Charlotte Maria Hall Foulger (1855-1938)

Charlotte Maria was the first girl born to her young parents, Selina DeGrey and John Charles Hall. She was born one warm day in June. The 28th day of June in the year of 1855, to be exact, at, Dudley, Worcestershire, England. Her mother was happy to note the arrival of this small daughter, but her missionary father barely had time to leave his work to give Charlotte Maria a fond welcome.

Charlotte Maria's appearance had been preceeded by a fine young brother who was but a baby but who could be "big brother" to her. She was unaware of anything except her food and sleep and if it did not come to her promptly, she voiced her opinions, loudly. Charlotte Maria had three brothers and one sister, namely; Charles Alma, John Thomas, and William Brooks.

Something else of which Charlotte Maria was quite unaware was the hustle and bustle at Grandmother DeGrey's home as she made preparations to go across the wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean to America. Charlotte Maria gurgled and cooed as precious plans were made, even while a degree of animosity and resentment met the Hall and DeGrey families wherever they met neighbor and friend, because of their association with the "Mormon Church."

So when her father's mission in England, which extended for five years, was completed, Charlotte Maria and her brother, Charles Alma were bundled together and the family boarded the sailing vessel, "George Washington", which soon left the dock for America. The trip was made in twenty-one days instead of the usual six weeks. On their arrival in Boston, they were met by Grandmother DeGrey and her children, who had preceded them to America by about nine months.

Charlotte Maria's father had received a foot injury during the voyage, so the family was compelled to remain in Boston for about one week. Then the group of nine traveled by train to the Missouri River, which was indeed another new phase in Charlotte Maria's life as a young pioneer daughter.

At Iowa City, Charlotte's father, John purchased one wagon, one yoke of oxen, one yoke of cows, and what provisions and supplies he could with the combined savings. They joined other saints going to Utah and traveled in the Jesse B. Martin Company.

Again, Charlotte was oblivious of the fear and hardship experienced by her elders as the company moved slowly across the plains. Each day was much the same to her: a mother's lullaby, blissful slumber to the rhythm of the wagon wheels, the lowing of the cattle and the mumble of the busy men, women, and children during the warm summer days.

The companies of saints, as they traveled across the plains, were organized well. The wagons traveled two abreast when practical.

Each evening when camp was made, all the livestock was kept inside an enclosure formed by locking the wagons together. All the wagon tongues were placed inside with the fore wheel of one wagon locked in the hind wheel of the next wagon. At both ends of the corral thus formed were gateways. The gateways were always carefully guarded. Many pioneers slept in their wagons, but there were tents carried along and these were pitched near the wagons on the outside, the whole camp being patrolled by the guards all night. Because there were nine in the Hall and DeGrey families and only one wagon, some of them were compelled to sleep outside in their tent.

Sometimes the camp would be made near a lake or river, and in this case, the corral would be formed by the wagons being locked in a half moon shape from two points near the water's edge. The pioneers became proficient in driving their wagons at night to the exact position to be locked in the circle.

After the first days were passed, Charlotte's father, as did all others, found it quite an easy task to strike camp, and when the order was given for the day's rest, it would be but a short time when all would be in readiness for the night, and out of the level prairie would arise the mimic city.

To Charlotte, who was beginning to notice everything and to get into all sorts of mischief, the camp fires in the evening with everyone singing or dancing around them, were the bright spots of the long trek westward.

Then the long journey was over! They were home at last! As the group met new friends and neighbors in the first weeks after their arrival, there was no time for thoughts of homesickness and regret. With thankfulness to their Heavenly Father for His protection, Charlotte's father and mother set about to the task of preparing the necessities of winter. Those who were already established lent a helping hand to the Hall family, and soon there was a buzz of activity as thought of a permanent home took shape.

However, when the call came from the church a few years later for the saints to go to Southern Utah, Charlotte Maria's parents offered their support. In the year 1861, the family moved to Rockville, Utah. As a temporary lodging until a more permanent residence could be established, her father built a dugout near the Virgin River. Sometime later the dugout was flooded by the unpredictable river and another dugout was fashioned on higher ground safe from the river. Later a new adobe house was built.

While her father and mother were engaged in the task of feeding and clothing their family, and helping in the community growth, Charlotte Maria was growing and developing into a lively, sweet-dispositioned child. Her activeness and continuous stream of chatter made her a lovable little girl. Even so, from childhood Charlotte was no stranger to adversity and hardship. As soon as she was old enough she gained a sense of responsibility and was obedient in helping in the home and on the farm wherever a young girl could.

She anxiously awaited the date of her eighth birthday. On that day, June 28, 1863, she, with a group of other young people of the same age, was baptized in the Rio Virgin by her father. She was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the same day by Henry Jennings.

Schooling for Charlotte Maria was a problem and a worry, same as it was with other pioneer sons and daughters of that day. Capable and qualified teachers were practically unavailable. Inadequate housing facilities caused an over-crowded condition as children of all ages were grouped in one large room. The different classrooms were improvised by the use of curtains hung as partitions. Charlotte, consequently, received the majority of her learning and training at home under the tender and watchful guidance of her parents.

When she was but a young girl, her mother left Rockville and returned to Salt Lake City with some of her brothers and sisters. However, Charlotte Maria and two of her brothers chose to remain with their father and "Aunt Kezia".

There was no glitter and swank to the comely main street of Rockville; no neon lights blazing forth their messages and greetings and no many-storied buildings reaching for the sky. Only the sturdy mulberry trees, which lined the street, the familiar hitching posts and the honey-rock home, framed by trees and flowers, made up the main street of Rockville. For the faithful who toiled and built, the street was a sign of progress and security, while for the young, the street was a meeting and greeting place. Charlotte Maria loved her "main street", her friends, and her home. She worked unselfishly in her home and, whenever she was called to do so, in the community. Life in a pioneer community was not without entertainment and social life when pioneers, ever from the very beginning of the Church, were very mindful of the arts, music, drama, etc.

So Charlotte enjoyed the Virginia Reel, quadrillo, and other popular dances of the day. The weekly dances were greatly anticipated by Charlotte because she loved to dance. Dainty, shy girls could then swing into the arms of their favorite "tall, dark and handsome".

During her young girlhood there were no serious conflicts with the Indians. Instead, the Indians became good friends of the white man and was willing in many cases to trade their goods for food with the Saints. Charlotte learned to speak the language of the Indians who were settled near the southern part of Utah.

When she reached the age of twenty-one, she felt the responsibility of being with her mother and helping her since she was alone, so she went to Salt Lake to be with her mother. Soon after her arrival, both she and her mother secured employment at the Lion House for President Brigham Young. They were working there at the time of his death.

Charlotte enjoyed her work at the Lion House because there was always a hum of activity. Twelve of Brigham Young's wives with their children lived in the Lion House as one large family. In the southwest end of the basement was located the dining room. Then came the pantry, next the kitchen, and, in the rear, the laundry. There was also a small room at the end, beyond the laundry, which was used as a nursery school for the younger children. On the east side of the basement were the cellars for milk, vegetables and meat. Then there was the weaving room and beyond that was a recreational room. Here the young folk had the opportunity not only for pleasure, but for development in music and dramatics. On the second or main floor there was a beautiful prayer room and also the private rooms of each of the wives. Upstairs were located the bedrooms for the older children.

After her return to Salt Lake City, Charlotte Maria met Herbert John Foulger. They fell in love and were soon married in the Endowment House on October 11, 1881 by Joseph F. Smith. Charlotte was twenty-six years old when she was married and it was a happy day for her, a day she had anticipated and planned for many weeks and months and even years. The blessings of the temple marriage were a source of strength and comfort to her in the months and years of trial ahead of her.

Every girl of that day began planning for her marriage when yet a very young girl by sewing dainty pieces, making quilts and clothes which were set aside for her new home and new life. Most every family owned a few sheep. Many of the pioneer girls sheared the sheep, carded and spun the wool, weaved the cloth, and made their own dresses. Necessity caused those women to learn the art of weaving and carding and even pattern making. Charlotte was no different from most young pioneer daughters. She learned how to manage a home and how to make many of the items which go to make up the necessities of a home. She was blessed with elders who knew how to make and was taught by having to assist her parents.

So when Charlotte Maria married she was a capable and ambitious young woman. During the course of her marriage she bore seven children, two boys and five girls. She was a kind, generous mother and worked untiringly for her family.

Besides her family and home which kept her busy, she was very active for many years both in the MIA and the Relief Society. Whenever she was asked she willingly gave of her time that others might benefit through her efforts. She loved to dance and enjoyed music, so she found much pleasure in her MIA work. One of her sons, Ernest Charles Foulger, was sent to fulfill a mission in the Swiss and German Mission. She was thankful for her son's opportunity and was happy to sacrifice in order that he might be able to complete honorably his mission.

After thirty-nine years of happiness in her marriage, her husband died from a heart attack, on December 13, 1920. Then she was left to herself to manage a home. Her children were married and old enough to care for themselves. She enjoyed their companionship and the activities of her grandchildren.

One of Charlotte's granddaughters, Miriam Foulger Cromar, who often visited her grandmother in the company of her father and family, says, "I always liked to be around my grandmother Foulger and enjoy[ed] her kindness to me. She loved children, all children, particularly her grandchildren and always managed to see that they were well-fed. She was kind and loving, and on one occasion she gave a Christmas party for her fourteen grandchildren. She loved to give gifts to her grandchildren and found happiness in their laughter and chatter." She had a total of sixteen grandchildren, two were born later.

