LIFE STORY OF NEPHI MARTIN PERKINS
Completed 15 March 1957 by one of his children
Our father, Nephi Martin Perkins, was born 1 May 1867 at Franklin, Oneida, Idaho. He was the son of Joseph Thomas Perkins, who
was born 24 September 1820 at Loughor,
Glamorganshire, Wales and
Margaret Martin, who was born 22 December 1833 at Pint, Brecknockshire,
Wales.
Grandfather and grandmother Perkins were
married on 25 December 1852 at Dowlais,
Glamorganshire, Wales and in
1855 they immigrated to the United States
with their infant son, Thomas Martin; leaving Wales
in March and arriving in the Salt
Lake Valley
on October 31st.
They settled temporarily in North Ogden,
Utah and lived there until the spring of 1857
when they moved to Provo, Utah
where they remained until the spring of 1860 when grandfather went to Cache Valley
where he joined others in establishing a settlement in Franklin.
Franklin, situated in the northern end of the valley, was the first
permanent settlement in Idaho. There grandfather prepared a home for his
wife and four small children who joined him in June.
Times were hard and difficult for the early settlers because of
privation, sickness and molestation by Indians, but they were staunch in their
faith and true to the gospel cause and conditions gradually improved.
Grandfather and grandmother acquired some property; a team of oxen,
cows, sheep and a wagon.
In order for grandfather to obtain work to help support his family, it
was necessary for him to be away from home most of the time. That left the care of the home and children
pretty much up to grandmother, but records tell us she was very capable.
Nine children were born to them:
Thomas Martin, Margaret Silvia, Joseph Mathew
Martin (Margaret and Joseph were twins), William Martin, Edward Martin, Celia
Jane, Lorenzo Martin, Nephi Martin and David Alma.
Our father, Nephi Martin, was reared with his brothers and sisters
until he was five or six years of age when his parents separated and were
divorced.
Grandmother then took the younger children and went back to North Ogden
or Hooper, Utah where they
had resided before moving to Provo.
page 2
They remained there for some time and then moved to Dayton, Idaho
where they remained and established a home.
Our father received very little schooling, but what he was able to
obtain was in the old log, one-room school house in Dayton, Idaho. This building was located on the northwest
corner of the block on which the new West Side High School now stands; a
monument to the faithful pioneers who settled Dayton and really laid the
foundation.
Father grew to manhood endowed with an exceptionally pleasing
personality that won the love, respect and confidence of all his
associates. He was a leader in all
sports and recreation, a beautiful singer and graceful dancer. At the public dances he often did the calling
for the old-time quadrilles. He was
rarely upset emotionally and was always congenial and pleasant with everyone.
Copied by Mavanee Mitchell
(Steele) on 2 January 2013. Mavanee is a 1st
cousin, three times removed of Nephi Martin Perkins.
