07/15/08

I call Dad everyday. Our conversations haven't changed. He talks about volleyball and how Lexi is the world's greatest volleyball player. He also talks about how he meets people and makes connections. He met my sister-in-law Elizabeth this weekend for a little photo shoot and made about 3 connections during that time. She told me that there should be a game called, 7 Degrees of Separation to Phil Brown (not Kevin Bacon), which I think is the truest statement ever made. He also managed to tell a few of his jokes to help loosen up the atmosphere at his photo shoot. :)

Today our conversation went something like this:

Nikki: Hey Dad - how are you feeling today?
Dad: I am in a little bit of pain. My bones just hurt today.
Nikki: I'm sorry Dad.
Dad: This is what I signed up for. So I suppose I will just have to deal with it (his attitude seems to be consistent with his personality, very accepting).
Nikki: What are you doing today?
Dad: Gives me details about the day which somehow becomes a family history lesson involving Berry brothers and Brown brothers. (I wish I could follow, Dad actually makes connections faster than I can follow sometimes).
Nikki: Dad, wait, I can't follow you.
Dad: Well you had better start writing this down, I'm not going to be around for me to tell you.
Nikki: Duly noted. (as I get paper and a pen to start writing the family history). So tell me about the Berry brothers.

In honor of Dad's desire for us to know this story (and the 7 others he told me about), I am going to relay the story of the Berry Brothers - Robert and Joseph. And how Grandpa Joseph Albert Brown (Dad's father) got his name. The other stories will come later. With that being said, if there are any inconsistencies, this story is told to the best of Dad's recollection. Which is pretty dang good.

** Mandy remembered some facts - so they have been added. I confirmed it with Dad. If anyone knows of any details that have been left out, please let us know.

The Berry Brothers (with a few Brown family facts)

There were 4 Berry Brothers - John, Robert, Joseph and William. They were very close. At one time, Robert and Joseph went down to southeastern Utah to establish a community under the direction of Brigham Young. The community was called Berryville (now called Glendale). Robert and Joseph wanted to visit Spanish Fork where their brother John (our Great-Great Grandpa) was the mayor. So Joseph, Robert and Isabelle (Robert's pregnant wife) climbed into a buckboard wagon for a trip up north.

At this time, there were no established roads to Spanish Fork so the path was down towards Kanab to the desert in Arizona and up through Hurricane, UT to get to the main "road". They made it to Spanish Fork in safety but did not return home. When they failed to return home a search party was sent out and their bodies were found 1/2 mile from Colorado City. They were filled with arrows and it was presumed that they were attacked by the Ute Indians in the area. They had a dog with them that had survived. He was a loyal companion and they were not able to get the bodies of the Berry family because the dog was guarding them. They were finally able to lure the dog away from his masters by filling a hat with water because the dog was so thirsty. The place that they were discovered is called Berry Knoll, about 10 miles away is Pipe Springs Monument.

They took the bodies to the town Grafton (where they filmed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and buried them there. Grafton is located right across the river from Rockville which is right at the entrance to Zion's National Park. I have included that part because Dad has taken me there and just in case anyone else wants to visit the Berry brother's monument. They were considered the first Mormon settlers killed by Indians in Arizona (Berry Knoll is technically in Arizona, right by the Utah border).

After the Berry brothers were killed, Brigham Young moved their settlement back to Kanarraville, right below Cedar City, UT.

We are descended from John Willliam Berry (0lder brother in Spanish Fork), who had 2 daughters - Cynthia and Thurza. Cynthia married John William Brown (the John William name was just a coincidence). Later, John William Brown married Cynthia's sister Thurza as well and they moved to St. Johns, AZ. They lived a few blocks away from each other and were very close. Dad (Phil) said that there is a story that is frequently told that indicated they had a bad relationship. But Dad said that was simply not true, he figured one story didn't define their relationship. They raised their children together. Cynthia had a daughter named Thurza and Thurza named her daughter Cynthia.

When Cynthia and Thurza had sons within a month of each other, they decided to name their sons after the Berry brothers that were killed by Ute Indians. Cynthia had Joseph Albert Brown (our grandfather) and Thurza had Robert. Grandpa Brown always maintained that Robert was his "twin" because they were born a month apart.

I hope this account was easy to follow :)

Nikki