At the age of eighty-three, Charlotte Maria died on July 20, 1938. During her life she had found much joy in her family and in the service of her church. To know her was to love her and she will long be remembered by her numerous descendants.

Samuel DeGrey (1861-1945)

Samuel DeGrey was the third son and child born unto Alfred DeGrey and Anne Maria Raybold. He first saw the light of day on November 2, 1861 at Dudley, England. His father had remained in England when his grandmother took her daughters and went to America after joining the Church.

Alfred had courted and married Anne Maria Raybold, and probably would have remained in England had it not been for the efforts of a young Mormon missionary from Utah. The young man was Henry Aldous Dixon, husband to Sarah DeGrey, who was Alfred's sister.

Elder Dixon urged Samuel's father to take his wife and children and join his mother and sisters in Utah. Finally he was persuaded to do just that, and so it was that Samuel, when but a young lad, came to a new land and home in Utah with his parents. There he saw for the first time his Grandmother DeGrey and all of his aunts and uncles. It was a happy reunion for the DeGrey family.

The family of Alfred DeGrey lived in a small house on 7th East and went to church in the Eleventh Ward. It was some years after their arrival in Salt Lake City that Samuel was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church.

The family seemed to be quite active in the Church during the early years in Utah. Samuel met the girl who was one day to become his wife at some ward activity when they were both quite young.

During the first years after Alfred DeGrey brought his family to Utah, the family may have had some difficulty in getting established financially. It is known that Samuel lived with his sister, Maria, and her family in Provo for some time. Jobs for young men were not to plentiful in those days. Samuel was the gardner for Brigham Young. He not only planted and tended the gardens to maturity, but he harvested the foodstuffs for the kitchen and for storage for winter use.

Samuel had two brothers and five sisters, namely: John, born October 18, 1856, died in infancy; Alfred, born on July 26, 1859; Maria, born February 17, 1865; Selina, born on March 17, 1866; Lizzie, born April 30, 1868; Sarah born November 27, 1873, married James Olsen; and Louisa born January 31, 1875, married Al Pitts.

When a young man, Samuel began courting Maria Jarman, the young girl he had met at Church. They attended the ward activities, weekly dances, picnics, and Sabbath services together. They did not go "steady", but found pleasure in each others company off and on for a few years. Then they were married.

For about two months they rented two rooms on 9th East. Soon after, they moved to a home across the street from their present home site. There they lived for about one year. A son was born to them on December 24, 1889. He was blessed and given the name Alfred for this grandfather, Alfred DeGrey. After the arrival of the new son, Samuel moved his family to a little house to the rear of their present home. There they had the necessary additional room for a thriving young lad. This son grew to maturity as a good and kind man, although he was never very religious in later years. He has a family and at the present time (August 30, 1950) resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A tiny daughter who made her appearance in the DeGrey home on May 1, 1892, was blessed and given the name of May. Two years later the little girl died on May 17, 1894. A third child, a son, Sidney, was born on January 20, 1899, just ten years after the first child. He grew to maturity, married, and is living at this date (August 1950). He was always quite religious. He tried to do his duty whenever called to do so. As long as he kept active in his church work, he was doing fine. Then he became slack, lost his testimony of the true gospel and finally, in later years, joined the Episcopalian Church.

Samuel was a religious man, but was never active. He attended church services off and on at the Eleventh Ward. He was always a willing donater to anything sponsored by the Church, but regardless of faithful urging from his good wife and friendly concern from his neighbors and friends, Samuel made no effort to advance in his religious standing. He held no priesthood at the time of his death. The fault may have been not entirely with Samuel, but somewhat with those who failed to teach him of the fullness of the Gospel. He lived a good life, always desirous to assist his neighbors and friends, always honest and upright in his associations with men. His lack of desire for progression in his Church may have stemmed from fear and backwardness.

Samuel was a blacksmith by trade. However, during the first years after he married, he worked in the sugar factory in Sugarhouse. Then he worked at the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, and sometime later he worked on a "short line" of the railroad. He worked in the shops as a blacksmith.

Samuel, during the last five years of his mortal life, suffered with ailments incident to age, but he was never bedridden. He passed away about five years ago (this being 1950) on December 6, 1945. Since that time his faithful wife, Maria, has had his work done in the Salt Lake Temple.

Alfred DeGrey (1831-1885)

The first child born to John DeGrey and Maria Brooks was a son, Alfred. He was born at West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England on March 12, 1831, and probably spent his childhood and youth in and around Dudley.

Although Alfred's parents were not of the well-to-do class, so to speak, they were of the fine, hardworking stock, who made up the greater part of the population of England. They lived under very humble circumstances, but they, nevertheless, treasured traditions of nobility in their ancestry.

Alfred was the eldest of nine children, seven sisters and one brother. They were as follows: Selina, Kezia, Maria, Charlotte, Sarah, Sophia, Elizabeth, and John. Sophia and Elizabeth died young, and John died June 18, 1847. So Alfred became master and protector for his tiny charges. Naturally, he was given a merry chase as the girls advanced in years, but there was love and devotion in evidence in the DeGrey family.

As the family increased in number, it became necessary for extra finances. Alfred's mother prepared herself to assist her husband in providing for the family by learning her husband's trade. He was a tailor and had quite a well-established business. Maria made it possible for her husband to pursue another type of work. In this way, additional funds were provided for the fast growing family. Alfred was still but a young lad when his father died at the age of 47. Most children in that condition went to work when quite young to help with family expenses. For Alfred, the death of his father only hastened the time when he would quit school and go to work.

Alfred was about sixteen years old when his father died. He found employment in the iron works near his home and later became foreman of the establishment. He was also secretary in the labor union at the plant.

When the family lived in West Bromwich, only a stone wall separated them from their uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Crowley, who lived in a very nice home and had a fine garden where gooseberries, currants, and vegetables grew. The uncle taught Alfred to blow glass in the large glass manufacturing center which he owned.

Alfred, his mother and sisters were still mourning the father and husband's death when, by invitation from a relative, the family met and became well-acquainted with some missionaries who were representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The gospel, as they heard it then and the many visits which came later, touched off a spark. Later the mother and her daughters were privileged to enter the waters of baptism.

When plans to go to America were culminated and the DeGrey family embarked on their long journey to Utah, Alfred chose to remain in England, probably because of a young girl whom he had met. Consequently, it was only after Alfred had married Ann Maria Raybold and they had one son, John, that he, too, came to Utah.

Alfred was twenty-two years old when he and Ann were married. Their first child was born at Netherton, Worcestershire, England, on October 18, 1856. The second son Alfred, was born July 22, 1859 and died at a young age.

Neither Alfred nor Ann were converted and baptized into the Church at the time Alfred's mother and sisters were. It was a great trial for his mother to leave him in England under such circumstances. However, in August 1867, ten years after his mother had left Dudley for America, Alfred and his wife were baptized.

His mother and sisters were quite well established when Alfred brought his wife and children to Salt Lake City. It was in the spring [of] 1868 that Alfred, his wife, and children, John Samuel, Maria, Selina, and Elizabeth (only a few weeks old) left England on the boat "Minnesota" bound for America.

After arriving in Boston the family took a train to Florence or Winter Quarters, where they found wagons, mules, and teamsters waiting to take them [on] the long trek across the plains. They traveled in Captain Loveland's Company and found the journey much easier and faster than had the pioneers who had traveled the same distance ten years hence [or earlier].

The older children walked most of the way. And like their predecessors, they experienced some frightening and exciting moments. On one occasion, two Indians riding pinto ponies, rode up to the camp and stampeded the mules which were grazing nearby. It startled even the men who were guarding the mules, because the Indians appeared so suddenly. A man known as "Mary Ann" who was cook and teamster for the captain did not wait to get a bridal but grabbed up a short barreled shot gun and jumped astride a mule which had lagged behind and been left when the others stampeded. The man used the gun to guide the mule. He traveled quite a long distance before he located the mules. He had started herding the mules back toward camp when he was met by the other teamsters. There was a time of rejoicing when the men returned with the mules.

When the company was crossing the Platte River another terrifying accident occurred. All the men had to wade all streams and had been cautioned about whirlpools and quick sand. On this occasion, one young man, an only child of a well-to-do widow, was just about to step up on the bank of the river when he was caught in a swift whirlpool and pulled under. A man by the name of Kimball attempted to save the boy, but was unable to and the body was never recovered. Such incidents always saddened the entire company; however, there were many happy times to offset the pain of tragedy.

The company arrived in Salt Lake City on August 15, 1868. They drove into the tithing office yard where they were met by Henry Aldous Dixon, Alfred's brother-in-law, who worked at the tithing office and was in charge of meeting each company on its arrival and also finding lodging and employment for all who needed it. He took Alfred and his family to Mother DeGrey's home, a small one room log cabin, where they stayed until they found a home of their own. It was a very happy reunion for the family.

One of Alfred's and Ann's small children had been afflicted with a weak heart even from time of birth. The parents felt that if they could only go to the Endowment House and have their small child sealed to them, the child might be restored to full health. But a short time after they had fulfilled their desire by going to the Endowment House and being sealed one to the other for time and all eternity, the young child died, leaving them very much saddened.

