Prairie Angels

It was originally created for a book, to accompany a PPS special by Lee Groberg titled, Sweetwater Rescue. The Church History museum did a special showing of the movie there in SLC and at the same time hosted an art show of all of the paintings that were created. Initially approximately 200 artists were invited – I just happened to be one of them. At the time I was heavily involved in doing the Rexburg Temple murals, and still teaching art at BYU-Idaho, so I was unable to accept the invitation to go on location with the filming cast to take my own reference photos. Therefore, Lee Groberg made a CD for me of 200+ images to use. The composition is actually a composite of 3-4 different shots that I put together in Photoshop.

As the painting came “to life” it took on a spirit of its own and transcended from a painting of two Utah girls used in a movie set to “become” my great-grandmother Margaret Stallé and her older sister Marie.

My great-great-grandparents, Jean Pierre and Jeanne Marie Stallé, (on my mother’s line), are from the Piedmont Valley area of Northern Italy, specifically Angrongña, which is near Torre Pellice and Parastino, which are in the, now, Metropolitan City area of Turin (Torino – English spelling). They joined the Church in 1853 with Lorenzo Snow and his companions. The persecution became so bitter and intense that they were forced to leave and immigrated to America beginning their journey in 1855. As the persecution was intensifying, my
gg-grandmother fed Pres Willard Richards and some additional Elders, breakfast very early one morning – they had not eaten in 3 days due to hiding from the mobs. He told the family to leave Italy and come to Zion. A few weeks later, Pres. Richards sent for them from England and held the ship from sailing to America until they arrived.

Interestingly, they did not go west to the Mediterranean Sea but traveled, via wagons pulled by mules, north up the Alps to the southern border of France, (Possibly a corner of Switzerland). Once on top they removed the wheels from the wagons replacing them with ski runners and traveled down until below snowline and then replaced the runners with the original wheels. From there they journeyed, partially via the Rhine River, west to England. Eventually they boarded the ship in Liverpool that was waiting for them and sailed to America

While still in St Louis Jean Pierre worked in a coal mine to help earn funds. Jeanne Marie wanted to wait but, notwithstanding, rather than wait, they decided to go to Utah with the 1st handcart company led by Edmond Ellsworth, Brigham Young’s grandson in 1856. Unfortunately, Jean Pierre had contracted an infection from the coal mines and passed away and was buried near Ash Grove, (now referred to as Ash Hollow), Nebraska.

Margaret, the younger girl in the painting on the left, was 5-years-old when she departed from Italy and had turned 6 by the time they finally arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the Fall of 1856. She walked all the way from St Louis to the Salt Lake Valley except when the streams were too deep for her to wade; her sister Marie would then carry her piggyback across them.
One of Margret’s sons, James Louis Barker, while serving as Mission President in France 1945, went across the Alps into the Piedmont Valley of Italy, his mother’s birth place, and did the 1st microfilming of parish records in Europe. In 3 weeks, they recorded information 1,476 volumes from 16 parishes with a total of 80,390 pages of names for temple work. Incidentally, Marie is Elder Gary Stevenson’s great, great grandmother.

As I mentioned, when I started painting the girls were just actors in the video, but in my mind and heart they began to depict my great-grandmother and her sister. Long after the painting was completed Kathy found an actual photo of Margaret and Marie, taken on Marie’s 80th birthday. (See attached B&W photo) Margaret is the heavier woman on the right and Marie is the slimmer one on the left. It is fascinating how much the girl in the painting resembles the real Margaret Stallé….!!.

As a sidenote: Madelene Cardon became Margaret and Marie’s sister-in-law. She is the little 7-year-old girl that had the dream of two men dressed in black suits that gave her literature regarding the Church. 10 years after the dream her father, Phillippe Cardon, hearing of the missionaries, left the Piedmont Valley, found the Elders, and brought them to his home. They were the men in her dream. She translated for the missionaries even before joining the church.

Leon Parson moved to southeast Idaho with his family in 1954 when his father, Oliver Parson, was invited to start the art program at then, Ricks College, now BYU-Idaho. As a young boy he developed a deep love and insight for wildlife, the outdoors, and all that nature offers. 

Since early in his childhood, Parson has increased his appreciation for art and biology and has taken that passion into higher education. With nine years of formal art training, he earned three degrees; an Associate in Art and Science in 1974, Ricks College, Idaho; a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration, 1977, The Art Center College of Design, California; and a Master of Fine Art in Illustration in 1985 from Syracuse University, New York. 

