Ethel Shields Boyle Life History

Ethel Shields Boyle was born on 23 September 1892 in a two-room log house in Lake View, Tooele, Utah to James Gillespie Shields and Sarah Matilda Adamson. She was the oldest of eight children.

When Ethel grew old enough, she attended school in Lake View. She didn’t like school much, so she would always come up with excuses to stay home. Often, it was a tooth ache, from her bad teeth, that provided the solution.

James Shields had a farm but also hauled ore to the smelter. When Ethel was 12-14 years old, she and her brother would hand plow the fields while James was hauling ore. They would start early in the morning, take a lunch with them, and work until it was nearly dark.

Ethel loved to dance. When she was 14-16, her mother’s brothers—Dave, Isaac and Frank Adamson—taught her how to dance. They would take her to the local dances in Tooele.

James and Sarah Shields moved from their two-room log home into a bigger, two story log home with a dirt roof when Ethel was a young teenager. Some of her life-long friends lived next door. Ethel, her friend Zella Spray and Zella’s sisters were always together. Few people in town had a parlor in the house, but Zella’s family did. The parlor stayed locked unless company came to visit. When Zella’s parents were gone, they would sneak into the parlor, play the piano and have a great time. Someone would be on watch, and when the parents were seen coming, they would lock up the parlor. Their parents never knew.

The Shields home was comparatively small, only two rooms. When they were not working the children would tear carpet rags and the family would have them woven into a rug. Straw from the wheat fields was stuffed under the carpet; the carpet was stretched and then tacked down. In the fall the carpet was taken up and cleaned and new straw was stuffed under it. Ethel remembers, “Oh, what a lovely warm carpet we’d have.”

When Ethel was 18, she would go to town with some friends and cousins and go into the local millinery shop to try on hats. One day while they were in the store, a handsome young man came in to see the milliner (his aunt). His name was James Boyle. The girls were impressed and began arguing over him. But Ethel said, “Oh no, he is for me.” Apparently, he felt the same, and the two began courting. James would rent a horse and buggy from the livery stable, and they would ride together. He rented the buggy often; the man at the stable would reserve this particular horse and buggy for them. The horse was named Flax. “Old Flax was our loyal motor through our courting days,” Ethel said.

After a year of courting, James proposed and the two were married on 19 April 1911 in the Salt Lake Temple. They had their wedding breakfast at the Chesapeake Café on 3rd South between West Temple and Main Street.

James and Ethel had six children: Elda LaVon (1912), James Keith (1913), Ethel Maxine (1916), Romulus Dean (1918), Eldon Wayne (1921), and Clair Dee (1932).

The couple lived in Tooele for the first two years of their marriage while James worked at the smelter. Then James and his father-in-law decided to begin farming. The two families found adjacent fields (40 acres each) in Sugarville, northwest of Delta, Utah. When James and Ethel first moved to Sugarville they lived in a boarded up tent. Her father built a granary which they used for a bedroom until they were able to build a two-room house. Later they added a lean-to onto the house for a kitchen.

Life on the farm was hard. The entire family would work to get the crops harvested. Ethel and Sarah would work alongside the men planting, weeding and thinning beets. The little kids would play on a blanket underneath the tree. When they would get home, they would make dinner, wash clothes, clean the house, etc. The men would feed the animals and do other chores.

James and Ethel had their share of trials over the next years. They had little money, worked hard day after day, and suffered from plagues and illness. The entire family became sick from a flu epidemic that broke out in the area. When Dean was a baby, Ethel took the plague from deer fly sting. When she recovered, Dean caught typhoid fever and nearly died. Finally their daughter Maxine suffered from rheumatic fever and passed away on 30 November 1928.

In the late 1920’s James and Ethel Boyle put their money into the bank. The next day the banks failed and they lost everything they had. The Depression began and the next few years were difficult for them. Jobs were not scarce, but money was. They had a herd of milking cows at the time and they moved to Lynndyl, Utah.

In 1934 James and Ethel moved from Lynndyl to Park City, Utah. The football coach in Lynndyl took a job in Park City and wanted Dean and Wayne to play for him. He offered to find a job for James in the coal mines if he would move his family. They lived there for ten years and were active in the church. They both served as drama directors in the MIA.