Soon after the family was located in Salt Lake City, Alfred secured employment at the quarry in Cottonwood Canyon, cutting stone for the Temple. For his wages he received script on the tithing office where they procured food and clothing. Later he went to work at a foundry operated by the Utah Central Railway as a boilermaker. Then he worked at the Salt Lake Foundry as foreman of the moulding department, and at the time of this death he was working for Daniel Dunne at the Eagle Foundry. He became quite skilled in the art of casting tools from brass. At the time of this writing (February, 1950) there are, in the possession of his descendants, two small brass anvils which he made. One is in the possession of his daughter-in-law, Maria Jarman DeGrey (Samuel's wife), and the other is in the home of Maria Jarman DeGrey's son.

Alfred died very suddenly at his home in the Eleventh Ward, Salt Lake City, on August 27, 1885, at the age of 54. He left a wife and seven children who mourned the passing of a good companion, husband, and father. Alfred had never been one to take part in public activities nor in his church to any great extent, but he lived a good Christian life. He was honest and upright in all his affairs and was respected by all who knew him.

Maria Brooks DeGrey (1805-1876)

Maria Brooks, a pretty, black-eyed lass, sat on the green grass in the warm sunshine, day dreaming. Her thoughts trailed back over the ages. As with many a young woman, questions tumbled over each other in her mind. Who is he? Where did he come from? And who are his people ...?

It was long ago ... 970 A.D., in fact, in Oxford Shire, England, that a Saxton chief named Arnolph enjoyed life on this earth. He was lord and master of the Grai, a fine manor, complete with castle, lands, knights, and serfs. The manor consisted of several squalid villages of a hundred or more people each and the castle with its lord, ladies, and lesser nobles.

The knights and warriors were born to their position. They enjoyed more commodious dwellings than those of the serfs, more finery in dress and were looked upon with dignity and pride by the serfs. Their positions called for protection to the manor from wild animals, marauding thieves, and neighboring manors.

The serf led a much less exciting life. They were the swine herders and tillers of the soil. They were born to a life of hard labor in ignorance and wretched living. Their chances for freedom were extremely negative, and few there were who ever rose above the role of a slave. They furnished subsistence to their chief and his warriors for which they in return, received a kind of protection.

The chief was supreme in authority and social position. He had plenty of knights to oversee the problems concerning the property, and efficient tax collectors to gather in the profits. Of course, the lord of the manor was subject to the king who ruled more or less loosely at that time, and in a weak way tried to justify his existence by attempting to keep peace internally and ward off such outside enemies as the Vikings from the north, who were at that time causing Christian nations considerable discomfort.

Such was the condition at the time of Arnolph. It is quite certain Arnolph was a Christian as that religion had been brought to and accepted by England during the Roman conquest in the 4th century.

After Arnolph, the Grai was passed successively to Nigel, Turstin, Turgis, and Anschetil (also spelled Anschillus, Anskittillus, and Ansquital). Anschetil was a very agressive fellow. It was his aim to gain wealth and power and leave a great estate to his sons, William, Richard, and Cokembanus. To aid his cause, fate took a hand, for it was during his life time, 1066, that the Normans, under William the Conquerer, began taking possession of England. Anschetil saw that his unorganized neighbors were falling under the Norman raiders, and knew that for him to oppose meant an end to his glory. So he joined forces with the Normans and went out to win more territory.

He was successful in gaining land and wealth for his sons, but as each took over his own castle, the sons followed the custom of the Normans and took the surname of their father, instead of taking the name of their own place. Anschetil was known as Anschetil of the Grai. In French it was de Grai, later changed to DeGrey, and in some cases the "De" was omitted. Thus Anschetil became the ancestor of all the Greys and DeGreys of England.

After Anschetil, the boys coasted along until Henry, grandson of Robert, son of Anschetil and heir to the Rothfield property, found favor with King Richard the Lion-Hearted and received as a grant the manor of Thurroc in Essex Shire. Thus he is known as Henry DeGrey of Thurroc. However, Henry was not satisfied with Rothfield and Thurroc. He gained additional castles, including one in Northumberland, which his second wife, Isolda Bardolf, inherited from her uncle Robert. It was through this Henry that the DeGreys became a great and powerful family. His second son, John of Wilton was first of a line of fiteen Barons DeGrey, who served in the House of Lords, from about 1240 to 1604. Robert, fourth son of Henry, heir to the Rothfield property, was the ancestor of eight nobles who served in Parliament. His descendants also spread their holdings to include, among others, a manor in Kent Shire.

Here the shades of obscurity darken the path for a time. Then in the latter part of the 18th century the curtain goes up on John DeGrey, a poor laborer in Stafford-Shire. His immediate ancestry is not known but there is a story in the family that he had a brother who was a nobleman in Kent County. At any rate, John, who wasnot called DeGrey, but Diggory, to denote his fall, socially and financially, married Anne Bowater of whom little is known to the writer. To this couple was born a son, John. When this John met and married Maria Brooks, who was born on April 10, 1805, at Tipton Staffordshire, England, she was disowned by her father and mother, Daniel Brooks and Elizabeth Walters for marrying such trash ...

... Poof! The bubble was gone! Maria scrambled to her feet, swished her skirts, and hurried toward the little cottage, where John would be anxiously awaiting for his dinner. Maria knew he would scold her for day-dreaming, but she loved her young husband and took pleasure in thoughts of him.

Maria's marriage to John DeGrey at the Vicarage, Dudley, Worcestershire, England, was a happy occasion for her even though she was saddened by the fact that her parents strongly objected. Their home was a humble dwelling but brightened by their young and serene love.

As the years rolled by, children were born to them to fill their home with laughter and song. To them were born the following children: Sophia, born 1829; Alfred, born on March 12, 1831; Selina, born August 1, 1833; Ann, born 1835; Kezia, born on January 21, 1837; Elizabeth, born on 21 January, 1839; Maria, born on March 21, 1840; Charlotte, born June 10, 1842; Sarah, born on 4 February 1844; and John, Jr., born 17 December 1845.

At this time, growing industrialism had broken down the old feudal system and wages were low and working hours long. Jobs were plentiful and workers were free to come and go. This condition had its effect on Maria and John.

John was a tailor by trade and his income was insufficient to support a wife and a fast-growing family. Maria was a hard-working wife and mother and was naturally desirous to give her family the best possible under the prevailing conditions and circumstances. So she suggested to her husband that he teach her the trade of a tailor. She planned that she would take over his business and thus allow her husband time to pursue another work which would bring additional funds for the family.

John secured work in a brewery which was located in a basement. Because of the dampness of the basement, John developed a lung ailment and died shortly after taking the position. The family had just seemed to be getting along better, financially, when the burden of supporting and rearing the family by herself befell Maria at the unexpected death of her comparatively young husband. Momentarily, the sunshine went out of her life. She just could not imagine going on without her John. Grief-stricken as she was, Maria was a very courageous woman and undertook her task without complaint. With her family gathered around her, Maria knew she had work to do and she resolved to do it well, to the best of her abilities.

Maria was compelled to take in washings to take care of her family. The daughters who were old enough assisted their mother to make her work as light as possible.

The washings Maria took in were cumbersome and sometimes expensive to the family. Because of the coal dust in the air, the clothes often had to be dried indoors. Unless her children were able to gather up extra coal from the coal refuse dump, Maria had additional expense in drying the clothes.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, England underwent phenomenal internal changes. In addition to the political and financial freedom which the masses were gaining, there were great religious upheavals. Consequently, all eyes were on America and the West where tradition meant little, hardships nothing, and personal liberty everything.

Then out of America in 1837 came the first missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, bringing the religion which answered doubts and gave promise of eternal freedom of the soul to all who heeded. It is a matter of history that whole communities joined the new faith. Out of those early English coverts came, today as then, many of the stalwart members and great leaders of the church. Among those early converts were Maria Brooks DeGrey and her family.

One day shortly after the death of her husband, Maria's cousin came to their home and asked Maria and her family if they would be interested in joining others of the family and neighborhood in hearing some young "Mormons" explain their strange, new religion. Because of her recent bereavement, Maria consented, needing consolment to her sorrow. She was very much impressed with the young men and their teachings after listening to them the first evening. The message of Mormonism soon found root and to Maria it had a familiar voice that left an impression upon her soul, which remained with her throughout her life. The Elders returned to her home many times and always found welcome there. The DeGrey family, in return, found guidance and enlightenment to many of the questions in their minds.

John Charles Hall was one of the young missionaries and was the presiding Elder in the district in and around Dudley. Elder Hall was very sincere and persistent in his visits to the DeGrey home and in about 1853, Maria and her children were baptized one moonlit night in a small pond near their home. Their spirits must have been far from broken by the privations in their home and their recent bereavement, for they embraced the new faith with a zeal that never faltered.

The persistence of Elder Hall found favor in another respect. Selina began to see him in a new light; love bloomed and soon they planned to marry. Excitement filled the DeGrey home as plans for the coming wedding took form. Then on April 26, 1853, the young couple were married, and began to plan a home of their own.

