Reeves steam engine, holding thousands of acres for a time. Remained here 14 years and then went to Delta. Charles and I owned the Jorgenson’s homestead.

Dry farming in Rush Valley did not prove very successful. The trying times of the valley need not be mentioned in the write-up. The Lord gave the best girl on earth for a companion. She, Emoret Stoddard Skidmore, bore me seven sons and two daughters. One son died April 11, 1918 and Emoret Apr. 19, 1918.

The Fall of 1920 moved all my belongings to the bank of the Sevier River, 1 mile west of Delta, Millard Co., Utah. Though certain reverses and failures followed here also with the years, yet I have never been sorry for coming here.

After rearing eight motherless children for nine years I married Rachel Ann Thompson Allen, Oct. 5 1927, in the Salt Lake Temple. She is the mother of four sons and seven daughters, all alive save one. All our living children are married but three sons, two of mine and one of hers. These three are away from home and making good. We two live by ourselves in a little humble cottage in Delta by the side of the way, happy and taking notice of things around us.

Baptized 1881, ordained teacher 1891, ordained Elder 1895, ordained Seventy 1905, ordained High Priest 1914, President of Benmore Branch 1914, 1st Counselor to Bp Israel Bennion of Benmore Ward 1915. Member of Deseret Stake Sunday School Board 1922 (2nd Assistant and later 1st Assistant) nine years on the board; Manager of Church Welfare Storehouse of Deseret Stake, Mar 20, 1940; 1st Counselor to Pres Eugene E. Gardiner of Deseret Stake High Priest Quorum, Mar 24 1940; these two positions and that of Ward Teacher I now hold.

(signed) J.A.S.

William Lobark Skidmore wagon driver

This rememberance is excerpted from of William Lobark Skidmore Journals, page 222; September 10 1913. This is on the third reel of microfilmed journals available at the Church Historians Office. I love it for it's honest recollection of hardship, service and youthful judgement.

"Wed 10 Unloading fruit, Feeling very much under the weather. Not much doing. Morgan Knapp and wife called. 50 years ago today I returned to Richmond from a 5 months trip across the plains and mountains to Florence Nebraska and return. I drove a team of 4 yoke of Oxen. Was called by the Bishop Merrill. There were (p. 223) nine of us. 8 teamsters and 1 night guard. We joined a company of 60 wagons. W. B. Preston was our captain. Our mission was to bring Mormon emigrants to Utah. The emigrants came by steamboat, and landed at Florence where we received them. I had a man and wife and her mother. We were a jolly lot of young men. I was only 18 1/2 years of age and about the youngest and smallest one of the number. Our food was furnished by the people of the ward. About 3 weeks we had eggs molasses and salt pork. We were furnished with 5 gallons of whisky, to be used for sickness and special purposes. It was not needed for sickness, so we used it for special purpose which lasted about 2 weeks, and then the whisky was all gone. But my! there were some hilarous times while it lasted. Then our provisions simmered down to straight flour and pork. I was assistant cook. Eli Harris was the cook and I fried the pork, and Eli cooked the bread in the grease. When I had fried 8 frying pans full of bacon, and Eli had cooked 3 dozen flap jacks in the grease from the bacon our meal was ready. And that was our only & unchangeable fare morning noon and night for four months."

Justin Albert Skidmore & Children

This is a photo of Grandpa Justin Albert Skidmore taken about 1919.
Left to Right, Top:  Robert Arland (Arland), Albert LeRoy (Albert), Evan
Justin (Evan), John Reed (Reed), Bottom Row: Agnes Emoret (Agnes), Meryl
Stoddard Meryl), Justin Albert Skidmore (Father), Relia Sarah (Relia),
William Kenneth (Kenneth).

This photograph was provided by David Skidmore a grandson of Justin Albert Skidmore.

Edward Partridge

Born 27 August 1793 in Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts to William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Edward was a successful hat maker in Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio when he heard of the gospel.
He was married to Lydia Clisbee with six children when he made the trip in mid-winter to see for himself. There is some thought that he went at the instigation of friends and neighbors who trusted his judgement.

He arrived in Fayette, New York and was convinced almost on sight of the prophetic call of Joseph Smith. He wanted to be baptized immediately and the story is that Joseph thought it could wait till the next day.

