Ena Wright Gladden (1919-1986)

This is a personal history as written by Myrtle Langston, Ena's mother. This was written and included in Myrtle's book of remembrance. I have not corrected any spelling but I did add paragraph breaks for convenience. Ena is my paternal grandmother and I remember her from when I was young. She was a good woman.

Ena was born in the hom[e] 1/2 block straight west of the Millard Stake Academy in Hinckley Millard Co. Utah 16 Aug. 1919. The family moved from the farm 23 July 1919 where we had moved to escape the Flu, as 1918 was the first bad year of the flu (the year my bro. Charley died with flu while on a mission in Tongan Islands) An incident happened before Ena's birth I desire to relate. Ena was due to be born Aug. 10 - on a Sun. when she didn't arrive, Joe & I took a ride with "old Snip" hitched to our buggy (one seat) & rode by Sister a widow Mary E. Lee's home - (She nursed me & brot all 4 of our children. Wallace Joe's Dr. brother helped with Ruth, after Sis. Lee had done 1/2 of delivery) We ask her if there was a possibility the baby would wait till Joe returned from a Drainage meeting in S.L. on the following week. She said, "Well, you've waited this long, why can't you wait till he does return." Joe returned Thurs. nite & Ena was born 10 a.m., on Friday. We were still living in the 2 rooms that Norda was born.

Ena has always been a healthy child - for which we were thankful. She was sweet, lovable, & pretty - my mother thot her adorable. Shirley Langston & all neighbors children came & played with our children acting out shows for pins. Ena loved to swim in the Langston's (my Fathers) swimming home at the corner of his lot. It was one of the Town's favorite swimming places - an irrigation ditch. Our home was one in which we taught the children to pray, & attend Primary S.S. Sacrament Meeting & church functions. We were poor in worldly goods or money but we were very happy & tried to help in the Lord's work. Her teachers loved Ena & so far as I know she gave them no trouble.

Both in District and High S. she took parts in plays operettas & operas. She always was obedient to help in home. But now she says Norda tried to "boss" her, & it went against her spirit to be "bossed." Norda was trying to get the tasks done her mother left for the 2 girls to do. I think 5-6 girls made up her crowd of girls as she grew into her "teens." There were only a few boys near her age in Hinckley, so this group went with boys from other towns. This, her parents felt badly about, but couldn't correct it. Hence it was a constant worry to us, her parents.

Ena was a first class dancer, & loved shows, was always happy & laughing. All who have known Ena, all her life, have loved her. Tragedy struck in our home when she married at 17 to a boy from Kentucky, who worked in "CC" Gov't work west of Hinckley, James David Wood. Of course it wasn't L.D.S. temple marriage as he was not L.D.S They stayed in Hinckley for a while then went to Caliente & lived in part of Norda's home. After a year's time she went to Cedar Hospital where Iris was born. J.D. has never seen Iris nor Ena since he saw her in the hospital in Cedar City. Her second marriage came during 2nd world war, as she married Eskel D. Carlson & they had two children, David & Ann. They were divorced & her 3rd marriage was to Everett Gladden of Virginia. He came to Tooele Ordinance Depot where she was living & supporting her 3 children. They seem happy today 18 Feb. 1953. They hope to go to temple soon as possible. They seem not to have children - but are happy with their three.

They are wanting a new home in Tooele & hope they get one soon. Their new De Soto requires $107.00 monthly - & can't save. E.&E. have had trips every summer to fish, hunt, & see Everett's folks in Durango Colorado. It's hard for E&E to save money - living costs are so high, rent, car payments. They both earn fair wages, & are happy in their home. Both are active in the church for which Joe & I are thankful. They have the blessing on the food but not Family prayer. They pay some tithing, I don't know how much. So they have much to do to get a temple recommend. I'll quit writing today 18 Feb. '53 & let Ena fill in the rest as she desires. Everett has quit smoking & is putting on lbs. of weight.

The following vital information was also included with this history:

-- Father's name: Joseph Moroni Wright
-- Mother's maiden name: Myrtle Kezia Langston
-- Born: 16 August 1919 in Hinckley Millard Co. Utah
-- Blessed: 24 August 1919 by her father
-- Baptized: 16 Aug 1927 in canal by the gust mill - west, by her father, Joseph Moroni Wright
-- Confirmed: 16 Aug 1927 by her father
-- Married to: Everett Gladden on 9 April 1948 in her Sister Norda's home in Tod Park by Presiding Elder of Tod Branch by the name of Charles F. Adams
-- Patriarchal blessing: by Willis E. Robison on 16 August 1935

James Bevan (1821-1894)

The following information was derived from a variety of different sources, none of them named. Where possible, I've included photographs to illustrate several aspects of his life.

Some basic information:

-- James Bevan emigrated to America in 1842 on the ship "Hope" arriving and settling in Nauvoo, Illinois,May 14 1846.
-- He was a member of the Mormon Battalion, enlisting at Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the Company A, under Captain Jefferson Hunt. Because he got sick, he was assigned to Lieutenant W.W. Willis' detachment, wintering in Pueblo, Colorado. He came to Utah on July 28, 1847 with Captain James Browns' Company, after passing through Pueblo, Colorado.
-- After 14 months in the Salt Lake Valley (at the time part of Mexico) he returned to what was then the United States and found his wife. He had eleven children with Mary Shields and also married Mary's friend Isabell McPherson.
-- He came to Tooele in 1852 and was a Captain of 10 in the Echo Canyon Campaign against General Johnston's army.

