Juliet Wall Nuttall

Genevieve Nuttall Creer's Grandmother

Juliet Wall Nuttall

Juliet Wall, the eighth child of her parents William Madison Wall and Nancy Haws, was born at Provo, Utah on Feb 12, 1856. Her father and mother were converted to Mormonism and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1842. They suffered the persecutions inflicted on the Saints at that time and made the exodus to Utah in 1850.
Her father (William) was a good reader, a beautiful writer, although he never had a chance to attend school. He was a great leader, who made friends everywhere. He was trusted as a kind and helpful friend by the Indians. His dealings with them were based on the idea that it is better to help and feed them then to fight them. His peaceful ways helped avert much trouble with them. He was an energetic builder and colonizer, building one of the first adobe houses in Provo and several more in years to follow, some of which were still in use 100 years later.
Four years before Juliet was born, her father took a second wife, Elizabeth Penrod. Just three months after Juliet was born, her father was called to Australia on a mission for the Church (May 1856) leaving his family to manage the home and farm in his absence. He was a successful missionary and many fine people joined the Church through his efforts. His mission was cut short, however, when he received word that Johnston’s Army was on the way to Utah. He was called home in 1857. On board the Ship Lucas with him were 66 persons, mostly converts, coming to Zion. Among them was the family of Enoch Gurr whose daughters, Susannah and Sarah, were to become his future wives. Shortly after his return to Utah he married this 3rd wife, Emma Ford, 23 Jan 1858 and was made Bishop of the Provo Third Ward that same year. One of his counselors was his son-in-law George W. Bean, who married his eldest daughter Mary Jane Wall while he was in Australia.
Juliet’s second oldest sister, Eliza Helen, married Nathaniel Williams 26 Oct 1862. She had had a younger sister, Bathsheba Lavinia born 16 Sept 1858 and younger brother born 9 Dec 1860, named George Adelbert.
As a member of this large, happy, busy family Juliet partook of the joys and troubles of the times, remembering the perils and anxieties her father and mother experienced during the Walker War and Black Hawk Indian War, and the troubles with old Chief Tabby in 1866, when William chased him to his camp in the Vernal County, and how members of his family benefited many years later through the bravery he showed in those days.
Her father married his 4th wife, Susannah Gurr, 12 Nov 1859 and her sister Sarah Gurr, the 5th and last wife on 14 Dec 1864. Juliet’s father provided each one of his wives with a home of her own and close together so the children could grow up as one family. Each wife had a farm stocked with horses, cows, sheep and chickens. All the women were good housekeepers and taught their children to work and make a living. In her father’s homes his word was law, yet his families loved him dearly. He was kind and would do anything possible to make his wives and children happy. He was a friend of the widow, orphan, and those in need, but would fight if a wrong needed righting. William M. Wall was a large man with handsome features, dark wavy hair and beard, and dark eyes. When Juliet was 4 years old, her father moved his families into what was known then as Round Valley by the settlers (1860), but Warm Valley by the Indians and was renamed Wallsburg in memory of its founder William M. Wall who was presiding Elder until his death 18 Sept 1869.
Juliet got some schooling in the log schoolhouse in Charleston and Wallsburg. D.G. Greer and her older sister Josephine both taught in Wallsburg, but it is not known for sure whether they taught Juliet.
Juliet remembered well how hungry she got for sweets. How they washed the sugar from the leaves of the cottonwood trees on the hot days of summer then boiled the water away and used the sweet syrup that was left. She also helped gather the sweet sap form the maple and box elder trees and boiled it down to get the sweet syrup. These were about the only sweets they had. She developed into a lovely young woman; indeed, she and her sister Josephine were considered the two prettiest girls in Wasatch County at the time. One of Juliet’s first loves with handsome Dick Camp.
