John Lehi THAYNE: A Pioneer’s Legacy
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Early Life:
John Lehi Thayne was born on 8th July 1852 in Townsend, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. He was the third child of John Johnson Thayne and Sydney Boyer Thayne. At the tender age of three, the Thayne family, driven by their newfound faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, left Canada and settled in Iowa. By the time John Lehi was ten, the family had made their way to Utah, joining the larger community of Saints.
Life in Salt Lake City:
While in Salt Lake, John’s father, John Johnson, contributed to the construction of the iconic Salt Lake Temple by hauling rocks. In 1875, while the family decided to move out of Salt Lake, John Lehi chose to stay. He had found love. On 25th March 1875, he married Annabella Reid in the Old Endowment House in Salt Lake City. The couple soon moved to Woodland, where John Lehi worked in his father’s sawmill.
Family and Work:
John Lehi and Annabella were blessed with ten children during their time in Woodland: John, Annabella, Alice, Albert, Leanora, Alma, Thomas, Lester, Olive, and Daniel. Tragically, John passed away on the day of his birth, and Daniel died at around two years of age. The rest of their children went on to marry and start families of their own.
John Lehi was known to be a robust man, weighing over 200 lbs, and had a reputation for being overbearing and challenging to work with. He was also involved in a tragic accident that injured his brother-in-law, Jeter Jones.
Moving to Desert Lake:
Seeking better opportunities, the family moved to Desert Lake, Emery County, Utah. Here, John made a living by homesteading and supplying produce to miners in nearby towns. After thirteen years in Desert Lake, where they had three more children – Hazel, Ella May, and Rulon, the family heard of new opportunities in the eastern part of the state.
Final Years in Mountain Home:
In 1908, the family moved to a place that would later be known as Mountain Home. This area was a bench between the hills and a river bed, offering good grass and abundant water. Here, John’s son, Alma, homesteaded a farm, as John had already homesteaded ground in Utah previously. The family lived on this farm, with the boys assisting in farming and the girls learning housekeeping from their mother.
John Lehi and his wife once traveled to Everett, Idaho, to visit one of their sons but soon returned to Utah. They spent the rest of their lives on their farm in Mountain Home, Duchesne County, Utah. John Lehi was an active member of his church, holding the office of High Priest, serving as the Superintendent of the Sunday School in Desert Lake, and being an active Ward teacher.
Legacy:
John Lehi Thayne passed away on 12th August 1930. He was laid to rest beside his beloved wife in the Mountain Home Cemetery, marking the end of a life filled with challenges, love, faith, and the indomitable spirit of a pioneer.
Written by Minnie Farnsworth McDaniel, granddaughter. Comments of the two brothers-in-law were taken from their stories.
