An Invitation to All Descendants of John Harris & Orpha Nicoll Greer

Come join the family!

@1918 L-R Back row: Jim, Margaret, Tom, Myrtle, John, Bina, Irvin; Middle row: Lillian,
Harris, Orpha, Nat, Kate, Irvin; Front row: Nathan, Ray, Flossie, Leland

All of the descendants of the John Harris & Orpha Nicoll Greer family are invited to participate in commemorating their 133rd wedding anniversary during the month of March. These gatherings were held for years at the park in St. Johns, but are now held virtually on this blog. Choose an activity that will mean the most to you and/or your immediate family. Some suggestions are:

• visit a FamilySearch Discovery Center for a fun, interactive, high-tech experience (or go online at FamilySearch.org)
• visit the cemetery where your ancestors are buried
• get together and share family stories and photos
• read the stories of your ancestors on this blog
• submit photos and stories of your ancestors to add to this blog

If you would like to share what you did with the rest of the family, please send information and photos to barbaraballantyne@hotmail.com and they will be posted here. We look forward to connecting with you!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Flossie!

The youngest daughter of Harris and Orpha, Florence (fondly known by the family as Flossie), was born March 9, 1902, on the Greer Ranch. This article that appeared in the Phoenix Gazette on August 1, 1963, tells a bit about her life, talents, interests, and contributions to the town of Greer.

Important Family Dates for March

Here are some dates that are significant to the family in March:

9: Orpha and Harris' tenth child, Florence Leoma Greer, was born on this date in 1902 on Greer Ranch. She was fondly known throughout her life as Flossie.

17: The second time was the charm for both Sabina and Carl Law, who married on this date in 1915. Here is the story of how they met in her own words--

"I met Carl Andrew Law through my neighbor Mrs. Icker. I took in washing and used to take in his also. The first time he saw me he knew he loved me, so after I was divorced he told me he wanted to marry me.... We never even went out before we were married. He was so good to Cathleen and played with her one whole evening at the Icker's--that’s when I knew he'd be a good husband and father. Harry [her first husband] had been quite mean to Cathleen. Love for Carl grew later. He had $5.00 and I had a sewing machine and Cathleen when we were married—until he got his next check. He laid off work two days to get married. The next summer during his vacation, we went home to see my folks. They really liked Carl. On the way there in our wagon, I shot the clothespins right down the line with a 22."

24: The oldest child, Myrtle, died on this date in 1965 at the age of 79. While visiting her sister Sabina in Salt Lake City, Myrtle fell ill, was admitted to the hospital, and died 45 minutes later, apparently from a gallstone that had not passed. She is buried in St. Johns.

29: Orpha was born on this date in 1867 in American Fork, Utah. This will be her 151st birthday. Click on her tab on the right side of this page to read all of the previous posts about her.

29: Harris and Orpha were married on her birthday in 1885 in St. Johns. This will be their 133rd anniversary. The Harris and Orpha Greer Family Organization was founded on their anniversary in 1980. Be watching for information about plans for the annual get together.

Happy Birthday John Harris Greer!

Had a special affinity for horses
Spent a lifetime driving cattle
Wrestled crops out of the desert soil
Not a stranger to using a gun
Cared for others
Served his community
Loved the Lord
Treasured his family

Important Family Dates for February

Here are some dates that are significant to the family in February:

10: Harris was born on this date in 1866 in Kimball, Bosque, Texas, the sixth of the twelve children born to Thomas Lacy and Catherine Ellen Camp Greer. He spent his early childhood in Kimball until about the age of twelve when the family bought the ranch in Arizona.

13: Harris and Orpha's thirteenth child, Leland, was born on this date in 1908 at their Grandmother Nicoll's home in St. Johns.

16: Orpha's mother, Sabina Ann Adams, was born on this date in 1837 in Perth, Drummond Township, Lanark, Ontario, Canada, the fourth child born to Arza and Sabina Clark Adams. Her parents had joined the Church about two years prior to her birth and moved to New York to join the Saints a few months after she was born.

17: Orpha's parents, Alexander Nicoll and Sabina Ann Adams, were married on this date in 1854 in American Fork, Utah. They were later sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on September 25, 1957, by Brigham Young and witnessed by G.A. Smith and W.W. Phelps.

18: The first child born to Harris and Orpha was Myrtle, born on this date in 1886 in Concho.