"Family History Journal of John S. Stucki," pp 28-29. Published in "They Came By Faith" by Norene Reber Mackley, p 8.
It is lucky for us that a few wonderful individuals took the time to write their experiences in Switzerland - such as daily life in general, how they received the gospel, their crossing of an immense ocean to come to America, their unbelievable trek across the 'Great American Desert', and how they came about settling in the tiny town of Santa Clara in Southern Utah. Since our ancestors didn't leave a written history of their lives, we will have to depend on those who knew them and journeyed with them that did record their experiences! Our journey is about to begin in earnest!
Johann Reber was married to Barbara Shenck Stucki. Early in their marriage, he became afflicted with a debilitating form of rheumatoid arthritis that affected nearly every part of his body, especially his joints. He walked about with two sticks as canes and was hunched over, had a noticeable hump on his shoulder, and his hands were misshapen. Johannes and Barbara lived just over the ridge from his parents, Christian and Maria Gerber Reber. Barbara was a sister to Samuel Stucki, who also lived fairly close, about a mile and a half away. Samuel's son, John S. Stucki, therefore, was a nephew to Barbara and her husband Johannes Reber.
It is true that people in a community share many things in common and their lives become intertwined in a fascinating way; such was the case with the Reber's and Stucki's. John S. Stucki's history gives an account of some important happenings in Johannes' and Barbara's lives - remarkable events that have shaped all of our lives, and even a good many others to this very day! His history gives many insights into the lives of our Reber ancestors and their spiritual state! I am thankful that John took the time to record his view of what happened, especially since he was an eyewitness to those remarkable events. I will quote directly from his life history which he wrote at the age of 80:
"Continuing with a brief account of my parents: As they felt the importance of living up to all the requirements of the Gospel, they also taught us children, by teaching and by good example, to be faithful in all the duties in the Church of Christ. They were both hardworking people. In the old country my father was mainly a turner and a farmer, but he had many kinds of tools so that he could do almost any kind of work. (A turner was one who worked wood on a lathe, creating many useful tools, beautiful wooden objects, and furniture, etc.) As they did not have much of anything to start with, they bought the a little home with a few acres of land on which they could raise grain for bread, hay to feed a cow, what potatoes they needed, and timber to furnish them with wood. They also raised flax and hemp, and in the long winter evenings mother would be spinning."
"While mother would be spinning flax and hemp into yarn for their clothing, father would spend his long winter evenings making spinning wheels, sythe-snaths, hay rakes and forks. When the right season came he would take cart loads to the market. In winter, when he could not work on the outside, he always found plenty of work to do (indoors) and in a few years they got their home paid for. They raised nearly everything they needed themselves."
"The yarn which mother would spin in the long winter evenings would be taken to some weaver, from which cloth they made their clothing. They would raise a big fat pig each year which made lard for them to cook with. although they did not know anything of the Gospel nor of the Word of Wisdom I think they kept the Word of Wisdom quite well. My father used neither tobacco, nor any kind of strong drink. They used some coffee, but as coffee was very dear they used it very sparintly. All the money they earned went towards paying for their house."
Samuel Knight Death information
DEATH: Name: Samuel Knight
Titles:
Death date: 11 Feb 1910
Death place: Santa Clara, Washington, Utah
Birth date:
Estimated birth year: 1833
Birth place:
Age at death: 77 years 3 months 3 days
Gender: Male
Marital status:
Race or color:
Spouse name:
Father name: Newell Knight
Father titles:
Mother name: Salley Coburn
Mother titles:
GSU film number: 2229364
Digital GS number: 4121091
Image number: 118
Reference number: 5a
Collection: Utah Death Certificates 1904-1956
Titles:
Death date: 11 Feb 1910
Death place: Santa Clara, Washington, Utah
Birth date:
Estimated birth year: 1833
Birth place:
Age at death: 77 years 3 months 3 days
Gender: Male
Marital status:
Race or color:
Spouse name:
Father name: Newell Knight
Father titles:
Mother name: Salley Coburn
Mother titles:
GSU film number: 2229364
Digital GS number: 4121091
Image number: 118
Reference number: 5a
Collection: Utah Death Certificates 1904-1956
Johann Rudolph Frei and Anna Margaretha Nageli Frei's History
(Written by Elple Frlo (?), granddaughter, for the English Department of the Dixie Normal College during the winter of 1916-17. This project was sponsored by the Genealogical committee of the St. George Stake Relief Society with Sister Josephine J. Miles as Chairman. Copied by Ella J. Seegmiller, County Historian of the D.U.P. in January 1945.)
