Mary Ann Edith Smith Evans

Mary Ann Edith Smith Evans
June 13, 1892 – March 12, 1970

Mary Ann Edith Smith Evans was born June 13, 1892 in San Francisco, California. The daughter of Banks W. Smith and Edith Richards Davis. At the age of 6 months when her grandmother Davis died, her mother brought her to Lehi where she spent most of her life.
She never knew her father, and she became an orphan at the age of 12 when her mother passed away. She had no brothers or sisters and from the time of her mother’s passing until her marriage, she lived with her deaf and dumb aunt, Aunt Ba who loved her as a daughter.
Grandma’s early life was very active as she was a very beautiful girl and very popular at school. She was very talented in music and although she had very little professional training, she became a fine organist on the piano and organ and gave lessons to quite a number of young students. At the age of 13 she became organist in the Lehi 2nd Ward, and when she was 15 she was made chorister.
While going to school she played and sang at the silent movies in the evenings at the local theater. She attended school in Salt Lake City for a short time while her mother worked and then finished her education in Lehi.
She was courted by a handsome young man with red curly hair who tried every trick he could think of to get that black-eyed girl interested in him. Grandpa owned a fancy roan horse, and so he purchased a rubber-tired buggy which in those days was considered high class. It proved to be a good investment as they were soon taking almost daily drives to the lake, the bench, to Alpine, Saratoga and the farmlands.
Grandma and Grandpa were married September 1, 1909 in the Salt Lake Temple, when she was 17 and he was 20. They lived with Aunt Ba in the little adobe house on the corner of 3rd West and 2nd North where Fred Kirkham’s home is now located. Four of their five children were born there. Aunt Ba helped raise the children whom she taught to converse with her in her sign language. The family all loved her in return as she lived with them for 30 years to the day.
The family moved to Santaquin in February 1917, and a year later my mother Karma was born. Grandpa went to the rock quarry to work as a blacksmith and tool sharpener.
Grandpa was the first missionary to ever leave from Genola, and he went on a short-term mission to Spanish Fork where he lived during the week and could go home on Saturday afternoon. Grandpa had the responsibility of the company animals, and when he left Grandma was in charge of 2 cows, 5 horses, a herd of pigs and her 5 children, 3 of them in school and 2 pre-schoolers. Grandma taught a 13-year-old girl in Genola to play and lead the music. She is now a grandmother herself and still leading music in the ward at the present time.
The family moved back to Lehi in 1923 into their present home. Grandma had a lovely voice and was much in demand as a soloist at church and civic functions, and she recalled that in one year she sang at 28 funerals. Two of her favorite songs are being sung today. Grandma loved to entertain and was always preparing meals and inviting friends and family to come and eat. She was a good cook and was always taking a loaf of bread or something to her neighbors. She loved to visit her friends and family but never stayed very long at a time as she was concerned about getting home to Grandpa.
Grandma was always concerned about her appearance and kept her hair fixed and always wore attractive clothes and jewelry. She made many of her own dresses and loved to go shopping with her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. She was pleased about the many times people noticed 4 generations making their way through store after store, spending a good share of the time in the fabric department. Often we who were younger were ready for a rest before Grandma even slowed down. She always had several pieces of material tucked away in her drawer and was so happy after her eye operations that she could see well enough again to sew and do some hand work.
She loved to sew and had just completed a dress for herself a few days ago. Very handicapped with her failing eyesight and hearing loss and suffering with arthritis, she as never one to complain and knew she “would have to live with it.” She had a cataract removed from one eye a year ago in November and from the second one just last November. Grandma always hated to depend on anyone and was happy to be able to drive again.
Grandma enjoyed the association with her lifelong friends and she belonged to the same club for over 50 years. She and grandpa meet at least once a week with the Pa’s and Ma’s and enjoyed the Senior Citizens meetings and trips.
Grandma didn’t ever want to put anyone out or to be a burden to anyone. She was so appreciative of every little thing done for her. She was always so active and interested and enthusiastic about everything around to her. She thrilled at the accomplishments of her family, whether it was new curtains or a new baby. We all enjoyed her cheerful, pleasant personality, and it was fun being with her. There was never a generation gap with Grandma.
Grandma passed away peacefully sitting in her favorite rocking chair at 11:15, Thursday, March 12, 1970. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Sylvester, five children: Verland (Mrs. Emory Smith) Neldon Dick, Keith C., Ross Sterling, and Karma (Mrs. Dale Whimpey), 23 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
