Jane Coupe Robinson (4th Great-Grandmother)

Jane Coupe Robinson
February 27, 1832 - December 12, 1909

Alice Coupe was born in England on 18 December 1818. She was reared in a religious home and her father James Coupe was a Methodist. James was among the early converts of the church and joined in 1840 or 1841. We know that Alice Coupe married John Rowlandson Robinson 5 May 1842 while aboard a ship. The man responsible for marrying them seems to have been Lyman Wight, an apostle. John came from an English family too. John and Alice had a daughter who was born 22 December 1842 in Nauvoo Illinois.
While they were in Nauvoo, John R. and Alice received their patriarchal blessings from John Smith, John on 9 April 1845 and Alice, the 14 April 1845. Alice’s father James Coupe was of the tribe of Levi and Alice comes from the lineage of Judah. John R. was a Seventy in Nauvoo and on 28 July 1844 just one month after the death of Joseph Smith, John was in the Nauvoo temple doing work for family members. John would later name two sons after the memories of Hyrum and Joseph. John and Alice had another son Richard Ammon and it is possible that this family of four left with the main body of the Church in 1846 when they were forced to leave Iowa.
When Richard Ammon was only two years old Alice became very ill and knew that she would soon die. She called for her 15-year-old sister Jane and asked her to take care of her children and be their mother. Jane had been living with John R. and Alice in Nauvoo. Alice died 30 May 1847 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa leaving her husband and two little children. 
Several attempts were made by John R. to visit ladies of his acquaintance, but none of them returned interest. One evening, John R. turned to Jane and said “If it’s all right with you, I think we had just as well raise these children together.” John R. and Jane were married by John Birch on 24 August, 1847 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Jane was only 15 and a-half years old having been born 27 February 1832. This new family crossed the plains in 1852 in a company with Isaac Bullock as captain. 
The John R. family was among those who began a settlement at Paragonah in the spring of 1853. Pronounced Pa-ra-goon-ah, and sometimes Pa-ra-goo-ne, the Utes say the word means many springs or marshes. Paragonah has become an important little town because of its location almost directly over an early Indian village and burial ground. Excavations made have uncovered Indian homes and skeletons.
Brigham Young came through the area and advised the Saints to build a fort and John R. helped with the construction and his family moved there in 1855 and lived here for nearly ten years. This piece of land is where the church house stands today. A ward was not organized at first but each Sunday morning the settlers would leave the fort and walk the distance to Parowan for worship. People dwelt here in this fort in safety until 1862 when new homes were built and a community began to prosper. The first sawmill in Paragonah was built and operated by Orson Adams, John R., and Richard Robinson. John R. also built the first grist mill, the old burr mill type, which furnished flour for the settlers for many years. John R. died 9 August 1891 at the age of seventy-six and according to the records of the Parowan cemetery the cause of death was dropsy. Jane lived many years after the death of her husband during which she had other children living with her. Jane loved to weave and one night, upon returning home from work, John found his wife sitting at the loom exhausted, working a piece of cloth which she felt needed to be finished that night. John took over the weaving while Jane rested. When the cloth was finished Jane made a tiny garment, and in the morning the new little garment was found on the new baby which had been born during the night. Jane eventually died 12 December 1909 at the age of seventy-seven and is buried in the Parowan cemetery next to her husband. At the time of John R.’s passing he left Jane thirteen children, all except three were married with their own responsibilities.

According to family tradition, Jane promised her half-sister on her death bed to care her children. A short time later at the age of fifteen she married her brother-in-law and raised those two children along with thirteen of her own. They were always made to feel that they were full brothers and sisters. They arrived in Parowan, Iron County, Utah late in the year 1852, and after the first Indian troubles were over, they settled permanently in Paragonah, Utah. Jane did a great deal of weaving. She also clerked in the family store which was located in the cellar of her home which sold groceries and other small necessary items. She did all of the sewing and knitting for her large family. Jane and her husband took in members of a Corram family traveling to St. George when other members of the community feared to do so because they had whooping cough. It is interesting to note that none of her five small children contracted the disease. Jane was a courageous, trustworthy, God-fearing women who spent years in the service of the Relief Society and in helping others less fortunate than herself. Jane Coupe Robinson passed away at the age of seventy-seven, and is buried in the Parowan Cemetery beside her husband.

