Isaac Hyrum Dickinson
HISTORY OF ISAAC HYRUM DICKINSON
FEBRUARY 15,1938 and 1959 by him
He used to herd cows during the summer and clear the ground of brush with his brothers and farmed the ground as he grew older.
When six (6) years of age he started to school in a one room log house with Grandma Henrie as the teacher. It was located where the Chidester home, now owned by W.J. Henderson now stands. It was later sold to George Dodds. He later attended the academy and was taught by Jno. Swenson for two years. It was held in the meeting house.
He also attended Primary under Ester Marshall and Maria Davis. He was in the Sunday School with Joseph Houston as Supt. until he went on his mission. Then E. Myers was Supt.
I.H. was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints July 7, 1881 by Israel D. Alaphant, and was later ordained an Elder Feb. 16, 1899 by Bishop's Counselor Alfred H. Riding.
On May 31, 1899 he married Bertha Hatch. They traveled to Manti Temple where they were married by team and covered wagon. Sarah Marshall (Ipson) accompanied them, also his mother and Moria Shakespeare, his sister went in a one horse buggy along with them.
A short time after getting home from the Temple after being married, he received a call from President Snow to take a mission in the Eastern States, which he accepted and reported that he would be ready to go next spring as it was the rule of President Snow to give a newly married man a year to get ready to go. He then purchased the home of J. Marshall for $400.
We left Salt Lake City, April 12, 1900 at 7 A.M. on the Oregon Shortline Train to Ogden with a group of Elders for Chicago over Union Pacific railroad. We arrived at Chicago at 9 A.M. the 14th of April. The train was one hour late where we had to change trains from a distant part of the city. From Chicago our party went to New York.
It consisted of Elder Shirts, of Escalante, Elder Childs of Ogden and Sister Dunning of Cannonville and Elder I.H. Dickinson. Elder Childs and Mrs. Dunning took a hack and our baggage was transferred to the Nickel Plate Depot. Elder Child and I walked through the city as we had to call at the office up-town for our tickets. We also visited in Chicago until 2:55 P.M. While we were in New York we were in Buffalo for a short time and while there we obtained a pass to go see the Niagara Falls, and we had a wonderful time crossing the steel bridge below the falls to the Canadian side and then we went down an elevator back behind the falls. The water was pouring out over us.We ate our Easter lunch in Canada where we could look across the falls to the United States. After visiting the many places of interest we returned to Buffalo N.Y. at 6:30 P.M. April 15, 1900 where we continued our journey to New York City. We went on from the city of New York to Wechawkin, New Jersey about 10:00 A.M. where Mrs. Dunning left us, to meet her brother-in-law Tom Danning. We went from there to New York by boat after eating our breakfast. We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and went over to 50 Concord Street, the Brooklyn headquarters of the mission. There we met Elder Whitehead and Elder Gardner, both of St. George, Utah. That afternoon with Elder Whitehead we crossed back over the bridge and visited the Central Park and the zoo. We saw many animals while there. We then went up 5th Ave. and saw the homes of the wealthy people. While here we saw the very first Automobile of our lives. It was a queer looking thing or machine compared with those of today.
After visiting in New York three days and seeing the many places of interest, including the Navy Yard where we boarded the battleship Indiana and was shown through it. We saw some battleships in dry dock also. We visited Wall Street, the U.S. treasury and many other places.
April 18, 1900, Elder Child and I were assigned to labor in the South West Virginia Conference area. We left New York City at 6:15 P.M. and arrived at Charleston, W. Va. the morning of April 20th, and started to our field of labor the 21st. Elder Joseph Hyer was my first companion. We took the stream boat up Kanowa River 14 miles then we were on foot the next two months. We were assigned to labor in Wyoming County, West Virginia. Our experience in the West Virginia hills were too numerous to even try to mention here. I baptized one man, Morton Jarrell on Coal River. Elder Hyer received his release June 21 and left for Charleston W. Va. and I remained at Lawson Jarrells the next 4 days. On Sunday June 24, we made an appointment for Pres. Smart to speak but he did not come to the conference. President Hubbard and George Henrie came and filled the appointment. After Sunday School we had a meeting and President Smart came riding a mule as the train did not run up from the Knowa River to Acemie. He hired a cart and a horse to take him to Acemic, and then we hired a mule to ride over the hill to Lawson Monday morning at 10:30 we started back to Acme and had dinner there with Mr. and Mrs. Osborn. The company consisted of Pres. Smart of Eastern States Mission. President Hubbard of South West Va. Conference, Elder Charleston, West Va. On our way down the canyon the coach followed the coal train. We came upon the train stopped. I was up in front of the open door. I called to the train engineer and he hurriedly set the brakes and I jumped off to the side as the coach hit the coal car. I had slid out through the door and stopped on the platform against the railing. George Henrie lodged in a coal heater and got some of the black all over him. Pres. Hubbard's head struck the side of the window causing a huge bump to form on his forehead.
