J. P. W. BLOOMFIELD (1866 - 1947)
 
The following was received July 17, 1995  from Carol Nicoll Ansley, a cousin of Lawrence B. Bloomfield.  It is transcribes exactly as received, but with minor pen-in-ink corrections. John Parley William Bloomfield was my paternal grandfather. (My notes will be italicized..)
A SKETCH OF John Parley William BLOOMFIELD'S LIFE
written by himself
 
....... I was born in Hyde Park, Cache Country, Utah, 23 March 1866.  I am short, about 5' 5".  I have blue eyes and light brown hair.
 
....... In the spring of 1875 my father volunteered to go to Arizona to help colonize that wild barren desert country.  I was nine years old so I accompanied him.  As I remember we had a pair of mules.  One of them was lazy.  About the first thing I remember of the trip was the ferry boat ride across the big Colorado.  It was the largest river I had ever seen.  We hit the little Colorado, near the Black Falls.  We followed the river up to where Joseph City is now located, crossed the river a short distance and located with a small colony which was called Obed.
 
....... In the fall as I remember (it may have been spring) we returned to our Utah home.  I got short on milk so father bought me some goat milk, but I couldn't drink it.  No cows milk was obtainable.  We traveled with Bro. Sutter Burnham and Vance Teitjemn who was returning to Utah from the colony.  When we got to the big Colorado it was full from bank to bank.  As the ferry boat had been wrecked we had to cross in a small boat.  Bro. Burham (I believe this is the same person  as above)   went up a piece and swam the river to get the man and his boat.  (I think his name was John D. Lee.)  The wagon was taken apart and taken over a piece at a time.  Each load they asked me if I wanted to go but I said no.  The last load I had to get on but was afraid it would sink.  One of the men said I had better take off my shoes so I could swim out.  But I said if I drowned I drowned with them, but we got across all o.k.
 
....... Don't remember anything more until we got home.  Preparations then started for our return to Arizona.  All I remember is in 1876 we returned to our new home in Obed, Arizona.  We arrived there o.k. and after about a year, maybe longer, Obed was abandoned.  We moved to Sunset, and there made our home for about five years.  Here we lived in the United Order.  All ate at one table, raised sheep, cattle and horses.  At that time the horses was the best in the territory.  Contention crept in.  The people were too prosperous.  So a few families was called to go and help colonize Savoia, New Mexico., Father being in the company.
 
....... The company consisted of John Bloomfield (father), James Ascroft, Peter Nielson, William Bond, Polk Pipkins Sr., Saler Pipkins, and Ira Hatch. We located at Savoia, but for only a short time.  We then moved to Ramah, about five miles west of Savoia, where now stands the little town of Ramah.
 
....... From there I went to old Mexico in about 1883 and help colonize the beautiful little town of Colonia Juarez.  There I worked at odd jobs for a time making brick.  I played first base on the Juarez base ball team, and for some time run cattle upon the Sierra Madre Mountains.  I was among the first to locate in the wilds of the Sierra Madre.
 
....... Returning to Colonia Juarez, I fell in love with Miss Sylvia Bailey.  On March 1, 1891 we was tied in wedlock by Bishop George Seavy, at the home of the bride.  Married life lasted only a short time.  She gave birth to a six pound premature boy on November 7, 1891.  On November 11, 1891 she passed to the great beyond.  The child was taken care of by its grandma Cynthia Bailey.  (This was my dad, grandpa was speaking of. The grandma, my great-grandma was Cynthia L. Bailey.)
 
....... After about 3 years I got the rambley.  I was no longer content in Mexico.  So I returned to the U.S.A. to my old home at Ramah, New Mexico.
 
....... Here I again fell in love with one Miss Alice Melissa Gallagher.  In the fall of 1895 November 27, I was again married. This time to Miss Gallagher in the Salt Lake Temple by Pres. C. H. Richards, where the work for my first wife was done preceding the second.
 
....... I returned from my trip arriving home with the some of fifteen cents, after paying $130.00 railroad fare.
 
....... I started work for J.E. Ashcroft firing his sawmill for $1.50 a day (10 hours a day, from 7 to 6 at night.)  Then moved to Kirtland, New Mexico.  Worked here for J.B. Ashcroft for awhile.  Hearing of a vacancy for a six mule skinner, I returned to Ft. Wingate, where I applied for a job.  I was put on at $30.00 and ration and quarters for my family.  That was in 1903.  I made good, driving team for the government for 18 months.  Then contracted the freight from Wingate station to Ft. Wingate.  Later I bought out the milk ranch lease and furnished milk and butter to the officers and other employees and continued contracting.  I followed up the milk business for twelve years.  Built up a small bunch of cattle. When I found that there was others living off my herd I decided to move them to Ramah.
 
....... So in the early fall I moved 160 head to Ramah and turned them loose on open range.  The cattle not being used to the range, I had a loss of 75 head when spring came.  I., again in 1909 got the freight contract at Ft. Wingate with Manassah Gallagher.  Made good then turned to farming and cattle business after the death of M. Gallagher in 1911.
 
....... We at different times bought out the acres of the Gallagher estate at the cost of $36,000.00.  I continued farming as long as I was able to attend to the business.
 
....... My wife died in January 29, 1934.  I was left alone with my two daughters (twins) until they got married.  In one year one of them moved to a home of her own.   (Grandpa's second wife was called Aunt Alice by our part of the family..  I believe Aunt Alice had 4 children, Melissa,  Harvey, Gladys and  Gertrude.  The last two were the  non-identical twins.  I'm  not sure what order my half - Aunts and Uncles came in either.) 
 
(End of his story)
 
....... From that time, until he died, his daughter Gertrude lived with him.  He was put in counselor to J.W. Bond in the Sunday School.  Then he was put in as president of Sunday School on Dec. 4, 1932 and was released Aug 24, 1941.  He was in longer than any one or two men that was ever in that position.  He was then put in as 1st counselor to Bishop Squire Mangum Aug 17, 1941 to Feb. 8,1942. Served as 1st counselor to E.A. Bond in the bishopric Feb 8, 1942 to April 28, 1946.
 
....... He was a ward teacher all his life from the time he was ordained a teacher.
 
....... He had a light stroke in 1939.  He was then in apparently good health until he got pneumonia in 1945.  While he was sick they hold a prayer circle and asked that his life might be spared.  Joe Nicoll offered the prayer.  He lived two years from that day.
 
....... In July 1947 he had a second stroke.  He was paralyzed in speech.  Apostle Kimble was here at this time and was asked to administer to him.  Before Elder Kimble left the room granddad talked to him.  About one month later he had the third stroke which took his life 11 august 1947.
 
....... He was buried at Ramah, New Mexico by the side of his wife Alice and his son Harvey who died when he was 18.
 
....... (This account of the life of John Parley William Bloomfield was copied by Lila Lewis, wife of Cecil Harvey Lewis grandson of J. P. W. Bloomfield in the 1950's.  The last part of the story was added from oral interviews with his daughters and other written records recording his church service and last years.)
 
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