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Doctor Grandma French of Winslow
- Utah State University Press
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CJ)o[tor Grandma French Q/ Winslow Emma stretched, straightened her legs to almost touch the foot of the bed, and raised her arms above her head. She had been dreamingcrazy , mixed-up dreams without sense. She had been back in Old England with her brother, Henry, and then suddenly she seemed to be in a place, new and strange, raw, desolate, with only a few scattered houses. If John D. were here, he would have figured some portent or meaning to it all. But John was gone,and she felt almost a relief that at last he was beyond the power of evil men to harass him further. Then she remembered: today was an important day, May 16, 1879. Today she would sign the deed to the ferry. Brother Johnson had arrived with word that he was to take over the ferry at once. He brought some new parts and a letter to the effect that the Church would pay Emma 100 head of cattle for her loss. So, whether she wanted to or not, she must leave. That, too, would be good; her children needed companionship -schools, church, dances, picnics. They needed to associate with others their own age; they needed a new world as much as she had when she left England. Moving would be good for them, as that move had been for her, in spite of the sufferings with the handcart journey and the problems after her arrival in Zion. At breakfast she talked it over with the children, for all must cooperate . Each must collect his own things, sort what he would take, and leave the rest in the granary bin for whoever might find and want them. Who knows, that just might be a former playmate from Utah. Bedding, 98 Juanita Brooks clothing, dishes, books, and a few "treasures" must be kept. She herself would see to the packing and storage of the food. Frank French had told her earlier that when she was ready to leave, he would gladly help her; in fact, he would like to go along with her. He was a prospector who at times made headquarters a mile or so above her place, had bought supplies from her, and had eaten an occasional meal with the family. She really needed his help now, and he took hold as if he were in command. At last the loose cattle were over the river with Billy and Ike on horseback to drive them. Frank took the lead wagon, and Emma herself drove the second one. All the children walked over the long, hard pull across "Hell's Back Bone," that terrifying stretch over which it seemed that the slip of an inch would send them literally to destruction. By this time, Emma knew that Frank French was a necessity. They camped at all the established watering spots: Navajo Springs, Bitter Spring, Limestone Tank, Willow Spring, Moenkopi, stopping to let the cattle feed and allowing the horses to rest. They arrived at the fort at Sunset on July 16, 1879, but instead of getting one hundred head of cattle from Lot Smith, she did well to get fourteen head, most grudgingly given. This experience helped Emma decide to marry Frank Frenchhe was honorable and honest, and he could defend her interests better than she could herself. As they approached the new town of Snowflake, Frank suggested that they stop to learn if they could be legally married there. At this time the territory of Arizona was in the midst of marking out county boundaries , naming counties, and preparing for statehood. Judge Stinson had succeeded in getting Snowflake made temporary county seat of Apache County. County business was conducted in the large living room of the Flake home where all the legal forms and papers were kept in a rolltop desk. Performing a marriage was no simple matter for James Stinson, for he was new in the business. But it was soon done, duly witnessed by Fred Muller and S. Willis, and signed by Judge Stinson. The marriage could not be legally filed until later, at which time the date was changed from the ninth to the eighth of August, 1879. On January 22, 1880, it was formally entered in the county recorder's books. Doctor Grandma French 99 While we have no other written account of this marriage, it is likely that Emma and Frank would have had all the family present to witness the ceremony-present in clean clothes, scrubbed...