James became ill from the mines and quit his job. They moved to Bakersfield, California for a year while James worked in the boiler room for the railroad. Their son Keith lived there and lined up the job. James just didn’t have the health, so they moved back to Salt Lake City.
In Utah, Ethel worked for the Purity Biscuit Company and a local bakery with James, and then for a pickle factory. James worked for the City Water Department and retired in 1960. He passed away on 31 October 1867. After his death, Ethel moved into an apartment in Park City just across from Clair and Judy Boyle. She also lived next to a life-long friend, Mrs. Hurley.
Ethel enjoyed living so close to her son and grandchildren. Her grandson Gary would spend nights with her so she wasn’t alone, and then she would spend much of the day playing with her grandchildren. They would walk up and down Main Street, stop in at Po Jenks for lunch, and take naps on the roof in the summer.

Judy Boyle, daughter-in-law, recalls, “She loved to have her hair done, so at least once or twice a week I would do her hair. She had beautiful gray hair and always looked so lovely.”

Ethel moved to California to live with LaVon for a while. In 1972, Clair and Judy moved to Rigby, Idaho. One day they got a call from Wayne saying he and his wife were on their way up for a visit, and Ethel was with them. It wasn’t until it came time for them to leave that they realized Wayne intended on leaving Ethel with them. She stayed with them about a year. Clair and Judy’s house was small, and they had three small children, but Ethel enjoyed staying with them.

Ethel began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, something from which her father also suffered. Judy recalls one story that has become a favorite in her family:

“We were poor and didn’t do much. One day we decided to go for a ride and Mother Boyle asked if she could buy us dinner. Clair said, “are you sure you want to do that Mom? Do you have money?” She replied that yes, she did have money in her purse and she seemed very rational that day. So we went on our ride and were by Ashton when we came by the Frostop in Ashton. We ate and when it came time to pay she got up to leave with no intention of paying. She had forgotten we were there at her invitation. Neither of us had any cash so luckily Clair did have a credit card which he used to pay for dinner. We have laughed and laughed over that incident over the years.”

On another occasion, Judy and Ethel were canning fruit. As Ethel was peeling fruit she leaned over to Judy and asked, “Do you think we could have a cup of tea?” She lowered her voice and then said, “You know, I know lots of people that drink a lot worse and that would be so refreshing right now.” So Judy drove to the grocery store, bought her some tea and the two enjoyed tea and cookies together.

Her Alzheimer’s made things difficult for Clair and Judy. A number of times she would pack her things and sit near the front door waiting for someone to pick her up. Other times she would run away and Gary would have to go looking for her. She would be found along the highway walking “home.” Judy also remembers that she would have conversations with herself, talking into her hand so nobody could hear.

Clair eventually called his brothers and sister to discuss options for her. LaVon recalls that Ethel didn’t want to live with her or the boys, so Wayne and Dean found a rest home for her in Heber City. The children would visit her as often as they could.

On one occasion, Clair and Judy remember visiting her in Heber City. A nurse came up to Clair and asked if he knew Ethel Boyle. He said, “Yes, she is my mother.” The nurse told him that she was sitting outside in someone’s car and wouldn’t get out. Clair went out to talk to her and finally convinced her to come back inside.

Ethel devoted much of her later life to genealogy work. She loved to talk about her ancestors and show the many pictures she had collected. Unfortunately her Alzheimer’s had an effect on this work, and dates were often changed and corrected, making it difficult to distinguish the actual information. However, much of the Boyle genealogy can be attributed to her.

Ethel was transferred to a care center in Salt Lake City, where she passed away on 8 September 1980. She was buried in Delta, Utah, next to her husband.

Information collected from Ethel Shields Boyle Autobiography and memories from LaVon Mills and Judy Boyle. Compiled by Cameron Knowlton Boyle, great-grandson.

James Sterling Boyle Life History

James Sterling Boyle was born 14 February 1892 in Provo, Utah to Andrew McDougall and Margaret Graham Young Boyle. He was born the ninth of eleven children. Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Salt Lake City, where they had previously lived.

When James was 18 he was visiting his aunt’s millinery shop in Tooele. That day there happened to be a group of girls in the shop, one of whom was Ethel Shields. The girls were excited about the handsome young man, but Ethel was persistent, insisting he was hers. He was interested as well, and the two began to court.

