JOSEPH H. SCHVANEVELDT Sr. Biography

I was born at Omaho Nebraska, the 28th day of June, 1859. My parents were Edward Conrad Emile Schvaneveldt, and my mother Karna Toolson.

I was the oldest child of my mother. My father had another family previous, but was separated from them.

Before I was a year old in 1860, my parents started across the plains to Utah. My first birthday came while we were on the plains.

I can remember my mother letting me out of the wagon and I would eat some of the wagon grease from the hubs of the wheels. I can remember plainly riding in the wagon.
We first settled in Brigham City for a short time and then to Harper Ward, four miles north of Brigham City.

When I was a small child I can remember an Indian chief coming to our house for something to eat. His name was Chief Pocotello. My mother gave him some bread and butter. Be was not satisfied, he wanted molasses too. She would not give him any, so he went to the shelf to help himself. Mother hit him on the back of the hand and he drew his knife to scalp her. Just then a hired man came in and grabbed a gun. The Indian was afraid of the gun. The hired man would have shot him, but my father came in and stopped him.

In 1872, we moved to Weston, Idaho where we engaged in farming and dairy business. My father and mother had nine children, five boys and four girls. They were born in North Brigham except myself, being born in Omaho Nebraska, and my youngest sister, who was born in Weston. They are Neils, John, Nellie, Conrad, Karna Sophia, Erastus, Seth, Mary.

There were many persacuters of the saints. I was asked to carry many petitions, to help the saints as I could understand both English and Scandinavian language.

I remember Brigham Young very well. The children would all line up where Brigham Young would pass by in his carriage, and we would all salute him.

In 1877, I went to work on the Logan Temple. I first helped to build a road to Temple Mill. When that was done I worked in the saw mill. My first work in the mill was tending ractkets. Then I learned sawing.

I worked five years at the saw mill in Temple Fork in Logan Canyon. I went home a short time in the winter. I worked at the saw mill all one winter making shingles and lumber.

Nearly every night we would have a stag dance. There were only two women in the camp. We would take turns dancing with them. The other men would dance with each other. Charlie Ball, a fiddler, furnished our music. Sometimes we had an accordion too.

Charles O. Card was superintendent at the mill. Golden Kimball, Joseph Gibbons, Elias Kimball and many other prominent men were at the mill while I was there.

In 1885, I went to Deer Lodge Montana, to work on railroad, constructing and building grades.

Later I worked in Soda Spring and Gentile Valley running saw mills and farming. I met Mary Williams while in Gentile Valley, and we were married, December 19, 1888. We took up land and started farming in Gentile Valley.

About 1891, I went on a mission to North and South Carolina's. I was there two years.
Mary, our first child was a small girl and our second child Joseph was born while I was on my mission.

When I returned I was made second counselor in the bishopric, in Mound Valley Ward. Two more children were born in Gentile Valley, Edna and Wesley. Wesley died when he was 19 months old.

In 1900 we sold our farm in Gentile valley and moved to Logan. I bought 428 acres of land west of town in cow lane, and engaged in farming and stock raising. Our youngest child Melvin was born in Logan in 1903.

After I stopped dealing in stock, I was cattle inspector for cache county for a number of years. When the boys were older we engaged in the dairy business and farming.

I was 77 years old 28th of June 1936 and in good health.

He lived to be 83 years old and was a High priest in the Logan 7th Ward. He died July 16, 1943 in Logan.

--Written August 16, 1936
By Jennie Schvaneveldt (Sarah Jane SCHOLES)


OBITUARY:
Funeral services for Joseph H. Schvaneveldt, 84-year-old retired farmer and stockman who died last evening, will be conducted Monday at 1 p.m. in Logan Seventh ward chapel, with Bishop A. George Raymond officiating.

Friends may call at the family home, 110 South Fourth East street, Sunday evening and Monday until time of rites. Interment in Logan City cemetery will be under direction of the Kenneth Lundquist mortuary.

Mr. Schvaneveldt had been ill for nearly three yers. He was known as a prominent Logan church worker and civic builder, and had lived in this city for 43 years.

He was born June 28, 1859, in Omaha, Neb., a son of Edward Conrad Emil and Carrie Toolson Schvaneveldt. He married Mary Williams on Dec 19, 1888, in the Logan LDS temple.

His early live was spent in southern Idaho, where he was a farmer and sheepman. He worked at the temple mill in Logan canyon as a sawyer during the time the Logan L.D.S. temple was under construction. During the term of Governor Charles H. Mabey, he served as brand inspector for Cashe couty.

Mr. Schvaneveldt was active throughout his lifetime in L.D.S. church work. He served on a mission to the southern states from 1891 to 1893 and as a bishop's counselor in the Gentile, Idaho L.D.S. stake.

Surviving are his widow of Logan, two sons and daughters, J. H. Schvaneveldt, Jr., Mrs. Edna S. Clayton and Melvin E. Schvaneveldt of Logan; 19 grandchildren and one great grandchild.