Adelia Maria CLEMENS [scrapbook] 1 was born 2 on 14 Oct 1820 in Bastard, Leeds, Ontario, Canada. She died on 5 Sep 1903 in Basalt, Bingham, Idaho, United States. She was buried in Sep 1903 in Iona, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. Adelia married William GRIBBLE on 4 Mar 1837 in Utica, Oneida, New York, United States.
She resided 3 in 1870 in Mount Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah, United States.
Other marriages:FARR, Winslow Sr
PERKINS, Daniel Wadsworth
Shirley Charlesworth typed the following from the handwritten Pension request of Adelia M. Gribble: (See pages 10 and 11 of this history for the request made by Elizabeth B Gribble.):
Old War and Navy Div., Dept, of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions Deposition A
Case of Adelia M. Gribble No. 13477.
Continuation of Claimant (Adelia) Statement.
Came back from the Mexican War; so it was but he did not come home from the Army but went to Calilbrnia and stayed several years and then when he came back he married Elizabeth. Elizabeth and I lived together as his wives—and she was living at his death—but was not present when he died. I was with him on that trip and therefore was present when he died. She was at our home in Gunnison when he died, but she was sent for and was present at the funeral. After his death, Elizabeth and I continued to live together in same house. Sometime after that Elizabeth married George Fenn in Salt Lake by the Mormon form of sealing and she has lived with him ever since and is living with him now—they have been married or living together for 26 years but have had no children. Brother Fenn also had another wife, but she is dead—only died 2 years ago. They lived in Salina. Sevier Co., Utah.
Question: Did you have at any time any other husband than William Gribble, either under the customs of the Mormon Church or otherwise.
Answer: Yes, Sir, but not since he died. While he was in the Army and in California, not knowing whether he was dead or not, and according to Utah law had been gone so long that our marriage was "outlawed." I didn't get any divorce but was sealed to Daniel Perkins, the father of Mark Perkins (4BJ) by me. I didn't live with him, Perkins, but 8 years when he started to Chicago on business and I have never heard of him since. In the meantime and before Perkins went away, Gribble came back and married Elizabeth (sealed to her). I did not live with him again till Perkins disappeared. I was sealed to him, or as we say, married him again, so that Elizabeth and I continued to be his wives till his death.
Question: After (Gribble's death have you married, been sealed to or lived or cohabited with any other man as his wife.
Answer: No, Sir—neither—I never had anything to do with any other man since his death--I consider it an insult to ask me such a question if you mean to intimate that I lived unlawfully, by Church or State, with any man at any time.
Question: Where have you lived since his death.
Answer: In Gunnison, Sanpete Co., Utah, till 2 years ago. Everybody in Gunnison and vicinity know me well all the time I lived there.
Question: Were you ever divorced by Church or State from William Gribble or he from you. Answer: No. Sir—not as far as I know and I guess I would have known.
Question. It is said that he was divorced from you at Nauvoo, Ill. Is that true.
Answer. It is a lie and the person who so says knows he lies. He was married at Nauvoo, or rather was sealed to Sophia Smith, but he was not divorced from me by any form. As I said before, while he was in the Army and in California I was sealed to another man Perkins, and lived with him till he disappeared and then was reunited to Gribble by the Mormon form of sealing. A church record is always made in the Church where the ceremony of "sealing" is performed.
Question: Do you know in what Co. and Reg. in the Mexican War Gribble served.
Answer: The Mormon Battalion that is all I know. His Cal. was named Cook. I don't remember who his captain, but I think is was Higgins—it may have been James Brown, but that is not my recollection—I don't remember when he enlisted or how long he served nor when he was discharged or where—but I do know that he took his plural wife, Sophia Smith, with him when he went off. I don't remember where he started from. I know he got to Mexico about the close of the war. I used to know all about it but have forgotten. I think he was discharged in California and pensioned there as I have stated.
Question: Have you any papers or other documentary evidence certifying your husband, William Gribble, as the soldier, William Gribble, in the Mormon Battalion.
Answer: All our papers were destroyed while fleeing from the Indians.
Question: Was your husband, Wm. Gribble, ever granted a land warrant.
Answer: Yes, Sir.
Question: Do you remember the number—or have you the warrant.
Answer: No, Sir. I suppose Elizabeth has it.
