SARAH ANN (PRICE) GODFREY

Written October 29, 1928 as told by herself

Sarah Ann Price Godfey, whose father was Jeremiah Price and whose mother was Jane Morgan Price was born at Rhymney, South Wales, February 7, 1842.

During her childhood she spent considerable time with her grandmother, Margaret Llewellyn Morgan, at Merthyr Tydfil, five miles from her parents' home. In walking these five miles she had to pass either a cemetery or a large iron works and was very much afraid to pass either one.

Her parents belonged to the Methodist Church. After becoming Mormons the family walked five miles to attend services.

Mrs. Price was not thoroughly converted to the idea of leaving a good home and plenty to go to Zion, so in order to get her to go, Mr. Price sent two of the family ahead. These were Josiah, age fourteen, and Sarah Ann, age seven. They walked five miles to Merthyr, then on a bus for some distance, then by train to Swansea, from Swansea to Liverpool by boat.

They sailed from Liverpool on the boat 'Jersey' to New Orleans, making the trip in six weeks and one day. Her eighth birthday was spent on the Atlantic Ocean. From New Orleans, they sailed up the Mississippi River to Keokuk where they were stationed for nine weeks. From Keokuk they came across the plains in Joseph Young's Company traveling with ox teams, but the younger members of the company walked most of the way. Many interesting incidents and some dangerous ones were experienced while on this journey.

The company arrived in Salt Lake City October 10, 1853. From this time until her marriage she worked from place to place, some being kind and others unkind to her. During this time her parents and other members of the family arrived in Utah.

She married Joseph Godfrey, a widower, March 7, 1857, by Brigham Young in his office at Salt Lake City. On the same day he married his first wife's sister, thus practicing the principle of polygamy.

Sarah Ann became the mother of nine children. When her oldest child was twenty-one years old and the youngest, one month old, she became a widow at the age of thirty-eight. During the time while her children were small she took part in church activities, among them being that of Sunday School teacher and counselor to Sister Wallace in Primary.

Five more years were spent in homesteading in the state of Montana. From the time when her youngest child was married she has lived with her children in Idaho, Canada, and Utah.

She passed away November 5, 1928 at the home of her daughter in Preston.

Her posterity number nine children, seventy grandchildren, one hundred seventeen great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.