John Harrison Craner ¹

   Ancestral File Number: 1C7B-T6.

  General Notes:

JOHN HARRISON CRANER (1866 - 1925)

John Harrison was born 2 September 1866 in Richmond, Cache, Utah. He was the first child born to John and Isabella Arminta Severe Craner. The family lived in Richmond, Utah until John H. was about a year old, and then moved to Grantsville, Utah where they spent the next fifteen years. John H. was blessed 16 July 1871 by William Jeffries, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized a member of that Church 24 September 1875 in Grantsville by Edward Hunter, and confirmed by John M. Clark.
John H attended school at Grantsville, Utah; at the age of 15 his family moved to Oakley.
Rosena Lee was born 15 May 1867 in Grantsville, Tooele, Utah. She was the 7^th child of 8 children born to William R. & Jane Lyon Lee. Jane Lyon was the 2^nd wife of William Lee. William Lee was called by authorities of the Church to be a government agent to the Indians at Ibapah (Deep Creek), Utah. He was gone from home a lot, but performed his duties as Brigham Young instructed. Rosena's mother passed away at the age of 39, leaving a large family to shift along the best they could. The oldest sister, Mary Jane, was married by this time and had moved to Oakley, Idaho. She took the two youngest children with her, Charlotte Elizabeth and Rosena.
At the age of eight Rosena began working for her room and board for other people, she received very little schooling but learned quickly from others.
John Harrison Craner and Rosena Lee were married 2 July 1884 in Rock Creek, Idaho. John H.'s father gave a portion of his land to the couple, on which was built a three room log house.
John H. and Rosena were the parents of 12 Children:
NameBirth Date:Death Date:
1. John Clarence Craner21 Jun 1885 8 Jul 1950
2. William Carlos Craner21 Feb 1887 1 Oct 1887
3. Bertha May Craner 8 Feb 188928 Jan 1967
4. Edith Craner16 Sep 189119 Mar 1946
5. Altha Jane Craner11 May 189326 May 1900
6. George Melvin Craner 2 Nov 189428 Mar 1956
7. Arleth Lyle Craner19 Sept 189730 May 1965
8. Dewey Maine Craner 8 May 189929 Nov 1984
9. Winnie Ray 15 May 1902 8 Aug 1978
10. Zelda Craner30 Dec 190419 Jan 1906
11. Ross Lee Craner10 Sept 1906
12. Neola Rose31 May 191112 Apr 1996

All of the children were born in Oakley, Cassia, Idaho. William Carlos passed away in 1887 of convulsions (thought to be caused from poison flowers brought in by admiring children) he was eight months old.
John H. bought 80 acres including a beautiful fruit orchard and the large 12 room red brick home from Ehlam McBride, it was 1 ½ miles from Oakley. It has 7 bedrooms, a large parlor, dining room, kitchen, pantry and a bathroom (unusual for those days). This home was originally planned for a nursery and a hospital but circumstances changed the plans of the McBrides.
After purchasing this home John H. gave ground for the 3^rd Ward Chapel to be built and as he watered his own land he watered those yards too.
Rosena was often called by Doctors Oldhen and Neilson to help deliver babies. She was a Relief Society Visiting Teacher for many years, and did substitute teaching in the classes.
John H and Clarence bought 500 acres in 1918 and planted alfalfa. They built a small house, and in the summer the family moved to a little place called Churchill.
Edith married Alma Hyrum Wells on 24 Dec 1913 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They had six children and two step-daughters.
Arleth married Gladys Lee, an adopted daughter of his uncle, on 18 Sept 1916 and they had six children.
Dewey married Margaret Allen 18 Sept 1918. She lived only a few months as she caught the flu and passed away on 9 Jan 1919, she was pregnant at the time.
There were two bad years when the flu raged through the country and took thousands of people in death; this epidemic took more lives in our country than did the World War. Schools and all public gathering places closed. 13 family members were down with the flu at one time, help was almost impossible to get. John H. hired two men to nurse and care for his family. He nursed the family day and night until he finally took sick too. John had a partial stroke, along with the flu, as his left hand and arm was numb for some time and he had trouble with his speech for some time after.
John and Rosena traded the farm in Oakley to Arleth and Gladys for land they owned in Paul, Idaho.
Rosena took ill in 1922, John and Alma Wells took her to the doctors in Salt Lake City and they found she was full of cancer. She died 2 April 1923 in Paul, Idaho and was buried in the Oakley Cemetery.
John sold the home in Paul and went back to Churchill and lived with his son, Clarence. John married long time friend Alpha Judd Elquist. They lived at the Elquist ranch, called the "Land Ranch".
John died 29 December 1925 from a heart attack. He was buried in the Oakley Cemetery next to Rosena.



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  LDS Information:

Baptism: 27 Jun 1886

Endowment: 28 Dec 1887, Logan Utah Temple

Sealed to Parents: 28 Dec 1882

He was sealed to his spouse on 28 Dec 1887 at Logan Utah Temple. (Rosena Lyon Lee was born on 15 May 1867 in Grantsville, Tooele, Utah, USA, died on 2 Apr 1923 in Paul, Minidoka, Idaho, USA and was buried on 5 Apr 1923 in Oakley, Cassia, Idaho, USA.)

John next married Alpha Judd Molyneaux Elquist.