Question: Do you thoroughly understand and comprehend the questions asked you and have your answers to them been correct words in this deposition.
Answer: Yes.
We were both present at the taking and reading of the forgoing deposition and do certify that claimant declared in our presence that she had thoroughly understood the questions and that her
answers are correctly recorded in the same.
Signed: Adelia M. Gribble
Claimant
Joseph Crofts
Olive M. Crofts
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9 day of June, 1898, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing
Signed: C. W. Freeman
Special Examiner
Page 13 Deposition A
The Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register copy (on following page) that Shirley obtained when they were visiting Nauvoo, Illinois. It shows the Endowment of William Gribble and Huldah Sophia Gribble. She is the wife that Adelia M. Gribble says went with him on the Mormon Battalion march in the above deposition.Joseph Smith Gribble history as told to his daughter, Lorene:
Contributed By Clella Stiles · Jun 21, 2013, 4:31 PM
This is the life story of my 2 great grandfather, JOSEPH SMITH GRIBBLE, as told by his daughter, Lorene Gribble Sheppard and written by Phyllis Cooper.Grandfather JOSEPH SMITH GRIBBLE was the son of William Gribble and Adelia Maria Clemens Gribble. He was born 2 Sep 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, IL. His parents came from Canada, where they were converted to the LDS church by missionaries there. An item of interest is the fact that his mother, Adelia Maria, attended the first Relief Society meeting held in the room upstairs over the Prophet Joseph Smith's store, when the Prophet organized the R.S. My grandfather was named for the prophet.(Clella's note: Adelia's name is not found among the women in the 1st RS. Maybe it was one of the first, but not the first.)Before the saints left Nauvoo my grandfather's parents had separated. His father, Wm. Gribble, came across the plains with an advanced company of Saints, and was one of the volunteers in the Mormon Battalion, going on to Calif. during the Gold Rush. His mother, Adelia Maria, had married Winslow Farr, and they crossed the plains with a later company.Grandfather was 5 yr old when he crossed the plains, and he walked most of the way — much of the time barefooted. He had one sister, Lydia, who was 9 yr old at the time, and a brother, James, who was a baby of 3 yr of age. James suffered during the trek, and was buried on the plains. This family suffered many of the hardships that other families suffered. They had a wagon and one horse and a cow. The cow was hitched to the wagon and, with the horse, did double duty, in that she helped to pull the wagon and furnished milk for the journey. She was milked every day and the folks put the milk in a crock in the wagon. The jolting of the wagon turned the milk to butter , and the folks ate the butter, and drank the milk. It didn't have time to sour, for it was used daily.Like all the rest of the Saints, they were happy when they reached the Salt Lake Valley. Times were hard for these people and Mr. Farr, being elderly, passed away within a year or so after arrival in SL. Grandfather tells that their food supply was very meager at times. They subsisted on corn pounded up and made into cakes, and on pig weed greens. This was hardly enough food for a growing boy, and he used to sneak out to the horse troughs and get handfuls of wheat to eat. When his mother found out about this she scolded him, and told him not to be taking the feed away from the horses! She was not only his mother, but he school teacher, for she taught school for several years to help provide for her family. She must have been a very versatile person, for it is told that she also sang in the Salt Lake choir, among other things. It is said that she made fancy hats, walked ten miles to sell them, and paid her tithing out of the proceeds.When Grandfather Gribble was about 10 his mother, Adelia Maria, married Dan Perkins. He was not LDS, but joined the Saints in Salt Lake, and was called a "winter Mormon." He later joined the church. To them was born 3 boys ~ Daniel, Charles and Frank. My Grandfather was very fond of these boys, who were his half- brothers, and also of his step—father, Dan Perkins.In the meantime, great grandfather, William Gribble, had returned from Calif. He married Elizabeth Brunell, who was his housekeeper. To them were born 7 children — 2 boys and 5 girls. Grandfather was living part of the time with his father and steps mother, but most of the time with his mother and step—father. He preferred to live with his mother, because he didn't know his father very well. Many times he would run away from his father's place and walk barefooted to his mother's home, which was some 10 miles away.When Grandfather was 14 he went to work on the railroad, where he worked for 2 yr. He was away from home those years, but since he was not of age his money was sent to his mother. During this time he managed to save enough money for himself to buy a horse, and was planning to use this horse for a pack horse. The day he quit his railroad job he was riding one horse and leading the other, when he chanced to meet a group of Indians riding along in a wagon. The Indians stopped him and offered to buy his pack horse. Now