18. The Bushman Family History by Newbern I. Butt, pp. 133-136

 John Bushman was born 7 June, 1843 in Nauvoo, Illinois.  In September 1846 when the Latter-day Saints were finally expelled from Nauvoo he went with his parents across to Hyland Grove.  He was 8 years old when they crossed the plains and came to Lehi in 1851.  In the fall of 1861 when he was 15 years old, he hauled stone for the Salt Lake Temple.  Along with other young men, he was asked by Brigham Young to drive an ox team back to the Missouri River after emigrants in 1862.  On February 11, 1865, he married Lois Angeline Smith in the Salt Lake Endowment House.  From this union there were 12 children, eight of whom lived to have families. 

In their home they always had family prayer morning and evenings, observed the Sabbath Day, paid tithing regularly, attended their meetings, were sober, earnest and industrious, and took part in the Community Socials.   

In 1866-67 he served in the Black Hawk War against the Indians.  In 1871 the Authorities of the Church established the school of the Prophets in many of the Stakes of Zion.  Worthy men were chosen to attend this school.  John Bushman and his father, Martin, were among the number chosen to attend this school for 1 ½ years. 

In January 1876, he was called by Brigham Young along with 200 other young men and families to colonize Northern Arizona.  They were instructed to live and work in the United Order, therefore he was baptized and confirmed into that Order preparatory to leaving for Arizona, February 9.

After a tedious and hard journey John arrived on the Little Colorado River in Northern Arizona with four other companies of pioneers.  They soon found this to be a much harder country to colonize and settle than where they came from.  In 1877 he returned to Lehi and secured his second wife, Mary Peterson.  They were married March 2, in the St. George Temple on their way back to Arizona.  She bore 4 children, 3 of whom lived to raise families. 

The next year, 1878, he moved his wife Lois and family to Arizona and helped to settle St. Joseph.  John Bushman was an outstanding leader and pioneer.  He helped to build eight dams on the Little Colorado River before one stayed permanently.    

He sowed the first wheat in Northern Arizona, made a broom machine and made all the brooms for the Community for some time.  He helped build the old Fort, was a Counselor to the First Bishop and also a Counselor to Lot Smith in the Little Colorado Stake Presidency from 1879 to 1887. 

From 1887 to 1916 he was Bishop of St. Joseph ward (29 years).  He was vice president of the United Order from 1879-83.  Years later when the United Order of the Sunset Ward broke up, John Bushman was chosen by the General Authorities to be chairman of a committee to settle the affairs of this order.  It took the committee two years and a most trying experience to complete the job. 

He served as Justice of the Peace and was a Constable.  He was President of the St. Joseph Irrigation Company.  John was a successful farmer and stock raiser, was an expert stacker of grain, made many hundreds of gallons of molasses.  In all this busy life he took time for recreation, attended several world fairs, also visited many times with relatives in Utah and the East.