Jane Vail Lee (Johnson)

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Jane Vail Johnson came from a home of wealth and education. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when only 15 years old and pioneered the rest of her life. With her parents she pioneered through Ohio to Missouri where she married Francis Lee, a young man she met at their home in Indiana.

Jane Vail Lee and Francis lived in wagons, under wagon covers, in log and adobe houses, in tents at Liberty, Clay County Missouri; at Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri; at Payson, Adams County, Illinois; at Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois; at Jamestown, Andrew County, Missouri, and points in between.

After staying behind for two years to raise crops and animals for other saints going west, the Lee family arrived in Salt Lake City in 1850. A few days before, President Brigham Young had asked Francis Lee's brothers if they would settle Tooele, Utah. So without unpacking their wagons, Jane Vail Lee moved on with her husband.

After eleven years in Tooele, the Francis Lee family was called to move to Dixie where they experienced both flood and drought. Finally, in and effort to find feed for their animals, they discovered Meadow Valley and moved there about 1864. Again Jane Vail and her family built a home and farm from nature.

It was in Meadow Valley, later called Panaca, Nevada where Jane prevented an Indian from invading her cabin by hitting him with firewood when he tried to get her to give him her husband's rifle which was hanging over the fireplace. She stood less than 5 feet tall, but terrified the Indian.

After Francis' death, Jane Vail Lee turned her home into the only hotel in the area, where she did a good business serving California travelers and miners.

Sources: Nauvoo 5th ward list. Tooele and Panaca Ward Records. Panaca tombstones. The Samuel Lee Family History, a Century in Meadow Valley, Jane Vail Johnson Lee's diary. Family Bible.

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Francis & Jane Vail Johnson Lee were living in Tooele County near Francis' brother Alfred Lee (p 383) and his father, Samuel Lee--1850 Tooele County, Utah, federal census p 384

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Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah 11 Aug 1875:

Died, Panaca, Lincoln, Nevada, 10 Jul 1875, Jane Vail widow of Francis Lee, 59 years 9 months.

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Parents:

Jacob Johnson (1777 - 1848)

Mary Elizabeth Edwards Johnson (1780 - 1859)

Spouse:

Francis Lee (1811 - 1866)

Children:

William Henry Lee (1836 - 1904)

Electa Jane Lee Edwards (1838 - 1916)

Samuel Marion Lee (1840 - 1890)

John Nelson Lee (1841 - 1914)

George Washington Lee (1844 - 1911)

Francis Columbus Lee (1846 - 1910)

Milton Lafayette Lee (1853 - 1894)

Arthur Orson Lee (1856 - 1910)

Louisa Juliette Lee (1859 - 1863)