Crossing the Plains and Acknowledgments --By Elizabeth R. Applegate, and from family records compiled by Lula R. Bastian According to family tradition, when Richard was two years old, Alice became very ill and knew that death was near. She called her 15-year-old sister Jane to her bedside and asked her to promise to take care of her children' and give them a mother's love and care. Both Jane and her father had lived with John R. and Alice after arriving in Nauvoo until James died in 1845. After James' death, Jane had continued to live with John R. and Alice. Alice Coupe Robinson died in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, on 30 May 1847, leaving the young husband, two small children, and the fifteen-year-old half-sister. According to stories which have been handed down through the years, John R. began visiting the ladies of his acquaintance, hoping to find one sooner or later who would become his wife. However, none of them interested him. One evening on returning home, remembering Jane's promise to Alice, he turned to Jane and said in words to this effect, "If it's all right with you, Jane, i think we had just as well raise these children together." John R. and Jane were married by John Birch on August 24, 1847, in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Jane was only 15 1/2 years old. Jane Coupe was born in Lancashire, England, on February 27, 1832, the daughter of James and Alice Collings Coupe. Her mother died in 1833 at age 38, leaving Jane and an older sister, Alice, to keep house for their father. (Earlier in this history Jane is included in the story, so it will not be repeated.) In the 1850 Census of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, John R. Robinson was listed as a "waggon maker" who was born in England and gives his age as thirty-five. Jane, also born in England, was seventeen; Sarah was eight; Richard was five, and James barely one. The record indicates that Sarah and Richard had attended school within the year. We learn that James C. was born October 9, 1849, and another son, William, on March 21, 1852, while they were living in Iowa. In the Immigration Index we find that John R. Robinson, wife, and four children (no names given) crossed the plains in 1852 in the 17th Company with Isaac Bullock as captain, arriving in Great Salt Lake City. His brother Timothy also came with a wife and daughter in the same company. *******

SOUTHERN UTAH PERIOD

--Compiled by Hazel Jean Robinson from histories by

Lula Bastian and other sources as noted

Family tradition and early family histories state that John became very ill. At the time the quails came and the people caught them and had them for food, John was so weak that he could not so much as reach cut his hand to get one. From the book, Ensign to the Nations, by Rich, page 46, we read that this miracle took place while the Saints from Nauvoo were gathered on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River, and had been there at least three weeks awaiting aid from the main group then at Council Bluffs. On October 9, before starting the trek westward, these refugees consisting of perhaps seven hundred men, women, and children, "witnessed what to many of them was just as much a gift from God as his feeding the Israelites in the wilderness: flocks of quail suddenly alighted in the camp, and the Saints were able to capture many of them alive as well as to kill many more." We now rejoin the John R. Robinson family in the Isaac Bullock Company as they travel across the plains. We learn from the book Prelude to the Kingdom by Larson that there was an unusually heavy Mormon migration to the West in 1852. At least twenty-one companies, averaging sixty or more wagons to the company, brought approximately 10,000 settlers to the Salt Lake Valley. Many came as a result of the final evacuation of the Pottawattamie lands which, though "indended as a temporary resting place in the flight to Zion, had assumed too much of an aspect of permanency." After many privations and hardships they arrived at Parowan about December of 1852, nearly two years after the initial settlement of Parowan, the "Mother town." The Church population of the community at that time was nearly 400 persons. The John R. Robinson family was among the group which began a settlement at Paragonah in the spring of 1853. However, because of Indian depredations, they had to move back to Parowan in the fall of the year. It was in Parowan where John R. Jr. was born on April 6, 1854. At about this time the Cottom family stopped at Parowan on their way to the southern part of the territory. They had had a long, hard trip, the children having become ill with whooping cough after leaving Salt Lake City. The settlers at Parowan were very reluctant to take them into their