Miles A. Romney

1869-1939

Miles Archibald Romney was an early pioneer of Colonia Juarez.  He explored the unknown forests and the fertile meadows of the colonies and mountains and the land beyond, where the pioneers did their hunting of wild game.

The son of Miles Park and Hannah Hood Hill, Miles was born in St. George, Utah, on November 6, 1869.  He received his infant blessings from his father, who also baprized and confirmed him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  His father ordained him a Deacon and years later conferred upon him the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordained him an Elder.  Later he became a High Priest.  He was faithful in attending to his spiritual duties.

Miles A. Romney’s grandfather, Miles Romney, was born in Dalton-in-Furness, England in 1806.  A carpenter who specialized in circular stair building, he emigrated to America.  He and his wife, Elizabeth Gaskell, were attracted by a street meeting conducted by Orson Hyde, one of the first Mormon missionaries to England, and in 1839 were baptized.  With other converts from Preston and Manchester, they sailed February 7, 1841, from Liverpool from New Orleans on the Sheffield.  They traveled by boat up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois, where Miles worked on the Nauvoo Temple.  Their third son, born August 8, 1843, and named Miles Park Romney, was the father of Miles A. Romney.

Miles Park followed his father, Miles, as a carpenter and builder, as a missionary to England and as a colonizer in St. George, Utah. There, he assisted in building the tabernacle.   Miles A. Romney was faced with responsibilities to help his mother. She was a most courageous woman at that time, always willing and ready to make every sacrifice for the comfort and well-being of her family. This taught her son many lessons and sacrifice and leadership.

Soon after the return of his father, Miles P. was called by the First Presidency of the Church to leave his home in St. George to assist in building of St. John’s, Apache County, Arizona. Miles A., with his sister many, was to go with Catherine (third wife of Miles P.) and family to help establish a home.   The rest would join them later.  While in St. Johns, Miles A. assisted his father in building homes, fencing farm land, and preparing land for planting.  At times he also worked in his father’s printing office editing a paper known as The Orion Era.

Miles P. purchased a tract of 160 acres lying in the mountains west of St. Johns under a law that required the owner to maintain residence on the land over a period of years.  People were hired to remain on the property to fulfill the law.  During one winter Miles A., 13, and Thomas, seven, accompanied by Dick Moffett, were sent to guard the property.  Dick disliked the job and returned to St. Johns, leaving Miles A. and Thomas alone.  Land grabbers, thinking they would find no one on the property at that time of the year, entered the cabin to take over.  To their surprise, Miles A. and Thomas were there guarding the property.  After fixing their own breakfast, they left as unceremoniously as they had come.

Miles A. Romney was only 14 when his father was hounded by U.S. Marshals because of plural marriage.  His father left Snowflake, Arizona.  The next morning Miles A. saddled a horse, while his mother sewed all the money she had into his clothing and sent him to Snowflake with a letter to his father, telling him to keep out of the way.  Miles A. rode all day and part of the night.  He finally located his father who sent instructions back to meet him in Mexico.  Miles A. returned to St. Johns, little realizing the part he would have to take in the absence of his father.   One instruction given Miles A. by his father was to meet him in the Gila Valley with a team and wagon in two weeks.

Miles P. took part of his family by trail to California and thence southeastward through Arizona.  Miles A. and Will met their father in the Gila Valley at San Simon station.  They then all went by team and wagon to Mexico.

In 1886 Miles P. Romney sent his sons Miles A. and Will, with team and wagon, to St. Johns to bring Hannah and children to Mexico.  Miles A. accepted the responsibility and took the family from Arizona to Mexico over rough roads and through Indian country much of the way.  The family had expected to travel with the Skousen family, but when the time came to leave, Hannah and family left alone.  When they arrived at Nutrioso, New Mexico, a short distance from St. Johns, they were advised by friends not to make the trip as Geronimo, the Apache chief, and his band were on the warpath and they would be in great danger.  Hannah turned to her 16 year old son, Miles A., and said, “We will put our trust in our Heavenly Father.”  They left feeling certain He would protect them.

The night they left Nutrioso they were caught in a heavy snowstorm.  Miles A. helped wrap the children in quilts to keep them from the cold, while he and his mother walked along behind the wagon to keep warm.  Apache Hill, down which they must go, was so steep Miles A. and Gaskell had to fasten trees they had cut down to the back of the wagon to keep it from running over the horses.  Several times during the journey Miles A. and his brother removed shoes from the feet of the dead horses and nailed them to the hooves of their own horses whose feet had become tender.

