William John Ransom was born on the 24th day of April, 1852 in Bexhill, Sussex, England, the third son of James Ransom and Elizabeth Clifton. His parents became converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and decided to leave England and gather with the Saints in Utah.

There has been a tradition in the Ransom family that twelve of their members left England for America. James Ransom mentions only ten and for a very good reason: Emily Ransom, formerly Clifton, wife of a James Ransom, died at Southampton, Hampshire, England and was returned to Bexhill for burial the 29th of March, 1854. Her husband, undoubtedly, returned with the body and remained in England.

This little group sailed on the ship "Windermere", under Captain Fairfield, on February 22, 1854 with four hundred and seventy-seven saints on board. During the voyage contrary winds were encountered, arising at times to heavy gales, but at the end of five weeks a favorable wind set in and the ship made one thousand miles in four days. After sailing fifteen days the smallpox broke out and spread rapidly as the vessel approached the tropics until thirty-seven passengers and two of the crew were attacked but at the crisis the malady was suddenly checked in answer to prayer.

The Windermere arrived at New Orleans on April 23, 1854, after eight weeks and five days on the way. Several things had happened to mar the journey, including fire, smallpox, and lack of food.

After leaving New Orleans cholera broke out and many died. Thomas was among them. Elizabeth Clifton Ransom died the 15th of June, 1854 at Westport, Kansas and her son Benjamin near that date.

On the 19th of June they began their journey across the plains. During this migration both John and Charlotte passed away and were buried along the way.

After the death of his mother William Ransom, at that time two years old, was taken care of by his uncle John and aunt Caroline. They arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake on October 1, 1854.

The plague of the crickets and the miracle of the gulls were still fresh in the memory of the Pioneers when this group reached the valley, then came Johnson's army and many of the people found it necessary to flee to Lehi, Utah for safety. Among them were the Ransoms. James Ransom had married Elizabeth Rowley and they had a son James who had been born in Salt Lake City in 1856. They remained in Lehi where Joseph and Hyrum were born. In the Spring of 1862 James answered the call of Brigham Young to go to Southern Utah to raise cotton. It was here that their son George was born.

John and Caroline stayed in Lehi until 1859, then returned to their home on the Jordan River, taking William John with them as they had no children and loved him as if he were their own.

William's father, James Ransom, was working in the timbers, gathering bark for tanning leather when he was killed by a falling tree about seven miles from Cedar City, Utah.

In 1876 William John was called by the Toquerville Ward authorities, in company with David Hamilton Dodge, to go the Trumble mountains to assist in sawing lumber for completion of the St. George Temple. In 1877 he worked as a wood hauler and did some work in the mines.

On the 3rd day of April, 1878 he was married in the St. George Temple to Permelia Almyra Dodge, the daughter of Seth and Lovina Braden Dodge.

It was about this time that the Dodge family, along with many others, were doing some thinking about making a move into Northern Arizona. A new route had been opened by a ferry over the Colorado River, known as Lee's Ferry. Seth Dodge and four others left for Forestdale, Arizona to determine the advisability of moving the Dodge family to Arizona. They returned with a favorable report and all decided to make the move.

With $50.00 from the sale of stock in the Silver Reef and what he received for sale of Kolob Mining stock, William bought four wild steers and a supply of food for the trip and an old wagon and two yokes for the oxen. Their route took them over the plateau to Pipe Springs where they did some mending of wagons and harnesses, some washing and did some extra cooking. The animals were pastured on the grass that grew abundantly here. After a short time the journey was continued for about a hundred miles to the Buckskin Mountains where they camped for a time as Hannah Boswell, sister of Permelia, gave birth to a baby son.

After a few days of rest they continued their journey, crossing over a range of mountains to Jacob's Lake, on to the Colorado River and up the river to Lee's Ferry where it took two days to ferry all across. They traveled through several little settlements, Brigham City (Arizona), Sunset, Snowflake, Taylor and arrived at Forestdale on Christmas Eve. They were welcomed by many friends who had gone on ahead of them. The men built a bowery for them to do their cooking and their wagons were their sleeping quarters until houses could be built of hewed logs.

Early in 1880 Thomas Ransom and his wife, Mary went south to Gila Valley to look things over. Thomas returned with a good account of the country, especially the lovely valley along the Gila River. William and Thomas took the household goods and cattle in March and returned in May to take the families. As there was no sale for their property they just had to leave it for someone else to enjoy. They arrived at their destination on the 16th of May and everyone got busy surveying for ditches, building homes and tilling the soil. Land was allotted to each family and the town laid out. The families settled in town near each other for protection from the Apache Indians. The farms were laid out around the town and the men carried their guns to the fields. The women and children had to be on guard at all times.

