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Thomas Foster Rhoades

Thomas Foster Rhoades (Daniel Rhoads, Heinrich, Roesch, Jacob)
 was born July 13, 1795 in Boone's Fort, KY, and died February 20, 1869 in Minersville, Utah. He married (1) Elizabeth Forster February 21, 1817 in Muhlenberg Co, KY, daughter of Thomas Forster and Catherine Harborough. He married (2) Mary Miranda White March 24, 1852 in Salt Lake City, UT. He married (3) Mary Vible Walch September 6, 1853 in Salt Lake City, UT. He married (4) Arranetta Caroline Maale November 20, 1853 in Salt Lake City, UT. He married (5) Eliza Cecilia Johnson December 9, 1853 in Salt Lake City, UT. He married (6) Olive Larnden June 9, 1854 in Salt Lake City, UT. He married (7) Wilhelmina Matilda Mary Peterson August 1, 1854 in Salt Lake City, UT. He married (8) Jacobina Wilhemina Sophia Jorgenson March 25, 1855 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Children of Thomas Rhoades and Elizabeth Forster are:

Foster Rhoads, born March 7, 1814 in Muhlenberg Co, KY. He married Jane Brown.
Polly Rhoads, born March 7, 1817; died Abt. 1860. She married John Turner Elder 1837.
John Pierce Rhoads, born October 5, 1818 in Muhlenberg Co, KY; died December 20, 1866 in Slough House, CA.
Nancy Rhoads, born October 5, 1818 in Muhlenberg Co, KY; died 1829.
Daniel Rhoads, born December 7, 1821 in Paris, IL; died December 9, 1895 in Rhoads Farm, Lemoore, CA.
Isaac Rhoads, born December 18, 1822 in Paris, IL; died 1895.
Thomas Foster Rhoads , Jr, born 1823 in Paris, IL; died 1852 in Truckee River.
Elizabeth Rhoads, born 1826.
Sarah Pierce Rhoads, born January 28, 1830 in Paris, IL; died January 7, 1898.
William Baldwin Rhoads, born January 28, 1830.
Catherine Foster Rhoads, born April 9, 1832 in Rhoads home, Paris, Edgar Co, Illinois; died April 2, 1905 in Slough House, CA.
George W. Rhoads, born November 2, 1833.
Caleb Baldwin Rhoades, born April 4, 1836; died June 2, 1905 in Price, UT.
Lucinda Rhoads, born May 9, 1839 in Richmond, MO; died Abt. 1922.

Children of Thomas Rhoades and Mary White are:

97 Benjamin Rhoades, born July 24, 1850 in Salt Lake City, UT.
98 Adeline Rhoades, born July 24, 1850 in Salt Lake City, UT; died February 5, 1873. She married Beason Lewis Abt. 1868.
99 Adelade Rhoades, born July 24, 1850 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Children of Thomas Rhoades and Eliza Johnson are:

Olive J.  Rhoades, born July 13, 1854 in Salt Lake City, UT; died July 18, 1872.
Josephine Rhoades, born May 19, 1857 in Summit, UT; died June 16, 1898. She married John Walker Williams.
Nephi Rhoades, born August 1860.
. John Joseph Rhoades, born March 5, 1863 in Summit, UT; died June 5, 1935. He married Mary Ann Peckett Horsley March 27, 1884.

Children of Thomas Rhoades and Jacobina Jorgenson are:

Thomas  Rhoades , Jr, born June 16, 1857 in Salt Lake City, UT; died April 15, 1931. He married Martha Ann Powell October 13, 1873.
Anna Rhoades, born August 10, 1859.
Enock Rhoades, born July 1861.
Maraiah Rhoades, born 1870.
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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.