The Minor Family of Somerset

--------November 16, 1867 he married Sarah Ellen Neibaur in th
e Endowment House. She was the daughter of Alexander Neibaur an
d Ellen Breakeli Neibaur and was born in Salt Lake City May 21
, 1849. John learned the plasterer's trade and helped plaster ma
ny of the buildings in Salt Lake City. He worked on the railroa
d in1868-69, and was present at the completion of the road whe
n the gold spike was driven, May 10, 1869 at Promontory. He als
o hauled materials for the Salt Lake Temple.
On June 16, 1869 the O'Driscoll's moved to Kamas Valley, then kn
own as Rhoades Valley, and lived in the fort. Sarah Ellen taugh
t a class ofwomen in embroidery work, and John continued to wor
k at his trade, doing thefirst plaster work in Kamas Valley. H
e made the first wire fence and also helped take out the first i
rrigation canal, which carried water from Provo Riveron the Kam
as Bench.
In April 1874 they moved on a homestead near the ProvoRiver, go
ing through all the hardships incident to pioneer life. John hau
led poles from the canyons, took them to Salt Lake and traded th
em for flour,bacon, molasses and other necessities. The famil
y made their home there untilthe spring of 1910. John and Henr
y Branch worked together on many jobs and plastered many of th
e buildings in Summit County, among them the Summit StakeHouse
, the Opera House at Park City, the Kamas Hall, and various home
s. Inthe spring of 1910 the O'Driscoll's bought the Kamas Hote
l and operated it successfully for a number of years.
John and Sarah were the parents of twelve children, eight boys a
nd four girls. None of his immediate family ever came tothis co
untry and he never had a chance to return to visit his mother. H
e died at his home in Kamas of a heart attack September 20, 1923
, aged 78 yearsand 9 months. Four children preceded him in deat
h.-Susie O'Driscoll Wilde [p.297]