Wolfley Line

The Life Story of Rudolf Wolfley

As told by his daughters, Libbie and Sylvia July 1, 1964

Rudolf Wofley is married to Magdalena Schirm, parents of Sofronia Wolfley

Rudolf is Merthan Glenn Ellis’ great grandfather

Rudolf Wolfley was born 30th of June 1844 at Schagnon, Bern Switzerland. He was the seventh child born in a family of 10, to Christian Wolfley and Anna Schober, having 4 brothers and two sisters older, and two brothers and 1 sister younger. Their names were Christian, Anna, Gottlieb, Samuel, Verena, Fredrick, Rudolf, Johannas, Simon and Anna Marie.
Rudolf was small in stature, 5 ft. 5 inches tall, had dark hair, brown eyes and olive complexion. He always wore a beard.
Of his early life and education we know very little. He went to school in Switzerland up to the 9th grade. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Switzerland, and came to America with his mother, Anna Schober and brother Frederick, when he was 16 years old. His father had died on 6th of Feb. 1853. His brother Samuel had already immigrated to America.
They traveled by way of Germany and Holland, to Liverpool, England. Here they boarded a sailing ship for America. This was in 1864. The first week the weather was fine. Then a terrible storm came up and drove the ship in the wrong direction. Everyone was sent to his cabin and couldn't go on deck for a week. Father was so frightened and held to a pole so hard and long they could hardly open his hands.
His mother became very ill. He was afraid she was going to die and wouldn't reach Zion or Salt Lake City, which was her greatest desire. He prayed and promised his father in Heaven that if his mother would live to reach Salt Lake City he would never taste whisky again. His mother lived and Rudolf kept his promise.
They landed in New York six weeks after leaving England. From there they traveled by train to Omaha, Nebraska. They and others who were immigrating, purchased Hand Carts here and started the long trek to Salt Lake City on foot. It took them four weeks.
For a while they lived with their brother Samuel. While there, Father helped get the gray granite from Cottenwood Canyon, to build the Salt Lake Temple. The Granite was pulled by Oxen on slips.
Rudolf was in Salt Lake City when Johnsons Army came.
He was married to Magdalena Schirmm in Sept. 1870 in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City. They lived in Cottonwood, Utah. He worked on the railroad.
Rudolf and his brother Fredrick were advised to go to Sevier County and join the United Order. They stayed there 4 years. Things didn't go too well so they left, with nothing to show for their 4 years work and the money they had given when they first went there. They moved to Randolf, Utah, then to St. Charles, Idaho. Six children were born to this union, two sons and four daughters, as follows: Rudolf, Rosetta Magdalena, Emma, Safrona, Henrick, and Libbie Elizabeth.
They moved to Star Valley in 1888, and settled in Glen, just west of Etna, across the Salt River. It is now considered part of Freedom. The first Winter wasn't very hard, with little snow. They had plenty food for themselves and cattle. The following winter was known as the hard winter. They had to bring supplies in from Montpelier on hand sleighs. Each time as they came to a large stream they had to unload the sleighs, carry everything across, then load the sleigh again. On one of these trips Rudolf froze his feet and later had to have part of his one foot amputated. This left him with a limp.
Rudolf had quite a bit of flour on hand at this time. Soon all the neighbors had run out. Each day someone would come with a pan to borrow flour from him. Finally Mother became worried that their own family would have to go hungry. Father told her, "The Lord will provide." The day Mother mixed the very last mixing of flour, the snow crusted and they were able to go to Montpelier again so someone returned a mixing of flour. This kept on each time they used the last, until Father was able to go to Montpelier to buy more.
On Nov. 22, 1891, his wife Magdalena Schirmm died and he was left to care for the six children. She was buried at the Thayne Cemetary. Soon after, Rudolf moved to Bedford Wyoming. He homesteaded the place now owned by Boyd Astle.
In 1892, he packed a quilt and a few clothes on his back and started for Bear Lake to get another wife whom he had seen in a dream. This woman was to be staying at a Baylor home at Paris, Idaho. After traveling several days, Rudolf came to this place and met this lady carrying a bucket just as he had seen her in his dream. He told her why he was there. She told him she too had a dream that she would meet a man with a pack on his back and had a limp and that he would ask her to marry him. They were married in the Logan Temple, June 15, 1892. She returned to Bedford with him. Her name was Catherina Klingler.
When her first child, Aunt Regina was born she had a stroke and was left partly paralized. There were two more children, Luanny Christina, who lived only a few days, and Sylvia. When Sylvia was 6 months old, mother Catherina passed away and was also buried at Thayne.
Rudolf was alone once more with two small daughters.
Just before Sylvia was born, they had the "Indian Scare" in Star Valley. Rudolf was working at Cokeville on the Beck ranch at this time. The family was taken to Afton by the neighbors to where every one was gathering. The cows and calves were turned together while they were gone.
Libby, though rather young, took care of her little sister until Rudolf married again to Elizabeth Rainhard on 2 Sept. 1897 in the Logan Temple. She cared for the two girls until they were married. Rudolf sold his homestead at Bedford and moved to Prospect, Idaho, just south of Ririe. He lived here 4 years, and then came back to Bedford and bought what was known as the Kimball place, where Robbie and Sylvia now live.
In the spring of 1915, the ranch was sold. Rudolf kept the house and spent the remainder of his days in Bedford doing research and temple work.
He was a very honorable and honest man. He always paid the debts he owed and expected others to pay him.
He believed the Gospel to be true and had a very strong testimony. He had great faith in healing and many times he was called to his neighbors homes to administer to them when they were sick, because of this faith. He lived a long full life.
He passed quietly away the morning of the 25th of May, 1927. He was buried at the Thayne Cemetary by his three wives and infant daughter.