Even though some opposition and a certain degree of resentment from friends and neighbors came to Maria and her children because they had joined the "Mormon" Church, she remained undaunted and more determined in her decision to go to Utah. She longed to be with the body of the Church where she could more fully attend to her religious duties and where her children would be permitted to take part also with the young people of the church in the social functions. Consequently, each act of each day held in purpose the long trip to Utah. The Church became a means of transplanting the family to a land of greater opportunity in practically every field of activity related to both the material and spiritual realms. It brought a joy and comfort to Maria and her family which they had never before known.

In June, 1856, the DeGrey family sold their household goods and collected what savings and clothing had been set aside for the future journey and booked passage on the sailing vessel, "Well Fleet." Maria's daughter, Selina, her husband, and their two small children had yet some time before John's mission would be completed and they, too, could sail for America. Alfred, Maria's oldest child, also remained in England and came to America at a later date.

The family, after its arrival in July, 1856, remained in Boston and those who could, found employment. They worked and saved, awaiting the time when Selina and John would join them and then they could again be on their way. Maria had deeply felt her responsibility as she stepped ashore; more so because now they were in a new, strange land. This was no time for regrets; she had a job to do and she determined to do it well.

During the nine months they were working in Boston, Maria lived and worked in the home of a family by the name of Colburn, who was a shoe merchant. Maria had been very kindly treated by the family. One day the man of the house was reading the paper at the dinner table. Maria was serving dinner and she heard Mr. Colburn remark about a certain ship which had just completed the voyage from England in twenty-one days instead of the usual six weeks. The ship was the "George Washington" and Maria knew that her daughter, Selina, and her husband John were returning to America on that boat.

So, after nine months of working and saving since their arrival in Boston, Maria anxiously awaited the arrival of Elder Hall and his family. Maria told the Colburn family, "If the 'George Washington' has docked, I must prepare to leave you. My eldest daughter and her husband are on that ship and we are leaving for the West."

Mr. Colburn asked, "How far west are you going?"

When Maria replied that Utah was their destination, Mr. Colburn gasped in amazement and returned, "Please, Mrs. DeGrey, don't go out there. The government is now sending the Johnson's Army to Utah to wipe out the Mormons. You have been with us so long we have learned to love you and your little daughter, Sarah. we would like to keep her as a companion for our little girl. We would educate her and do for her as we would our own."

Maria DeGrey thanked him for all he had done for her and her family and faithfully rejoined, "If the Mormons are to be wiped out, I will be one of them."

Even though the DeGrey family had managed to save only $112.00 during their sojourn in Boston, they were still faithful and undaunted by any discouraging words from their newly found friends in America. So in April, 1857, after the purchase of equipment and provisions, the small group started on their way. They traveled by train as far as Iowa City and from there they traveled in their wagon over the rugged and uncharted frontier.

Everything was new and so different to Maria. One thought kept finding its way into her mind: "If only John were here with me to see the desert at eventide, the excitement of the children as they play along the way and most of all, the peace and contentment of the company as we camp for the night because of our religion." Such thoughts lingered only a fleeting moment, then Maria was busy mending, looking after the children, and watching the pot of precious butter. The two cows became a vital part of the family because of the milk and butter they furnished during the long westward trek. To make the butter, Maria would put some cream in a container with a lid covering it. By the close of the day when the company would make camp, there would be little balls of butter, churned by the jolting of the wagon.

To Maria, the worst part of the journey was the nagging fear of Indians. So many horrible tales reached her ears and the children were her constant concern. Even so, the company of saints traveling at that time experienced no real trouble with the Indians. Maria always felt the Lord was guiding and protecting her little brood as they wend their way across the prairies. The evening prayers and songs which came after camp had been established were always a joy and comfort to her.

At last the long trek was nearly ended and the wear travelers made their way down winding Emigration Canyon into the beautiful valley overlooking the great inland sea.

As the company neared the Salt Lake Valley, Maria led one of the cows along the road ahead of the wagon. When she reached a point where she could view the valley, she said she felt much the same way Brigham Young had when he had uttered those memorable words, "This is the place." Maria was happy and contented, yet very tired now that she and her family had reached their destination. The cow she was leading must have felt the same way, for it lay down at her feet and went to sleep.

The following weeks and months were busy, yet happy ones for Maria. There was much to be done in the preparations for the coming winter. Since they had arrived in September, 1857, there was little time to do the necessary work before winter.

Maria's daughter, Kezia, married John Charles Hall in the Endowment House on September 17, 1857, just five days after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley. She was happy to know her daughters were married to a fine young man such as John.

The family built Maria a small log cabin on 7th East between South Temple and First South streets. Here she lived quite comfortably with her girls who were yet unmarried. She was supremely happy to be in Zion, however, her life was a strenuous life, for not only did she have to battle with the untoward conditions common to all on the frontiers, but also, added to these hardships, she was without companion to join her in her sadnesses and joys and she was still largely left to herself to continue the rearing of her children.

Much of the life of this good woman was devoted to practical things. She was a good and faithful woman. She was full of vitality and energy and always kept herself busy in her home or in helping others.

As time went by, Maria found herself more and more alone as her daughters married and moved into their own homes. Maria's oldest daughter, Selina, returned from Southern Utah to Salt Lake city, and gave added comfort and companionship to her. During the last years of her life, Maria lived with Selina. It was at the home of her daughter, Selina, that Maria died on April 2, 1876. She was mourned by fine sons and daughters and many descendants who were proud of a pioneer mother who had been faithful even unto the end.

The following words spoken by Dr. Charles W. Eliot, president of Harvard University in 1892 from the speakers platform in the great Salt Lake Tabernacle in which he paid an eloquent and well-deserved tribute to pioneer women, are so befitting of Maria Brooks DeGrey. Among other things, he said: "Did it ever occur to you what is the most heroic part of founding a colony of people which moves into a wilderness to established a civilized community? You think, perhaps it is the soldier, the armed men, or the laboring man. Not so; it is the women who are the most heroic part of any new colony. Their labors are less because their strength is less. Their anxieties are greater; the risks they run are heavier. We read that story in the history of the Pilgrims and Puritan colonies of Massachusetts. The women died faster than the men; they suffered more. Perhaps their reward was greater, too. They bore children to the colony. Let us bear in our hearts veneration for the women of any Christian folk going out in the wilderness to plant a new community."

Kezia DeGrey Hall (1837-1905)

Kezia DeGrey was the daughter of Maria Brooks and John DeGrey III, born to them on January 21, 1837, in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England. She was one of ten children, namely: Sophia, Alfred, Selina, Ann, Elizabeth, Maria, Charlotte, Sarah, and John, Jr. Four of her brothers and sisters died in infancy.

Kezia's schooling was very limited. When she was twelve years old her father died, leaving a mother and six children, the oldest of whom was Alfred, who was about eighteen years old. To Kezia's mother, Maria, went the responsibility of rearing the six fatherless children -- no small task, particularly in the face of relative poverty. Maria needed the assistance of those children who were old enough to work to help her in earning a livelihood for the younger ones. So at the age of twelve, Kezia began working as a nurse girl, tending babies, and was never able to gain any further schooling.

Her mother had to take in washings to help supply the needs of her family. Because the country was so smokey in the winter time, the clothes had to be dried in the house and this required an extra quantity of coal. Kezia, as she grew older, would go to the coal refuse dumps, after she would come home from her own work, and pick up any lumps of coal she might find. When she had her basket filled she would be assisted by others who were nearby in lifting the basket to the top of her head. She often said, in relating this incident, that after the basket had been lifted down, it would be several minutes before she could turn her head.

In 1853, when Kezia was sixteen, a young missionary from Utah came to their humble home and talked to them of a wonderful new religion. His persistence and the sincere message which he brought soon found a spot in the hearts of the DeGrey family, and it was not long before Maria and her children entered the waters of baptism. Kezia was at an impressionable age when she was baptized. She felt something extremely important had come to her. Then, too, there was the thought of that Utah-land so far away at the moment and which, only a few months prior, had been quite unknown to her. She loved to listen to the missionaries talk of the land of Zion, and of the promises that they too could go there if they lived faithful to their new-found religion. She had a few wild, exciting dreams tucked away in her breast of which no one knew.

There was a wave of resentment against any and all who had anything to do with "Mormonism." So it was natural that Mother DeGrey and her little brood began to plan and save for the time when they might join others going to Utah. Regardless of the animosity against them, anticipation and anxiety rose high in the DeGrey household. They knew that it might be years before they would have the means to take them on the long journey to Utah. However, the Lord seemed to bless their efforts and the much anticipated trip came to them sooner than they had planned.

The DeGrey family sailed for America one year before the completion of Elder John Charles Hall's mission and his return with his wife, Selina, and children. The small family group arrived in Boston after many days on the ocean. Kezia enjoyed the trip on the ocean because she never was afflicted with seasickness. Although the voyage was long and sometimes quite monotonous, the young found never ending energy and curiosity. Their chatter and laughter was ever an inspiration and encouragement to those who were ill or depressed.

While awaiting the arrival of John and Selina, the DeGreys worked in Boston to secure additional funds for the remainder of their trip. They knew that John would be short of finances after his mission, and they were anxious to be on their way as soon as possible. So when the appointed time came, the group was willing to ensure some inconveniences in order that they might leave that particular spring (April 1857), heeding not the advice that they remain until the following spring. The determination and desire to reach Salt Lake Valley as soon as possible made the group undertake the journey with such handicaps as insufficient conveyance. The Saints traveled slowly towards the setting sun, ending each day in prayer and song, until the Sabbath Day, when the entire company rested and worshiped their God in Heaven. Many were the privations and hardships, but humor and comics found their way into the daily routine.

