Life History: Clara Grove Goodman and Abraham John Busby

(Taken from Mother’s personal family records. I have no idea who wrote this life history)

Clara Grove Goodman, the 7th child of William Nicholas Goodman and Margaret Ann Taylor, was born 8 February 1877 at Minersville, Beaver County, Utah. Her parents were 23 years old when they married at Salt Lake City. A year later Margaret Maria was born at Logan, Utah, and lived only about a year. Then came William George and Joseph Thomas who were born in Salt Lake City.

Because of the father’s failing health due to asthma, the family moved south to a warmer climate at Minersville. Here were born George Edward, Francis Nathaniel and Lily May, the latter live only about a year. Then came Clara Grove. (Grove was the surname of her maternal great grandmother). At Minersville the family had a comfortable home (the father was a carpenter); they were active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints; and they helped build up the community. They lived here from 1870 to 1882. During this time, the father accepted a call to serve a mission in Great Britain, but had to return in less than a year due to the rainy weather and dampness which affected his asthma. Because of this health condition, the family decided to move to sunny Arizona where Margaret Ann’s sister Maria McRae was living. Gertrude Ann and Herbert Arthur were born while they lived at Minersville.

So in 1882 the GOODMAN family set out for a long trip to Arizona in wagons driven by father William Nicholas, age 41; William George, age 16; Joseph Thomas, age 14; George Edward, age 12; and Francis Nathaniel, age 9. The mother and small children , Clara, Gertrude and Herbert were made comfortable in the wagons. William George was on crutches having been shot accidently in the hip while hunting with a friend near Minersville.

On October 25, 1882 the GOODMAN family was at the Saint George Temple in Utah where William Nicholas and Margaret Ann did Temple work for their dead ancestors. Here the two children Margaret Maria (deceased) and William George (16) who were born before the parents were sealed in the Endowment House in 1868, were sealed to the parents. Clara, who was 5 years old acted as proxy for her sister Margaret Maria. William George received his endowments. (See film #170,583)

The trip was long and tedious; it snowed; the horses strayed away; a wheel came off; a wagon and other supplies were given to cross the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry; Little Bert got burned; father was thrown from the wagon hurting his head on the big rocks along the trail

When the family arrived in Mesa, Arizona the boys and father transported flour for Hayden Mills in Tempe to raise money to finish the trip to the San Pedro Valley.
The arrived in January 1883 in Saint David, Arizona, at the home of Maria Taylor McRae (Joseph). The next month Elizabeth Taylor was born. William Nicholas and sons with the help of Joseph McRae made adobes and built a home close to the present Saint David cemetery.

Clara’s father died when she was about 8 years old, in 1885, leaving his wife with nine children, Clara’s baby sister Theresa Hope was born six weeks before the father’s death. The mother and baby were in poor health, but Mother didn’t give up. She took the family’s only cow to pay the funeral expenses. Then with five dollars she bought a few bars of soap and other small articles and sold them in one of her rooms. This venture finally grew into a small store.

Being the oldest living daughter, Clara took turns with the next daughter Gertrude in going to school. One week she would stay home to help in the store and Post Office, and the next week she would go to school. The two girls studied hard to keep up with their schoolwork. Clara loved to work. She loved her brothers and sisters. Her brother Joseph said that Clara started doing work around the house when she had to stand on a chair to reach the table.

In May 1897 the Goodman family moved to Marcus, a few miles to the North, where the people were moving to homestead the good fertile land and where artesian water had been struck. When the government let the Post Office be moved to Marcus to the new Goodman home, the Post Office kept the name of Saint David, and gradually the town of Marcus became Saint David. The Goodman boys homesteaded and worked together. The girls were kept busy in the store and Post Office. Trips were made to Benson and Tombstone in the buggy with Old General, the horse, for supplies. The girls and mother cooked suppers, made ice cream and pink soda pop to sell at the socials and dances.

Clara was now about 20 years old. She was a Sunday School teacher, a counselor in the Primary and a visiting Relief Society teacher. Clara was very much a home girl. The brothers and sisters were very close together. Her other always had family prayer and had the children take turns praying.

About this time, a certain boy, Abraham John Busby, began to get Clara’s attention. So now we need to talk about this special person in Clara’s future life here and in Eternity.

Abraham John Busby was born 16 January 1877 at Randolph, Rich County, Utah to John James Busby and Rosanna Taylor. He was the first son and was affectionately called Abie by his 4 older sisters: Rose Mary, 10 years; Violet, 7 years; Charlottie, 5 years; and Annie, 3 years.

