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| John Boice |
Written by his granddaughter, Rachel Boice Olson,
at the request of her brother, John.
To be read at the family reunion on the
seventh day of April, 1931, at Lovell, Wyoming.
John Boice was a man of great honor and integrity. He was a perfect specimen of physical manhood which enabled him to stand great hardships encountered in his strenuous work of pioneering.
He was born February 20th, 1814, at Fredricksburg, Upper Canada. He was the son of Benjamin Boice and Margaret Hartly and was the youngest of a family of six. He married Jane Hearms June 7th, 1835, and this same year he and his wife were led into the waters of baptism. Through this ordinance they were ushered into the rays of living light and their descendants were made heirs to great blessings.
Shortly after he embraced the gospel he had a dream. He dreamed he saw the temple in place and Joseph Smith, the Prophet, dressed in a long white robe standing with bowed head by the temple, his hands and feet were clear as glass. Looking up and gazing at the temple, he said, "Bretheren, the set time has come to favor Zion, and Jackson County is ours; I will take with me fifteen hundred men, and there will not be a man to make afraid nor a dog to bark."
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| Prophet Joseph Smith |
He then awoke because of the dream. In the year 1837 he with his family migrated to Kirtland, Ohio, and the following year they started for Missouri, but were driven back by a mob and stopped at Barry Pike County, Illinois. Two years later they went back to Ohio on business. After their interest had been transacted they started for Kirtland. While on the journey, his wife was taken very ill in the town of Hudson. During her illness she was permitted to see beyond the veil and for 24 hours appeared as dead, after which she regained consciousness. She related the following story, that angelic spirits had declared to her that Joseph Smith was the great prophet raised up to open this last dispensation, and she bore a strong testimony of this latter-day work. She said she had only come back to stay four days as she had promised a certain woman that she was willing she should rear her three little children, but now she desired that her husband should rear two of them, as she was going to take one of them with her.
In the evening of the fourth day at eight o'clock, at the same hour that she became unconscious, she passed peacefully away on February 14th, 1840. After the service and the body had been laid to rest, Grandfather, returning home found his healthiest son, Thomas, in a dying condition, not from any perceivable sickness, and soon passed away. Thus her words were fulfilled.
He resumed his journey and met the Saints at Quincy, Illinois, who were gathering to hold their first conference after being driven from Missouri.
While in company with Brother Haddock, Grandfather related his dream while in Canada. Brother Haddock answered, "Well, you can test the truth of that dream today, for if it was Brother Joseph, you will know him when you see him." Soon after, Grandfather looked up and saw a group of men conversing among themselves. As he beheld the sight of one of the man's faces he said, pointing, "There is the man I saw." "Yes," said Brother Haddock, "that is Joseph Smith."
After arriving in Kirtland he met Mary Ann Barzee, and they were married May 7th, 1840. In June, 1841, they sailed by boat to Nauvoo. Here they were being mobbed and driven from place to place.
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| Mary Ann Barzee |
Their first son, Chester, was born at Chester, Ohio, April 12th, 1842, and died at Crooked Creek, Illinois. Martin Calvin [was] born at Crooked Creek, April 7th, 1844, on Sunday at dusk. John, Junior, was born at McDonough County, Illinois, May 24th, 1846. David was born February 18, 1848, Jo Daviess County, Illinois. Elizabeth Ann was born November 27th at Jo Daviess County, Sand Prairie, Illinois.
At the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum, Grandfather's family was living a few miles from Carthage. He, with others, were called in haste to Nauvoo by the Prophet as he was going to prison and he desired to talk to them. They heard his instructions to the people from time to time. "Bretheren, I have great sorrow in my heart for fear that I may be taken away from the earth with the keys of the kingdom of God upon me, without sealing them upon the heads of men. God has sealed upon my head all the keys of the kingdom of God necessary to the organizing and building up of the Church of Zion and the kingdom of God upon the earth, and to prepare the Saints for the coming of man. Now, brethern, I thank God that I have lived to see the day that I have been enabled to give you your endowments, and that I have sealed upon your heads all the powers of the priesthood and apostleship with all the keys and powers of which God has sealed upon me. And I now roll all of the labor, burden, and care of this Church and kingdom of God upon your shoulders. I now command you in the name of the Lord Jesus to round up your shoulders and care of this Church and kingdom of God before heaven and earth, and before God and angels and man, and if you do not do it you will be damned."
