Charles Zera Pulsipher was born February 4, 1864, to John and Rozilla Huffaker Pulsipher, at Hebron, Utah. He was the first white child born in that area. The Pulsipher family had a large ranch there and also had ranches in Clover Valley (now Barclay, Nevada) and Little Pine Valley. There was an older brother, John David, three sisters (Elzina, Emily and Mary) and a brother Louis who died when he was about two years old. Charles had a difficult childhood. His mother died when he was quite young (about eight) and his father married again to a widow, Esther Barnum, who also had a growing family. While he was in Salt Lake for the marriage, Rozilla came to the children and gave them some instructions, especially to Elzina the oldest. She also gave them each a rose except little Louis and the children asked her why she didn’t give him a rose and she said he would have all the roses he needed. Shortly after this, he died. When John came out of the Temple in Salt Lake he got a telegram telling him of the death of Louis and he got on a horse and traveled as fast as he could to get to Hebron and left his new wife in Salt Lake.

As so often happens in these circumstances, the two groups of children were not too friendly and the Pulsipher children (at least Charles) resented having a stranger taking his mother’s place. There was a state of undeclared war in the house until at age 14 he ran away from home. He went to live with Elzina for a while and then with his Uncle Will Pulsipher who had a large ranch and ran a great many cattle. For the next eight years Charles worked side by side with men twice his age; but he turned in a man’s work and was regarded as a man by all. His two favorite companions were his cousins Little Will and Jack. They rode, worked, played, ate and slept together and Charles was closer to Will than to his own brother.

Times were not as calm as they are now and around Hebron was still somewhat of a "frontier." The Indians were still quite hostile and roving bands of outlaws and cattle rustlers kept the cowboys always on the alert. Charles learned to shoot at an early age and never rode without his Colt 45 strapped on. Many are the stories he told that would make the modern television series now seem pale by comparison. The truth is, it might be said that Charles Zera became somewhat of a rowdy during this time--at least he wasn’t afraid of man or beast.

Sometime during his 20th year, a new interest entered the life of Charles. A family of LDS converts arrived in Southern Utah fresh from England. This was wonderful. Not only was the population increased by 10 but, better yet, a young man age 18 was in the family. This "Little Green Englishman" (so named by Charles and his cowboy pals), was at once the target for all the pranks these fun-loving rascals could think up. The father, James Samuel Page Bowler, was a cobbler by trade and had left a prosperous shop in England. He set up a shop and his best and most numerous customers were these same cowboys. They loved to rattle the old gentleman with their behavior. Once Charles entered the shop and offered a bet that he could remove Mr. Bowler’s vest without even touching his coat. The old gentleman considered every angle and couldn't t see how he could possibly lose on such a sure thing so he bet $5.00. Charles whistled and two friends entered the shop, proceeded to hold Mr. Bowler, and to remove his coat, whereby Charles calmly took the vest off and demanded his five bucks. They teased him unmercifully but never did man-handle the older man as he had several very pretty girls growing up. But the 18-year old Harry was fair game and it was always open-season on him. He was by nature both trusting and friendly--also a definite tenderfoot--all of which delighted the very soul of Charles.

Upon one occasion Charles loaned Harry a horse and solemnly told him when he came to the river he must ride to the middle of the stream to let the horse drink; but it would not lower its head unless he raked its ribs with his spurs. Innocent, Harry did as he was told, and almost drowned--for he couldn’t swim a stroke.

On another occasion Charles told Harry here in the west that the proper greeting was "Good morning, you S___of a B_____." Then he told his young friend Demick, an Indian lad, that "that little green Englishman is going to beat the tar out of you the first time he sees you." On Sunday they met in front of the Church and Harry, feeling real friendly, said loud and clear, "Good morning, you S__ of a B_____." All the boys trooped from behind the church and cheered the little tenderfoot on, but he took a royal beating--much to their delight.

One time at a celebration in St. George, some of the men tried to get "Chot" to ride in the rodeo but he didn’t have the money to put up. They each put in part of the money and he rode and roped a calf in the shortest time, for which he won a $50 saddle. When he started fixing his rope a lady yelled out, "He can’t do anything, he has his rope in the wrong hand. " She didn’t know that he was left-handed.

