James Owens Jr.
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James Clark Owens Jr. (1832 - 1901)

James Clark Owens Jr.
Born in Kaw Township, Jackson, Missouri, United Statesmap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , , , and
Husband of — married 16 Jan 1856 in Fillmore,Millard,Utmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , , , , and
Died at age 68 in Woodruff, Navajo, Arizona, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 23 Apr 2013
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Contents

Biography

James was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Occupation Mason & Stonecutter- cut stone for 3 LDS Temples - Salt Lake, St George, & Manti, Utah.


James Clark Owens Jr. was born on July 7th, 1832 in Independence, Jackson, Missouri, USA to James Clark Owens (1797-1847) and Abigail Cordelia (Burr) Owens (1799-1861).

His family was driven out of Jackson County, Missouri in 1833 with the expulsion of the Mormons. He was included in a list of Mormons that survived the expulsion, were still living and remained faithful to the church that was published in the The Deseret News on 5 April 1882 in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1]He is also listed in the official church records along with his family of experiencing the 1833 persecution. [2]

He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1843 at age 8, in the Fillmore Ward, Millard Stake, Fillmore, Millard, Utah Territory, USA. His baptism was performed by Abraham Hunsaker (1812-1889)[3]

After his father died in 1847, James and his mother Abigail Burr Owens were living with his brother-in-law Edward Milo Webb Sr (1815-1852) and sister Caroline Amelia (Owens) McRae (1821-1895), along with their children in Clinton, Clinton Missouri, USA.[4]
James Owens Jr. was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Around June 2, 1852, James along with his family left the USA and headed to Deseret, Utah Territory to help settle as Mormon pioneers. They started their travel from Kanesville, Iowa (now known as Council Bluffs, Iowa) with the Benjamin Gardner Company and arrived in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory on September 24, 1852.[5]

James worked as a stone cutter and mason, and in 1854 was working in Fillmore to quarry rock for the State House. He then cut stone for the Salt Lake Temple and the St. George Temple as well in 1876. He also served as sheriff in Millard County, Utah.[6]

He married Lucretia Proctor (Robinson) Owens (1841-1929) on January 16th, 1856 in Fillmore, Millard, Utah.[7][8]James was 27 and his new bride was 14 years old at the time of their marriage.

By 1860, James owned a farm worth $400.00 in Fillmore, Utah. He and Lucretia are recorded in the 1860 Census along with their son James III, nephew Edward M Webb Jr and James's mother Abigail living together. [9]

James served with the Walls Co of the Nauvoo Legion in Utah Vols in the Indian Wars, specifically the Black Hawk War. [10]

In 1870, the family including their five children are still in Fillmore, Utah. James is recorded as unable to read or write in the census, and their property is now worth $1370.00[11]

He arrived in Show Low, Navajo, Arizona Territory, USA in December 1878 after a 7 week trip with an ox team.

The following year, the family were called to Woodruff, Navajo, Arizona Territory, USA to help build a dam. The town of Woodruff was almost exclusively Mormons, and James was called due to his fine work on many of the first temples built in their faith. [12]

Woodruff was a settlement in what was called Indian Territory. The settlers built a fort there near a river in 1877 and it was completed in the spring of 1878. Each family had a room, and James was one of the first to build a separate home for his family. [13]

1880 finds the family in Woodruff, Apache, Arizona Territory, USA with four of their ten children living with them. James is listed as a stone mason, and that he is able to read and write. [14] James would be ordained as the first ever Bishop of the Woodruff Ward, Navajo, Arizona Territory and he served from 1880 to 1890 when his nephew Edward Milo Webb became Bishop. [15]1881 brings their son Franklin, and their first child to be born in Arizona Territory.

James is listed as registered voter in Apache County, Arizona Territory in 1886[16] and in 1888[17] Oddly, he is listed as well as his son, James Clark Owen III who is listed in both voter registrations as a Junior. This may be due to the fact that James Clark Sr. died in 1847, making James Jr the only James Clark Owen in Utah and Arizona Territories.

