71. The "Grandmother Squaw" story, with Caroline Farozine Skeen Butler
My great great grandmother on my mother's side, Caroline Farozine Skeen, the wife of John Lowe Butler, was an amazing woman herself. She had to run their farm and take care of the children many times when her husband John was gone with the Prophet Joseph Smith. I'll post several different stories of her in the future, as her life is very inspirational.
The Story of Grandmother Squaw
(on page 185-186 in the book of Pal's ancestors)
After the Prophet was killed and the saints were moving West, John left with his family in Emmett’s Company. (Remember John Lowe Butler was the Prophet's bodyguard, see post # 66, and he also is mentioned in post # 26) John was a wheelright and blacksmith, and after helping to fix other wagons, they were rather late in starting west. Winter overtook them when they were in the heart of the Indian Country. So they had to stop and build log cabins and wait until spring. They stopped in a little valley and there was a little patch of timber between them and an Indian village. The men began to cut logs and they would bind a bunch of logs together and drag them into camp.
The children had great fun riding on the logs. One day a little Indian boy was very badly hurt, as the logs began to roll, not being bound tight enough. So the Indian Chief told them if the Indian boy died they would take one of the white children to pay for it.
Caroline was very sick and they were afraid she was going to die. Their food supplies had run out and they had had nothing but meat to eat without even any salt. One day as she lay very sick in her tent, with the other women trying to help her, the old Indian chief came into the tent and asked for the little tow headed girl, Keziah, who was about 12 or 14 years old.
Caroline looks like she could handle any adversity, doesn't she?
When she came in he took her by the hand and led her away to his camp. Caroline thought that the little Indian boy had died and that he had taken her own little girl as a ransom. But she was too weak and sick to protest. (Can you imagine being that sick?) The old chief took Keziah Butler to his camp and told her that her mother was very ill and that she would die if she didn't get something besides meat to eat. He gave her a pan of flour or meal and on top of that he put a bowl of coffee and on top of that a smaller bowl of sugar. He told her to carry them on her head till she got home and for her to make one biscuit a day for her mother. He told her to be sure and keep it all for her mother and that it would save her life. What joy filled the little camp when little Keziah came trudging home with her precious load, for the instructions were followed and the dear mother returned to health and strength. They never forgot to give thanks to their Heavenly Father for all these blessings.
This cabin above is probably similar to the "rude log cabin" they built for the winter.
They built a rude log cabin for the winter and were thankful for protection from the winters cold and for kindly Indian friends, for conditions might have been worse. John Lowe Butler was appointed as a hunter for the camp as meat was their only food supply. Time and again when the kill was sent home, Emmett left John's own little brood without any share.
During the winter an old Indian squaw came to see Caroline and told her she had just lost her only child. She wanted to know if Caroline had a mother and she told her no. So she asked Caroline to let her be a mother to her. All winter long she kept the little feet of the children covered with Indian moccasins. They called her Grandmother Squaw. When spring began to come and the sap began to rise in the trees the little camp began to make plans to continue their journey. They were in the sugar maple section and they used to tap the trees and catch all the syrup they could to eat.
Night after night Caroline sat up boiling, boiling, boiling the precious syrup into sugar to help fed her little flock. By her hard labor she filled a small trunkful of the maple sugar to use on the journey to the great Salt Lake. One day Emmett demanded that she divide her sugar with the camp and she refused to do it. So he asked her husband John if he could make his wife mind him. John said, "Well on that point Caroline can just suit herself. The rest could have had some if they had worked as she did."
This 1950's precious photo is of 3 Navajo Indian Women, but I picture "Grandmother Squaw" as looking like one of these women. Look at their knarled hands -- they had seen a lot of work. These dear Navajo women are great grandmothers to some Navajo friends of mine. From left to right, Big Lady, Lady Yellow Hair, and Lady One Salt. I did the Temple work for Lady One Salt. I really love this photo. It tells its own story.
Grandmother Squaw told Caroline not to leave before she could say goodbye to her, but the call came to break camp and Caroline did not get to see Grandmother Squaw. They traveled about ten miles that day and after they had gone to bed Caroline heard a moaning noise. She listened and it seemed to be coming closer and closer. Finally there came the faithful old squaw to tell them goodbye. Grandmother Squaw sat up all night by the low burning fire to finish a beautiful pair of beaded moccasins for Caroline.
