The Fable of the Red and Orange Towels

The Fable of the Red and Orange Towels

In 1969 when Roger and I opened our wedding gifts, we found that we had been given a generous number of towels.  I arranged them in two piles.  Those that were white or blue we kept; those that were pink or yellow we put aside for gifts.  But there was one set of towels I didn't feel belonged in either pile.  I would certainly never hang red and orange jacquard towels in my bathroom, and I didn't feel comfortable giving them to anyone as a gift, either.  So I put them away and they sat forlornly on the shelf for several years. 

June 21, 1969

Time passed, and when our two oldest sons began swimming lessons at the ages of 7 and 5, I found I had a towel dilemma.  All the swimmers would lay out their beach towels on the bleachers at the high school while they had their lessons in the high school pool.  Since the towels all looked pretty much alike, our boys had trouble finding theirs.  Sometimes other children took our towels by mistake, and week after week there seemed to be "towel problems."  Searching my mind for a solution, I thought of those two red towels.  The next time I took the boys to swimming, they laid out their two red towels a little self-consciously, but when their lesson was over, they had no trouble finding those two splotches of red.  No one seemed to covet them and they never disappeared.  My two boys were easy to spot in that sea of little bodies.  I just looked for the two wrapped in red, scooped them up, and whisked them home.  How glad I was I had not discarded the two unconventional gifts.

Mark, Sam, and Aaron - Mar Vista 1976

Over time, I found other uses for the towels.  Our family was blessed with a little daughter who dreaded trips to the mountains because she got car sick.  She would climb into the car with her forehead knit in worry.  "What if I get sick?" she would say. "Not to worry," I would answer, handing her a red and orange towel.  "Put this on the seat beside you and grab it if you feel sick.  It will be easy to find in an emergency." Later, as we rolled down the highway, I would look back and see her asleep on the seat, the towel she clutched in her hand wadded up under her head for a pillow, her forehead smooth and relaxed.  Those towels became like members of the family, traveling with us to Canada, Utah, Mexico, and other places that ordinary bathroom towels never see.  They went on camping trips, fishing trips, and hikes.  But they never hung in boredom on the bathroom rack. 

Anne - Fresno 

We found a myriad of uses for these bright friends.  Over the years the towels were doll blankets, turbans, capes, and rugs.  The uses seemed endless; and because of their unusual color scheme, they were never misplaced or lost. 

Fresno Front Walk - 1989
Aaron, Anne, Sam, April, Mark, Sue, Roger

Shining up the windows and outside patio lamps for an open house in Fresno after Mark’s wedding, I found myself polishing and cleaning with a red towel.  The memory took me back to my own wedding and reminded me of all my experiences with that towel in the years since.  It had become a little ragged with time -  not as flashy as in former years, but still useful.  On this particular day, I reflected on the towel as I made great sweeping strokes across the sliding glass doors and I thought of the important lessons that towel had taught me about life.   

There have been times in my life when I have felt a little like these two friends. Perhaps I was not able to live up to others’ expectations, didn’t quite fit in, or my skills were not the talents that seemed to be needed at the moment.  An oddball, an outcast - all orange and red when soft pastels were the style.  At these low moments I have tried to remind myself that the Lord understands us, even when we are unable to understand each other.  No respecter of persons, he looks on the heart and not on the outward appearance and abilities.  He accepted the widow’s mite because it was all she has to give.  He loved impetuous Peters, doubting Thomases, persecuting Pauls, and wayward Almas.  He not only loved them, but made them mighty in his service because they were willing to give what they had.  The beauty of a garden is in its variety and contrasts.  God's garden is no different.

I thought of a scripture in the 12th chapter of Corinthians that spoke of the diversity of gifts and mentioned the importance of the “less honorable” gifts.  Surely, at first glance these towels seemed to be “less honorable” in their gifts, and while capable of the functional work of towels, they fell short in their decorative suitability. Nevertheless, how greatly they had enriched our lives and how often they had shared our special moments.  How dear they had become!  They were much more a part of our lives than the towels we thoughtlessly hung on the towel rack to dry.  

There are people in our lives who are like that, too.  They are a little unconventional and at times we don’t know how to put their unorthodox gifts to work.  But if we are able to unleash their potential, our lives will be blessed.  


