James was born 24 April 1856, in Lehi, Utah, the youngest
of 11 in the family of Daniel and Esther Jones Collett. His
mother died when he was 13 months old and his older brother,
Syd, nurtured and taught him pioneering ways and horsemanship.
James witnessed many early skirmishes between the Indians
and the United States Militia. He became a horse wrangler
and freighter, and pioneered many areas. His first marriage
was to Mariett Tidwell. She died in 1886. Their children were
James, Sadie (Eli Beckstead), twins Elmer (Eva) and Elsie,
Julia (Nephi Tarbet).

Campbell Wardrop and Margaret Evans Owens. There were
17 children in the Wardrop family. At the age of 16, Jane
married Moroni Duncan. This couple pioneered various Utah
and Idaho communities, settling in Rock Spnngs, Wyoming.
It was there that Moroni Duncan met an untimely death,
getting caught in a spring blizzard and freezing to death.

Jane and her young family moved to Bennington, Idaho,
where she met James Collett and they were married 25 July
1896. They lived in Logan, Utah until 1907, when they moved
to Taber to homestead. In 1914 they moved to Raymond.
Jane was very skillful with a needle - she sewed, quilted
and did expert embroidery work. She also excelled in growing
vegetable and flower gardens. James was a meticulous man
in all he did. He died 12 May 1924, in an auto accident. Jane
died 6 June 1951, at 92.

Their children are Marriette (Bert Nilsson), Blanche (Harold
Jackson), twins Ralph (Virginia Miller, then Opal Flannigan),
and Riley.

Return Individual Histories