MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
John Nickerson Barrus and
Alice (Burton) Barrus
Alice (Burton) Barrus
A history of Spring Coulee District - page 206
John Nickerson Barrus was born on June 1, 1858 in Provo,
Utah about the time the Johnson army arrived in the Salt
Lake Valley. He was the seventh of eight sons (in a
family of twelve) of Emery Barrus and Hulday Abigail
(Nickerson) Barrus. He married Alice Burton on 30
Sept., 1890 at Eagle Rock, now Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Alice Burton was born on 11 March 1871 in Surrey
England. They resided in Irwin, Idaho where 3 sons
and 2 daughters were born.
In 1907 they family moved from Idaho to Spring Coulee
where they had purchased land. They came by train;
bringing cattle, horses and chickens etc. in one car
and the family in another, arriving on 31 August. The
first home in Alberta was a granary in the coulee on
the John Thompson land just about one mile south of
of the land they had purchased. A large barn and a
three story house was built by John Nickerson Barrus
and his 3 sons. The house and barn remain standing
to this day, attesting to the craftsmanship and quality
of their construction. The original paint, white on the
house and two tone brown on the barn still remain. The
brand JB can still be plainly seen high on the front of the
The house was ultra modern for its time being equipped
with electric lights powered by an engine driven generator.
A flowing well near the house provided an abundant supply
of pure water. John Nickerson Barrus took great pride in
in his draft horses, a quality that carried on with his sons.
The tragic flu epidemic of 1919 claimed both parents, John
first on 29 March and Alice 4 days later on Apri 2. They
were buried in the Raymond Cemetery. This left the
children alone to operate the farm and continue their
schooling.
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