"And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness."  (1 Corinthians 12:23)     

May we learn to value and cherish the uncomely among  us, and the uncomely parts that we find in ourselves, for God hath “set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.”  (1 Corinthians 12:18)

THE COLEGROVE FAMILY

The Colegrove Family

How we are related:

Francis Colegrove (1667-1759)

Stephen Colegrove, Esq. (1695-1787)

Nathan Colegrove (1734-1807)

Nathan Colegrove, Jr. (1769-1814)

Clark Tracy Colegrove (1793-1853)

Harley Ingersoll Colegrove (1838-1881)

Minnie Colegrove Ashby

Geneva Ashby Speakman

Daniel Vaughn Speakman

Most of the information on the early Colegroves comes from this website and is undocumented
http://www.simonhoyt.com/colegrove.html
COLEGROVE / COLGROVE REGISTER PAGE 
Credit Source File: Contact: Terry Colegrove <TColegrove1@msn.com> at http://www.ancestry.com
John Edward Hoyt <jeh493411@chartermi.net>, found at http://www.ancestry.com
http://www.simonhoyt.com/colegrove.html

“The Colegroves in America are of English descent.  The earliest records of people with the name Colegrove in Britain can be traced to the 16th century and were found in the Oxfordshire area of England. The name is supposed to be derived from a Grove on the little river Cole.  This river forms the boundary for some distance between the Counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire, and is the most western of the southern tributaries of the Thames which are called Rivers.  The grove was probably at or near the present town of Coleshill in Berkshire.”
“The history and genealogy of the Colegrove family in America : with biographical sketches, portraits, etc.” 1894 by William Colegrove (public domain)



Francis Colegrove
Francis Colegrove (c. 1667 – c. 1759) was an English colonial immigrant, born most likely in Oxfordshire or London, England (although others have suggested Glamorgan, Wales), who settled in Warwick, Rhode Island, in about 1688. He is the first known Colegrove in America. His immigration is important in the fact that most people that bear the surname Colegrove in the United States can be traced back to him.


In Colonial Rhode Island
Records can be scantly put together that seem to imply that Francis Colegrove came to America from England between 1680 to 1688. He had a daughter named Elizabeth around 1688. Francis married a woman named Ann in Rhode Island. A likely reason Francis moved to Rhode Island from Britain, was that many separatists and Baptists from the Swansea area of Wales were moving to the American colonies for religious and political freedom.

Francis, who was a farmer, and his wife joined the Newport Sabbatarian Baptist Church of Newport, Rhode Island, which was the first Seventh Day Baptist group in North America in August of 1698, being baptized as adults. Stephen Mumford came to the colonies in 1665, and formed the Newport Church, where Francis and Ann attended, in 1671. During the 17th century, many Baptists, as well as many non-conformists and separatists, found refuge from persecution in Britain and other colonies such as Massachusetts, in the colony of Rhode Island, which had been set up by Baptists Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson in the 1630s and 1640s.

Sabbatarian Meeting House, built in 1729 by Richard Munday 

PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17123156



Family
Francis and Ann Colegrove had at least six children: 
1.  Elizabeth: their eldest 
2.  Jeremiah Colegrove, who died in 1710 at Port Royal, Nova Scotia during Queen Anne's War.
3.  Eli Colegrove (in 1689)
4.*Stephen Colegrove (1694)
5.  Francis Colegrove, Jr. (about 1697)
6.  John Colegrove (1714)

A Sons of the American Revolution Application implies that there was a son named William (1688-1728) whose mother was a second wife Hannah, but this is likely Ann - the names are related and sometimes interchangeable.  

Later life
Francis was a farmer in the new world. There is record of his owning land in the "Narragansett Country", which was an area of Rhode Island named after the Narragansett (tribe) of Native Americans. He was given the land to recompense the loss of his son, who helped him with farming. Here is an excerpt on Francis, known by some today as "The Patriarch," from William Colegrove's Book :

"He was evidently an active, enterprising, pioneer farmer, who attended to his own business and kept out of politics, --- thus setting an excellent example --- which has been followed by his descendants. The death of his oldest son seems to have been a severe blow to him in respect to his business, compelling him to ask a little relief from the Legislature of the Colony, --- which relief, it is pleasant to know, was readily granted. The following is from The R.I. Colonial Records, V. 4, p. 136; ‘Proceedings of R.I. and Prov. Plantations at Newport, 27 February 1711-12.’"

A prominent land holder, Francis Colegrove owned land in other places. On June 28, 1709 a committee that had been formed by the Rhode Island general assembly, sold a large tract of land known as the 'Shannock Purchase' located near Richmond, Rhode Island. Francis was among the recipients of the land.

