Excerpts from Joseph Smith Black

Some excerpts from the autobiography of Joseph Smith Black
father of Phoebe Delora Black
mother of Carolyn Reid
mother of Billie Marlene Bryan (Timmins)
mother of Michael V. Moyes


His own description of his third wife Caroline Thompson:

Caroline Thompson Black, daughter of Peter Thompson and
Caren Thompson, was born in the year 1843 in Falster, Denmark.
She emigrated with her parents from Denmark in the fall of
1853 and arrived in Ephraim, Sanpete County in the fall of 1854.
She soon learned the English language and acted in many cases
as interpreter. Her father, besides emigrating his own family,
emigrated 47 others from Denmark at his expense. On my return
to Sanpete after my marriage, she was a frequent visitor at
our house and lived close by. A mutual friendship sprung up
between us and we should have been married if it had not been
for the objection of my first wife, Cynthia, who became very
jealous. I said to her one day when she was raising objections,
"Cynthia, you will yet be as much in favor of me marrying
Caroline as you are now against it." After my marrying Sarah,
she became much attached to Caroline and gave her free consent.
We were married at her father's house in Ephraim, Sanpete
County by Isaac Morley in the presence of my other wives and
with the consent of all concerned, on the 14th of February, 1861.

She was of light complexion, light blue eyes, was
particularly neat in dress, very affectionate with those she
loved and very joyous and full of life. She informed me that
I had her affection almost from the time of our first acquaintance.
She has been a loving wife and my comfort has always been
uppermost in her mind. We have had 11 children born to us:
Josephine, Daniel J., Dianatha, Hannah C., Peter, Cortaniah,
Phoebe, Nilson, Maud, Lillian, Carrie Amanda.
Hannah Caroline was burned to death by a boiler of hot water
falling over her.

(from page 18 of a 64 page, hand typed document)

I will eventually publish the entire document.