James often would go to the livery stable and rent a horse and buggy for the evening. They would ride together in that buggy to court. He rented so often, that the man at the livery began to reserve it just for him. If anyone else wanted that horse and buggy, he would tell them it was reserved. The horse was named Flax. Ethel recalls, “Old Flax was or loyal motor through our courting days.

James and Ethel got married in the Salt Lake Temple on 19 April 1911. Ethel remembers having their wedding breakfast at the Chesapeake Café on 3rd South between West Temple and Main Street. A year later, their first child, Elda LaVon, was born(1912). James Keith was born in (1913).

James was working at the smelter in Garfield, Utah. A smelter takes the ore and melts it into metal. They get the metal they want, and take the red hot leftover metal and dump it under the railroad tracks. It becomes slag, or rock. James lost three of his toes when a car carrying the metal ran over his foot. When James came home at night, Ethel would pick molded rock out of his hair. The red hot metal would pop, get in his hair and then harden.

There was a giant chimney stack next to the smelter with a latter up the side. There was a common bet at the time with a reward for anyone who would climb up the stack and get married at the top. James tried to convince Ethel to get married there, but she refused to go up that high.

After living in Tooele for two years, James and Ethel moved their family to Sugarville, Utah to begin farming along with her parents, James and Matilda Shields. Each family bought forty acres of land side by side. They raised hay, beets and other crops. Ethel remembers the ground was hard, black clay and the work was difficult. They also had horses, pigs, and cows. The men would feed the animals while the women prepared breakfast. Then the women would take the kids with toys and blankets to the fields and all would work side by side.

In 1916, their third child was born, Ethel Maxine. Romulus Dean was born in 1918. At this time the family suffered many trials and hardships. A flu epidemic broke out and hardly anybody escaped it. James and Ethel packed up their family and went to her parent’s house, where 10 were sick at the same time. Later, while Dean was a baby, Ethel took the plague from a deer fly sting. She was sick for quite a while and almost died. She recovered, but soon Dean caught typhoid fever and also almost died. Finally, at the age of 11, Maxine died from a long battle with rheumatic fever.

In 1921 Eldon Wayne was born.

Farming in Delta was difficult and they worked very hard. Money was scarce. Jim, Ethel and her parents all decided to borrow money and buy some dairy cows. Before they had paid for the cows five of them died from overeating alfalfa. There was nothing that could be done to save them.

Jim hired out to work on construction of the high school that had burned down. However, he was injured and had to have an operation, which put a stop to this work.

In the mid-20’s James bought a 24 Flint, the first car in Delta. At the time he could be considered well to do. They also had a Model T Ford used to move the hay. From that point on James always had a vehicle.

In 1929, after LaVon graduated high school, the family moved their cows to Lynndyl, Utah, a terminal for the Union Pacific Railroad. They combined their cows with George Meyers’ cows and Jim and boys milked them. It was hard work and little money was in it. They took their cows and moved into town. Although at the time there were jobs, money was scarce because of the depression. The day before the banks failed, James and Ethel had put all of their money in the bank. They lost every cent they had.

In 1932 their final child, Clair Dee, was born. It was the middle of the depression and they hardly had enough money to feed the family.

In 1934, Pete Carlson, the football coach at Delta High School moved to Park City to coach and recruited Dean for his team. He promised to find James a job if he would move his family. So James began working in the coal mines.

In Park City, both James and Ethel were active in the church. They served as drama directors for the MIA.

James had a small stature. One Halloween a masquerade ball was held and James and Ethel went as two little girls in blue. They had matching dresses with big, full skirts, big hats, long gloves and high laced shoes. Nobody knew who they were. A stranger in the crowd liked how they looked and made a try for one. They danced, and he hugged his partner, and they danced some more. It came time for the unmasking and James revealed himself as the stranger’s partner. The stranger nearly died and left, never to return.

The family stayed in Park City until after WWII. One of James’ friends got the Con, a lung disease from working in the mines. James was not feeling well and felt he should get out of the mine to avoid the same fate as his friend. So the family moved to Bakersfield, California, where Keith was now living. James got a job in the boiler room on the railroad.

They only stayed in California for about a year. James wasn’t well enough for the job, so he had to quit. They moved back to Salt Lake City and both worked for the Purity Biscuit Company and at a bakery. James also worked at the Clover Leaf Dairy and then City Water Works. He retired in December 1960.