Grandfather was very proud of this horse, and didn't wish to part with it. In the wagon one of the squaws was holding a little Indian boy about 2 yr old, and this child was naked. The Indians told Grandfather that they would trade the baby for the horse. But Grandfather refused. When he did they told him if he didn't trade the horse for the baby that they would kill the baby, and proceeded to make preparations to do that very thing. So Grandfather parted with his horse and took the baby. He carried it to the home of an old English couple who gladly took it, as they didn't have any children of their own, and they named it Joseph, after my grandfather. They raise this boy as their own, and some years later this Indian boy rode in a race on the 4th 1 July and won the race. A white man whose family had been massacred by the Indians was disgruntled with the results of the race, and proceeded to take revenge on this boy by horse—whipping him. After this incident the boy left his white benefactors and returned to his own people.When Grandfather was 16, his stepfather, Dan Perkins, went out one day with his team and wagon to get timber, but was never heard from again. My Grandfather searched for him for over 2 yr, but with no luck. Eventually parts of the wagon were found, but nothing more. It was assumed that he had been ambushed by the Indians, and they had taken his life. From then on for the next 4 yr my grandfather lived with his mother and 3 half—brothers, and helped to take care of them. He loved his half—brothers dearly, and never thought of them as half—brothers, but only as his brothers, for he had no brothers of his own. It was sometime during these years that among other things, he rode the Pony Express for a time. On Aug 7, 1865, when he was 20, he married my grandmother, Phoebe Jane Reynolds, who was then 15. Phoebe was born at Winter Quarters in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where her mother died at her birth, and she is buried in the cemetery there. Joseph and Phoebe received their endowments in the Endowment House Aug 7, 1871. Grandmother Phoebe came across the plains with her father and brothers and sisters. She was about 2 yr at the time, so she didn't have to walk, as my grandfather did at age 5.My grandparents moved to a farm in Indianola, Utah in 1875. They had 3 children then. At this time the Indians were beginning to get troublesome again. One night grandfather heard a band of them coming up to the cabin, so he got his gun, told my Grandmother to stand behind the door with bullets in her apron. Then as the Indians came up to the door on their horses, my grandfather opened wide the door, much to their surprise, and spoke to them in their native tongue. They listened to him as he talked them, then turned on their horses and rode away. He had learned to speak the Ute Indian language fluently, and made friends of many of the Indians. He also learned to speak the Danish language from the Danish immigrants who came to Utah as converts.One time my grandfather was away from home for a few days. My grandmother heard Indians coming, but there was no way in those days of determining whether they were friendly or not. She was alone with her 3 small children, one being just an infant was just getting dusk and she gathered her children to her, crept out of the cabin into the sagebrush, and crawled with the children for about 2 miles to the settlement. Another time in the middle of the winter, grandfather was away, and a man came to the house at night and asked if he could come in. There was a storm raging outside, and she felt she cou1dn't turn him away, although she was suspicious as to who he was. She told him she had no bed for him to sleep in, but he could roll his blanket down in front of the fireplace if he wished to. I'm sure she didn't sleep much that night, and must have gone to bed with a prayer on her lips, for the next morning he thanked her, and asked her if she didn't have an idea who he was. She told him she did, but couldn't refuse him shelter from a raging blizzard. It turned out that he was one of the outlaws of the territory of that time. My Grandmother was a very kind and generous woman, and seldom was afraid of anything. She was kind to the Indians who came begging frequently to their door.About this time my grandfather went back to work for the railroad, for a season. He was working for some contractors as an overseer. One payday the contractors failed to appear with the payroll for the laborers. There was considerable unrest in the camp but grandfather had such faith in his employers that he volunteered to pay them out of his own pocket. This amount was somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000. But his faith was not justified, for the contractors failed to show up, but instead absconded with the money. So Grandfather took his saddle horse and set out to follow them. He had great determination, and this act of injustice spurred him on. The trip took him up into Oregon and down the coast of Calif. When he arrived at San Francisco, however, he found the men he was tracing had just taken a ship and sailed from the country. He stayed in Calif. almost 3 yr after that, still hoping that those men might return, but he never saw them again. He worked in the fruit orchards and various industries in Calif. Years later he