On January 9, 1881, a little son came to bless the home of William and Permelia but he lived only two days. He was named John William. Another child was born to them on July 12, 1883. This little girl was named Permilia Lovina for her mother and her grandmother. On December 7, 1884, Caroline Elizabeth was born but she stayed only until February, 1885. On the 3rd of February, 1886 another little girl came, this one to stay. They named her Mary Myrtle.

These were busy years, rearing a family, attending to church duties, getting out lumber for church buildings and raising enough food to supply their needs. Their assignments to church offices were many and varied and they were happy with the little family that had come to them.

William and his sister-in-law, Mary were prominent in the production of dramas. It is told that in one scene of a play William was to eat a pie, so his wife, with her keen sense of humor, proceeded to make a nice pie with cotton seed for raisins. It was quite a surprise to her husband when he tried to eat the pie. His lines were: "Damn the pie, Dolly". It was no effort to say it with emphasis that night.

William did carpentry work when it was available and he freighted vegetables, butter and eggs to the Army post where he found a ready market. On the return trip he would bring back used furniture for the Saints living in the valley.

On September 12, 1887 another little girl joined the family. They named her Matilda Amanda. On February 1, 1890 Agnes Willmetta was welcomed into the family.

Fort Grant became their home for a short time as there was work there for William and he could still continue his freighting.

After twelve years of hoping another little son, William Dodge was born on the 24th of November, 1893, and two years later Sarah Marguerite came along. On Matilda's birthday in 1897, a lovely birthday present arrived in the form a another little brother who stayed only until the 11th of May, 1898. He was named Thomas Carl. After the death of Carl the family moved to Table Mountain, where work was available for William. They remained here a short time until school and caring for their home in Pima, brought them back.

The last of their ten children was born at the stroke of midnight July 15, 1900, in Pima, Arizona. This child, James Irving helped fill the void that was left when Thomas Carl died. The family then moved to Morenci where William had steady employment and his wife took in boarders.

The summers were so very hot, most of the families had summer homes up on Mount Graham where they milked the cows and made butter, cheese and cottage cheese for sale to those folk left in the valley.

After about a year in Morenci the family returned to Pima where a movement was developing to purchase land in Oregon and move to a place where the weather was cooler and the women folk could stay at home and not have to get away from the heat of summer. William was under contract at the time and could not leave with the others. Thomas took two of William's children in his wagon and Mary took Myrtle and Madge with her to Salt Lake City to attend conference, then on to Cleveland, Idaho to wait for her husband and the two children he had with him. It was after these folks arrived in Oregon that Parmelia left Pima with Wilmetta and James. Lovina (Loie), the eldest daughter, had married and lived in Safford.

It was November 18, 1903 when William boarded the train, bound for Elgin, Oregon. He bought land joining his brothers but he was more interested in carpentry work than in farming. His brother, Thomas did most of the farm work for him.

William decided to try his luck at selling nursery stock and he did quite well at this job but it took him away from his home a great deal of the time.

Their daughter, Myrtle had married Ivan Goff who, after a few years had gone to Gentile Valley in Idaho and homesteaded a farm. The reports that went back to Oregon stirred the imagination of William and he decided to join the Goffs in Idaho. He brought his family and homesteaded in Idaho where they remained until after Permelia had a stroke and it was felt advisable to take her to a warmer climate. They returned to Pima where they remained until her death on the 25th of October, 1917. William then went to work in Miami, Arizona until spring, the returned to Safford and farmed for a year. He raised mostly cotton and melons for his son-in-law, Arthur Woolsey.

In July 1921 he left Arizona and headed for Elgin, Oregon, visiting relatives on the way. Upon reaching Oregon he began again to work for the Milton Nursery, selling trees and shrubs of all kinds until December 1922. As he was on his way to Preston to spend the winter he stopped in Weiser, Idaho to visit friends, the family of William Allred. It was here that he renewed his acquaintance with Mrs. Maria Riggs, formerly of Elgin, and invited her to meet him in Preston in the Spring. On the 14th of March, 1923, they were married in the Logan Temple for time.

In a short time they returned to Weiser Idaho where they made their home part of the time and part of the time in Elgin, Oregon. William had gone back to work for the nursery company and was doing fairly well until he hurt his arm and shoulder. This accident crippled him so that he was unable to carry on with his job.

In December 1923 he and his wife decided it would be better for them to go to live with their children, each going among their own. On December 23rd he left for California to be with his son, Will, and his daughter Madge (Marguerite), and Maria went to her daughter's home. This was a sad end to their marriage, but seemed to them the only solution.