For 40 years he was a faculty member of the Department of Visual Art at Brigham Young University-Idaho (formerly Ricks College) in Rexburg, Idaho, teaching: basic drawing, head drawing, life drawing, design & color, illustration and oil painting. He served 6.5 years there as Chairman of the Department.  Before retirement he helped co-author two online art courses for the Department. 

Parson is recognized among the top wildlife artist in the world and has received numerous regional, national and international awards and honors.  He is a signature member of the prestigious, SAA (Society of Animal Artists), an international art guild of wildlife artists. 

Throughout his career, he has produced magnificent works of art that have endured in collectability and popularity, both in illustration, as well as framed fine art and commissions. More than 50 of his paintings and drawings have become limited edition lithographs and giclées. His artwork has been featured on the covers of over 100 wildlife, hunting, and religious magazines and publications. He was commissioned by the United Nations to design 4 of their postage stamps.  

In addition to painting wildlife Leon has produced scenic paintings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that include: the murals for the Temples of Rexburg and Twin Falls, Idaho; Calgary, Alberta; and Rome, Italy.  Framed paintings for several temples that include Vancouver, BC; Laie, Hawaii; Gila Valley, Arizona; El Salvador; Pocatello and Burley, Idaho; and Manaus, Brazil.  He is also an accomplished portrait artist, having had the opportunity to paint portraits of political and business figures, University Presidents and several members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and members of the First Presidency. 

Leon feels that art communicates on three separate levels:  Intellectual, emotional and spiritual.  The degree of an artist’s skill level, as well as their conceptual capabilities, helps determine to what level, and how well, it will communicate.  ‘It is relatively easy to visually communicate something “intellectually”, for example, tree, sky, man, etc.”   The next level of communication is emotional; an individual’s inner feelings.  “True art must stir the heart and reach deep into the soul of the viewer if it is going to last.  The feelings that are generated in people’s hearts when looking at art is what makes it live not just the intellectual thoughts in their minds.  I believe, however, that before an artist can hope to touch the heart of another, he must first have that feeling within himself.”  

“I have been intrigued with animals since I was a small child and am thrilled inside each time I get a chance to observe them. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a fleeting glimpse or if I have the privilege of spending all day with them. It is crucial to me to experience, as much as I can first hand, of what I paint; from listening to a pair of bull elk insult each other across a canyon with their bugles or realize that a big old buck has been watching me and then, with eye contact made, see him turn and magically vanish into the timber.  I need to experience the first light of morning as it turns the gray-green pines into a soft orange, or watch a forest’s complexion change with the seasons, beginning in the Fall, through heavy Winter and finally into Spring and then Summer.  If I’m not living it myself, how else can I say it honestly in art, or ever hope to stir another?!” 

A form of intellectual and conceptual “spiritual communication” can be accomplished using content and stories from the scriptures.  Nevertheless, true lasting spiritual communication cannot be achieved solely by either an amazingly developed skill level or profound conceptual reasoning.  Although they help, art must be accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord, which is not something that can be “on demand” by anyone, in any field – including art.  The Lord Himself must choose to send His Spirit to touch the soul of the viewer. Leon also states, “All things were created by the Savior and in reverence to God, I believe that it honors Him if, in art, we say it well.” 

He has served a Spanish speaking mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Arizona in 1970-72.  He has also served in the Sunday school, primary, and in scouting for over 40 years; as Young Men President, in 4 bishoprics, once as Bishop, on the Stake High Council, High Priest Group Leader, High Priest Group and Elders Quorum instructor and with his wife as a Temple Ordinance worker.  He is currently serving as a bishopric counselor in his ward. Leon resides in Rexburg, Idaho with his lovely wife of 49 years, Kathryn. Together they have seven children and 29 grandchildren.

If your order has a time sensitivity that requires expedited shipping, please Contact Us so that we can confirm our ability to meet your time requirements.

We use real-time shipping on this site. The shipping charge on your order is determined at order placement using UPS and USPS shipping rate calculators. If you feel that the shipping charges are incorrect, please Contact Us and let us know of your situation. A real person (not a calculator) will respond during business hours and resolve your issue prior to shipment.

For more information, please refer to the following policies:

• Shipping Policy →
• Return Policy →