homes. John, however, invited them to stay at his home, although he had five small children. It is interesting to note that none of his family con­tracted the disease. Because of its importance in the history of the John Rowlandson Robinson family, and because this family played such a major role in its development, the following history of Paragonah during this period is included: THE HISTORY OF PARAGONAH (Taken from the book History of Iron County Mission, part of which was taken from writings of Nora H. Lund) "In Iron County, Utah. Pronounced by the Indians Pa-ra-goon-ah, also Pa-ra-goo-ne. The Utes say the word means many springs or marshes. Before the water was diverted into the upper fields, there were many swamps and marshes in the low lands." U.H.Q., Vol. I, No. 1, p. 5-25. Paragoonah was settled by a company from Parowan under the presi­dency of William H. Dame. Orson B. Adams, Marius Ensign, Robert Miller, John Topham, Job Hall, Charles Hall, John R. Robinson, Charles Y. Webb, Joseph Barton, Stephen Barton, and Benjamin Watts were in the company of original settlers. As the pioneers traveled through this Parowan Valley on their way to make the first settlement at Parowan, they were quick to see the pos­sibilities in this part of the valley as being suitable for agriculture because of the beautiful stream of water that came down from what is known as Red Creek Canyon. So in the year 1851 two brothers, Job and Charles Hall, came down from Parowan and laid off 40 acres of land just south of town, what is known as Black Rock. They did not make their homes here but traveled back and forth from Parowan, a distance of four and one-half miles. The next year, 1852, other men came from Parowan to join them, among whom were Charles Webb, William H. Dame, John Topham, Robert E. Miller, William Barton, and Benjamin Watts. They did not move their families from Parowan, as they were fearful of the Indians attacking them. These men built rude huts of cedar posts and logs to shelter them while they were planting their crops. They succeeded in clearing and planting about 300 acres of land. This first year proved to be prosperous because their crops were good and they were so encouraged that part of them decided to move their families from Parowan and settle here permanently. Some of these settlers solved the problem of shelter by building dugouts. These dugouts were built like a cellar and were made warm and comfortable. New families were added to this little band of settlers, among which were Grandma Sally Barton and her sons, and the John R. Robinson family. In the spring of 1853 crops were again planted and everything looked favorable for another splendid year, but in July of this year the Indians became troublesome. The pioneers had to abandon their homes and flee to Parowan for protection. However, the Indians did not destroy all the crops, and with difficulty the remaining crops were harvested and taken to Parowan. When the Indian war broke out, Col. George A. Smith and Lieut. W. H. Kimball with thirty-six men arrived in Iron County, Utah, with orders for all settlers outside of forts to move into the forts for protection. Accordingly, all the settlers in Paragonah, about twenty-five families, moved back to Parowan. Those that had log houses moved them, and the ones with adobe homes tore them down. President William H. Dame had just com­pleted a house costing $3,000. This was a great loss to the settlers. An account of the move back to Parowan is given in "From the Valley of the Mississippi to California," journal of the expedition of E. F. Beale, Supt. of Indian Affairs in California, and Gwinn Harris Heap; and also in From Missouri to California in 1853 by Gwinn Harris Heap, 1854: 2 August 1853. Soon after sunrise a few Pah-Utahs, the first of the tribe which we had seen, came running down a hillside to meet us, and accosting us in a friendly manner, asked whether we were Mormons or Swaps (Americans). They informed us that a Mormon village was not far off, and Mr. Beale, riding in advance of our party, in a few hours arrived at the town of Paragonah in Little Salt Lake Valley. It contains about 30 houses, which although built of adobes pre­sent a neat and comfortable appearance. The adobes are small and well pressed and are made of a pink colored clay. The houses are built to form a quadrangle, the spaces between them being protected by a strong stockade of pine pickets. Outside the village is an area of fifty acres inclosed within a single fence and cultivated in common by the inhabitants. It is called the Field, and a stream of water running from the Wasatch Mountains irrigates it, after supply­ing the town with water. We did not remain long at Paragonah, for soon after our arrival, the inhabitants in obedience to a mandate