Smith Family History

 

Martha Geneva Clark Evans 1857-1930

Sidney Kay Smith’s Great Grandmother

 

Martha Geneva Clark, affectionally known was Neve, was born April 14, 1857, at Lehi, Utah.  She was the third child of a family of eight children.  Her parents were William Clark and Jane Stephenson Ross Clark.

Before her marriage at age seventeen to William Samuel Evans, Geneva worked on her  father’s farm, milking cows, gleaning wheat and performing other chores.  She was born in to a polygamous family, the daughter of the second wife.  The first wife did not join the church, but stayed in England. 

She and Bill Evans had known each other since childhood.  The marriage was a very happy one.  They were not only husband and wife, but they were truly companions.  They did little traveling, but where one went, the other went also.  They loved to dance and continued to do so until the time of Geneva’s death.  Both were robust of body and spirit. 

They lived first in what is now known as the Newell Brown home, where the first of the twelve children was born.  A short time later, they moved onto a homestead know as the New Survey, where they formed what was called the North Branch.  The only deed they had was the document issued by the government and signed by the President of the United States.  Here they build a one room adobe house, 20’ x 20’.  There was a homemade rung on half of the floor, while the other half was made up of scrubbed white pine.  There were no white neighbors.  However, there were Indians all around and one shot an arrow at her just before her third child was born.  Fortunately, it missed her by a fraction of an inch.

The flour was kept in baskets woven by William’s grandfather, Samuel Evans, who lived with them for a time.

Of their twelve children, all grew up and had families except for Rosa Leath.  Born January 20, 1883, Rosa Leath was the fifth child.  She weighted the balance toward girls, for there were now three girls and two boys in the family.  The boys never did catch up.

Rosa Leath was a great favorite with her aunts and with her Grandmother Clark.  So much so, she spent one entire school year with them.  Mary Pearl and Rosa Leath were about the same size even when Pearl was two years older.  The two girls were close chums and would even wear each other’s clothes.  Geneva often dressed the two of them alike.  One outfit in particular was a favorite—red dresses with white pinafores, which “the pretty little Evans girls,” as they were announced, sometimes wore then they sang in church.  Rosa Leath was very special to her parents as she died from appendicitis when she was eleven years old, in September, 1898.  Neve and Bill faced this sudden tragedy together.  Thought they knew she would be fine in heaven, it still left a terrible empty space in their hearts.  She was buried in the family plot in Lehi.

Always mild mannered, Geneva was a lady in every sense of the word, She would address family members as “Hyrum, my boy” or “Pauline, my girl.”  Geneva’s job in the Primary presidency was her first love in the Church and Relief Society was next.  She taught all of her daughters to sew and they were exceptionally good at this art.  She also taught Franchel Clark Fagan to sew and Franchel, in turn, taught her daughters to excel at this work.  Franchel once said her Aunt Neve, as most people called her, was the only mother she remembered.  This was typical of Geneva.  When her son John Samuel, was called on a mission to New Zealand, she welcomed his pregnant wife, Maud, into her home and treated her with the utmost kindness for the three years and nine months John was gone.  Maud’s own mother was dead and she came to really love and appreciate her mother-in-law.  Maud’s baby LaVance was loved and enjoyed by the family also.  Neve’s daughters and sons were always free to come home, married or not.  After Maria died, she raised her little son, Roland.  She always said how much joy they received in return for the love and guidance given him. 

Many happy holidays were enjoyed at their home until the family grew so large that the grandchildren had to wait until the second time around for dinner. It was always worth waiting for, as Neve was a marvelous cook.  Using a coal stove, her baking always came out perfectly, or so it seemed.

On August 31, 1924, Neve and Bill celebrated a double golden wedding anniversary with her sister Polly and George Zimmerman.  Polly had eight boys and four girls and Neve had four boys and eight girls.

Geneva and William were wonderful parent, beloved by children and grandchildren.  They were good neighbors and responsible citizens.

Never caught pneumonia while caring for Bill when he had the flu and was taken December 2, 1930.  She was buried beside her two daughters in the Lehi Cemetery, leaving Bill with a broken heart.

--By Eudon Wasden and Gean Homstead