WILLIAM AND SOPHIA JONES
William Jones was born May 25, 1817, in Denbigh, Denbighshire, North Wales. His wife Sophia was also born September 25, 1822, in Denbigh.
Sophia was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
October 14, 1842. William
did not become a member until January
13, 1867.
They were married November 16, 1840, in Denbigh. To this union eleven
children were born: Margaret, Jane, Elizabeth, Mark, Jeremiah, William, Sophia,
Joseph, Hyrum, Thomas Edward and Anna Marie. They were all born in North
Wales.
Before leaving Wales
for Utah they lost a son Mark and
a pair of twin boys Joseph and Hyrum. They left Liverpool,
England, April 30, 1866, on the ship John
Bright with 747 Saints under the direction of C. M. Gillet
and arrived in Wyoming, Nebraska
June 19, 1866. While enroute, July 5,
1866, they lost their baby daughter Anna Marie and she was buried
on the banks of the Missouri River. They arrived in Salt
Lake City September
5, 1866, by mule team wagons with Captain Samuel D. White. They
left Salt Lake
immediately for Farmington, Utah.
As soon as they arrived William received his call to serve in the Black Hawk
War. Sophia and the children took over the best they could but they endured
many hardships.
Sophia and a friend used to walk from Farmington
to Salt Lake City for groceries.
They would take off their shoes and stockings and wade through the creeks as
there were very few bridges in those days. They would carry their groceries in
their large calico aprons. On one of these trips a bag of sugar was dropped in
the creek. It was a real tragedy at the time, but she always laughed about it
whenever she told about it in later years.
Their daughter Jane passed away in Farmington,
Utah and left five children. William and
Sophia took these children in their home and cared for them for two years.
Their father remarried and took four of the children and left the baby, Anna
Marie, with them to raise. When she was seven years
old she died with diphtheria. The family had many struggles in trying to make a
living. President Brigham Young, learning of their plight, advised them to move
to Samaria, Idaho
where many other Welsh families resided. Three of their daughters remained in Farmington
and one daughter and three sons went with them to Samaria
in 1875.
They lived in a dugout until they were able to build a
log house. Here in Samaria among
these good people they learned to farm; they raised horses to sell, owned and
operated a lime kiln, and made a fairly good living. Regardless of their many
difficulties, they were a happy family. They were known as Taid
and Nain by all who knew them. This was a term used
in North Wales, meaning grandfather and grandmother.
Sophia was a midwife in this little community, and although
she was very busy with her family, she always had time to help a neighbor in
time of need. She brought many babies into the world and spent many, many hours
away from her home. She was a very small woman but was very quick and full of
energy. She had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved to sing and dance. She
won a prize at Saltair resort for step dancing when
almost 80 years of age. Her granddaughter recalls that she used to say,
"If you do this or that for me, I will dance at your wedding," and when
the granddaughter was married, she did dance at her wedding. Her son Jeremiah
used to drive freight wagons and would be gone weeks at a time, and she would
anxiously watch the road every day for his return.
William died September
2, 1902, at Pleasant View, Idaho.
Sophia died January 10, 1903,
in Salt Lake City, Utah.
They were both buried in the Samaria Cemetery.
- Rachel Jones Rich, Granddaughter
