William Ellis Stratton

WILLIAM ELLIS STRATTON was born on January 28, 1862 in Virgin City, Utah (near the entrance to Zion National Park) to Anthony Johnson Stratton and Martha Jane Layne. His school was limited but he became self-educated as he enjoyed reading throughout his life. His parents were of modest means and he worked with his father to sustain a large family. When he was fifteen, they accepted a call from Church leaders to help establish Mormon settlements in northern Arizona.

The Stratton family arrived in Snowflake in early 1879. The Silver Creek Valley had been purchased with an improved breed of cattle from Utah. Ellis helped William J. Flake and others to drive cattle and horses to Arizona. Ellis participated in nine different cattle drives over the next several years. These drives usually originated in Beaver in southern Utah down to the Colorado River where the cattle were pushed on to ferry boats to cross the river then by the Tuba City area and across Navajo Indian lands then crossing the Little Colorado River and on into the Silver Creek Valley.

In 1886, he began to notice a curly haired girl that lived across the street. He was eight years her senior. He would go to see Minnie Kartchner whenever possible. On October 20, 1886, Ellis and Minnie were married in the St. George Temple. They made the trip by wagon over the 300-mile "honeymoon trail," with chaperones. It usually took about ten days each way. Several couples would travel together and be married the same day in the temple. Ellis recorded that he was 5 feet 7 inches weighing 130 pounds on his wedding day. He remained pretty much the same throughout life always being of slight build.

William Ellis and Minnie started housekeeping in a log house in the southern part of Snowflake. He earned a living mostly from farming and freighting. For many years, he had a contract to move freight by team and wagon from the railroad siding in Holbrook to the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Ft. Apache. His children said when he would return home, he would open a sack of sugar and give each of them a teaspoon and let them eat as much as they wanted.

Ellis built a beautiful red brick two-story home that stood on a corner lot on Main Street a block south of the Church meetinghouse. He and Minnie made it a special place for their children and grandchildren. Later, many of the single school teachers boarded with the Stratton's.

In 1899, Ellis went to the post office for the mail. Without any prior notice and to his surprise, he received a letter from Box B in Salt Lake City calling him on a mission to the Southern States. He accepted the call and thought it an honor. He served for two years spending most of his time in eastern Kentucky. Minnie faithfully carried on alone at home caring for six children.

The Stratton's had their trials. After one month in the mission field, Ellis received word that one of his eleven-month twin daughters had died. This was hard for him to accept but he was determined to continue in the work. That was not their ony sadness. Prior to the mission, they had lost an infant son then, in 1903 after he returned, two more children died on the same day from dreaded diphtheria that struck many of the families of Snowlake. A fifth child, six years old, passed away in 1910. Their family of 13 children was reduced to 8 that lived to maturity. Four children between Lena (born in 1895) and Irene (born in 1907) passed away. It was as if there was an older family of four - Mabel, Zella, Raymond, and Lena and then, a younger family of four - Irene, Lorum, Leona and Lynn. These eight children were devoted to one another and to their parents.

William Ellis Stratton was mild in nature, tender hearted, and completely converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did not become bitter from the trials of life but always acknowledged the will of his Father in Heaven. He honored his priesthood. He and Minnie were widely known for the love and devotion to each other. They were united in all they did.

In 1935, they began spending their winters doing temple work in Mesa. They lived with their oldest daughter, Mabel, and husband, Jesse. They would return to Snowflake to spend their summers. In June 1940, Ellis passed away. He has always been remembered by his children and grandchildren as a man of love was was always kind and considerate to all.

Their daughter, Irene, wrote of her parents, "Hardships, joys, tears, laughter, determination, devotion, prayer, and plenty of good hard work are the material from which great lives are fashioned. From these qualities, William Ellis and Minnie Kartchner Stratton fashioned their lives serving as examples to their descendants."