"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."
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