The Beginnings of the Joseph Mitchell Family

        In 1885, Joseph was ordained a deacon in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and served as the quorum president in his ward.  In the following years, his sister Mary came from Scotland and ended up living in Rock Springs, Wyoming with her husband.  Elizabeth and Janet both got married, in about 1885 and 1889, respectively.
        Because of the desire and encouragement of his mother, they began to plan to build a house.  Joseph put a great deal of work into the house, and also hired others to help.  It was in this house that he would eventually start his own family.  In his writing about the experience of building this three-bedroom adobe house on Seventh South Street in Salt Lake, he said, "Altho I worked ten hours per day and some overtime I didn’t find it necessary to at any time work on the house on Sunday."
        In 1892, Joseph lost his job with D&RGW Railroad because of a financial panic, but was able to find temporary work with Rapid Transit Streetcar Barns and Shops. Soon thereafter, one of the most significant events in his life occurred.  Because of its significance, his own words are best to describe it.
"In the spring of 1893 I got acquainted with the handsome young lady who later became my partner for all time.  From then on we were good friends, and on October 24, 1894 we were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  For a number of years my close friends were concerned about my failure to find a wife as there was kind of an unwritten law in Scotland that it was the duty of the youngest son in the family to remain single and take care of his widowed mother.  Some had the idea I intended to observe this rule, but I never had any intention of following this foolish notion.  I was only waiting for one of the best wives in this or any other country to come along to be the mother of a splendid family of children, and after forty years I can truly say that I am happy that I waited for her and that my fondest hopes have been realized in my good wife and splendid family, their love for me and to see my children grow up in honor and integrity, with faith in the Gospel is reward enough for me.  But when added to this the promise that we through our faithfulness may be bound together through all eternity is a hope and a joy that it is hard for us to fully understand at present."

In 1891, they added to the adobe house, and Joseph's mother lived in the west two rooms while he and Susan lived in the east three rooms.  After their first son, Bob, was born, Joseph acquired a serious throat infection.  He promised the Lord that if he could be healed he would do anything in the church that he was asked to do.  After a blessing from the elders, he recovered very quickly, and in 1897, his covenant with the Lord was tested.  While his wife was pregnant with their second child, Susannah, he was called on a mission to Great Britain. (1)  He was set apart 6 August 1897, (2) and was gone from 7 August 1897 until 28 July 1899.  He was able to get his job back quickly when he returned. In the following years, three more daughters were born in Salt Lake.  He served as a Sunday School teacher, in the Mutual Improvement Association, and was a president of the 23rd quorum of the seventy.  In 1906, the family moved to Thistle, Utah so that Joseph could get higher wages and also to help with his mother’s health.  While there, his last daughter was born, and his mother died. (3) Shortly after her death in 1909, they returned to the Salt Lake area, and lived in Sugarhouse. (4)

(1) Joseph Mitchell Personal History, written by himself, 22 November 1934
(2) Joseph Mitchell, Missionary Certificate, 6 August 1897, obtained from a relative
(3) Joseph Mitchell Personal History, written by himself, 22 November 1934
(4) Personal History of Sarah Henderson Mitchell Olsen, written by Sarah Olsen in June 1977, May 1978, and January 1981.  Page 2, 11.  Borrowed from relatives.

Joseph Mitchell: Work in Utah

            Joseph Mitchell remained a hard worker when he arrived at his new home in Salt Lake. For about a week and a half, he worked ten hours a day digging a canal. This was difficult work, but he gained a sense of confidence in his ability to work hard through this job. After this, he was offered work with the Denver and Rio Grande Western (D & RGW) Railroad and also as a bricklayer. Shortly after these offers, he was offered a job working in the Temple Quarries in Little Cottonwood Canyon. After discussing the options with his mother, thinking it over, and praying about it, he made the following decision:
          “I then decided to go to the Quarry and surprised Mother by asking for a quilt and pillow as I had decided on what was best for me to do. That move proved to be of great value to me. The work was pleasant as well as profitable. It was just what I needed to get acquainted with the county and the customs of the people, and to get worked out of my system the condition I was in after working 10 years in the mines, inhaling all day long lamp and powder smoke as well as dust and foul air. The pure mountain water and the Canyon air and good wholesome food improved my health and gave me the start I needed.”
            He worked in the Quarry from the summer of 1882 until the spring of 1884. At this time, he was again offered a job with the D & RGW Railroad, this time through connections of his sister. He took the job, and this company became a significant source of employment for much of the rest of his life.
      

            All above information about Joseph's life came from the personal history that Joseph Mitchell wrote about himself in 1934.

Joseph Mitchell: His Beginnings in Scotland and the Journey to Utah

Joseph Mitchell is the father of Susannah Mitchell, who would later marry Harold Ray Heath.  Except where specifically noted, the following is based upon the personal history that Joseph Mitchell wrote about his own life.  The date on the typewritten copy that I have is November 22, 1934.

Joseph Mitchell was born to Robert and Sarah Henderson Mitchell on 20 October 1860 in Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland. His parents worked very hard to provide for the family, and had a great desire to go to Salt Lake City, Utah to gather with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

His childhood involved hard work.  In order to help the family travel to Salt Lake, he and his brother Robert went to work in the coal mines with their father.  On 4 February 1872, his father passed away.  According to Joseph, this may have been because he overworked himself. 

In the fall of 1875, his sister Janet got Typhoid fever, and for the next six months this sickness was present in the family.  It also resulted in the death of his older brother John.  The sickness prevented Joseph from working for three months, after which he returned to work in the mines to help the family accomplish their goal of going to Salt Lake.

            The family lived so far away from any branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that for many years, they had little direct association with the church.  Around 1878 and 1879, missionaries began to come regularly to visit Joseph and his family. His mother and three of his sisters attended a branch located 8 miles from their home.  Joseph was hesitant to be baptized because of what he thought other people's reactions would be.  After much saving, Joseph’s mother and two sisters, Janet and Elizabeth, left for Utah in October 1881, when Joseph was about 21 years old.  He remained in Scotland to work and save money to go himself.  During this time, he lived with his brother Robert and later lived with some friends. While waiting to join his mother and sisters, he pondered on his mother’s dedication to the Church.  He describes this in the following words:

"After Mother and the girls left I had plenty of time to think, and when I realized how much Mother was willing to sacrifice for her religion I felt that I should be willing to find out for myself something about it.  Mother and the Elders often had quoted to me the promise in the scriptures 'that if any one would do the will of the Father they would know if the doctrines taught by the Church were of God.' So I decided to put this matter to the test."

Joseph decided to be baptized, and Elder Joseph W. McMurrin baptized him in 1882 in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.

            In May 1882, he was ready to leave for the United States.  According to his personal history, he left his home on 15 May, but there is a Jos. Mitchell, age 21 from Glasgow listed on a record of the ship Nevada, which sailed on 14 May 1882.  This may or may not be the same person.  (The preceding information is from the following: Record of Steamship Nevada, sailed May 14^th 1882, Agent Albert Carrington.  Copy of this record obtained from another descendant of Joseph Mitchell)

             He arrived in New York on 28 May and took a train to Utah.  He arrived in Logan on the morning of the 4th of June, and joined his mother and sisters later that day.   

            

             Thus begins the story of Joseph Mitchell and his family.  Their dedication and sacrifice is a wonderful example to all who have and will come after them.  More about Joseph Mitchell to come . . .