AMOS MOSES VIRGINIntroduction: Amos Moses Virgin was my grandfather, the father of Sarah Frances Virgin, who married James Frederick Shirley, father of my father, Ross Shirley. The following history was given me at a Virgin Family Reunion.
Amos Moses Virgin, son of George Thompson and Mary Ann Barker Virgin (see the blog "October Fires" with their history), was born in Marston, England, on January 23, 1854. After his father was accidentally killed being crushed between two cars when the wrong signal was given, his mother was faced with supporting two sons and a baby daughter. Mary Ann Barker had the great desire to go to Zion. On May 14, 1862, she with her two sons, Amos Moses and Nephi Charles, and Mercy Ann, a baby, left England. They with eight hundred Saints on board the "William Tappscott" set sail.
Amos Moses Virgin was now eight years of age, his brother, Nephi Charles, was under six. Even at this young age they with their mother and baby sister walked almost the entire distance across the plains. They traveled with the Horton D. Haight Company. At times Amos and Nephi would get so tired they lagged behind. One time they became so tired they lagged quite a ways behind and would have been lost or devoured by the wolves if the provisions wagon had not stopped and picked them up. His baby sister, Mercy Ann, had died on the plains near the Utah-Wyoming boarder October 6, 1862 (see the accompanying blog, October Fires).
They arrived in Salt Lake Valley October 19, 1862. Amos Moses and his family lived in Grantsville, Utah, with some relatives. Two years later they moved to St. Charles, Idaho, in Bear Lake Valley to make their home in October 1864.
Although Amos Moses was but ten years of age, he did everything possible to earn a living for his mother and brother. This was a hard task during the early years of the valley as homesteads were being made. Becoming a fisher and hunter, Amos Moses also became an expert trapper and shipped furs to an eastern market. He made his own snowshoes to run his traps. He also loved boating, swimming, skating, and sports of all kinds.
They were very poor. His mother, Mary Ann, was forced to glean wheat fields while Amos and Nephi fished and trapped. When Amos and Nephi were looking after their traps at the mouth of the creek that emptied into Bear Lake, their feet and clothing would get so cold and wet that they would take off their socks and wade in the icy water and then put their socks back on. They often laid on the ice where they were fishing until their clothing would dry in the sun. They often became snow blind caused by the glare of the sun on the ice and water.
On September 27, 1875, Amos Moses married Sarah Francis Merkley, daughter of Christopher and Xarissa Fairbanks Merkley. Making their home in St. Charles, Idaho, near Bear Lake, Amos Moses and Sarah Francis were blessed with ten children: Sarah Francis, Alice Xarissa, Linda Rose, Mary Ann, George Amos, Eugenie, Jessie, Zalia Louise, Alicia Naomi, and Heber Harold.
Amos Moses loved music. He played the violin and sang in the choir. He loved to dance and called for dances. During the time of his stay in St. Charles, he was a teacher in the Sunday School and also a ward teacher. On July 18, 1886, Amos Moses Virgin was ordained a Seventy by C. D. Fulstead. Also during this time a daughter, Linda Rose, was buried in St. Charles.
One Sunday Brother Floyd told Amos' mother that he was going to Salt Lake City on Monday. He said he would bring her some chairs if Amos would catch one hundred pounds of fish to send. After Sacrament Meeting Amos and his mother went to the creek where he caught nine fish. His mother said this was enough so she took them to the house and dressed them. -They weighed one hundred pounds. Floyd took the fish to Salt Lake City, sold them and brought home the chairs.
One time when Amos had saved five dollars for some needed shoes, they asked for money to build the Logan Temple. He gave the five dollars for the temple and pulled the old shoes together with wire and then went to the logging camp in Logan Canyon to help get logs to build the temple
In August Amos Moses Virgin and his wife Sarah Francis moved to Salem, Idaho, with their four daughters and two sons to be nearer to their two oldest daughters who had married and moved there. There he bought a farm and in the Snake River Valley pioneered again. He worked in the office of the Church while he served as a ward teacher.
After he had converted James Inman, his wife and two sons while ward teaching, they joined the Church. Amos Moses was blessed with the gift of healing and was called many times to administer to the sick. His examples and precepts were always worthy of a Latter-Day Saint. He was ordained a High Priest on May 1, 1909, by George A. Pinnock. His family is a credit and honor to him and his wife.
Sarah Francis Merkley Virgin died at Fish-Haven December 17, 1939, and was buried in St. Charles, Idaho. Amos Moses Virgin died at the home of his youngest daughter, Alicia V. Howell, in Fish Haven, Idaho, on October 12, 1942. He was buried by his wife and daughter in St. Charles, Idaho.