James and Ethel both loved baseball, and he played third base. He would play on a local team any chance he had, often travelling to towns nearby for games. He passed this love onto his children, particularly Clair, who has also been involved in baseball most of his life.

LaVon remember James as being a jealous man that often had fits of anger. He would always get jealous if the young single men in the small farming community would pay too much attention to Ethel, or if she would dance with more than one at the community dances. She also says he was a good man and a hard worker.

James hadn’t been feeling well for quite some time. In 1967 he was rushed to the hospital. He had a ruptured intestine and gangrene had set in. They operated and removed all but 18 inches of his large intestine. He was in the hospital for seven weeks and died on 31 October 1967. He is buried in the Delta City Cemetery.

Their last home was an apartment at 760 South 2nd East in Salt Lake City.

Information gathered from Ethel Shields Biography, memories of LaVon Boyle Mills, and an interview with Clair Dee Boyle. Biography compiled by Cameron Knowlton Boyle, great-grandson.

History of George Boyle

George Boyle was born 5 Sep 1804 in Duppal Kirkoswald, Ayre, Scotland. He was the son of Neil and Mary Boyle. When he was a young boy about 12 years, hes father apprenticed him out to learn the shoe making trade.

On March 8, 1829, George married Mary McDougall. She was born 21 Aug 1801 at Givan, Ayre, Scotland. Her parents wer Andrew and Jane Yerle McDougal.

The 1851 census of Kilmarnoch, Kirkoswald, Scotland gives George Boyle, head of family, married, 46 years old, occupation-shoe maker. Mary Boyle wife, age 43. Mary Boyle daughter, 16, trener wollen factory. Janet Boyle daughter, 13, scholar. Margaret Boyle daughter, 11, scholar. Elizabeth Boyle daughter, 8, scholar. George Boyle, 5, and Andrew Boyle, 2. (The oldest daughter Jean must have been married and moved from her father's home).

We find that on 20 December 1839, Mormon Elders, Samual Mulliner and Alexander Wright arrived in Glasgo, Scotland to expound to the people of that country the truths of the ever-lasting gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They labored among the honest in heart and baptized some 80 souls. In May 1840, Apostle Orson Pratt arrived in Scotland and organized a branch of the Church. From that time on, missionaries continued to labor in Scotland. George and Mary Boyle were among the honest in heart and had the blodd of Israel in their veings and when they heard of this new religion, they recognized the truths and were converted. George was baptized 21 April 1844 and Mary on 20 Oct 1845.

The missionaries from America were encouraging the newly converted saints to emigrate to Utah to strengthen the Church in the valleys of the mountains. However, it was early in 1864 when the Boyle famikly had enough money to emigrate.

A search of the Kilmarnock Branch records of the LDS Church give the information that George Boyle and family left the Branch in Scotland on May 19, 1864. Gleaning from the material at hand, your writer has come to the conclusion that the family spoken of was Margaret, Elizabeth and Andrew. I think that Jean, Mary and Janet remained in England and that George died in England.

On Sat, May 21, 1864, the ship "General McClellan" sailed from Liverpool England. George Boyle and his family were among the 802 saints on board, under the direction of Thomas R. Jeremy, with George Bull and George C. Bywater as his assistans. They were 32 days on the ocean and had a good voyage. This ship docked at New York harber on June 23, 1864, and the company arrived at Wyoming, Nebraska on July 4, about sundown. On July 15, they left Wyoming, Nebraska in the Joseph S. Rawlins Company of 400 souls, with 50 wagons. This company made very good progress. In a telegram sent to Brigham Young from the Sweetwater, under the date of Sep 1, 1864, it is learned that the train was in fine conditions, traveling alright and doing well. From another telegram sent from the Little Sandy, Sep 9, it was stated that the train was still in good condition, company well and cattle traveling well. The company arrived in Salt Laek City, Sep 20.

George wasn't called to go to settle out-lying areas as so many were, but was priveleged to remain in Salt Lake City and make his home. President Brigham Young was pleased to have another good shoemaker in the city, a trade that George worked at the remainder of his days, making shoes for Pres. Young's family and others.

However, George did not live too long after establishing his home there. He passed away Oct 1871. His good wife, Mary McDougall Boyle lived on, a widow for nearly 20 years, passing away March 5, 1891.

