Agnes Elizabeth Austin Ransom

Agnes Elizabeth Austin Ransom

Agnes Elizabeth Austin Ransom

Sketch from the life of Agnes Elizabeth Austin Ransom

Daughter of Agnes McIntier and William Austin, born 17 Gebruary 1861 at Logan, Cache, Utah. Died 24 December 1938 at Preston, Franklin, Idaho, age 77 years old.

Added to this blog by Kathryn Burton Castleton her great, great granddaughter

When I was three years of age, my parents were called to settle Bear Lake Valley. We went to Bloomington, Bear Lake Valley in the spring of 1864. There were only a few families there at that time. The Indians were quite numerous in that valley during the spring and summer months. My father was a good friend of the Indians and also one of the minutemen whose duty it was to guard the women and children from Indian raids. He was in charge of the fast offerings of the church which consisted mostly of food for the use of the poor. The bishop sent the Indians to (our) house whenever they wanted food. They gathered so thickly in and around the house that we children had to sit in one corner. There was not much room to pass in and out of the house.

On one occasion, when the Indians were there, mother noticed that old Chief Pocatello went out, so she followed him and just as she came near, he was in the act of picking Janet up from the ground. Mother called to him and he walked away. His plans were thwarted. The Indians would come from miles to shake hands with father before they left the valley in the fall.