A personal history, unedited except to add paragraph breaks, follows herein:

James Bevan was the son of John and Ann Bairfoot Bevan of Herefordshire, England where he was born October 19, 1821. When he was twenty-six years of age he heard the Gospel as preached by the Mormon missionary Wilford Woodruff and was baptized. He left his native land with other converts, hoping to join the Saints in Zion.

[James travelled on the ship called "Hope" to New Orleans, Louisiana, arriving on 1 April 1842. The first two pages of the ship records are shown here, the second page of which illustrates his name on line 123 with his age of 22 being recorded with a profession of "Labourer".]


About this time the United States was having trouble with Mexico and James Bevan was among the volunteers to join the Mormon Battalion. When the sick detachment was sent to Pueblo, James Bevan was a member of the group. Although James was a strong, young man, he became ill, and was left by the side of the road. He often told his children how he lay alone until he saw a man on horseback approaching him. When the man saw him he dismounted, gave him some water and medicine, then disappeared as quickly as he had come. James began to feel better and started on his way again. He found the camp of the Battalion and was warmly greeted. Many believed that a messenger from God had saved his life.

[I visited the Mormon Battalion Museum in San Diego, CA, and took the following pictures. The statue is not James Bevan, but the plaques show his assignment to Company A.]



He arrived in Salt Lake Valley, July, 1847. In the year 1850, James returned to Council Bluffs where he married Mary Shields on the 9th of May. Upon his return to Salt Lake he acquired a tract of land and took up farming. During the period of the Johnston Army episode, James was Captain of ten men stationed in Echo Canyon. He was Senior President of the 43rd Quorum of Seventies for many years. Death came to James Bevan at the age of seventy-three on October 26, 1894.

The following image is of a newspaper article from the Tooele Transcript-Bulletin, which is a memorial to James Bevan. It is listed as being written by James Dunn and was published on 9 November 1894.

The previous section of the history was tagged with a name of "Alice Bates Herron", who may have been the original author. The following section of history is somewhat redundant, again with an unknown source, but contains a very interesting story about James and a local native when he resided in Tooele, Utah.

Bevan, James, a member of the Mormon Battalion, was born in Herefordshire, England, Oct. 18, 1821, baptized October, 1840, emigrated to America in 1842, crossing the Atlantic in the ship "Hope," and arrived at Nauvoo, Ill., May 14, 1846. He enlisted as a private in Company A of the Battalion, at Council Bluffs, and on account of sickness became a member of Lieutenant W. W. Willis' detachment, which wintered at Pueblo. He arrived in G.L.S. Valley the following summer under Capt. James Brown. After remaining in the Valley about fourteen months, Bevan returned to the States, in company with Howard Egan and others, but came back to the Valley in the spring of 1852 as a married man, and located in Tooele, Tooele county, Utah, where he resided the remainder of his life. He died Oct. 26, 1894 at Tooele.

James Bevan came to Utah, July 28th, 1847. He was in Captain James Brown's company, who was in charge of the sick detachment of Saints. As a member of the Mormon Battalion, James Bevan helped bring the sick Pioneers to Utah. Later he served as a Captain in the Echo Canyon Campaign when Sidney Johnston's Army made their hostile entrance into Utah in 1857. He suffered many hardships, through that winter; the snow was deep and the men had to wrap burlap sacks around their feet to keep them from being frozen.

As a settler in Tooele, Utah, he helped build the city. He hauled logs from the canyons to be used in the building of homes and schoolhouses for the people. One time while he was in the hills, loading logs in his wagon to help with the building in the village, he paused in his work to fry some pancakes for his lunch. It was customary in those days to carry some flour, a frying pan, and other provisions when in the hills.

This time he had his fire made and a pancake cooking when he was startled to hear a noise behind him. Turning quickly to see what caused the noise, he was face to face with Weiber Tom, a very large and fearsome Indian, whom all the settlers feared. The Indian looked very mean, raised his tomahawk and said, "I kill you!"

James Bevan wasn't a coward, but he feared the Indian because he was unarmed and no match for so large an Indian. He offered a silent prayer to God and then he reached over to the fire and handed the cooked pancake to the Indian, saying, "You eat." To his surprise Weiber Tom took the offered cake, said, "Me eat." More pancakes were baked and the Indian ate until he was well fed. To James Bevan's surprise, Weiber Tom walked to the wagon that was being loaded with logs and helped him load them. When the load was completed, he climbed on the wagon with him and rode out of the hills to the home of James Bevan, where he saw the family and was given more food.

From that time on he was a friend of the Bevan family. It was a common sight to see the Indian at their home. He would ask if Cap. Bevan was home. If he wasn't, he would wait out in the yard, and when he saw him coming with his team and wagon, he would run to meet him like a child.