from Governor Brigham Young, commenced moving to the town of Parowan which was four miles south­ward, as he considered it unsafe with the smallness of their number for them to remain at Paragonah. It was to us a strange sight to witness the alacrity with which these people obeyed an order which compelled them to destroy in an instant the fruits of two years labor, and no time was lost in com­mencing the work of destruction. Their houses were demolished, the doors, windows and all portable woodwork being reserved for future dwellings; and wagons were soon on the road to Parowan, loaded with furniture and other property. We left Paragonah in the afternoon and rode to Parowan over an excellent road made and kept in repair and bridged in many places by the Mormons. We passed at a mile on our left a large grist and sawmill, worked by water power. This ride to Parowan formed a strange contrast to our late journeyings through the wilderness. At all the crossroads, finger posts and mile-stones measured the distance. For the next two years, 1854-55, there was no effort to make a settlement in Paragonah. It was during these two years that John R. and Jane dedicated everything they owned over to the Church under the law of consecration. (See document on the following page.) About this time President Brigham Young came down through this part of the country on a tour of inspection, and when he viewed the situation he called the first settlers to come back and make permanent homes. He also invited anyone else who wished to come. As a means of protection he advised them to build a fort. He came down, selected and dedicated the spot where the fort was to be built. The spot of ground dedicated is where the Church house stands today. In the spring, John R. Robinson and his son Richard, John Topham, Marius E. Ensign, Robert E. Miller, Job Hall, Charles Hall, Wi11iam, Joseph P., Stephen S., and Samuel Barton, Orson Adams, John Prothero and his son Jonathan, and Benjamin Watts were the men that returned to begin to pre­pare the adobes for building the fort. This fort was to be made 100 feet square and two stories in height. The lower walls were three feet thick and the walls of the upper story were two feet. It took approximately 375,000 adobes to build the lower story. There was only one entrance to the fort. There were no outside windows in the lower story but in the upper story several were inserted which also served as port holes. The dwelling houses were connected with the outside of the fort but extended all around the fort facing the center of the fort. Each family was given rooms according to the number of members in the family. The northeast corner was a large room which served as a church, school house, and amusement hal1. Although the fort was not completed the first year the pioneers lived in it quite comfortably. Their amusements were limited, but heartily enjoyed by all. Every Thursday evening they met in prayer meeting. They had spelling bees, and the women had spinning bees where they made raw wool into yarn to be woven into cloth. They took turns in holding these bees at each other's homes and were rewarded with supper. The first teacher was a Mrs. Carter. School usually continued for three months. The three R's were the principal subjects taught, and since there was no age limit in the school, anyone could attend school who wished to do so. The school teachers were paid so much for each pupil and they took in payment anything they could use that the settlers could spare. A ward was not organized at first, and every Sunday morning the settlers could be seen leaving the fort, traveling the four and one-half miles to Parowan to worship God. Each family had a few milk cows which were herded and guarded on the meadows by the men. The women were given turns to use all the milk to provide butter and cheese for their families. In fact, they were as one big family, united in their work. The men, when going to the canyon for firewood, went in companies or squads of six to eight. During this time the people lived in suspense lest their homes or crops be destroyed, and they were always prepared for attacks which might be made by the Indians. As their cattle and horses increased in numbers, it was necessary to build a corral, which they did just north of the fort. The men took turns in guarding it at night and then herding the cattle in the day on the meadows. The families that lived in the fort were John Topham, John R. Robinson, Benjamin Watts, Orson B. Adams, Job Hall, Charles Hall, John Prothero, James Williamson, Grandma Sally Barton, Marius E. Ensign, William Robb, William E. Jones, Silas Smith, and Timothy Robinson. The fort was considered one of the strongest and safest forts in this part of the country. The people dwelt here in safety