When Abraham was 2 years old, his father decided to take his family to sunny Arizona. He traded some horses for oxen, loaded up and started out. Rose, age now 12, rode a horse and drove the cows. As the oxen went along they often tried to stray away, and had to be rocked to keep them o the trail..

Father had to be constantly alert to guard the horses from the Indians who did succeed in stealing one choice animal. Abe’s sister Violet had fiery red hair which caused much talking and pointing by the Indians. Finally the family kept her hidden under a feather mattress just to be safe. Red scalps weren’t too plentiful.

When the family arrived at Show Low, Arizona, a new baby was expected and so a stop was made here. The Busby family lived in a corn crib. Father found work. They had molasses, brown bread and mush to eat. One day a kind neighbor brought a pan of white biscuits and how beautiful and delicious they were. Another daughter, Arizona, was born 20 March 1879 and was soon nicknamed “Zone”.

Soon the family moved on South, arriving in Saint David in 1880. They went directly to the Fort which the earlier settlers had constructed near the San Pedro River as a protection against the Indians and renegade outlaws who blamed the Indians.

Father was very sick with typhoid fever and had to be helped the last part of the trip. Soon Aunt Rhoda Merrill’s quinine pills started him on the road to recovery. The family lived in a tent. Every evening “Pa” would carry Abe on his back to the Fort to spend the night. Later two more children were added to the family: William Eli, 1881, and Nellie, 1884. Both children died in 1884.

As Abe grew up, his Grandfather William Busby, who had come to sunny Arizona for his health, having almost frozen to death in Northern Utah, and his father John filed and homesteaded on land around Marcus, a few miles north and east along the San Pedro River. Grandpa William had two wives who lived in separate homes. Father John renounced his allegiance to the British King and became a citizen of the United States.

As Abe worked with these two great men he gained much wisdom and practical knowledge. “Many times I had the seat of my britches tanned by my Grandpa.”

One day Abe was mowing hay out in the back field and accidently cut off the head of a favorite turkey. He took it to his mother, who cleaned and cooked it and planned a big dinner without inviting the “killer”. However, when noon came, Abe unhitched the team, fed the horses, washed up, went in and sat down at the table and said “Come on if you are going to eat with me.” Mother Rosanna didn’t stay peeved too long.

Abe’s mother was very strict with the children. It is said that she worked in a factory in England and had charge of many girls who worked under her. She was held responsible for them and their work by her supervisor, so here it was she developed a harsh manner and strict attitude. But underneath she was kind and considerate and many times took one of the sick girls to her home to care for. This same strict trait rubbed off on Abe in his life time as shown when he served as Sunday School Superintendent.

Abraham spent his first thirteen years of life around St. David freighting and farming with his father, and working in the Huachuca Mountains around the saw mill. About this time he took a herd of cattle belonging to his father into Luna Valley, New Mexico, which was wide open range. Due to drought conditions in the San Pedro Valley, several men, including Sam Curtis, Lyman Curtis, Jody Curtis, and Heber Reed, all pioneers of St. David, also sent their cattle to the plentiful feed. A chuck wagon followed the men on horseback. Abe was small for his age and would often go to sleep on the horse who was very well trained to herd the cattle. Lyman Curtis, Abe’s brother in law, looked after the young boy. At night one of the men and Abe took turns as guards. Around Duncan, Arizona, Abe took his turn. The older man, thinking to play a trick on the boy, took all the shells out of his gun, so Abe guarded the cattle all night with an empty gun unbeknownst to him. The next morning he was teased about the empty gun. Later in the day the older men did not feel so smart with their joking when they learned that the same night the Indians had ambushed and killed some men not too far from the cattle camp.

In old Saint David was a large adobe structure used as a school house and as the Church. All socials and gatherings were held in this ‘Rock School House.’ It was built by the early settlers. Here Abraham went to school and spent some of his time standing in the corner due to his mishievousness. One of the girls in the class was Clara Grove Goodman who of course never ever had to stand in a corner and who felt sorry for Abe because he was always playing tricks or pulling the girls’ hair or sashes.

When Abe was about 18 and 19 he was driving a freight team for Sam Curtis from Nacazari, Mexico into Fairbanks, Arizona. He drove a six horse team, two wagons—a lead wagon and a tail wagon. These wagons were loaded with coke, a form of coal, dynamite and food for the smelters at Nacazari, and on the return trip brought ore. Abe was gone into Mexico about 4 months at which time he wrote to Clara. One time he sent her a bottle of scent (perfume) and a breast pin.

