John Snowball joined the Mormon church in England and with his parents and siblings immigrated to the United States. On the long, hard journey both his parents and oldest sister died. This left him in charge of his 2 younger sisters and brother. But they were separated when they reached the Salt Lake Valley. His two sisters went to the home of Bishop William Allen. John and his brother, Ralph, were also separated for a period of time and never really had a home. John became a teamster and followed the plains as a freighter.
In 1864, the two brothers (now reunited) were hired by Brigham Young to be members of the first surveying party for the Union Pacific Company between Green River, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah. At one point the other members of the party tried to strike for higher wages, but John and Ralph did not agree and stayed true to the contract they had made with the prophet. As a result, when the job was completed, Brigham Young took them into his home to live. John became the prophet's personal carriage driver and accompanied him all over the territory.
It was while living in President Young's home John met Mary Sorensen, who was also working for the family. They were married and some years later were sent to Randolph to live. Here in 1898 John purchased the Wilford Woodruff home to live in.
Randolph became the home of my great grandfather and amoung other children my grandfather, Allen Burt Snowball who married Catherine Peart. My father was born in Randolph.
Randolph, Utah is my roots.