Jasper Lemmon ~ Index
Jasper Lemmon was born at Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, 5 August, 1835 of goodly parents, Washington Lemmon and Tamer Stephens Lemmon. His parents emigrated from Illinois to Iowa in April 1850, then to Great Salt Lake City, Utah in 1852. They later settled in Millcreek, Utah where they spent the remainder of their lives.
Father received an education and became a school teacher. He taught in a little old schoolhouse which had crude benches to sit on and he taught most of the geography lessons with a song. While still a young man, he crossed the plains several times, bringing or helping poor immigrants come to Utah. He, President Joseph F. Smith and others made these trips in 1854 and 1856, he also made other trips in later years.
He married Melvina C. Rawlins on 17 February 1858 at Great Salt Lake City in the old endowment house. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Willard, Utah where they lived only a few months before moving on to Mendon, Cache Valley, Utah in the year 1859. They lived in what was called the "Fort." While living there, their second child was born, Harriet Ann. She was the third white child born in Mendon. Their oldest daughter, Melvina Jane, died of diptheria and was buried in Mendon. They were the parents of ten children.
Father was active in the church and community. He did a great deal toward developing the town and surveyed most of the ground in Mendon with a survey chain. His occupation was farming and cattle raising and with the help of several other men, organized a cooperative store which was a great help to the town. For several years, he owned and operated a butcher shop which was built on his property. The shop burned down when Andrew Anderson's was burned. When the Indians were so bad, father helped guard the town, also helped build a wall around the Fort (rock church) to protect the occupants from the Indians. He took part in all the activities of the ward, was president of the "Old Folks" committee, also held various offices in the ward.
He was called on a mission for the L.D.S. Church to Texas, 30 October 1883. While there, he took very sick and had to be released and sent home on 17 July 1884. For many years he was in very poor health, however, in later years his health improved. Each spring and fall he traveled to Salt Lake City to attend church conference. He died of a heart attack 28 August 1905 and was buried in the Mendon cemetary.
Notes…
Hariett Ann Lemmon was born (4 October 1860) in Mendon, Utah. She was only the third white child born in Mendon and as a child her parents tied her to the front porch with a rope when playing outside for fear that Indians would steal her.
Children of Jasper and Melvinia Rawlins Lemmon:
- Melvina Jane Lemmon (1858-1864)
- Harriet Ann Lemmon (1860-1939)
- Mary Tamer Lemmon (1862-1940)
- Jasper George Lemmon (1865-1924)
- James Albert Lemmon (1868-1875)
- Elva Estelle Lemmon (1871-1892)
- Ida Lucinda Lemmon (1876-1975)
- Authur Washington Lemmon (1879-1924)
- Adelia Sarah Lemmon (1883-1977)