It was while Abe was freighting in Mexico that someone told him that Rose was not his full sister. So he saddled up his horse and rode clear into Bisbee where she was living to learn the truth. All these years he had not known that his mother had left England with her little girl and had come to America for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Abe’s father was gone from his parents’ home in Utah for many years, and when he returned he was 20 years old and had with him Rosanna and the little girl Rose, age two. Neither Abe’s father or mother ever told too much about how, where, or when they met.

When the smelters in Mexico shut down, Abe went to haul freight between Geronimo and Globe. He was driving for Sam Curtis. It was during this time that he decided to return home and get married, if Clara was willing. He wrote Clara that he had something to ask her. So when she saw him she said, “I bet I know what you are going to ask me.” Abe said, “What?” Clara answered, “Will you marry me?” And then Abe said, “Well, will you?”

Thus it was that Abraham walked boldly into the store and asked the widow, Mrs. Margaret Ann Goodman for her daughter Clara. Mother Goodman consented on the one condition that Clara stay at home a year to help in the store and Post Office and with the boarders that Mother took care of. Clara’s sister, Gertrude, had just married and Mother thought she couldn’t spare another helper daughter so soon. With these conditions in mind, Abraham and Clara were married 21 October 1896 by Peter A Lofgreen at the Goodman home. Clara was dressed in white cashmere. A big dinner and dance were enjoyed by the town in honor of the newlyweds. Later the couple was sealed for time and eternity by Apostle John Henry Smith, 9 March 1897. This Apostle was touring the out of the way places from the Temple and doing this work for people who could not get to the Temple. Because these records of sealing were lost, Abraham and Clara, together with their eight living children, all of whom were married but two, went to the Arizona Temple at Mesa, 28 September 1931, and had the sealing done again.

Abe’s work took him to places far away and Clara stayed home faithful to her bargain. However, before the year was over, Clara was released from her promise, and went with her husband down near Benson where Abe helped build a railroad grade, while Clara cooked on an outside fire for the working men. Their home was an old railroad car, their stove was a campfire. With the money earned on this job, they bought a house in Tombstone which they moved and placed on a lot given to Abe by his grandfather. Clara said she was happy to live close to Ma. Their first child Margaret Clara was born here, 1898. Then Melvin came along in 1900. When Abe would be gone off on a job, Clara, who was afraid to stay alone, would take the children and stay nights with her brother Joseph and family. Her sister Gertrude would do the same. One night, Joseph told them that if they were going to stay at his home they would have to get over there earlier. Clara’s eyes filled with tears, but not Gertie’s. She told Joe that if he wanted them any earlier then to get over and help them with their chores.

When Melvin was a baby, the two children and Abe and Clara went up into the Huachuca Mountains to live while Abe worked around a saw mill and Clara cooked for the men in their tent home. They planned to build a new home with the money received here and so decided to take their wages in a lump sum instead of monthly. However, just before the end of the job, the paymaster and boss left the country with their earnings, and with him went the dreams of the new home.

Years later, at the home in St. David, two more children were born: Rose in 1902 and Amy in 1904. Abe made a living by farming and by digging wells for people all around the country.

In October 1905, Abe and Clara with their four children went on the train to Salt Lake City, Utah, to receive their endowments. The family stayed with Clara’s uncle Joseph E. Taylor, who tried hard to persuade Abe to stay in Utah and help him with his Mortuary, but Arizona was calling the family home.

After their return home, they traded the home ‘up town’ for the home down near the river on the highway, which became the permanent home of the Busbys in Saint David. Another son, John, 1907, was born. When he was six months old, Clara’s leg started to pain her greatly and to swell. It finally gathered and broke leaving a running sore. Doctor Bacon in Tombstone said the leg would have to be amputated. By the power of the Holy Priesthood, the leg was healed.

In 1907, Abraham, was called to go on a mission to the Southern States. Clara and Abe talked about this matter, cried about it, and prayed about it. How could she keep Abe on a mission when she had no income? What was raised on the farm was hardly enough to keep the family. Clara knew that Heavenly Father would bless them. It took all of Clara’s courage to tell Abe yes to go on when he jumped out of the buggy which was taking him to the train, and came back to her and said, “Shall I go?”
Clara’s brother Herbert came to be with her. That night Clara asked him if he would be staying for supper and he replied, “Yes, Clara, I will be here tonight and every night until Abe comes home.”