until 1862. About 1860 a town-site was selected and measured off. The blocks were to be 24 rods square and the streets 8 rods wide. The year 1862 saw new homes being built and the people leaving the fort, and it was not long until they had established a prosperous little community. Like all other pioneer communities, the settlers did not come from the idle rich, nor, from the slum districts. But they were the doers of the energetic, ambitious class. Here we found men and women who excelled in almost every vocation in life. There were shoemakers, tanners, carpenters, millers, blacksmiths, musicians, school teachers, harness makers, and nurses. All the women understood the art of dyeing the wool different colors by using tan bark, oak, rabbit brush, etc. Consequently, shops and mills were soon built. The first sawmill was built and operated by Orson Adams, John R. Robinson, and Richard Robinson. John R. Robinson also built the first grist mill, the old burr mill type, which furnished flour for the settlers for many years. Benjamin Watts built the tannery for the purpose of making leather. The sandstone wheel used in the monument by the Church house was taken from that tannery. In 1861 and 1862 the first meeting house was built out of adobes and stood just east of the present Church building. (See photo on page 35.) It was not all work with these early settlers; they had their good times too. They held singing school, husking bees, and dances which were held at night. The boys wore hickory trousers and the girls linsey and calico gowns. Some danced barefooted and still other exchanged shoes with their neighbors so that all might enjoy the good times. Between 1868 and 1870 the Indians again became troublesome. The people dared not travel far unless in companies of twenty or more for fear of an attack. All the able-bodied men were supposed to be minutemen, ready to go at a moment's notice. No lives were lost during this trouble, but Indians raided the valley and stole a great number of good cattle and horses. Through the efforts of the Church leaders at Salt Lake City, permanent peace was finally made with the Indians. Consequently the people in the little town of Paragonah began to cultivate more ground for farming and to build better homes. When the settlement became so thriving, it was seen that a ward must be organized. In accordance with this, Silas S. Smith was set apart as the first bishop. From then to the present time (1959) the following men have served the people faithfully and well: Erastus Mclntire, William E. Jones, Stephen S. Barton, Thomas W. Jones, K. Doyle Robinson, J. Leonard Topham, Gilbert Robinson, and Victor Robinson. The town has become quite important because of its being built al­most directly over an early Indian village and burial ground. Many excava­tions have been made from Eastern states and California organizations, uncovering many interesting Indian homes and skeletons. John R. helped build the fort in Paragonah and moved his family there in 1855, occupying the southwest room in the fort for nearly ten years. ******* The first Sunday School at Paragonah was organized in the latter part of May 1858 under the direction of John R. Robinson and Mary Carter. They held it in the northeast corner of the fort. John gathered old rags and paper from the different families and sent them to Salt Lake City in exchange for small scriptural verse cards which were given to all the children. He also held night school at the same place for his children and all others who wished to come. Four more children were born to John R. and Jane Robinson while they lived in the fort, namely Jane Elizabeth, Alice, Mary Lucinda, and Thomas. The children who were large enough were sent out to gather wool from fences and sagebrush, which was then carefully washed by their mother, then picked, corded, spun, dyed, and woven into cloth. This was done mostly by the mother's able hands, but perhaps some of the older girls were encouraged to help. Most of the women went under a large bridge across the creek, which ran through the northern edge of Paragonah, to do their washing. One day when Jane was there doing her family laundry, a terrible storm came up and she barely escaped with her tub and clothes from being washed away by the flood. When the people moved from the fort, John secured a lot on which to build a home for his family, which was located at 1st South and 2nd East. After he and his wife and children had cleared the brush away, a log cabin was built, which made a comfortable home for them. Six more children were born at this home: Margaret, Joseph, Hyrum, Eliza, Emma, and George. Later he built an addition with a cellar underneath, which became the first store in Paragonah. (The lot is now owned by members of the Calvin Robin­son