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Franklin (Frank) Jacob Adams
Minnie M. Mortensen
Lucy Bronson Adams
Franklin Jacob Adams
Born: 7 May 1872 at Parowan, Iron, Utah Territory, USALIFE SKETCH FRANKLIN JACOB ADAMS
Franklin Jacob Adams, the fifth son of William Adams and Mary Barbara Bolanz, was born May 7, 1872, in Paragonah, Iron County, Utah.
In a history that Franklin wrote of his mother, he said, "My mother watched very carefully over her boys. In the days of the United Order, she made our clothes and hats.
My father owned a dairy on the Parowan Bottoms. My mother and the boys had to run the dairy. We milked about 75 cows. My mother made the butter and cheese.
There were two books that my mother read and made a thorough study of. They were the Bible, and Dr. Gunn's Doctor Book. The only doctor the Adams family knew in those days was our mother. I remember a good many times, when we had colds, our feet were put in hot mustard water and we were given a cup of catnip tea and put to bed.”
Franklin went to Bluff, San Juan County, Utah, in 1882, with his parents and brothers. They went by way of Hall's Crossing. This experience was written by Kisten Adams Perkins, as told to her by Frank: “One time they lost their horses, Frank took a notion to go out to find them. He wandered around until he was lost, and could not find his way back to camp. He was gone two days and a night. Everyone was out searching for him, he was finally found ten miles away. He said he would go until he got tired, then he would lie down and sleep.” He says, "I remember a big black bird came close to me." His father offered a $100 reward to anyone who would find him. When they finally found him, he was crying and said, "I want an apple."
Franklin married Minnie Montez Mortensen, January 3, 1895. She died of Bright's disease, an accute kidney ailment, 1 April 1895, as did the unborn baby she was carrying.
After his father died in 1901, Frank wrote, "My mother and I lived together alone in Bluff for a good many years, until I was married and moved to Monticello." He married Lucy Bronson, December 2, 1915. They did not have any children.
Frank was always very kind and considerate of his mother, and did all that he could to make her comfortable and happy until her death in 1919.
Frank had joined the “Bluff Pool” cattle operation, as had Al Scorup. The two remained lifelong partners. They rounded up wild cattle which they were able to sell for $5.00 per head. This allowed each of them to purchase a Model A Ford. These were the first two automobiles owned by San Juan County residents. There were no paved roads, or gas stations. Frank brought 50 gallon barrels of gasoline from Delores, Colorado, by horse team to power his automobile so he could drive it around in the county.
Franklin was called on a mission to England in 1908. Of this time Frank says, "I had quite a lot of property, cattle and oil claims. I asked my brother John to take care of them. When I came home, he had sold $11,500.00 worth of oil claims, he had sold steers, and the money was in the bank for me. He had taken good care of the business.
Franklin filled two additional missions in the United States, one in the southern states and one as a Mutual Missionary in Idaho.
Frank was drowned October 5, 1940, while attending to his cattle. He tried to ride his horse through floodwaters coming down a side wash of White Canyon, west of Blanding. Two cowboys with him were unable to reach him before he was swept from his horse and disappeared in the torrent. A group of fifteen men was gathered to search for him, and they searched for two days and nights before locating his body four miles downstream.
D. John Rogers, speaking at Frank's funeral told of an incident that happened during his mission: "While laboring in England, Frank became acquainted with a man who wanted to come to Utah. Elder Adams loaned him the money. He came to this country and when he had saved enough money, he wanted to pay it back. Brother Adams said, "Keep the money and send for your folks." When he had done this he again offered it to him, but he was told to keep the money and send for more of his folks. When he had emigrated his folks, he paid the money back."
Al Scorup, speaking at Frank's funeral said, "We have been together for many years. Working together, as partners for twenty years, I have found Frank to be a very true, honest, honorable man. You could depend on him no matter what. Whatever he told a person he would do, he would always do it. Frank was one to go out of his way to keep friendships warm.”
His obituary indicates he was called the “Cattle King” of Utah.
He is buried in the Blanding City Cemetery, as he and Lucy had lived in Blanding most
of their married lives.
Sources:
1
Sketch found in memories on Family Search
2 Articles from Blue Mountain Shadows, found in
memories: Franklin Jacob Adams on FamilySearch
3
Obituary found in memories on Family Search
4 Death of Minnie Adams in Deseret Evening News
Right-click [Mac Control-click] to open full-size image:
Franklin (Frank) Jacob Adams
Minnie M. Mortensen
Lucy Bronson Adams