When Charles reached age 24 he noticed that one of the Bowler girls (Kate) had become very pretty and also very unfriendly. When he learned that it was because of her brother Harry with whom they had had so much fun, he was really shaken up. But Kate had become so desirable to him that he swore off from all mischief where he father and brother were concerned and set about the serious business of courting Kate. She was a very high-spirited and also very popular with the other young fellows. She led him a merry chase but she knew that she wanted and at last relented.

They were married when she became 16 years old. Now for the first time in about 12 years Charles had a real home--a place where he was welcomed after work and made to feel positively heroic. When Charles and Kate started going together he was almost too bashful to go to church or take any part in anything, but there wasn’t a man in the country who was there more regularly than Charles Pulsipher when there were graves to be dug and preparing boxes for burial. Even two years before he died when he was unable to do any work, he would go to the cemetery and sit on the bank now and then and watch them dig and give instructions. He was concerned about the graves and couldn’t stand to have one dug unless he was there to help. Also, he always had a horse ready for anyone to ride to get a doctor in case of sickness.

Charles was given a Patriarchal Blessing April 10, 1881 at Hebron, Utah. It is as follows:
Blessing by Daniel Tyler, Patriarch, upon the head of Charles Zera Pulsipher, son of John and Rozilla Huffaker Pulsipher, born 4th of February, 1 864, at Shoal Creek (Hebron), Utah. "Brother Charles Zera, in the name of Jesus our Redeemer in connection with thy father, I lay my hands upon they head and seal upon thee a patriarchal blessing. Thou art a descendant of Joseph who was sold into Egypt through the loins of Ephraim.
"Through faithfulness and obedience entitled to all the blessings of the new and ever-lasting covenant. In due time thou wilt receive all the keys, powers and blessings of the Holy Endowments. Thy name written in the Lambs book of life and a crown was prepared for thee before the foundation of the world. Thou wilt be called to travel and preach the Gospel in foreign lands and return laden with sheaves. Thou wilt have power to command the storms, and the seas shall obey thy command. Thou shalt not lack for the comforts of life; but all they necessary wants shall be satisfied. Thou shalt have power to live upon the earth until thy Redeemer comes with the city of Zion. "Thy wives and children will rise up and call thee blessed, and thou shalt bless them by thy same authority that now bless thee. Thou shalt have power over the enemies of truth and they shall be confounded. In thy old age thou shalt preside in a temple built to the name of the Lord. Prophets and wise men shall spring from they loins, and thou shalt have great joy in thy posterity."I seal thee up unto eternal life with power to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection and reign with thy Redeemer a thousand years upon the earth. Thou shalt also aid in crowning the lost tribes and receive all other blessings that are needful in performing the great mission to which thou art ordained and set apart before the world was formed. I seal this with all thy former blessings and more than can be written, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
(Don C.Robbins, scribe)

The time had now come to settle up with the Pulsipher Ranch and start on his own. The terms, when he had gone to work for Uncle Will, were that he take stock as his wages and continue to run them on Will’s range. In eight years that could amount to quite a little herd. His cousin, little Will, had died and now Uncle Will was ill and the ranch and all the stock were taken over by Jack. When Charles went for his settlement, Jack told him he knew nothing about such arrangements and as far as he was concerned, Charles had nothing coming. So there was eight years of hard work for nothing. He would not go to his Uncle Will as he was very ill and so he was beaten out of everything. He and Jack had been much closer than he and his own brother but from then on he had nothing to do with any of them. During his later life Jack tried to make up with Charles. By this time he was very wealthy and Charles was respectably poor. He said if Charles still thought he had wages coming, he’d pay. Even after all this time, the hurt and injustice that had been done him by those he loved so much was still there. His reply to Jack was simply that "you wanted it so badly when I needed it so much. Now keep it. I made out."