As the DeGrey and Hall family began their journey, Kezia, who was wearing some half-soled shoes she had had before leaving England, realized that her shoes would never last the entire trip. In many cases the Saints would have to travel three or four miles off the road to find feed for their animals and the roughness of the country would wear Kezia's shoes faster than regular wear under normal conditions. So, except for the times when the company turned off the road to make camp, where the grass stubble and rough ground forced her to wear her shoes, Kezia walked the entire distance barefoot.

In recalling her experiences across the plains to Utah, Kezia often said that the people who came in the hand-cart companies had a hard time, but that at least their carts would go when they pushed them. Many a time the wagons would hardly move regardless of how hard the Saints pushed and lifted. Those were the times when despair and discouragement found temporary lodging in the hearts of the faithful. However, after an hour of prayer and thanksgiving in song at the close of the day, even the weakest were filled with fresh hope and courage. As the Saints worked with each other, helping those in distress, their own troubles were forgotten.

Sickness and death struck so many families during the trek, but the Hall-DeGrey family was fortunate. Their only misfortune was that on their arrival in Salt Lake City on September 12, 1857, they were without sufficient funds to store provisions for the coming winter. Those who could tried to find any type of work to assist in preparing for daily sustenance.

Kezia tried vainly to find work in some of the homes. No one had work nor the money to hire assistance. Often she was told that she could come into the family and share with them by marrying the man of the house. So it was quite natural that she accepted John Charles Hall when he asked her to marry him. She admired and respected John, but she accepted partly to assist her sister, Selina, who was soon to have her third child. Kezia and john were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on September 17, 1857. It was a very happy occasion for Selina and John were also sealed on the same day.

Kezia finally found employment digging potatoes for which she received potatoes in payment. The family, consequently, had all the potatoes they could use and some they traded to their neighbors for other items they needed badly.

Kezia was a beautiful girl. She had the lovely lines and feminine graces inherent in the DeGrey family, which back in the middle ages had almost made Lady Jane DeGrey queen of England. But combined with those fine qualities was a tremendous physique, and the resoluteness of the long line of DeGrey conquerors and rulers.

The story is told that while the family was living in Sugarhouse, a neighbor came in to make trouble about a horse belonging to the Halls, which had wandered in to forbidden territory. A difference of opinion developed to the extent that the neighbor gave John Charles a nose-bleed. All the DeGrey fighting blood came to the aid of Kezia's family pride and she strode out of the house with fire in her eyes. An onlooker related that Kezia gave the man such a beating that he was glad to crawl away on his hands and knees. Then only about three weeks later her first child, Alfred Lorenzo, was born on November 15, 1858. Another son, Henry Orson, was born two years later on September 1, 1860, but he lived only tot he age of six years.

In 1861, when Kezia's husband volunteered to take his families and go to southern Utah in answer to a call from the church leader, Brigham Young, she, naturally, was sad at the thought of leaving their new home and friends. Nevertheless, she, like so many faithful wives, was desirous to do the will of the Lord. And if it meant going to the unsettled area in southern Utah, then she meant to do it.

On their arrival in Rockville, located on the Rio Virgin, after a long, tiresome trek over rough, rock roads, Kezia and her sister, Selina, immediately began to make ready another new home. At the hand of a loving woman even a dirt dugout can take on a tidy, cheerful aspect. They both were accustomed to hard work by now and accepted the task at hand without complaint.

The new arrivals were warmly greeted by those who had already preceded them. So it was difficult to remain discouraged. There was a work to be done; each person had a part to fulfill, consequently, men, women, and children of all ages assisted in the building, planting, and harvesting during those first few years after their arrival in Rockville.

Because John suffered from heart trouble, the hardships of the rugged pioneer life were sometimes injurious to his health. Both Kezia and Selina were compelled to work along side of their husband in the fields. On one occasion the incident was related by one who witnessed the scene of Kezia carrying a bed sheet filled with cotton on top of her head. She had to cross a narrow foot log over the river. Part of the farmland was across the river from their home so whenever the team of horses was being used somewhere else, Kezia would carry the cotton from the field in this manner. She was a sturdy, energetic, and faithful pioneer mother, who in time of need was just as capable and kind while she doctored those who were ill.

The Hall family had been instructed, as had many others, to raise cotton as the major crop. They also raised sweet potatoes and any surplus they happened to have was taken to Pioche, Nevada. In this way they were able to buy doors and windows for their new adobe house which replaced the dugout and was built soon after their arrival in Rockville. Most of the furnishings in their home and the implements used on their farm were made by hand.

The pioneer women were very versatile and capable of accomplishing their many tasks with the materials supplied by nature. To illustrate this fact, the story of how they made water-softener or lye-water is very interesting. The women would hollow out a log, nail strips of board closely together in the bottom of the log. Into the log they would put cottonwood ashes and then pour water over them. The water which came off clear was used for lye. Often this home-made lye would be hauled as far north as Parowan and traded for grain or other items needed by the pioneer families in and near Rockville.

To make suds for washing their clothes, the women would use the roots of the Yucca or Oose Plant. These roots they would pound until soft. Later through their own ingenuity, the wives and mothers found a way to process soap from animal fat. After the lye water had been prepared, it was taken to the back yard and heated in a large kettle. All the grease which had been saved from fat scraps, rinds from the pork, and trimmings from the meat was brought out and added slowly to the lye water. This cooking process continued for several hours until a rich honey-like syrup formed. Then with saucer and spoon, the busy mother would test it, first with plain water, then with lye water, until her trained eye found that the soap was just right. When the mixture became firm and white, then the soap was done.

The soap was set in tubs to stand over night and cool. The next morning the soap was cut into bard and stored for use for the family. Some of the soap was even perfumed if it was to be used for hand soap. Many talents were brought to light through the rugged pioneer life of these sturdy men and women.

Selina, when she became discouraged with her life in Rockville and went to Salt Lake City, left three of her children who wanted to remain with their father and their "Aunt Kezia." Although Kezia never completely recovered after the birth of her first child, she became the mother of ten children. Three of her children died in infancy, but with the three children of her sister, Kezia mothered ten boys and girls to maturity.

Kezia was a woman of great faith, high ideals, conscientiousness in her home and her community. Her aim was always to better her life and her home for her family. She was a person of religious living and self sacrificing. Her thoughts and actions were always in behalf of those who were sick and in need. Her special gift lay in the realm of nursing. From her patriarchal blessing, received when she was first married, she found her calling. Among other things, she was told that she would go among the Saints of Zion, nursing the sick and afflicted. She devoted her life to work of service, in alleviating distress and bringing joy to those who were afflicted.

The Saints were more less isolated in Southern Utah because of the slow travel throughout the state. Medical assistance from a doctor was hardly known to those early settlers, and those who had any inclination for doctoring or nursing helped in any way they could in time of sickness. Kezia DeGrey Hall was such a woman. She was forgiving, sympathetic, and tireless in her charitable efforts towards all of her neighbors and friends. She spent long hours studying medical books on obstetrics and all known diseases. At one time Kezia was the most sought-after woman in the nearby towns of Springdale, four miles away, Shonesburg, five miles distant, Grafton, one and one-half miles away, and Virgin, nine miles, because of her willingness and work. Regardless of the weather or the conditions of the roads which she had to travel, she was ever ready to serve. She delivered between 450 and 500 babies and she charged only $3.00 for the delivery and ten days' care of the mother and child following the birth. Ofttimes she collected no pay for her work because the families were unable to give anything.

It was almost impossible to secure patented medicines, so Kezia made her own remedies. Some of them were unique in their contents, such as, charcoal poultices made of charcoal, vinegar, bran, and catnip, cooked together and put in a small sack and applied hot; cough medicine made of Sweet Balsam; "Bitters," as she called it, was made from grape wine and certain proportions of Mountain Grape root, Quakenasp bark, and Chokeberry bark.

Life in the many communities in Utah, regardless of size or location, was not all weary strife and toil. On Friday night there was usually a dance and social in the old bowery or the newly constructed recreation or church building. Everyone, both young and old, joined together, dressed in their "Sunday best," for a full evening of fun. Tiny babies were brought, snuggled in their baskets, and deposited behind the orchestra to sleep while their elders "Circled a...", "Do-si-doed", and "Grand right and left." The atmosphere seemed charged with gaiety and laughter, as the eager men and women forgot the worries of the day in dance.

When the Saints first began to surge across the plains in search of religious freedom, it became a practice of necessity to sing and dance at the close of each weary day. Hundreds of the Saints died en route to Utah, many others suffered cold, hunger, and other sicknesses. Brigham Young saw the need of something to make the grieving mothers and discouraged fathers retain their courage in order that they might face the difficult journey still ahead of them and the task of building homes in a frontier land. So music was furnished by brass bands, the violin, or the accordion; and everyone danced the quadrilles and minuets on the hard ground around the campfires. Then, natural enough, this activity became the most common amusement for the early founders of Utah. Music and drama also became an important art in most every community.