In the morning Grandma Squaw gave Caroline a present of a Deer pouch or stomach filled with pounded dried deer meat, and a little bowl of coffee. She told her that just a few spoonfuls of this meat would make a kettle of soup that would save their lives. The old squaw mourned their going away. She had been to them a real true friend in need and they always cherished the memory of Grandmother Squaw. Just a few years ago the temple work was done for "Grandmother Squaw" known as such to the John Lowe Butler family.
The Story of Grandmother Squaw
(on page 185-186 in the book of Pal's ancestors)
After the Prophet was killed and the saints were moving West, John left with his family in Emmett’s Company. (Remember John Lowe Butler was the Prophet's bodyguard, see post # 66, and he also is mentioned in post # 26) John was a wheelright and blacksmith, and after helping to fix other wagons, they were rather late in starting west. Winter overtook them when they were in the heart of the Indian Country. So they had to stop and build log cabins and wait until spring. They stopped in a little valley and there was a little patch of timber between them and an Indian village. The men began to cut logs and they would bind a bunch of logs together and drag them into camp.
The children had great fun riding on the logs. One day a little Indian boy was very badly hurt, as the logs began to roll, not being bound tight enough. So the Indian Chief told them if the Indian boy died they would take one of the white children to pay for it.
Caroline was very sick and they were afraid she was going to die. Their food supplies had run out and they had had nothing but meat to eat without even any salt. One day as she lay very sick in her tent, with the other women trying to help her, the old Indian chief came into the tent and asked for the little tow headed girl, Keziah, who was about 12 or 14 years old.
When she came in he took her by the hand and led her away to his camp. Caroline thought that the little Indian boy had died and that he had taken her own little girl as a ransom. But she was too weak and sick to protest. (Can you imagine being that sick?) The old chief took Keziah Butler to his camp and told her that her mother was very ill and that she would die if she didn't get something besides meat to eat. He gave her a pan of flour or meal and on top of that he put a bowl of coffee and on top of that a smaller bowl of sugar. He told her to carry them on her head till she got home and for her to make one biscuit a day for her mother. He told her to be sure and keep it all for her mother and that it would save her life. What joy filled the little camp when little Keziah came trudging home with her precious load, for the instructions were followed and the dear mother returned to health and strength. They never forgot to give thanks to their Heavenly Father for all these blessings.
They built a rude log cabin for the winter and were thankful for protection from the winters cold and for kindly Indian friends, for conditions might have been worse. John Lowe Butler was appointed as a hunter for the camp as meat was their only food supply. Time and again when the kill was sent home, Emmett left John's own little brood without any share.
During the winter an old Indian squaw came to see Caroline and told her she had just lost her only child. She wanted to know if Caroline had a mother and she told her no. So she asked Caroline to let her be a mother to her. All winter long she kept the little feet of the children covered with Indian moccasins. They called her Grandmother Squaw. When spring began to come and the sap began to rise in the trees the little camp began to make plans to continue their journey. They were in the sugar maple section and they used to tap the trees and catch all the syrup they could to eat.
Night after night Caroline sat up boiling, boiling, boiling the precious syrup into sugar to help fed her little flock. By her hard labor she filled a small trunkful of the maple sugar to use on the journey to the great Salt Lake. One day Emmett demanded that she divide her sugar with the camp and she refused to do it. So he asked her husband John if he could make his wife mind him. John said, "Well on that point Caroline can just suit herself. The rest could have had some if they had worked as she did."
Grandmother Squaw told Caroline not to leave before she could say goodbye to her, but the call came to break camp and Caroline did not get to see Grandmother Squaw. They traveled about ten miles that day and after they had gone to bed Caroline heard a moaning noise. She listened and it seemed to be coming closer and closer. Finally there came the faithful old squaw to tell them goodbye. Grandmother Squaw sat up all night by the low burning fire to finish a beautiful pair of beaded moccasins for Caroline.
In the morning Grandma Squaw gave Caroline a present of a Deer pouch or stomach filled with pounded dried deer meat, and a little bowl of coffee. She told her that just a few spoonfuls of this meat would make a kettle of soup that would save their lives. The old squaw mourned their going away. She had been to them a real true friend in need and they always cherished the memory of Grandmother Squaw. Just a few years ago the temple work was done for "Grandmother Squaw" known as such to the John Lowe Butler family.
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