Amos Moses Virgin was now eight years of age, his brother, Nephi Charles, was under six. Even at this young age they with their mother and baby sister walked almost the entire distance across the plains. They traveled with the Horton D. Haight Company. At times Amos and Nephi would get so tired they lagged behind. One time they became so tired they lagged quite a ways behind and would have been lost or devoured by the wolves if the provisions wagon had not stopped and picked them up. His baby sister, Mercy Ann, had died on the plains near the Utah-Wyoming boarder October 6, 1862 (see the accompanying blog, October Fires).
They arrived in Salt Lake Valley October 19, 1862. Amos Moses and his family lived in Grantsville, Utah, with some relatives. Two years later they moved to St. Charles, Idaho, in Bear Lake Valley to make their home in October 1864.
Although Amos Moses was but ten years of age, he did everything possible to earn a living for his mother and brother. This was a hard task during the early years of the valley as homesteads were being made. Becoming a fisher and hunter, Amos Moses also became an expert trapper and shipped furs to an eastern market. He made his own snowshoes to run his traps. He also loved boating, swimming, skating, and sports of all kinds.
They were very poor. His mother, Mary Ann, was forced to glean wheat fields while Amos and Nephi fished and trapped. When Amos and Nephi were looking after their traps at the mouth of the creek that emptied into Bear Lake, their feet and clothing would get so cold and wet that they would take off their socks and wade in the icy water and then put their socks back on. They often laid on the ice where they were fishing until their clothing would dry in the sun. They often became snow blind caused by the glare of the sun on the ice and water.
On September 27, 1875, Amos Moses married Sarah Francis Merkley, daughter of Christopher and Xarissa Fairbanks Merkley. Making their home in St. Charles, Idaho, near Bear Lake, Amos Moses and Sarah Francis were blessed with ten children: Sarah Francis, Alice Xarissa, Linda Rose, Mary Ann, George Amos, Eugenie, Jessie, Zalia Louise, Alicia Naomi, and Heber Harold.Amos Moses loved music. He played the violin and sang in the choir. He loved to dance and called for dances. During the time of his stay in St. Charles, he was a teacher in the Sunday School and also a ward teacher. On July 18, 1886, Amos Moses Virgin was ordained a Seventy by C. D. Fulstead. Also during this time a daughter, Linda Rose, was buried in St. Charles.
One Sunday Brother Floyd told Amos' mother that he was going to Salt Lake City on Monday. He said he would bring her some chairs if Amos would catch one hundred pounds of fish to send. After Sacrament Meeting Amos and his mother went to the creek where he caught nine fish. His mother said this was enough so she took them to the house and dressed them. -They weighed one hundred pounds. Floyd took the fish to Salt Lake City, sold them and brought home the chairs.
One time when Amos had saved five dollars for some needed shoes, they asked for money to build the Logan Temple. He gave the five dollars for the temple and pulled the old shoes together with wire and then went to the logging camp in Logan Canyon to help get logs to build the templeIn August Amos Moses Virgin and his wife Sarah Francis moved to Salem, Idaho, with their four daughters and two sons to be nearer to their two oldest daughters who had married and moved there. There he bought a farm and in the Snake River Valley pioneered again. He worked in the office of the Church while he served as a ward teacher.
After he had converted James Inman, his wife and two sons while ward teaching, they joined the Church. Amos Moses was blessed with the gift of healing and was called many times to administer to the sick. His examples and precepts were always worthy of a Latter-Day Saint. He was ordained a High Priest on May 1, 1909, by George A. Pinnock. His family is a credit and honor to him and his wife.
Sarah Francis Merkley Virgin died at Fish-Haven December 17, 1939, and was buried in St. Charles, Idaho. Amos Moses Virgin died at the home of his youngest daughter, Alicia V. Howell, in Fish Haven, Idaho, on October 12, 1942. He was buried by his wife and daughter in St. Charles, Idaho.
The above was a history passed to me at a Virgin Family Reunion. The following are story was given me by my father, Ross, and Aunt Ada Moss.
Sarah Francis and James Frederick Shirley had borrowed $400 from Amos. Each time James would go to their home to make a payment, their younger son would take it and say he would give it to his parents. Amos and his wife later came to James and Sarah and asked for the money. All of it had already been paid back, but they said they had not received anything and that they were going to lose the farm in Salem. There was no money to give. My father told me how sad it was to see them leave the the house and walk down the road with their bags packed, homeless. They lost the farm and moved Fish Haven, where they both finished out their lives. Later, a son was on a hunting trip when he was getting out of the automobile with his rifle and was accidentally shot and killed.
My father said that when he knew Amos Moses, his grandfather did not have a tooth in his head, but his gums were hardened by years of use. He had a flat metal knife that was rather broad that he always used to eat with. He would use the edge to cut the food, then scrape it up with the flat side. He ate everything that way. My father said there was a poem they used to say about the entire process:
I eat my peas with honey.
I've done so all my life.
It makes them taste quite funny,
But it keeps them on my knife.
*For additional information on Amos Moses and the ship they sailed on, go to http://www.ancientfaces.com/research/photo/389722
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