There were three Tipton family members baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Blount County from 1911 to 1935.
Timeline of Baptisms
5 May 1911: Dora Tipton
1st-Generation
21 Sep 1933: Nedja Tipton
2nd-Generation
14 May 1935: Josephine Tipton
2nd-Generation
Dora Tipton (1890-1975)
5 May 1911: Dora Tipton was baptized and confirmed by Heber Ewer Palmer
Elder Heber Ewer Palmer (1890-1962)
Heber Ewer Palmer served in the Southern States Mission from 1910 to 1912. Upon his return home on Christmas Day, he wrote the following to Joseph F. Smith: “My labors were indeed a pleasure to me, and I can say were very profitable especially or individually to myself. And I will also add that I am perfectly willing to serve another mission.” Elder Palmer served as a companion to Elder John Morley while in Blount County. Elder Morley documented their labors together in his transcribed mission journal. He was one of 27 children in his family. He married in the Salt Lake Temple, in 1918, and was drafted to serve in World War I. He returned home from Europe and had three children. He attended law school in Chicago, began a career in law, and lost everything after three years during the Great Depression, which was followed by many difficult years. He returned to Utah with his wife and children. They learned to rely on the Lord during a time in their life without anything. Regarding mission service, his wife later wrote: “Our greatest desire was to send our boys on a mission, and not one went, so we decided to send someone else. We sent Leslie Hunter, then a son of a neighbor, and assist a friend’s daughter.” Having experienced the blessings of a mission themselves, they assisted other missionaries throughout their lives. In 1911, Elder Palmer baptized Dora Tipton in Townsend, Eliza Lee Hicks and Rachel Tennessee Hicks in Tuckaleechee Cove, and confirmed the first named and Martha Elizabeth Lane in Maryville, and, in 1912, Toliver Andrew Parham in Millers Cove as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dora Tipton was born and raised in Cades Cove, Tennessee. Her family were friends to the missionaries at the time of her baptism. Dora’s parents, William Riley Thomas Tipton and Emily Cordelia Burchfield, came from well-known families in Cades Cove, who at the time, were investigating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These meetings with William Riley Thomas and Emily Cordelia Burchfield’s brother, Sherman Ulysses Burchfield, were documented in the following journal entries of Elder John Morley:
Sunday – 26 March 1911 Spent most of day talking with friends. Held 2 cottage meetings and went down and stayed with Mr. William [Riley Thomas] Tipton all night.
Monday – 27 March 1911 Studied and wrote letter to [illegible]. In afternoon went down to see Garfield Smith who is sick. Come back up to Mr. Shurman [Ulysses] Birchfield‘s. Held cottage meeting and stayed all night.
Wednesday – 29 Mar 1911 Came back up to Bro[ther Jobe Abraham] Harmon‘s. Studied all forenoon. In afternoon went down to see Lou[el]la [Garland] Parham. Held meeting at William [Riley Thomas] Tipton‘s. Come up to Job[e Abraham] Harmon‘s tonight.
Saturday – 1 Apr 1911 Wrote letters to wife. Washed clowse (sic). Was visited by Job[e Abraham] Harmon and wife [Mary Jane Garland], [Toliver] Andy Parham and wife [Louella Garland], Ms. Sallie Bry and Dora Tipton and Mrs. S[he]rmon B[u]rchfield [Ruth Jane Hicks]. Held cottage meeting.
Tuesday – 2 May [1911] Left Bro[ther Samuel Patterson] Harmon‘s and walked about 9 miles to Townsend. Held a cottage [meeting] at William [Riley Thomas] Tipton‘s in evening.
Thursday – 4 May [1911] Studied in forenoon. Went over and visited an old gentleman who has been ill for 9 years. Come back and held meeting at S[herman Ulysses] B[u]rchfield‘s. Staid (sic) with him.
Saturday – June 3 [1911] Went down below Walland to mill for Bro[ther Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland. Stopped at Walker Station and brought up Bro[ther William Riley Thomas] and Sister [Emily Cordelia Burchfield] Tipton [and] [E]Liza [Lee Hicks] and [Rachel] Tennie Hicks.
Sunday – 4 June [1911] Went on top of Chilhowie Mountain and held meeting. Had a nice crowd. Went down to Bro[ther Samuel] Hodge‘s. Had fine dinner. From there went down to Walker [Station] with Bro[ther William Riley Thomas] Tipton and folks, come back to Bro[ther Joseph John Calvin (JC)] Garland‘s for the night.
Monday – 5 June [1911] Went and bid goodby (sic) to all the Saints in Millers Cove. Walked over Chilhowie. Bid goodby (sic) to Sister [Minnie Sisera Winters]. Staid (sic) at Bro[ther Charles Harrison] Russell‘s. All’s well.
On May 5, 1911, Dora Tipton was baptized, at the age of 21. Elder Morley documented the baptism in his journal.
Friday – 5 May 1911 Went down Little River and locate a place to baptize. Went down in afternoon. Held meeting at Sherman Seats, after which were baptized in the fold: Sister [Rachel] Tennie Hicks Davis [and E]Liza [Lee] Hicks, and Elder [Heber Ewer] Palmer officiating. We then went to Bro[ther Hughes Thomas] Hicks’ home and confirmed. Then Sister [Rachel] Tennie [Hicks] and Eliza [Lee Hicks], being confirmed by myself, and Dora [Tipton] by Elder [Heber Ewer Palmer]. Held meeting in evening.
