David and Elizabeth Evans Lewis
by Mark G. Hodge
David Lewis, was born about January 1832, in St. Clears,
Carmarthenshire, Wales, and
his wife, Elizabeth Evans, was born about 1835, in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil,
Glamorganshire, Wales.
They had two children born in Dowlais:
Mary Ann, born 1 May 1855/1857,
and Joseph, born about 1859. In 1861, Elizabeth’s
brother Evan Evans, and their mother Elizabeth Evans, were also living in the
Lewis household.1 David and
Elizabeth Lewis joined the LDS Church in Wales.
Elizabeth, Mary Ann, and Joseph Lewis sailed to America aboard the General McClellan,
which left Liverpool, England
on May 21, 1864, and arrived in New York on June 23,
1864.2 They were in the company that was under the
leadership of Elder George G. Bywater, from the Merthyr Tydfil Conference.
Customs records show that Elizabeth also had an infant son named William when she
arrived in New York.3 The
company proceeded to Wyoming,
Nebraska, where they crossed the plains to the
Salt Lake Valley
with the William S. Warren Company, arriving on October 4, 1864. Sadly, William
must have died on the journey to Salt
Lake City, as he is not listed in the company roster
of arrivals.4
David Lewis sailed for America aboard the Belle Wood, which left
Liverpool, England,
on April 29,1865, and arrived in New
York on May 31, 1865. He was in the company under the leadership
of Elder William S. Phillips, from the
Merthyr Tydfil Conference. David's
occupation was listed as a collier (coal miner).5 It is not know exactly when he arrived in the
Salt Lake Valley. At this point, nothing further is known about
Elizabeth in Utah.
David, Mary Ann, and Joseph eventually settled in Fairfield, Utah County, Utah. David
is listed in the Fairfield,
Cedar Valley Ward, LDS
Church records of the
Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association.
Given his age, he was probably a young mens’ advisor in the
organization. Joseph is also on the
attendance rolls of the Y.M.M.I.A. for January - March 1886.
David Lewis died August 1, 1881 in Fairfield, Utah County, Utah, and was buried in the Fairfield cemetery next to Edwin Butler, a
step-brother of Lyman Hodge.
Mary Ann Lewis married Lyman Hodge about
1872 in Fairfield or Lehi, Utah
County. Lyman was born January 1, 1840,
in Springfield, Sangamon,
Illinois and died about 1879 in central Idaho. Lyman and Mary
Ann had two children, Jacob and James Custer Hodge. Mary Ann's second marriage
was to Thomas William McFate about 1880 in Utah County. He was born September 3, 1833 in Mahoning, Armstrong, Pennsylvania
and died March 31, 1906, in Eureka, Juab County, Utah.
Thomas and Mary Ann had five children: Calvin,
Frances,
Lafayette, Margarete, and Nora McFate.
Mary Ann died December 13, 1916, in Burley, Cassia
County, Idaho and was buried in
the Pleasant View Cemetery.
Joseph Lewis married Abbie Marie Lawrence
on July 1, 1889, in Provo, Utah
County, Utah. They were later divorced about 1893. They had two children, Lester and Tillie
Lewis. Joseph was living in Idaho by 1910, where he died November 16, 1938 in Archer,
Madison County.
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