Manomas Lavina Gibson

I have no date for this photo. It says on the front "Children of James Andrus". On the back is the following:

* - 2nd wife's children
+ - 1st wife's children

Back Row Left to Right
* Pearl Andrus, married Clair Morris
* Ethel Andrus, married Bert Sorenson
+ Milo Andrus, married Mary Nixon
* Charles Andrus, married Rose Turner
* Moses Willard Andrus, married Elizabeth Orpha Morris
* Alexander Burto Andrus, married
* Thomas Garland Andrus, married (Lizzie) Whitehead
+ Gideon Andrus, Married
+ Thauizan (Tam) Andrus, Married George Lund

Front Row Left to Right
+ Laura Jane Andrus, Married

Here is the GEDCOM file I have at this point. I have also created this fan chart that shows some of the contents of the file, but not all.

As I have entered some of the stories I have found other names that are not in the GEDCOM file, so I'm sure someone has a more up-to-date copy.

But here is what I have for what it is worth.

by Richard M. Andrus, son

My father, Moses Willard Andrus, was born at St. George, Utah, April 7, 1869, eight years after the town was settled. Although he was the fifth of eleven children born to James Andrus and Manomas Lavina Gibson, he was the first one to live beyond the age of two years and therefore assumed the responsibilities of the eldest or first-born.

He was taught the gospel of hard work at an early age, and because of the need for his services, his schooling was extremely limited. He did have the opportunity of attending Brigham Young Academy for several months and even with scant formal education he acquired a good working knowledge of mathematics. As soon as he was able to ride a horse, he was given considerable responsibility helping with, and later managing his father's large cattle interests.

The following pioneer personal history interview with Manomas Lavina Gibson Andrus, wife of Captain James Andrus, was held at the home of Mrs. Andrus in the presence of her granddaughter, Mrs. Caddie Andrus Graff, and Mabel Jarvis, the interviewer, in behalf of the Utah Historic Records Survey of Washington County, Utah, in 1936. Whenever the pioneer is quoted the writer has made an effort to quote the exact wording given. All supplementary material used was assembled from a previous interview with the writer and from a sketch prepared by Manomas's daughter, Mrs. Vilate Andrus Wadsworth, on the request of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Written by his son, Alexander Burto Andrus

Bishop James Andrus of St. George, Washington Co, Utah, was born 14 June 1835, in Florence, Huron Co., Ohio, the son of Milo Andrus and Abigail Jane Daley. He was the oldest son of his father, who had 57 children. He was blessed as a child under the hands of Sidney Rigdon, his parents being already members of the Church.

When about seven years of age, (May 1852) he was baptized, and soon afterwards ordained to the office of deacon. In the spring of 1846, he left Nauvoo, Ill., together with his parents, for the far west, in route for the mountains. His family stayed in the area above Winter Quarters until in the spring of 1848. When James was about thirteen years old, he started across the plains with his mother, one sister older than himself, two younger sisters and a younger brother, having two yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows at their disposal.