Charles was a very just, upright man--the kind you hear it said if, "His word is his bond." No one ever needed a written contract in their dealings with Chot Pulsipher. His word, once given, was sacred and he was too often denied that which was rightfully his because he trusted others by his own code. Had he been as ruthless in his business deals as some, no doubt he would have accumulated a great deal of material wealth. He was most capable and did anything he set his mind to do. He was a cowboy, farmer, freighter, blacksmith, veterinarian and mother and made his living from one or all of these trades through the years. Quite often he would help for friendship but other times when he had expected pay if the people were unable to pay him, it didn’t matter, and he was always ready to help them again. He was kind and unassuming. He was always the first one out to get wood for the widows in town. Never was a man more loved and respected by his neighbors than Charles Pulsipher. His integrity, honesty and genuine love of people were widely known. The young people flocked around him, and his sense of humor and "tall tales" still are being told with delighted chuckles.

He traded for some land in Gunlock and later he took out an enlarged homestead to run his cattle. The reason he traded Bill Truman for his place in Gunlock was to get Kate out of the cold weather up at Hebron and he thought she would feel better. During the summers the family lived at the ranch and then moved to the home in Gunlock for the winter when the children were attending school.

Throughout the sickness of his ailing wife, Charles continued to be father, mother, nurse, cook and also breadwinner. It is greatly to his credit that he did it all never complaining and even found time to play and teach the children various skills. His boy Bill was an accomplished horseman by the age of six.

Charles freighted between Milford, Utah, and Delmar, Nevada, for some years, driving a four-horse team. Also, he hauled ore from Apex to the smelter at Shem. He caught wild horses and broke them as saddle horses and sold them to make an extra few dollars. He kept as many cattle as he could run in the Government preserve and later homesteaded out at Mud Springs, a mountain spring twelve miles west of Gunlock, where he ran his cattle.

Kate, due to her nervous condition, did not associate very closely with the children; but Chot, always patient, always had several with him. He took them on all the trips and at work around the farm. The children all learned early to ride horseback so they could help him on the farm. There never was a father more idolized than Charles and more deserving of such hero worship. Zell said she grew up with a pair of reins in her hand and couldn’t remember when she couldn’t ride a horse. The children all learned the meaning of hard work and the value of a dollar and to give an honest day’s work for a day’s pay. There were no luxuries and sometimes they were hard-pressed for even the necessities but there was always a wealth of love and tenderness. After the older children moved away, they never forgot the "way back home". It was always home to them because "Dad" was there.

In 1919 in August, the home in Gunlock was burned to the ground. Mary and her family lived there, and all their worldly goods, along with most of the family’s, was destroyed. All the cherished things that were not moved to the ranch each summer were gone--such as Kate’s organ that "Chot" gave her for a wedding present and her mandolin and accordion. This was a severe blow, but he was able to buy another home for $400.00 from J.S.P. Bowler. This was a large sum of money in those days and it took quite a few years to pay it off. The house was nicer than the other one but there was no furniture. At this time Jack Pulsipher, learning of the misfortune, sent word to come to Enterprise and he would give them a load of used furniture. Charles "the Proud" didn’t even bother to answer the letter. Before it was time to move into town for school that fall, Francis and John who were working at Arden, Nevada, purchased a load of used furniture and brought it up so they were able to get along.

Charles was severely injured by his horse falling on him. The saddle horn went through his groin and he very nearly died. He was also once dragged by a bronco, having caught his foot in the stirrup after he had run into a wire stretched across a gate. Here again his life was spared for some purpose. He also had pneumonia four times in as many winters, but in spite of all these hardships he continued to tend the farm, run his stock and take care of the family.

Finally the family were all grown up and married except Mae, Ruth and Raymond. Then a change in the father was noticed. He was not so spry, nor could he do as much work. For two years he resisted efforts to get him to go see a doctor. Finally, however, he became so ill they took him anyhow. It was learned that he had diabetes and had had it for many years and it was so far advanced that there was no cure. He took Chaparral tea but it didn’t help much.

There is no need to try to describe the next year--it is best passed over quickly. Ruth was the only one at home, Kate, just starting to enjoy her return to health, had to face the fact that her husband was going to die soon. Charles was always cheerful and as life shortened, he tried to keep busy at all the little mending jobs he could. He wanted to leave everything in good condition. On December 24, 1928, Charles Zera Pulsipher passed away--a wonderful father and a good man.

