Phoebe Davis Jones
(by Victoria Davis)
In the year 1841 on May 21, a baby girl was born to John E. and Margaret E. Davis in the town of Tredegar, Monmouthshire, South Wales. She grew to girlhood and at the age of 14 she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by the Elders in her native land.
Phoebe took a great deal of interest in the branch where she lived, helping in every possible way to convert new members to the church. She was a beautiful girl, five feet tall, with black eyes and hair and a ruddy complexion.
At the age of 21, with the consent of her parents, she came to Utah with the Elders and Saints, and, after a long and perilous journey across the plains by ox team, she arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1862. She lived with the family of Feramorz Little, who was the Mayor of Salt Lake City. About one year after her arrival she met Richard J. Davis and was married in the Endowment House in 1863 as his plural wife.
Mr. Davis was called on a mission for the Church and accepted. While he was away his first wife, Rebecca, who had eight children, and Phoebe, who had two children, worked together to care for their families. Rebecca went out as a midwife and seamstress and was very successful while Phoebe took care of the children and the home. The two families were attached to each other and therefore were very happy.
Phoebe had a genial disposition and always tried to make the best of everything. She was the mother of seven children, namely: Amelia Ann Davis Jones; Rachel Elizabeth, who died at the age of 14; Hyrum D. Davis; twin girls, Martha and Rhoda, who died in infancy; John Edmond; Evan John, who was drowned in Devil Creek near St. John when two years old.
Phoebe and Richard Davis were separated in the early part of 1874 and on April 20 she was married to Zephaniah Jones and moved to St. John where she lived the remainder of her life.
The first wife of Zephaniah Jones had died and left five children, namely: Ephraim E. Jones, Polly Jones Davis, Amelia Jones Vader, Joseph Jones and Rhoda Jones. Phoebe came into the home and took the place of their mother, caring for them until they married. The children had a great deal of respect for her.
The four children born to Phoebe and Zephaniah were Albert Jones, born Sept. 22, 1875; George W. Jones, born Nov. 3, 1877; Phoebe Caroline, born Jan. 14, 1880; Samuel D. Jones, born May 7, 1882.
It was indeed a great tribute to Phoebe that all of the families loved and respected her. They could remember how kind and loving she had been to them. Not only her own family but the children of Richard and Rebecca Davis spoke of her as being a very fine woman and often visited her.
These early pioneer women were not afraid to work and she was no exception. She made soap, candles, butter and cheese and was a very good cook. In fact, she had a full life and was happy and cheerful with all her responsibilities. She was of a humorous nature and could tell a joke and enjoy a good laugh.
She was a religious woman and with all her household work she found time to attend to her church work. She was president of the Relief Society of the St. John ward for five years. She had a wonderful testimony of the Gospel and I have heard her bear her testimony to the truthfulness of the Gospel which she received in Wales as a young girl and which remained with her throughout her life. I have heard her say that she felt that she had done her duty to her family and her God.
When she was 57 years old her daughter, Amelia, wife of Ephraim E. Jones died leaving eight children, the youngest being 1# days old and the oldest sixteen years. John Jones died when he was one month old. The other daughters and son were Rachel Elizabeth, wife of Daniel # Thomas; Caroline Jones Thomas, wife of Wallace O. Thomas; Zephaniah D. Jones, who married Annie Owens; Margaret D. Jones, wife of Alford Harrison; Merrella Blanch, wife of John Owens; Edith Pearl, wife of Vern Peck; Lula Amelia, wife of Lewis Monson; Phoebe Zeta, wife of Lewis Davis. And again she became grandma and mother to these children. She gave them her best care with the help of their father. They all said that Grandma Jones was wonderful.
She died at the age of 71, leaving a large posterity to mourn the loss.