used to entertain his family by telling them about his trip — especially about beautiful Grand's Pass, Oregon, and about leaving the snow filled valleys of Utah and riding into sunny CA. Oranges were a rare treat to those early Utah saints.When the Black Hawk Indian War _broke out Grandfather was commissioned by the U.S. Army to be an Indian Scout, since he could speak the language. At one time he was sent with an Indian Guide to Fishlake County with a message to the soldiers stationed there. They rode night and day for several days, and grandfather had to keep the Indians in front of him all the time, for the Indians were treacherous, even though they professed to be friends. The Indian was to guide them through country that grandfather didn't know, and they delivered the message of the declaration of war. For about 3 yr grandfather served as an Indian scout, trailing the Indians and locating their positions. He had to do this scouting mostly at night, for he could observe their camps by the campfires, and too, they could not observe him as easily at night. One night he and two other Scouts were out searching for Indians, and came so close to one of their camps that before they could get away they were captured. The Indians took them into their camp and held a Pow Wow as to what they could do with the soldiers. Grandfather could understand them, and knew they were discussing the method of torture they were going to use - as they were preparing to tie up the soldiers, a young Indian brave stepped out of the crowd and came and stood beside grandfather. In Indian he spoke to his people and said: "This man is my friend — if you kill him you kill me.” The chief of the tribe looked at the soldiers, and with a gesture of his hand he said: "Go." This was the Indian boy whose life grandfather had saved by trading his prized horse.Grandfather had many interesting experiences at this time, and also suffered many privations and hardships. As an Indian Scout he worked mostly at night and rested by day, and told that he scarcely had his Army uniform off in almost 3 yr. He was happy to see the hostilities with the Indians come to an end, for in his heart he never hated the Indians, but instead had a deep regard for them. After the close of the Indian War my grandparents lived at Cottonwood Canyon, then at Indianola, Mount Pleasant, and Gunnison, Utah. 8 more children were born to them, making 11 in all. Their children in the order of their birth were: Phoebe Adelia, May, Joseph William, Lydia Musetta, Mary Melissa, Eva Amanda, Lottie Crowell, Charles Harold, Hazel (who died in infancy), Lorene, and Stanley Squire. At this time they were living on a farm at Indianola. They had a good farm, and it consisted of fine meadowland. Also at this time the church had many Indian converts and decided to buy up a lot of the land to rehabilitate the Indians. Grandfather was dissatisfied with the price offered him for his land, so he turned it over to the church without cost, and moved to West View Utah. His feelings were hurt over the land deal and he left the church at that time and never was active again. This incident caused a split in his family and several of them never were baptized into the church. When grandfather was attending church he made friends of many of the Indians there. Many times these Indians couldn't understand what was being preached and they would call out: "Joe Gribble, Joe Gribble" — wanting him to interpret for them. This sometimes caused a disturbance in church, over which some of the presiding authorities were not too pleased.In West View my grandfather took up a homestead and lived there for many years. He brought stock from Indianola, and he raised hay. Summers he took his family to 12 mile canyon and got umber for the saw mills. He also peeled poles, with the help of his family and others, and took them down to the valley and sold them. One time while they were up logging in the canyon there came an electrical storm and a flash flood. The men cut the oxen loose from the wagons and drove them up on the hillside. The water poured down the canyon in a raging torrent. It sept away the wagons, and when it reached the camp where grandmother and her children were, it swept away the tent and all their provisions and drowned the milk cow that was tied to the wagon box. Grandmother heard the roaring of the flood in time to save her children and herself by escaping up a hillside. She even lost her only pair of shoes in the flood. By nightfall, however, word of the flood had reached the community in the valley below, and two wagon loads of supplies, and another cow, was sent to them. For this they were very thankful.Grandfather was always very fond of horses. One time he was fording the Sevier River. It was a quiet river, but at times had a strong undercurrent. This time the undercurrent caught the horse and swept it under. Grandfather managed to free himself from the saddle and swam to the bank, but the horse was drowned. grandfather felt very badly about this, for he always loved his horses. Another time in his life he had race horses on the track. They were pacers and trotters. His son—in—law, Lauritz Erickson, also had race horses, and they were in direct competition with each other.Several times during these races grandfather became so excited he lost consciousness and fell to the