Happy Birthday Albert W. Haws

Albert W. Haws

"Children who know their family history know they can overcome their own challenges when they come." Bruce Feiler  This is a quote from the keynote speaker in the Roots Tech Family History Event that started TODAY!!! I have thought this to be the case long before I heard this quote from Mr. Feiler today.   That is why I am passionate about learning about our family history.  What can we learn from our ancestor Albert Haws - today?  Be looking for the lessons.

Albert Haws was born February 15, 1837 in Wayne County Illinois.  His parents joined the church in 1842 when Albert was five, you can read about it here.   His parents are in dark orange on the fan.

The Haws traveled to Salt Lake with the Lorenzo Snow company and arrived in Salt Lake September 1848.  Shortly after they arrived they moved to Provo where Albert and his father Gilberth worked on the Provo Fort. A fort was needed because there were an estimated 150 battles, skirmishes, raids and military engagements between Mormons and other settlers in Sanpete County, Sevier County and other parts of central and southern Utah and members of 16 tribes including the Utes, Paiutes, Apaches and Navajos.  These groups were led by a Ute war chief named Antonga Black Hawk.  These battles were latter called the Black Hawk War.   Albert was a minute man in the Black Hawk War.  One month an done day after Albert's 20th birthday he married his first cousin - his father's brother's daughter - Nancy Haws.  I have always heard amazing stories of Nancy Haws.  We will talk more about her in her birthday month.  They had nine children, six of whom lived to adulthood.  Albert and Nancy separated and Nancy moved to the Ashley Valley where her three oldest children were married and living.  Their oldest child, Albert Alonzo is our relative.  Albert took a second wife and had 10 more children.   Nineteen children.  We can learn something from that.  Albert and his second wife also moved to the Ashley Valley.  Contentious????  Cooperative??? between Albert and Nancy - we don't know.  What we do know is that Albert worked as a farmer and a carpenter in Vernal.  (This is for Rachel) Albert, perhaps learning something from his first marriage, built his second wife a beautiful loom and she made the most lovely rugs in the area.  Albert died at age 75 from sunstroke.  He and his best friend, Mr. Bascome, died on the same day so they held their funerals together.