Jane M. Muir ~ Index
Jane Muir, daughter of Mary Ross and Walter Muir was born 14 April, 1840 at Crofthead Linlithgowshire, Scotland. She was baptized and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1848. She was married to Thomas N. Muir, 20 April 1860, never changing her name, it being Muir before marriage. She came to America in the year 1863, sailing on the ship called Sunny Shower. She left Scotland in March and was eight weeks on the ocean. She crossed the plains in the Thomas E. Ricks Company, walking all the way and reached Logan, Cache County, Utah in October 1863.
Later, with her husband and family they moved to Wellsville where they lived one year. They were living out by the old mill south of Mendon at the time Rosie Thurston became missing, supposed to have been kidnapped by the Indians; but she was never found. Just at this time the people were advised to move into Mendon on account of the Indians. So they moved into the old fort. Her husband was an Indian guard at this time. She worked very hard. She washed for others and did all kind of work to help make a living for her family. She now moved to a ranch in Petersboro, her husband having taken up the land as a homestead. The Indians often came to their home and demanded flour and bread and she would always share with them what she could. She said it was better to divide with them than to fight with them.
They lived on the ranch twenty years. The family consisted of twelve children, seven girls and five boys, but they were called to part with six of them before they grew to man and womanhood. They now moved to Logan, her husband being one of the Cache County commissioners. She lived in Logan six years and moved back to Mendon where she still resides. She is eighty-seven years old does her own work and is very independent. She would rather live alone and do her own work than have anyone with her. She is hale and hearty and very spry on her feet. Dr. Randall examined her last year. He said her body was well preserved, even better than three-fourths of the young people of today.
Life Sketch
On 14 April 1840, the home of Walter and Mary Ross Muir was blessed by the birth of a daughter, Jane at Crofhead Linlithgowshire, Scotland and grew to womanhood in the town of her birth. She was the third child in a family of twelve children. Her father was a coal miner so all had to work. At the young age of eight years, her brothers would go to the mines with their father to help support this large family and those at home would do anything they could to help.
Nothing happened to change the routine of their lives until they heard about the new religion, "Mormonism," which by that time was being talked about in most of the civilized countries of the world. The family decided to investigate this new religion. With this decision came a new spiritual conviction a dynamic knowledge which began to weave itself into their very lives. Man's relationship to God was mad known to them, as well as the pre-existence, life after death and many other problems that had been bothering them.
The teachings of this church filled their hearts and satisfied all their longings, proving again what had been proved so many times, "My sheep knoweth my voice." They joined the church in 1855. Jane was baptized, at the age of fifteen, on 15 March 1855.
Life is a disappointment to him who is denied the freedom to worship as they may desire. So all their hopes and ambitions were turned toward the fulfillment of their dreams, the chance to go to Zion and there live their lives with those who believed as they did. However, before this dream could be realized the father died on 25 August 1860, leaving the mother with the responsibility of raising her large family alone.
Still they were so determined to get to the United States that all their hopes and energies were turned to that end. The boys kept their jobs in the mines and all worked and saved every cent they could to help realize this dream. It took nearly six years to get the money together to make the long awaited journey.
Sometime before this however, Jane had met a handsome man, Thomas N. Muir. They fell in love and were married on 20 April 1860, never changing her name. They were no relation even though their names were the same. They took out their endowments on 20 December 1869.
Two children were born to them in Scotland, Mary and Anthony. They did not live long and were buried in Scotland. With this trying experience and the loss of her father they decided to go to host of pioneers whose dreams were to make their homes in the wilderness and plant there the institutions of religious freedom. Where they could enjoy life in a land of civil and religious liberty and where they would be free to do what they thought was right. Where they would be free to raise their families according to the teachings of the church in which they believed. They believed in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, these pioneers and many of them died that we might enjoy these same blessings and privileges.
They were determined to find a new home and a new life and Jane did not know when her family would be able to come. As Jane was expecting her third child her mother could not bear to see her left alone, so they pooled what money they had and let her sister, Jennie come with her. This helped to cheer Jane greatly. Leaving behind family, friends and loved ones they set sail from Scotland on the ship Sunny Showers in March of 1863, with a group of L.D.S. Saints. They were eight weeks on the ocean. One bright spot helped to cheer them– the rest of the family would come as soon as they could save enough for passage.
They did not have the ships that we have today. They set sail from the harbor trusting in the wind to help them on their way. Some days the wind would blow them in the way they wanted to go while other days they were driven, by just as strong a wind, in the opposite direction. Some days the wind did not blow at all. At such times they had to wait, as patiently as they could, until the wind came up again, which sometimes did not happen for days at a time. On one occasion, when they were coming across, the wind had not blown enough to help the ship toward its destination for a number of days, in fact almost a week. Their provisions were getting low as were their spirits until they began to think that even God had forsaken them. On ten other occasions the captain of the ship had taken groups of saints to the United States. He was well acquainted with their kind and with their belief that there is One who watches over human affairs and arranges for the welfare of His children. He came to the leader of the saints and asked if it were possible for him to petition that higher power for assistance in their behalf. The leader of the group called upon all the saints to fast and pray, then called a special prayer meeting out on the deck the next morning. Not long after the first prayer had been offered a wind came up which carried them to their destination in the harbor of New York after eight weeks on the ocean.