Uncle Bert was not yet married, and he really filled a mission too. Clara said that he was always so kind to her and the children, and did everything possible to support the family and Abe. Together Clara and Bert sold hay and grain and a horse to send Abe money for his mission from December 1907 to 1909. At times Clara felt it was impossible to carry on without her Abe, especially when the children would hear the lonesome sound of the train whistle and ask if their Papa was coming home. But Clara’s mother and relatives gave her much encouragement and comfort. Ma Goodman would drive by in her buggy with Old General ion her way to Benson for supplies. One day Clara went out to the buggy, put her head in her mother’s lap and said, “Oh, Ma, I just can’t stand it any longer without Abe.” Her mother comforted with these words, “Oh, yes you can, and the Lord will bless you.” Clara said that at that moment the real terrible lonesome feeling left her breast and she felt better from then on. Of course Clara had to be very thrifty and saving to keep the family and husband. She made over clothes, half soled shoes, and patched and darned again and again. She was expert in making one good stocking out of three old ones.

After Abe’s return, the home was enlarged and the family was increased by four children—Luella, 1910; Vern, 1912; Dorrity, 1915; and Joseph, 1917. The latter part of 1916 the big barn full of hay and grain burned to the ground. The house was saved by bucket brigade and the dreams of a new home once again disappeared, this time not with a heartless paymaster, but in smoke.

About 1917, Abraham filed on a homestead in the Whetstone Mountains. Clara went with him to build a house, raise cattle, dig wells, build fences, extract honey, cook for hired help, and anything else to help out. This was real rugged pioneering with plenty of hard work. All the summers were spent here and much of the winters, although the children had to be sent to school in St. David, too.

About two years later, Abraham went into road contracting work. Clara, and two daughters Rose and Amy took turns cooking for the men. It was at a road camp just out of Douglas, Arizona, that death first entered Clara and Abe’s family. While Clara was in Bisbee to see the dentist, her youngest child, Joseph, the two year old, passed away. The day before this, her oldest child Margaret, was married to Farrel Nelson, 24 January, 1919. What sustained Clara in this sorrow? It was her firm belief in the mission of the Savior and of a life after death when she would again see our ‘little Joe’.

After the road construction work, the family moved to the Boquillas Ranch in Curtis Flat, 1922 and 1923, to farm. Here again, Clara put forth all her effort to make a home. She washed by hand, chased cows and horses out of the crops; grubbed stumps, built fences; cut wood; scrubbed floors; cooked for farm hands; made soap; baled hay; made quilts; made mattresses out of straw; peddled corn, chickens, honey and vegetables to Tombstone; gathered grain and beans; bottled fruit and vegetables; sewed for the family; irrigated; went to Church; extracted honey; made cheese; patched and darned. These are just a few of the things she did as she remained helpful and faithful even though the floods destroyed the crops one year. The oldest son, Melvin, was at this time on a mission in the Central States.

Later, the family moved back to their home in St. David. Every fall, Abe worked on the ditch with his team and scraper building a dam to direct river water for irrigation. Every summer the river floods took out the dam. The men would camp at the dam sight for the week. Clara always fixed Abe a good lunch box with plenty of supplies.
In a lot of their experiences, Clara and Abe had to be very clever. They had a good butter cow that had a calf which died. They skinned the new calf and sewed the skin around a dogie calf. The mother, after some smelling, accepted the dogie and went on giving her rich milk.

There were big celebrations on the 4th of July and the 24th, Pioneer day, in Saint David. Abe’s cattle were brought from the mountains for the rodeo. The barbeque was done at Clara and Abe’s home. A large crowd always gathered for the all night fun.

By 1931, Margaret, Melvin, Rose, Amy, John, and Dorrity were married. Luella was teaching school, and Vern was on a mission to the Southern States. Abraham was made Cattle Inspector and Clara went with him on his trips around the County.

Around 1934 Clara and Abraham sold some of their cattle and bought into the slaughter business in Tucson. His sons soon joined him and the A.J. Busby and Sons business was located at 12th Avenue and 33rd street. Clara was happy in Tucson. Her home was modern and convenient with electric stove and automatic washer. She could drive to town and spend a few extra pennies at the Kress store.

Clara and Abraham went often to the Temple in Mesa. They helped care for the three children of son Dorrity and Shirley while they were on a mission to California. Daughter Rose and family moved to Tucson. Clara was contented when her children were close and concerned about her and Abe.

Around 1946 Clara and Abraham acquired some land in Chandler, Arizona. This was during the war years when building materials were hard to find, but Abe started building a house on the farmland. The house was built of railroad ties and material was obtained any place in the state. When Abe heard of nails or any other materials available, he sent someone after them. Clara and Abe, with Indian hired help, farmed, raised calves and chickens; milked cows, and irrigated. They enjoyed their stay in Chandler. The boys would come by each week on their way to the cattle sales in Phoenix. Clara’s two sisters, Theresa Wright and Elizabeth Merrill lived in Mesa, and they visited back and forth. Later, Clara’s brother, Bert moved with his family to Mesa from Florence, Arizona.

