Joseph William Tippets (Joey)
Joseph William Tippets was born 29 January 1863 at Perry, Box Elder County, Utah to Joseph Mahonri and Alice Jeannette Tippets. He had an older sister, Alice Rosalie, who was born 16 June 1861. His paternal grandfather Joseph Harrison and step-grandmother Amanda Melvina Perry had gone to Perry to be with others in the family. His grandmother, Rosalie Elvira Perry, had died in Illinois and Joseph H. had married her sister Amanda. His maternal grandparents were Joseph Plummer and Sophia Burnham Mead Tippets. Also living in Perry were Amanda’s parents Gustavus Adolphus and Eunice Wing Perry. His parents called him Joey.
His other brothers and sisters were: Eliza Rebecca born and died 13 January 1865, Mary Ellen born 5 May 1866, and Harrison Plummer born 16 October 1868.
He grew up with many cousins in Perry. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was helping on the farm. It was a necessity to know how to grow crops and raise animals for a living. When he was 19 years old, Ellen Rosenbaum became his wife on 2 March 1882 in Brigham City, Utah. She was the daughter of Morris Rosenbaum and Alice Neibaur.
In June of 1882, Joey and Chris went to Bear Lake to work for the summer. After returning in the fall, he helped with the threshing and digging of potatoes. There was no sale for them as the boys pitted the potatoes at the farm. His first son Joseph Maurice was born 9 January 1883, in Brigham City. His father tells about Joey getting shot while hunting September 30, 1883:
I shall always remember it was Sunday, and Quarterly Conference. Joey and Sammy had come home from the Canyon on Saturday about noon, and went over to the River hunting. I had told them a great many times NOT to hunt on Sunday, and yet I don't feel free from blame.
They had come into the Shop where I was at work and talked of going, no doubt for the purpose of getting my sanction. But I was worried with my work, and didn't take any notice of them, but went on down to the Field and didn't get back till after dark. They had gone while I was away. When I got back and found they had gone, I was vexed, and I wished in my heart that something would happen to prevent them from being so ready to break the Sabbath Day and thinking so lightly of sacred things. But little did I realize the fearful ordeal through which we would have to pass.
The next day, about 3 o'clock p.m., I was called out of Meeting and told that Joey had shot himself in the breast and was perhaps dead… I was not prepared for such fearful news, and was nearly paralyzed, or stunned, at first. My son, dead? He was just perhaps badly wounded. It had happened to teach him a lesson, was the whisperings of the Spirit, and yet I started to meet him, with fear and trembling. I had not gone far when I saw them coming and he was setting up in the seat. My fears were settled. YES… He would live. He was covered by a blanket so I could not see his face; it was raining. When we got home, and I saw his face, my heart almost ceased to beat. The deathly pallor of his face, his sunken eyes and haggard look brought cries from his wife and mother, "Oh, oh, Joey, Joey..." were the first words I heard uttered from the depths of a mother’s heart.
I said, "Bring him in the house," and I took hold of, and helped to carry him in...the blood running a stream all the way.
The first words he said after we got him into the house were, "Administer to me, can't you?" We did as requested, and he felt easier.
The shot had entered about midway between the right nipple and breastbone, passing through the right lung and lodging under the shoulder blade close to the skin. He had bled until his clothes were soaked with blood, and was still bleeding very fast. He had been holding his hand over the wound to stop the blood, and keep the wind from drawing in and out as he breathed. The cavity would fill with blood, and when he would cough, or move, it would gush out a pint at a time, or more. It was near 4 o'clock when he got home.
We telegraphed to Ogden for a doctor, but he could not get there until ten. He (Joey) was administered to a number of times, and felt relief each time. The second or third time we could both see and feel its effects. The color came back to his face, the light to his eyes and hope beamed from his countenance and the pain mostly ceased. He sat up in a chair until the doctor came, which was near 10 o'clock.
The doctor examined the wound and said there was nothing to be done for him: nature would have to work a cure if he got well, but we thought the doctor acted as if he had not much hope that Joey would get well. Still...we had faith that the Lord would not forsake us, as he had already manifested His power to save. It was our only hope. And our hopes were not in vain. Joey laid down and passed a comparatively quiet night. The doctor went home the next morning having prescribed a prescription for cough, and a few pills to ease pain, should he become restless. But he didn't need the pills, and didn't suffer much pain.
The third or fourth day he had considerable pain and fever, and was so sore he could scarcely be turned in bed. We began to get uneasy about him. Brother A. A. Jensen called in and administered to Joey and the pain almost instantly ceased, and all that we had faith to ask was granted.
We prayed to God to give him strength to endure until the wound should be healed, with many other blessings which all have been granted, so far. He recovered strength immediately, turned himself over in bed without the least pain, and called for his baby and talked and played with him for a long time. But our faith was weak…we said, "Be careful and not worry and move too much, or you will hurt yourself."
He has continued to improve and is still doing well, about 20 or 21 days from the time he was hurt. He went out of doors and walked to the next house, 30 rods.
