John Parley Byington

Marguerite Brennetta Smith Byington

Compiled by Roma Byington Sierk

Copyright © 2009, All Rights Reserved

Updated © 2019 All Rights Reserved

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We Are A Family Since before any of us were born, God planned for us to share our lives together.

He knew exactly how our strengths and weaknesses would balance one another and

the depth of love, understanding, and commitment we would learn to feel. He

knew the richness of our separate characters would be born as a result of

overcoming the trials together. He knew that we would laugh together and cry

together. He knew we would need each other....to hug....to help....to teach....to

serve....to Love.....

Author Unknown

To My Family I know that I am not perfect and that I may have made some mistakes in this

document. I hope that you will enjoy it anyway! My intent is to make a special

memory and tribute to the lives of so many special family members. I love you

and want you to know that I am proud to be a part of this wonderful family. Thank

you all for being part of my life. Roma Sierk

For more information please contact me at:

16372 East Ririe Hwy Ririe,

Idaho 83443

208-201-2220

Copyright © December 2009 - 2019

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Home of Hannah Molland Byington; where she raised 8 of her 10 children. Parley

was three when they moved here. Note: The improvements on this land were not

there when Hannah bought this home. The photo was taken in the 1990s. Notice

the beauty of the land surrounding the home.

A Short Sketch of the life of John Parley Byington

“I was born March 23 1880 in the southern part of Idaho at

a little place called Red Rock, Idaho. My parents were,

Joseph Henry Byington and Hannah Molland Byington.

Our family later moved to a place 3 miles northeast of

Menan where my mother filed a homestead right on 160

acres of land.

The first few years of my boyhood were spent here at this

place. I was about 14 years old when I went to live with my

sister Martha on a ranch near the village of Taylorville

about 8 miles due south of Idaho Falls. I lived with Martha

and her husband Frank for about 4 years where I finished what schooling I got.

I worked for wages for a few years, in February 1903, I met the girl I later

married, Marguerite Brennetta Smith, on a dredge boat on the Snake River south

of Minnedoka, she and her mother, Loulia Brennetta Allen Smith, were cooking

for the miners.

I left the dredge in June and didn’t see my future wife for nearly 2 years. I met and

married her on the 12th day of December in 1904. We filed a homestead right on a

piece of dry farm land in 1907 and have farmed every since. My wife died on

September 10, 1953. I didn’t like to live alone so I asked my sister, Martha (who

was a widow) to come and live with me. She lived here till the 9th of December

1959 when she passed away. I’m alone now.” John Parley Byington

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It was the year of 1880, on March 23rd, in a small place called Red Rock, Idaho.

The happiness of Joseph Henry and Hannah Molland Byington was increased by

the birth of a baby boy. This was the ninth of ten children. They named him John

Parley. His only memory of Red Rock was going over to the neighbors and talking

to them through the cat hole; a small hole in the bottom of the door through which

cats passed in and out.

The photo shown above is Red Rock Pass, South of Downey, Idaho.

It was pioneers like Joseph Henry Byington, Captain Hunt, Hyrum Byington,

James Burrup, Joseph Bloxham, Frank Potter, Thomas Jenkins and many others who bore the

hardships of pioneer life. They built the bridges, killed the rattlesnakes, fenced and cleared the

land. They opened the mines, faced the danger of Indians and built roads at their own expense.

They were the true pioneers. They were builders, hunters, trappers and sturdy settlers of early

Idaho. Joseph Henry and his wives left Red Rock about the year 1882.

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1882 Congress passed the Edmunds Law, making polygamy a federal crime

punishable by up to five years in prison and denying convicted polygamists

the right to vote, to hold office and to serve on juries. The law increased

federal pressure on Mormons to renounce their practice of plural marriage

and sent many Mormon leaders into hiding.

Due to the Manifesto, Hannah was now considered a widow and was left to raise

the family by herself. About this time Parley was three years old. The family

moved to Pools Island, now Annis. Here, his mother filed on a 160-acre

homestead.

The Homestead Act May 20, 1862

(U. S. Statutes at Large, Vol. XII, p. 392 ff.)

AN ACT to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain.

Be it enacted, That any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at

the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have

filed his declaration of intention to become such, as required by the naturalization

laws of the United States, and who has never borne arms against the United States

Government or given aid and comfort to its enemies, shall, from and after the first

of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter

section or a less quantity of unappropriated public lands, upon which said person

may have filed a pre-emption claim, or which may, at the time the application is

made, be subject to pre-emption at one dollar and twenty-five cents, or less, per

acre; or eighty acres or less of such unappropriated lands, at two dollars and fifty

cents per acre, to be located in a body, in conformity to the legal subdivisions of

the public lands, and after the same shall have been surveyed: Provided, That any

person owning or residing on land may, under the provisions of this act, enter

other land lying contiguous to his or her said land, which shall not, with the land

so already owned and occupied, exceed in the aggregate one hundred and sixty

acres.

Sec 2. That the person applying for the benefit of this act shall, upon application to

the register of the land office in which he or she is about to make such entry, make

affidavit before the said register or receiver that he or she is the head of a family,

or is twenty-one or more years of age, or shall have performed service in the Army

or Navy of the United States, and that he has never borne arms against the

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Government of the United States or given aid and comfort to its enemies, and that

such application is made for his or her exclusive use and benefit, and that said

entry is made for the purpose of actual settlement and cultivation, and not, either

directly or indirectly, for the use or benefit of any other person or persons

whomsoever; and upon filing the said affidavit with the register or receiver, and on

payment of ten dollars, he or she shall thereupon he permitted to enter the quantity

of land specified: Provided, however, That no certificate shall be given or patent

issued therefore until the expiration of five years from the date of such entry; and

if, at the expiration of such time, or at any time within two years thereafter, the

person making such entry -- or if he be dead, his widow; or in case of her death,

his heirs or devisee; or in case of a widow making such entry, her heirs or devisee,

in case of her death -- shall prove by two credible witnesses that he, she, or they

have resided upon or cultivated the same for the term of five years immediately

succeeding the time of filing the affidavit aforesaid, and shall make affidavit that

no part of said land has been alienated, and that he has borne true allegiance to

the Government of the United States; then, in such case, he, she, or they, if at that

time a citizen of the United States, shall be entitled to a patent, as in other cases

provided for by law: And provided, further, That in case of the death of both father

and mother, leaving an infant child or children under twenty-one years of age, the

right and fee shall inure to the benefit of said infant child or children, and the

executor, administrator, or guardian may, at any time within two years after the

death of the surviving parent, and in accordance with the laws of the State in

which such children for the time being have their domicile, sell said land for the

benefit of said infants, but for no other purpose; and the purchaser shall acquire

the absolute title by the purchase, and be entitled to a patent from the United

States, and payment of the office fees and sum of money herein specified.. ..

Aunt Martha Byington Reed, who was twelve years old, tells how cold it was when

they got to Annis on November 22, 1883. They found a place there for three

hundred dollars, so they decided to stay. It was a one-room log house with a dirt

floor. James sold his place in Wilford and stayed with his mother in Annis.

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Times were hard. Martha says, "there was scarcely any

money”. “I remember having a nickel once in a while”.

Even after I worked out for a living I was paid with an

order on the store. We could buy things like sugar,

raisins and salt. Then when the crops were harvested,

the store took wheat for their pay. Fruit was very scarce.

An apple was a great treat. Sometimes we took

butter and eggs to the store to trade for the things we needed. Butter sold for eight

to ten cents a pound and eggs from six to eight cents a dozen."

Everyone who was old enough to work had chores to do. Their recreation was

dancing, sleigh riding and church. Sometimes they would have a home talent show

or a play, put on in the ward.

The year 1886 brought another sorrow to Hannah. Her son, Joseph Henry, who

was about eight years old, died in June. He died of the dread disease diphtheria.

Her family contacted the disease but only one lost his life, all the rest were very

sick.

Diphtheria took many children in the early days. Often scarlet fever swept the

area, destroying the hearing when it did not kill, resulting in deaf-mutism. Measles

came almost every spring. The terrible epidemic of smallpox spread like wildfire

on a prairie. Nothing could be done. Home remedies and native herbs did not

help. A few days of terrible fever and little bodies lay lifeless, covered by the ugly

pock marks.

When the Diphtheria came through the country it was so severe that every family

lost one or more. Hannah was called many times to the homes of the sick to nurse

or lay away the dead. Note: 90% of the death rate of children between the

years1860-1965 was because of whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and

measles. This was before the introduction of immunizations and antibiotics.

Hannah nursed her children through these sicknesses with a prayerful heart and

loving care. She was called many times to the homes of her neighbors to help

them. She was always a good friend and would divide her last bit of food with

them.

About this time Hannah took in a little girl, since she had been left an orphan. All

the family came to love her as one of them. After three or four years they were left

broken hearted when relatives came and took her away.

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1887 Increasing pressure on the Mormons, Congress passed the

Edmunds-Tucker Act, which disincorporated the Mormon

church, confiscated its real estate and other properties, and

abolished women's suffrage in Utah. The law effectively

destroyed the political, economic and social system by

which the leaders of the Mormon church have guided and

governed their society, imposing federal authority in its

place.

About 3 or 4 times a week Hannah would walk to Menan about 3 miles to Sunday

school, Relief Society & Primary. It has been said of her that she kept time with

her feet by knitting socks, sweaters, and gloves for her family, as she walked.

There were no schools in the country but Hannah Molland Byington, taught the

boys and girls how to read and write, she had taught school in Marsh Valley at a

place called nine mile. Hannah was the first teacher of this school. Hannah also

insisted that the children be baptized at 8 yrs. of age. In the year of 1888 Grandpa

was baptized by Bishop William Stephens.

1888 Deep snows and raging blizzards, following a dry

Summer season devastated the cattle herds of the

northern Plains. When the snows finally melted,

hundreds of thousands of carcasses littered the range,

leading the ranchers who gathered them up to call the

winter of '88 "The Great Die-Up."

On November 19, 1889 Grandpas mother died after a

lingering illness caused by an injury to her back when

she jumped from a wagon and her skirt caught. It was

his recollection that he had crawled down behind the

stove where it was warm and had fallen asleep. The

neighbors, who were caring for his mother, awoke

Grandpa and told him his mother was dead.

He said “no-one will ever know what a heartache these

words caused, because she had been both mother and

father to him”.

Hannah Molland Byington

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1890 The U. S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality

of the 1887 Edmunds-Tucker Act, denying that its assault

on Mormon institutions constituted a violation of

Mormon religious freedom. At the same time, Congress

debated the even more punitive Cullom-Strubble Bill,

designed to deny all Mormons the right to vote. In

response, Wilford Woodruff, leader of the Mormon Church, issued the

"Manifesto," a revelation urging all members of the church to comply with

the laws of the land regarding marriage.

Parley‟s older brothers and sisters took care of him, and when he was 10 years old,

he started school where he went to the 4th reader. They used homemade benches

and tables in place of desks.

Money was very scarce so the only toys that Grandpa ever owned was something

useful. They always managed to have a pocket knife which they used to make

toys. Once Grandpa said he and his younger brother Spencer made a wagon which

several of the neighbors wanted to buy. All offers were refused, but the little boys

agreed to trade it for some seed wheat, which was never received.

About this time Grandpa was given his first pair of store bought pants, a

pair of waist overalls which really made him feel grown up.

At a 24th of July celebration, Grandpa entered a foot race. The prize was

a bag of marbles. After several attempts the race ended in a tie between

him and another boy. The judges decided to give a straw hat

as another prize and since grandpa was from a poor family. They felt he

needed the hat the most. Later that day some bigger boys took

away his straw hat and ruined it.

In the Fall Grandpa and Uncle Spencer worked in the spuds and

made just enough between them for one pair of shoes. These

two boys took turns wearing the shoes to school that winter.

For the use of his mother’s homestead, an older brother had agreed to care for the

two little boys as Grandpa and Spencer were called. They had been withering some

horses for an older sister and her husband. The following is a letter his sister

received from Grandpa.

Menan, Bingham Co. Idaho April 16, 1893

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Dear Sisters it is with pleasure that I set down to drop you a few lines to let

you know that we are all well and hope this finds you all the same. Well

we started plowing on the 8th of this month and have plowed about 6

acres. Well the school teacher is teaching up to the Teton

Basin and he left here owing me and Spencer $3.50 how

much will you take for your bay colt, she is as ugly as she can

be she has not grown any since you left here Well I cannot

think of any more to write so I will close my letter at this time

from your ever loving brother, Parley Byington.

Aunt Martha told us a few years ago that she was sure he got

that runty ugly colt. At this time the brother took the little

boys to Marsh Valley where they worked on the railroad

changing the tracks from narrow gage to wide. He also

worked clearing sage and shocking grain which he tied by

hand for 50 cents a day. With some of this money he bought

his first suit. Next he moved up to Sand Creek near

Taylorville where he stayed with his sister Martha and her

husband for about three years. Grandpa and Spencer baled hay

during the winter and worked on ranches during the summer trying to get a start in

livestock.

Parley worked on a dredge boat mining gold in Stanley Basin and also dredged for

gold on the Snake River near Minidoka, Idaho. Note: The Author, Edgar Rice

Burroughs worked on the same dredge boat at the same time.

The photo on the left is of the Burroughs-Sweetser Gold

Dredge it was located in Stanley Basin. The photo

below is of a house boat where the Burroughs family

lived upstairs and the hired hands slept downstairs.

They mined near Minidoka.

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This is where he met Marguerite Brennetta Smith

(Maggie) in 1903. She and her mother were

cooking for the miners. The mine failed, and Parley

was once again forced to look for work. He found a

job working for the railroad in Utah.

It was about one and a half years later that Parley

and Maggie were married at Laguna, Utah. At this

time he was working on the railroad. Grandpa studied and worked on steam

engines. All his life he had a secret desire to be a railroad engineer.

In 1905 he and Grandma moved into a little house at Broxom where he

worked helping build a canal for irrigation. Prior to this as a young man he

had helped build the Island Canal at Annis.

In June they moved to Annis, Idaho on his

mother’s old homestead. Times were hard,

but they were used to it, since things never

had been easy for either him or Grandma.

They had a cow, a wagon team and ten

dollars. They planted a garden and Grandpa

got a job at anything he could do, as it was

too late to plant a crop.

This photo is of the Cookhouse near Minedoka, Idaho where Loulia and Maggie cooked for the miners. Loulia and Maggie are pictured on the l eft.

( Actual home where they lived in Annis, Idaho)

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Maggie holding

Parley and Maggie Byington baby Glen

Their first child was born on November 5, 1905. They named their sweet little

daughter Lena Marguerite. The second child, Joseph Burkhart (Bert) joined them

on October 29, 1907. Theao Brennetta became part of the family on February 26,

1910. All three of these children were born in the log home in Annis.

In the spring of

1906, one of

grandpa’s horses got

a disease, so it had

to be destroyed and

they weren’t allowed

to bring another

horse on the place

for one year.

Grandpa went up

behind Old Baldy in Swan Valley and worked at a Sawmill. He got some rough

lumber and some slabs and moved on a dry farm in Poplar in 1907 where he had

filed on a homestead. With this lumber he built a one room house. In the daytime

he would plow and clear the land of sage and in the evenings while the horses

rested he would work on building the house. Some of the men working on the

Anderson dam would hear him hammering a long time after dark.

Joseph Burkhart ( Bert) Byington

2 nd child

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hard Grandpa had to shovel the snow away from the barn door and then away from

the horses before he could get them out to water.

Grandpa and Grandma worked hard to get

the homestead cleared of sage. The

plowing had to be done with a walking

plow. The winters were hard, and one

time during the winter the wind blew so

The Byington Farm Poplar, Idaho

During harvest, Grandpa

traded work with the

neighbors for help to get

his own done. Sometimes

threshing wouldn't be

finished until Christmas.

Wo rking the Farm Poplar, Idaho

Parley and Maggie’s Farm.

Parley is standing on the load of hay. Maggie, Lena, Theao and Gene are standing next to the wagon.

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Grandpa worked on the Anderson Dam

several times to repair and rebuild houses that

were washed away in high-water. He also

helped at different times bring several rafts of

house logs and lumber down the Snake River.

Some were taken out at Lorenzo and some

were taken out at near Heise Hot Springs by

the Upper Snake River Ferry.

Upper Snake River Ferry

Six more children came to

bless their happy home.

Eugene Parley was born

November 11, 1912. Merrill

Ray came to them on October

9, 1914. On August 10, 1916

Glen Spencer made his

appearance. John Franklin

was born October 26, 1918

and Keith Paul was born July

Eugene, Lena and Bert

17, 1920. Wayne Ivan was

born February 24, 1922. Even though money was scarce at times they loved to

get together at the school

house for community parties

and dances, also to go on

picnics or gathering wild

fruit in the canyons. The

photo on the left was in

grandpa’s collection. I am

not sure what they are

doing… but, it looks like

fun! Looks like every little

child in the area

was there… maybe even

some we know.

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Eugene, Maggie baby Glen Spring 1917: Eugene, Theao, baby Glen, and Merrill Maggie, Little Merrill, Lena and Bert.

Merrill, Theao, Glen, Frank, Grandpa holding Lena or Theao

Maggie, Ivan and Keith. In

1923 the family moved a few

miles from the dry farm

homestead to the home where

he lived until he died. The

family had grown in number so

that he now had nine children,

two girls & seven boys.

After moving into their new

home in Poplar, Idaho, Carl

Parley and Maggie Byington Home

in Poplar, Idaho Lynn was born January 12,

1925. Sorrow came to the family when little Carl came down with whooping cough

and died on April 14, 1926. Ivan remembered how sad it made him to see his little

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brother struggling to breathe. He said he coughed so hard that he could not catch his

breath. Ivan was devastated by Carl’s death.

Murry Irving joined the family on September 27,

1926. Larry Douglas was born July 14, 1929. Neva

LaRee was born July 31, 1929 and the last child was

born August 10, 1934, his name was Gary Richard.

They were all happy to get where they could have a

lawn, flowers, trees, and a garden and not have to haul

all their drinking water.

Maggie and baby Murry

When Grandpa and Grandma

bought th eir home in Poplar t hey

also acquired some dry farm land

on Antelope, but the crops were

poor and not worth much. So

Parley was forced to go to work

on the river, rebuilding the Dam

Again to make ends meet.

Grandpa played on a ball team until a sprained ankle made

him quit, but several years later he played with several of

his boys again. He enjoyed all kinds of sports and was very

Larry Douglas Neva LaRee Gary Richard

John Parley Byington

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good at horseshoes until the last few years, when a heart condition made it so he

couldn't play.

P

In 1949 a six-day blizzard began over the Northern

Rockies and the Great Plains. The storm produced the

most adverse

weather conditions

in the history of the

West. Over 50

inches of snow was

dumped in

South East Idaho.

Parley and Maggie

Maggie and Parley Byington Byington 1949

Parley was asked to be in a movie that was filmed in

this area. Th is photo is from that movie… complete with the old clothing, covered wagons, and other stars!

It would be nice to know the title of that movie and see

if it was still in existence! The title of the movie was

“Bad Boy Bascam”. I don’t know the year it was

filmed but it would be fun to see if it was still in

existence!

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Grandma was in ill health for several years and grandpa was

always ready to take her for a ride or anything to

make her feel better. It seemed that all their lives

Grandpa and Grandma had family and friends around

them. He and Grandma made everyone welcome and was

always ready to help anyone in need. Maggie finally

passed away September 10, 1953. She was 64 years old.

Parley asked his sister Martha to come and live

with him, which she did. Martha had taken care

of him when he was young and now he had his

opportunity to take care of her. Every one of us

lives were blessed because of her, Aunt Martha

did many things to make Grandpa less lonesome.

Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Martha always

loved to have the little children around them and

were blessed in this respect. None of the 13

living children, who were all married with

families of their own, lived more than fifteen miles away. There wasn't a day

passed but what some of the grand or great grandchildren would run in to see the

Grandparents. They always had candy or cookies for each and every one. Roma

remembers calling Martha “Grandma Aunt Martha” and that she had a bin in the

kitchen where she kept those delicious soft cookies. They were brown and spicy

and really yummy, but, Roma was only allowed to have one. And… never to ask

for one… she just had to wait till one was offered to her. So Roma would stand

by the bin where the cookies were stored until she got one!

Grandma Aunt Martha made a dress for Roma and one for her

doll to match. It was red and had black and yellow circular

designs on it. The dress was made of a shiny material. Roma

loved those dresses and sat eagerly beside her as she made

them. Roma also loved to watch Aunt

Martha’s foot moving up and down on the

treadle sewing machine as she sewed. Aunt

Martha wore black oxford shoes with a wing tip design and a

two-inch heel.

Roma loved to sit on the floor next to her and watch as she made many beautiful

creations for Parley’s family. Roma was two or three years old at the time but still

remembers how much she loved Aunt Martha and Grandpa Parley. Unfortunately,

Martha Byington Reed

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Grandma Maggie died when Roma was only one year old. How she wishes she

could have known her.

Martha made a “Star” pattern quilt

top for many of Parley’s

grandchildren.

Note: The photo on the left is

of a quilt top that Aunt Martha

made. It is still in existence in

2009 and in the possession of

Nina Jones. Martha was a

wonderful “Grandmother” or

“Aunt” to all of us. Aunt

Martha passed away

December 9, 1959 leaving

Grandpa alone once more. She was 87 years old.

Even though someone was around most of the time, Grandpa was very lonely. His

heart had been bothering him for some time although he didn’t go to a Dr. until his

feet started swelling.

Right up to the last-minute Grandpa was telling witty

stories and was interested in changes in community

and government affairs. He was really happy when he

could solve puzzles or do problems that would stump

any of the family, which he often did. He still loved to

play with the children when they came to visit. He

loved to play games like “Triopoly” and “Horseshoes”

with his family. We will all miss his wit and wisdom

but we are deeply grateful for having had it.

Parley with Roma and Evertt

Although he was under a Doctor’s care he started declining until on the 20th of

February 1964 he passed away. At the time he was survived by 13 children, 10

boys 3 girls 89 Grandchildren and 73 great grandchildren. He was preceded in

death by a son, Carl and his beloved wife Maggie. Parley was 83 years old.

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Grandpa was the ninth of ten in his mother’s family and eleven half brothers and

sisters, one child, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren preceded him in

death.

An original poem by Alice Camphouse

I am alone now. Were the words that he said “for the rest of my life, until I am

dead,” He was alone. How could this be true? When his children were counted,

there were more than a few. But the loneliness you feel, when you're in a crowd, is

much worse than when, there is no one around. He was the last one to go, of his

sisters and brothers, his dear wife had gone, along with the others. His life now is

over. We'll see him no more. Now grandma is with him. He's not alone,

anymore.

Life Sketch was written by Granddaughter Alice Camphouse in 1964 and added to

by Granddaughter Roma Christensen 2009

In Loving Memory of Parley and Maggie Byington

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The Parley and Maggie Byington Family Portraits

1935 Back Row: Lena, Bert, and Theao Middle Row: Ivan, Merrill, Glen, Eugene, Frank and Keith.

Bottom Row: Doug, Maggie, Neva Parley holding baby Gary and Murry

Parley Neva, Parley and Theao

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About 1940 Back Row: Bert, Theao, Ivan, Maggie, Glen, Parley, Lena, Merrill, and Doug. Front Row: Keith, Neva, Eugene, Murry, Frank and Gary.

Parley and some of his siblings

Back Row: James, Charles and Parley Front Row: Mariah, Martha, and Susan

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Life History of Marguerite Brennetta Smith Byington

John Perry and Loulia Smith

post office. Nephi was incorporated in

1889, the year that Maggie was born.

Nephi became the county seat of Juab

County.

Agriculture was the first industry.

Farming and livestock have always been

important in the Nephi area. The settlers

traced the source of the salt in the creek

to a cave in the canyon east of town and

they then began to mine it. This soon

became a flourishing local industry, with

salt traded to people as far away as St.

George in exchange for food and

clothing.

Marguerite Brennetta Smith Byington

was born July 3, 1889 in Nephi, Juab

County, Utah, to John Perry Smith and

Loulia Brennetta Allen Smith

(pictured on the left). Nephi was

known for some years as Salt Creek.

However, early church records refer to

it as the Nephi Branch and some

government records also called it

Nephi. Until 22 May 1882 mail to the

town was addressed to the Salt Creek

Maggie Smith age 2

She was the fifth child of 10 children. A son and three daughters were born before

her. None of them lived. Loulia and John must have been very grateful when

Maggie lived. It was seven years after they married that they finally got a child to

keep. (The photo on the left is of Maggie when she was two years old.) Another

daughter, Marion Nevada Smith, was born on 16 July 1891 in Oceola, Nevada.

She lived! What a wonderful feeling it must have been to Loulia to have two little

daughters that she could hold and love and cherish. Two years later on 13 Jul

1893 another daughter, Ruby Hannah Smith, was born in Coalville, Utah. Frank

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Allen Smith joined the family on 30 Jul 1896. Imagine the joy and laughter that

filled this home. Dea Marie Smith was born 10 Apr. 1898 in Nephi, Utah and

once again the family endured sorrow when this little girl died in Feb of 1899, she

was just 1 year old. John Wheaton Smith was born on 23 Aug 1900 in Eureka,

Utah. When John was a baby of eight and a half months old his father, John Perry

Smith, was killed in a train accident there is Eureka, Utah while working for the

railroad. Loulia was faced with the tragedy of losing her beloved husband and

having to feed 5 living children. Here it was, May of 1901 and Loulia had no

choice but to take care of her family alone. Maggie was nearly 12 years old at this

time. Because she was the oldest Maggie had to help. Grandma Loulia took up

sewing for other people to support the family. She moved her family to Lehi,

Utah. It must have been a daunting task to take on the responsibility of raising a

family all alone. But, Loulia was a very strong person. She was a survivor. She

would not give up! Maggie was a very beautiful person. When she was a teen she

was voted the most beautiful girl in Lehi, Utah… although, her physical beauty

was no match for her inner beauty.

Maggie met Parley Byington in 1903 when she and her mother were cooking for

the miners near Minidoka, Idaho. Maggie was 14 years old. It was love at first

sight. However, Parley had to leave and the couple didn’t see each other for a year

and a half.

On the 1st of July 1904, three years after the death of her

husband, Loulia married a man by the name of John

Richard (Jack) Dallimore in Lehi, Utah. He was a

happy man who was ready and willing to help her raise

her family. He loved to play the fiddle and the

accordion and was known to provide the music at many

dances.

One year later another daughter joined the family.

Maggie had a new little sister named Loulia Katherine

Dallimore.

Then Maggie once again was reunited with her lifelong

love and married him in Laguna, Utah in December

John Richard (Jack) Dallimore

1904. She was only 15 years old at the time. Though 15 was not an uncommon

age to be married in 1904. Maggie left her family and moved to Idaho with her

new husband.

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In 1905 Parley and Maggie moved

into a little house at Broxom where he

worked helping build a canal for

irrigation. Prior to this as a young man

he had helped build the Island Canal at

Annis. In June they moved to Annis,

Idaho on Hannah Molland Byington’s

old homestead. Maggie was expecting

a baby. Times were hard, but they

were used to it, since things never had

been easy for either of them. They had a cow, a wagon team and $10. They planted

a garden and Parley got a job doing anything he could do, as it was too late to plant

a crop. Lena Marguerite was born on November 5, 1905. On October 29, 1907

the family was blessed with the birth of Joseph Burkhart (Bert). Then on February

26, 1910 the family added another little daughter, Theao Brennetta.

They moved to Poplar, Idaho near the Snake River in 1910. After Parley had filed

a homestead right on a piece of land and had worked it and built a home for his

family. He wanted his family to be comfortable, so he sacrificed much of his time

to build the home in the picture below. The lady in the photo is Martha Reed.

Parley worked the fields in the daytime and at

night he would build on the house. A man

named Hy Frew was camped across the river

working on the dam. He said he could hear

that hammer going till nine or ten o'clock at

night. Parley was continually working on the

house. Hy Frew realized that Parley had a lot

of ambition. So then he hired him to work on

the river project as often as they could use him. And Hy discovered that Parley was

an expert with an axe. It was like music to watch him. He would swing that axe so

precisely that the axe would hit in the right place every time. It didn't take him

long to get results.

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Lena, Bert, Theao, Eugene, and Merrill

After moving to the new place, Eugene Parley was born on November 11, 1912.

Merrill Ray came along on October 9, 1914.

Eugene, Theao, Baby Glen, Maggie, Little Merrill, Lena and Bert 1917 Merrill, Theao, Glen, Frank, Maggie, Ivan and Keith

One year the family went to Swan Valley for

Christmas. Swan Valley was about twenty-

five miles and that's a long way with a sleigh.

So, Parley did the usual thing. He put the hay

in the bottom of the box. Then he put quilts on

top of the hay. In addition to that, he added

two or three sacks of big cobble rocks that he

had heated in the old cook stove. He got them

real hot and then tucked them down in the hay

and covered them with more hay and quilts to keep them hot. He did this to keep

them warm in the sleigh. He put everyone in the sleigh and headed for Swan

Valley. It took too long to go twenty-five miles in a sleigh… for the rocks to stay

warm. By the time they got to Conant Valley the rocks were cold and so were the

kids! Maggie did her best to keep everyone warm but, alas, the warmth didn’t last.

This was a trip to remember. They went to Swan Valley to stay with Uncle Ike

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and Aunt Susan Fisher. But, Maggie and Parley didn't take any toys for their kids.

But, Uncle Ike and Aunt Susan still had Christmas for their kids. That wasn't

something that satisfied the Byington kids too well. They stayed in Swan Valley

about a week. (The horse and sleigh photo is not from the Byington family

collection).

When they came home, Hy Frew had been at their home. He could see the house

was unlocked. So, he tied a rope to the door knob and went all around the house

with that rope. He wrapped it up so nobody could get in. After untying the house,

they got in and there was a bowl on the table and under the bowl was a gold watch

with a nice fob on it. It was a watch that he had taken to the jeweler and got fixed

up so it run good and he'd left it there for Bert! Maggie thought that Bert was a kid

too small to carry it, so Maggie wouldn't let him have it. She hung it on the wall. It

hung there for a few months, and one day little brother Gene got too curious and

he got up there and picked the hands off from it. He ruined it! Maggie was afraid

to let Bert have it! He never did get any good out of it. Hy Frew was the

superintendent of the progressive irrigation district and he had a good relationship

with Parley and the family. He was quite a guy. He was good to the family. He was

also quite a prankster. Since we didn't lock the house he tied the door shut so we

couldn't get in! Everybody got a kick out of that.

He was a compassionate person. Whenever he had an opening he would give dad a

job and of course dad always made sure he gave him plenty of work for his money.

Parley always taught the family that whenever they went to work… always give a

good day’s work for your pay. And because of that he always had a job with Hy

Frew. It kept the family from going hungry many a time.

Maggie Glen, Frank, Keith and Ivan

Glen Spencer was born August 10, 1916 and John Franklin was born October 26,

1918. Keith Paul was born July 17, 1920. Wayne Ivan came along on February 24,

1922.

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Parley and co-workers felling trees

Bert watched his father with amazement as

he would use his axe to fell trees. He saw

him fell a tree one time near the upper

ferry. The tree was tipped out over the

river. It was a tall cottonwood tree. Parley

sawed a notch on the river side of the tree

in the direction it was tipped, till it started

binding the saw. Then he pulled the saw

out. Parley drove a wedge in the notch, a

little farther, and a little farther. He notched the other side too and pretty soon

the tree fell over the other way. It had been leaning to the east, and it fell to the

west!

Parley had the opportunity to work on the canal. So when Bert was fifteen years

old he was considered old enough to take care of the farm. It took twelve head of

horses to pull the combine. They went to Antelope to harvest the crop, Bert's job

was to haul water and hay to the horses. Luther Higby and Bill Thorngren were

running the combine. Bert had to cook for them. When the job was done he had to

load sacks of wheat and haul them to the barn and stack them up and take some to

town. When the crop was harvested Parley told Bert he could hire someone to help

him bring the sacks in. So, Bert promptly hired Bill Stagg to help him. It took three

days to complete the job. When Bert got back, Parley had a job waiting for him on

the river. Bert had a lot of respect for his father and was always willing to do

anything he asked him to do. He worked hard for his dad because he wanted him

to be proud of him.

The canal superintendent was awfully

good to Parley and to Bert. He usually

paid Parley more than he did anyone

else. He paid Bert the same as Parley.

Bert helped put in most of the rock that

is in the dam at the head of the

Anderson canal. They would put five

wagon loads of rock on a big square

boat (three feet deep and twenty-four

feet square). It had wenches on it so it

could go either up or down stream. They would load the boat up and untie it. They

had to tilt the boat, so the current would take it out into the stream. "We would

push down below the boat to catch the push from the water", said Bert. Then we'd

have to let it down a couple hundred feet. We had a big load sitting down into the

Anderson Head gate

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water two feet or better. Then we would let it down to where we would dump the

rock

off and we would dump the rock off beside the boat. The boat had a flat top on it.

We had to scatter the rock with nothing at the back… up to a crest at the front that

was about eight feet deep. The water was fourteen feet deep at the back side of the

dam. So it took an awful lot of rock. That was dad's job. My job was blasting out

rock and taking it to the river. We did five loads a day. The rocks were too big to

handle so they would blast them and break them up so they could roll the rocks to

the wagons to transport to the boat. They didn't even go home at night. The boss

had a tent they stayed in that was big enough to hold all of them. It took three Fall

seasons to complete the job. Frank and John Smith (Maggie’s brothers) worked

there too. They poured cement on each side of the dam.

"I didn't mind the work, it was nice, said Bert. I liked to get in a little row boat and

row around the river. I really loved that. Every chance I got I was out in that boat!

While we were working on the dam project, Hy Frew, the boss, brought the

superintendent of the sugar factory up there fishing. He told me to take the

superintendent out in the boat. I took him out just below the dam. I was holding the

drift boat close to the cribs or the dam. The superintendent let his line out there

about a couple hundred feet. He kept hooking and catching fish one after another.

He got so excited one time that he kept moving around in the back of the boat and

the water came up within about two inches of the top of the boat. The idea really

tickled me that he might sink the boat! He was one of those big guys that went

around acting awfully important. I would have taken my chances on getting out…

just to see him get soaked! We had a lot of good times. I enjoyed boating on the

river and working on the river too. And in fact, I enjoyed all my work on the farm

or whatever I was doing. That was the kind of a life we had. When you feel good

about what you’re doing, you have a good life.”

Maggie was busy raising her family. She planted a garden and taught the kids to

pull weeds and keep it watered. There was no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and

no refrigeration. The water used in the home had to be carried in buckets. Maggie

had an old-fashioned cook stove. The wood had to be gathered and stacked near

the home so that it was accessible when it was needed. Maggie would build a fire

in the cook stove every morning to prepare all of the family’s meals. The stove

was also used for heat. However, the summer months were unbearably hot. She

baked a lot of bread. She raised her own chickens, cows, horses, pigs, and sheep.

The cows had to be milked, the eggs had to be gathered and all the farm animals

also had to be fed. The family also ate fish that they caught on the Snake River.

Maggie was a master seamstress. She made most of the family clothing. He

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washed the clothes by hand. There were no doctors in the area. Babies were born

at home. She never stopped to rest… and she seldom complained. Maggie was an

amazing person.

In 1923 the family moved again a few miles from the dry farm homestead to the

home where they lived until they died. The family

had grown in number so that they now had nine

children, two girls & seven boys. They were all

happy to get where they could have a lawn, flowers,

trees, and a garden and not have to haul all

their drinking water. They had also acquired some

dry farm land on Antelope, but the crops were poor

and not worth

much. Parley was forced to go to work on the river,

rebuilding the Dam again to make ends meet. Maggie holding baby Murry

Five more children came to bless their happy home. Carl Lynn was born on

January 12, 1925. Then on the 14th of April 1926 he died of the whooping cough.

Maggie was broken hearted. It is so hard to lose a child. It takes a part of you

away that you are never able to get back. Little Carl had left a small handprint in

the cement when the family added a few steps to the front porch. That little hand

print was a memory that lasted for many years. Ivan remembered how difficult it

was to watch his little brother coughing so hard that he could not breathe. Ivan

was very sad.

Murry, Doug, Neva and Gary

Murry was born on September 27, 1926 and Larry Douglas was born on July 14,

1929. Neva LaRee came along on July 31, 1931 and Gary Richard was born on

August 10, 1934.

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Even though money was scarce they loved to get together at the school house for

community parties and dances, also to go on picnics or gathering wild fruit up in

the canyons. They loved to go fishing.

Parley and Maggie were blessed

with fourteen children. Maggie

used to say that the way the Lord

could punish her most was if he

sent her twins! Since she never

had twins she was OK. The

average spacing of the children

was two years. She gave birth to

fourteen children, eleven boys

and three girls!

In the new home, Maggie would rise early every morning

and make bread (12 loaves, and a pan of rolls). She

would stoke the fire in the old cook-stove and get the temperature just perfect for

baking bread. This bread was the main food of the family. Bert remembered that

in the fall the family would take wheat to the granary and trade it for Germade

(wheat) cereal (enough to last 6 months). Then in

the spring they would get oatmeal to last the next

six months. He said it wasn't much for variety but

that it took care of the needs of the family. They

also raised potatoes and a large garden and farm

animals for food and milk.

One of the family favorite

treats was to pour the heavy

cream off the top of the milk

onto a slice of homemade

bread and sprinkle sugar all

over it.

Maggie took pride in her

flower garden. She was

known to walk around the yard when the flowers were in full

bloom with her hands clasped behind her back and breathe deeply the sweet scent

of God's creations. She loved flowers. She had huge "Bleeding Heart's" that grew

on each side of the front steps to the house. They were so beautiful! Maggie loved

her flowers… and she loved her family. But most important, her family loved her.

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She had been a hard-working, loving mother and had devoted all of her life to her

family.

Maggie had diabetes. In the last years of her life she lost a lot of weight. She was

called home to her Father in Heaven on September 10, 1953. She was 64 years 2

months and 7 days old.

May Maggie and Parley Byington’s Pioneer Determination and Loving Spirit

Live on Forever in our Hearts…

Written by Roma Byington Sierk Granddaughter October 2009- updated 2019

Neva Byington Peterson (daughter) wrote: We lived so close to the school that we

walked home for lunch each day. That was why the sack lunch was special. I know

now that my dear mother would have also sent me a sack lunch, if I'd have told her

how much I loved that. She was always cooking and making things that she knew

we loved to eat. She worked hard, night and day, caring for all the family as well

as grand kids and others. It makes me sad to remember how life was so hard for

her. Her enjoyments and compliments were few and far between. I don't think any

of us ever appreciated and loved her like we should have. We should have made a

point to tell her. And it would have been better if we had helped her more. I know

she is one of Gods choicest Angels in Heaven. She is much loved there.

My mother and Father were much loved and although they had so many hardships

in life, (mostly before I was born), they took good care of all of us and we never

went hungry or lacked for love. They were very hard working all their lives and

did sacrifice so much for all us kids. It makes me sad to remember how much they

both went without so that we could all have more. They worked hard to help their

kids. My mother worked both day and night to keep up with her large family. She

was always up working, long after the rest of the family had gone to bed. Mom and

Dad were the first up in the morning getting started on the days work.

There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Mom and Dad and miss

them and know how hard life was for them. I sure do appreciate how much they

taught me and the values they gave us all. They gave us their love, their honesty,

and kindness and thoughtfulness for others. These are lessons that will always be

with us. Their love and concern for others was always first in their minds. They

also taught us love and concern for the less fortunate among us including animals

and birds and other creatures. I find these values lacking in society as we know it

today.

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Stanley Smith (grandson) wrote: When Grandpa moved the family to the

Anderson Canal head gate, times were terribly tough and challenging. The

available properties were generally isolated from the more developed properties

and communities. The land made available to him was located in the greater

Poplar, Idaho, region. It was 'dry land' property which meant he had the added risk

of depending on Mother Nature for rainfall to make his crops grow. His land was

far from markets for his produce and far from meaningful commerce where he

could conduct his business needs.

Undaunted by the isolation and the attendant hardships it would bring, he and

Grandma set their course. Land cultivation and harvest drove the activities of these

pioneers. The endless daylight-to-dark demands of farming inspired the need for

large families. Grandpa and Grandma were no exception to this tradition. As they

succeeded agriculturally, they 'pushed the envelope' by expanding their family

nearly every year. Sacrifice was a by-word to them as they struggled to endure.

The family lived in a one-room house with a semi-basement dug into the hillside

approximately a 1/4 mile above the Anderson head gate. There were no trees, no

in-door toilet facilities, no electricity, no water well, no improved roads, no

doctors, no stores, and no close neighbors. The family had only basic necessities

and few material possessions -- even windows with glass panes and curtains were

pure luxuries in those times. Their existence was void of all worldly pleasures and

nice things that are now taken for granted in our more modern age.

Fortunately, though, Grandpa and Grandma seemed to have an abundance of

character, love, and determination. Their bedrock features forged the nest for the

Byington children as they sought to till the unplowed ground and prosper from

their backbreaking work. Not much is known by my generation about how

members of the family spent each day, each week, and each month as they grew up

on the 'dry farm., Without doubt the boys worked hard along side of Grandpa to

plow, plant, and harvest the crops. However, female members, traditionally cared

for the babies and young toddlers and did the household chores.

Sharon Tyler Linville (granddaughter) remembered when Grandma asked her to

go out to the garden and get her an ear of corn. She loved corn on the cob but, she

liked to eat it raw! She also remembered that Grandma loved flowers and babies

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(all kinds of babies!) She remembered a family film of Maggie holding baby

chicks and talking to them.

Fay Anthony wrote: My association with the Byington family and with Ivan goes

back 70 years. In 1929 my folks purchased the Poplar Store and we moved up to

Poplar. I don’t think that there are any friendships that are so solid and enduring as

those that you form as a youngster growing up. This was my experience with the

Byington family. Parley Byington was a true friend to my Dad When we moved to

poplar it was during the time of the great depression, and Parley Byington did

everything that he could to help my folks make the little country store produce a

living.

Parley and Maggie had a large family often boys and three girls, so they had their

hands full trying to keep food on the table and clothes on the backs of all Even

though he could have saved money by going to town for groceries, Parley made it

a point to buy everything that he could from Dad I don„t remember Parley

Byington being a great church goer, but I do remember him coming into my

Fathers store on several occasions and telling him to take an order of groceries to

the home of a widow in our community that had a rather large family. He would

always say just put it on my bill and don’t say anything about where it came from.

If any family had serious financial problems, Parley Byington was the first one

there to help. This attitude toward other people has been carried on by his family. I

will never forget the great Love and Respect that my folks had for Parley &

Maggie Byington, I guess that’s why I have had the same feeling about them. The

Byington’s have been some of my dearest friends and business supporters

throughout my life. And I have had a great respect for their integrity because I

found that their word was as good as their bond.

Mrs. Parley (Maggie) Byington, Funeral Held

Funeral services for Maggie B. Byington were held Monday, September 14, at 2 p.

m. from Ririe Second ward L.D.S. Chapel, with Bishop George L. Lovell,

presiding. Family prayer was offered by Murry Byington and the prelude and

postlude was by Marilyn Lovell. Opening song was "Sometime We'll Understand,"

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by the Singing Mothers. Invocation was offered by Herbert S. Poore. Life history

was given by Harriet Lovell and a vocal solo, "We'll Meet at the End of Trail," was

sung by Jesse Nield.

Harold Freeman was a speaker and a vocal selection, I'll Go Where You Want Me

to Go," was sung by the Singing Mothers. Closing remarks were made by Bishop

George L. Lovell, and Ray Crystal sang the closing song, "Bury Me Near the Old

Home". The Benediction was by Doug Byington. Interment was in Annis Little

Butte Cemetery with the dedicatory prayer by Dan Tyler.

Pall bearers were Rodney, Spencer, Dale, Donald Byington, Wayne Robinson,

Terry Tyler, Bob Hall, Harry Groth. The flower bearers were Grandchildren.

Flowers were under the direction of the Ririe Second Ward Relief Society. The

funeral was directed by the Eckersell Funeral Home.

Ririe Pioneer Matron Dies

Mrs. Maggie Byington, 64, of Ririe, died Thursday in an Idaho Falls hospital after

a lingering illness.

Born July 3, 1889, at Nephi, Utah, daughter of John and Louila Brennetta Smith.

Married to Parley Byington, Dec, 12, 1904, at Lagoona, Utah. Member of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mrs. Parley (Maggie B.) Byington, 64, resident of Ririe for the past 43 years, died

Thursday afternoon at an Idaho Falls hospital following a lingering illness.

She was born July 3, 1889, at Nephi, Utah, the daughter of John Perry and Loulia

Brennetta Allen Smith. She was married Dec. 12, 1904, at Lagoona, Utah, to

Parley Byington and the couple immediately came to Idaho, living first at Annis

and moving to Ririe a short time later. She was a member of the LDS Church.

Survivors include her husband and the following sons and daughters: Mrs. Lena

Smith, Bert Byington, Mrs. Dan M. (Theao) Tyler, Eugene Byington, Merrill

Byington, Glen Byington, Frank Byington, Keith Byington, Ivan Byington, Carl

Byington (deceased), Murry Byington, Douglas Byington, Mrs. Dwain (Neva)

Peterson, and Gary Byington.

Also surviving are 57 grandchildren and two brothers and two sisters, Mrs. Albert

(Ruby) Hansen, Annis; Mrs. Elvin (Loulia) Wilbur, Vallejo, California; John W.

Smith, Boise; and Frank A. Smith, Santa Rosa, California.

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Funeral services will be held Monday at 2 p.m. in the Ririe Second LDS Ward

Chapel with Bishop George L. Lovell officiating. Interment will be in the Annis

Little Butte Cemetery under the direction of the Eckersell Funeral Home of Rigby.

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39

40

Marguerite Brennetta Byington

July 1889 – Sept 1953

Obituary given at her funeral

by Harriet Lovell

God did not make her in a single hour.

He fashioned her for laughter, love and tears.

And as a tree that slowly comes to flower

He gave her time, the blessed gift of years

God did not make her with a single breath

He gave her will, to strive and hope and trust

And days for growth-------

And she grew graciously through sun and rain

With tolerance and kindness for all men

And though life’s storms have bowed her soul in pain

She did not fall, but reached to the stars again

Maggie was born the 3rd of July, 1889 at Nephi, Juab Co., Utah

A tiny baby daughter came to the home of John Perry Smith and his

wife, Loulia B. Allen Smith. She was the sixth child to enter that

home but the first to live.

What a joy she must have been to her parents. How much love and

care must have been showered upon her. So much that all through her

life she seemed to radiate that love on all whom she met. Sometimes

to me it seemed that she must have been created that she might scatter

love, smiles and sunshine on all who crossed her way.

Ten more children came to bless the Smith home. Sixteen in all, but

only five lived to maturity; these were Maggie, Mamie, Ruby, Frank

and John. Mamie died when she was 21. The others are here today

(1953) Maggie’s sister Ruby who is Mrs. Hanson of Lorenzo, Idaho.

Frank A. Smith from his home in Santa Rosa, California. John W.

from his home in Boise, Idaho.

The family left Nephi, Utah when Maggie was very small. First, they

went to Coalville, Utah. And later to Eureka, Juab Co, Utah where her

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father (John Perry Smith) was employed on the railroad, which carried

the ore from the mining district down the mountain to the junction.

When Maggie was 12, an accident at work, left the little family

fatherless. Her mother, Loulia B Smith, received compensation from

the company, about a thousand dollars which covered his funeral and

burial at Coalville, UT With the balance, she purchased a small home

in Lehi, UT

As soon as the family was located in their new home in Lehi, Utah,

they were faced with the necessity of earning a livelihood. A girl of

12 years old in that day was expected to do most of the work of a

woman. The only work to be had at that time was in the kitchen of a

neighbor. Cleaning the home of a friend and doing the washing and

ironing for those fortunate as to be able to pay them.

With tub and board or at best with an old over stroke washer, money

doesn’t go very far in keeping a family.

I (Harriet Lovell) know, I was born a few months before Maggie. My

father was killed in an accident in a mine seven miles from Eureka,

Utah. My mother too, tried to make a living washing.

Overnight, almost, Maggie found herself of necessity assuming the

responsibility of womanhood. Indeed, each member of the family for

there was wood to be chopped, water to be carried, the housework to

be done, and children to be cared for.

A cook was needed in Minidoka, Idaho on a boat where men were

dredging for gold on the Snake River. Mrs. Smith was glad to get the

extra money so the little family moved to Idaho.

One of the men on the boat was Parley Byington. Who knows,

perhaps there was a mutual attraction at their first meeting. Two

months later the boat dismantled and moved elsewhere. Maggie and

family returned to Lehi, Utah. The young man moved to Stanley

Basin and later to Utah. Maggie was in Salt Lake City working for

her aunt.

Later, Mrs. Smith married and and with her new husband moved to

Laguna, Utah. Then a child was born of this marriage, a sister Loulia,

now Mrs. Wilbur of Valiejo, California.

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So, it happened that in the fall of 1904 Parley Byington went to

Laguna, Utah to claim his bride. They were married there the 12th of

December of that year. 22 months after their first meeting. Their first

years were spent successively at Lava Hot Springs and Annis, Idaho

and at the Diamond X ranch on Pinecreek Bench, back in forth on the

farm. In that year they filed on a homestead near the Anderson Dam.

With three children they moved to the dry farm where they lived for

fifteen years.

Many of us know what it is to homestead a dry farm. Hauling water,

gathering wood, the long distance to church or store and the few near

friends. With hopes and the disappointments.

Several children were born at their home fourteen children in all.

The tenth child; named Carl died of whooping cough. He was 1 year

old. Maggie called him her “tithing child.” There are 56

Grandchildren and 10 Great Grandchildren. To Maggie, their care

was never a task but a labor of love. She was proud of them, so

grateful that they had been given to her and that it was her privilege to

love and care for them and be loved and cared for by them in turn.

For those of her children who married, she always had kind words

“She is such a wonderful girl” I’ve heard her say of all of them… or

he’s such a fine man.

She loved the beautiful things of life; the flowers, a beautiful quilt, the

lace, the embroidery, they were part of her. She made them herself.

When the time came that she could have beautiful things in her home

she was grateful, proud and happy.

She was ill when I first knew her. I never heard her utter a word of

complaint. She made light of her wobble and laughed at her swollen

legs. She said interesting things till one almost didn’t know she was

ill.

It has been difficult for me to speak only of the mother for always

since I have known them, the father has been nearby, quiet, watchful,

apparently her source of strength and comfort. I laughed from a

glance of her eye toward Parley, and her occasional word of

appreciation, how very much she needed and depended on him. Many

days and nights were spent by a sick bed; with fourteen children. The

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many loaves of bread, the many hurts to comfort, washing and

mending of the clothing and either making or purchasing clothing

which must be provided. I marvel that this father and mother could

find house, bedroom and heart room for those who depended on them

and those in need of wood, coal and oil.

All must have labored together, Maggie and Parley did well raising

their children to womanhood and manhood.

I (Harriet) shall always be grateful for the privilege of spending time

with her at the hospital. We became very close.

During the morning hours she lay partly unconscious, speaking at

times to someone in the room. Later, after she regained consciousness

I asked who she had been talking to, she said it was her sister, Mamie,

who died when a young woman.

At lunch I persuaded her to eat some dry bread. She asked for more.

Later the doctor came and helped her to understand she was standing

in the doorway to eternity. She did not want to leave her family. She

asked to have her own sons administer to her. When they came to her

room she was lying in her bed very weary. Later in the evening she

drank water after she had a very difficult hour with the doctor.

Her eyes filled with tears and she said “God Bless, to her family”

I echo her prayer, may God bless the father, these sons and daughters

and children and all those who will miss her in her absence.