From this time on he spent his time with his children and grandchildren, going from one to another. He spent more time in Preston with Myrtle and her family than any other place. This was probably because their home was closer to the temple where he loved to go.

While living with the Goffs in Preston, he and Myrtle began working toward the organization of the John Ransom Family. On December 27, 1928 fourteen members of the John Ransom family met at the home of Ivan and Myrtle Goff and formed an organization, drew up a constitution and by-laws and the John Ransom Family Organization was born.

The remainder of his life he spent doing research and temple work for his departed ancestors. Quoting from his diary, "I have worked five days in the temple, the balance of the time has been spend at the Genealogical Society, doing research, making all together five weeks. During this time I have gathered between two and three hundred names, eighty of them have been baptized for and are ready for the endowment work to be done. The balance are ready to be proof-read for the temple work." This was in January and February, 1930, and is just a sample of his schedule of research and temple work that he carried on for the last ten years of his life. He left a long list of names that he had personally done the endowments for his relatives.

When he was 79 years old he topped beets to earn money to send to the Genealogical Society for research in England. It was through his efforts that much of the information was gathered that has given us the foundation upon which to build a pedigree.

His life was a life of service to both living and dead. He was sustained as Secretary of the Ward Sunday School in what was then known as Smithville Ward, then as Counselor to the Superintendent of the Ward Sunday School He held this position for ten years, then as Counselor in the Stake Organization. He served as Ward Clerk and as a Counselor the Stake Superintendent of the M.I.A. Most of the time he lived in Arizona he served as a Ward Teacher.

In Oregon he was Counselor to Bishop Blazer in the Pine Grove Ward, Counselor to Bishop Hyrum Weech, and was Superintendent of the Pine Grove Sunday School. He also served as a Ward Teacher in the Pine Grove Ward.

He loved to play checkers and he organized a checker club among his friends. In the summer they would play on the tables in the city park in the winter they rented an empty building. He could always find a checker partner in the barber shop.

Early in the year 1938 he slipped on a small spot of ice and pulled the ligaments in his leg. This accident made it necessary for him to spend most of his time in bed. As is usual for anyone that age, when they lie flat, fluid collects in their lungs. This is known as a form of pneumonia. It was this type of pneumonia that took his life on February 17, 1938, just two months short of eighty-six years of age. He was, at that time, living with his daughter, Myrtle and her family, in Preston, Idaho.

His funeral was held in the Preston First L.D.S. Ward and then his body was taken to Pima, Arizona for burial by the side of his wife, Permelia D. Ransom. A granddaughter, Minnie G. Evans and her husband, William, and their children accompanied his body to Pima. There they were met by a son, William D. Ransom and his wife, Cora of California. Many relatives assembled for the graveside service that had been planned by a grandson, Thomas Rasmussen and other family members.

This brief sketch of the life of William John Ransom was condensed from his personal diary and compiled by a granddaughter-in-law, Ruth E. Goff, to be read at the Ransom Reunion at Preston, Idaho on Saturday, June 29, 1868.

In the spring of 1853 there was ten of the Ransom family, with others, boarded a sailing vessel named "Wandemere" from Bexhill, Sussexshire, England, migrating to the USA.

In our family were my grandfather, John Ransom, my grandmother, Charlotte Cramp Ransom, my uncle, Thomas Ransom, single, my uncle, John Ransom Jr., his wife Caroline Stace Ransom, my father, James Ransom, and my mother, Elizabeth Clifton Ransom and we three boys, Thomas, Frederick, and Wm. J. Ransom.

I was told that we sailed fairly well for three or four weeks, then we commenced drifting not so very far from New Orleans. We continued drifting nearly two weeks, until a steam boat came from the harbor and towed us in, on account of a calm sea.

We had smallpox and cholera on board and were quarantined, and when we landed at New Orleans port, all those that were under quarantine were left at port. The balance of the company boarded a steamer for St. Louis. My uncle Thomas, my mother and brother Frederick were left and died and was buried there.

My grandfather took sick and died coming up the river and was buried at St. Louis.

After landing we bought our outfit to cross the plains, which consisted of two yoke of oxen, one yoke cows and one wagon and our provisions.

I do not know what month we left St. Louis but we had traveled but a few days when my grandmother died with cholera and was buried by the roadside.

Now our total was cut down until there were only five of us left. My uncle John, his wife, father and his two boys, Thomas and Wm. J. never did learn whose company we were in but we arrived in Salt Lake City in fall of 1853. After the death of my mother, my uncle John and his wife took care of me.