To Kezia, like every pioneer wife and mother, the socials and dances were happy times in her life. She looked forward to each one. She scrimped and saved that she might have a new, frilly dress for just such occasions. There was music in their home, too, and everyone who was musically inclined had the opportunity to develop his or her talent.

Even though much of her life was more or less spent in the service of others, Kezia was a good and wise mother to her children. Because of the privations she had experienced after the death of her own father, Kezia was a very sympathetic and tireless woman. She had great ambitions that her children would have just a little bit more than she herself had had as a child and young girl, as does every mother.

To Kezia and John were born ten fine children, seven of whom lived to make them very happy parents. There were six daughters and four sons, namely: Alfred Lorenzo, born November 15, 1858; Henry Orson, born September 1, 1860; Maria Laura, born on November 30, 1862; Alice Maude, who was born on April 5, 1864; Anne Selina, born on March 14, 1872; Arthur Wright, born on December 9, 1875; and Dora Martha Murton, born on January 8, 1878.

So after a full and serviceful life, Kezia DeGrey Hall died at Rockville, Washington County, Utah, on July 25, 1905. The memory of her good life will long be endeared by her descendants and friends.

Selina DeGrey Hall (1833-1901)

Selina DeGrey was born of goodly parents, who bequeathed to her the fundamentals of a strong character through the laws of inheritance and correct teaching in her tender and growing years as a girl in old England.

Her parents were John DeGrey and Maria Brooks and at the time of Selina's birth on August 1, 1833, the family was living at West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England. Selina was the third child born to these parents who were poor English working folk of the kind who constitute the very fiber of Britain: honest, frugal, independent in thought and action.

Selina's childhood was a normal, uneventful one. With her young playmates and friends she had a happy childhood. As she grew older she accepted her share of the household responsibilities and learned to assist her mother to manage the home. Because of the economical condition of England at that time, her parents were unable to gain, financially, so Selina led a rather conservative childhood.

When she was but a young girl, her father died after a brief illness. Because of her age and since she was the oldest daughter, Selina felt a portion of the responsibility which befell her mother. Her grief at the loss of her father was deep felt because the family had been so close.

Sometime after the passing of her father, Selina, her mother, and the younger children visited at the home of a cousin where they heard two young missionaries representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints explain the principles of their comparatively new church. The sincerity and plainness with which the young men expounded their Gospel appealed to the DeGrey family. After that first meeting the Elders returned many times to visit the DeGreys, and always found a receptive audience.

In 1853, the family was baptized and confirmed members of the Church. They were opposed by friends and neighbors because of taking this step, which only seemed to heighten their determination not to falter. They chose to suffer opposition and resentment in order that they might "worship according to the dictates of their own conscience."

Selina as a young woman was attracted to one of the young Elders more than just because of the Gospel he taught. Something within her seemed to say that he was the one she wanted to marry. The attraction was mutual and soon Elder John Charles Hall, who was formerly of England, began to make plans for the future. Elder Hall had received permission to marry while he was laboring in the mission field if and when he found both a pretty and a suitable wife and companion. So on April 26, 1853, the young couple was married. They managed to have a home even though John was very busy doing his missionary work.

Their first child, a son, was born in Dudley, England, on February 16, 1854, and was given the name of Charles Alma. The following year on June 28, 1855, a second child was born to them. The tiny baby was a girl and they christened her Charlotte Maria -- Charlotte for her paternal grandmother, Charlotte Wright Hall; and Maria for her maternal grandmother, Maria Brooks DeGrey.

Soon after the second child was born, Selina's mother and sisters sailed for America, leaving her alone for the first time in her young life. However, she was too busy taking care of her husband and two babies and too full of plans for their own trip to America, to be lonesome. Her John would soon be released from his mission after five years of diligent and faithful work.

In 1858, Selina and John and their two small children sailed from England on the ship "George Washington" for America and their new home. They arrived at the Boston harbor after a pleasant voyage of only twenty-one days. Ordinarily, the trip required six weeks, but they were fortunate in sailing on a faster boat.

On their arrival in Boston, Selina was happy to meet her mother and her sisters who had been working in Boston for about nine months. A few days later the group traveled by train to Iowa City, where John purchased what provisions and supplies he could with the combined earnings of the group. The trip across the plains was by no means a pleasant one, but the urge to be in Utah with the Saints where they might build a home and spend a life of peace and contentment kept up Selina's spirits. She was young and able to make the best of the problems and privations. As long as her children were well, she was content. She was proud of her young husband who accepted the responsibility of taking nine persons in one wagon across the prairies to Utah.

Near the end of the trek, she began to feel weariness, as she was carrying her third child. So when the company, under the leadership of Jesse B. Martin, reached the Salt Lake Valley on September 12, 1857, Selina was tired but indeed happy to be home. As compared to England, America was so vast and so different to her.

After a few days rest, Selina and John were sealed in the Endowment House on September 17, 1857, by Heber C. Kimball, just five days after their arrival in the Valley. Now her dreams were fulfilled ... she and her husband and their children were sealed in the House of the Lord for "time and for all eternity." On the same day, her little sister, Kezia, then twenty years old, was also sealed as the second wife to John.

On October 9, 1857, a third child was born to Selina and John. The baby was given the name, Kezia Elizabeth, named for Selina's sister, Kezia, who was so sweet and helpful during the time of her confinement. On June 11, 1861, a fourth child, a son, was born to them. He was blessed and given the name of John Thomas.

The little family worked together and soon built a home in Sugarhouse, where they lived until the year 1861 when, in answer to a call from the church authorities, John disposed of their property and moved his families to Rockville in Southern Utah. Their first home was a dugout, which was eventually replaced by an adobe house, built of adobes or sun-dried bricks. The roof was composed of brush covered with dirt. When the families moved into the new adobe house, there were no floors other than hard-packed earth.

There were no modern conveniences in early pioneer homes. Most of the home furnishings and even working tools for the farm were hand-made. Light was received in the daytime through one or two small windows in each cabin. In the evenings the glow from the fireplaces assisted the burning rags in dishes of oil to illuminate the pioneers' home.

In due time, perhaps after harvest time, Selina's home received a floor made from logs, flattened on one side with the adze (?). Later the floor was covered with a home made carpet.

As time passed and the family became more settled and adjusted to the community, John again replaced the adobe home with a more durable home built of stone.

To John and Selina, after they moved to Rockville, were born three more children, two daughters and one son, namely: Sarah Ann, born May 17, 1863 and died September 22, 1864; Eliza Evelin, born November 21, 1865 and died on June 30, 1866; William Brooks, born May 2, 1867. The latter grew to maturity and had a fine family.

After living several years in Rockville, Selina became discouraged with her life there because of the hardships and privations. She took all but three of her children, Charles Alma, Charlotte Maria, and John Thomas, who chose to remain in Rockville with their father and Aunt Kezia; and returned to Salt Lake City. She never remarried and she found it very difficult to care for her children. Nevertheless, she bought and sent to John and Kezia the first cooking stove they ever had in their home. She always sent clothes down to Rockville to her loved ones. Her thoughts were constantly concerned with them and their welfare.

She took in washings to make a living for herself and her family. Selina's mother, who was getting too old to be left alone, lived with her and made extra work for Selina. She took care of her mother until she died on April 2, 1876. Selina worked very hard to give her children the advantages they needed.

When Charles Alma was about sixteen years old, he joined his mother in Salt Lake City. Later, Charlotte Maria, at the age of twenty-one years, also returned to Salt Lake to be with her mother. They both, Selina and Charlotte Maria, worked for Brigham Young in the Lion House.

Selina was always very religious and was a willing servant whenever called upon to fill a position. She worked hard and diligently both in her temporal and spiritual endeavors. She had a gentle, unassuming disposition, but was very determined in spirit. She was never too proud to help others or accept help from a friend. She was a good and charitable woman. Her belief in the Gospel was proven by the fine sons and daughters she bore.

"Character is the product of daily, hourly actions, and words and thoughts; daily forgiveness, unselfishness, kindnesses, sympathies, charities, sacrifices for the good of others, struggles against temptation, submissiveness under trial. It is these like the blending colors in a picture, or the blending notes of music, which constitutes the man." (Macduff)

As Selina advanced in age and became ill, she went to the home of her daughter, Charlotte Maria Hall Foulger, where she was taken care of until her death on August 11, 1901. Those who remained and those descendents who followed after her will long remember Selina for the heritage she left by her acceptance of the Gospel and her determination to build a home for the children in the Gospel.

John Charles Hall (1821-1890)

The paragraphs of this history has been slightly re-ordered from it's original writeup to separate the historic section, in italics, from the personal history of John Charles Hall. I have corrected spelling and punctuation in a few locations -- any uncorrected errors are either original and intentionally left, or are mine formed in transcription.

