Phoebe Kartchner (Palmer)

Phoebe Palmer was born February 18, 1858, in Provo, Utah, to parents, Zemira Palmer and Sally Knight Palmer. In the 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Provo, Utah, she is 2 years old and living with her mother, Sarah, 24, brother Alma, 7, and sister, Lydia A., 4 years old. Her mother is working as a seamstress who valued her real estate at $200 and her personal estate at $250. Sally was born in Missouri and all of her children in Utah. By 1870, the family is living in Dry Valley, Lincoln County, Nevada, and in the home are: Zemira, 39, Sally, 34, Caroline, 30, A.Z. Palmer, 16, Lyden, 14, Phoebe, 12, J.W., 10, J.A., 8, Milo, 6, Emma, 3, Sarah, 11, Susan, 6, George E., 4, A.W., 1, and Baby Palmer, 4 months old, and C.C. Perkins, 42, who is a Mill Superintendent. Zemira was working as a farmer and he indicates he was born in Canada, Sally in Missouri, and Caroline in New Brunswick.

By 1880, Phoebe has married Mark E. Kartchner, and Mark is 26, Phoebe, 22, and their first child, Mark E., 4, are living in Snowflake, Apache County, Arizona. Mark was working as a laborer. Next door is Mark's father, William D. Kartchner, 59, mother, Margaret J., 54, and their children, Nolin D., 17, Orin, 15, Elizabeth (plural wife), 34, Aaron, 16, Culver, 11, Minnie,9, Byttle, 7, Darien, 5, and Elsie, 2. William is working as a blacksmith, his son Nolin was a farmer, and sons Orin, Aaron and Culver as a laborer.

Also next door is the John Henry Rollins family who had migrated to Arizona from Minersville, Utah, about the same time as the Kartchner's. John is 38, his wife, Nancy Malinda West Rollins, 36, and their children, Ephraim E., 18, Nancy Malinda, 17, John Henry, Jr., 14, Samuel W., 12, Guy W., 10, Jesse, 8, Isles Marion, 6, and Moses Porter Rollins, 2 years old. Also living in the home with them was Margaret West, John Henry Rollins, Sr.'s mother-in-law, who was working as a "doctress". Her husband, Samuel Walker West, had passed away in 1873 before the family moved to Arizona from Utah.

At the time, John Henry Rollins, Sr., was working as a farmer, and his sons, Ephraim and John Henry, Jr., were working as laborers. Senior had also been involved with freighting when he first came to Arizona, and was listed as a Teamster in one census record. His son, John Henry Rollins, Jr., was my great grandfather, who died at the very young age of 24 after marrying my great grandmother, Dortha Roxana Madsen, and having two children, Dorothea Evelyn, 1886-1957, and John Delbert Rollins, 1888-1967. Junior was killed when an oxcart wagon he was riding in ran over him after he fell from the wagon. He died on Christmas day, 1889, when his children were only 3 and 1 year old, leaving his wife a widow at the very young age of 20 years old. Sadly, his father, John Henry Rollins, Sr., also died young in 1887 at age 46 years.

By 1900, Phoebe Kartchner and her husband, Mark, have left Arizona and returned to Utah. They are living in Provo, and Mark is 46, Phoebe, 42, and their children, Asach W. 17, Ellora, 10, Rachel, 5, Alma L., 3, and Jessie C., 11 months old. They have been married 26 years, have had 8 children, 6 of whom were still living. Mark was working as a farmer, and had been born in California. All of their children were born in Arizona except for Alma and Jessie, so the family must have returned to Utah from Arizona around 1896 before Alma was born in March of 1897.

In 1910, the family is still in Provo, Mark is listed as M.E., Kartchner, Sr., 56, Phoebe, 52, Ellora, 20, Rachel, 15, Lyman A., 13, and Jesse C., 10. They are living at 394 2 North Avenue, and Mark is still working as a farmer, and he owns his own farm free from a mortgage. Ellora is working as a "copyist" at the court house.

By 1920, the family has moved to Salt Lake City, Mark E. is 66, Phoebe, 61, and Lyman A., 22, and Jesse C., 20. They are living at 321 10th Avenue in a home they own free from a mortgage. Mark is no longer working and their son Lyman is a bookkeeper for a lumber company and Jesse is a chauffeur delivering lumber. In the 1930 census, Mark, 76, and Phoebe, 72, are living alone at their home on Tenth Avenue, which they valued at $3,000. They have a radio in their home, which was a question that the census enumerators asked that year.

Six years later, Phoebe Palmer Kartchner passed away at the age of 78 years old on August 15, 1936, and is buried in Provo, Utah. Her husband, Mark Elisha Kartchner, Sr., died three years later on August 4, 1939, at the age of 85 years, 7 months, and 24 days, and is buried with his wife in Provo City Cemetery. His death was caused by chronic myocarditis and cirhosis of the liver.

Mark had been born in San Bernardino, California, December 10, 1853, to William D. Kartchner, of Hartford, Pennsylvania, and Margaret Casteel of Cooper, Missouri, when the LDS church had sent many families from Utah to San Bernardino to settle that area. My third great grandfather, James Henry Rollins, and his wife Eveline Walker Rollins, and plural wife, Hannah Alice Hulmes Rollins, and their children had also been living in San Bernardino at that time as well, and were probably very good friends with the Kartchner family members.

Phoebe Palmer Kartchner was my 8th cousin thrice removed.

Della Dale Smith-Pistelli

January 5, 2014