Home Care In Kanosh, UT

Some Latter-day Saints have pioneer ancestors going back almost 200 years. Other Church members are themselves the pioneers in their families. In the weeks surrounding Pioneer Day July 24 — the annual celebration of the first wagon company entering the Salt Lake Valley — Church News staff members share stories of pioneers in their families, some from the 1800s and some from the 1900s. This is the sixth in the series.

My Grandma Avonell Rappleye would say: “All Rappleyes are related. It’s just a matter of how.”

It’s because of Tunis Rappleye, my great-great-great-grandfather. He was born in 1807 in Ovid, Seneca County, New York, which is about 50 miles southeast of Palmyra on modern roads.

The Rappleyes, as the story has been retold and passed down, were French Huguenots who went to the Netherlands. From there, they were part of the group in the 1600s establishing New Netherlands, as New York is known today. (And through the years, Rappleye has been spelled a variety of ways.)

In upstate New York, Tunis was the only member of his family to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized by Shadrack Roundy on Nov. 20, 1832, according to biographies on FamilySearch.

He moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where he met Louisa Elizabeth Cutler, and they were married by the Prophet Joseph Smith on Jan. 17, 1836. Births of their children show them living in Missouri, Illinois and later Iowa and Nebraska, as they moved with other members of the Church.

In 1847, he was a wagon driver in the vanguard pioneer company with Brigham Young. A few weeks after arriving in July, he was in the group instructed to head back to help bring others to Utah — which Tunis did, and he brought his family in 1853. His son David Franklin Marcellus Rappleye is my ancestor.

The Rappleyes eventually settled in Kanosh, Utah, and Tunis was buried there. It’s there that his descendants have placed a monument to his life.

Much of what is known about Tunis comes from others — birth, land and Church records and mentions in others’ journals, among other sources. As I’ve learned more about the Church’s history and the conditions many faced, I’m trying to see beyond the dates and places and see Tunis’ and Louisa’s testimonies, strength and determination as they continued faithful through many trials and left a great legacy for those with the name of Rappleye in their family history.

In 1958, the remains of an unknown individual were found in Kanosh, Utah, a small desert town in Millard County. In 1979, the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office was notified about the existence of the remains. While records indicate the individual's remains were discovered in 1958, it is not known who discovered the remains or where they were stored prior to the Medical Examiner’s Office receiving them twenty-one years later. The remains were stored without any clues to help determine who the unknown person may be. In 2020, more than sixty-years after the remains were discovered, a forensic anthropology analysis was completed. It was determined that the skeletal remains are likely that of a White male, estimated to be between 5’8” and 6’2” tall, who at the time of his death was between 25 and 35 years old.

The anthropological assessment determined that the decedent experienced skeletal trauma during his life. While estimates of an individual’s lifestyle and occupation are not routinely estimated when examining skeletal remains, the extent of healed injuries that were sustained during the man’s life indicate that he may have been a working cowboy or rodeo athlete. Additionally, the man may have had a condition in which the knees tilt inward while the ankles remain spaced apart, commonly referred to as “knock-kneed.”

At one point it was speculated that these remains could be that of Everett Ruess, an American artist, poet, and writer who was known to be exploring the Utah deserts in the 1930s when he went missing. However, there were few leads to work from and after decades of effort, the indentity of the man eluded investigators. In 2020, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP64653.

In 2023, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to finally identify the remains of the John Doe. A DNASolves crowdfund was established to fund the casework and we are so very grateful to everyone that contributed to help solve this case. Funding was a substantial barrier in this case.

Skeletal remains were sent to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the 65-year-old remains and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to investigators.

Using these new leads, the Millard County Sheriff's Office conducted a follow-up investigation and met with a potential relative of the unidentified man. The follow up investigation combined with additional DNA testing, established that the remains from more than a half-century ago belong to Robert Holman Trent, born on 15 January 1913 in Reidsville, Rockingham County.

Investigators are still working to identify the Trent's cause of death and to determine what brought him to the area. Anyone that knew Trent or might be able to assist in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Millard County Sheriff’s Office and reference agency case number 197900337 or NamUs ID UP64653.

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Director of Case Management

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Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.

Seven people are dead and several more were critically injured when authorities say a sand or dust storm caused visibility issues that led to a series of crashes involving 20 vehicles in Utah Sunday evening.

The crashes happened on I-15 near Kanosh, the Utah Department of Public Service (DPS) said in a news release.

Several people were transported to local hospitals in critical condition, officials said. Authorities did not specify how many people were injured but noted there could be more fatalities.