When we got to Salt Lake City we lived with Brother Cumberlins in the 16th Ward, then we moved to a little place on the Jordan River in the 19th Ward that my uncle John had purchased. My uncle John baptized me in the Jordan River.

I only attended school about three times. After that I had to educate myself.

I well remember the grasshopper war and the coming of the seagulls.

In 1858, on account of Johnson's Army we went south to Lehi, where my father was living. He had married again.

I well remember two dugouts just outside on the east of the old fort.

We returned to Salt Lake City in the spring of 1859. My father was called by Pres. Brigham Young to Dixie, southern Utah, to help build up the settlements. He located at Virgin City, Kane Co. on the Virgin River. In 1865 he went to Shirt Creek Canyon, 5 miles from Cedar City, to peel bark and was killed by a falling tree and was buried at Virgin City. Father left to mourn his death his wife, Elizabeth Rowley Ransom, my brother Thomas and myself and our four half brothers, James R., Joseph R., Hyrum R., and George R. Ransom.

After the death of father, they all moved to Salt Lake City and lived a year or two, then moved to Ogden Valley and later to Lewiston, Utah, and Cleveland, Idaho. All but my brother Thomas who returned of Toquerville, Kane Co. and lived with James Jackson until he married Mary L. Dodge in 1872. They came to Salt Lake City on a honeymoon trip in company with Sam Green and his wife, Lucinda M. Dodge, the women being sisters.

On their return, I bid uncle and aunt goodbye and returned to Toquerville with them. After living in Toquerville one year, I returned to Salt Lake City and lived with uncle and aunt. I returned to Dixie in 1875 with Ash Nebeker, who had been assisting saints across the plains.

In 1876 I was called by the Toquerville ward in company with David Dodge Hamilton to go to Mount Trumble to assist in sawing lumber for the St. George Temple. David strained himself trying to put a heavy plank on a high pile of lumber and afterwards died from the affects.

In the spring of 1877 the Silver Reef mines was discovered. I worked there, hauling wood and doing some mining until 1878 when I was married to Permelia A. Dodge in the St. George Temple on the third of April 1878. I, in company with Seth Dodge and family and my brother Thomas, Abraham Boswell and his brother Volirly Boswell left for Arizona. We arrived in Forest Dale on Christmas Eve. We lived there until the next summer (1879). We then moved to Walker a little town on Sholo Creek four or five miles above Snowflake in the spring. The 16th of April 1880 we moved to the Gila, then called Hela, on the Gila River, the company consisting of Seth Dodge's family, his three sons-in-law, Thomas Ransom, Abraham Boswell and Wm. J. Ransom and their families and P. H. McBride and family. We arrived there May 16th. It took us a month to make the trip on account of an Indian scare and being ordered back from the seven mile hill to the Apache Government Post for safety by the commanding officer. We were there about two weeks when they gave us an escort to Green Hill where we descended down to the Gila River. After we got to the river we traveled up the river about twenty-five miles to a new town we named Smithville in honor of Jesse N. Smith. As we could not get a post office with that name we changed it to Pima.

We organized a ward with Joseph R. Rogers as our bishop, Hyrum Weech as 1st Counselor and Henry Dall as 2nd Counselor. We organized the Sunday School with Arthur P. Newell as Supt., Wm. J. Ransom as secretary. I acted in that capacity for ten years. I was also the Ward Clerk for a short time. We built the Smithville canal to water our farms and I acted as a secretary for the ditch company for a year or so.

After I served ten years for the Sunday School I was chosen as 1st assistant to John Sims, Stake supt of Sunday School. Then I was chosen counselor to James Duke of the stake M.I.A. I was also a ward teacher until 1903 when we emigrated to Elgin Oregon where I lived for nine years. We lived at a place called Pine Grove when Pres. Bramel and counselors came out from LeGrande and organized us into a branch with Hyrum Weech as bishop and W. J. Ransom as his 1st and P. C. Chandler as 2nd counselors. I worked in the ward until I moved to LeGrande on the 19th of June 1904 and joined the LeGrande ward.

I bought a hotel called the Palmer House. I made a poor buy for I sunk about $1200.00 on the deal, then I returned to Pine Grove in 1907 and was chosen in 1907 as 2nd counselor to Bishop Weech and worked in the ward until it was reorganized on the 1st of Oct 1911 with Edward Blayer as bishop Percy Chandler as 1st and Wm. J. Ransom as 2nd counselor of the Pine Grove Branch Union County Oregon.

I continued work in the ward until May 1912 when my family moved to Thatcher Idaho. I remained in Oregon and joined them the 24th of November 1912. I had been working for the Milton nursery for the past several years and could not leave on account of making my fall deliveries of trees etc. I worked in the Thatcher ward. I built me a five room house and worked out for the farmers for five years. During that time my wife had a paralytic stroke.