They made their journey across the plains in the Captain Thomas E. Ricks company. Grandmother, in her delicate condition, walked most all the way. She often told of having a new pair of shoes and a lovely velvet dress which she saved to have when she arrived in Zion. She tied the shoes to the side of the wagon and when she reached Great Salt Lake City they were dried to a crisp.
At that time every mile beyond the Mississippi River was dotted with the bones of the animals that had fallen along the way and with the mounds that marked the graves of those who had died before their journey was through. It must have taken great faith of start that long march knowing the hardships and suffering of those who had got before them, but they had supreme faith that they would reach their destination. They trusted in God to lead them on, sending to Him their praises as well as their supplications. Their favorite song was "Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, our God will never us forsake. Do this and joy your hearts will swell. All is well. All is well." This had been the courage song of all the pioneers who had traveled over those long weary miles ahead of them. And they sang it just as fervently as did the first companies. The trail they followed was the highway of a might ~
They suffered more hardships than we can imagine, but their faith never wavered. They were on their way to Zion and to Zion they would go. We can imagine how delighted they were when they reached Great Salt Lake City. After crossing that great prairie for a thousand miles, where no cultivation or civilization could be seen, the sight of the valley must have seemed like a paradise in the midst of the desert.
They arrived in Salt Lake Valley in October 1863. They remained there a few days and resumed their journey northward to Wellsville. At Wellsville they lived in a dugout in the side of the mountain. It was here on 13 November 1863, three weeks after their arrival, that a daughter, Janet was born. They continued staying there and Grandfather became an Indian guard and was there at the time Rosie Thurston came up missing, supposed to have been kidnapped by the Indians, but was never found. They were still here in 1866 when Grandmothers' family arrived and they all lived with her until they could build a home in Mendon. Which took another year. Her family then moved into a rock home, in Mendon, built by her brothers. Grandmother and Grandfather moved to a farm north and west of Mendon, which they homesteaded and built a home.
They were about half a mile from the trail over the hill which the Indians traveled to Fort Washakie. The Indians often came to their home and demanded food, especially flour and bread. Grandmother would share with them what she had, as she said it was much better to share with them than fight them. Grandmother once told of being alone when some very hostile Indians came. She saw them coming and she feared for the life of her tiny baby, so she laid it in a blanked in the flour bin and closed the lid, praying in her heart that it would not cry out. The Indians pushed her aside, came in and looked through the house chatting very loud among themselves. She had just baked a large batch of bread which they demanded and more. She filled a large can of flour from the sack, in order to protect her baby, but they still wanted more. She remembered a slab of fat side meat and gladly gave it to them, but by their talk and actions she could tell they were not pleases. She said it was her most frightening experience but ended well as the baby slept through it all, adding much to her faith in silent prayer.
Grandfather was not content with the work he could do on his farm. He spent a great deal of time working on the Logan Temple and would go to Rock Springs, Wyoming and work in then coal mines during the winter months. They lived on the farm some twenty years and then bought Jane's (Grandmother) brothers house and the new land at once. They moved to Mendon in 1885, as her brother, Walter Muir had moved to Rexburg, Idaho. Jane's family numbered twelve children, seven daughters and five sons. They were called to part with six of them before they reached man and womanhood. They lived in Mendon until 1898, then moved to Logan, Thomas Muir (Grandfather) being elected a Cache County commissioner. They lived there until about 1908, when they moved back to the same house in Mendon. Grandfather died on 27 June 1917, at Logan, Utah so Grandmother was a widow for many years.
Her visits to our home were always a joy for us children. She loved to sing to us and curl our hair. There were seven girls in my mothers' family so she could curl to her hearts content. She was very spry, energetic and kind and was more like a companion to my mother than a mother, always there in time of need.
She was blessed with good health. She passed away quietly in her sleep on 11 October 1934, at the age of ninety four years and six months, at her rock home in Mendon, Utah and was interred in the Mendon cemetery, after jokingly remarking "The Lord has forgotten I'm here." We all loved her dearly. My mother died one year before her which was a sad occasion for Grandmother at her advanced age.
Notes…
Jane Muir was one of those lucky few ladies, whom marry and yet still get to keep the last name which they had. This life sketch was given by her daughter-in-law, May Longstroth Muir. It was most likely presented during a Mendon Camp D.U.P. meeting. The home above is located at at 145 South Main in Mendon, Utah. It is still standing and has been restored. It still looks quite nice.