"It appears that 20 vehicles were involved in Sunday's crashes after high winds caused a sand or dust storm and impaired visibility on the roadway," the release said. "The Utah Highway Patrol summoned troopers from Richfield and Beaver to assist. Multiple ground and air ambulances also responded to transport victims."

Images of the crash site show multiple tractor trailers and several damaged passenger vehicles littering the road, with debris scattered for yards. At least one vehicle appears to have had its passenger doors ripped off.

DPS closed the road in both directions following the crash, which occurred just before 5 p.m., officials said.

Utah Department of Public Safety

A strong thunderstorm was reported southeast of Kanosh around 4:30 p.m., with strong winds occurring as the storm decayed, CNN Meteorologist Gene Norman said. A nearby report of a 51-mph wind gust was also recorded.

The crash occurred in a region that is experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in the country, which makes dust storms more likely. The entire state of Utah is in the two most extreme drought categories as of last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Climate scientists have said this year's historic drought is fueled by climate change, which decreases precipitation and causes more soil-drying heat waves.

Utah Department of Public Safety

A sandstorm in Millard County, Utah, led to a series of deadly crashes on I-15, officials said July 25.

Though the weekend thunderstorms brought beneficial rain to isolated areas, the precipitation wasn't significant enough to prevent gusty winds from kicking up dust and dirt and carrying it for miles. The National Weather Service on Sunday noted a different storm, south of the crash, also created a dangerous dust storm.

Names of the crash victims won't be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified, the release said.

Kanosh is about 155 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

Two artists paint and draw together in an old elementary school-turned-art studio in a secluded central Utah town. The friends joke and laugh as they work together to create inventive pieces of art.

The men have put on art shows together, sold paintings to galleries around the country and collaborated for almost 20 years.

One of the men pursued art in his graduate studies and is a known and respected professional artist around the country. The other artist only started painting when approached by his friend 20 years ago, but he is no less of a visionary.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two artists is that one is renowned LDS painter Brian Kershisnik, and the other is his friend and colleague, Joe Adams, who has Down syndrome.

Kershisnik, whose paintings frequent the pages of LDS Church publications such as the “Ensign,” has displayed artwork in galleries from Boston to Park City and throughout the rest of the country.

Kershisnik has achieved success in many realms of art; not only has he become well known in his church community because of his religious affiliations, but he is also continuously receiving praise from prestigious art galleries all over the country.

A celebrated artist, Kershisnik has his hand in a large share of paintings — some with religious undertones, others focused on family, and a collection of paintings done with Adams.

Kershisnik and Adams’ collaborations have been viewed in galleries from Portland, Oregon, to Austin, Texas. Art Access, a gallery in Salt Lake City, has supported the work of Kershisnik and Adams for years, hosting their art shows since the beginning of their collaborative efforts.

Kershisnik and Adams met in Kanosh, Utah, through their church congregation. Kershisnik moved to Kanosh, where he still has an art studio, shortly after finishing his art education at the University of Texas.

They began working together when Kershisnik heard about an exhibit by the Springville Museum of Art called “Inclusions,” where the museum’s contributing artists would collaborate with people with special needs. Kershisnik recalls calling Adams’ parents and asking if he would be interested in working with him. Adams’ dad said, “Ask Joe.” Kershisnik remembers asking Adams if he wanted to paint with him and receiving a boisterous “Yeah” on the other end of the line.

“I have that piece in my house, that first piece,” Kershisnik said of Adams’s first painting. The painting is a portrait of Adams’ dog, entitled “My dog, Frog.”

After the Springville art show, Kershisnik and Adams continued their work together. Adams would join Kershisnik in his art studio almost every day to work on his drawings and paintings.

Kershisnik recalled a time shortly after beginning his work with Adams when Adams lost interest in art. “I couldn’t get him to come back to the studio, and it seemed like he’d had a great time,” Kershisnik said.

One day while Adams was playing with his dog in his front yard, Kershisnik sat and talked to him about the art studio. Adams finally revealed that he did not like the stairs there. They began working from Adams’ house for a while, painting in his kitchen after dinner while his mom helped Kershisnik understand and communicate better with him.

“When Joe is feeling good and he’s over here, I mean it’s great; we have a great time,” Kershisnik said about his time in the studio with Adams. “He’s going to town. Some days he’ll be over here for hours, just wants to keep drawing.

“But if he doesn’t want to be here, he just sucks all of the joy out of the whole room,” Kershisnik said with a laugh. “Often if he’s feeling a little grumpy we’ll just go down to the store and get him a liter of Coke, and that cheers him up.”

Kershisnik found himself inspired by Adams’ work, often collaborating in a sense of taking bits and pieces of ideas from each other.

