James Stevenson McMurray - my great-grandfather, was married to Sarah Ann Orr. She was the third child of Richard and Caroline Orr.
My mother, Glenna Davies had these memories of him: "Grandpa McMurray made cedar chests for his daughter Carrie and Lila and for some of his granddaughters. He didn't come to Carmangay very often, but one time he came and built some steps on the front porch ... before that time we had had quite a struggle to get up on the porch. Grandpa was a quiet man, but was always up early. He liked to exercise and he tried to eat healthy and nutritious food."
In 1946, Mable McMurray Hull helped Grandfather McMurray by scribing this short history. These were his words:
"I was born at Grantsville, Utah, U.S.A., 13 July 1863 and lived with my parents until 1870 when they were called to settle Bear Lake Co. at Liberty, Idaho. I also lived there with them.
In 1901, I moved to Canada. There was an impelling feeling that prompted me to come to Canada. Josiah Orr and family, Alfred Sillitoe, George Sillitoe, and J.T. Derricott all came together. We sent a delegation to Cardston- to Stake President Card and he told us there was not better place to settle so we got busy and settled where Orton is today. I had three quarter sections of land and had a struggle to pay for them. We had good crops till 1909, and in 1910 it was very dry and only summer fallow was worth cutting. I figured on 12,000 bushels and got 1,200. In 1911, it was very wet, froze and rusted. All my children except for my two youngest were born n the United States.
I buried my first wife, Sarah, on 28 August 1909. she died of blood poisoning brought on by Erysipelas. Lila was the baby, just 4 months old. Lottie was about 17 and the oldest living girl. She helped by looking after things. There were 9 children at home."
. . . more later
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