As the winters were so hard I took my wife south to Safford Arizona, where my daughter Lori lived. We arrived on Christmas Day 1916 O.K.

Mother feeling quite good I went to work in the spring on Arthur Woolsey's farm. I worked there until August 1917 then I went to Miama to work for the Inspiration Co. until I was called home at the death of my wife on Oct 25,1917. Her funeral was delayed a few days on account of our two sons who were in Elgin Oregon. Then after laying her away I and my 2 sons returned to Miama. I went to work for the same co. The boys returned to Pima. I returned to Safford in the spring of 1918 and farmed one year for Arthur Woolsey raising melons and cotton. The bottom fell out of the price of cotton. It came down from 80 to 10 cents. I come out in debt. I quit in July 1921 and went to Pima from there I went to Miama and then Elgin Ore, arriving there Aug 7,1921.

I arrived in Stockton on the 16th of July where my son-in-law lived. I stayed with them until the 24th of July, then took a boat, the Senator for San Francisco. After staying in the city for a few days, I boarded the Curacao July 29,1921 for Portland Oregon, 8 days on the water. I arrived at Portland at noon Aug 4 1921 and arrived in Elgin Aug 7, 1921. About the first thing that I did was to go to with Nelae my son-in-law and his brother on a fishing trip. When we came back I went to work for the Milton Nursery selling trees and shrubs. Then on Dec 17, 1922 I left for LeGrande where I attended conference then left for Weiser Idaho, where I spent a few days with Wm. Aldred & family, then went to Preston where Ivan Goff my son-in-law and family lived and spend most of the winter there. I met Mrs Maria Riggs at Weiser and she met me at the Ivan's and we were married at Logan Temple for time only on March 14th, 1923. We then went to Weiser or Elgin until Dec 1923 when I left Weiser for Los Angeles Cal. My wife and I agreed to disagree. She went to her daughter and I to my son & daughter in Cal.

May 12th 1927 Ivan Goff and James J. Ransom and part of their families came and paid us a visit. They left us May 19th for Gila and then home.

I left California for Portland Ore. on July 10,1928 to visit my daughter Mrs Chlarsen and family. I arrived by bus July 13, 1928, and left for Elgin Ore Aug 20, 1928 at 10:20 P.M. arriving in Elgin Aug 21, 1928 at 11:20 A.M.

Myrtle and Ivan came and stayed about ten days, then we left for Preston Idaho on Sep 6, 1928, arrived in Preston Sept 9, 1928 at 9:30 P.M.

A few days after my arrival in Preston I met my brother George and he took me home with him to Cleveland, the next day we walked to my brother James R. Ransom's place. We found young Jim and his mother there and I stayed there all night and went to Preston next day.

About 2 weeks later I went to Cleveland with Jim and the next Sunday we went to Grace and attended meeting and stopped at George's on our return. While there I gathered genealogy, then went to Preston in the afternoon. Attended October conference in Salt Lake. We are trying to erect a James Ransom (of England) family organization. Invitations were sent out to all our kin folks to meet at the home of C. I. Goff on the 27th of Dec. 1928.

On Dec 27, 1928, 14 members of the Ransom family met at the home of C. I. Goff and organized a family organization.

I received word on the morning of Jan 25 1928 that my daughter Matilda Amanda Chlarsen died at 4 A. M. from the effects of an operation. She was buried in the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery at Portland Ore.

March 20, I went to the Logan Temple and had all John Ransom and Charlotte Cramp's children sealed to them.

A Ransom reunion was held July 6, 1929 at Preston 6th Ward Church. Over a hundred were in attendance.

I ate Thanksgiving dinner with Jim and Hazel at Tremonton. On Dec 27 went to Brigham City and stayed a week with Roger and Verna Sederholm and Virgil and Ruth Pierce. On Jan 4, 1930 I went to Salt Lake and stayed with Wm. A. Ransom and family until Feb 1, 1930, doing research work in the genealogical society library and temple work. I worked in the genealogical society until Jan 18 and had 74 names ready for temple work.

In the afternoon of the 18th I went to the Temple taking 2 boys Wendell H. Ransom and Raal Johnson. They were baptized for the male names for me.

I attended Pioneer Stake conference Jan 26 with Wm. A. Ransom in the morning. We listened to the afternoon meeting over the radio.

On the 29th I hunted up Willie H. Ransom and had a pleasant talk with him. He said he was from Canada and had 4 brothers and 2 sisters in Canada. He gave me his genealogy. and invited me to call on him again.