EMMA STEDDER HODGES

Emma Stedder Hodges, wife of James Hodges, Jr., and daughter of William Stedder and Rebecca Carter, was born in Penhow, Monmouthshire, Wales, April 11, 1846. Her parents had five children: James, William, Valentine, Rebecca, and Emma. Rebecca and Emma are the only ones we have record of at the present time of joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Emma worked out most of her girlhood days. She worked for a wealthy family, people who had servants for every type of work. Emma was so neat and clean that she did most of the fussy jobs that had to be done in the home. They put a lot of trust in her. Her sister Rebecca married a man by the name of Abraham Hodges. They had a family of seven children. Rebecca and her family joined the Church. Emma and Rebecca were very close, and Emma joined the Church also. She had to keep her joining the Church a secret. She met James Hodges, Abraham’s nephew, while just a young girl in Wales.

When she broke the news of her joining the Church she had already made plans to come to America with her sister and family. Her parents forbade her coming here and her brother cried and begged her not to go. But she was true to her religion and wanted to worship God as her heart desired. She had to have all her belongings left with friends. She could bring very little with her. She knew not where she was going or what she would do when she got to America. She came sometime in 1872.

When she arrived her she came to Logan and went to work at the same place as James Hodges. One year later they were married in the Salt Lake Endowment House by Daniel H. Wells, January 13, 1873. They stayed in Logan. The first year James worked in the canyon for their living. Emma stayed at home and made a home to be proud of. Their first son, James Valentine was born in Logan.

Then they moved to Millville where they made a nice, comfortable home, and James still worked in the canyon. They raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys.

Emma had her patriarchal blessing December 14, 1889, by Patriarch O. N. Liljinquist. She had a wonderful blessing and lived up to it in every respect.

She had three children while in Millville: Albert, George, and Abraham.

One day they decided to move to a farm in Lewiston. The house they moved into had no floor and a dirt roof that leaked like a sieve every time it rained. She was pretty discouraged. They couldn’t raise crops without water, so they traded half the farm for a water right. They built a new house and raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys, and what crops they could. They worked long and hard to make a living.

About this time James was moving a building and the tug on the harness broke and the single tree hit him on the leg. The bruises turned to cancer, and he had to go to Salt Lake to the LDS Hospital to have his leg amputated. Emma stayed with him night and day. Through faith and prayer he was able to return home with her.

When they returned home all the boys had typhoid fever. Emma took care of them and her husband. By the time they were well, she collapsed and was sick for weeks. She was never well again.

She was a home builder and a wonderful mother. She always spoke the best of everyone. Whenever she was asked to do a church assignment she did it willingly.

Everyone loved her. She and her husband always paid a full tithing. She lived to see Lewiston become a rich and fertile valley. Her husband underwent three operations on his leg. The last one caused his death.

She always did all she could for everyone. She was the mother of five children, all boys. One died a few hours after birth.

At the time of her death she had thirty-three grandchildren, sixty-nine great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She died May 8, 1935, and was laid to rest in the Lewiston City Cemetery.