Biography of William Don Carlos Markham Document Number: 8
Author Group: Various Children of William Don Carlos Markham Classification: COMPILED: FamilyHistory Location: USA, Utah, Utah, Spanish Fork Biography of MARKHAM, William Don Carlos Document Entry Number: 1
Transcription: William Don Carlos Markham, was born in the "Old Fort" at Palmyra, Utah County, Utah, January 6, 1855. He was the third child born to Stephen and Mary Curtis Houghton Markham. His father, Stephen Markham, was born February 9, 1800, in Genesee Valley, the town of Rush now called Avon, New York. He was baptized into the Latter Day Saint Church in July 1837 in Chester, Ohio, by Elder Abel Lamb. He played an important part in the building of the City of Nauvoo. He was elected Lieutenant Colonel of the first regiment, first cohort of the Nauvoo Legion. He was a very good and faithful friend to the Prophet Joseph Smith and acted as a body guard to him through all his troubles with the mobs. Stephen Markham came to Utah with Brigham Young and was Colonel of the whole pioneer company that arrived on July 23, 1847, of which he acted as scout along the way. Stephen was one of the first to see the Great Salt Lake Valley and to hear President Young say, "This is the Place". Three weeks after his arrival, he went back to Nauvoo to help other companies to Utah. He continued this work for two years. Eliza R. Snow wrote the song 'O My Father' in her meagerly furnished low-roofed room in the home of Stephen Markham in Nauvoo. It was penned on a wooden chest which was the only table her room afforded. In the fall of 1851, Stephen Markham and family settled in Palmyra, and in March 1852 the first Church organization was made with him as president. Stephen's home was always open to the immigrants and because of his generous hospitality his house was full all the time. A few of the ones who made their home with him are John Hayes, Thomas D. Evens and wife Pricilla. In 1856, when the Saints were advised to move to the present site of Spanish Fork, Stephen Markham took a section of land just west of Spanish Fork and it was there that he made his home until his death. Don Markham's mother, Mary Curtis Houghton Markham, was born in Highland, Oakland, Michigan. She was the daughter of Jeremiah Curtis and Ruth Stratton. She married Oren Houghton when she was fourteen years old and to them was born one son, Edgar. Her husband died, and in 1850, Mary with her son and her sisters two children, immigrated to Utah in one of Stephen's companies. They left Nauvoo in June 1850. She worked hard for four long months driving a span of mules, a yoke of cows, and a yoke of heifers across the dreary plains. The weary company arrived in Salt Lake on October 4, 1850. She was married to Stephen when she was 18, he was 50 years old, and they settled in Palmyra in 1851. Don's boyhood was spent on the large farm in what is now known as Leland. He was baptized a member of the Latter Day Saint Church on June 14, 1868, by his father Stephen Markham. Don was always cheerful, generous, and ready to lend a hand. One day when some neighbors came to buy a load of straw, Don went out with them and helped load the wagon and then rode home with them to unload it. When they asked how much they owed him for his labor, and the straw, he just laughed and said., "Imagine anyone charging for a load of straw". He stayed and had dinner for his pay. Don was a young fellow during the Indian troubles. He and his elder brothers slept in the barn on the hay to protect their horses and cows from the Indians. One morning when they awoke the Indians had taken everything they owned except an old lame grey mare. During all the trouble the boys hadn't heard a sound. The whole country around had been stripped of horses and cattle, but because the Indians had such a large herd, they were unable to reach the canyon by day break. After a great deal of trouble, most of the livestock was returned to their rightful owners. As a young man, Don enjoyed life, and at times was quite rowdy. The crowd he ran around with liked to drink and even though he didn't like it, he took a drink occasionally. One time he took too much and it burned his mouth so badly that he laid down by a ditch of water and let the water run through his mouth to cool it off. In his later life he was very prejudiced against liquor and tobacco and couldn't understand why people didn't let it alone. Don was ordained an elder June 7, 1878, and was married on the 28th day of the same month to Sarah Ann Warner in the Old Endowment House at Salt Lake City, Utah. In the fall after he was married, he went to the canyon to get logs to build a house for his bride. The wagon of logs slipped, running over his leg, mashing and breaking it. He was ill for several- weeks and it took his leg a long time to mend, but his young and faithful wife nursed him back to health. It was after the arrival of two tiny daughters, Mary and Sarah Ann, that his first son was born, and of which he was very proud. He was a kind and helpful father and all the children loved him. This baby was named William Don Carlos. When he was five months old, he got bronchitis. The baby suddenly became very ill, but fought for life until his father arrived home. As soon as his father took him in his arms, he looked up at him and smiled and holding to one of his fingers, he died. It was a sad day, indeed, for the young couple, but they had faith in the teaching of the gospel and so they carried on. In 1884, Don was ordained a seventy, and in May 1885 was called to fill a mission in the Southern States. He labored faithfully in this capacity for two years, six months, and twenty days. He returned on November 22, 1887. He made many friends while laboring in the South, and also gave much good council. Bertha tells the following: "When he and the other elders returned home, they brought converts along with them. Among these converts was a southern lady named Mrs. Helton. One of father's companions had converted her and encouraged her to come to Zion. Her husband would not accept the