family.) Jane continued to do a great amount of weaving. At one time she spun and dyed enough yarn and wove enough cloth for dresses for herself and all her daughters and one granddaughter, and a suit for one son. (Some  family members maintain that a bolt of cloth was bought and used for this purpose, that Jane did not do the complete job as described above.) Then the family, most of them in their new attire, was photo graphed in a most interesting fam­ily group picture John R. and Jane were photographed together the same day. Jane also clerked in the family store in the cellar of their home, from which people pur­chased groceries and other small necessary items. One night, upon returning home from work, John found Jane sitting at the loom almost at the stage of exhaustion, working on a piece of cloth which she felt needed to be finished that night. John took over the weav­ing while Jane rested. When the cloth was finished Jane made a tiny garment, and in the morning the new little garment was found on the new baby which had been born during the night. For this large family she did all the knitting and sewing until the girls were old enough to help. Even when the neighbors called, the knitting was going on, for with so many stockings to knit there was not a minute to spare. It must have been a very hard trial for Jane when she lost two of her children while very young. In about 1863 John was called to settle the town of Panguitch, where he raised the first wheat that ripened in that valley. He did not move his wife and chil­dren to Panguitch, however. Because of Indian troubles it was thought best to vacate the town and move back to other settlements. n the fall of 1866 or the spring of 1867, John, along with Orson Adams, built a sawmill east of Paragonah. Their saw went up and down rather than in a circular movement. From this mill Richard and his brothers sawed the lumber for the burr flour mill which was erected in 1869 by John R., his son Richard, and Dennison Harris. The flour mill was situated on the creek east of town, and at that time was the only one in this part of the country. People came from as far north as Richfield and as far south as Washington to have their wheat ground into flour. The wheat was ground between two stones, and it was a slow process. It was often necessary for people who came from great distances to stay in Paragonah a week before it came their turn to have their wheat ground, as everyone wanted flour made from their own wheat. The wheat from the Panguitch area often had been frozen, which made a darker flour. Wheat from this mill was also shipped to Pioche and Silver Reef. Flour was often traded to the Indians for fresh fish, which the Robinson family en­joyed. Most of the sons of John R. spent time working in the mill. Hyrum became known as "Miller Hy," to differentiate between him and his nephew Hyrum Banks Robinson. One day an Indian brave and his son came to the mill. The boy stole something and was caught, so his father gave him a good sound whip­ping—not because he stole, but because he was caught. Blow snakes were kept at the mill to catch mice. One time a large snake almost got ground up with the flour, but was pulled out by the tail by Thomas, and just in time! The trademark "Triple X" was used on the sacks of flour ground at the old burr flour mill. This brings up an interesting story. Several years ago Marie and Charles Leveque of Louisiana were visiting in Paragonah with her parents, Eddie and Belle Edwards, who lived in the original Richard Ammon Robinson home. Charles decided to look in the attic of the old granary, and he saw a piece of metal, rolled in a scroll shape, and curious to see what it might be, he unrolled it. Though it was tarnished and covered with daubs of paint, he was able to discern the name of "Robinson" and the word "Para­gonah." He volunteered to take it back to Louisiana where he knew someone who would be able to restore it to its original state. After the expert worked on it, Mr. Leveque had it framed and brought it back to his in-laws as a wedding anni­versary gift. The words "DeBerry, 43 Fulton St., N.Y. 3095" are plainly discernable, which supposedly is the company which made the trademark sign for the Robinson flour millRobinson home. Charles decided to look in the attic of the old granary, and he saw a piece of metal, rolled in a scroll shape, and curious to see what it might be, he unrolled it. Though it was tarnished and covered with daubs of paint, he was able to discern the name of "Robinson" and the word "Para­gonah." He volunteered to take it back to Louisiana where he knew someone who would be able to restore it to its original state. After the expert worked on it, Mr. Leveque had it framed and brought it back to his in-laws as a wedding