One year after her baptism, Dora married Joseph Sherman Tipton. They had three children together, two of which were baptized, becoming second generation members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dora and Joseph moved to Montana for a short period and then returned to Blount County. Dora died in Idaho, in 1975, at the age of 84. She is buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery in Townsend, Tennessee.
Nedja Tipton (1916-1977)
21 September 1933: Nedja Tipton was baptized by Joseph Max Rothe and confirmed by an unidentified missionary
Elder Joseph Max Rothe (1912-1997)
Joseph Max Rothe served in the East Central States Mission from 1931 to 1933. He married Norene Jones in the Salt Lake Temple in 1938. They raised two children in Utah and later served a mission together to Dublin, Ireland. Elder Rothe baptized Nedja Tipton in Cades Cove, in 1933.
Nedja Tipton was born in Montana between moves of her parents, Dora and Joseph, from Blount County and back. Nedja was baptized in Townsend in 1933, at the age of 17. She married Ernest Eugene Teffeteller in 1941. It is unknown if they had any children together. She died in 1997, at the age of 80, and is buried in Grandview Cemetery in Maryville.
Josephine Ruth Tipton (1925-2001)
13 May 1935: Josephine Ruth Tipton was baptized by LeRoy Arthur Palmer and confirmed by Ralph William Horrocks
Elder Leroy Arthur Palmer (1911-2003)
LeRoy Arthur Palmer served in the East Central States Mission from 1935 to 1937. He married Lucille Thomas – who served in the East Central States Mission from 1934 to 1936 – in the Salt Lake Temple, in 1939. They raised four children together in Arizona. LeRoy worked many years as a dairyman before he was seriously injured. He returned to work as a custodian at Snowlfake High School and a dealer for Case Farm Equipment. Elder Palmer baptized Josephine Ruth Tipton in Townsend, in 1935. He documented each day in his journal, including the baptism of Ruth Tipton and meeting many members in Blount County as well as the Harris family who had moved to Erwin, Tennessee.
Elder Ralph William Horrocks (1908-1979)
Ralph William Horrocks served in the East Central States Mission from 1934 to 1937. He married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1939. They raised one daughter together in Utah while he spent his career working for the US Smelting Mining and Refining Company. Elder Horrocks served as mission companion to Elder Leroy Palmer who mentioned him in his transcribed mission journal as well as their baptism in Cades Cove. Elder Horrocks confirmed Josephine Ruth Tipton and William Bonham as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Townsend and Maryville, respectively, in 1935.
Josephine Ruth Tipton was born in 1925 in Townsend, Tennessee. She was baptized in the spring of 1935 at the age of nine. It is unknown when she married and if they had any children. Elder LeRoy Palmer baptized Josephine and documented her baptism and meeting with her family in April and May in the following journal entries:
[Sunday] – 21 April [1935] Today being Sunday and in a new place and storming very hard, we did very little. We visited with the Tiptons, [Joseph Sherman Tipton and Dora Tipton] and in the afternoon we visited with some people by the name of Riddle. They were very find people and are somewhat interested in our doctrine.
[Friday] – 10 May [1935] Today found us contentedly located in Cades Cove. The people seemed very glad to see us and more than anxious to make things nice for us. We spent most of the day visiting and cleaning our clothes.
[Saturday] – 11 May [1935] The sun was shining bright when we decided to accompany our hosts over the mountain to a little place where Mrs. [Dora] Tipton‘s parents were buried – [William Riley Thomas Tipton and Emily Cordelia Burchfield]. We spent the good part of the day visiting and discussing the Gospel with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Abbot. We returned to Cades Cove in the evening after having spent the day very well so we figured.
[Sunday] – 12 May [1935] We spent the forenoon in preparation for a meeting that was to be held in Cades Cove with a man by the name of Garland. We went to the place early in the day and had some very good discussion with them before meeting time. The meeting was a success and we had a good crowd. It was our privilege to stay with the family for the night. A few minutes after the meeting, Mr. Garland’s brother came in to stay with him for the night, so it was necessary for someone to sleep on the floor. He and his wife slept there and gave us their bed. It was very kind of them and I am sure the Lord will bless them for so doing.
[Monday] – 13 May [1935] We studied today and also baptized a little girl by the name of Josie [Ruth] Tipton. This was my first baptism, therefore I was a little timid. But trying very hard to cover my meekness I proceeded with the ceremony. While so doing I slipped and fell. I very near dunked myself. It was a sad scene and to make it worse, a man not of our faith walked on the scene just in time to see it all.
[Tuesday] – 14 May [1935] We packed our grips for a farewell trip to those people in Cades Cove. There was a chance we would not see them for sometime again. We rode over the mountain with the mailman and went to the home of Ernest Tipton in Townsend. He is a very fine fellow and interested in our religion. We spent a good part of the day in discussion of religion with them and in having dinner. After that we visited Joe Abbot and he took us to a friend of his where we spent the evening. The family sang and played for us until quite late.
Josephine died in 2001, at the age of 76. It is unknown where she is buried.
| 1st Generation Member: |
| Dora Tipton |
| 2nd Generation Member: |
| Nedja Tipton |
| Josephine Ruth Tipton |
Smoky Mountain Ward 