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In London there is a family of Halls, who have been merchants for many generations. Their beginning as a family is obscure, but is is quite certain that, like other English families of the Twelfth to the Fourteenth Centuries, they came from a man who owned a castle, containing a large auditorium or hall. As an example, we might take the Manor Hall in Kent County on the London Road, where a man by the name of Fitz William was Lord. He became known as William at the Hall and finally William Hall. His family died out with no issue to carry on the name, so this cannot be the ancestors of this family of London merchants. However, it does seem probable that their name originated in a similar manner. They probably were feudal lords at one time, but as the field of ruling and lordship became crowded and the Crusaders created a new foreign commerce, the Halls of southeastern England left warfare and turned to the less painful but more profitable means of gaining riches, honor, and glory. They secured by peaceful trade the profits which others won in turbulent conflict. They searched the world for articles to enrich the lives of Englishmen, and in turn they helped to disseminate English-made goods throughout the world. they were good Christians, but found it more practical to live the Law of Moses. They bought goods cheaply as possible and sold them for as much as they could. They have lived as educated ladies and gentlemen for many generations, in relative economic security and physical comfort.

The Wright family of England and America was founded by two brothers who came from Normandy with William the Conquerer. They obtained the Wryta by virtue of their skill workmen. John Wryta was especially noted as a wood carver. The name Wryta was later spelled Wright.

Just how early the Wright family started showing political and business ability, is not known, but by the end of the fifteenth century they were well established. By this time the family had centered around two points. The Kelvestone family of Sussex Shire were the ancestors of many of the Wrights who became famous in American history. The Kelvedon branch of Essex Shire had built a great estate of several manors where Sir John Wright in 1525 built a magnificent mansion, which still stands sixteen miles northeast of London. He also built the Kelvedon church at the same place, where he and many of his descendents lie buried.

In 1797 there was born to John Hepstritch Hall and his wife, Elizabeth Murton, a son, Thomas Johnston, who, in 1819, married Charlotte Wright. Charlotte was a proud lady of a great family possessed of considerable wealth.

Thomas Wright, a London merchant of this branch of the family was the father of Charlotte, who was born March 27, 1800. So when Charlotte married Thomas Johnston Hall, a well-to-do coal dealer's son of Faversham, Kent Shire, she was not only marrying according to wealth and social position, but was forming a link between two great families of London traders.

They were married and happily settled in Favorsham in March, 1819, and the following children were born to them: Mary Ann, Eliza, and Charlotte, all of whom died in infancy; and John Charles and Thomas.

John Charles Hall, of whom we write now, became the father and patriarch of the family whose histories follow. He was born in Faversham, Kent, England on October 20, 1821. His name was entered in the Faversham Church register and he was baptized a member of the Church of England on November 5, 1821.

His father, Thomas, was quite prosperous for some time as he had property of his own, and he also assisted his own father, John Hepstritch Hall, who was a coal merchant. The use and development of coal had been slow. Smelters were the first to adopt the use of coal as it quickly increased the capacity of the foundries from a ton to two tons per day to the mammoth plants of industrial England. Only as the payrolls increased through the industrial growth, did the homes of the laborers enjoy the luxury of coal. These changes and growth came slowly, so by 1825, John Hepstritch Hall and his son, Thomas, were among the earliest pioneers of the coal industry.

Then when the family had began to enjoy the fruits of their endeavors, there was a great economic panic and many lost all their wealth. The Hall family was not one of the favored ones ... Thomas lost his home in payment of his debts and his father, John, was so overcome by humility and the fear of being jailed because of inability to pay his obligations that he took his own life with a pistol.

After this distressing happening, the family was completely broken up. In 1827, John Charles was put in a boarding school, while his father tried teaching school at warsham in Doritshire, for the next several years. John Charles's mother took their losses very hard and sent to London. The family moved from place to place trying to find suitable work and home until August of 1833, when John Charles's father went to America and deserted his family. At this time John Charles had to go to work and he was only twelve years old. He was apprenticed to a firm which made pianos and organs where he worked for several years. He became very skilled as a piano finisher. He may have been a young man without means, but he certainly was not without ambition. He was more serious-minded and philosophical than his brother, Thomas, and through his zealous efforts, he became well-educated. Even so, he was unable to overcome the barriers caused by his family's poverty and get established in business in England.

So when he was a young man, the New World held out a beckoning hand to him and he emigrated to Canada, hoping to find his father and have him go back to England and straighten out his family affair, and maybe secure a better job for himself in the New World. His initial desires were unfulfilled, but soon after he arrived in Canada, he met a Mormon missionary, who talked to him concerning the principles of the gospel. At the close of their conversation, the missionary gave John a book, "Voice of Warning." John was quite interested and decided to read the book. He said of the book after he completed reading it, "With every statement I read of that little book, my mind told me that it was true. I could not stop reading until I had read every word of it." No longer was John in doubt as to his future course.

Later he talked with the same missionary, Elder Bailey, and became converted that he had found the true gospel. And in November, 1847, he was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Soon the spirit of gathering took hold of him and he longed to be with the Saints in Zion. So anxious was John Charles to go to Salt Lake City, that he only worked long enough in one place to get money to take him a little nearer to his destination. He arrived in Salt Lake City, in 1850, just three years after his baptism. He secured employment and soon found contentment and peace in just being associated with the many who had surged to Utah in order that they might "worship according to the dictates of their own hearts."

Two years later in 1852, he was called to go on a mission to his homeland, England. Naturally, he was anxious to return and give the Gospel to his family and others of his acquaintance. Before he left he was given permission by the church authorities to marry if he found a suitable companion.

Once in England, he reported to the mission headquarters at Dudley, where he began his labors as a missionary. During his travels, he met and converted a widow, Maria Brooks DeGrey, and her six children: Alfred, Selina, Kezia, Maria, Charlotte, and Sarah. He spent much time discussing the gospel whenever he visited the DeGrey family, and became well-acquainted with them. Their home became a place where the missionaries always found welcome. Love bloomed between John and Selina, the eldest daughter, and they were married on April 26, 1853. They made their home in England as best they could while John was yet laboring in the different districts, and later two children, Charles Alma and Charlotte Maria, were born to them.

John's mission lasted nearly five years, during which time Maria DeGrey and her children were working and saving for the future date when they would be able to go to Utah. John had told them so much about America that they could hardly wait. One year before John was released from his mission, Maria and her other four daughters came to America, where they worked in Boston, making further preparations to go on to Utah. Her only son, Alfred, came to Utah later.

The following year when John Charles arrived in America at the central place where all the saints made final arrangements to make the trip, he and the DeGrey family found they had only enough funds to buy one wagon, one yoke of cows, and one yoke of steers. Because there were nine of them in the group and only one wagon to take them on the long journey, John and his little group were counseled to remain until the following spring. They were all very anxious to leave, however, so John asked the captain of the company if he had any objections to them joining the company if they promised to cause no trouble. The captain said, "I guess we can't stop you if you want to go." The family felt relief and had the faith that the Lord would protect and sustain them if they but lived righteously, so they made the long trip without incident and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 12, 1857.

Enroute to Utah, John Charles was determined not to cause the company any trouble. On one occasion, when the company had reached the Platte River, the road was covered with a thick layer of mud. The river had flooded the road for miles and then had receded, leaving it muddy and almost impassable. The company doubled their teams, that is, all teams were fastened to a few wagons in order to take them through the mud, a few at a time, until the entire company was again on dry ground.

John looked the situation over carefully and decided to go around the mud as much as possible wherever the countryside near the main traveled road was possible. When the captain of the company had seen all of the other wagons over the muddy obstacle, he asked, "Where is Brother Hall?" Someone standing near replied, "There he goes on ahead of us." This incident shows the typical determination of John Charles Hall. The many hardships and trials which the Hall family encountered during the trip were overcome by the zealous determination of all in the little group. Naturally there were those times when John became discouraged when he saw the hardships which the womenfolk had to endure, but beneath that discouragement and indecision was a deep reverence of the purpose for which they all suffered inconveniences and privations.

On their arrival in Salt Lake City on September 12, 1857, John and his group had very little to live on during the coming winter, and it was quite difficult to find work. Even the beautiful and wholesome valley, which meant home to them, could not stamp out the reality of necessity. Food was their main necessity at the moment and John found any work he could to secure produce for his family until they too could plant and harvest. Tired from the responsibility of the trek across the plains, young John worked hard and faithfully to establish his young family and those dependent on him in a new home. He obtained some farming land in what was then Sugarhouse Ward, now about 19th East and 14th South, Salt Lake City, and began the slow process of building for the future.

Just five days after their arrival in the valley, John asked for Kezia's hand in marriage. Although she admired him and respected him, she consented mainly to be able to assist her sister, Selina, when her third child was born. Kezia and John were sealed in the Endowment House on September 17, 1857, and on the same day John and his young wife, Selina, were sealed for time and for all eternity. For them it was a dream come true, after their simple marriage in England.

Not long was John and his family in their new home when the presiding brethren sent out the call for Saints to go farther south and build more communities. He willingly volunteered to go even though by now he was well established. He owned two or three city lots in the city and other property near the present site of Park City. What property he could not sell, he left behind, and he and his family went to southern Utah and settled at Rockville or, as it was called then, Adventure. The undertaking was a colossal one both from the standpoint that the new colonies were to be made on rugged, unsettled terrain and that many of the Saints were unacquainted with the life associated with such an adventure. Only the tried and true would likely endure without complaint the privations and hardships incident to such an exodus. It must be remembered that these Saints were headed for a wilderness where a road must be built most of the way, because there was no settlement south of Payson, and danger from attacks of roving bands of Indians was a constant source of uneasiness.

