JOSEPH THORPE AND MARY MASON
Mary Mason Thorpe was born the 19th of April 1862 in Tredegar,
Monmouthshire, England,
the daughter of Elizabeth and Thomas Mason. Mary's parents were converted to
Mormonism and were very desirous of going to Utah.
They were poor as the father and brother, Dan, worked in the coal mines the
year around. It was decided that the mother and the two little girls, Jane and
Mary, would go to Utah and when
their father and brother could earn enough money, they would come. They left Liverpool,
England April 30, 1866. When they reached
shore in America
they traveled by train to Wyoming,
Nebraska and started across the Great
Plains in the John D. Holladay Company by ox team, walking most of
the way. Jane was very sick with mountain fever so it was a worry to her mother
to have sickness, hardships, little food, and to be among strangers.
They lived two years in Woods Cross with friends until
Mary's father and brother came. Before this time, the mother went out washing,
ironing, and scrubbing to help make a living. When the father and brother came
things were a little easier. We raised vegetables and took them to Salt
Lake to sell. In a few years the
Masons moved to Samaria, Idaho.
It was in Samaria
that Mary met Joseph Thorpe. They had many happy times going to church, to
parties, and to dances. They were married the 12th of February 1880 in Samaria,
but the marriage was later solemnized in the Endowment House in Salt
Lake City in December of the same year. They moved to
Pleasant View in the year 1889. Mary was a fine mother; she gave birth to
twelve children. She was a very good housekeeper and a fine cook. Her eldest
daughter Elizabeth remembers how her mother would scrub and clean her house at
night time when her children were sleeping. She was an ambitious woman; she
sewed, mended, and knitted clothes for her children as well as doing a lot of
beautiful crocheting and knitting for other people. I have some of her handwork
now. When our first baby was born she gave me a beautiful white crocheted shawl
and cap. I used the shawl for all our babies.
Joseph.Thorpe was born the 12th of February 1852 in Manchester,
Lancashire, England.
His parents were converts to the Church; they also had a desire to come to Utah.
They crossed the ocean and the plains and arrived in Brigham
City when Joseph was ten years old. The first winter
that they were here, his father was killed by two Indians while working alone
in the canyon east of Mantua. In
the following spring they moved to Malad Valley,
settling about four miles south of Malad about where
the Tovey boys live now. Then they moved to Samaria
to be among their many friends who also had come from the old country. His
mother lived on a small farm there. Her house was on "The Knoll"
where Wilford Thorpe's family later lived. Joseph
Thorpe married Mary Mason and built a frame home across the street south from Mary's
parents, who had built the house later lived in by Tom Richards and family. He
freighted from Corinne, Utah
to Montana.
Joseph loved to sing and play his violin. He and Joseph
B. Morse furnished the music for most of the dances at that time. Many years
later his daughter Myrtle often accompanied them on the organ or piano. His
daughter Anna also played the piano. Myrtle and Anna have
been organist in the different organizations of the church. I think Eurilla and Katherine also played the piano. Joseph loved
music; he was chorister in the Pleasant View Ward for many years. He was
assistant superintendent of the Sunday School there
and later was the superintendent. The people of the Ward were in the habit of
always coming to Sunday School late. When he was
superintendent he taught the people a good lesson in punctuality. The first
morning he went early, made a fire, cleaned the meeting house, and had
everything ready at the appointed time. When no one showed up he put on his hat
and coat, took his books and went home. I don't think many were late after
that.
He was a ward teacher practically all his married life.
He was a man of sterling qualities, he was honest with
his fellowmen and he expected them to be honest with him. He was a hard worker
and a good neighbor. When Joseph and Mary first moved to Pleasant View, they
lived in a two-room log house; later Joseph built another two rooms on the
back. He did farming and also raised sheep.
In about 1908 he built a lovely two-story frame house.
This place is owned now by Bishop Leo Brown. My how happy the family was when
they moved into the new home where they had plenty of room. Their home was open
to their many friends and many a pleasant evening was spent there in
conversation and music. Joseph was a jovial man and was good company.
Joseph and Mary had worked hard all their lives. They
retired in June of 1920, sold their farm and moved to Malad
to spend the rest of their lives. They bought a nice home on South
Main Street, just south of the William Clark home.
This is now owned by Stanley Thomas.
Mary loved to go to Relief Society and was a Relief
Society teacher for many years. Even after she moved to Malad
she was a visiting teacher with her good friend, Eliza Thomas, who also had
moved to Malad from Pleasant View. I only knew this
fine couple about fifteen years, but I loved them dearly. I will always cherish
their memory. Joseph died 10 March
1932. Mary was very lonesome after his death, but she made the best
of it. She died the 16th of February
1936.
Their family consisted of the following: Elizabeth Josephson of Malad; Anna Jones,
Katherine Hartley, and William Thorpe of Ogden; Thomas Thorpe of Pleasant View;
Myrtle Facer of Tyhee, Idaho; Eurilla
Christensen of Layton, Utah; and Edgar Thorpe of Malad,
Idaho.
- Blodwin Thorpe
