Descendants of Artemus Millett gather to celebrate his heritage
Matt Harris
Staff writer
9-22-2016
MANTI—A host of descendents of early Sanpete settler, Artemus Millett, attended a special reunion over the weekend hosted by the the Manti Camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP).
Roughly of 80 visitors came to Manti to discover how large their family really was. A large group came from Mesa, Arizona, where there is a significant concentration of Millett’s posterity.
The commemoration started at 9:30 a.m. with laying of a wreath at the Manti City Cemetery. The ceremony was conducted by Danon Richardson Jones, a matriarchal descent of Millett. The wreath was placed at the grave of one of Millett’s granddaughters, Doralynn Millett Richardson, who died in September 2000. Eric Ellsworth of the Millett family offered a prayer of thanksgiving on behalf of the entire group.
Afterwards, DUP members offered guided tours showing where other family member graves were located in the cemetery.
At 10:30 a.m., a family tribute program was held at the Manti Tabernacle. The history of the Millett family was viewed through several lenses, first with a life sketch offered by Marci Millett Ellsworth, then by individual tributes to each of Millett’s sons, Joseph, Alma, and Artemus Jr.
Greg Maylett of the Manti LDS Temple presidency spoke of Millett’s hand in the construction of the Manti Temple.
“This is one of those fun days,” visitor Joseph Richardson of Mesa, AZ, said, “where we can think of good things as we commemorate Artemus Millett. I find this is a good time for us to self-reflect, to think about our lives and how they compare to the life of the person that we’re honoring. I think Artemus would be pleased.”
The services marked the 29th annual commemoration of the Settlement of Sanpete County by the Manti Camp of DUP, an organization committed to preserving the memory of early Utah pioneers all over Utah. Every year, the Manti Camp sponsors a gathering honoring one of the original settlers of Sanpete County.
“This is what it’s all about,” DUP member Rebecca Collison says, “to bring families together.”
For more information about DUP, contact the Manti Camp at 835-4423 or visit isdup.org.
