Thomas Foster Rhoades (Daniel Rhoads, Heinrich, Roesch, Jacob) Children of Thomas Rhoades and Elizabeth Forster are:
Children of Thomas Rhoades and Mary White are:
Children of Thomas Rhoades and Eliza Johnson are:
Children of Thomas Rhoades and Jacobina Jorgenson are:
Mary Vible Walch Third Wife of Thomas Rhoades
Mary was first
married to Phillip Walch who managed a circus with animals in Paris, France. He is listed as arriving in New York City on the
vessel "Rollo" on May 20, 1844 and listed his occupation as a performer. Although
they made their home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he traveled to take care of business in Europe. They had three boys. Both Phillip and Mary decided to join the Mormon
Church. They decided to sell their interest
in the circus and when Phillip returned to the United States he was killed in New York
City and robbed. After seven years Mary
decided to migrate west to join the Mormons. She
joined a wagon train and in exchange for driving a team of oxen with the boys driving and
caring for his cattle he would paid for their trip to Utah.
Life on the
wagon train included milking, cooking, washing, caring for the oxen. Butter was made by tying the cream in a tight
container and it was tied to the wagon, at the end of the day it would be butter.
When Mary got to
Salt Lake Brigham Young invited her to come see him.
Here she met Thomas Rhoades and his second wife Mary Rhoades and their
children. Caleb and Lucinda Rhoads mother
Elizabeth had died in California a few years earlier.
Three children by Thomas and Mary Miranda White Rhoades were there and
Mary's son Isaac Rogers from her first husband who had died.
"Mary shook
hands with this man (Thomas Rhoades) as she observed his strength and the confident smile
on his round cheery face. She guessed his age
to be about 55 years. He was hardened to the
vigorous frontier life and tanned by long
hours of exposure to wind and sun.
Then Mary heard
President Young say, " Life here in the west is hard for men. It would be very difficult for you and your boys
to wrest a living from these resistant plains and rugged mountains. I have called Brother
Rhoades to take you as his wife and the two of you are to provide a home for your children
and help in the building of zion."
Although Mary
wanted time to think Young said that her marriage ceremony had been arranged in September. Thomas invited her and her family to join his
family for dinner. Mary accepted the
invitation and Caleb Rhoades about 16 showed the boys into the wagon with the women and
Thomas sitting on the seat behind the horses. They
came to at the Valley House on first south and west temple that was one block from the
temple block. " I have
arranged for you to stay here for a few days, " Thomas informed Mary as he turned the
team into the hitching post. "
That is, if it is alright with you and the boys. The
food isn't too bad and it's clean. It is also
close to the corrals and my grazing area."
Thomas seemed a
little ill at ease as he stated conversations around the table. They talked about the trip west, interesting
sights, California, trouble with the Indians, crops, mountain scenery, and to her things
on this first meeting. Conversation became
more relaxed and the children became less shy as the meal ended with dessert.
They helped herd
the cattle in the foot hills, did the garden
work and worked in the fields. Albert and
Charles also spent time doing yard work at the Valley House and helping care for the
younger Rhoades children.
After 1863
Thomas and his family moved to Minersville where he owned a store. The wives worked in the store and each had their
own house. Thomas would return from work or
mining and would give the " senior wife" gold or food to be given to the other
wives. And if time he would spend a few days
with each family. These visits were short and
the children never were able to get acquainted with him.
The older boys did get to know him as they accompanied him on his trips and
assignments.
He became sick
on a trip and died on February 20, 1869 at the home of his wife Eliza Cecelia Rhoades. Mary had never forgotten the love of her first
husband Philip and her granddaughter had the second marriage to Thomas canceled and Mary
sealed to her first husband Philip Walch, the father of her children. Mary
Vible Smyrna to Scipio, by Oscar W. Walch, Provo, Utah,
March 1968 was found in the Special
Collections Section of the Bingham Young University of Provo, Utah.
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