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John Butler about 1873
John Butler about 1882
Thomas, James and John before 1873
Born: February 28, 1844 at Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois-
Parents: John Lowe Butler I and Caroline Farozine Skeen
Married: June 23, 1873, Nancy Franzetta Smith at Salt Lake City
Died: December 30, 1898
LIFE SKETCH OF JOHN L. BUTLER, II
Born in Nauvoo about the time of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, John Butler, II, experienced
the exodus and trials of crossing the plains. Some did not initially follow
the directions of Brigham Young and the Council of the Twelve apostles. One of these was
James Emmett, who interpreted the revelations differently. Emmett asked John Lowe I to
accompany him and others to go to the wilderness and take the gospel to the Lamanites.
John Lowe I chose not to go but to remain in Nauvoo. Emmett’s company left in August 1844,
without church sanction, but by December, Brigham Young called John Lowe I, his wife and
children to go join the Emmett Company in Iowa, provide leadership, and report back to
Brigham. So the first few months of John Lowe II’s life was surrrounded by the tragedy
of the Prophet’s death and the hardships that followed as they went into the frontier of
Iowa and Nebraska.
In early April 1847, John Lowe Butler I and his family, together with the remainder of
Emmett’s Company, left Ponca Camp in northern Nebraska, and journeyed down to Winter
Quarters, near present-day Omaha. When they reached there, Brigham Young and the first
pioneer company had already left to go across the plains. John I and his family grubbed
six acres and put in a crop of corn, and remained there the winter of 1847 and 1848.
Although they wanted to head for the Great Salt Lake, it took another five years before
they were ready.
When John II was eight years of age the Butler family, with the Eli B. Kelsey Company,
left Kanesville, Iowa in July 1852. This company consisted of 100 souls, and they arrived
in Salt Lake October 16, 1852. John II helped drive some 200 head of calves and stock
clear across the Plains.
His father took the family to Spanish Fork in 1852-53, where John II was baptized. In 1860,
John, Sr., died and John II (age 16) assumed responsibility for the large family, as his father
left five widows. Most of the schooling he received took place in Spanish Fork. About 1863, his mother
moved her family to Paragonah, then Panguitch, and then again to Paragonah, then back to
Panguitch once more. Because of Indian troubles, Panguitch was abandoned in May 1866.
They left all they had, homes and crops, and returned to Paragonah once more. John and
his brothers James and Tom spent the winter of 1868 with the James Adams family to
attend school. This is perhaps where John became acquainted with Nancy Francetta Smith,
his future wife.
He fought in the Black Hawk Indian War, but never fired a shot, however, he was fired upon.
In 1870, four years after the settlement in Panguitch was abandoned, President Brigham
Young called George W. Sevy to gather a company and resettle the Panguitch Valley. They
found the dwellings and clearings just as the former settlers had left them, and they
found their crops still standing. The Indians had not bothered anything. So it was
decided that those who had left in 1866 should have their property or a chance to sell it.
For the first year, however, it would be divided among the newcomers because of the land
being cleared. John II, age 27 and unmarried, returned to the Valley in 1871, with his
brothers James and Thomas, his sister Alveretta, and their mother, Caroline.
On June 23, 1873, John married Nancy Franzetta Smith of Parowan, in the Endowment House
in Salt Lake City; he was 29 and she was 20 years of age. “Ettie” was tall, slender, with
dark eyes and hair. During her girlhood she was never very well; had liver trouble or
something of that nature. When she met and became engaged to John, and though her health
was poor, and it was thought she may not live very long, he told her that he was willing
to take her as his bride, even if they could only have a year of life together. They
became parents of ten children: John Lowe, Francetty (Zettie), Sarah (Sadie), Caroline,
Horace Calvin, Olive, Jane, Kenion Taylor, Eva, and Leland Thomas. Mother Caroline lived
with John’s family until her death on August 4, 1875. She was buried in Panguitch, but
later John took her body back to Spanish Fork and had it buried beside her husband.
John was a member of the first expedition to San Juan in April
1879, and helped build the road across Navajo territory in northern Arizona, reaching Montezuma
on June 1. He is credited with the discovery of Butler Wash and creek. He returned home by
way of Moab about September 17. While the Butler brothers were prospering in Panguitch, they
had begun making plans to move before the San Juan journey. In early 1881, he sold his mill
and other property in Panguitch and moved to Joseph, Sevier County.
John married a second wife, Sarah Johnson, 10 April 1882. He was arrested for practicing
polygamy and served six months in the territorial prison. He lived at Joseph, then moved to Brooklyn;
in 1884 they moved to Richfield, then back to Brooklyn (Utah), and again to Richfield, also living
at Jerico for awhile. He tried having Sarah live with his first family but it didn’t seem
to work out. The two wives were so opposite in personality and temperament that they
did not seem to have much in common.
John and Sarah had six children: Denison Lowe, Mary, Farozine, Ellener, Ann, and Veniece.
Sarah lived most of the time at Monrie, not far from Richfield.
A mining claim south of Richfield that John held became the Butler-Beck Mine, a short-lived
venture. This was a venture which commenced in 1891, and continued until the mine was
sold to pay the debts which had accumulated, being sold in 1896, after which John continued
to stay at the mine to watch and protect it, etc. This venture proved to be a disaster,
financially. “He went into the sheep and cattle business,” a family wag said, “and drove
them into a mine, and they never came out again.” Financial loss and broken health
contributed to his death. On December 30, 1898, John Lowe II died at Richfield of Bright’s
disease at age fifty-four, survived by two wives, Nancy Francetta (Ettie) and Sarah
Sariah Johnson. A daughter described John as being “a kind, loving father.”
Sources:
1 FamilySearch Memories
Right-click [Mac Control-click] to open full-size image:
John Butler about 1873
John Butler about 1882
Thomas, James and John before 1873