Phoebe was born
on May 21, 1841, the daughter of John E.
and Margaret Edwards Davis in Tedegar. Monmouthshire, Wales. At the age of 14 she was baptized a
member of Church
of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. She 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 ruddy completion. At age 21, with the consent
of her parents, she came to America
on the ship Manchester in 1862. She arrived in Salt Lake
in the fall of 1862. She lived with the family of Feramorz
Little, the Mayor of Salt Lake City. In 1863 she married
Richard J. Davis as his plural wife.
Her husband was
called on a mission for the Church. 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
while Phoebe cared for the children and the home.
Phoebe and
Richard J. Davis separated in the early part of 1874, and on April 20, 1874,
she married Zephaniah Jones. They moved to St. John where she lived the remainder of her
life.
Zephaniah's wife
had died and left five children. She came into the home and took the place of
their mother. Four children were born to Zephaniah and Phoebe. When she was 57,
her daughter Amelia died, leaving eight children, age 1 day to 16 years. She
became grandma and mother to these children.
She was not
afraid of hard work. She made soap, cheese, butter, and candles and was a very
good cook.. She had a full life and was happy and
cheerful with all her responsibilities. She had a humorous nature and could
tell a joke and enjoy a good laugh.
She was a
religious woman and with all her household work found time to attend to her
church work. She served as Relief Society
President in the St. John Ward. She died on February 26, 1912, at the age of 71.
She is buried in the St. John
Cemetery by the side of
Zephaniah.
Rodney
Jones compiled and submitted this information contained in biographies written
by: Pearl Atkinson, Victoria Davis and D. Harold Jones.
