- Charlotte Elizabeth Tanner Hunt was born December 7 1815 in Sevier, Utah or the "Cove" as it was called at this time. Her parents were John and Julia Etta Powell Tanner. Charlotte was born in the farm home belonging to her maternal Grandparents James Evans Powell and Elizabeth Jane Carter Powell. This good couple were Mormon Pioneers who had traveled across the plains.
At the age of four years old Charlotte and her parents moved to Rye Valley, Oregon, where John Tanner her father went to work at a Lime Kiln. The family only stayed one year at Rye Valley and then returned to Utah.
They stayed with family members for a while after coming home and while there Charlotte went to a circus. She told later of how her husband-to-be Joseph Anthony Hunt had been at the same circus. They never met when they were children.
At the age of five years, they moved to Flag Staff, Arizona where her father was working getting out lumber in the hills. Charlotte, her mother and brother went to live with Seth Benjamin Tanner, her Grandfather. He was a frontier man and guide. Because of his ability for languages, he worked with the Indians. Seth was the son of John and Eliza Beswick Tanner; Mormon Pioneers who with their family including Seth, came across the plains. Seth lived in a deserted area with no one close. Charlotte was lonely here so she followed her Grandfather around as he worked. Charlotte and her mother and brother spent two and one half years living with Seth. They didn't get into town very often. One day they heard shots and later Sam Smith came by and said that his father had been shot. Seth went the next day to see how Lot was and help with Indian trouble.
Charlotte told of how kind and good Seth was and how he would take her upon his knee and sing songs and tell stories.
At one of the places they lived, they had a store in part of their house. This is where Charlotte learned to speak the Navajo language. She and Julia. her mother, took care of the store. Her mother got to know the Indians better and was not so frightened. The goverment decided to make an Indian reservation on the land where the pioneers lived and bought the land and homes.
Three times Charlotte almost drowned. The first time she was skating with her friends and the ice broke. She was the only one who went into the water. Her friends were able to push a pole out to her and she grabbed it and pulled herself out. The second time was when Charlotte and a friend went to go swimming. Charlotte was walking along a stream and the sand shifted and she went into the reservoir. Her friend was to frightened to help but her old dogwho followed her everywhere, heard her yelling and swam to her. She grabbed his coat and he swam to shore. The third time she was when she was at her father's farm milking cows. There was a large pond where the fence had broken. She opened the gate to let the cows out and a cow pushed her into the pond. She was wearing a heavy dress with a big skirts and it held her up until she could get hold on a wire and pull herself to safety. She later said of these three experiences, that she thought the Lord knew she had hadn't done everything she had come here to do.
The family moved to Flagstaff, Arizona and bought 160 acres of land. While living here Charlotte went to visit her uncles and their families. At a Christmas party she met Joseph Anthony Hunt, her husband to be. She didn't see him again until his family moved to Montazuma Valley, The had a difference. He went to Price, Utah and herded sheep. She worked in a cafe and packed apples. He came back in a year, and they decided to get married. They were married March 1, 1905.
Charlotte and Joseph Anthony had a large family and they moved around a lot. Joseph Anthony was a freighter and his work took them all around. The following children were born to this good couple. Zella born 23 December 1905 at Cortez, Colorado and died 5 Feb 1906 at Colorado. Joseph Leroy was born 21 January 1907 in Cortez,Colorado and died 14 April 1978 in Ely, Nevada. John Donald was born 28 October 1908 at Bluff, San Juan, Utah and died 26 June 1997 Richfield, Utah. Inez was born June 11 1911 at Bluff, San Juan, Utah and died 7 July 2001 St George, Utah. Ina was born June 11 1911 at Bluff, San Juan, Utah and died 17 January 1993 California. twins. Reva was born at Cortez, Montezuma,Colorado 13 May 1913 and died 24 November 2004 Truckee, California. Loyd Eugene was born 2 may 1915 Bluff, San Juan, Utah and died 17 October 2005 Beaver, Utah. Julia was born 25 Aug 1917 Escalante, Utah and died at West Jordan, Utah 10 of December 2006. Loren Vivian was born 1 May 1919 Escalante, Utah and died 10 January 1983 at Fredonia, Arizona. Ven Berl was born 26 September 1929 Sevier, Utah. and died in Provo, Utah 5 December 2012. Harold Hunt was born in Sevier, Utah 5 April 1927 and died in Sevier, Utah 6 April 1927. All the children married and had families except the First Zella and Last Harold who both passed as babies.
Charlotte's brothers and sister was - Jessie, Eugene, Bertha Leah, Harvey Russell and Orin Tanner.
Charlotte and Joseph Anthony moved around a lot because of his work. The last home they owned was at Sevier, Utah. It was a large old rock house which the town children called haunted. It had no floors or windows and ragged curtains blew out of the broken windows. They restored this home and made a lovely place out of it. They lived in it together for several years. Joseph had a truck and still freighted. Joseph died of a stroke January 17 1949 at Richfield, Utah. He was buried in the Joseph, Utah cemetery.
Charlotte Elizabeth lived in the rock home for several years after the death of her husband. Then she decided to move to Salt Lake City, Utah and do temple work and geneology work for the dead. She did a lot of good work.
She was a kind sweet lady who could do about anything she tried. She had a beautiful flower garden where she grew roses and many other flowers. She had a garden, where she raised vegetables to bottle. She cooked the best Johnny cake ever. She did lovely hand work, and made prize winning quilts.
She was a good example for all her family to follow and she worked very hard all her life. She died April 9 1961 of a heart attack and is buried by her husband whom she loved in the Joseph, Utah Cemetery.
Compiled and Written by Mary Ann Hunt Roscher Parker a granddaughter
Sources - Life story of Charlotte Elizabeth Tanner Hunt which only a small part is in this sketch. and memories of Mary Ann Hunt Roscher Parker Granddaughter
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