Sunday, April 3, 2011

How I am related to Vern Wardle

Since moving to Manteca, I have been asked numerous times if I am related to Vern Wardle.  Vern lived in Tracy, and was a member of the stake presidency for the Manteca Stake.  However I did not meet him until after he moved from Tracy, to Cupertino.  In Cupertino he was a member of our ward, a friend, and a neighbor.  I also found out that we were indeed related. 

We share the same great-great-great grandfather James Wardle.  James Wardle had four sons and one daughter.  The oldest was William, Isaac was the second, then came his only sister Hannah, and then two more sons, Joseph and James.  James also had a stepson, Thomas Morton.

Isaac was the first to travel to Utah with the Edward Martin Handcart company in 1856  His parents and James followed in 1860 with the Daniel Robison Handcart Company.  This was one of the last handcart companies.  William immigrated with his wife and infant child (he left a couple children buried in England) in 1862 in the Homer Duncan Company.

Isaac had settled in the South Jordan area.  His newly arriving family members also settled in the Jordan area., West and South Jordan.  Isaac likely helped in the passage of those family members who followed, as he would have had resources from his farming operation and mill he had established on the Jordan River. 

I refer to Vern sometimes as Uncle Vern, as he is a few years older than I.  I don't know how many generations he is from our common ancestor James, so I tell everyone he is my third cousin.

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