(History written by Edna McNeil Batty, Great-granddaughter)

HISTORY OF ANDREW MCDOUGAL BOYLE

Information furnished by a granddaughter, Edna Batty. Also excerpts taken from Carter's books. History arranged for Enda by Nora Lund- Historian.

My grandfather, Andrew Boyle, was born Jan 24, 1848, in Kilmarnoch, Ayrshire, Scotland. His parents were George and Mary McDougall Boyle. He and his younger brother, George, were the only boys in the family. His older sisters were: Jean, Mary, Janet, Margaret and Elizabeth.

Grandfather was born into a mormon family; his father had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 21, 1844, and his mother on October 20, 1845. He was baptized on May 22, 1862.

We don't kow anything about his early life in Scotland but he did attend school because he had a good education. His father was a shoe maker by trade and made a good living for his family.

When grandpa was 16 years old he had the great adventure of crossing the Atlantic Ocean with his family on the big sailing ship the 'General McClelland'. There were between 800 and 900 passengers on board. Thomas E. Jeremy, a missionary to Wales who was returning home, was the leader in charge of this large group of Mormons. Elder Jeremy was assisted by Counselors, Elder Joseph Bull and George C. Bywater. This ship left Liverpool, England, on Saturday, May 21, 1864 and landed at New York on June 23. The saints were assisted by the Church Immigration agents in boarding the trains which took them to Wyoming and Nebraska. They arrived there July 3.

Wyoming, a village seven miles north of Nebraska City, Nebraska, had been selected as the outfitting place for the emigrants crossing the plains at that time. About 170 Church teams were sent from Utah to the Missouri River in 1864 to help the emigrants on to Utah.

Grandpa Andrew and his family were assigned to the Joseph S. Rawlins' train of 400 souls, with 50 wagons. They started on their journey on July 15 and arrived Tues, Sept 20, 1864, after a fairly good trip. While crossing, grandpa soon got the hang of handling the oxen and was a great help to the teamsters.

Being a shoe maker by trade, great grandfather soon set up shop and made and repaired shoes for the family of President Brigham Young as well as others. Grandfather worked as a stone mason, a trade he had been apprenticed to in Scotland. He also continued his education at the local schools until his father died in Oct. 1871. He helped to support his widowed mother, as his sisters had married and had homes of their own by this time.

When grandfather was 27 years old, on April 22, 1875, he married Margaret Young, who was 21 years of age. The family group sheet or family information says that they were married in Richfield. Grandma was born April 4, 1854 in Kirkintillock, Dunbarton, Scotland, to Archibald Miller Young and Mary Graham Young. The Young family emigrated to America in 1872 and went to Richfield to settle. Their marriage was later solomenized in the Salt Lake Endowment House. Grandfather had received his endowments on May 26, 1866, according to the group sheet.

Grandpa was a stonemason by trade and built many of the stone residences that were popular in the early days. He took an active part in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple, also the government buildings at Fort Douglas and other buildings around the city.

In his early years in Utah, he had employment on the Weber grade of the Union Pacific Railroad System. The shovel which he used was displayed for many years in the Deseret Museum on the Temple block.

Grandpa and grandma's first child, Mary McDougall Boyle, was born on Jan. 8, 1876, in Salt Lake City. (She later married Finallay John McNeil and they became my parents.)

From here on we will follow the life of grandma and grandpa by the birthplace and dates of their children.

In the fall of 1876 they went to Richfield, Sevier County, to live to be near her folks. Their 2nd child, Margaret, was born there in 1877, also Joseph and Jennette in 1879, Marion Mitchell in 1882 and Mable Taylor in 1884.

Grandpa farmed in Richfield and worked at his stonemason trade.

I don't know why they spent a couple of years or so at Niels Station in Millard County. I suppose he had employment there. It was at Niels Station that their next two children were born: George David in September 1886 and Annie Swenson in August 1888. By January 1890 they were back in Richfield where Andrew Robert was born.

Then we follow them to Provo where James Sterling was born February 14, 1892. They didn't stay long in Provo because we find them making their home in Salt Lake City in April of 1894 where Ruth was born and died the same day. How fortunate, out of their large family of eleven children, this child Ruth, was the only one who did not grow to maturity and marry. Theirr last child, Royden Archibald, was born in Salt Lake City July 18, 1898.

