Mary Barbara Bolanz Adams

Maria (Mary) Barbara Bolanz
Great Grandmother of Effie Marie Sherman Walker
Written by her youngest son, Franklin J. Adams

Mary Barbara’s father, Johanna George Bolanz was born in Millheim, Germany, January 16, 1800. He grew up neighbors to a Weis family who had a daughter by the name of Anna Maria. They were married and settled at Bowden, Weiler County of Millheim, Germany. They built a nice two story house. They owned several vineyards, and a fertile farm land on the Rhine River.
To them were born: George Mathias, Jacob, Maria Barbara, John, Fredrick and Earnest. The children received an education as was given then; the boys worked at different trades. In the year of 1847 the mother died, and Mary Barbara, the only girl, and at the age of ten, had the responsibility of the home. The Bolanz family was Liberals and did not believe in the Monarchial government. There was an uprising, and John and Frederick came to America to escape the war. Mary Barbara, with the rest of the family, was compelled to feed and take care of the soldiers. Many times she related the horrors of war to her children.
Her brothers were anxious for her education and placed her in one of the finest hotels in Switzerland to learn domestic science. She was an artist at cooking. She fell in love with a jeweler by the name of Mr. Radz. They had one daughter, Louise. They were very happy together, and then the husband died, leaving Mary Barbara with the baby daughter and a business to care for in Geneva, where they were living at the time.
She was persuaded by her sister-in-law to visit a meeting being held by Mormon elders. She said that at the first meeting she was impressed that they were teaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ. She attended the meetings for several weeks, read the tracts and the Book of Mormon and applied for baptism. Her father, and brothers, hearing of her conversion became bitter and withdrew what assistance they were giving her. Her friends forsook her. She was left alone, forsaken by family and friends with her little girl to care for.
Mary Barbara wanted to go to Utah and gather with the Saints. She sent little Louise to America to Payson, Utah to live with Aunt Eliza Cowan. In two years she earned enough to pay her ships passage to America. She crossed the ocean with the President Ballis Company. She crossed the plains with the company of Bishop Daynes. She joined her daughter at Payson and worked at the home of Bishop Fairbanks.
William Adams was a close friend of the Cowan family. The first time Mary Barbara met him, she said she would not marry that old man even though his britches were lined with gold. He was married and had a family. But they were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, January 9, 1864 by Daniel H. Wells. They made their home in Paragonah, Utah.
Five sons and a daughter were born to them. One son and the girl died. My mother watched very carefully over her boys. In the days of the United Order she made our clothes and hats. I remember, our week day hat had a brass button and our Sunday hat had a pearl button. We went to Sunday School every Sunday. We were not allowed on the street at night. Many a night she went hunting for George and John. Our menu for supper was corn meal mush and milk in a large bowl.
My father owned a dairy on the Parowan bottoms and was Superintendent of the Parowan Co-op. Mother and us boys ran the dairy. We milked about seventy-five cows. Mother made the butter and the cheese.
George and John were called to the San Juan Mission. In the fall of 1882 we left Parowan with two, four-horse wagons and about one hundred and fifty head of cattle. My father gave Bishop Nielson a cow for an old dirt roof cabin in the old fort at Bluff. We lived in it for two years. During this time Mother made butter and cheese. Finally, my father bought a place from Bill Rob with two log cabins with a dirt roof, where we lived for many years.
My father, William Adams, being a counselor to Stake President Francis Hammond, had charge of a colony near the base of the Blue Mountains. George and Fred Adams were among the first ones to locate at Verdure. There they ran a large dairy. During the summer my mother spent a great deal of time with them. Later, Father and Mother moved to Monticello and built the first house, a log cabin in Monticello. They experienced all the outrages of the outlaws; cowboys shooting up the town, breaking up dances, and shooting at men’s feet to make them dance. There was no law but the Colt’s forty five.
I remember well the day I went to work for the L.C. Cattle Co. My mother cried for days to think that her son was thrown into such company. She was never happy until I told her I would quit and go to the Brigham Young Academy. My family moved back to Bluff because the winters were so cold and the snow so deep.
The only doctor the Adams family knew in those days was Mother. I remember a good many times when we had colds. Our feet were put in mustard water and we were given a cup of hot catnip tea and put to bed. If any grandchildren were sick, Mother was there to take care of them.
Mother was very charitable and kind to the poor. Often I would see her passing through the streets with food for some of the neighbors. Dad would laugh and say “There goes Mrs. McCuffy again.” She was never afraid when necessity called her. At the time of the diphtheria epidemic at Bluff, she left her home to administer to the sick. At this time the whole Decker family was stricken with this disease. Five of the family died, Brother Decker being one of them. Mother helped prepare them for burial.
Mother was devoted to her Church and to her religion. She often quoted passages to us from the Bible, portraying what would happen in the future. She usually attended the dances, but danced only the square dances.
Father and Mother were preparing to go to the Salt Lake Temple for their second endowments when Father took ill and died September 31, 1901. My mother and I lived together in Bluff for a good many years until I married and moved to Monticello.
Mother often said when her time came; she would sleep away without pain, as her patriarchal blessing had told her. In the year 1918 she moved to Blanding. On Christmas Eve, she went to drive a bull to the outside of the lot. The bull turned and struck her and threw her into the air, rendering her unconscious. She never regained consciousness and slept peacefully away. She was buried in the Blanding Cemetery.