THE JAMES THOMAS FAMILY
James Thomas was the son of Benjamin Thomas and Ann
Charles. He was born April 11, 1822
in the parish of Brawdy, Pembrokeshire,
South Wales.
He was a farmer. He married Elizabeth Rowlands
who was born May 25, 1821
in the parish of Camrhos, Pembrokeshire,
South Wales. They were married April 1, 1849 at Haverfordwest,
Pembrokeshire, Wales.
They had a lovely little home with rows and beds of
flowers surrounding it and they were very happy. On October 21, 1850 a little son came to bless
their home, they named him Charles R. On July 28, 1852 a second son, Joseph,
was born and on November 15, 1854 a third son was born, and they named him
William R., but sadness entered their home for when William was only six weeks
old their dear mother died January 1, 1855, leaving Grandpa with the
three small boys.
Grandpa hired Dorothy Phillips to keep house and care for
the children. She was a very kind and patient woman; she loved and cared for
the boys as if they were her own. She was forty-three years old and had never
been married. Later Grandpa married her, and she always seemed a real mother to
the boys.
In 1860 Grandpa left his family in Wales
and sailed to America
with Thomas John. They landed in New York
and got a job farming. Grandpa sent, one year later,
for his wife and sons to join him.
Grandpa's wife, Dolly, and the three boys boarded a large
sailing vessel, The Manchester. It
was a long tiresome journey. They all had their turn at sea sickness,and the boys really thought they would never see
land again. Uncle Bill, who was six years old at the time, said that he got
tired of holding to his stepmother's dress all the time; so he decided to
explore and investigate a bit; and he fell from the hatchway to the lower deck,
but fortunately did not hurt himself seriously.
They finally landed in New York
many weeks later where they found Grandpa waiting to welcome them in this new
country and to a little house they were to call their home for the coming year.
The boys put in school, and I imagine they found it quite different from the
school they left in Wales.
The next fall in 1862 they left New
York by train and traveled west as far as Nebraska,
where they stayed several weeks waiting for the next Mormon Colony to go to Utah.
They left Nebraska by ox team and
on foot and had a hard and long journey. The finally reached Utah
and located in Logan where they
lived for six years. In 1868 they moved to Malad Valley,
taking a homestead at Samaria. They
made a two-room log house. They were really a happy family for they owned their
own home, and it was in America,
the land of the free. Some years later Grandpa built a frame house and sold the
log house to his son Charles R.
Sadness again entered their home for November 4, 1884 their beloved step-mother passed away leaving
Grandpa alone as all the boys had married and had homes of their own.
On November 5,
1895, eleven years later, he married Caroline Hearth and went to
live at her home at Elk Horn. How we children loved to go visit that dear old
couple! They gave us such a welcome we hated the time to come for us to go
home. They had so many trees and shady nooks; it was fun to play, and Grandma
Hearth always had a treat for us before we left.
When winter came they moved to Malad
in a little log house just east of the Mill Stream store. Many happy days were
spent in that little home until death called Grandma Hearth, leaving dear old
Grandpa alone in his declining years.
He came to live at our home at this time. Father built
him a one-room house so he could have a place of his own to read, rest, or do
whatever he chose so not to be disturbed by the children's noises; but we all
loved him very much because he was so kind and thoughtful. He always gave a
helping hand on wash day and helped turn the old hand washer and he drew the
water from a 100 foot well with the old fashioned wooden buckets and ropes. He
was kind and had such a pleasant, sweet disposition that it was grand to have
him around. He spent many hours walking in the fresh air with a cane to steady
his step. Several times while on his walk he heard gun shots and became
worried, but father tried to tell him that it was hunters hunting for chickens.
However, he still worried and declared that his head would be the chicken; so
he decided to leave and go to Uncle Bill and Aunt Ellen's home. He lived with
them until his death the following December
28, 1903 at the age of eighty-one years and six months.
- Mary T. Jeppson,
Granddaughter