He served on a Grand Jury in Apache County, Arizona in April 1888. [18]

The family moved to Snowflake, Navajo, Arizona Territory, USA and were listed in the 1900 Census.[19] James is listed as a black smith, and Lucretia indicates that she had 12 children, 8 of whom are still living. There is a photo of the black smith shop that was published [20]showing descendants of James still working and living in the area.

James Clark Owens Jr died on February 1st, 1901 in Woodruff, Navajo, Arizona Territory, USA and was buried in Woodruff Cemetery next to his beloved Lucretia.[21][22]

James's obituary was published in the Deseret News on February 14th, 1901 in Salt Lake City, Utah.[23] He was working as a stone mason and died just a few minutes after working with a grinding stone due to heart failure.

There is a stone [24] next to his joint headstone that has the following epitaph:

In Memory of James C. Owens Born July 7, 1832 Died Feb 1, 1901 Dear father thou hast left us, But tis God hath bore us He can all our sorrows heal. Yet again we hope to meet thee When deathly gloomy night has fled Then...earth with joy to greet thee ......... (Part of the stone has flaked off and is difficult to read.)


Research Notes

Below are related family trees, genealogies compiled by others, etc that cannot be considered source documents, but must be considered as part of our overall family history as well as a valuable information resource. We are thankful to distant family members for doing this work.

Genealogy: Family Tree database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 29 November 2017, 15:24), entry for James Clark Owens Jr(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:KWNL-ST1); contributed by various users.