A meeting was held at Two Mile with 10 Elders present which was a kind of farewell for President Smart and a re-grouping of the Elders was also done at this time. I was given Elder Joseph J. Porter for a companion and was sent back to Wyoming Co. Also to Mc Dowell County. Both of us were inexperienced and we spent the next 4 months together with many joys and some sorrows. October 19, 1900 we met with a number of Elders at Charleston. Pres. Hubbard was released. George Henrie of Panguitch, my old pal was appointed as President of the Conference and I was given Elder Ed Sessions of Wyoming, an 18 year old boy as a companion and sent back to the Wyoming County, for the two months. December 21, 1900 we met in a conference again at Charleston W. Va. Apostle Cowley and the new mission president Ed Snow being present made it a very nice meeting. Word came of Elder Roundy being sick so we were asked to fast three days and pray for him which made it Christmas Day. I was then given Walter Jarrell for a companion and we were to travel and visit the saints and investigators. We spent the cold winter together with several long tramps in snow and blizzards.
April 6, 1901 we met in conference upon a creek called Peach Tree. Our new Mission President Mc Quance being in attendance, we had a good time. I was then given Elder Bernard Liddle for a companion and sent to Putnam County. With the other Elders we went to Charleston and from there to our new field. August 2, 1901 President Henrie and Elder Stephens from Orderville, Utah met us at Brother Kingmans in Putman County and we changed partners or companions. President Henrie and I went to Lincoln County to appoint a conference on Big Lanael Creek. Brother Atkins welcomed us there with a big watermelon on the lawn. We traveled about the county working up interest in the conference. September 13, we stayed with Ambrose and Charlotte Adkins. The next morning Alphrus Adkins came and said his father had suffered a stroke so we went down and he was unconscious and died shortly after we got there. We stayed there and held his funeral service September 16, 1901 at 10 A.M. with a big crowd on the lawn. Special arrangements for seats were made for everyone.
On October 2, 1901 we met Elders Child, Mangum, Marsy and Stephens Liddle and we went to mud river where I baptized seven (7) children by the names of: Nancy B. Lunsford, Nora E. and Mary M. Lunsford, Leanza Alice and Alifire Adkins, who were twins, and Samuel W. Adkins. After confirming them we went to Sister J.W. Adkins place. The next day October 3, we went to Charleston where conference was to be held.
Oct. 5, I was given Elder John A. Morrison for a companion and went back to Lincoln county. December 23, we had Conference again. Elder Henrie was released so we all chipped in and bought him a watch. I was assigned a new companion just out, Elder A.N. Sorenson. We went to McDowell County. We were staying with F.M. Derkins near Ioager and we went to the post office to get out mail and I got my notice of release so we had a five day journey back to Charleston Va. via steam boat and train part way, but most of the way we had to travel on foot.
I left for home Feb. 12, 1902, and arrived in Salt Lake City and went on to Panguitch Feb. 20, 1902. I helped my wife clean our home and we moved home the 21st into a home I bought from John Marshall before I left on my Mission. It was in a canyon west of town. I moved it down and built on two rooms. In March I rented the Houston ranch five miles north of Panguitch and raised 100 tons of hay and 700 bushels of grain.
June 1902 I was chosen second assistant supt. of Panguitch Sunday School. J.F. Worthen was the President. L.C. Sargeant was the 1st asst.,------------------------------------------------------------------ Sunday every Sunday driving up in a buggy I bought from mother with a gray horse I names "Satan", because of his treachery. J.F. Worthen (a mason by trade) and Leonard Sargent (carpenter) went to Idaho to help build a sugar factory and left me with the Sunday School to myself, as superintendent until March 1904.
I had to go to Cedar City to have my leg operated on and while I was there the Sunday School was reorganized. Hans P. Ipson was put in as superintendent.