gospel, but gave his consent for Mrs. Helton to come to Zion. She had one boy named Ottie and was expecting another one soon. As the train-neared Salt Lake the missionary began to realize what he had done and was worried about how his wife would take the situation. He came to Don and told him the circumstances and asked him to take the woman home with him. Don was good natured and having a big heart, felt sorry for the poor woman, and with faith and trust in his wife, he took the woman, whom he had never seen before, home with him where he and his good wife took care of her, and befriended, and nursed her until her baby was born. Mrs. Helton was later married again to a man named Path. She was still alive and had a home at Long Beach, California, in 1948. Effie visited her there while she lived in California. Mrs. Path told Effie that "All I'd ask of heaven is to just have a chance to see and talk with Don and Sarah once in a while. When I had listened to Don's advice and council I was always much better off." John Bigham was another Southern convert who came and made his home with the Markhams. He lived as one of the family for a long time and was looked upon as a brother to all the family. After Don returned from his mission, he was ordained a president in the 19th quorum of seventies. He worked faithfully in his duties in the church and community. He also served nine years as 2nd counselor to Bishop Snell in the 2nd Ward of Spanish Fork. In 1900, when the Leland Ward was organized, he was chosen Bishop and ordained to this office on April 29, 1900, by Elder Reed Smoot. The remainder of his life was spent fulfilling this calling to the best of his ability. Don chose as his councilors Alma Charles Davis and John H. Koyle. His first thoughts were for the widows, orphans, and sick, and the afflicted. He seemed to have a special gift of knowing when and where he was needed most. When there was sickness in his ward, he was there to help whether it was the early hours of the morning, or the middle of the day, or late at night. Mrs. Benjamin Isaac once told of a time when she was with sickness. Her children were very ill, and she thought one, named Margaret, was dying with pneumonia. It was about 11 o'clock at night and neither she nor Mr. Isaac dared stay alone with the children while the other one went for help. She decided to pray for help. Just when she thought that she could stand it no longer, a knock came on the door and Don stepped in. Mrs. Isaac was so thankful to see him that she wanted to throw her arms around his neck, but she cried instead. He quieted her and administered to the children. He stayed with them the rest of the night. Don had been to see Brother Koyle and as he was going home had noticed the light in the Isaac home and felt that something was wrong. All of the Isaac children got well. Don loved children and was kind and loving to them. He always had some child on his lap. His own children remember sitting on his lap, and both father and child toasting their feet in the oven. Effie writes about him, "I think I got my share of his lap. I had a great deal of ear ache when small, and I remember many times when he took me to bed with him and held put his hand over my ear and I'd soon be asleep. On awaking the ache would be gone. His hand was very soothing to me as he was always kind to children. I always rode the horse for the cultivator for him, and he always saw that there was a cushion to sit on and that it was straight. I had to herd the cows in the lower track, but he was always close by to help me get them out if the train came. I used to love to work in the beets with him. Father would tell me things about the beets that made me feel grown up. He was a fast worker, but he didn't believe in being in the field before 8 o'clock in the morning, and we were always through between 5 and 6 o'clock. Every year when the thinning was finished, we had ice cream and cakes. He made us feel responsibility and stood behind our decisions. One day when we were in the beets and had about a dozen thinners working for us, Dad was called away on an urgent ward duty so he left Joe and I to boss them. As soon as his back was turned, the crowd stopped work and began to play. We told them to get to work, but when they wouldn't we fired them. Dad got a real kick out of it, and when the boys came back to work Dad told them they had been fired and couldn't work any more." His daughter Ann writes, "Father was a great whistler and singer. He used to whistle while he was doing his chores and we could hear him way up the road when we were coming home from school. He loved tossing and rocking the babies to sleep for mother. Father's best songs were 'O Babylon We Bid Thee Farewell' and 'High an the Mountain Top'. Often he would whistle a little of a song over and over again. You could tell how he felt by the song he whistled. When the train passed that carried John Davis and Tom Patterson to their missions, he was in the field whistling 'Farewell all Earthly Honors'." Father also made a buzzing noise with his lips that all the children enjoyed. I was four years old when he went on his mission, Stephen was only two months. I remember his farewell party with all the cakes and icing and little candy caraway seed trimmings. I also remember his welcome home party. Father came home in December when the weather was quite cold. Mother went to Mapleton to meet him both Friday and Saturday evening, but he didn't come. On Sunday the whole family went to meet him -- by the whole family I mean the Dudleys, Ashbys, the Anguses, and the Houghtons, and, of course, Uncle Hosmor Markham was always Mother's driver. Aunt Martha Houghton said to mother, "What if Don brings home another woman," and mother said, "Oh get away with your nonsense." But Aunt Martha said she dreamed he came home with three, and, of course, when he stepped off the train he did have a Mrs. Helton and her little boy. We all went home and Grandma Warner got a big supper for the large crowd. It was a wonderful homecoming after all." Bertha writes, "Father