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.