What happened to the Mormon monument?

The Jacob Foutz Secrist Monument - Jefferson County, Nebraska


In July Dan and I gathered up our children, our suitcases and headed off to the Midwest. I had never been any father east than Colorado. I know - not very far! One of the items on our agenda was to find the Mormon monument that was erected through the efforts of Wanda Secrist Telford to honor her great grandfather and my 3rd great grandfather - Jacob Foutz Secrist.

Jacob Foutz Secrist joined the LDS Church in 1844 in Illinois. He and his wife, Ann Eliza Logan were living in Olge County, Illinois when the missionaries came through. Olge County is in Northern Illinois. In the middle, almost at the top. They were among the first Mormons to come west to Utah, arriving in October 1847 with the Hunter/Foutz Company. The co-captain of the pioneer company was Jacob Foutz, Jacob's namesake and uncle. Jacob also had an aunt - Elizabeth Foutz who joined the LDS church as well.

In 1848, after arriving in the Great Salt Lake Valley, Ann Eliza - Jacob's wife was baptized. I love to know my 3rd great grandmother had backbone. She didn't join the LDS church just because her husband did. She waited until she was ready - until she felt good about it. She would need that backbone later.

Jacob and Ann Eliza settled with their baby daughter Louisa in Farmington, Utah. They had lost their first daughter, also named Loueasa (just spelled differently) in a tragic accident. She had fallen in a tub of very hot water and suffered for hours until she finally died from her extensive burns. They went on to have 3 more children - Mary, Jacob and Heber. Heber being my 2nd great grandfather.

In a "special conference" held 28 August 1852 in "Great Salt Lake City", Jacob along with 4 others were called on a mission to Germany. Only a couple of weeks later Jacob left on 15 September to begin his journey to Germany to preach the gospel. He left his wife 8 1/2 months pregnant. Ann Eliza delivered their fifth child only 2 weeks later. Jacob actually had a dream while traveling east that Ann Eliza had delivered a son. Based on his dream, Jacob sent a letter to Ann Eliza requesting that she name their son Nephi. She named their son Heber Nephi.

Jacob served for 3 years. On his journey back to Utah, Jacob became a captain of a pioneer wagon train heading to Utah. Jacob contracted cholera and became ill 29 June 1855 and died near the Little Blue River, Jefferson, Nebraska on 2 July. He was buried in a tin box near the banks of the Little Blue River.

Now fast forward to 1976. Wanda Secrist Telford researched the Oregon Trail and the diary of Charles Smith, a member of the pioneer wagon train that Jacob was captain of to locate the place where Jacob was buried. Wanda was able to work with a Miss Carpenter from the Jefferson County, Nebraska Historical Society to erect a monument to honor Jacob and 13 others in his wagon train that died. On 20 June 1976, as apart of the Jefferson County Bicentennial celebrations, the Mormon monument was erected.

Well now, back to my summer trip in search of the monument. We follow the directions I found on the Internet passing field after field of corn and soy beans - fields everywhere! We eventually drive through the metropolis of Powell.

This is the sign across the street from the Town of Powell sign. Someone has a sense of humor!

We eventually arrive at the white historic school house where the monument is supposed to be. Well, we look around and can't see it. I start looking closely at the grass for a cement base that the monument would of rested on. I first find the top of the torn down monument lying in the grass by the fence. It was still intact. Then I find the cement base and pieces what was the monument under a cedar tree. Here are the pictures.

So, this is the sad ending to our quest to find the Mormon monument in the corn and soy bean fields of Jefferson county. Apparently, sometime between 2008 and now, someone decided to destroy the monument. I don't know why. All of the other monuments were left in place around the historic school house. Below are the pictures of the other things there at the historic site and  a picture of the Little Blue River - very close to where Jacob Secrist was buried in his tin box, never to see his family in Utah again.
He loved his family and I have many letters he wrote. Another time I will share some of his thoughts. But, I will end with these words. "I say, may the Lord bless you all of my children with health and long life and peaceful days is the prayer of an affectionate father. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Little Blue River