Chloe Jane Morrell, A True Cowgirl

CHLOE JANE MORRELL was born in Fremont, Utah on March 15, 1877, the first white girl and second white child born in Wayne County when the Mormon settlers were beginning to settle Rabbit Valley, an area populated by Indians.

Luzernia Allred and Silas Wilson Morrell owned a farm just east of Fremont where they built a two-story, log house. They also had a dairy farm east of Fish Lake, later known as Silas Springs where in the early summer they herded milk cows to the mountain spring to graze during the warm months.

Silas had suffered a severe back injury and also plaqued with rheumatism. In March 1891, he and Luzernia decided to go to a warmer climate in New Mexico, hoping his health would improve.

Chloe drove the cattle and was in the saddle every day but five for the next six months. It was tiring, because in those days, ladies rode sidesaddle with one leg straight, resting in the stirrup, and the other leg with bended-knee perched on top of the saddle because it was improper for a girl to ride astride a horse. After an eventful and difficult journey they stayed in New Mexico for only a short time. Fortunately Chloe rode back using a real sidesaddle that was much easier to ride on.

During the summers of 1893 and 1894, Chloe worked near Fishlake, a beautiful lake twelve miles north of Fremont. It was at Fishlake where Jeremiah Jackson entered the picture. In 1894 he and one of his friends went to Fishlake on horseback and stopped at the place where Chloe worked. She was a very shy girl, but nevertheless, a romance ensued, and they were married in Fremont at her parent’s home.

Chloe was brave and tough. Nick Indian liked to tease her daughter Luzernia. One day he came to house and started to tease her. Chloe was cutting bread with a large butcher knife. Nick teased Luzernia until she started to cry. Chloe turned around and said, “Nick. Quit that!”

He just went on teasing.

Chloe threw the knife. It flew across the room and stuck in the door casing to the side of him.
Nick looked at the knife quivering in the frame and abruptly left.

Chloe was a true cow girl. She rode horses, could throw a lariat and shoot a gun. One day, her husband and her son Harvey were trying to rope a calf to brand it as Chloe watched them. They made two or three throws but couldn’t hook it.

Chloe laughed and asked, “Are you having trouble roping that calf?”

Harvey replied, “I bet you couldn’t do it?”

She walked up to him and said, “Give me that rope.”

He handed the rope to her, and she flipped it over the calf’s head with ease, then handed the end of the rope back to him. Nobody said a word.

Chloe was devoted to her husband and family and lived most of her life in Fremont, Utah. They were parents to 5 sons and 3 daughters. Perry L. Jackson was her youngest child.

Chloe was in Salt Lake visiting her daughters when she died on October 16, 1956, on the 16th anniversary of her husband Jeremiah’s death.

To view the headstone for Chloe Jane Morrell Jackson click this link:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16224008

Jeremiah Jackson, A Prospector Who Owned a Farm

JEREMIAH JACKSON was born in Payson, Utah, August 9, 1874 to John William Jackson and Sarah Eleanor Bingham. Perry described his father as a good-looking man with blue eyes, a mustache and a full head of hair.
In 1894 Jeremiah (Jerry) and one of his friends went to Fishlake on horseback and stopped at the place where Chloe Jane Morrell worked on a diary farm. She was a very shy girl, but nevertheless, a romance ensued, and they were married by Bishop Hiatt Maxfield on January 18, 1899 in Fremont at her parent’s home.

Jerry became a carpenter, farmer and the village blacksmith. He also, repaired watches, washers, thrashing machines, wagons and acted as the town dentist. He built cabinets for many homes in the county. He also became a prospector. Earl Jackson referred to his grandfather as a “prospector who owned a farm.” Perry and his father went prospecting many times together. They searched for gold, but didn’t find any that was worth much. Jerry found some over by Meeks Lake, but it had a lot of copper in it.

The young family moved to Caineville, Utah for a short time. While Jerry and Chloe lived in Caineville, he occasionally shawed horses for the infamous Butch Cassidy Gang. Jerry would come out to the blacksmith shop and see two or three horses tied up to the fence. He would shoe them and tie them back up again. The next morning he would go back to the shop, and the horses would be gone, and a twenty-dollar gold piece would be lying on the anvil. After two years in Caineville, the family moved back to Lyman.

When their daughter Eleanor was two years old, Jeremiah moved his family to Fremont to Chloe’s parent’s old farm and lived in a two-story log house. Chloe’s mother had remarried and lived on the next farm over.

Jeremiah was friendly with the Indians, and the Piute Indians camped on his front lawn, pitching their tents for three or four days at a time. Jeremiah often visited the Indian camp near Koosharem. The Indians were doing some prospecting, and had found some copper. He would spend time with them to help them stake out their claims and do the legal work.

In the fall of 1935 while Jeremiah was in the field rounding up his cows to bring them to the corral, he had a very unusual experience. Upon returning to the house, he said, “Chloe, sit down. I wish to tell you something that happened to me while I was in the field.” Then he related the following to his wife saying: I heard my father’s voice just as plain as I have ever heard it when he was living. (Jeremiah’s father died in 1928) He said, “Jerry you have just five more years in which to preach the gospel.” After that experience, Jeremiah explained the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many men as came into the shop to get work done. He kept the Bible in the shop at all times for that purpose.

In October 1940 Jeremiah was helping some other men reshingle the Fremont church house. The next morning he went into the field to milk the cows, after which he came into the house and told Chloe that he had a pain in his chest. He then went into the bedroom to lie down. The pain grew intense and Chloe sent Perry for the doctor. Before the doctor came, Jeremiah had passed away. The five years were up.

Chloe and Jeremiah are both buried in the Fremont, Utah Cemetery.

To see the headstone for Jeremiah Jackson click this link: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16224444

Cowboy's Goodbye - A Trail Long Traveled and a Life Well Lived.

Perry LeRoy Jackson, age 87, passed away on May 12, 2007 in Richfield, Utah, after a valiant battle with debilitating illnesses. Perry was born May 25, 1919 in Fremont, Utah, the youngest of eight children born to Jeremiah and Chloe Jane Morrell Jackson. He married the love of his life, Shirley in the Manti Utah.
Perry loved to play the guitar and sing. He wrote lyrics and music and recorded over 100 songs. Early in his music career he was known as "The Fremont Troubadour" and his music was often played on a local radio station. In addition to singing, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping and was happiest when engaged in those activities. He loved his family and was enthused about having them surround him. In the 1950's, he went to Hollywood, where his first album was recorded. He signed a contract with Victor Recording Company; however, not wanting to expose his family to the life-style of the entertainment business, he broke his contract and decided against moving to California, choosing instead the quieter life of Wayne County. Throughout his life, he enjoyed many occupations: farming, maintaining the Wayne County television towers, and driving a school bus from Hanksville to Bicknell, the longest school bus route in Utah. He could repair almost any appliance and owned a repair shop for many years. He was also a tour guide, giving 4-wheel jeep tours into the Utah desert. In 1952 Perry was asked to guide a group from National Geographic Magazine through Cathedral valley. An article entitled "Roaming The West's Fantastic Four Corners" containing photographs of Perry and his jeep was published in the June 1952 issue. Salt Lake City Magazine interviewed Perry and also published photographs and wrote about him in their article "Discovering Goblin Valley" in May/June 1997 issue.

This is his story and his roots.