Switzerland
Rudolph Frei was born in Leutsburg, St. Gallen, Switzerland. His father and mother were both Swiss. They belonged to the Protestant Church and were staunch followers of Zwingli.
The father was an invalid for years, and died in 1859, just one year before his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Leutsburg was a very small town. The houses and farms were scattered over a number of rolling hills, and all the farm work was done with cows. The farm owned by the Frei family was small so that Rudolph often hired out in neighboring towns to help keep up living expenses. They were very poor and had to work hard to "keep the wolf from the door."
In 1858 they heard the gospel and the mother, two sons and one daughter all joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and began to save means to make the trip to Zion.
Emigration and Orphaned
They emigrated in 1860. While crossing the ocean, the mother became ill and died, leaving her three children orphans. Had it not been for the gospel and its teachings, this would have been a greater tragedy for them, seeing their mother buried in the surging ocean. The responsibility then fell on Rudolph as he was the oldest child.
When they landed in the U.S. they had no means of going on. Fortunately, they found a man who had outfits but no drivers. So they drove an ox team for the privilege of coming along. They felt very humble and thankful for this opportunity and faced the trials and hardships of the journey with a feeling that they had been blessed to have a chance to endure them. They arrived in Salt Lake City in 1860.
The two boys remained there one year, then were called to come to Southern Utah with the Swiss move. The sister married and remained in the north.
Marriage
Rudolph met Margarette Nageli (Anna Margaretha Nageli), and after three weeks of acquaintance, married her and brought her to Dixie with him in 1861. They owned a yoke of oxen and an old wagon. While making the trip they got behind the company and took the wrong road. It was several days before they got back with their friends. After traveling three weeks, they reached the little valley of Santa Clara where they made their home.
The first years in Southern Utah were filled with trials and hardships. After the town was laid out each family was given a lot in town and a few acres of land for farming. During the time they prepared this land for use, they lived in a dugout or in any sort of a home they could prepare hurriedly, usually a wagon box. Rudolph and his wife lived in a dugout.
Life in Santa Clara
Their lot was two blocks from the creek, which was the only source of drinking water. This made the water-carrying a task, especially in stormy seasons. Perhaps the most disheartening trial was the lack of food. Pigweeds and other roots were largely hunted up early in the spring before the garden stuff was ready. Molasses was used instead of sugar until they could hardly eat what they sweetened with it.
The Indians also gave those early pioneers much trouble. Rudolph never had to follow them or fight with them, but he was called several times to help guard the town against their attacks. At one time an Indian stole a horse he had hobbled out on the hills He hunted it for days and finally gave it up for lost. One day he saw the Indian drive through town with the horse so poor and jaded he hardly recognized it. After a dispute, in which the Indian wanted money for the horse and hobble, he finally got them back again.
Such necessities and luxuries of today as meats, creams, pastries, and candies, were never thought of only as something to be enjoyed in the future. Many years of hard and strenuous labor were placed into the farms and homes before they were at all comfortable. During this time, seven children were born to them. Three of them died in their infancy. Two sons and two daughters grew to manhood and womanhood, when death again claimed the youngest girl. There were then other demands on the father. Both boys filled missions in Germany and Switzerland, where they visited old friends and the old home of the parents.