Ann and Francis ended up in Westerly, Rhode Island by 1712, as there are records of Anne being involved in the Sabbatarian congregation there. Ann Colegrove died sometime after 1718, before Francis. No one knows for sure when Francis Colegrove died, but William Colegrove believed he may have died around 1759 or before in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. Previously, more conservative researchers suggested that he may have died sometime between 1725 and 1729. More recent research shows Francis Colegrove, Sr. still alive in 1728, when he was summoned to appear at a Church meeting in regard to a dispute between his son Francis, Jr. and a William James over payment for an ox that Francis Jr had given Mr. James. The committee found in favor of Francis Jr. In the Seventh-Day Baptist Memorial of 1874, which mentions the dispute, Francis Colegrove is listed still living and attending the Westerly congregation, with a second Francis Colegrove, probably Jr., in 1740 in "a list of members made up by a Committee of the church in 1740".
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

* * * * * * * *

Stephen Colegrove, Esq. was born 1695 in Warwick, Rhode Island, and died 14 June 1787 in Heartford, Oneco, Connecticut. He married Welthian Taylor 1721 in Providence, Kent, Rhode Island. She was born 1694 in Foster, Providence, Rhode Island, and died before 1740 in Oneco, Connecticut. He married Phoebe Millard on 7 June 1740 in Providence, Rhode Island, daughter of Nehemiah Millard and Phoebe Shore. She was born 1707 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and died 2 December 1776 in Heartford, Oneco., Connecticut. 

Children of Stephen Colegrove (Esq.) and Phoebe Millard are:

1. *Nathan Colegrove was born 1741 in Foster, Rhode Island, and died 1831 in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont. 
2.   John Colegrove, Esq. was born 1744 in Foster, Rhode Island, and died 21 March 1817 in Coventry, Kent, Rhode Island. 
3.  Jonathan Colegrove was born 1745 in Foster, Rhode Island, and died 1812 in Norwich, New York. 
4.  Isaac Colegrove was born 1747 in Warwick, Rhode Island. 
5.  Phebe Colegrove was born 1749 in Foster, Rhode Island, and died 1839 in Bridgewater, New York. 
6.  Charlotte Colegrove was born February 1751/52 in Sterling, Connecticut, and died in Fairfax, Vermont. 

* * * * * * * *

Nathan Colegrove married Miriam Fillmore 28 September 1761 in Norwich, Connecticut, daughter of John Fillmore and Dorcas Day. She was born 1738 in Norwich, Connecticut, and died in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont. 

Children of Nathan Colegrove and Miriam Fillmore are:

1. *Nathan Colegrove, Jr. born 18 August 1769 in Norwich Connecticut, and died in Fairfax, Franklin, Vermont. 
2.  John Colegrove was born 17 September 1781 in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont, and died September 1807 in Sullivan, Madison, New York. 
3.  Uri Colegrove was born 16 December 1772 in Norwich, Connecticut, and died 1 November 1842 in Erieville, Madison, New York. 
4.  Calvin Colegrove was born 1774 in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont, and died 1810 in Sangerfield, Oneida, New York. 
5.  Polly Colegrove was born in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont. She married Gillette. 
6.  Eunice Colegrove was born 22 May 1778 in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont, and died 7 April 1872 in Ellisburg, Jefferson, New York. 
7.  Daughter Colegrove was born in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont, and died in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont. She married Jonathan Griswell. 

A letter written by Nathan Colegrove to his son Uri is published in William Colegrove's book.
It was written after the death of Nathan's son John in 1807.  

* * * * * * * *

Nathan Colegrove, Jr. was born 18 August 1769 in Norwich Connecticut, and died in Fairfax, Franklin, Vermont. He married Olive Tracy about 1887. She was born about 1760 in Charlestown, Washington, Rhode Island, and died in Fairfax, Franklin, Vermont. 

