James MCARTHUR

JAMES McARTHUR son of Daniel Duncan McArthur and Elizabeth Bullock, was born 29 Jan 1871, in St. George, Washington, Utah; died 17 Jun 1944, St. George, Washington, Utah; married 18 Oct 1894, Elizabeth Oxborrow, in the St. George Temple, Washington, Utah. James obtained his early schooling in the St. George grade schools, and attended the St. George Stake Academy for a few months. He was baptised when eight years old. As a young man he farmed, hauled wood, and freighted between St. George and Milford, Utah. He married Elizabeth Oxborrow in the St. George Temple in 1894. In June 1899 he went on a mission to the Southern States, and returned in June 1901. In Dec 1902 he was sustained as Bishop of the St. George West Ward, and was ordained a High Priest and Bishop Dec. 14, 1902, by Rudger Clawson. He held this position until Sept. 1925. During this time he was appointed to operate the Bishop's storehouse where the tithes and offerings of the two St. George Wards were brought. The people paid in produce, grain, hay, beef, butter, eggs, fruit, etc., since there was little cash to use. These products James tried to sell to people who could use them. Each Christmas morning the Bishoprics of the two wards met at the Storehouse and gave produce to the Indians that lived in the valley. In 1916 James was elected Mayor of St. George. During his administration the Public Library was completed. He played a big part in collecting funds and donated generously for the erection of the St. George Stake Academy, now the Dixie College. In 1922 he and two other men took a contract to build a section of State Highway from Anderson's Junction to the foot of Black Ridge. There was no heavy equipment at that time. Scrapers, drawn by horses, and the pick and shovel were all the tools they used. In 1916 he opened McAruthurs Quality Bakery, which he and his wife operated. James died 17 Jun 1944 of a ruptured appendix, just four months before his Golden Wedding anniversary. --------------- zu Bild: Lizzie & Jim Family 1931 would sure like help naming these folks. Standing from left rear: Andrew and Merle McArthur, Wayne Gardner with Bessie sitting in front of Merle with Betty Lou and Robert on her knee, Standing next to Wayne is Gertrude and Joe McArthur, Victor Sullivan with Clio sitting in front of him with maybe Ralph on her knee. Sitting in front of Joe and Gertrude is James and Lizzie. Don't know who is on their knees? Standing in front of Andrew may be Edith? Next to Victor may be Mary? next to her Ina? Not sure who is next, but front row right is Alma and probably a sister maybe deloris and then VJ. Anybody certain on any of these? --------------- Zu Bild: James McArthur's Missionary Journals...note the tire tracks The Miracle of finding James McArthur's Missionary Journal's Contributed By SearchingAway 'b7 2013-04-19 In 1972, James A. & Denise McArthur were living in their parents home helping to remodel it. James records what happened: We were working in the kitchen when a knock came at the door. A man handed me three leather bound journals and a small record book. He said he thought they belonged to our family and that while he and his wife were walking they saw the journals in the road and picked them up. They had been run over and were indented with gravel marks. He handed me the journals and I opened one and read my grandfathers name on the inside cover. I told him I was sure they belonged to my grandfather and thanked him for bringing them. When my father [Andrew O. McArthur] returned home, I told him what had happened. He looked at the journals and said, Yes, these are my fathers missionary journals, I have seen these on his book shelf for years. To this day, we do not know how the journals ended up in the road. Thirty years later James and his son, Andrew H., decided it was time to make the journals legible. They typed up two of the journals, but could not find the third. Time went by and Andrew O. McArthur passed away. One day while James was cleaning out some things, he went into his father's bedroom and there, on the top of his dresser, was the third journalhe had no idea how it came to be there. You can imagine how excited we were! We typed up the third journal, which completed his missionary journals.

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