Diadamia was born June 22 1856 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She is the seventh child born to Joseph Ellis and Harriet Eloise Snider Johnson. Diadamia was named for her great-aunt, Diadamia Hills Wheeler, and her aunt, Delcina Diadama Johnson Sherman.
Her siblings are; Mary Julia, Eliza Antoinette, Joseph Ellis, John Ezekiel, Harriet Josephine, Joel Elmer, Martha Aurelia, Blanche Alpine, and Benjamin Willard.
She also has nineteen half brothers and sisters, from two different mothers – her father had entered into the law of Plural Marriage in 1850. Joseph's two other wives are Hannah Maria Goddard and Eliza Saunders. Diadamia's half siblings are, (from Hannah); Josephus Eugene, Elisina Sethia, Josetta Eloise, Christianna Maria, Joseph Ellis, Francis Amanda, Julia Hills, and Hannah Minnie. (From Eliza); Charles Ellis, Jessie Ellica, Esther Minerva, Emily Maude, Rosemary, Joseph Ellis, Gladiolus Ednetta, George William, Benjamin Franklin, Seth Guernsey, and Rufus David.
About 1861, when Diadamia was about five years old, her father left Wood River, Nebraska, took his families and crossed the plains to Utah.

Following is a list of names of the Johnson family that traveled in the Sixtus E. Johnson Company (1861)
Johnson, Christianna Maria (5)
Johnson, Diadamia Wheeler (5)
Johnson, Elmer Wood (7)
Johnson, Esther Almera (1)
Johnson, Frances Amanda (Infant)
Johnson, Hannah Maria Goddard (33)
Johnson, Harriet Eloise Snider (37)
Johnson, Harriet Josephine (10)
Johnson, Jane Cadwallader Brown (29)
Johnson, Jennie Ann (5)
Johnson, Joel Elmer (9)
Johnson, Joseph Ellis (44)
Johnson, Josetta Eloise (7)
Johnson, Julia Abby (3)
Johnson, Martha Aurelia (2)
Johnson, Mary Julia (19)
Johnson, Seth (22)
Johnson, Sixtus Ellis (31)
Johnson, William Derby (36)
Johnson, William Derby, Jr. (11)

Sixtus Ellis Johnson is a cousin to Diadamia, his father being Joel Hills Johnson, brother of Joseph Ellis Johnson. Also listed are William Derby Johnson SR, another brother of Joseph Ellis, his wife, Jane Cadwallader Brown, and their son, William JR.
After arriving in Utah, the families lived in Salt Lake City for a time. About 1863, Joseph Ellis Johnson took his families on to Spring Lake, (Payson) to live.
Diadamia's father purchased an adobe house in Spring Lake - that had been built by James Pace and William and Jacob Miller, founders of Payson, (named after Pace). It is recorded that "Joseph Ellis Johnson moved his polygamist family of several wives and numerous children. Many of these were married children with families of their own. They improved and enlarged the adobe house making three similar apartments each two stories high, one for each of the three wives and children. While these were individual units, there were intercommunicating doors, which could be latched for privacy. More rooms were added for the rest of the families and various business ventures that grew out of necessity and ingenuity of Mr. Johnson. It became the nucleus of the community, which met there for school instruction, church meetings, and social life. The presence of the lake and the English background of Joseph's wife Eliza were largely responsible for calling this location the "Spring Lake Villa" or "Mud Castle." (Taken from "Spring Lake, 1856-2000")
The Johnson family were among the first to settle and call Spring Lake home.
Then about 1870, the Johnson brothers were asked to settle a town in Southern Utah, near Kanab, they named it Johnson. The town didn't last too many years before it was abandoned do to lack of water.
Diadamia's mother, Harriet took her family to live in Johnson. At this time, Diadamia was fourteen years old, and she often visited relatives in Kanab, where she became acquainted with members of Major Powell's Colorado River Survey Party.
In Captain Francis M. Bishop's diary, (Utah Historical Soc. Vol. 15, 1947) a number of references to Diadamia are made; "Thursday, Feb. 15, 1872, Damie, my Valentine has ‘flewed away!'…Now here is a young girl falling in love with me and I a stranger, almost. Well, we shall see what it will come to, after all."
" Friday, March 1, 1872. Tomorrow I am going up to Johnson with W. D. J. JR (William Derby Johnson, JR). Damie is down, came in to see me. Had a pleasant party. Spent evening with Mr. W. D. Johnson JR.
"Sunday, March 3, 1872. (en route to scenic spot) I walked all the way with Jennie, Julia and Damie. Damie walked all the way and seemed determined not to ride unless I did…went up on cliffs with Damie and her two sisters, Blanche and Aurelia."
"Friday, April 12, 1872…by the way, I understand Damie is to be married shortly to (James) Carlton, and she is so young…"
Taken from Joseph Ellis Johnson – Pioneer. Written by Rufus David Johnson.
Evidently, Diadamia didn't feel for this Francis M. Bishop, the same as he for her, for it was during this time Diadamia married Thomas W. Carlton, in Johnson. They were married May 26 1872. She was only fifteen years old. James was twice her age, at thirty.
James and Diadamia lived in several places. Hillsdale, Arizona, St. George, Utah, Bellevue, Utah, Curtis Ville, Arizona. Eventually, they moved to Mexico and lived in Colonial Dublan, Juarez, and Chuachupe.
Eleven children were born to Diadamia and Thomas: Harriet Ellen, James Harlow, Diadamia Wheeler, Alice, Blanche, Lehi, Ruth, Joel Elmer, Clara, William George, and Mahonri Moriancumer.
Diadamia died in Chuachupe, Galena, Chihuahua, Mexico on December 28, 1899. She is buried in Chuachupe. James lived another twenty-one years before he died in Colonia Dublan, Galena, Chihuahua, Mexico on November 13 1920.