Joseph F. Smith Angus &
Louisa Caroline (Callie) Pace Angus
(Sister of Rebecca Amelia Pace Nielsen)
Children:
Byrl Agnes Angus (1893 - 1987)
Caroline Marie Angus (1894-1894)
Leah Alice Angus (1895- 1992)
Franklin Robert Angus (1897 - 1960)
Grace Fielding Angus (1901 - 1988)
Iva C Angus (1906 - 1906) (lived only a few hours)
Olive Rowena Angus (1909 - 1948)
Joseph Angus was the fifth son of John Clark and Betsey Archibald Orrick Angus. He was born 16 Nov 1868 in Spanish Fork, Utah.
He married Caroline L. Pace and they were sealed 2 Mar 1892 in the Manti, Utah Temple. His father John Clark Angus was born 25 Nov 1835 in Concrege Perthshire North Scotland. He was baptized 5 April 1856 and came to Utah in 1857 with a hand cart company.
His mother Betsey was born 4 Feb 1838 and came with her father, mother and 3 sisters to Utah. They sailed on the sail ship Monarch, arrived 1861. Betsey was a sweet young widow with 2 small children, Christine and Henry, When John met Betsey he loved her and they were soon married by John Berry. Her younger sister Jessie married Joseph Boyack at the same time. They lived in Provo for a short time where John ran the flour mill. John was a graduate mill wright and set up all flour mills from Spanish Fork south to Cedar City.
They soon moved to Spanish Fork where John made a home for Betsey, her mother and 2 daughters, Agnes and Mary. After a time they realized their family had grown til they needed more room so John bought acreage on the East Bench in Spanish Fork about a mlle from town. At this time Joseph was about ten years old. The boys had to clear the land of sage brush and other wild growth in order to make it tillable for crops.
They built many out buildings to house the animals as well as a beautiful big home with orchards of peaches, pears, apples, quince, and grapes. They had a big cistern for water over which Betsey had planted roses, the first scarlet runners in Utah. They had a wood lot where they planted trees for fuel for the stove for heat and cooking. They had sheep, the wool from which was exchanged for warm blankets and clothing at the woolen mills at Provo.
In the sunny back yard there were rows and rows of drying tables. There the girls dried the fruit for family use and to sell. There were chickens and other fowl and eggs in tubs. Sleek fat cattle and horses, in the barns and a blacksmith shop where repairs were made and horses shoed.
The little grandmother Christine Archibald, being an Edinburgh, Scotland medical graduate and having studied obstetrics under Brigham Young's school, was a very valuable person in the area, as there were few doctors. She delivered 2000 babies--white, copper and one negro baby. Alexander Bankhead was the son of a negro couple who came to Utah with a southern pioneer family. Grandma was ready at any time day or night to leave her comfortable room to go to help the sick or suffering, often bringing food or warm clothing to make her patients more comfortable.
Joseph arrived in this family after four older brothers--Henry, John, Robert, and James. He grew up with all this abundance and love. He had very little formal schooling but all that was available at the time. He was alert and interested in all mechanical things as well as fine cattle, horses and growing crops.
His father purchased a self binder, a machine that would cut and bind the sheathes of grain in bundles, eliminating the hard work of cutting with the cradle. The machine arrived at the farm in a crate with the promise that a man from the Company would be out to put it up. Joseph told his father he thought he could assemble it. Father was not too sure of that but on Saturday, when mother and father left early for a shopping day in Provo, Joseph read the directions and went to work. When the parents arrived home Joseph had the machine running. The grain was falling in place and the binder tying the bundles. All were surprised and delighted. He told his father he had had a lot of machine experience because he had been turning the machine while his mother sewed on her new Singer machine, the first in the valley.
Joseph was a quiet boy on the shy side, never interested in appearing in public or giving speeches but he carried the bag to collect the fast offerings for years and helped when ever called by his Bishop.
In his youth he spent some time out in the Duchesne country raising cattle. While there he became friendly with some of the soldiers at the Fort. He was given a gun by one of the men. He always treasured it as a relic among other treasures. It is still in the family.
When the land there was made available for homes and farms Joseph accompanied his brother Jim and sister Bessie’s husband, Jim Miranda, to the reservation to locate them and others a place to buy. Jim, his brother, became a successful farmer but his sister Bessie died in childbirth. Her husband and two children came back to Spanish Fork. There, brother George and wife cared for the children until he remarried.
Joseph’s older brother John lived out there in Vernal also. All three brothers visited each other often. All raised fine children.
When Joseph was 24 years old he married Caroline L. Pace. Like his father, he was very ambitious and loved a home and family. He immediately built a nice brick home for Callie, his wife, and expected children. He had orchards and all kinds of animals. There was always an abundance of food and baby animals to care for. He also took care of his mother-in-law, Caroline Pace. By farming her land she had money to enlarge and improve her little home, which made her quite independent. She lived very near and there was always love and respect between them, both helpful to each other. She did much to help Callie with her children and housekeeping. They were the parents of seven children, two of which died in infancy. Byrl, Leah, Frank, Grace, and Rowena survived and grew to adults.