His life would never be the same. He would be called to be the first presiding bishop of the church. He would struggle to know what to do with a prophet a thousand miles away in Ohio while Edward was in Missouri in a calling without precedents. He would be chastised in revelation and praised in revelation. He seems to have accepted both with meekness.

He was subjected to tarring and feathering while in Missouri and the expulsion of the Saints from Missouri was something from which he never physically recovered. He died in Nauvoo on 17 May 1840.

There are extensive biographies written on Edward Partridge.

He wrote the words to Hymn #41, "Let Zion in her Beauty Rise"

Lydia Clisbee

Lydia Clisbee (or Clisby) was born to Merriam Howe and Joseph Clisbee on the 26 Sept 1793 in Marlbourgh, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

She married Edward Partridge 22 Aug 1819 in Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. They would have a prospers life together for ten years and give it all up when they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

They were the parents of at least six children. They would move to Missouri at the bidding of the Lord.

She would have survived the problems and displacements of the Missouri era of the church only to have her husband die while in the middle of building a home for the family in Nauvoo.

She married again, William Huntington, who died at Mt Pisgah, Iowa. She would make the trek west. At one point in time she was directed by Brigham Young to sell the land in Independence, Missouri that was in the name of her deceased husband, Edward Partridge. Her husband had been bishop of the Church and had land in his name that belonged to the church. She was the only legally authorized agent to sell this land and his heir.

She spent her last years in the Millard County area with her children. She died 08 un 1878 in Oak City, Millard Co., Utah.

She wrote the following Acrostic for her son Edward.

Each day let all your actions be
Devoid of strife or enmity
Walk in the way thy father trod
Attend his council which was good
Remember in thy youth, thy God
Desire to know his holy word

Prepare thyself thy place to fill
And seek to know thy Master's will
Repent of all thy faults each day
Try to pursue the heavenly way
Refuse not counsel from thy friend
Improve thy time til time shall end
Depart from sin, make truth thy choice
Grim death may come with all his force
even that day thou mayest rejoice

Lydia Partridge

Lydia was the daughter of Edward Partridge and Lydia Clisbee.
She was born 08 May 1830 in Painseville, Lake Co., Ohio and knew from infancy the challenges of the new church her parents had joined. Her childhood was spent in Missouri in desperate poverty and her father died in Nauvoo when she was ten years old. She spent her early teen years in Nauvoo; her later teen years on the plains of Iowa and Nebraska, and her early twenties in a newly settled Salt Lake Valley. Her husband would move his families to Millard County so they could be near each other.

She would marry Amasa Lyman as a polygamous wife 07 Feb 1853. Her sisters Eliza and Caroline were also wives of Amasa and the three sisters worked together to survive and raise their children.

One of the things Lydia did was make gloves of buckskin. The sisters were very poor, but worked together and loved each others children. Lydia was the mother of four children.

She died at a young age having been ill for some time prior to her death, 16 Jan 1875. She was buried in Fillmore, Millard Co., Utah.

Amasa Mason Lyman

I love this picture because he looks so sad - and I think he was. At age 62 (about 1875) he was struggling, having been in the leading counsels of the church he was attracted to another spiritual philosophy and confused. He was estranged from at least some of his polygamous wives because of these beliefs. He was excommunicated from the church after having been reproved once for his preaching contrary to the gospel. Before his death in 04 February 1877 he bought some paper and the family believes that he intended to write in regard to these issues but he never did use that paper. Pride seems to have stood in his way.

A daughter, Martha Lyman Roper tells of having heard his voice calling from beyond a river - she called back asking what could she do? The answer came that Francis would know what to do. Francis was serving in the Quorum of the Twelve and would present his father's claim for restoration of blessings. The petition was granted and his blessings were restored through the man who had taken his place in the Quorum of the Twelve when he was excommunicated.

As a boy, Amasa (pronounced in the family Amassee) had been left with his grandfather when is mother remarried and then left with an uncle when his grandfather died. He was in a way a homeless child who found a spiritual home in the gospel. He was born 30 Mar 1813 in Lyman, Grafton, New Hampshire to Martha Mason and Roswell Lyman.

Amasa Mason Lyman spent his life in the service of the Lord, he was known for the power of the sermons he preached. He was often homeless, yet had eight wives and at least 30 children. His wives often found themselves alone as he went on mission after mission. He was one of the first settlers of San Bernadino, California.