FREDERICK WOLFLEY SR. & ANNIE ELIZABETH RUTHLISBURGER

Frederick is a brother to Rudolf Wolfley

Rudolf is Merthan Glenn Ellis’ great grandfather

Frederick Wolfley Sr was born in Schangnan Bern Switzerland on 29 April 1843 and died on 2 June 1913 In Freedom, Wyoming. He crossed the plains when yet a young man and told of helping carrying the pioneers across cricks of water. As a small boy he worked in a tobacco factory. He didn't receive much education as he had to leave school early to help with the family living expenses.
His older brother Samuel came to America several years before he and his brother Rudolph came. Samuel tried to discourage them in coming to the new land telling them to go back home as they would not be able to learn the language. But they were not to be so easily discouraged. Frederick worked on and helped build the UP Railroad for several years. One day as a train of emigrants came through Ogden, he and some other boys walked through the train jokingly proclaiming that they might find a wife thereon. Sure enough while walking through the train they made friends with several young ladies including Annie Elizabeth Ruthlisburger, who six months later became his bride. ing his year's work on the railroad, he had saved quite a sume of money - amounting to $1800.
Frederick Wolfley and Annie Elizabeth Ruthlisburger were married in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City on January 1, 1875. They went to Richfield, Utah the later part of the month to make their home. There some of the saints were trying to live the Order of Enoch or as it is sometimes called the United Order. He pooled all of his savings in the Common Store House and worked hard in the fields almost night and day for about four years. This arrangement proved quite unsatisfactory as they were hardly allowed enough to eat and wear. During this time a son, Gottfuied, was born to them (7 Oct. 1875) who lived only three months. On September of 1876, Annie Elizabeth was born to them.
Annie Elizabeth Ruthlisburger was born in Siegman, Bern, Switzerland on 29 October 1842, and died on 21 August 1916 in Freedom, Wyoming, at the home of her daughter, Annie Elizabeth Wolfley Warren. Annie Elizabeth Ruthlisburger's father's name was Matthew Ruthlisburger (he died when she was 7 or 8 years old) and her mother's name was Annie Elizabeth Wehrmuht. Their family consisted of three children - Marie, Annie Elizabeth, and Fred who was the youngest. Her father was killed while working in the woods, a log falling on him and breaking his neck, when she was at the age of seven. Marie had been sent out into the woods to find him when he did not come home until late. She found him with his neck broken. Not realizing what catastrophe had befallen them Annie and Fred took it as a great joke and could not understand why their mother should weep.
Annie was put in with an old couple in Cantland, Bern, Switzerland. They raised her and put her through school. When Marie and Annie Elizabeth joined the Latter-day Saint Church, her mother turned them out and they went and lived with friends. Annie Elizabeth carried water and other things on her head. This family she lived with had five children and before Annie Elizabeth died
she had all the temple work done for them. She was 17 years old when she joined the church. She then went to the French part of Switzerland, where the watch makers were and worked to make money for passage to America. She worked for passage for 3 years and each time gave her money to Mormon Missionaries. She finally saved enough to come to America. Her sister Marie also came to America at the same time. They came right to Salt Lake City, Utah. She worked for l 1/2 years for a German couple until they went back to Germany.
Frederick Wolfley, Sr. worked in a tobacco factory In Switzerland. He smoked a pipe and chewed. The houses had pigs in the basements. He was about 26 when he came to America. He was working in a smelter in Murray, Utah, and that is where he met his wife to be. She worked for the superintendent of the smelter. After six months of courtship they got married. He had saved $1800. They went to the church and were advised to go to the Sevier County and Join the United Order. He worked and worked there in the fields for 4 years. She worked in the cooking area. He put in all his cash and had bought a new team and wagon when he left Salt Lake City, Utah. After 4 years things didn't go well so they left and went to Salt Lake with very little left after all their work. She didn't want him to go on the railroad so he got a subcontract from the railroad to build grade.
The family moved to Castledale Valley. Here on December 15, 1878, Frederick Wolfley, Jr. was born. He was born in a dugout and his father was the mid-wife. They lived there 4 years. It really wasn't very safe because there were too many outlaws. It was later renamed, Robber’s Roost. There were four families in the little Valley. They drew lots and Frederick got the first 160 acres. The rest were jealous of this. Annie Elizabeth used to plant her garden in March.
A son Rudolph died and was buried there in Castle Valley on August 26, 1880. They left there and went to Colorado on another railroad grading job. She cooked for a lot of the railroad workers and took good care of them and when she left they made and gave her two nice cedar chests for her kindness. They lived in Cotton Wood Creek in a little cabin while in Colorado. One fall morning she saw a boa constricter wrapped around the stove pipe. She wouldn't stay another night.