After the Prophet and Patriarch were slain, most of the Apostles were on missions. Sidney Rigdon seemed much concerned and expressed the idea that a guardian must be appointed to lead the Church on. When the Apostles came home, the people met in a large gathering in the forenoon to consider who should be the president of the Church. It was not decided and another gathering was called in the afternoon. In this gathering Brigham Young rose to speak, and by the spirit of the Holy Ghost which brings things past, things present, and things to come, fell with such power upon the people that Brigham Young was transfigured before them in the likeness of Joseph in looks and speech; the vote was unanimous in favor of Brigham Young.
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| President Brigham Young |
In the spring of 1852, Grandfather with his family left Nauvoo, Illinois, with others and started across the plains by ox team, arriving in Salt Lake.
They were called to Spanish Fork to assist in building a fort. While there they met a friendly band of Indians. The chief asked if they would build him a house inside the fort, which was also done. Donations were given to the Indians and Grandfather was chosen to deliver these donations to the chief who in turn distributed them among his tribe.
Grandmother succeeded in learning the Indian language and was appointed Indian interpreter. One day a young Indian came to her home with his three-month old baby saying he would give it to her and never take it away as his squaw had died. She answered him saying she would let him know in a little while. After talking the matter over with Grandfather, he advised her to go to their bishop for counsel. She related the circumstances to the bishop, telling him she had a family of five children and could not see her way through, but he said "By all means, Sister Boice, take the baby, for you don't know what good it will bring." So she took the baby and when it was about a year old it took seriously ill. All was done for its recovery, taking it to a doctor in Provo, but finally the baby died and was buried as if it was their own. The father of the baby was a frequent visitor during its sickness and death. This was in the year 1855.
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Alpharetta Boice buried in Pioneer Heritage Cemetery
Spanish Fork, Utah |
Like all colonizers in a new country, their time was devoted to building and farming while the women provided clothing by spinning wool and weaving cloth. He remained in Spanish Fork until the year 1857 when he was called with others to make a settlement 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake. When they arrived there, they were met by a bunch of hostile Indians, about 40 in number, on horseback forming a line before their wagons. Grandfather offered to shake hands with them, but they refused, waiting for the word of command. When one of the Indians jumped from his horse and went to the chief telling him how Grandmother cared for his baby during its sickness and death, the chief listened to the story, then began to talk telling the Indians that it was their best hunting grounds and when the whites came their game and fish disappeared. Grandmother understood their conversations, telling Grandfather what they said. He told her to tell the chief they would not hunt or fish. The chief replied that they will scare them all away. However, through the pleading of the young Indian, his heart was softened and the chief said [that] if they would make a treaty to give them a beef they would not molest them, which was agreed upon. Grandmother said, "Oh how glad I am that we listened to our bishop and took his counsel." Grandfather immediately rode to Salt Lake on horseback and reported to President Young and he advised them to move out.
They then went to Parley's Park and remained there that winter, being shut in with the depth of snow. This was the winter of 1858 and has been recorded as the hardest winter in the history of Utah. When spring came they were destitute, broken up in body and mind, for they were nearly famished from hunger and cold, being deprived of the comforts of life. From here they migrated north as far as Farmington where another son, Elijah, was born. Here they remained until 1861, at which time they moved to Smithfield, living there a few years. Another son, Lorenzo, was born.
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George Barzee and John Boice
Smithfield, Utah Cemetery |
In the year 1865 they went north as far as Oxford, Idaho, where his son, John, age 19, and his brother-in-law, George Barzee, age 23, were frozen to death one mile from Franklin, Idaho. Here his health began to fail him and he devoted his time to church work. He, with Grandmother, were called to work in the Logan Temple. After spending two months there they were called to the deathbed of their son, David. They returned to the temple, but he continued to fail in heath. President John Taylor called him to the office of patriarch and advised him to travel and bless the people. Many of the sacred prophecies and promises which he made the people are recorded in Grandmother's diary.
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| John and Mary Ann Barzee Boice home in Oxford, Idaho |
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| Possibly John Boice plowing |
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| John and Mary Ann Boice home today Oxford, Idaho |
He led a life of prayer and honesty. He governed his family according to the requirements of the priesthood. While on his deathbed, his tribute to Grandmother, "Ma, you have been faithful with me in rearing our large family and you have done well; may you always keep the presence of mind and God will bless you forever."
They reared a large family who are co-workers in the great cause of Zion.
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Mary Ann Barzee and John Boice
Oxford Cemetery, Oxford, Franklin, Idaho |
His mortal activities have been recorded in the annals of Church history. Surly the rewards for faithfulness is [are] realized in the numerous posterity which carry on the good teachings and example given them by such a worth progenitor. He passed peacefully away on March thirty-first, 1886, and his mortal remains were laid to rest in the Oxford Cemetery.
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Source: Biography of John Boice, typescript, LDS Church Archives. Grammar has been standardized.