was a promoter of all new industries that came to the community. He had stock in the Spanish Fork Co-op and he was a board member. Dad was also interested in the Farmers Co-op, Spanish Fork Creamery, and the West Field Irrigation Company. He always supported everything that was a benefit to the building up of the community." Father played quite an important part in the mining industry in the Tintic District. Dad and his brother Orvil formed the Markham Brothers Company and went to Tintic district to take part in the mining industry. They contracted the hauling of all the materials that went into the first mill in Mammoth. They hauled the materials to Mammoth by team. They did the grading out for the mill and also built the road from the mine up the mountain to the mill. After the mill was built, they contracted the hauling of the ore from the Mammoth mine to the mill. They had five teams working and they had to deliver 100 tons of ore to the mill every day. Bishop George Hales worked for them and had charge of one of their wagons. John Robertson was another one who worked for their company. They worked in Mammoth four or five years. Some of their employees were: John A. Seek, Eli Robertson, Will Lloyd, Bob Dudly, Oscar Andrews, Moroni P. Stark and Will Hawkins. Dad was always interested in the young people of his family and the ward. When he was Bishop, he encouraged entertainments and dances. If there was to be a Primary entertainment in the ward, he would go around whistling 'There's a good time coming help it on' and he surely did. As long as he was able he was there. One time they were having a ward reunion and they celebrated all day. By night they needed wax for the dance floor# Dad went home, did his chores, dressed up, and walked to town and back to purchase the wax for the dance. Dad believed in girls being educated and having a vocation so that they could make a living if they ever needed to. He sent four of his children to college. He was always delighted when his daughters could make their own clothing. He loved music and wanted his children to enjoy and learn to play. He bought Effie an organ and she learned to play it. He often told Annie R. Beck that he would give anything to see one of his girls leading the music as she used to. He always defended the oppressed and did all he could to make their conditions better. One day while father was at the tithing office an elderly Mr. Briggs came to pay his tithing. He hesitated in paying it as it was the last money he had, and he didn't know when, or where his bread would come from for the winter. Father told him to pay his tithing and he could come down on his farm and cut black willows, and father would pay him and also see that he had plenty of bread. Mr. Briggs paid his tithing and then cut willows all winter. He said that it was one of the most enjoyable winters he had ever spent. Father was very tactful and showed it when the Leyshon family moved to the ward from the Scofield mining district. Someone had told him that the family needed help, so instead of asking them, he paid them a visit at dinner time. He brought Billy home with him to help milk the cows and he took the family provisions and clothing. He loved good stock and often traded horses or cattle until he got what he wanted. One time he traded a number of common cows for two or three head of Holsteins. Mother thought it was a very good trade as she always had plenty of milk and butter for her family after that. Ann tells the following about her father: "When the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated father took Mary, Bertha, Nora Wood and I up to see it. He took us all around to see all we could of the city in the morning and then later we went to the Temple. We were separated when he had to go with the Priesthood, and when we came out we wondered how we would ever find him, but as we came down the spiral stairs we heard him say, "I wonder where my girls are." He took us to a bakery, operated by one of his missionary companions, for lunch. We had cream puffs or something similar because we saw someone else eating them and they looked so good. I will never forget that trip. Dad enjoyed reading his Semi Weekly News out loud to us, but we just couldn't get in his light or held say "Keep out of my light." Ann remembers her father's visits after she and John L. were married and had moved to Salt Lake. We enjoyed him very much. When he and mother came up to see my new baby boy in March 1908, he was not well and hadn't been for some time, so we advised him to go see my Doctor, who was Dr. Silver. Father found out then that he had Brights disease. Before he went home, he went up to the Bishop's building and told them of the struggle Leland Ward was having to finish their meeting house. They gave him a check to cover the cost of completing it. He and mother stayed with us for 16 days and he seemed much better, thus making it possible for them to return home. Don gradually grew worse. Sarah and the family did everything to make him comfortable and happy. He would not give up and stay in bed. On the morning of May 9, 1908, mother had left his bedroom and stepped outside to do some task. Stephen was with him and several of the rest of the children were in the kitchen. Stephen came to the door very excited and told them to call Sarah quickly. They did but before she could reach him, he had died. It was a sad family, indeed, for he had been all they should expect of a father. Nean related - The members of the Leland Ward, as well as, relatives and friends were very kind and generous and sympathized during their bereavement. They all helped. The men sat up at night with the body before the funeral. The funeral was held in the city pavilion and it was filled. Even though I was only five years old, I distinctly remember most of it. The hearse for father and the hack that we rode in were very important to me. There were lots of beautiful flowers. He was buried in the Spanish Fork Cemetery. He was truly a kind, loving, and generous father, and a true friend to all.