JULIA ANN TOMPKINS GIBBS
Born: 20 Feb 1820 Place: Bristol, Gloucester, England
Died: 22 Aug 1898, Portage, Box Elder, Utah
Buried: 25 Aug 1898, Portage, Box Elder, Utah
Julia and her husband, John Duggan Gibbs and their five sons left Liverpool, England in May 1863 sailing on the CYNOSURE with 754 Saints to New York Harbor 19 July 1863. They came west on the railroad to St. Joseph, Missouri, then steamboat to Florence, Nebraska, arriving 10 August 1863. Thomas Ricks company of one hundred wagons, with a yoke of four oxen each brought them into Salt Lake Valley on the 4 October 1863.
Julia Ann Tompkins, born February 20, 1820, at Bristol, Gloucester, England, the daughter of George Tompkins and Ann Stephens. Her father was a tinplate worker and he had a shoeshop. At an early age Julia Ann worked in her father's shoe shop. She was a shoe binder and buttonhole worker. With her striking character and beautiful form she soon attracted John Duggan Gibbs, who was working as an apprentice in her father's shop. After a very pleasant courtship, they were married in the year 1841. They both worked for her father until their first child was born. His name was George Francis Gibbs. He was not permitted to live and brighten their home. He died September 1, 1842.
Filled with sorrow they moved to Haverfordwest Pembroke, South Wales, and opened up a shoeshop for themselves. Here business steadily grew and flourished. On May 20, 1844, a daughter was born to this couple only to bring happiness to their home a short time. Her name was Martha Ann Gibbs. She died August 14, 1844. The years of 1845 and 1846 were years of sorrow, Thomas Henry and John Duggan died in their infancy. On August 9, 1848, a son was born. This was a joy to them but Julia Ann was very careful and worried about him because of her past experience. He grew and was her pride and joy, for she loved children. His name was Charles Tompkins Gibbs. The year of 1851 was an eventful year for Julia Ann. On the 7th of February 1851, a son was born to them. They named him William Henry Gibbs.
In this year men from America came teaching a new religion. They told of a young man whom the Lord had appeared to and given him power to translate a book that contained the true Gospel and was another witness that Jesus is The Christ. At first she did not take any interest in it. She was too busy caring for her two sons and helping out in their shoe shop. Their business was very good and they worked long hours to keep up with it. By this time George Duggan Gibbs (John Duggan Gibbs' brother) had accepted this religion, they called Mormonism and was baptised, his wife was also baptised. Through the efforts of George Duggan Gibbs and his wife Ellen Phillips, Julia Ann with her husband John Duggan Gibbs was baptized on February 7, 1852. This was on their son's William Henry's first birthday.
After joining the Mormons or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they experienced a new life - the joy of living the Gospel, the sorrow of losing their friends. Their shoe business was lost and it became hard to make a living. Her mother became very bitter and would not let her come home. She was an outcast from her family. Her mother would not answer her letters when she would write to her. She stayed that way till she died. That made Julia Ann feel very bad to think her mother had lost her love for her just because she had joined the church of her choosing. This did not lessen her testimony for the Gospel, but it became stronger and brighter all the time.
On April 1, 1853, another son was born. His name was Samuel Willard Gibbs. On June 26, 1855, a daughter came to their home only to live a short time for on May 18, 1856, she too passed away. Her name was Louise Elizabeth Gibbs. Julia Ann was grief stricken, her second daughter, she was not permitted to live. But the gospel she had accepted taught her all about the resurrection, a just and merciful God. Her babies would be taken back into His presence and she would be permitted to rear them in a better world. She received much joy and happiness in these teachings and was thankful unto her Heavenly Father that His gospel had come to her and she had accepted it. On June 28, 1857, Joseph Edward Gibbs was born. James Hyrum was born June 15, 1860.
Shortly after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her husband was called to help the Elders, to teach the gospel to the saints and other missionary work. This took him away from home. When he was away Julia Ann had the responsibility of the shop and the home. This she did with a willing heart and a prayer on her lips that some day they would be able to go to Zion and enjoy the Gospel and its blessings with the Saints. For eleven long years she worked. Her home was always open to the missionaries. She also did their washing and mended for them. In May 1863, Julia Ann received a promise and a blessing. She was promised that she would arrive in Zion safely. But nothing was said about her health.
Julia and her husband, John Duggan Gibbs and their five sons left Liverpool, England in May 1863 on the CYNOSURE sailing vessel with 754 Saints, and arrived in New York Harbor 19 July 1863. They continued west on railroad cars to St. Joseph, Missouri, where they boarded a steamboat to Florence, Nebraska, arriving 10 August 1863. Their journey West continued with Thomas Ricks company of one hundred wagons, each drawn by a yoke of four oxen as they crossed the plains to arrive in Salt Lake Valley 4 October 1863.
In telling the story of coming to Zion to her grandchildren she said, "I took sick and was bedfast for the entire voyage across the ocean, six weeks if you please. Indeed I was sick all the way. Even driving across the plains I suffered intense pain and sickness. I was an expectant mother and I did suffer." While crossing the ocean measles broke out on the ship and their youngest son James Hyrum was sick with them.
