17 Miracles

Glen and I went and saw the movie "17 Miracles" this weekend. We knew it would be about the Willie & Martin Handcart Companies who journeyed from Nebraska to Salt Lake City in the late summer and fall of 1856. I didn't know that near the end it would feature one of my ancestors, Thomas E. Ricks. He was one of the "rescuers" who traveled to meet the doomed companies who were running out of supplies and dealing with snow and cold weather because of their late start west.

He can be found on this memorial marker under the "Initial Rescue Party" column. One of those he helped rescue became his second wife, Tamar Loader. Tamar had a dream about Thomas and recognized him as the man in her dream when he arrived to offer help.

Thomas E. Ricks was a man who loomed large in the history of the west. He first crossed the plains as a teenage boy with the Kimball Company in 1848. This was the largest wagon train company to cross in the westward migration with nearly 800 wagons. Near the Elkhorn River in Nebraska, Thomas was wounded by Indian braves. His family placed him in a spring wagon and continued on. He was almost fully recovered by the time they reached the Rocky Mountains although he did carry damage from the wounds for the rest of his life.

Thomas was the eldest son of Joel Ricks who had many wagons and teams which helped move the Saints west at different times. He would take wagons full of supplies east and then move Mormon immigrants west in those same wagons. It was when leading the Thomas E. Ricks Company of 1866 that he first met his fourth wife, Ellen Marie Yallop, who is also my great, great grandmother. Ellen Marie was traveling without any family with this company when she was rescued from a run away horse by Thomas and the rest is history. The Great Plains seem to have been a good place for Thomas to go courting.

Thomas went on to be one of the first founders of Rexburg, Idaho (originally named Ricksburg) and a builder of railroads north. His son, Alfred, my great grandfather was one of the first to build up Sugar City to the north of Rexburg. Thomas also started an educational academy which became Ricks College and is now BYU-Idaho. The campus has a garden and building named after Thomas. The Thomas E. Ricks Gardens are particularly beautiful.

The movie was well made and inspiring. And then there was the fun surprise at the end which now won't be a surprise for you but I couldn't help but share!