I remember grandpa as rather a small man of medium weight. I have heard that he had quite a bad temper which he didn't control very well. In fact, he suffered for many years because of this very thing. The story goes that one time when he was living at Richfield he was away from home working. The weather was so extremely cold that he got his hand frozen. He became so angry and I guess it hurt so badly, that he took his small ax or hatchet, and deliberately cut off his fingers. Then he was in serious trouble and could hardly get to town to a doctor soon enough to keep from bleeding to death. He suffered another afflication in his later life which caused him much discomfort. He had some kind of an operation which injured his spine causing him to be partially paralyzed from his waist down. He couldn't walk on his legs so he got around by crawling on his knees. In spite of all this, he was a jolly fellow and had a witty personality. He loved his grandchildren and had lots of patience with them.

He lived the gospel principles and attended church before he became crippled. Grandpa died on Jan 23, 1930 at his home on 464 Hazel Street in the 9th Ward. He was survived by his wife and 4 sons and 4 daughters and 45 grandchildren. He was 82 years old when he died. Grandma was 76 years old when he died but she lived on until July 12, 1952, when she died at the age of 97.

Mary Graham Young

Mary Graham is the mother of Margaret Graham Young, wife to Andrew McDougal Boyle
Mary Graham was born 4 April 1830 to James Graham and Jeanette Dickson in Gladskow, Lanark, Scotland. Both of her parent died while she was still young. When she was fourteen, her family had moved to Kirkintilloch, Scotland. Her mother had already passed away and her father was on his deathbed, when an Elder of the LDS church knocked on the door. He left behind a tract, and after reading it, James told Mary, “Mary, my girl, that is true. I believe that. I believe that young man has come with the true Gospel. I won't be able to remain long with you, but you look for the true Gospel described in this tract, and if ever you find it, you can safely embrace it."

When her father died, Mary became and orphan and began work as a servant for the Allen family. When they found out she was investigating the Mormon church, they became angry. Her association with the Mormons was affecting their business because people thought they were sympathetic to Mormons. They decided that something needed to be done, so they gave her an ultimatum. One dark and rainy night, Mr. Allen told her to either denounce Mormonism or leave.

This was a tough decision for Mary because she cared for the family and wanted to stay. She knew Mormonism was true and refused to denounce it. “I would be falsifying," she replied, "if I said it was not true. My father told me it was true when he was on his death bed. And I know it is true for myself." So out she went into the night with only one shilling in her pocket.
She took that one shilling and went to the owner of the Town Hall, who was a friend of her father. She asked to rent the hall as a place for the elders to preach. Although the shilling wasn’t enough to rent the hall, the man agreed because of his admiration for her father. When the elders discovered her situation, they gave her a blessing, promising she would never want.
Her courage left a lasting impression on the Allen family. They couldn’t believe she would sacrifice all she had for this religion. Mr. Allen said, "I cannot help but feel that there is something more to Mormonism than we understand; it cannot be just a man-made religion." He and his family investigated, joined the Church and immigrated to Utah.

When Mary was 21, she met a young man named Archibald M. Young. He had never joined any religion. She shared the gospel with him and he soon was baptized. Although he was of a higher class, they got married and eventually had 13 children, all born in Scotland.

While still in Scotland, Mary worked as a weaver of curtains and fine laces. They had a home on Union Street in Kirkintilloch, which was a street of weavers. The family lived on the first floor, and Mary weaved on the second.

In 1872, the family immigrated to Utah. When they arrived in Salt Lake City, they were greeted by the Allen family. This was her first contact with them after leaving their house. They took the Young’s into their home and fed them a wonderful banquet. Mary couldn’t help but compare their behavior to that the night she left their house. She marveled at their change in attitude.
The family soon moved from Salt Lake City to Ritchfield because of the United Order. Because her husband was so busy, she took it upon herself to build their house. The children helped make bricks and gather willows for the roof.

Mary was of a more serious nature than her husband, was very ambitious, and had a mind of her own. She often took on extra jobs to make money for the children’s clothes and for other supplies, often against the will of her husband.

When she heard that a Brother Hansen was looking for someone to drive a team to Salt Lake City, she took the job. Her husband was very much opposed, but she did it anyway. She stayed there for about six weeks to earn money for the children’s clothes.

When the Indian War had just ended, Mary received a call from some Indians in search for sugar, flour and meat. She gave them what she could spare, but they demanded more. She insisted she couldn’t because she had children to feed, but they didn’t care and reached for the sack. She took the homemade mop in her hand and laid it down on the Indians back. They hastily left.

