John Tanner and his family

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298 John Tanner and His Family the six years they remained in Montrose he changed It was during man and reached the age of eighteen. this six year period that Seth learned what it meant to be a Mormon. During from boy to None of His give any hint of his activities as a boy. Tanner, was fifty years old when he was born and our father, John records sixty eight when the Saints left Nauvoo for the West. What was Seth's relationship, as a young man of eighteen with his father who was sixty-eight? In April 1844, the father was called on a mission to New York State to promote the candidacy of Joseph Smith for president of the United States. Albert aged ninteen and Myron aged eighteen, together with Seth aged sixteen were left to run a large farm. Albert, the half-brother whose mother had died after his birth, did not fit in well with the children of Elizabeth Beswick, so he left the family hearth and "struck out in life for himself."! only be conjectured what happened while John was that away political mission, but the farm work did not get done and "the usual success that had attended the farm work well, very did not come.:" When John Tanner returned he was less than pleased and Myron comments: "I felt the dissatisfaction of my father who seemed to blame me, thinking I had not worked as hard as I should.?" It can on It is not known whether Seth was also blamed for the poor show­ and if he was blamed, how much he deserved it. But there are some boys who do not care for farm work, and Seth seems to have ing, been one of them. interest in farming. He of all John's sons seemed to have the least Most of the Tanner children had little opportunity for schooling. It is not known how much concern John had for education, but it seems quite likely that even for that early date he was inclined to be a little careless in that respect. Myron reports that he went to school in Nauvoo seven weeks in 1844, and ten weeks in 1845: "That completed my school days.?' Louisa Maria Lyman complained about her inability to write an acceptable letter, and some of her letters prove she was right." John Tanner was probably more interest­ ed in his farm and farm animals than he was in the country school, but he saw to it that his children had some of the rudiments of the three R's. Though Myron does not mention it, other members of the family probably got what education they did acquire during their stay at