A HISTORY OF ARTHUR MONROE TRUMAN, 

As recorded by his son, Arthur Reeve Truman

Jacob Mica Truman, father of Arthur Monroe, was called by Brigham Young to take a second wife, Catherine Maxwell, on December 21, 1856. It was from this union that Arthur Monroe was born. It is generally believed that Arthur’s place of birth is Peoa, Utah, while Catherine was visiting there.  Actually, as told to Arthur by his parents.. .while on the way to Peoa, it was necessary to stop in Wanship, Utah, where Catherine gave birth to Arthur. This was on 12 Dec 1872.

Little is known of his childhood, but at the age of eight, he was living with his father and mother at the Truman Ranch near Gunlock, Washington County. When he moved away from the Truman Ranch is unknown, but at the age of 27 he was living with his mother in Huntington, Emery County, and attending school full time.

How or where Arthur met his future wife has never been revealed, but on 8 Oct 1903 he married Helen Eugenia Killpack, from Molen, Emery County. Her family called her Jennie. Jennie was born to John David Killpack, a farmer, and Helen Eugenia Peacock in Molen, Emery, Utah on 12 Oct 1881. Arthur and Jennie set—up housekeeping in Huntington. A little over a year later Jennie gave birth to a son, Arthur Reeve, on 1 Nov 1904, in Huntington.

How, or why, Arthur ended up in the Rexburg/Sugar City, Idaho area is not at all clear, but his early married life centered around this area. It was there in Sugar City that Jennie gave birth to her second child, a daughter they named, Helen Eugenia. This was on 23 Sep 1906. Complications arose and Jennie died 9 days later on 1 Oct 1906 in Sugar City. Baby Helen was also sick and died just 47 days after her birth on 8 Nov 1906. Both mother and daughter were buried in the Rexburg cemetery. Arthur never remarried.

Arthur was educated in law and set up a practice as an attorney in Rexburg, Idaho. He had an office on the second floor in a building located in the downtown section of the city. He also took up residence in Rexburg. After the death of Jennie and baby Helen, Rhoda Mathie and Arthur’s mother, Catherine, moved to Rexburg and lived with, or nearby Arthur, to house-keep and take care of his son, Reeve.

In the summer of 1913, Arthur, his mother, and son just 8 years of age, moved back to Huntington. Here in the Huntington area even less is known of Arthur’s activities. It is known that at times he would go to the orchards to pick peaches with his son. He was a very attentive father and “spent a great deal of time” being with him. While in Huntington he lived with either his mother in town, or with his sister Ellen Sophia (Brockbank) on the farm. He did not care for farming as a profession, however.

Arthur became involved in the Democratic Party and when the Democrats got in office he was appointed Huntington’s Postmaster. He held this position for four years until the Republicans got back in and hired a Republican Postmaster. Whether he practiced law in Utah is unknown, but he always seemed financially secure while living in Huntington.

When his son, Reeve, moved to Salt Lake City in the early 1920s, after graduating from high school, Monroe moved to Salt Lake, also. On 9 Mar 1925, at the age of 52, Arthur died in Salt Lake City of endocarditis, and chronic Vincent’s angina. (Bacterial inflammation of the heart lining, and bacterial infection of the throat and mouth.) His final resting place is in Rexburg next to his wife and daughter.

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