Louisa Lauretta Johnson
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Louisa was the daughter of John Wesley Johnson and Louisa Collings (who pulled a handcart across the plains in the Martin Handcart Co.). Louisa's parents moved from Springville to Monroe, Utah when she was a small child. When fourteen years old the family moved to Pima (then called Smithville), Arizona.
As time went on, Moses A. Cluff and Louisa met and courted a year. March 6,1883 they were married. It was such a long way to the Temple with no way of going except by team and wagon that the authorities advised young people to get married at home before they went. We intended to go with a company in April to the temple in St. George, Utah, but the company backed out; and we could not go alone. Later in the fall of the same year there was a company going. We wanted to go, but means were scarce; and we could not see how we could do it. We had been building and our means were exhausted. I was so anxious to go before we had any family, so we both did some figuring. There were different people owing us, so we decided to try and get it. We were successful. We also had a gun we praised very much. We got a chance to sell it for $36.00 which helped us out a lot. On our way going through Holbrook, Arizona, we ran into a man that owed my husband for herding sheep. Good fortune smiled upon us and we got $50.00 that he owed us. It took two months to make the trip. We returned home just a short time before Christmas and had $12.00 to the good when we returned, so that proved that where there is a will there is a way if you are faithful and try to serve the Lord. In their early married life, they homesteaded the Cluff Ranch at the foot of Mt. Graham. The ranch and farm became a place of beauty for the whole valley to enjoy. Grandmother's first child, Alfred Moses [Alfie] was born during the time Geronimo and his followers were on the warpath. They made it dangerous for the ranchers. At one time Grandmother was at home alone with her baby when she saw some Indians in the distance. [Grandfather had been called to go to assist a new company of pioneers who were in danger.] Her main fear was for the safety of her baby. She put him in the fireplace and piled wood around and over him completely hiding him. She prayed earnestly for divine protection. Then she with the shotgun went outside to wait. The Indians went on by and did not stop. Another time the Indians came by while Grandmother and Grandfather and their baby were in the house. They watched with their shot guns ready while the Indians took the horses, killed a beef, which they took as they left. Another time Grandfather was away freighting, this time he got a boy 12 years old to stay with his family. One day the boy came in and said, "There is a band of Indians over the hill." She did not want to alarm the boy and said, "oh, I think it is a group of cowboys with bandanas around their heads. Heber Cluff came out to the ranch that day so Grandmother insisted they go back to town. They took a quilt and somehow fastened it around the horse's neck and to the end of the wagon tongue. The boy rode the hose to guide him and Brother Heber with his shotgun, Grandmother and baby rode in the wagon. Another time she was alone and became frightened, so he upt the baby, some butter and eggs to sell in the baby buggy, and pushed or pulled it all the way to town [5 miles and the road were mostly sand]. She left the baby in town with Alfie's grandmother for a few weeks until times were safer. The scares and hardships were two numerous to mention, but in later years the good times were just as numerous. All the good times having corn husking bees, nut-shucking bees, candy pulls, and parties. They would move the furniture back, roll up the carpets and dance to the music of guitars and mouth harps. They also sang church hymns. Grandfather's health was poor and there was always so much to be done on the farm that they decided to sell their dearly loved home. It was sold about 1910 and bought the Pima Hotel, the Pima Livery Stable, Pima Blacksmith SHop, the Pima Drugstore and a small piece of land just out of town for cow pasture and hay. The family lived in the hotel. The oldest daughter ran the drug store. The oldest boys helped with the livery stable and blacksmith shop, thus making employment for all the family. During the fourteen years the family lived in the hotel Grandmother did the managing of it. Mother Cluff was known to most of the younger people of the town and was called that name in fondness. They would usually drop in just in time for a piece o f hot cake, hot roll or slice of hot bread. Grandmother always enjoyed having them come and was proud to be Mother Cluff to so many. Grandfather passed away December 1915. There were still four unmarried children at home. The property was sold or traded and Grandmother went to California for a few years to visit with her children. But there was no place like home so returned to Pima and lived alone in her little home next door to one of her daughters. Grandmother loved everything about the Gila Valley. She always enjoyed working in the church and working in different organizations all of her life. She was an active Visiting Teacher in the Relief Society for fifty-seven years. She would drive by horse and buggy from the ranch to attend choir practice. Grandmother wrote that she missed the companionship of her kind and gentle husband more and more each year, but he still had the comfort from her many children. Grandmother passed away July 17, 1945 at the age of 75 years in Pima, Arizona. information taken from "Mother Cluff's Story" by Freda E.L. Cluff
and the remembrance of Alfred Moses Cluff written by Alice Jo Cluff Ellsworth: 1997 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF
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