In the spring of 1903 we rented part of Ira W. Hatch's farm and raised a good crop of hay and grain. Dec. 11, 1903 our first child was born and I was laid up most of the winter. We had Old Dr. Steinor doctor both of us nearly all winter. I had a bad leg and my wife had milk leg and was sick most of the winter. In March my brother Joe took me to Cedar City to Dr, George W. Middleton and he froze and lanced my leg. I stayed there a month with a drain in my leg while it healed.While I was in Cedar City the Superintendent of the Stake Sunday School wrote me asking me to represent the stake in a meeting and to arrange for a Sunday School Conference to be held there in May with 5 southern stakes in a meeting. I was also told that I was to be assistant Stake Sunday School Superintendent when I got better. I returned home for a while and then went back to Cedar City to the convention and decided to stay and be operated on, which I did and was there several weeks again, at a cost of $150 and other hospital expenses, besides losing almost a years work. Part of the summer we stayed with my wife's parents at a ranch 5 miles up the river.
December 6, 1904, I was ordained a High-Priest and set apart as the member of the High Council of Panguitch Stake. I was also assistant superintendent of the Sunday School to Alma Barney, a position that I held for 19 years when I moved to Santaquin May 7, 1923. April 1913, I was selected by President of the Stake, David Cameron and was in the High Council as Stake representative of the Genealogical Society and with Wm. D. LeFevre was appointed a committee to help Stake Relief Society Sister, by taking them to different wards to visit. Brother LeFevre lived in Tropic so most of the work fell on me. The wards ranged from 15 to 70 miles away so we had some traveling to do. The Stake Sunday School board purchased a white topped buggy with two seats and I had it to care for and take the sisters in. We combined Relief Society, Genealogical and Sunday School work on many of our trips as the High Council was home missionaries. I could throw 2 stones at one bird or reverse. In October 1911, I was operated on for appendicitis at a cost of $150 plus nurse fees, by Dr. Garn C. Clark. June 29,1909 I purchased Fathers homestead on Dickinson Hill, in Panguitch, where the last four of our children were born, making seven in all, Miralta, Trilma, Julia Dot, Henrietta, Kenneth Isaac, Ellen and Lilas Fern. Here I countiued farming and stock raising and some mill work. In the fall of 1920, I sold the house on Dickinson Hill to my brother Robert and built a new house and barn in town on 1/3 of a lot given to my wife by her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Meltiar Hatch.
In early fall I started for Provo Bench to look for a place with a peddler named Pine, a son-in-law of George Carrol from Provo bench. He lived with two of my nieces Violet Wilkinson and Nellie Dickinson. While going down a slope in the back of a Ford truck between Sevier and Joseph City, we came upon a sharp turn by the canal and the truck tipped over. I was caught underneath and knocked unconscience. I was this way for 18 hours. I came to in my brother Otis' home. I had some broken ribs and my foot and head was badly bruised. The driver called a doctor and Dr. Gledhill from Richfield came and took me to Richfield. He stopped by his office before going to the hospital and Otis came by and saw some fellows looking in the car at me so he looked in and saw me. He had them take me to his home and he called Dr. Garn Clark so I had a Dr. bill to pay there. After two weeks I went to Provo. I stayed with Geo. Carroll for 3 days but couldn't find a place to buy for what I could sell for so I went back home. Edwin Talbot my son-in-law gathered my crop. He run my binder and cut grain for a number of other.
In the spring of 1923, Ott Cloward came from Genola, Utah County to sell land. Willard Pendleton, Geo. Dodds, Ott Cloward and I all went to look at some of the places. I made a deal with him for a place in Genola, the old Ira Johnson place, which he mortgaged and lost. Payson Exchange Bank claimed to own it. I sold my place and moved to Genola in May 1923, into the Johnson home. I found out there was two mortgages on the place and I could not get part of it so I looked for another place. Earn Syrett came over one Sunday and got us to go to Santaquin (Utah coounty) and I bought block 1 plot c Santaquin town survey. I rented some land and continued to farm and do church work. The Santaquin Ward was divided Jan. 1925, I was chosen as Supt. of the 1st Ward Sunday School by Bishop George W. LeBaron, where I served for 2 years, then Bishop LeBaron was released and I asked to be released also by Bishop Broadbent the new Bishop. I was chosen teacher in the Elders class and continued to work in the Sunday School and as a home missionary.
