Malad Valley Pioneers

JEMIMA STUART

(Written by Joe Wms. in 1939)

Mrs. Jemima Stuart was born in North Gemshire, South Wales on April 1, 1850.  She was the daughter of Thomas L. Evans and Jane Davis Evans.  Her parent’s nationality was Welsh.

Jemima Evans Stuart was baptized into the LDS church when she was eight years old.  She was 16 years of age when she came to America.  In May 1866, Jemima Stuart and her mother and brother, Ben D. Evans sailed from Wales on a ship called John Bright.  The voyage from Wales to New York City took six weeks and three days.  She then traveled by land to St. Joseph, Mo., then she and her mother and brother joined a wagon train led by Captain Tom Ricks which was bound for Salt Lake City, Utah.  This train was the first wagon train to make this westward journey drawn by a mule team.  They were met at Salt Lake City by her father, Thomas L. Evans, and sister, Mary, who came from Wales a short time before the rest of the family.  Then they came to Malad where Mrs. Stuart has lived ever since.

The only schooling she had was when she was in Wales.  The school which she attended was run by a company operating an iron works.  The teacher was Evan Jones.  Mrs. Stuart would walk two miles and if any of the children were late they would get two or three whips on the hand.  They were taught to respect their parents and teacher.

When Mrs. Stuart came to this country there was a mail route which went up Bannock Street and six log houses which had dirt roofs and floors.  She lived in a dug-out.  It was built like a cellar with a dirt roof and was on the corner where Professor Powell now lives.

She had on outstanding ambition and it was to be a good seamstress, her father being a tailor in the old country.

She was married to George Stuart on April 8, 1874.  The ceremony took place in the old Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mrs. Jemima Stuart was the mother of seven children:  Thomas Stuart, William Stuart, Evan Stuart, Sarah Fallis and Jemima Stuart Opperman of Malad; Zina Robetaille of Klamath Falls, Oregon and Agnes Barnett of Plymouth, Ut.  She has 37 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

Mrs. Stuart has taken an active part in the LDS church since she was a young girl.  She has been a Relief Society teacher since she was 17 years of age.  She has donated to the building of churches and public buildings in this town.  She has seen many outstanding improvements during her life, the automobile, radio, and airplane being the most important.

The persons having the most influence over Mrs. Stuart’s life were Mrs. Richard Jones, Mrs. Ellen Colton and Mrs. Evans, the mother of D.L. Evans Sr. 

One outstanding accomplishment during her life was rearing a large family of her own; also Daniel W. Stuart, a son of her nephew.

Incidents experienced during her life which are the most important are:  The Civil War, World War and the flu epidemic of 1918-19.

Mrs. Stuart’s advice to young people of today is:  “Be honest and live so that everyone will admire and trust you.”