“He copies my paintings all the time,” Kershisnik said, “(He) looks at the wall and copies what I do, and I pretty shamelessly borrow from him as well.”

Kershisnik remembers being impressed by the simplicity of Adams’ paintings and their titles, musing that even he could not come up with titles like Adams does.

Adams’ paintings often include pictures of his dog, his family and Kershisnik.

“There’s that beautiful innocence, yet he’s almost my age,” Kershisnik said. “I think he’s incredibly skillful, in many ways more skillful than I, but his vision seems to correspond to when my children were about 3.”

Kershisnik continues to be impressed by the balance of Adams’ innocence with the experience he has gained.

“I’ve always been very influenced by the work of children, sort of a work that is on one level very sophisticated and on another level very innocent and very childlike,” Kershisnik said. “I was never really able to pull that off by myself, but working with Joe, that’s just where Joe is.”

Their collaboration process has been modified over the years so that Adams draws figures and Kershisnik paints.

“What tended to happen is as he became more confident with paint, then it became more about the activity of applying the paint than about the drawing,” Kershisnik said. “So he would do a beautiful drawing, then completely bury it under ink or paint or whatever was at hand.”

Kershisnik talked about how Adams is not interested in painting on his own. “I often have talked to him about looking into giving him paper and things like that that he can work on but he just is, ‘No,'” Kershisnik said, mimicking Adams. “He wants to work. He wants to come to the studio. It’s his job. He thinks that is his job. So that’s what he does at the studio. And he hadn’t done any artwork to speak of before.”

Kershisnik said the collaboration has blessed his life.

“People have said, ‘Oh, it’s so nice for you to teach Joe lessons,’ and I’m not teaching Joe anything,” Kershisnik said. “He comes to the studio, and I’m learning more from Joe than he is from me. I just set him up, and he gets to work drawing and draws his little people in his world, and if he wants to draw something it never occurs to him that he can’t; he just does it. Sometimes I’ll suggest things that I want him to draw, but he’s generally very resistant to any other idea or other suggestions.”

The artists do not collaborate as often as they have in the past, as Kershisnik does not live in Kanosh full- time. The artists get together about five times a year now to work together.

“He still hits me up for money,” Kershisnik said. “I say, ‘We have to sell something first Joe.'”

Kershisnik said in the studio Adams writes his name “Joe Adams” on a piece of paper and asks Kershisnik to give it to his assistant. He wants to make sure he gets clocked in and gets paid for his work.

The unlikely collaborators continue to make art to be received by many. Kershisnik is hopeful that they will continue making art together for years to come. Kershisnik remembers fondly all of his times in the studio with Adams, who often leaves him with a wave and the exclamation, “It’s my day off tomorrow!”

FILLMORE — The gray and blue building on the west side of I-15 doesn't look like much.

In fact, thousands of drivers pass the building at 550 S. 1100 West every day and don't know what goes on inside.

“I guess it’s kind of a secret here, but now we want to make sure everyone knows that we're here,” said Bart Adams, the CEO of the small mom-and-pop business. “We’ve been here since 1974.”

The business is Mountain View Mushrooms. Adams bought out his father three years ago to run the place, and there are a lot of mushrooms there.

"Well, we grow over 6 million pounds a year. We're kind of a midsized mushroom farm as far as the industry is concerned, but we're the only commercial farm in Utah,” Adams said.

They business does everything from composting material, spawning and seeding hundreds of wooden trays, to harvesting, packing and shipping the mushrooms.

"It's as much art as it is science,” he said.

It takes roughly 20 days from composting to harvesting. About 120 people work at Mountain View Mushrooms, but the company services a lot of customers through its distributors like Panda Express, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Zuppa’s.

Also, if you've eaten a Portobello, crimini or regular white mushroom in Salt Lake City or Las Vegas, either at a fancy restaurant or at a fast-food joint, chances are it came from Fillmore.

“Yeah, 80 percent chance it's from us. We have about 80 percent of the Salt Lake and 80 percent of the Las Vegas food service markets,” Adams said.

Mountain View Mushrooms also ships to the Los Angeles area.

Most don’t recognize the name of the company because its customers are mainly restaurants. Customers don't really see them in grocery stores. That’s one area in which Adams says his business would like to do better.

The company does have billboards in Fillmore letting drivers know about a small store attached to the facility where customers can buy fresh mushrooms.

“It’s done well. Yeah, we have a lot of people who pull right off the freeway who say, 'We saw your billboard and we didn't know you were here,'” Adams said. “We've grown each of the last three years, and we have prospects to grow again this year and things are looking up."

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