Annie Elizabeth was a religious soul. Family prayers were said night and morning. There was always plenty to eat. When Fredrick Jr. was five years old, the family moved again and stopped at a Soldier Post. She cooked and he worked in the stables. There were lots of negroes. Frederick Jr used to hang onto their legs until they would reach in their pockets and give him a coin.
They were coming from Colorado and the roads were winding and bad. The fellow that took the subcontract with Frederick was with the kids in the wagon and it tipped over and dumped them out. It threw this fellow out and down to the creek. It cut his head real bad and he would never hold the brake on the wagon again. Annie Elizabeth had to hold it the rest of the way. The kids hadn't even been hurt. They went to Murray, Utah, and he went into the smelter there. He bought 13 acres in Big Cottonwood Ward. They had a nice house and Lizzie and Fred Jr went to school there for awhile. Jeanette Bradford was the first school teacher for him. One day Frederick Sr's brother Rudolph came down from his home in Bedford, Wyoming, and told him what beautiful country Star Valley was. That land was so cheap he could buy him a whole farm 2
of 160 acres instead of just those 13 acres. He painted such a beautiful picture that Frederick Sr. sold his home and all their furniture but what he could take in the wagon with his family.
While they were still living in Murray, Emma was born on September 24, 1885. She was their final child (she died Feb. 10, 1954). Fred and Lizzie walked two miles to school. For Christmas the kids got a big sock of vegetables. Fred Jr. was 8 when they moved to Star Valley. This was in December 1886. Frederick Sr. came ahead in the spring and located the ranch. The family came up on the train to Montpelier. They sold the place in Murray for $3,000. After leaving Montpelier, they traveled all day and that night they spent with a German family, a Mr. and Mrs. John Stumpp.
At this time 100 lbs of flour sold for $1.25, 100 lbs of sugar was $4.00, 1 lb of coffee $.25. They came from Montpelier to Star Valley by sleigh. They had many hardships on the trip. The sleigh tipped over and the first day they came to camp very exhausted. The next night they went up Beaver Canyon to Half-way house. The third day they got to Homer West's ranch. The fourth day they got to the 16-18 cabin by dark. This was on the old homestead that we know now. Jim Miller and George Heap had built the cabin and Frederick Sr. gave them $200 for it.
Frederick wasn't much of a farmer and never did like it. He with the help of his son Frederick Jr. did a little farming and milked a few cows and made their own butter, and sold it. Indians passing through used to stop at the cabin for food. Frederick Sr. went up to the Caribou mines and worked during the summer for many years leaving his wife and the three children on the ranch. He would return and spend Sunday's with them. It was at this time there was the Indian scare and there were many Indians in Star Valley. Word came into the valley that there was a band of Indians coming and there would be bad trouble. What had actually happened was two squaws were killed by the whites and they were afraid of an Indian uprising so they sent word into the Valley to be ready for them when they came. Everyone in the Valley was excited and were to meet in an old stone building at Auburn to make bullets. They figured the Indians would come in the Valley through Stump Creek because it was easier to get in there than through Tin Cup. The Indians came in from Fort Hall in Idaho, went through the Valley into Jackson Hole to trap. They trapped the whole summer and then went back to Fort Hall. Everyone was told to get their valuables and meet in Auburn. Frederick loaded his things on the hay rack, they had just got through putting up the meadow hay, and started to Auburn. In the narrows they met Jake Schiess telling them to go home that everything was all over. He said the Indians came and went as fast as they could. They were just as scared as the whites were.
Frederick Wolfley Sr. sold his ranch to his son Fred Jr. after he got married, and in 1906 he and his wife moved to Providence, Utah and bought a house and few acres of ground with raspberries, fruit trees and some elderberry bushes. He made good wine from the elderberries. His daughters Lizzie and Emma would go down there and pick and bottle their raspberries also bottle some for their Mother.
They lived at Providence for 5 or 6 years then one day he hooked his horse to his buggy and took a buggy wheel to Hyrum to the blacksmith to be fixed. On his way home his horse got frightened and ran away, throwing him out of the buggy and fracturing his skull. Frederick Jr. went to Providence and brought his father to Star Valley. This accident happened in March 1913. His mind would come and go from time to time. He lived part time with his daughters Emma and Lizzie. He took phneumonia and died June 2, 1913. Later Lizzie went to Providence and sold their home and her mother lived in one room of Lizzie's house for three years. She died August 21, 1916 at Freedom, Wyoming.