[1] - James Clark Owens 1797-1847 Family History PDF

Sources

  1. ↑ 1882 Newspaper': "Newspapers.com"
    The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah) Wed, Apr 5, 1882, page 9
    Newspapers Clip: 142338626 (accessed 28 February 2024)
  2. ↑ "LDS Church Records" Information concerning persons driven from Jackson County, Missouri in 1833, 1863-1868 , https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/record/c7765a92-3e6a-4224-a21a-f49860b57124/0?view=summary (accessed: February 28, 2024)
  3. ↑ "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members (Worldwide), 1836-1970", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KJY-HCD8 : 10 November 2023), James C Owens, .
  4. ↑ "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZW-ZRW : Thu Oct 05 19:51:16 UTC 2023), Entry for E M Webb and C A Webb, 1850.
  5. ↑ "Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9B-C9FL : 10 February 2018), James Clark Owens, 27 Sep 1852; from "Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel: 1847-1868," database, > The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/ : 2004-).
  6. ↑ "Utah, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WGN9-4KT2 : Thu Oct 05 03:17:34 UTC 2023), Entry for James Clark Owens, 1 Feb 1901.
  7. ↑ "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members (Worldwide), 1836-1970", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KV8-1DWN : 10 November 2023), James Clark Owens, .
  8. ↑ "United States Western States Marriage Index", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZ83-7M3 : 19 October 2018), James Clark, Jr. Owens and Lucretia Proctor Robison, 1856.
  9. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH27-B4N : Thu Oct 05 18:00:07 UTC 2023), Entry for Jas Owens and Abigail C Owens, 1860.
  10. ↑ "United States Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDRB-D92 : Thu Dec 21 15:33:22 UTC 2023), Entry for James C Owens and Lucretia P Owens, 1903.
  11. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCT-95Z : Wed Oct 04 16:09:54 UTC 2023), Entry for James C Owens and Lucretia Owens, 1870.
  12. ↑ Pioneer Profiles of Woodruff, Arizona Territory: Lupher, Morjorie G, Woodruff, the Butte-iful : garden spot of the west
    Main Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/74635?availability=Family%20History%20Library (accessed 28 February 2024)
    James was called to help build the dam in Woodruff - page 47.
  13. ↑ Pioneer Profiles of Woodruff, Arizona Territory: Lupher, Morjorie G, Woodruff, the Butte-iful : garden spot of the west
    Main Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/74635?availability=Family%20History%20Library (accessed 28 February 2024)
    James was one of the first settlers to build a home - page 14.
  14. ↑ "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH24-JNG : Thu Oct 05 12:50:37 UTC 2023), Entry for Jas. C. Owens and Lucretia P. Owens, 1880.
  15. ↑ Pioneer Profiles of Woodruff, Arizona Territory: Lupher, Morjorie G, Woodruff, the Butte-iful : garden spot of the west
    Main Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/74635?availability=Family%20History%20Library (accessed 28 February 2024)
    James was the first LDS Bishop of Woodruff in 1880 - page 23 and 45.
  16. ↑ "Arizona, Apache County, Voting Records, 1882-1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DMWG-QYT2 : Tue Oct 10 05:20:11 UTC 2023), Entry for James Clark Owens, 1886.
  17. ↑ "Arizona, Apache County, Voting Records, 1882-1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:81TF-K6W2 : Tue Oct 10 05:21:00 UTC 2023), Entry for James Clark Owens, 1888.
  18. ↑ '1888 Newspaper': "Newspapers.com"
    The St Johns Herald (St Johns, Arizona) Thu, Apr 5, 1888, page 5
    Newspapers Clip: 142340870 (accessed 28 February 2024)
  19. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9VZ-617 : Tue Oct 03 17:31:37 UTC 2023), Entry for James C Owens and Leucrita P. Owens, 1900.
  20. ↑ '1952 Newspaper': "Newspapers.com"
    Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona) Sun, Jun 8, 1952, page 41
    Newspapers Clip: 142340429 (accessed 28 February 2024)
  21. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17162666/james_clark-owens: accessed February 26, 2024), memorial page for James Clark Owens (7 Jul 1832–1 Feb 1901), Find a Grave Memorial ID 17162666, citing Woodruff Cemetery, Woodruff, Navajo County, Arizona, USA; Maintained by Ryan D. Curtis (contributor 46858513).
  22. ↑ 'Memorial': "Billion Graves"
    Woodruff Cemetery, 7850-7858 Blue Bird Ln, Woodruff Arizona 85942, United States
    BillionGraves memorial (accessed 28 February 2024)
    Memorial page for James C Owens (7 July 1832-1 February 1901); Transcribed by Chynna67, Feb 17, 2013; Photographed by brscorse, Feb 17, 2013.
  23. ↑ 'Obituary': "Newspapers.com"
    Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah) Thu, Feb 14, 1901, page 7
    Newspapers Clip: 142338018 (accessed 28 February 2024)
  24. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/6372057


  • [2] - Relationship from Horace B Owens to James Clark Owen to Benjamin Owen - original & transcribed [3]
  • [4] - Woodruff the Butte-iful: Garden Spot of the West
  • [5] - The ancestors and descendants of Franklin Horace Owens and Lucy Lenora Eagar, compiled by Gayle C. Broberg and Robert Owens in 2010


Acknowledgments

Thank you to Dennis Soules for creating WikiTree profile Owens-1826 through the import of Never Ending Story_2013-04-18_01.ged on Apr 18, 2013. Thank you to Ralph Smith for creating Owens-2369 on 25 Oct 13. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits.





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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with James by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with James:

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Images: 2
James Clark Owens Jr. (1832 - 1901)
James Clark Owens Jr. (1832 - 1901)
James Clark Owens Jr. (1832 - 1901)
James Clark Owens Jr. (1832 - 1901)


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Rejected matches › James Owens (bef.1875-) › James Owens (abt.1833-1900)

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Categories: Black Hawk War | Walker War | Jackson County, Missouri | Independence, Missouri | Woodruff Cemetery, Woodruff, Arizona | Benjamin Gardner Company 1852 | LDS Pioneers | Early LDS Adherents | Latter-day Saints | Stone Cutters | Stone Masons