In mid-life, John Angus, Joseph’s father had a bad accident in trying to erect a hay pole. It fell across his back causing him to become paralyzed from his neck. The paralysis developed slowly, but the last few years he was completely helpless physically but, mentally alert. He read the papers daily and was able to discuss the news with his friends and loved ones. This was important to Betsy, who cared for him lovingly. He passed away 6 May 1906 in his second home in Lake Shore.
After John’s death Betsy wanted to go back to her old home "On the Bench.” Their estate consisted of two farms with a large home on each one. These properties were willed to their 2 youngest sons, George and Wilford, with the provision that they provide and care for their mother. She made her home with her youngest son Wilford and his wife Hazel. She had her own little apartment adjacent to the big house.
She spent much of her time visiting with her other children, her daughters: Agnus who was a widow who was teaching school, Jane who lived in a ranch in Soda Springs, Idaho and sons in Vernal and Duchesne, Utah.
She was entertaining her dear old friend, Mary Bradford at her home at the time of her death. The two elderly ladies arose early as was their habit and ate a nice breakfast. Wilford helped Aunt Mary into his car to take her home. They said their goodbyes. When Betsy came in the house she told Hazel she didn’t feel very well. Hazel made her a warm drink and helped her back to her bed. She said, “Please say a little prayer the I may go quietly.” Before Wilford, her Bishop or her doctor arrived she slipped away--13 September 1920. She left a great heritage: 12 children and many grand and great grandchildren. What a beautiful lesson she left them-- “Honor thy Father and Mother.” Her little mother lived in their home 40 years.
Joseph was a kind and loving father. He was willing to sacrifice any amount of time and money for the good of his wife and children. He was anxious for the children to have an education. Byrl graduated from teachers college and the U of U. Leah attended L.D.S. business college. Frank worked with Riverside county in Riverside Calif. Grace graduated from the Kester School of Dress design in S.L.C. Rowena was a graduate of a school of Cosmetology. She worked in Spanish Fork.
Joseph was not a regular attendant at church but when a team of horses was needed or a member to do a hard days work, he was present and happy to help with anything the Bishop needed. On Saturday night he and Callie saw that the children were bathed, hair washed and curled, and lovely clothes ready for Sunday School. When the town bell rang at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning Grandma Caroline went with them.
In the autumn when the potato crop was harvested he delivered a winter supply to every needy widow and old couple in the ward. His children were allowed to go with him to see the grateful faces of those sweet old people.
Callie, his wife was a frail woman having had rheumatic fever as a child. She suffered with bouts of crippling rheumatism. In 1902 she had a very severe attack. Nothing the doctor did seemed to help. It was decided that bathing in hot mineral water might eliminate the poison from her body. It was winter and as there was no plumbing or electricity in the home, Joseph had a large bathtub made and traveled weekly to Castilla hot springs to bring the water for her baths. She bathed in the mineral water every evening. Then he carried her to her bed that had been warmed with bags of heated rock salt to induce sweating.
The following summer he took her to the springs in Castilla where her sister Sibbie and an attendant took care of her and bathed her every day. Her little body was crippled and she had to learn to walk again--which was a painful experience. She had the courage and determination of a spartan and fought back to care for her children, Grace, being a very small child. Her feet, hands and back were very misshaped but she was able to care for her home with lots of help from Grandma Caroline, who was her foster mother. When Callie was a little girl her mother and father gave her to Caroline Pace, her father’s first wife who had no children. Caroline loved her and all the children and always did all she could to make them happy. But 6 Apr 1905 she passed away very suddenly with pneumonia. It was very traumatic for all the family.
In Nov 1905, Callie gave birth to her 5th daughter, Iva C., who lived only a few hours. After this time her health improved and 19 April 1909 she gave birth to her last child, Olive Rowena. Her sister Sibbie, who had been living in Idaho had returned to Spanish Fork and was with her at the birth and babyhood of Rowena. Callie’s health improved somewhat until Rowena was a young lady. But on 7 Feb 1928, Callie passed away and was laid to rest in Spanish Fork.
Grace, their fourth daughter and her husband Irving Nelson, was living at home with her parents at the time. So they remained there and cared for the home and Joseph. Joseph retired from farming and rented his land to a fine farmer and sheep man, Jesse Ludlow. However, he retained part of his barn yard 500 chickens, “Tiny” his little jersey cow, his orchard garden, and flower beds.
His last years were quite worry free, surrounded with friends, good neighbors, brothers, sisters, and children who all loved him. He had only four grandchildren.
He was a man who did not preach his religion, he lived it. Such words as hate, envy, greed, gossip were not a part of his life. He was a peace maker.
He was laid to rest Jan 1937 in his loved Spanish Fork.
By Byrl A. Snell
Aug 18, 1985