Samuel Wolfley

Samuel is a brother to Rudolf Wolfley

Rudolf Wolfley is Merthan Ellis’ great grandfather

Samuel Wolfley was born November 16, 1837 in Berne Switzerland. He was a son of Christian Wolfli and Anna Schober. He was one of a family of nine children, two girls and seven boys. His sisters were Anna and Anna Marie. His brothers were Christian, Gottlieb, Friederick, Rudolf, Johannes, and Simon. He emmigrated to America from Switzerland after being baptized into the L.D.S. Church in 1861. He left England (Liverpool) on June 3, 1864 with more than 300 Saints from England and France and 85 Swiss Saints.
He joined the William Hyde Company which left Wyoming, Nebraska on August 9, 1864 and arrived in Salt Lake City Utah, on October 26, 1864.
He married Magdalena Meyers in the Salt Lake Endowment House in 1869. They lived in Salt Lake for the first few years where Adolph and Matilda were born. They then moved to Murray, Utah, where Alfred and Samuel were born. This became the family’s permanent home. Samuel was burned to death as a child while playing with matches.
After the death of his wife Magdalena on August 15, 1880, Samuel married twice. His second wife was Elizabeth Roth. No children were born of this marriage. Later, he married Elizabeth Kohler. Three children were born of this marriage. Edward, Myrtle, and Christian. He also reared a child of his wife's, Lily, who died while quite young.
In his very early years in Utah, Samuel worked constructing the first railroad into Utah. In Murray he owned a small piece of land which he farmed, and he also worked in the smelter.
He died on August 27, 1900. The cause of his death was never definitely ascertained. It was very sudden after a party. He is buried in the Murray City Cemetary (in Utah).