Children of Nathan Colegrove, Jr. and Olive Tracy are:

1.  Esther Colegrove was born 2 OCT 1788 in Charlestown, Washington Co., RI. 
2.  Jenny Colegrove was born 14 DEC 1789 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., Vt. She married Learnard. 
3.  Lura Colegrove was born 25 AUG 1791 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., Vt. She married Pary. 
4.*Clark Tracy Colegrove was born 21 FEB 1793 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT, and died 1852 in Blue Island, Cook Co., IL. 
5.  Olive Colegrove was born 24 APR 1796 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., Vt, and died 1893 in Wauconda, Lake Co., IL. 
6.  Dilla Colegrove was born 30 JUL 1797 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT. She married Danial Morse. 
7.  Nathan Colegrove was born 19 DEC 1799 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT, and died in Wolcott, Lamoille Co., VT. 
8.  Miriam Colegrove was born 12 APR 1802 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., Vt. She married Wright. He died in Centralia, WA. 
9.   Lucretia Colegrove was born 15 AUG 1804 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., Vt. She married Harvey Scott. 
10. Jairus Colegrove was born 31 JUL 1806 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT, and died 24 AUG 1862 in Lew Orleans, LA. 
11.  Hampton L. Colegrove was born 14 OCT 1808 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT, and died 9 JUN 1891 in Wauconda, Lake Co., IL. He married Polly Purmort. She died in Wauconda, Lake Co., IL. 
12. Stephen Colegrove was born 11 SEP 1810 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT. 
13. Silas Colegrove was born 27 AUG 1812 in Fairfax, Franklin Co., VT.

Olive and Nathan Colegrove are buried in the Mudgett Cemetery in Fairfax, Vermont

* * * * * * * *

Clark Tracy Colegrove was born 21 February 1793 in Fairfax, Franklin, Vermont, and died 1852 in Blue Island, Cook, Illinois. He married Permilla Ingersoll. She was born 22 February 1792 in Middletown, Rutland, Vermont, and died 14 October 1853 in Blue Island, Cook, Illinois. 

Children of Clark Tracy Colegrove and Permilla Ingersoll are:

1.  Calvin Chauncey Colegrove was born December 1815 in Plainfield, Will, Illinois, and died 1894 in Benton Harbor, Berrien, Michigan. 
2.  Lester G. Colegrove was born 23 April 1818 in Jericho, Chittenden, Vermont, and died 24 November 1903 in Plainfield, Will, Illinois. 
3. Hannah Colegrove was born 17 May 1820 in Blue Island, Cook, Illinois, and died 5 April 1914 in Los Angeles, California. 
4. Olive Colegrove was born about 1824 in Blue Island, Cook, Illinois, and died in Plainfield, Illinois. She married Robert Wright. He died in Plainfield, Illinois. 
5.  Caroline Colegrove was born 3 February 1829 in Fairfax, Vermont, and died 14 January 1922 in Urbana, Benton, Iowa. 
6.  Lavius F. Colegrove was born October 1829 in Franklin County, Vermont, and died 2 February 1912 in Plainfield, Will, Illinois. 
7.  Marida Anne Colegrove was born 26 February 1832 in VT, and died 15 September 1909 in Plainfield, Illinois. 
8. *Harley Ingersoll Colegrove was born 3 October 1837 in Fairfield, Vermont, and died 12 October 1881 in Fillmore, Millard, Utah. 



Harley's first appearance in a census is in 1850 in Illinois.

I have been unable to locate Harley in the 1860 U.S. Federal Census.  His parents are reported to have both died in 1853 when Harley was 18, so it would not be unusual for a single young man to be missed in the census.  But in the "Report of the adjutant general of the state of Illinois," he is listed as being from Champaign, Illinois, when he enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, a county about 125 miles south of Wheatland Township where he was listed with his parents in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census.  He belonged to “Company A” in the 20th Illinois Infantry. 

Harley served until July of 1864 when he was discharged at Chattanooga, Tennessee. His discharge paper describes Harley as being 5' 11" and gives his occupation when he enlisted as butcher.

I do not know when or why Harley came to Utah.  Perhaps it was for work.

I also do not know how he met the widow, Helen McBride Brown, but Harley was baptized by Reuben McBride, his wife's father, on 28 March, 1868.

He married Helen Venera McBride on 12 December 1869, the ceremony performed by Joseph F. Smith.  Helen had been a widow raising two children for 13 years, her first husband having been killed by Indians in 1856.

Harley was endowed in the Endowment House 20 December 1869.

In the 1870 U.S. Federal Census the two Brown children are listed with the Colegrove surname.

1870 - Fillmore, Millard, Utah Territory

By 1880 Harley and Helen's three children have been born.

1880 - Fillmore, Millard, Utah

Both census records list Harley as a farmer.


Death Notice in the Deseret News

Fillmore, Utah, Cemetery

Sources:
https://archive.org/details/historygenealogy00cole
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Colegrove
http://www.simonhoyt.com/colegrove.html
https://colegrovefamily.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/origin-of-the-colegrove-family/

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=tcolegrove1&id=I753&style=TABLE