One day her husband came home to tell her that the Brethren of the Church had been discussing polygamy with him. She said, “If you want to take another wife, you may take your wife and go.” She then replied, “You can have as many sealed to you as you like. I’m not so afraid of the dead ones.” That was the last of their talk of polygamy.

After Archibald died in 1895, their daughter Elizabeth and her husband moved in with Mary. Eventually they decided to move to Idaho and their house in Ritchfield was sold. She then moved in with her daughter Bell until her death.

Shortly before her death, she called her children together and told them of the blessing the Elders had given her as a young girl in Scotland. She told them, "You may never be asked to give all that you have for the Gospel's sake, but if you are, give it. I would like you to be as liberal with the Lord as he has been to you. I am eighty years of age and I have never wanted. That blessing has been fully realized. So I leave this with you children, that even if it takes the last cent you have for the Church, it is the finest thing you can ever do."

Her example and testimony left a lasting impression on her children and grandchildren. She died on 15 May 1911 of natural causes. She was 81 years old.

(This biography is a compilation of interviews with her children Robert D. Young and Isabell Young Oveson.)

Archibald Miller Young Jr.

Archibald Miller Young is the father of Margaret Graham Young, married to Andrew McDougal Boyle.

Archibald Miller Young was born on 10 August 1822 to Archibald Miller Young Sr. and Catherine McKillop in Kirkintilloch, Dumbartonshire, Scotland. He never knew his father, as he died before Archibald was born. The Young and McKillop families were well to do in Scotland. Being raised in a higher class, Archibald’s family was shocked to discover he planned to marry Mary Graham, a servant girl. Mary was responsible for bringing the gospel to Archibald and his family. They were married around 1851, according to some accounts. This doesn’t add up because they had a daughter, Ann, born 24 July 1847. They had thirteen children, all born in Scotland.

When in Scotland, Archibald kept a barbershop and possibly a store, as his sons remember making deliveries for him. Mary Graham was a weaver of curtains and fine laces.

All of their children except Ann immigrated to the United States in November 1873. When she was about 10 years old, Ann had been working for another family in Scotland, and that family loved her and wanted to keep her. When the Young’s refused to give her up, the family she was working for slipped away and took her with them. She was never heard from again.

After Archibald joined the church, some of his family was upset, and tried to convince him otherwise. He received a letter from his Aunt, offering him a large sum of money if he would give up the money. He refused and took his family to Utah. His sister, Mary, claimed the sum of money, reporting that he had died. She came to Salt Lake City with her husband, but soon left the church.

When Archibald and his family moved to Utah, they first lived in Salt Lake City on the block where the Governor’s Mansion and the Dayne’s estate was located. They left Salt Lake in August 1874 and moved to Richfield and joined the United Order. Archibald was away from home a lot because he cared for the sheep as part of the Order. Archibald said of the United Order, “It showed me how a man could love his neighbor as his self. I was glad for it.”
Archibald was a faithful member of the church. He was honest in his dealings, served as a Sunday School missionary, and paid his tithing. One day he came home to tell his wife “the brethren think I should go into polygamy.” His wife replied, “If you want to take another wife, you may take your wife and go.” She then said, “You can have as many sealed to you as you like. I’m not so afraid of the dead ones.” That was the last talk of polygamy.

Archibald was of a less serious nature, never out of patience, and positive in his decisions. He was not anxious for money, loved people (especially youth and children) and enjoyed a good joke.

One night a group of young people had gathered at his home. They began to sing and Archibald said he would give them $5 if they would sing until he told them to stop. They accepted the challenge and began to sing. Well past midnight, they were still singing and his wife ask him to tell them to stop so they could go to sleep. He said, “I’ve no got $5 to pay ‘em. “ She said, “Ah, ya big feel.” Archibald continued to encourage them. “You’re doin’ weel.” Finally, at three o’clock in the morning the boys realized he had no intentions of telling them to stop, so they left.

When Archibald’s son, Archibald Graham Young, left on a mission, Archibald told his daughters he had a strong impression that he would not be here when his son got home. A year later he caught pneumonia. He died 5 February 1896 at 73 years old. He is buried in the Ritchfield Cemetery, plot: A.08.14.01.

James Sterling and Ethel Shields Boyle