Charles Zera was the grandson of Zera Pulsipher, the pioneer who converted and baptized Wilford Woodruff into the Latter-day Saint faith. He was also one of the Seven Presidents of Seventies as recorded in the Doctrine & Covenants Section 124, Verses 138 and 139. To quote, "And again, I give unto you, Joseph Young, Josiah Butterfield, Daniel Miles, Henry Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Levi Hancock, James Foster, to preside over the quorum of seventies; which quorum is instituted for traveling elders to bear record of my name in all the world, wherever the traveling high council, mine apostles, shall send them to prepare a way before my face."

Charles was not too active in the church because of his home duties. He was always willing to stay with the children while Kate went to choir practice or to church; but he was deeply religious and lived his religion every day and brought his family up by "The Book". Zell’s recollection of the early days was of him taking her under one arm and his Book of Mormon under the other and going to Sunday School. At one time he was an officer in the Sunday School and it was quite heroic of him because he was painfully bashful and would have rather faced a nest of wounded wildcats than to have to face a lot of people.

One of the greatest sorrows of Chries’ life was the death of his dearly beloved daughter Mary in childbirth in 1923. This was the only child (except the two babies Matilda and Leonard) who died before Charles.

Mary Pulsipher was married to Tullis Dwayne Leavitt. Before their baby was born Mary told Zina she was afraid something was going to happen to her and asked Zina to take the baby and look after it. Zina went to Bunkerville to high school and when the baby was born, Mary died from complications following childbirth and her husband gave the baby to his sister, Blanche Holt. Upon hearing the news, Zina came right home and they called all the family together. A circle prayer was held and in this prayer they asked the Lord where it was best for the baby to go and when they raised up from the prayer someone picked the baby up and put it in Zina’s hands and said, "This baby is yours" and from then on it was part of the family and they all took care of it. The milk didn’t agree with the baby but they finally got a formula which did agree with it and the baby lived and was called Mary. After Zina was married, they took the child with them and raised it right along with their own family.

Kate missed her husband sorely for he had been a major crutch for her to lean upon; but she still had her father and she spent a great deal of time with him. By this time she was enjoying greatly improved health for longer periods and she kept house for her father for nearly a year. In 1932 her father suddenly sickened and died at age 87. Kate was desolated but took comfort in her church and her family. They were nearly all married now with fine families and she was proud of her grandchildren. Her one wish - that a granddaughter might be named Kate for her--was not granted in her lifetime. However, William’s youngest is named Katie and surely Grandmother Kate is very pleased. She lived with Bill and Nevada for some time. Just a while before Frenchy was born, Nevada was very ill and unable to keep up the responsibilities of her household and it isn’t known whether Kate’s feelings were hurt over something or just what it was but at this time she left and went to Bunkerville and stayed with Aunt Mae Leavitt.

Kate saw her faith justified and her later days were indeed her "best days." There were few things she couldn’t do. Her church, social doings and having young folks around without fear of becoming ill and frightening them made these her best days. She had such a wonderful sense of humor but one thing that used to make her angry was to say something about the "little English shoemaker" who was her father. She did love to get up before the public and sing or recite.

Then in November, on the 17th, in 1933, tragedy struck. Ruth was staying with her but had gone across the street to Lillian and Franc’s early in the morning. Ruth’s cow got so it would "hook" so she went to stay with Lillian and the new baby while Franc milked the cow for her. Kate was alone in the house and she got up and came to the fireplace, either to stir the fire or just to warm herself. She had a habit of tipping back and forth on her feet in front of the fire with her hands behind her. She may have had one of her spells but she fell on the hearth and was severely burned. When Ruth returned she had made her way back to the bed but the experience was too much for her and the shock, together with the burns she received, seemed to be the cause of her death. However, she did eat some tea and toast about a half hour before she passed away.

It was hard for Kate to fulfill the purpose of being placed upon this earth, but she was willing upon 13 occasions to go down to the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" to bring forth these choice spirits of our Heavenly Father and she leaves a large posterity. For this we know she will ascend to the celestial kingdom, there to reign with her husband in that heavenly home.