ground. My grandmother would have to pour cold water on him, and get him up and walk him around. For many years it was thought he had a bad heart. He was always very interested in politics and would become very enthusiastic and excited about political campaigns. For a period of 6 mo. he studied law under one of Utah's prominent attorneys, but his eyesight became faulty at this time, so he was forced to abandon this endeavor, and it was a great disappointment for him, as he had a keen and active mind. When he and grandmother were first married they acted in several plays in the old Salt Lake theater. One time grandfather had to under—study for the leading part, and had 24 pg. of script to memorize over night. He learned his part well. He had to wear a pair of red tights, with a pillow in the back and one in the front. He had to jump out of a tree, and as he did so, the tights ripped, the pillows gaped out. This caused quite a hilarious moment, which wasn't called for in the script. It was difficult to get the audience to settle down enough to hear the rest of the play that evening.Due to grandfather‘s failing eyesight it became increasingly difficult for him to support his family, but in spite of his disability he carried on with many of his former activities. He continued to work in the timber with different groups of men. He did contract plowing and farming, and continued to take care of his own stock, with the help of his boys. Due to his failing eyesight he was prone to accident. One time when he was driving his team in the timber and a young sappling flew up and caught him in the forehead, laying the flesh on his forehead wide open and hanging down over his eyes. Again grandmother came to the forefront, put the flesh back in place and applied some salve which was probably axel grease, used for many purposes in those days, and bandaged the wound. It is said that the wound healed without leaving a scar. Another time he was walking to a neighbor’s house on a business errand, and stepped into a 100' well. It happened there was a large pole through the middle of this well and grandfather managed to reach the pole and hang on in the water until sometime later when someone heard his shouts and cam to his aid. It might be mentioned here that both my grandparents were excellent swimmers, swimming back and forth across the Sevier River on many occasions, just for the pleasure of it. Both were experts with firearms, grandmother handling guns as well as a man.Another interesting incident in the lives of my grandparents and their children was a time when the grandparents hitched up the team to the wagon and went to the village to get supplies, leaving the 4 girls at home. My mother was the youngest, being 4 or 5. Shortly after the folks were gone the girls observed some Indians approaching the house. They were frightened, not knowing whether or not they were friendly. But they proved to be friendly, and came along down the road in single file, as was the custom of the Indians. They had on moccasins and their blankets wrapped around them. This was old Chief Swedds and some of his followers, who were admirers of grandfather, and they had come a long way to pay him a visit. The girls didn't know what to do, but decided to prepare a meal, as was the custom of their mother when they had visitors. The fact that the Indians said, "Eat, eat." also helped them in their decision. So they sat the Indians down to the’ table (7 or 8 of them) and fed them. After the meal was over they didn't know what else to do, so they gathered up what food was left in the house and put it in the Indians sacks and the Indians departed. Then the folks returned and the girls told them what had happened, and my grandparents told them they had done the right thing. Grandfather was sorry he missed his friends.One winter grandfather went out into the valley with the sheep herd. He was about 45 then. One day he came home and told my grandmother that he couldn't see at all. They thought he was snow blind. However, after some days he still was unable to see, so he sold his team of horses and some of his milk cows and went to the hospital in Salt Lake. He stayed in the hospital for 6 weeks, and finally got so he could distinguish light from dark, but he was never able to see anymore than that the rest of his life.Much work fell to my grandmother from then on to help support her family. They gathered wool from the fences that the sheep had pulled off as they went through, and she washed and carded this wool and spun it. She knitted all her family's stockings and made their clothes. They milked their own cows and she churned butter and made cheese. They always had their own pigs, and grandmother took great pride in her fine flock of chickens which produced eggs for the family use and for sale. In 1901 they moved to Marysville, Idaho, where they had a farm on Fall River. Times were very hard for these elderly people but their backs were made for the burden, so they struggled on. When Grandfather was 70 yr old he got a small soldiers pension, and they bought an old store building in Marysville, which they used for a home until their deaths. Grandfather died at the age of 80, five years before grandmother. Up to his death he still loved horses and the Indians. On his grave was placed an American flag. Truly a great American.