Rockfille was a small organized community, nestled in the foothills on the banks of the Virgin River, about five miles from Zion Canyon as we know it today. It was settled by those Mormon colonists in 1861 and stands today as a monument to and symbol of the sturdy, progressive, unyielding pioneer spirit of those hard, God-fearing Saints.

The climate in southern Utah is such that fig trees, cotton, peanuts, and semi-tropical fruits can be raised without difficulty. The early settlers took advantage of the cool breezes which swept down from the canyon during the summer, and the pleasant winters to till the soil and harvest their crops. There were many hardships and hazards accompanying the work of the rugged soil tiller. Sudden storms in the Rocky Mountains at the head of the Virgin River sent floods scurrying down the canyon to tear down fences, drown cattle, and even lap at the doors of the settlers' homes. Rocks had to be removed from fields to allow for planting, and time after time irrigation dams in the Virgin River had to be replaced because floods swept them away. Indian wars and other hardships drove some of the less sturdy members away to greener pastures. Much of the credit for settling the area goes to later families who moved in and plied their trades.

John Charles was one of such men. He was eager and ambitious to build and secure a section of the fertile land on which to build his future. On their arrival in the south, the family built a dugout as a temporary lodging and took a farm across the river from them. Later they built an adobe house, then sometime later, John built a rock house which still stands (as of March 1949) as a monument to him and his faithful family. Their home furnishings and even most of the farm implements which were used to work and till the soil were home made.

It was not uncommon to see the women and children of all ages working beside the head of the family in an effort to expedite the completion of a home or community building or the heavest of the crops. But to John, who had been reared as a scholar and a gentleman in his native England, was it doubly hard to have his wives assist him in his work. He had had high hopes and mountainous plans for his two beautiful wives and his children. Nevertheless, he welcomed their encouragement and assistance because of his weakened conditions due to heart trouble. The long journey to "a home in the tops of the mountains" had left its mark on John though he strived to convince otherwise.

Needless to mention that all the Saints sensed the responsibility and necessity of pushing forward in unison. They knew that all must participate in the building program if they were to survive the hardships and disappointments so prevalent in this newly settled area. The Lord had blessed them, but they still needed further perseverance and determination to conquer the rough Indian country. There was much work to be done -- homes to be built, farms planted and harvested, public improvements in their town, exploration of the country round about to become acquainted with the natural resources that might enhance the financial interests of their community and assistance in bringing under cultivation more acres of land. The founding of the colony was made easier by the cooperation of every able-bodied man and his family.

The first winter was a hard one for the Hall family and they suffered considerably for the want of nourishing food, but the Lord was merciful unto them and preserved their lives. There was a scarcity of dairy and animal products; there were no fresh vegetables for the table such as can be secured in this day, and only in later years was there plenty of fruit. There was seldom a shortage of the basic foods. The food was usually wholesome but not too nutritious because of the lack of variety. The value of a nutritious diet was not understood by those early pioneers, who suffered along on coarse cane seed bread and potatoes as the mainstays.

Selina became discouraged with the way they had to live so she returned to Salt Lake city, where she lived the remainder of her life. The struggle even in Salt Lake City was rather hard for a lone woman to live and take care of a family of children. She also had to care for her mother, who was getting too old to manage for herself. Although Kezia never completely recovered after the birth of her first child, she became the mother of ten children. Three of her children died in infancy, but three of Selina's children remained in Rockville and lived with Kezia and John until they were grown and able to go out and find work for themselves.

While the Hall family was still living in the adobe house with the dirt roof, John bought an organ. Through his training as a youth he had acquired a deep love for music. And he meant to have happiness and song prevail within the walls of their tiny home through the medium of music. He felt that wherever there was music there would abide peace and forgetfulness of every day's toil and strife. His desire for music shows his belief of the following words: "Music is the universal language of mankind." (Longfellow), and "The meaning of song goes deep. Who is there that, in logical words, speech, which leads us to the edge of the Infinite, and lets us for a moment gaze into that." (Carlyle).

The organ became a precious and vital part of the Hall family and the community where they lived. Whenever it rained and the roof would leak, the oil cloth from the table was spread as a protector over the organ. It was the only organ in Rockville for a number of years, so it was naturally a prize possession to the owners. On special occasions it was not unusual to take the organ to meetings and celebrations, and sometimes it was even hauled by wagon as far as Zion where celebrations and outings were often held.

Indians were ever a menace to the pioneers who were struggling for existence as it were. Whenever Indians were known to be near to their community, the people were alerted by the loud blowing on a large sea shell, which belonged to John Langston. The shell made a sound similar to a horn, so everyone could hear it and be prepared for an attack or trouble from the "Red Man". One time Charles, son of Selina and John, was on a small nearby hill, digging oose (?!) roots. Someone saw the sun glistening on the shovel he was using, so he immediately gave the alarm of "Indians!" When the men had met together, John then relieved their fears by telling them that it was only his young son digging for oose roots.

Nothing came easy for those persistent pioneers. The men and boys had to go into the mountains to secure wood for fuel. Since there were no roads built for their wagons, much of the wood had to be carried or dragged by the men and horses to the wagons. Often the logs were dragged to the edge of a cliff and then thrown over and rolled as near as possible to their wagons. In this way fuel was hauled to their homes until later when roads were built for the wagons to travel.

During the early growth of Rockville, it became apparent of the necessity of a shoemaker and a nurse or midwife. John accepted the responsibility and borrowed enough money at 12% interest to finance the journey of a convert, Mr. Tuffield from England, and a widow, Ms. Campbell, and her two children, Billie and Tillie. After their arrival in Rockville, they both proved unsatisfactory in their professions, so the debt became very irksome to John before it was finally paid in full.

John, because of his advanced age, did not feel that he was too old to learn. He had had a good education, but he still desired further learning. He was always reading and studying. He was genius at spelling and could spell almost any word given to him if it were pronounced correctly. There were those who were ever searching for new words to confuse John.

The first meeting and school house combination was one made of logs with a huge fireplace in one end. It had a board floor made from lumber hauled from Parowan by ox teams. Attempts had been made to fashion lumber from cottonwood logs found nearer to Rockville, but those attempts proved fruitless because the lumber which was needed for their buildings was brought from Parowan.

Later, an adobe school house was constructed and, still later, it was covered with weather siding. As more space was needed for amusement halls and more class rooms, additions were made to the old adobe school house. In 1893, this building was destroyed by fire and at that time the people and the county built a rock school house.

Utah's Dixie pioneers then hauled lumber from Kaibab, Trumball, and other remote forests requriing from ten to fifteen days for a trip, while on top of nearby Zion Park Rim, later called Cable Mountain, were choice forests of good quality pine. This was apparently inaccessible because of the 2,000 foot perpendicular drop to the bottom of the canyon.

Native genius, common sense, and dogged determination solved this problem under the leadership of one Dave Flannegan, who conceived the idea of bringing the timber down on wire cables. Dr. Decker, of the Branch Agricultural College, hearing of this scheme, went to investiate and informed this rugged, practical pioneer that the #14 wire he was using would have tensile strength enough to hold only its own weight for the proposed 3,000 foot span. He said that "scientists had determined this fact," etc.

Dave Flannegan replied, "Well, I ain't no scientist, so I don't know that it can't be done," and went ahead with his plans.

It is reported that Brigham Young once told the people of Dixie that "lumber would come down off those ledges like a hawk out of the sky." That was actually true, for millions of feet of lumber were brought down on cables from the rim of Zion Canyon. After Dave Flannegan proved the scheme to be practical, the cable was enlarged and used for many years. He said that during the time they used the #14 wire, there was not a serious accident.

The desire to learn and progress and the ingenuity of these strong-hearted men and women made their daily existence more livable as they learned of newer and better ways and means of accomplishing their tasks. "The prosperity of a country depends not on the abundance of its revenues, the strength of its fortifications, or the beauty of its public buildings; but it consists in the number of its cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment, and character." (Luther)

John Charles Hall, though a quiet, reserved man, was still a man who, through his own ingenuity, made a happier and more contented life for himself and his family as they became more settled in their home, church, and community. Each member of each family in the town strived to work harmoniously together in order to achieve satisfaction and the knowledge of work "well done." "Love thy neighbor as thyself" became a standard code of ethics for these early adventurers and home builders.

John always said that the anticipation of a difficulty was usually worse than the calamity itself. He believed that the Savior's words, "Take no thought for the morrow," if applied faithfully, would do more to make a man happy than those who had never tasted the truth of the statement could ever imagine.

Handicapped as he was, due to heart trouble, John was not ashamed of the fact that he was a working man. He loved his work and took a great deal of pride in whatever he undertook to do. He was thorough, reliable, and could always be depended upon to carry to a successful finish whatever he attempted to accomplish. He made his mistakes, as do all men, but his virtues so far outshone his weaknesses as to give him a place among the great and good of his generation. He was not known for his eloquence nor for brilliant achievement in that spectacular sense by which men attract the attention and the loud acclaim of their fellows, but was content to do his simple duty each day without ostentation and in the quiet retreat of his local environment. His life was dedicated to the cause of the Lord.

After years of kind service, both for his family and his God, John Charles Hall died at his home in Rockville of heart disease and dropsey on March 3, 1890. His had been a full and eventful life. There had been much toil and sorrow, but these were overshadowed by his being blessed with two good, faithful wives and seventeen sons and daughters.