The William Nuttall family and the Wall family had been friendly since the Nuttalls had arrived in Provo in 1852 as converts from England. The Nuttalls had been fairly well to do shipbuilders in Liverpool, England, and heard the Gospel from Mrs. Nuttall’s cousin John Taylor. Their son William Ephraim Nuttall was Bishop of the Provo Third Ward for a while (1860-1866) before they moved to Wasatch County. William George Nuttall, The oldest son of William E. and Rosamond Watson Nuttall was born in Provo in a wagon bed on a cold snowy 4th of March 1853, where his parents were camped as they watched the sugar machinery purchased the year before in France by John Taylor to introduce the beet sugar industry in Utah. This same William E. Nuttall became the first Bishop of the Ward formed in Round Valley on 15 July 1877 and it was at his suggestion that it be named Wallsburg.
The bashful “Willie George” Nuttall fell in love with the beautiful Juliet and went by team and wagon to Salt Lake City, where on 8 Dec 1873 they were sealed for time and eternity in the Endowment House. Her wardrobe consisted of two homespun dresses, that she made herself. She sheared the sheep, washed and carded the wool, dyed and spun the thread, gathered the dye materials, sage brush and cedar bark, wove the yarn into cloth, cut and sewed them. One of the dresses was of black sheep’s wool trimmed with green, the other, green trimmed with black. It was bitter cold and in the middle of the night when they got back home to Wallsburg. They were nearly frozen. Their wedding supper was some frozen beef.
Juliet’s husband was a hard worker and soon had a new home with three large rooms for his lovely bride. Their first child Nancy Eleanor, was born 27 Dec 1874. Next came William Albert 19 Mar 1878, then George Madison on 30 Sept 1879. The winter following George’s birth, they were very hard up and an epidemic of diphtheria kept the Valley under quarantine so no supplies could be brought to them. About all the Nuttalls had to live on that winter was bread and molasses. Her husband vowed that never again would they be caught without milk and from then on they always had at least one cow. She worked hard along her husband caring for the family, making their clothes, knitting their socks and mittens, cooking, washing, etc. In winter she made rugs, and carpets for the floors of their home and made quilts and bedding, and in the summer dried and canned fruits, berries and vegetables and took charge of their large garden. Her house was always spotless.
Their second daughter, Juliet came to bless their home 1 Apr 1881. During that winter and spring 22 women in Wasatch County died of childbed fever. Mrs. Nuttall contracted the terrible disease and was so gravely ill her family and friends thought there was no hope; she was at death’s door. Indeed she testified later that her spirit left her body, but her desire was so great to be with her family that she asked the Lord to restore her life until her family was raised and her prayer was answered. In the dream or vision she told what had to be done to restore her life and health. First she was to be administered by Bro. Robert Cook and a companion and during the administration she was to keep her head turned to the wall. This she almost forgot and turned her head slightly and immediately felt despair. The Lord blessed her, however with a knowledge that this would not be held against her. She immediately felt better and in spite of the fact that her tongue was so swollen it stuck out of her mouth she was able to instruct her family as to what had to be done to restore her complete health. They were to go to a certain kinikinick bush, strip off the bark, burn it and then wash her mouth with a solution made from the ashes, also they should wrap her in ice cold sheets and hang wet cold sheets in her bedroom. Those caring for her felt that to do these things would surely kill her but she insisted and soon recovered.
The Nuttall family owned a sawmill and operated it each summer in the mountains east of Wallsburg near the Strawberry Valley. They would plant their crops each spring then leave for the mill. Their cattle were taken along to fatten on the lush vegetation of the Strawberry Valley. About once a week one or two of the boys were sent back to Wallsburg to irrigate the crops, check on things at home, get needed supplies, etc. Some summers as many as 14 men were engaged in the work at the mill. For 14 years Juliet kept the books, cooked, washed, and took care of the camp each summer. It was here that Isaac, her next child (born 19 July 1883 in Wallsburg) was killed as he played on the pile of logs, the logs rolled and crushed him 2 July 1888.
Her husband took a second wife, as polygamy was still being practiced. He married Louise Jane Kerby, daughter of Francis and Mary LeCornu Kerby on 30 Nov 1882. Louise had two sons, William Walter born 9 Nov 1884 and died 12 Dec 1884. Her second boy John was born 3 Jan 1886. She later divorced William George Nuttal and married Hyrum Mecham.
