Part 3: Ancestral History

This is the first of two writings about Joseph Obadiah Stradling Sr. ... the brother to my great grandmother Rose Stradling... and his wife Hanssina Thomsen.  The other will come next week.  I will continue to look for bits and pieces on the St. John's connection to throw in here every once in a while.

 

Arizona's Honeymoon Trail pg. 202-203 (found in the Snowflake Arizona Family History Center)

Joseph Obadiah Stradling Sr. - Hanssina Thomsen Joseph Obadiah Stradling Sr. was sixteen when his parents (William Stradling and Sophia Bush) moved from Provo in 1881 to help colonize the Little Colorado settlements. Joseph's father returned to Utah to attend to business matters and Joseph did a man's work on the farm in the absence of his father. He cut posts and built fences, dug irrigation ditches, hauled lumber, carried the mail, and worked on public works' projects such as ditches and dams. he also served in whatever capacity the church leaders assigned to him. 

In the fall of 1884, Joseph was working with a thresher crew at the farm of Hans Adolph Thomsen. During the noon break, he was attracted to the young lady who waited tables--- Hanssina Thomsen, the farmer's daughter. It took him six months to muster courage to ask her for a date. Their first date was May 1, 1885, when they attended a May Day dance in the log meeting house. 

Hanssina was an accomplished young lady. She had her own horse, saddle, and gun. She could ride and shoot and was capbable in all domestic and farm chores. She kept her revolver in a holster fastened inside the covered wagon box. One Sunday several young people came home with the family after Sunday School. Hanssina, to show off, reached into the wagon got the gun, pointed it in the direction of one of the girls and pulled the trigger. It was the same old story of the empty gun that wasn't empty . She had been careful to unload the gun before she went to town that morning, but one of the boys had occasion to use in and left it loaded. To her horror the gun went off, the bullet barely missing the girl, who had dodged enough to save her life Hanssina never shot the gun again.

In the Spring of 1887 Joseph Stradling went to Flagstaff with his team to haul ties for the railroad. He worked hard and saved his money. The job was finished in July and he sold his horses. The proceeds from the sale of his team, and his wages made hima sizeable wedding stake. He returned home and was persuaded to put his money in a newly-organized bank for safe keeping until he needed it. He did and the bank shut its doors. He never got a dollar of his money back. 

Joseph and Hanssina planned to travel to the St. George Temple with another young couple. When the two young men applied for their temple recommends, the Bishop turned them both down. He did not consider them as active in their church duties as they should be. The other couple went on with a civil marriage, but Hanssina would not consent to such an arrangement and the wedding was postponed indefinitely, finally, in 1888 Joseph obtained a recommend and Joseph and Hanssina left for St. George in February.

Brother Nelson and his bride-to-be (second wife) accompanied them in another wagon. Their problems did not end with their arrival in St. George. It was Sunday, March 11, when they arrived, and the temple was closed until Wednesday. They went back to the temple on Wednesday and were told they had to have a marriage license. This new law had just become effective. It is said theirs was the first marriage in the St. George Temple that required a license. They went to the County Clerk's office for the license. By then it was late in the afternoon when they arrived at the temple. The marriage ceremony was performed -- the date was March 14, 1888. They started back home the same evening. The two teams and wagons averaged twenty five to thirty miles a day. ----Glenda Maude Stradling Lloyd-----