October 1, 1883 was raining and dreary. Joey’s father, Mahonri, spent the first two weeks mostly watching beside Joey. Sammy and Harrison were digging potatoes when the weather would permit.
His mother was called to go to Salt Lake City to study midwifery in November of 1883. When she left, Joey was able to be out and about when it wasn't stormy. He was weak but getting stronger. The family had put their trust in the Lord. Their prayers had been answered.
The years of 1884 - 1887 were spent doing the farm work. The weather was fairly good. Peaches, strawberries, and currants bloomed and produced well. His sister Mary married Hans Sorensen 17 December 1884 in the Logan temple. In March of 1885, several of the family went to Star Valley. They thought it a beautiful place, a paradise if it were not for the cold weather in the winters. Mahonri bought a place in Bennington.
An entry May 18, 1886 in Mahonri's journal reads, "Myself, wife, Joey, Alice, Mary and husband, his mother and father went over to Logan the 9th, to work in the Temple. Received endowments for dead relatives the 10th and 11th and 12th. Had our children sealed to us, came home 13th. We can assume Joey was active in the church and concerned about doing temple work.
In Mahonri's journal is recorded Oct. 29, 1886, "Have potatoes all dug, had near 500 bushels. Joey has made three trips to Bear Lake with fruit, and I made one. We sold near $100 worth of fruit at Bear Lake and sold $25 worth of dried fruit. Harrison has worked about two months, at $1.50 per day. Joey has earned upwards of $40.00 working out west, he is now quite well, weighs as heavy as ever did before he was hurt."
The spring of 1887 Joey was preparing to move the family to Bear Lake. He now had two more children. William Harrison born 14 September 1884, and Edgar born 8 April 1886 in Brigham City.
Joey and his family started out for Bear Lake May 10th 1887. His parents helped them make the move. They had 2 teams and wagons. They had 5 colts, 1 cow and a yearling calf and some chickens. Feed along the way was poor because of the dry, cold ground. It took them five days to get there. By the first of June they had hauled enough logs for his house and started the foundation. His parents went back to Perry to get more supplies. By July 28, his parents were back and Joey started moving into his house. They had a nice garden planted, too.
Others of the family living in the area were Hans, Chris, Harrison and Sammy, who are mentioned in Mahonri's journal. Joey's parents also moved there April 1888. Several trips had been made between Brigham City and Bear Lake to get all the supplies they needed to farm there. The Tippets family built a saw mill in the canyon. They spent a lot of time felling trees and cutting them to make lumber for their homes and barns.
Throughout Mahonri's journal he tells of Joey's activities and work. Things like "We sheared 32 sheep today. Dipped all but 17. Dip cost 75 cents. Joey homesteaded his land on the river. Joey went to the mill. Joey not feeling well. Joey and Harrison got a new mower. Joey's stack yard burned up today. Lost hay and straw worth $30, stables and other stuff burnt $25. (26 April 1898) Joey bought 3 heifers. Paid $26 for them. Joey went to Ovid to hunt calves. Stayed over night. Found one, two gone yet. The hog Joey took to town brought $8.50, weighed 170 lbs. He got Nellie a coat with it. Joey sold $4.00 worth of berries in Montpelier. Joey took squirrel tails to Paris and got $9.30 worth $1.00 each. Joey's little boy Aaron got one of his toes cut off. Joey began mowing Lucern. Joey sold a span of colts for $100 cash. Joey and Harrison went to meeting. We shipped 10 cases of strawberries to Salt Lake. Went to the Logan temple. (1896) Joey was endowed for Ezra Mead and ordained for Nathan Wilcox. Joey was sealed to Fanny Rosenbaum. (She was Nellie's sister who died 26 February 1887) Joey and I went to the river to fish. Caught 50 lbs. Mostly suckers. Joey and Harrison took a load of lumber to Montpelier. Joey went to Ovid with a load of oats and brought back some fruit that had come from Brigham City. Joey got back from the mill with a load of lumber. Joey went hunting. Joey took Fast Offering to Georgetown of 100 lbs of flour. Dug our tithing potatoes paid 35 bushel. The Bishop said they were the best that had been brought in this fall.
From these entries of his father's journal we learn much of how he lived and some of what he did. He was a hard worker even though his health was not good. He provided well for his family. He attended to his church duties.
Joey was the father to eleven more children, all born in Georgetown, Idaho. Louisa born 11 December 1887, Fannie born 18 June 1889, Alice born 16 February 1891, Walter Aaron born 14 December 1892, Claudius born 19 September 1884, Ellen born 26 April 1896, Henry Lewis born 5 March 1898, Wallace born 25 January 1900, Mary Catherine born 17 November 1901, Leah Jeanette born 21 December 1903, Rebecca Violet born 30 March 1906.
He died 18 August 1911 at the age of 48 just a year after his father's death. He was buried in Georgetown Idaho cemetery. Even though he suffered pain from the hunting accident, and was never real healthy, he accomplished a lot in his short life. He was a doer not a complainer. He set a high standard for all his descendants to live up to.