1852-1934 Joseph Ira Earl

Joseph Ira Earl & wives

My great grandfather Joseph Ira Earl was a polygamist. He had two wives, Elethra Calista (Kissie) Bunker and Agnes V iola Bunker. Calista and Viola were both daughters of Edward Bunker Sr., but from two pioneer polygamist wives. Calista was born of Emily Abbott and Viola of Mary McQuarrie, both spending much of their growing up years in Bunkerville, Nevada, at the time of the living of the United Order there.

In 1884, Prophet President John Taylor was in a meeting in St. George with church leaders. He was still encouraging and urging plural marriage with proper priesthhod recommends. Joseph had much to weigh, but most priesthood leaders he respected were living this holy law. Federal authorities in Nevada were not as critical as those in Utah. In a letter to his brother Frank, Joseph said "When I was impressed that the time had come for me to enter the practice of plural marriage, the first thing I did was to make it known to my wife Calista. She gave her consent without hesitation. I then asked the Lord to direct me to some woman that would make me a good companion and would be agreeable to my wife Calista. The three of us were recommended to the temple by the Bishop for this work. Our recommends were sent to President John Taylor, who gave his consent, he being the man who held the keys of the sealing power at that time."

On December 11, 1885, Calista accompanied Joseph to the St. George Temple to give him her sister, Agnes Viola, in marriage. (Daughter Lois:)"The three entered into this high order or marriage fully converted that it was a God-given principal, and determined to live it to the best of their ability. Mother had given me her personal testimony that is was a righteous law, but that to live by properly, one must cast selfishness and jealousy from the heart." Viola was 17 years of age and Joseph was 33. Calista and Joseph had been married 5 1/2 years.

Many years later daughter Amy said to Mother Viola, "Mother, now that I'm married, I just can't understand how you could live in polygamy." Viola replied "I was taught it like you were taught tithing. It was a part of the gospel, a part of the Church. It was a commandment of the Lord. I just looked around Bunkerville and I could see the different young men and I could see your father. He was a student of the scriptures, he took care of his mother and his sisters who hadn't married, and he was an honorable man, and an ambitious man, and I just felt like that, he had asked me to marry him, and I thought he was a marvelous man for his times, and that he believed in the kind of education for his children that I wanted."

Joseph continued in his 7 Mar 1921 letter to Frank, "Sometime after Viola and I were sealed, Calista told me that she had known for some time that I would marry Viola. I asked her how she knew it. She answered that the Lord had revealed to her that I me for Calista and her growing family and moved Viola right across the street into a 2 room adobe house.

Joseph and Viola had 10 children: Nettie May, Agnes Winona, Milton Sylvester, Marion Bradley, Mary Melba, Amy Viola, Zella Verona, Nellie Marie, Rulon Allen and Joseph Donal. 16 of these two families were raised to maturity. If you have trouble keeping track of which goes with which mother, you are not alone. Uncle Donal, who was raised with them said "I was 15 year old before I realized I technically had some half brothers and sisters." Many years later when cousin Ken Earl came home from the service to a large family gathering, he said "Can somebody help me figure out who are my whole aunts, and who are my half aunts?!" But nobody cared.

For 16 years, Calista and Viola helped with one another's families across the street from one another. According to Aunt Lois through Wilma, one of the reasons for their ideal relationship was Joseph's absolute fairness. He spent the evening with one family but went across the street to spend the night and the next morning with the other family. The next day he reversed the process. They always knew how they could plan. He was a wonderful provider and they always had what they needed, but the children all helped.

After Calista passed away, which was a very sorrowful time, Joseph and Viola held a family meeting, carefully asking for input from Calista's 3 older children. Everyone agreed that both families should be moved together to the large adobe house. Louis said, "If Aunt Viola had moved a rug or a chair or a picture, I would have rebelled. She ached for her mother. But Viola did not change a thing. She moved quietly to keep things going for both families. Louis and Elethra called her Aunt Viola, but Calista's other children caller her Mother or Mama. There were 15 total including two small babies in the house.