Robert Marion Kerr

 

The information here was taken from histories written by Mary Kerr Gee and Marie Danielson Benson, granddaughters, and Annette Kerr Johnson, a daughter.  (Compiled by Larae Skeen Fonnesbeck, July, 1970)

 

Robert Marion Kerr, the son of William Jasper Kerr and Jemima Elliott Kerr, was born July 14, 1829, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The family later moved to Iowa.  Little is known of his early life.  They lived in Marion County, Knoxville, Iowa.

 

Robert Marion’s brothers and sisters were Archibald, Sarah, Josephus, Amanda Jane, Joseph, William, Delilia Melissa, John, Caroline, and Andrew.

 

His older brother, Archibald, was very influential in his life.  Archibald was born February 2, 1813, married Nancy Frost on May 23, 1834, and in October of that year, Archibald and Nancy Frost moved to Morgan County, Illinois.  Three years later they went to Jefferson County, Iowa where they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They then moved to Nauvoo, Illinois and were with the Mormon people during the persecution and expulsion from that state.  (Robert Marion may have stayed with Archibald and Nancy.)

 

After a few years in Iowa, Archibald, Nancy, and Robert Marion emigrated to Utah.  Archibald and Nancy were among the first settlers of Richmond, Cache County, Utah, and contributed much to the building of that area.

 

Shortly after arriving in Utah, in 1848 Robert Marion Kerr want to California.  He was 19 years old and the California gold rush influenced his decision to keep moving west.  But the rough life of the miners did not appeal to him, so he set sail for adventure in the land of Australia.  He related that at one time the vessel in which he was a passenger was becalmed for three weeks in the tropic heat.  Life became almost unbearable, but eventually they reached their destination.

 

After some time in Australia he returned to California where he heard the gospel preached by George Q. Cannon who baptized him.  Because of the difficulty of keeping correct records at that time, Robert Marion was later re-baptized in 1857 when he came to Utah.

 

On pack mules, he and a companion made the long difficult journey through dangerous Indian country from California to Draper, Utah.  In Draper he was employed by Bishop Joseph S. Rawlins whose daughter, Nancy Jane, became his wife on January 1, 1860.  Later the same year he and his wife moved to Richmond, Cache County, Utah with the first settlers of that community.  They were among the first five families.

 

Upon their arrival in Cache Valley they lived in a fort for protection from the Indians.  The wagon box served as their bedroom where their first child, Marion Joseph, was born on November 6, 1860.  They later moved to a log cabin with a dirt floor and dirt roof, and from there to a farm south of Richmond where they built a comfortable home with the first water piped into a home in Richmond.

 

Robert Marion was able to do the plumbing and bring the water from a spring nearby.  This home was built in 1875, and as a result of diligent effort, was surrounded with trees, lawn and a fine orchard with a garden for fruit and vegetables.

 

Robert Marion was noted for his quiet disposition, his faithfulness in the gospel, and his ability to provide well for his family.  He held many positions of honor and responsibility.  He served on scout duty during times of danger with the Indians.

 

In 1878 he accepted a call to go on a mission to Texas, leaving the responsibility of his family with his wife and two sons, Joseph who was 16 years old, and William who was 14.  When the crops were planted the older son went to Montana to work on the railroad and remained there until harvest time.

 

While he was serving as a missionary in Texas he received secret remedies which enabled him to bring relief to many who were ill when he returned home.

 

He and Nancy Jane were the parents of nine children: Marion Joseph who became prominent as a builder, county commissioner, bishop and member of a stake presidency; William Jasper who became noted in educational circles and served as president of Utah Agricultural College and Oregon State College; Mary Ellen and Juliaette, who died in childhood; Clara Jemima who Married Herman Danielson and lived in Lewiston, Utah; Ella Annette, who married Andrew Johnson and lived in Logan; Nancy Olive who married A. L. Harris; John Andrew who married Elva Smith; and Bertha who married D. A. Skeen.

 

His second wife had two sons, George who died in infancy and James Harvey who was reared by Nancy Jane because his mother died when he was born.  She was Margaret Elzira Rawlins, a cousin of Nancy Jane.  This was a polygamist marriage.

 

Robert Marion died August 17, 1891 of a brief illness at the age of sixty two.