In October 1946, Clara and Abraham celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Tucson. Their children had a big barbecue inviting everyone. The family always got together on many occasions: Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and later Labor Day was set aside for the Busby reunion.

Clara and Abraham were now in their seventies, so their children persuaded them to move back to their home by the meat packing business where they would be nearer their children. This was in 1949. During the time they had lived in Chandler much had happened: Gertrude, Clara’s sister, died in 1947. We all enjoyed her at the Goodman Reunion in Safford in May, and then soon she was gone. Clara had attended Gertrude’s Golden Anniversary in 1946, the same year as hers. Eugene Busby, son of Dorrity, died in 1949 with cancer in the arm. He was his Grandma’s boy. Violet Scranton, Abe’s sister, died 1949.

Clara Grove Goodman Busby was a devoted wife and mother. Never would she say or do anything she didn’t want her children or grandchildren to say or do. Her health was fair even though she had nervous breakdowns and suffered from kidney stones. Often she left her sick bed to attend her church meetings, in order to set a good example to her posterity. In her last years, Abe could tell she was better when he found her tearing and sewing carpet rags to crochet a rug.

All her life, Clara kept a daily account of her doings. One can read such as this in her journal: “Went to the Temple; baked bread; set a hen; ‘puttered around all day’; and if she didn’t putter then it says that Abe did.

Their son Vern, was made Bishop of Tucson Ward, 8 February 1953. Clara’s heart was with her son in his work, and she watched him anxiously as he fulfilled his responsibilities of building a new chapel, and we know her prayers were for the ‘Father’ of her Ward.

Always in her married life Clara was ready to go when Abe said the word. She had things prepared so that with a moments notice she and the children would be by Abe’s side in the wagon or car ready to take off.

Clara and Abraham did go on many long trips with different members of their family. To mention a few: on a cattle buying trip to Texas and Oklahoma with John and Frances; to Wyoming and California to visit relatives; to Utah and Idaho with their daughters searching for genealogy and visiting Temples along the way; To the eastern states visiting Church history sights and pageants.

Time marches on –Clara and Abraham now had to slow down. They didn’t mind getting old, just hated to ‘fall apart.’ One day, Rose took them to get their car out of the garage. Driving home, her Papa kept driving slower and slower. When they stopped, she asked him about it and he said, “Rosie, I just don’t feel good.”
Amy happened to be in Tucson for knee surgery and convinced her mother and father to go to St. David with her for the weekend. On this Sunday, Stake Conference, Amy ad her Papa stayed home. After Conference, Brother Ellsworth, the Welfare Representative, who was a Chandler friend, stopped to visit. After he left, Clara and Abe were taken for a ride. They returned to a delicious venison dinner. Members of the family came that evening to visit. Abe talked about all the good old days.
That night he had a good sleep. Toward morning he was snoring loud and long. Clara who was sleeping in the next room was awake and waiting for Abe to quit snoring so she could tell him to get up. Amy fixed breakfast, went to his bedroom door and said, “Papa, are you going to sleep all day?” She sensed that something was wrong so went back to the kitchen for Esker. He knew immediately that Papa was gone and told the sad news to Mama who jumped out of bed, ran to his side and sobbed, “Abe, oh Abe, why did you leave me?”

Abraham John Busby was gone from this life, 7 December 1959. He was taken to the mortuary in Tucson. The next two days, in the evenings, the Busby family with relatives and friends gathered at the mortuary. Clara had a chair near her Abe. Friends and relatives comforted her. Abe was buried 10 December 1959 at Saint David, Arizona.

Clara’s final years were sad, lonesome, yet brave years. She would stay at the home place in the daytime. Rose would go after her to spend the nights. Daytime she could busy herself knowing that son Vern and others were working at the meat packing building.

Often Clara went to Bisbee to stay with Amy and Esker who lived upstairs above the barbershop. Because she could not climb the stairs, Mama was made comfortable in the extra room next to the shop. Clara’s eyesight was almost gone, but she could feel and did crochet rag rugs. She listened to records and radio.

Because Clara wasn’t feeling well, Amy took her to the Benson doctor, who, sensing this was terminal, advised taking Clara to the Tucson hospital. She was promised that someone would always stay with her. On 11 June 1963 Clara Grove Goodman Busby passed on due to inflammation of the pancreas. She was buried 14 June 1963 at Saint David, Arizona.

Clara was never contented after her Abe was gone, and now finally after 4 years she had joined him.