Joel Jackson (1853 - 1934)

Joel was born and raised on a farm in Owen Co. Indiana. When his father, perhaps as a reward for Civil War service, moved along with several relatives and neighbors to settle in southeastern Kansas, Joel was about 15 at the time. His mother had just had Cara a few months earlier and after the move, Cara died on Feb. 22, 1870. Only two years later, on February 8, 1872, Mother Sarah (Laffoon) Jackson died. Joel's older sisters were getting married, and Joel himself married a neighbor girl, Elvira Lillibridge, on Nov. 6, 1875. Joel bought property in SE quarter of Sec. 35 in township 33 of range 19 on Aug. 5, 1877. About that time Joel's father gave up and moved back to Indiana. On Jan 21, 1878, in Owen Co., Samuel married the widow Mary Ann Moore Bryant and helped her raise her two remaining teenagers.

Joel, meanwhile had children: Evelyn born about 1879 and Gale Clifford in February of 1880. Then tragically, Elvira died Oct 11, 1881, Evelyn died about 1883 and Joel was devastated. He left Clifford with a family named "Rankin" and moved to Colorado to find work. He got a job driving wagons for a brewing company in Colorado (because he didn't drink!) and worked for ranchers in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska area. Joel homesteaded in Western Nebraska near where the Oregon Trail crossed the Wyoming border. He almost pitchforked an old man sleeping in his haystack one day, but didn't, and as he took him home, found that he was Calvin Russell from a neighboring farm. And Calvin had a daughter of marriagable age, but she was caring for her ailing mother. In 1896, Rosa's mother, Lydia Esther (Spargo) Russell died in February. Rosa married Joel on December 23rd that same year. For awhile Joel had to work at the VR ranch in Wyoming and Rosa boarded the cowboys. Their little Esther was bounced on many a cowboy knee. Eventually they were able to return to their homestead and build a ranch of their own. Another daughter, Agnes, was born in 1898, but died two days later as a result of the measles her mother had contracted. A son, Elvin, was born at the turn of the century. Two years later, Samuel was born in 1902, completing their family. About 1908 Joel had a post office route to Torrington--Allen P.O. Esther would help Dora and get a music lesson for it. [Keith Russell memory.] Joel was raised Methodist but was not very active. His daughter writes: "One Sunday my brothers, teenagers, decided to overhaul the Model T Ford. My father didn't feel very good that day and stayed home. The next Sunday he said, 'We're all going to church.' In 1917 my father and my older brother joined the Christian Church together." Joel developed arthritis and at age 65 decided to sell out and move to Arizona. His bill of sale dated Oct 12, 1918 listed 18 head of horses, 10 head of cattle, 19 head of hogs (one of the sows to be sold for the benefit of the Red Cross), farm machinery and household goods. Joel and the boys drove, while Esther and Rosa rode the train, going first to Wichita Falls, Texas, to visit Joel's brother Wes and his large family. then heading for Arizona where they stayed with Rosa's brother Clarence in Gilbert till they got settled. Elvin was scheduled to be drafted, but the armistice was signed while they were on their trip and he didn't have to serve. They bought a farm in Mesa at the corner of Mesa Drive and Baseline roads, but one summer made Joel long for a cooler clime and he was able to sell and buy a farm in Chino Valley, near Prescott. Esther and Elvin advanced their education in Lamson Business College in Phoenix and Sam helped on the farm till he got a job with the Power Company as a lineman. The family became active in the community church in Chino and then the children drifted away. Elvin married Rivers Copeland and moved to Phoenix. Esther sold her homestead rights in Prescott Valley for two lots in Miller Valley area of Prescott and married in 1929. Then tragedy struck as Sam was acccidentally electrocuted at Poland Junction in 1932. Not long afterwards, Joel and Rosa disposed of their farm and bought a 5 acre spread at 1902 E. Palm Lane, just outside the Phoenix city limits. They had chickens and geese and raised some crops, and had help from Joel's bachelor brother, Henry Jackson, and Rosa's divorced brother, Lawrence Russell, who lived with them. Joel died in 1934 and Rosa lived on in the house ten more years, selling the property and moving to a house closer to town just before the big housing boom after the war. Her five acres were subdivided.