It was a happy ending when they were met by their father and taken to an adobe shelter with a dirt floor and mud roof.  Miles A. did what he could to help his father lighten the burden of caring for a large family.  Many times he and his brothers helped herd cows for the neighbors for a cent and a half per day, per cow.  This gave the boys a feeling of independence and also contributed in a small way towards supporting the family.  Miles A. Romney spent many happy and memorable days as a youth in Colonia Juarez.

Miles Archibald, the oldest son of Hannah, was the only son of Miles P. Romney to live the principle of plural marriage.  His first wife was Frances Turley.  He later married three sisters: Lily, Elizabeth and Emily Burrell.  Miles loved and welcomed each child and gave all an equal opportunity.  While raising a large family they had their trials, but they likewise had their joys.  Many times deep shadows enveloped them because of hardships, but he never seemed discouraged and always carried on with an air that all was well.  He was a man with a tender heart but stern discipline.  Every member of his family recognized his work to be the law by which they must live.  In chastising or correcting his children, he would speak in a positive manner, but never with physical punishment.  I remember one rule he insisted on:  that no son or daughter under 18 years of age should leave home to spend the evening elsewhere without first getting permission.  The fixed hour for coming home was ten o’clock, except in the case of a dance, theatrical or other entertainment that would extend beyond that hour.  It was his idea that house parties should end by ten o’clock.  Should one disobey this standing law, a single glance from Father indicated it had better not happen again.  It would be difficult to say that these rigid methods would be effective in our society today, but they worked when the Saints were isolated from the rest of the world, especially when the Church encouraged such standards.

Soon after his first marriage he filled a two-year mission to the British Isles.  In other Church matters he was also prominent.  He was Stake President of the MIA from 1928 to 1937.  He was also Ward MIA President and for a number of years was a member of the Juarez Stake High Council.  Miles A. was known for powerful talks to the young people, explaining the problems of life and the results of sinful acts.  He was a man of wisdom and understanding.

He enjoyed the role of dance manager which he held for many years in the colonies.  He seemed to comprehend fully the psychology of youth.  He encouraged people to conduct themselves with pride and to have respect for their leaders. 

Miles A. Romney was a pioneer in public speaking and personality development.  He became famous by showing others how to become successful.  He mottos were:   “Believe that you will succeed and you will;” and, “Learn to love, respect and enjoy other people.”

He enjoyed working with people and was successful as a drama director, which he did for many years in the Juarez Ward.  Hours were spent adapting plays, selecting actors, directing rehearsals and supervising scenery, lighting and costuming.  He had a great imagination and vision of play production.  He could hold any audience and portray different emotions from deep love scenes to profound tragedy.  Miles conducted and took the lead at times in such plays as: As You Like it, Cousins, Smiling Through, Charley’s Aunt, Abies’s Irish Rose, Down Black Canyon, Lady of Lyons, The Charcoal Burner and The Silver King.  Many times I blackned my father’s hair with soot mixed with lard to portray certain parts, especially that of a young lover.

The Romney family was one of the first of the Mormon families to pioneer in Mexico.  The boys had many thrilling experiences, and Miles A. had the ability to tell them well.  Convalescing from a badly bruised foot, caused by a large steel beam getting out of control while working on the old wagon bridge that spans the Piedras Verdes River in Colonia Juarez, he had the urge to write several true life stories.  Two of his stories appeared in the early issues of the The Improvement Era:  “A Providential Escape,” and “Providential.”  These were later included in the book Pioneer Stories compiled by Preston Nibley.

Miles A. Romney was a contractor and builder, occupations in which he was very successful.  He worked on the Academy and many of the beautiful homes in Colonia Juarez.  He was a natural-born trader and buyer.  As a result he acquired much of the farming and orchard land adjacent to Colonia Juarez, from which he realized large returns.  Many carloads of apples would be shipped from his orchards to the interior of Mexico.  Miles A. Romney and Joseph T. Bentley kept the electric light company in operation in Colonia Juarez for the benefit of its citizens.  As watermaster for years, he stressed honesty and obedience to the water schedule and always respected the rights of others.

He dedicated the best years of his life to building the community of Colonia Juarez and met death in his early 70’s, as a result of acute heart disease, while in his sleep on November 29, 1939.

Celia R. Geertsen, daughter

Stalwarts South of the Border, Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, page 590