She tells of her life as follow: "Upon our arrival at Willard, Utah, there was no vacant houses or rooms. Brother Ward, the father of Moroni Ward, told us we could live in a log building he had used to stable his milk cows. This indeed was repulsive to me in the extreme. But grandpa was equal to the occasion, he set to work cleaning out the building putting in new dobbing, new dirt for the floor and tamped it down, then white washed the walls and ceiling with white clay. This clay was obtained from a clay bank near the mountain. We arrived in Willard in the evening. When I arose the next morning I had a new worry. I was in constant dread both day and night. I was afraid of those high cliffs that they might topple down on us. Then too, I hadn't heard a word from any of my folks and I was sure I never would because they cast me out because I had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the church commonly called the Mormons.
One day I was unusually depressed. I felt as though I could not stand this feeling another day. As I retired to my bed that night I Prayed for relief of this dreaded feeling. Some time after retiring to my bed I fell asleep and then I had a dream or vision. In my dream I saw a beautiful valley covered with waving grass and not a tree or any other obstacle to obstruct my view. This valley I was told would be our future home and I would rear my sons and a daughter, and yet I had no daughter, to manhood and womanhood. The sons would rear their families in this beautiful valley. Then the scene changed. I was back in Wales and there I saw my sons go out one by one as their father had done to become apprentices to learn a trade or a way of making a livelihood as best they could. The trials were the same as their father had gone through. Then the vision vanished. The next morning I was quite well. I had no fear that the mountains would fall. My mind was at rest and I was assured of the future. Yes, I was happy. My mind was at ease again. I was assured we had aspoused and was enlisted in the work of God. I told my dream to my husband and he assured me it was for our good.
Time went on and the baby, a beautiful girl arrived at 2:00 a.m., born December 16, 1863, at Willard, Box Elder County, Utah. There was no doctors to help with this baby. So a good Sister Hardy who was a nurse was obtained to take care of the mother and the baby. It was a stormy night and in the morning they found that the snow had blown in on the bed of mother and baby. They were all very excited over this, and was afraid that the baby or mother would take cold. The baby was very tiny and mother did not have enough milk of her own to feed her baby, and the milk from the cow could not be digested by the baby. It seemed that this daughter would not be permitted to live. Once again the gospel and the blessings of it came into the home. Sister Hardy, Golden Gibbs' second great grandmother, came and gave this tiny babe her dinner every day, some days she would have to go through snow knee deep but that was part of the gospel plan, to have charity in our hearts. By this help this tiny baby was saved. The name they gave her was Matilda Jane Gibbs.
A few years later my son William Henry was sent into the Malad Valley to plant some grain. This he did and from his effort we had sufficient to pay for the seed and enough left for a year supply. In the meantime we had secured a yoke of oxen. The following spring William was again assigned to go to the Malad Valley to farm. It was decided that I and the baby go with him so I could prepare his food and possibly help in some way. Preparations were made and we commenced our journey for the Malad Valley. The oxen traveled slow. As we passed over the hill, what is now known as Plymouth, I caught sight of the valley I saw in my dream. I had William stop the oxen and I told him that this was our future home. "Yes, I was happy. My home, my valley, my all was centered here."
Julia Ann Tompkins Gibbs moved to Portage, Box Elder County, Utah, in May, 1870 with her family and helped to settle a new part of the country. In September Matilda would go to Willard with her mother to pick and peel peaches on shares. Some of these they would dry by spreading them in the sun. Some they would have made into preserves. This was done by Brother George Mason, who had a vat in which he made molasses from sugar cane then he would make preserves from the molasses and peaches. Some of the peaches would be peeled and some would be washed clean and preserved with the peeling on. Brother Ward, Brother Beacher and Brother Hubbard were very liberal in giving of their fruits and vegetables. This fruit was praised very highly by the family.
Her life in Portage is written by Eliza Ann Hall which is as follows. In the year of 1874, my father and my husband came here to Portage and bought land and made homes. When we first came to Portage we had a very sick child. Mrs. Julia Ann Gibbs was first Councilor in the Relief Society here and the next day she made a visit to us. I shall never forget the peace and comfort that accompanied that visit. It is a happy thought to me in years of toil and hardship. I loved her as she was a sincere Latter-day Saint with love for service. Her cheerful smile and words of comfort to her associates will never be forgotten. Her testimony of the truth of the Gospel had the ring of faith, hope and charity. Wherever sickness or death occurred, she was always found there to assist, never intruding but ready to do all in her power to help make people comfortable. If mistakes were made she would never censure. It was an inspiration to see tears roll up in her eyes and she would say, "Judge not, lest ye be judged."
Mrs. Gibbs also took up the work of obstetrics where she gained many warm friends. No matter how cold or disagreeable, rain or shine, she was always willing to go with a prayer in her heart, and she was always successful. As I look on her long beautiful life, I remember that she was always bright, vivid in personality and a close companion to her children. She also inherited a keen sense of humor which lifted the clouds of sorrow from many a toilsome task. She possessed a quiet dignity and a modest humility which gave her poise and charm. She faced life's problems with faith in God's promise. Her attitude toward her husband was that of helpfulness. She was submissive to his position as the head of the family and taught the children to respect and obey their father.
Being first counselor in the Relief Society she had a better chance to show her usefulness in the church. She was sympathetic and adaptable which made her, of course, popular in her wide circle of friends. This trait, however, was not superficial but extended to her loving charity for the unfortunate wherever she found them.
Originally signed
Eliza Ann Hall
Julia Ann Tompkins loved pretty dresses and shoes which she wore very becomingly to her in all ages of her life. She had a very small foot which she liked to show. They said when she went to church she would pull her dress up a little so people could see her pretty little feet.
This history was derived from family histories in my possession.
Respectfully submitted by great grandson Darwin L. Salisbury