anni­versary gift. The words "DeBerry, 43 Fulton St., N.Y. 3095" are plainly discernable, which supposedly is the company which made the trademark sign for the Robinson flour mill. John R. must have been quite a stern man, as evidenced by the following two stories. Emma Schofield Robinson, his daughter-in-law, had a new dress with puckers in it which he thought was just a waste of cloth, and he proceeded to tell her so. When she retorted that a person might as well be out of the world as out of fashion, he banged his fist on the table so hard the dishes bounced up and down as he shouted, "Fashion be damned!" Another time he cut off his granddaughter Jane's bangs up close to her head because he thought they were silly. Later he went down and apologized to her mother, Emma, for his actions. Emma was likely plenty out of sorts about the matter, but she was a meek little woman who bowed her head to the head of the household, her father-in-law. On the other hand, everyone said that John R. Robinson was a man, and perhaps people had to be stern to live through the things which they experienced. Jane was a very courageous, trustworthy, God-fearing woman and most of her visiting around the neighborhood was in the service of the Relief Society or in helping those less fortunate than herself. It has recently become evident that perhaps Jane did not learn to read and write. As we consider her marriage and great responsibility at a very young age, we see that this was possible. Deeds have been found which show her making her mark with an "X". (See the Warranty Deed on the follow­ing page.) Several instances in the life of Jane show that she was full of charity, as seen previously by the example of taking the Cottam family into her home when they arrived in the Parowan Valley in desperate circumstances. Others include the braiding of a straw hat for Brother Benjamin Watts and cooking the first meal the Williamson family had after entering the Parowan Valley. Another wonderful experience was in June 1878, five months after the St. George Temple had been dedicated, when John R. and Jane and family members traveled by team and wagon from Paragonah to St. George to do bap­tisms, endowments and sealings for their relatives and friends. These names with their relationship given, have provided important clues in research work. In fact, many years ago early researchers, who were hired by the family, selected a wrong line which they later said to disregard. John and Jane on this first visit to the St. George Temple listed the names of his grandparents. We will be forever grateful for the information we gleaned and for their devotion and love for their families. John R. was always interested in the welfare of the community and gave freely of his services to make it better. He held different political offices, among which was Precinct Justice. It is said that one time when a lawyer from Parowan tried to tell him what to do he answered, "If you think you can come down here and tell me what to do, you have the wrong hog by the tail!" The John Rowlandson Robinson family takes great pride in the part their ancestors played in the development of this part of the State of Utah. The Robinsons truly left their footprints in the sands of this area and are to be cherished by their posterity. John R. became a citizen of the United States while Utah was still a territory. (See the copy of his citizenship certificate on page 24.) John R. Robinson died August 9, 1891, at the age of seventy-six years, five months, and three days. According to the Parowan cemetery records, the cause of death was dropsy. It is said that he weighed well over 200 pounds when he died. He is buried in the Parowan cemetery. Jane lived many years following the death of her husband. Most of the time she had other children living with her. Her daughter Eliza May lived at home with her mother and did not marry until after Jane had died. She inherited the family home. George lived at home for several more years until he married and moved into his own home. Mary Lucinda and her daughter lived with Jane for some time, also. Emma Josephine lived at home with her mother and others for a time after her husband passed away. So we know that Jane was not left alone. Many of the other children and their families lived here in the community and visited at the family home often. For two years prior to her death, Jane lived in Beaver at the home of her daughter Emma Josephine Smith. Jane Coupe Robinson died at the age of seventy-seven years, on December 12, 1909, and is buried in the Parowan cemetery beside her husband. At the time of John R.'s passing, he left his good wife Jane and thirteen living children to mourn his passing. All the children were mar­ried and with their own responsibilities except three.