William & George Augustus Huntington

Discuss genealogy and family history here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Tuly
Posts: 4388
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:16 pm

William & George Augustus Huntington

Post by Tuly »

Peggy Huntington graciously shared this letter from Rulon Huntington about his father (George Augustus Huntington) and grandfather (William Huntington) -
20 September 2005



Dear Roy and Jennie,

It was so good to see you and be with you again. I am going to try and write some of the things that come to mind about William Huntington, my Grandpa, and then my Dad, George Augustus Huntington.

My Grandfather was the son of Oliver Boardman Huntington and Mary Melissa Neal. She was hostile to the church and divorced Oliver Boardman so Grandpa was subject to a lot of anti-Mormon sentiment in his young years from his mother.

He became a large young man and hauled salt from the lake to the city by wagon. At age 22 he married Sarah Elizabeth Sprouse. They had four children. One of those was my father, George Augustus. My only personal experience with my grandfather was when he came up to our home on the farm in Midway. There was a large wooden rocker on the full length front porch in which he sat, took me in his lap and told me some pioneer stories. His full facial beard and moustache were immaculately groomed and waved but the thing that impressed me most about him was that he had the most kind smile and eyes that I could remember.

At the death of his wife there were a couple of ladies in the vicinity, Lessie Freeman and Gussie (?) who were sisters and knew Grandpa. They had an unmarried sister still living in England. Her name was Rosetta Agnes Squires. Grandpa wrote and became acquainted and she agreed to come to Salt Lake City and marry him and raise the two children that lived, George Augustus and Mable.

William and Rose, I think, had seven children and only two of them lived to maturity, Rose and Chauncey. I have seen in the Salt Lake cemetery, seven small headstones in a row. My father loved his step-mother dearly and in her last days he brought her to Midway to live with him until she died.

Grandpa William died in 1928. I was eight years old. He was out working in his garden when he died. He was 6’4” tall and weighed 317 pounds and not an ounce of fat. They had to alter a regular casket to accommodate his large body.

My father, George Augustus, was born November 1st, 1872. According to Grandma, Rosetta Agnes, he was a very good and helpful child. He was 25 or 26 when he went on his mission to the Kentucky, Tennessee Mission where he had a number of harrowing experiences.

Upon returning he wanted to be a dairy farmer. In 1900 he purchased a farm and home in Midway where we were all raised. He married Elizabeth Ross in March of 1909. Dad was always a progressive and forward looking man. He and several neighbors formed an association of Jersey cattle and Dad was chosen to go to Oregon and purchase about 25 cows or more and 4 bulls. This gave a nucleus for 10 or 12 farmers of registered Jersey cows. Another event was when he put in the poles and wire for over a half mile to have the first telephone in the area. It was the old style, hand crank type. Our ring was two longs and two shorts and anyone on your line could listen in if they wanted to do so. Because Ross was an electrician, we also had electric lights in our barns and corral. I think we were the only ones to have two barns to house our hay. Almost everyone stacked in the open. We always had good cars, farm equipment, horses and cattle.

Just a little glimpse into the personality of Grandma Agnes. She was only expected to live a few days. Her kidneys were almost gone and she was in our bedroom and Vonda was sitting with her to keep her lips moist. I came in to see how Grandma was doing and as Vonda was stooping over her, I tugged on a lock of her hair. She laughed and swatted at me with her hand. Grandma, who hadn’t spoken in several hours, beckoned Vonda to lean down to hear. She said, “He’s just like his Grandpa. If he bothers you, just jump straddle of his neck and piddle down his back!” Those were her exact words and she passed away about 8:30 the next morning.

I hope you enjoy these memories.

Yours truly,

Rulon Huntington
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
User avatar
Ian
Site Admin
Posts: 2307
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:46 pm

Re: William & George Augustus Huntington

Post by Ian »

i appreciate this very much.
so let it be written... so let it be done.
User avatar
John
Posts: 1015
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:33 am
Location: overtheriverandthroughthewoods
Contact:

Re: William & George Augustus Huntington

Post by John »

:lecture:
...on Huntington nomenclature:
I think this thread should be retitled: "George William and George Augustus Huntington"
William was my great-grandfather's middle name.
When speaking of "William" Huntington, I'm inclined to think of Oliver Boardman's father and grandfather who both went by that name.
I am pleased that that fine old name has been used somewhere in, I think, every subsequent generation, but mostly as a middle name.
The Williams have left a fine legacy, and George William advanced it honorably.
But I believe he was commonly referred to as "George," having received his first given name from his maternal grandfather, George Augustus Neal,
and his second given name from his Paternal grandfather, William Huntington.
"Music's golden tongue flatter'd to tears this aged man and poor."
User avatar
Ian
Site Admin
Posts: 2307
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:46 pm

Re: William & George Augustus Huntington

Post by Ian »

dad, how do you account for the fact that rulon repeatedly refers to his grandfather as william? all of our records indicate that his name is george william, but rulon calls him william...
so let it be written... so let it be done.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests