Roberts, Hannah (Roberts) - Biography

HANNAH ROBERTS ROBERTS

HANNAH ROBERTS ROBERTS

Hannah was born March 27, 1847, at Eglwysbach.  The date and place of her baptism and confirmation are not definitely known except that she was baptized in the year 1855 near her home in Wales, because the records have been destroyed.  She had no opportunity to attend school because she was denied entrance at school on account of the religious affiliations of her family.  In 1864 she passed through the vicissitudes of the journey over the sea and through the war torn North, then across the great plains where she was obliged to walk a part of the way.  Being the youngest daughter of the family, she spent most of her time at home with her parents.  She went however to help other families at times while the family lived at Smithfield.  She was dutiful and obedient to parents and there was a strong mutual love between them.  She received her endowments at the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, May 24, 1869, in company with her sister Catherine and husband.

On June 6, 1870, she arrived in company with Robert D. Roberts of Logan, Utah, at Salt Lake where they were sealed together for time and eternity by Apostle Joseph F. Smith.  Two sons were born to them, David Robert Roberts, March 30, 1871, and Hugh Roberts, May 22, 1876.

Immediately following the birth of Hugh, Hannah contracted a cold through some teeth she had had extracted, and she never recovered from the effects, being in a weakened condition.  She grew slowly worse, and on April 10, 1878, her noble spirit passed from her weakened body into the great world of spirits.  She was mourned by all because she was loved by all who knew her.  She had won the hearts of all with whom she came in contact.

On July 31, 1877, she received a Patriarchal Blessing under the hands of Patriarch C. W. Hyde, as follows:

“Hannah, beloved sister, I place my hands on your head to seal upon you a patriarchal blessing for there was joy in heaven when you received this Gospel.  The angel of peace shall go with thee.  Thou shalt have visions and dreams to comfort thee while you live.  Thou shalt order they house in righteousness.  Peace shall dwell in they habitation.  Holy prophets shall dine at they table.  Thou shalt teach and instruct queens which shall come to Zion, and no good thing shall be held from thee.  Thou art a daughter of Ephraim and hast a right to the fullness of the Priesthood and with a companion and a kingdom upon the earth forever and ever, and I say unto thee, thou shalt accomplish every desire of the heart in righteousness for your last days shall be your best, for thou shall have eternal life with all they kindred ties which I seal upon thee with crowns of glory with all they Father’s household.  Amen.”

Some of those wonderful promises have been fulfilled.  Others, of course, remain yet to be fulfilled for the promises continue and reach throughout eternity.  As some have been fulfilled, so will all be realized for she was worthy and true to the end.  That blessing should be a source of hope and a comfort to all of the family because it extends to her ‘kindred ties’—all her ‘Father’s household.’  For with them she was to have eternal lives, with crowns of glory with a Kingdom upon the earth forever, which may God grant.  (Written by her son David).

Robert David Roberts

Robert David Roberts was born Sept 21, 1837, at Park (an old  Roman Castle) in Llanfrothan, Meirionethshire, North Wales, the son of David Roberts and Catherine uch Richard Ap Thomas called Catherine Thomas  or Catherine Richard.  David R. Roberts, his father, was a slate quarryman by trade and worked in the quarries of Festiniog nearby.  Robert was also trained as a slate quarryman.  He attended school as a small boy rather irregularly (for about half a year in all) at Nanmor, Llanfrothan, 2 ½ miles distant from Park.  Robert was very desirous of an education but had no opportunity except for the training he obtained through self-effort.  He acquired the ability to read and write in English and Welsh and was able to keep his own records and accounts in his business.

David, his father, received the Gospel (Mormonism) through Elder Robert Evans, who baptized him in the River Pandy near Celly Carnudydd, Llanfrothan, Meirionthshire, North Wales, May 24, 1846.  He was the first one of his father’s family to receive the Gospel.  He was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder Abel Evans and was soon afterward ordained an Elder and began active Church work.  Much bitter persecution was directed at the family because of “Mormonism.”

On April 9, 1856, the family consisting of David, his wife Catherine and six children:  Robert David, Thomas D., Daniel, Ann, Elizabeth and Jane left Festiniog for America.  They went directly to Liverpool and on April 20th went aboard the sailing ship “Sunders Curling” and set sail that day.  After a very tempestuous voyage, they landed in Boston May 24, 1856.  From here they took the train to Iowa City, Iowa, which was then the extreme Western Railroad terminal and the outfitting place for the journey over the great plains.  They remained there about three weeks, making preparations for the West.  They then set out with handcarts for the trip in Captain Edward Bunker’s Company.  After a very trying journey of suffering from fatigue, heat, cold and almost starvation, they arrived in Salt Lake City Oct 2, 1856.  They were nearer dead than alive when they arrived and were very much discouraged and disheartened with life, because of the terrible sufferings they had undergone, but nevertheless thankful for delivery over the plains.

Robert was assigned to help John his Uncle (the brother of David), who was nearly blind on his journey across the plains.  He and John pulled a handcart for which service John paid Robert’s fare from Wales to Salt Lake City.  A few days after their arrival at their destination, his Uncle John died, being unable to recover from the hardships of that journey.  Several of their company unable to bear the hardships died on the plains and were buried in unmarked graves.

They arrived in Salt Lake City at a time when food was very scarce, as the drought and crickets of 1855 had taken much of the crops and the country had not yet recovered.  Shortly after their arrival they moved to Farmington and settled in a rented log cabin.  Robert went to Ogden and spent the winter of 1856-57 working for Erastus Bingham Jr., returning in the spring to Farmington.  Then he went to Brigham City about April 1857 and worked for Captain David Evans on his farm and received two steers and board for his summer’s work.  News came of the movement of Johnston’s army to destroy the people and David was called out, going with the first company to prepare for their coming and to watch their movements.  He spent the winter of 1857-58 in Echo Canyon and suffered terribly from the lack of proper clothing to protect his body.  His feet were badly frozen, but were saved.

In the spring the family moved south, going as far as Clover Creek, near Nephi, in Juab County, where they remained about two months.  They then returned after which David and his son Robert went up Farmington Canyon and made shingles by hand.  The shingles were made from select logs, sawed into blocks of the required length, then split to the proper thickness, then shaved from about midway to one end with a drawing knife.  On Apr 4, 1858, Robert was baptized by David, his father in Farmington Creek and was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the water’s edge on the same day by his father.

In the autumn of 1858 David was stricken with Mountain Fever and Black Canker and on Nov 8, 1858, he gave up the fight, passing into the spirit world, true and faithful to the last.  He was buried in the Farmington Cemetery.  Robert was also attacked by the same dread disease and was in bed for three months.  Five weeks of this time he was unconscious.  He recovered in the spring of 1859 and now the responsibilities of the family fell upon him.  Before his illness and in the fall of 1858, Robert went to Camp Floyd to seek employment but was unsuccessful and returned home.

In the month of April 1859 Robert started to Pike’s Peak, Colorado, to work in the mines to earn money to pay the family debts.  Upon reaching Fort Bridger, he was informed by several who were turning that there was no work at Pike’s Peak, so he secured a job at Bridger in tending the farm for the soldiers and making adobes.  He remained there that summer and earned nearly enough to pay off the family debts and then returned home.

After his return to Farmington in the fall of 1859 he took a pack of bedding and started out on foot to find a new home for the family, finally landing in Logan, Cache Valley, early in Oct 1859.  One day in the early spring of 1859 when he was nearly recovered from the severe illness of the previous winter though quite weak in body, he ascended the hill just north of the his home and there in vision his life was opened up to him.  He was ambitious to go ahead in every good thing, to prosper, to lead and to be at the top.  He could see the things he desired.  They seemed easily within his grasp, coming his way or in his path, but before he could reach them they were taken away from—they vanished.  He knew its meaning.  It was impressed upon him and he was sorely disappointed and wept bitterly.  His life has been full of trial, sacrifice and disappointment, so far as worldly ambitions and successes are concerned, but a wonderful success in spiritual development.  His hope was in God and glorious future.

This was the first year of the settlement of Logan.  The first settlers camped there in May 1859.  During the fall and winter of 1859-60 in company with his brother, Thomas, who had followed him, they secured a piece of ground the built a three room log cabin.  They returned to Farmington in the spring of 1860 and moved the family to Logan. 

He never held a civic office of any kind.  He was a carpenter and cabinet maker by trade and a farmer and stock raiser by occupation.  He had an old fashioned shingle mill and made shingles for many of the early homes in Logan.  In later years he built a new house of adobe, which when built was considered quite a fine home.  He did considerable work in the canyons.  He assisted in building the Logan Temple and the Tabernacle and participated in all of the early activities and needs of the community.

He married Hannah Roberts June 6, 1870 at the Endowment House.  President Joseph F. Smith performed the ceremony.  Two boys were born of this union, David Robert and Hugh, named for their grandfathers.  Hannah died of a complication of ailments at Logan on April 10, 1878, leaving her little boys to be cared for by grandmother Catherine Roberts, Robert’s mother.  Finally on Oct 16, 1892, Catherine died and left Robert and his sons to do the best they could.  On Feb 6, 1895, he married Eliza Neagle in the Logan Temple.  She was the daughter of John and Agnes Alister Neagle and to them were born four children:  Agnes Alister, John Neagle (who died in infancy), Thomas and Jane.

He spent his entire life not as a leader nor in leading positions in the church but as one of those steady, dependable, plodding, every-day workers.  He was ordained a Teacher at Logan Jan 1860 by Elder White of Brigham City; an Elder at Salt Lake City Jan 13, 1865 by Dr. Sprague; a Seventy at Logan Jan 6, 1864 by Sylvester Lowe; a High Priest at Logan Dec 28, 1904 by Edward Smith.  He was a Ward teacher in Logan 3rd Ward almost continuously from the time he was ordained a Teacher.

In 1862 he was called and went as a missionary across the plains with ox teams in company with about 60 wagons to help bring the immigrant poor who were coming from foreign lands to the Valleys.  He was in Captain Henry Miller’s Company of that year.  He was a member of the Militia (Infantry) from 1857 until the Governor of the Territory forbid a continuance of the organization and it was disbanded.  He stood guard whenever called, which was often, to protect the people, their stock and other interests, from the Indians.  He honored every call made of him by those in authority to build roads, bridges, canals, schools and churches, and there was a considerable work to do when the country was young.  He performed every duty required of him as far as it was in his power to do so.

He began his labors for the redemption of the dead in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, in 1865 and continued that work at intervals spending most of his time during his last few years in the Logan and Salt Lake Temples.  He called all the Roberts families together in Salt Lake City on April 8, 1918 and the Roberts Surname Association was then organized, it being the 104th anniversary of his father’s birth.  He was up to the time of his death vigorous and strong in body with quite an active mentality, and firm in the faith he had suffered so much for.  He made his home in Logan until 1922, when he moved to Ogden to live with his son David until July 1925.  Then he returned for a visit to his old home in Logan.  On the evening of Aug 9, 1925, he was returning from sacrament meeting at the 3rd Ward Meeting House, and while crossing the street a block north of his home, he was run into about 9 p.m. by an automobile driven by George Anderson of Logan.  He was so badly injured that he died about 3 a.m. August 10th or about 6 hours after the injury.  His funeral was held in the 3rd Ward Meeting House on Thursday, Aug 13, 1925 at 2 p.m. and the remains buried by the side of his two wives, who had preceded him.

His funeral services were conducted by Bishop William Evans in the 3rd Ward Meeting House Thurs, August 13, 1925.  The meeting house was filled with his old friends and neighbors, and there was a large turn out of his father’s family and the family of his wife, Hannah.  Old friends spoke of his long useful life, his honor, honesty and integrity and of his trials in life.  The 3rd Ward Choir rendered appropriate and beautiful music.  After the services a large cortege of automobiles followed the remains to the Logan Cemetery.  His grave was covered with wreaths of beautiful flowers and many flowers were sent to the homes of those who had brought them in tokens of remembrances, others were sent to the City Hospital to cheer the sick and afflicted.  The day was beautiful, the air was pleasant and a hallowed peace pervaded the occasion.  The exercises throughout the day seemed to bespeak the rest, peace and joy in store for him which he had so well and faithfully earned. 

 

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Roberts, Hannah

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