Nancy Genevieve (Jennie) Decker
Born: 20 October 1877, Parowan, Iron, Utah, USA
Parents: James Bean Decker and Anna Maria Mickelsen
Married: Arthur Stephen Wood, 12 April 1899 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Died: 4 October 1964 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Life Sketch: Nancy Genevieve (Jennie) Decker
Second daughter and child, Jennie joined Anna Lillian (Lillie) in the home of James Bean and
Anna Maria Mickelsen Decker, 20 October 1877, at Parowan, Iron County, Utah. Around the time of
Jennie's second birthday a conference was held at Parowan during which a number of Iron county families
were "called" to settle the remote San Juan region of the territory; and others volunteered to go
along. Among these were Jennie's parents three uncles and their families, and Grandfather Decker.
Jennie's mother was seven-months pregnant when they responded to the call and joined the wagon expedition
eastward toward the Colorado River.
By Christmas the missionary party had reached the rim of the Colorado and began hacking a road down
to the river, with the families camped a few miles distant at "Fifty Mile Spring." Here, on January 3,
1880 Anna gave birth to a baby girl in the harsh frontier weather. Since the expedition was over a
hundred miles away from a doctor, they had to improvise. The couple’s wagon box was lifted off of
the axel and placed on the ground, providing a crude shelter from the elements. James then packed
snow around the outside of the wagon box to provide even more insulation. In this dismantled wagon,
and without the aid of a midwife, Anna gave birth to their third child. They named her Lena Deseret
to mark the fact that she had literally been born in the desert of Deseret.
A month after Anna gave birth, the company broke camp and continued on the trek. The passage down
the Hole was steep and dangerous. Since the wagons were so prone to tipping, Anna was unable to ride
in the wagon. Anna had to help her two oldest girls, while another settler, Jane Walton, carried baby
Lena. Although the rest of the journey was trying, James, Anna and their children arrived at the San Juan
River area in good health. After six months of travel, they reached Bluff on April 6, 1880.
Jenny grew up in Bluff while her parents' family grew to eleven children. Her father was elected
the first sheriff there, but did more fighting his attempt to farm as the belligerent San Juan
stole the land the Deckers and the other families of Bluff tried to irrigate. The Indian neighbors
also became accustomed to snatching what they could from this isolated outpost. Jennie attended
school, church services and participated in community social activities in the log meeting house. She
watched as the log cabins were first placed together in the "fort," then dragged to family lots around
the small town, and as her family began construction of a stately home. She learned from her mother
as she assisted in cooking and caring for the large family.
The Deckers and other young families in Bluff struggled to make a go of it in San Juan, by 1890
many had moved on to Colorado, New Mexico, or back to former homes in more established Utah communities.
Jim Decker stayed in Bluff, one of the men who took up raising cattle and sheep. Jim became the
head of Bluff's Sunday School.
Other families were "called" to Bluff or otherwise moved in to replenish those who had moved on. Among
those called was the family of Samuel and Josephine (Jody) Wood, including their two sons, Henry and
Arthur, of similar age to Jennie and Lillie. These brothers, Henry and Arthur, were close throughout their
lives. They were great teases
and played many funny tricks, they thought, on members of the family and schoolmates. Arthur liked
sports of all kinds. While he was still a boy, he had a pony which he trained to run 50 yards to a
mark on the ground, then turn around and run back with a rider on him—usually Arthur. He had races
against boys and men who thought they could outrun his pony. He would bet on his pony and usually win.
Sometimes, he would win a nickel, or quarter, or something. It was a good sport and fairly profitable
for him in those days.
As the children of the early Bluff families grew up, there were quite a few young people near
the same age. Most evenings, a group would gather at one home or another. If there was music, they
would dance; if not, they would play games and have refreshments. Arthur liked Jennie Decker, and she
liked him. When Arthur was called on an LDS Mission to Kentucky, he couldn't bear the thought of
leaving Jennie to be courted by the other young men. She was beautiful and talented, and very popular.
She was a good singer and played the mandolin. She was also a talented dressmaker and made herself
many pretty clothes. She was fun-loving, and Arthur was in love with her. He decided they should be
married before he left for his mission and Jennie agreed. They drove to Salt Lake City and were married
in the Salt Lake Temple on April 12, 1899. Arthur left for his mission the next day. In those days,
it took two weeks by horse to drive to Salt So, Jennle's sister, Lillie went along as chaperone.
When Jennie returned to Bluff, one of the young men said she had ruined his life by marrying
Arthur instead of him. Arthur filled an honorable mission.
Arthur returned from his mission in April 1899, and the new family began to create a home for
themselves. Then, in December 1901, diphtheria hit the Decker family taking Jennie's father, James B., and
four siblings by January 1902. Jennie and Arthur were among the volunteer care-givers of her bereaved
mother. They took the two-year-old baby, Ottis Afton, and cared for him during this most traumatic time.
