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.