Juliet’s next two children were girls, Mary Rosamond born 20 Oct 1884 and Josephine born 21 March 1887. Next come Leonard Wall born 26 Oct 188, then Eugene born 23 Oct 1891 and died 27 Jan 1892. Geneva was born 7 Jan 1894. Nancy Eleanor (Nellie) married James Lehi Wright 30 Nov 1892. Nellie had heart trouble and dropsy; her first baby came premature and died in Nov. 1893. Nellie was very ill so her mother left her own family and went to stay with her. The extra work and worry were almost too much for her and she had a very hard time and nearly died when Geneva was born. When Nellie’s second child came and died at birth about a year later, Geneva was loaned to Nellie to nurse her breasts and keep them from swelling. It was hoped too having a baby to care for would help her forget her own loss and aid recovery of her own health. In 1895, Nellie lost a third child and Geneva was left with her until shortly before Nellie’s death 26 Oct. 1899.
Will & Juliet’s eleventh child, Ellis Watson born 2 May 1895 and the twelfth child was James Vernard born 21 Dec 1896. The summer of 1895 was the last time they went to the sawmill on Strawberry Peak. Juliet and Will thought they would take it a bit easier, but in Jan 1897 when Jim was only three weeks old, Will was called to a mission in the Southern States, serving in Tennessee. Juliet’s strenuous life was beginning to take its toll and she was never entirely well again. While he was away, she and the children, nine at home at this time, cared for 100 head of cattle and a large farm, milking a large herd of cows, planting and harvesting crops putting up hay and all the other work. The family had whooping cough the winter after Will left and she sat up many nights with the younger children, they were so bad with the disease. Will returned in about three years having filled an honorable mission.
In 1900 their oldest son, William Albert was called to the New Zealand Mission and their son George and daughter Juliet married and so with three away from home and the three that died, reduced their large family. That winter diphtheria struck their village again. Families who were well were afraid to give aid where the disease had struck. Juliet could not stand by without helping so she spent many days and nights caring for the ill. The Don Bigelow family lost four of their six children in one week. Here, Mrs. Nuttall, angel of mercy that she was gave solace and help until the two remaining children were fully recovered. Her own daughter Geneva was seatmate with little Ida Bigelow the day that Ida became ill and was taken out of school, yet Geneva did not take the disease, but Ida died. When Juliet came home as the disease subsided she went to an old granary, had her husband bring her warm water and carbolic acid, she stripped, bathed and disinfected herself, burned her clothes, had her husband hand clean her clothes on a stick. Then she dressed and went in and was welcomed by her family. Not one of them had diphtheria although nearly every other family in Wallsburg did. Juliet was a good practical nurse and assisted the sick of the village many times.
Juliet and Will continued to farm in Wallsburg and care for their family. They were always active in town affairs, both religious and civic. Juliet presided over the Primary and Relief Society and held other positions of responsibility in their little ward. Their children attended the local schools and several went to the Brigham Young Academy. The children went through the usual troubles of childhood. One-day Geneva and Jim were teetering on a hugh plank and it tipped and fell on Jim. Geneva could not remove it and went for her mother to help. When it was removed Jim neither moved nor breathed so they got Bishop Fraughton and Adolph Duke to administer to him. Brother Duke was mouth for the sealing of the blessing and Jim always remembered him as the man who saved his life. At another time, he was pushed out of the top of the tithing office barn and nearly killed, then he was run over with a huge log roller and mashed into the soil so he was nearly buried. Ellis was the prankster, always coming up with some practical joke. Geneva and Will were the serious ones of the family; George, Josie and Rose the life of the party; Leonard and Juliet the solid ones every one liked and Nellie the delicate one.
In 1914 Will and Juliet sold their ranch in Wallsburg and moved to Provo, but their hope of enjoying their last years was shattered by Juliet’s death from complications following a gall bladder operation. She died 1 Feb 1915 and was buried in the Provo City Cemetery.
Several years later, 19 June 1918 her husband married Eva Ingram of Nephi. She was very kind and dear to him. He died 25 June 1926 and was buried by the side of his beloved Juliet. Eva had no children.
Ten of their children married and added sixty-four grandchildren to the progeny. Louise’s son John never married.