Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Keith M. Chandler
The Census for 1850 states that Luke's profession was a Saddle Rivet Maker. His life work was as a blacksmith and he was very skilled in his work.Luke was reported to be the president of the Newark Branch of the LDS Church. One document that is in the family's possession is the ordaining him to the office of High Priest on 27 June 1841 in Pompton, Morris, New Jersey. This was done by an Elder G. Beebe. It states that he is duly authorized to preach the
Gospel agreeable to the authority of the office. It says that he had a good moral character.
We have been told that Grand- father Provost had great faith and that people would come for miles to have him administer to their sick. When he entered the room the power of the priesthood could be felt....
On April 22, 1856, Luke Provost and Julia Ann, his wife, sold their property which was located on the northeast corner of Market and Mulberry Streets in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. This was sold for $1,000.
In the "Perpetual Immigration Fund Perpetual Records" for 1857, Luke and his family are listed as emigrating with the following: One wagon loaded with 1060 pounds being pulled by 3 yokes of oxen. They had one cow. They were carrying one shotgun, one rifle, one pistol and one sabre. They also had 2 pounds of powder, six pounds of lead along with 60 caps. For food they had 500 pounds of flour. They came to Utah in Captain Wm. B. Hodgett’s Ox Wagon train which arrived in Salt Lake in sections from Dec. 10 to 18, 1856.
The winter of 1856/57 was very severe with the snow in the valley being as much as eight feet. On the l5th of December, according to the Deseret News of that day, in Little Cottonwood Canyon there was seven feet of snow on the ground. Another article in the paper had to do with the wagon train that they had accompanied to Utah.
"'The last part of Captain William B. Hodgett's train had left Iowa City in the latter part of August arrived in The Great Salt Lake Valley today. They were instructed to keep
in the rear of Capt. James D. Willie's and Edward Martin's handcart companies, in case that the emigrants traveling by handcarts should be disabled and need whatever assistance teams could render them. It may be stated here that the two wagon trains lead by Capt. Hodgett and Capt. Hunt suffered as much from cold, snow and starvation as did the Handcart companies mentioned. Following is a somewhat complete list of the emigrants who crossed the plains with Capt. Hodgett’s wagon company and who were helped in by the relief trains sent from the valley."
Luke and his family are listed in this group. The relief group told about had left Salt Lake December the 2nd with 60 horses and mule wagons.
What this family went through to practice religion as they wanted is very sad to think about at this time but some letters from Julia Ann's sister appear to show that others of the family were members of the Church and only a few of the family came to Utah.
Lukes father, Luke, was baptized 15 May 1840 along with his Mother whereas Luke himself was baptized 15 Nov. 1840.
According to various sources, the family resided in Provo when the last child was born and then in 1862 the entire family went back to New Jersey to retrieve property and several trunks of clothes that they had left behind with a friend. Arriving in Newark, Luke found that the friend had sold everything and left the country.
{I have often wondered myself just what was so important in those trunks to cause Luke to expose his family to this trip across the entire country during the middle of a Civil War, which he had to travel through}.
On the return trip, the weather was very cold and, being quite well off for the times, Luke went quite a distance to obtain flour from a gristmill. On this trip he took pneumonia and died in St. Marys, Iowa. He was buried there, about 10 miles down river from Nebraska City. Julia Ann continued on to Utah, settling in Midway. She probably settled there because her oldest daughter and son-in-law already lived there.
The family arrived in time for the Indian trouble which brought the town of Midway into being, this settlement having been two separate areas before. The fort was built at the site of the present town square. The Provost family members were in the cabins along the south side of the fort. Each cabin area was 33 foot of the wall area. After the fort was disbanded, her sons built her a home that was located where the Guy Coleman home, which is covered with white stucco, is currently standing.
LUKE PROVOST & JULIA ANN WHEELER
Luke Provost was a pioneer with the Oxteam Comapny. He came to Utah December 18, 1856 with the William Blodgett company. He was President of the branch at Newark, New Jersey.Luke Provost was born January 2, 1809, at Pompton Morris, New Jersey, a son of Luke Provost and Catherine Hennion. Married Julia Ann Wheeler. Died March 13, 1863, St. Marys, Iowa.
Julia Ann Wheeler was born September 23, 1815, Newark, New Jersey, daughter of James and Sarah Wheeler. Died June 4, 1881, in Midway.
Luke Provost and Julia Ann and their family of small children emigrated to Utah on December 18, 1855 or 1856 with the William B. Hodgett Company where they could live their religion the way they desired to live it.
Luke was President of the LDS branch while he was in Newark, New Jersey. He had great faith in God and the Priesthood. Also had great healing influence in administering to the sick. Faith in God and in his fellow men was characteristic of him and of his children. His faith in some of his friends was soon shaken, for he had left property and 7 trunks of clothes, with what he thought was a friend. In 1862 he and his family went back to New Jersey to visit and claim his property. Arriving there safely he found the so-called friend had sold everything and left the country. This was a great shock to him and his family. Being quite well-off for those times he decided to load his wagon with flour and return to Utah. This he did and got as far as St. Marys, Iowa, where he took pneumonia and died on March 13, 1863. He was buried in St. Marys, Iowa, ten miles down the river from Nebraska City, Iowa, leaving behind his beloved wife and five living children and five having died before they had left Newark, Ner Jersey, for Utah.
Julia Ann filled with grief at being left alone, was determined to carry on and serve the Lord in the best way she could. She decided to go on to Utah with other wagon trains.
Jim Provost being the oldest boy took over the responsibility of getting the family back to their home in Provo. He became a man over night. In due time they arrived back to their home in Provo and moved to Midway with friends and neighbors. They started to Midway from Provo, when word came that the Indians were on the war Path. The man with the other family climbed up on the wheel of the wagon to get his gun. Pulling it toward him it discharged and killed him. They hurried and wrapped him in a quilt and buried him before the Indians arrived.
They then went on their way again with hearts very sad, but with courage to continue landing in Midway. Julia Ann and her young children were among the first pioneers to settle in Midway. Julia and her family built their first home in the lower settlement known as Stringtown. Their nearest neighbors were John Clayburn and Mark Smith. They later moved into Fort Midway and Julia Ann lived on there in her log cabin until her death in 1881. She kept up her courage and faith in the Gospel until the end, and through a rivh and useful life won the love and respect of all who knew her.