Below was written Dec. 15, 1959 by I.H. Dickinson
When the Santaquin -Tintic Stake was organized and the church welfare plan was starting I was asked to supervise the work of fixing the cellar and basement of the old tithing office for a storehouse and appointed storehouse manager. I kept this job for 2 years and was then released to work in the Temple. In March and April we worked in the Manti Temple. We came back from Manti and I was set apart as first counselor to Thomas Chatwin as President of the High Priests Quorum of Santaquin Tintic Stake and served for 2 years until Thomas Chatwin was chosen Bishop of Santaquin Second Ward and I went to Salt Lake City to work in the Temple in October 1942. In April 1942 I represented the High Priests at General Conference held in Salt Lake City with the Apostles and Church Leaders, at Conference April 5th and 6th and was present April 6th at the fast meeting held in the upper room of the Temple when the Apostles administered the sacrament and held a Testimony meeting and the Spirit of the Lord was present in abundance. I also attended the October conference where they administered to the Sacrament in the Tabernacle. We remained in Salt Lake all winter doing some Temple work. April we visited at Panguitch 2 weeks with Alta and Ed and on returning to work at Utah Small Arms Ordnance plant, April 28, 1943 and worked there until Nov. 13, 1943. I only missed one shift when I had a bad cold. We lived at several different places in the city. Part of the time we lived with Milton and Trilma, a daughter and her husband, at 612 South 4th East. Later we moved to 678 South 7th East. We moved home November 14th, 1943 and fixed up our home and put in a hot water tank and a new stove.
The following summer 1944, our son Kenneth's home burned down for which he received $1500 insurance money, so we sold him our old home and bought the old Charwin home our daughter Henrietta at 249 South 1st East. Then we fixed up the house and planted the lot in trees, (all kinds of fruit trees), berries, flowers and had a small garden plot. Our youngest daughter Lilas and her husband Leon had the south 1/2 of the lot and they built them a home which they later sold to Elfawn Wall. We are still living in the same place now December 1959.
In the summer 1939, the High Priests Quorum was re-organized with Thomas Chatwin President. I.H. Dickinson, first counselor, and E.R. Nelson second Counselor. We served until August 20, 1942.
The General Conference of the church for April 1942, was only for the Priesthood quorums, Presidents and Stake officials and the higher up on account of World War II, which was raging at the time. Thomas Chatwin being away, President Carl D. Greenhalgh called me to go represent the quorum. General Priesthood meetings were held Saturday and Sunday Morning. Sunday afternoon a testimony meeting held in the large Priesthood room on the upper floor of the temple with President Heber J. Grant presiding, President Geo. Albert Smith of the council of the Twelve Apostles and George F. Richards administered to the sacrament. The apostles passed it to the large crowd assembled there this day. This was to be a model fast meeting for the benefit of the priesthood. A testimony meeting followed. Five or six or more would rise at once. Many interesting Testimonies were born.
I continued to work as a teacher in the Sunday School until 1955, and in the High Priests group until Nov. 29, 1959 when I was released by request at the age of 86 1/2 years old. I continued to attend the Sacrament Meetings and Sunday School. I have not missed one in over 10 years.
May 18, 1946 I was taken to LDS Hospital to be operated on for cancer in the colon. It was done by Dr. Ricjeman, May 25, 1946. The cancer was removed successfully but about two weeks later I had a ruptured bladder which made it necessary for a prostate gland operation. I was in the hospital 89 days. I was administered to by R.D.. Young, Asst. Supt. of the Hospital and former President of the Manti Temple, and blessed by President George Albert Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He promised me my wounds would heal which they did after some time. I was released by my request as I was class leader for High Priest group.
Following written by Trilma Dickinson Jarvis, a daughter.
Dad loved the Gospel and studied continually. He could tell where to find scriptures on any subject you wanted to know about. Many people came to him for advice and to answer questions. He never missed Priesthood or Sunday School and only once in a while, Sacrament Meeting. He was to Stake Conference April 18, 1965 and the next morning had a stroke. He got pretty good for awhile, then was in the hospital in Payson, Utah. Then he was taken to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo for prostate gland operation and then was taken home for awhile. Then he was taken back to Payson Hospital for two more weeks, then taken back home again to be bedfast until he passed away 28 December 1965 at his home in Santaquin. He was buried in Santaquin Cemetery 31 December 1965.
Dad loved his family and he was loved by all who knew him. Everyone respected him for what he was, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and just five short months after his death he became a Great-great-grandfather, making five living generations in his family, with mother still alive. She followed him in death just five months and 15 days later. It was as if they could not bear to be separated either in life or in death, and God must have known this, for he made her waiting short to be with him again.
© 2001 Vickie L Nielsen and family