Arthur was very good with young people. He worked as an officer in the Young Mens' Mutual
Improvement Association for many years, as Ward Superintendent, and then as Stake Superintendent.
As Stake Superintendent, he traveled to surrounding towns — Moab, Utah; Farmington, New Mexico;
Bloomington, Cortez, and Mancos, Colorado. It would take about two or more weeks to cover this
territory. He loved to take Jennie with him on these trips. On one trip when Jennie was with him,
a lightning storm came up suddenly and lightning struck their wagon.
Paul says of this:
"My mother held the baby and the lightning [shock caused the baby to fall] off her lap. The horses
were frightened and ran with the wagon. She grabbed the reins and controlled and calmed the horses,
and they looked for near neighbors." Arthur's leg and undergarments had been badly burned. Kind
neighbors took care of them until they could travel again.
Arthur and Jennie had three children. Their first child, a baby girl, was named Marie Josephine
after her two grandmothers— Josephine Catherine (Aunt Jody) Wood, and Anna Marie Decker. Marie
was born December 1, 1903 in Bluff. She was a great joy to her parents and a great strength to
them throughout their lives. A son, Reed Arthur, was born May 11, 1907, in Monticello. When Reed
was about five years old, he was whittling and the knife slipped and went into his eye. Infection
set in. They went to Chicago for help where their brother-in-law, Frank Hammond, was a doctor.
Everything was done that could be done, but Reed's other eye became affected also and resulted
in his blindness. This was a great sorrow to the family, but Reed who had been so spirited and
active, was still spirited and active. He had a pony which he could saddle and bridle. He rode his
pony to take the cows to pasture each morning and bring them back at night. One day while returning
the cows from the pasture, Reed pressured his horse into a run and not being able to see, he
reigned his horse into one of the cows and his horse fell and rolled on him. He never regained
consciousness and died on the 14th of August 1919. The family mourned. His mother went
into depression and could not smile for months.
Arthur, at one time, decided to study medicine and become a doctor. He went to the Utah
Agricultural College at Logan. With so much reading to do his eyes would get tired. When this
would happen, Jennie would read the lessons to him. However, after a year, he decided not to
pursue the medical profession on account of his eyes.
It was while Arthur was attending school at Logan that his father became seriously ill, and it
had been recommended that they bring him from Monticello to Salt Lake City. Arthur came to Salt
Lake City to be with his father. Sam was operated on and the doctors said the operation was a success,
but he died on April 10, 1910, and was taken home for burial in the Bluff City Cemetery.
On August 2, 1915, a second son, Paul Decker Wood, was born. Paul had a hearing problem, but
throughout his life he was a great help to his father and mother. He attended the School for the
Deaf in Ogden, Utah, and graduated with honors. Paul was active in school sports—a very excellent
basketball player, and a good leader. He became the Bishop of the Deaf Branch of the LDS Church
in Salt Lake City. Paul married Marjorie Johnson, who was also a student at the deaf school.
After moving to Monticello Arthur served as Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff of San Juan County for six
years. He was Justice of the Peace and County Attorney during the "outlaw days." He fought to
subdue the last Indian uprising in the United States, that of the Ute Indians in San Juan County.
In March of 1924, Arthur went to Salt Lake City to work as a carpenter. Henry had moved his
family to Salt Lake City in 1923 for schooling purposes, but found there was a need for carpenters
as the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad was building a new roundhouse and machine shops. Henry was
working there as a carpenter and told Arthur he could get a job if he wanted to. Arthur came to
Salt Lake and was immediately put to work. The wages were $9.00 a day—and sometimes with overtime
it would be more. Once, Arthur worked twenty hours for $24.00. He worked as a carpenter in Salt Lake
City for about a year, and then returned to Monticello where he worked as a head carpenter on
many important projects. Arthur built two homes in Monticello. Their original home burned down and he
built a lovely home, a block away in its place. He and Jennie collaborated in the planning and their home had many
conveniences that were not found in the ordinary home.
Eventually, Arthur and Jennie decided to sell their Monticello holdings and move to Salt
Lake City where they would be near their children. At this time, Paul was working in Salt Lake and
Arthur's sister, Marie, and her husband were also in Salt Lake. In Salt Lake, Arthur built another
home with Jennie helping in the planning. Again, their home had many built-in conveniences not
found in the ordinary home.
Arthur Stephen Wood died March 19, 1954, and Jennie Oct 4, 1964, both in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Source:
Samuel Wood Family, December 1982. Arthur Stephen Wood Chapter.
Right-click [Mac Control-click] to open full-size image:
Nancy Genevieve "Jennie" Decker
Arthur Stephen Wood
Bluff Meetinghouse and School
Family of James and Anna Decker, 1901, Jennie, back row, left