When a youth Rudolph had no reason to believe he would ever leave his old home in Switzerland, and because of poverty, he was unable to obtain an education. After accepting the gospel message, his course in life was changed. The experience he had, reaching what became his home and his trials and hardships along with the association of all classes of people, proved a greater education than he ever could have gained in the old country.
Switzerland
Rudolph Frei was born in Leutsburg, St. Gallen, Switzerland. His father and mother were both Swiss. They belonged to the Protestant Church and were staunch followers of Zwingli.
The father was an invalid for years, and died in 1859, just one year before his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Leutsburg was a very small town. The houses and farms were scattered over a number of rolling hills, and all the farm work was done with cows. The farm owned by the Frei family was small so that Rudolph often hired out in neighboring towns to help keep up living expenses. They were very poor and had to work hard to "keep the wolf from the door."
In 1858 they heard the gospel and the mother, two sons and one daughter all joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and began to save means to make the trip to Zion.
Emigration and Orphaned
They emigrated in 1860. While crossing the ocean, the mother became ill and died, leaving her three children orphans. Had it not been for the gospel and its teachings, this would have been a greater tragedy for them, seeing their mother buried in the surging ocean. The responsibility then fell on Rudolph as he was the oldest child.
When they landed in the U.S. they had no means of going on. Fortunately, they found a man who had outfits but no drivers. So they drove an ox team for the privilege of coming along. They felt very humble and thankful for this opportunity and faced the trials and hardships of the journey with a feeling that they had been blessed to have a chance to endure them. They arrived in Salt Lake City in 1860.
The two boys remained there one year, then were called to come to Southern Utah with the Swiss move. The sister married and remained in the north.
Marriage
Rudolph met Margarette Nageli (Anna Margaretha Nageli), and after three weeks of acquaintance, married her and brought her to Dixie with him in 1861. They owned a yoke of oxen and an old wagon. While making the trip they got behind the company and took the wrong road. It was several days before they got back with their friends. After traveling three weeks, they reached the little valley of Santa Clara where they made their home.
The first years in Southern Utah were filled with trials and hardships. After the town was laid out each family was given a lot in town and a few acres of land for farming. During the time they prepared this land for use, they lived in a dugout or in any sort of a home they could prepare hurriedly, usually a wagon box. Rudolph and his wife lived in a dugout.
Life in Santa Clara
Their lot was two blocks from the creek, which was the only source of drinking water. This made the water-carrying a task, especially in stormy seasons. Perhaps the most disheartening trial was the lack of food. Pigweeds and other roots were largely hunted up early in the spring before the garden stuff was ready. Molasses was used instead of sugar until they could hardly eat what they sweetened with it.
The Indians also gave those early pioneers much trouble. Rudolph never had to follow them or fight with them, but he was called several times to help guard the town against their attacks. At one time an Indian stole a horse he had hobbled out on the hills He hunted it for days and finally gave it up for lost. One day he saw the Indian drive through town with the horse so poor and jaded he hardly recognized it. After a dispute, in which the Indian wanted money for the horse and hobble, he finally got them back again.
Such necessities and luxuries of today as meats, creams, pastries, and candies, were never thought of only as something to be enjoyed in the future. Many years of hard and strenuous labor were placed into the farms and homes before they were at all comfortable. During this time, seven children were born to them. Three of them died in their infancy. Two sons and two daughters grew to manhood and womanhood, when death again claimed the youngest girl. There were then other demands on the father. Both boys filled missions in Germany and Switzerland, where they visited old friends and the old home of the parents.
When a youth Rudolph had no reason to believe he would ever leave his old home in Switzerland, and because of poverty, he was unable to obtain an education. After accepting the gospel message, his course in life was changed. The experience he had, reaching what became his home and his trials and hardships along with the association of all classes of people, proved a greater education than he ever could have gained in the old country.
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