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(The following was found “tucked” in Grandma’s drawer written in her own
handwriting.)
I was born in San Francisco, June 13, 1892. I never knew anything of my father as my mother had separated from him. She brought me to Lehi when I was three months old. Her mother died, and she came home. We lived with my grandfather and my deaf and dumb aunt, Mary Ann Davis. I couldn’t say Mary Ann so her called her Baa. After that everyone called her Aunt Baa.
I remember my grandfather very well. He was a very good and religious man and very kind to us. I remember sitting on his lap and listening to him talk. I was six years old when he died. My mother worked in Salt Lake most of the time. She ran the lunchroom at Thistle Junction for a while for the Denver and Rio Grand Railroad. I visited her on weekends. I would go there on the D.R.G. railroad train. Then she ran the eating cafe at the Salt Lake Station. In fact, she was working there when my grandfather died.
I had very poor eyes when I was little. I think I was 4 or 5 and I was blind for 6 weeks. My mother took me to a Dr. Sinsley in Salt Lake. I went to his office every day for a long time. We stayed at my mother’s cousin at the time. They finally got better, but when I was 10 or 11 years old, I went to Dr. Fortz up there. Then I’ve been to others since then.
My mother was head lady in the alteration department of Auerbachs store when it was located on Main Street. I lived with her then for a while and went to the Oquirer School on 4th East one winter.
She met and married Harry Sadler, and I came back to Lehi to live with Aunt Baa. Later mother and her husband came to Lehi to live. She died here when I was 12 years old. Her husband came from a very well to do refined English family. I used to go and visit there for a weekend many times. They loved my mother. Henry Sadler was the name. I lived from then on in Lehi with my aunt.
I had many friends; one of my best was Ella Allred. I graduated from the 8th grade and part of 1 year of high school. I always regretted I couldn’t have go on to school.
I always loved music. I never took lessons, but my cousin Jennie taught me the keyboard. I had my mother’s organ and practiced on it. Time was never hard for me, but I was made organist in Sunday School when about 13. I would meet with the chorister after Sunday School (Brother Woffingden) and pick out songs for the next week so I would practice them through the week. Well, I got to play quite well and also sing solos. I would have loved to have been able to take both vocal and instrumental. Mr. Lund of the B.Y.U. wanted to teach me vocal, but I was never able to go to Provo.
I played the piano and at the picture show house here and made $7 or $8 per week and went to school in the day.
Two of my best friends were Ima and Maria Evans, and that is where I met my husband, Sylvester. We went together 2 or 3 years when we were married in the Salt Lake Temple by Brother John R. Winder.
We have been very happy together and have raised a lovely family. For a few years we lived in Santaquin and then to Genola. I was active both places in music, also taught Sunday School and Primary. I taught a girl music in Genola for a while. I played and led the music, but soon she played, so I started 4-part singing in the Sunday School, and in a short time, we won the prize in Nebo stake.
When we moved back to Lehi I was made Ward Chorister. I led the Sunday School, too, and also taught Primary. We also put on an opera for the mutual. I was ward leader for about 16 years. Then I was put on the Stake Board of the Relief Society for 3 different presidents. So, along with my family, I’ve done a little in music. I kept track one year, and I sang solos to 28 funerals.
Now I feel like I’m not doing much, but I’m enjoying my friends and above all my dear family which I’m very proud of.
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Lehi, Utah
December 26, 1965

Some time ago my husband put down on paper a short sketch of his life, which has now been typed and entered as part of the family record. So the family thought it would be fine if I would do the same.
Vess was 3 years and 6 days old when I first saw the light of day. I was born June 13, 1892, in San Francisco, California, but was about 3 months old when my mother (Edith Davis Smith) brought me to Utah where I have lived for about 73 years. As my mother became a widow when I was very young I never knew my father, but they said his name was Banks Smith. My mother had to work and was required to move from place to place to support herself and me. When I was about 10 years old my mother married Harry Sadler and we moved back to Lehi. Harry Sadler was a barber and he operated in Lehi until my mother died. I was now about 12 years old and became an orphan and made my home with Aunt Ba (Mary Ann Davis), my mother’s oldest sister. Aunt Ba was deaf and dumb and she taught me the sign language very early in life. She and I lived together in the little adobe house my husband mentioned in his sketch, and after our marriage in 1909 we lived there for about 8 years where our first 4 children were born. They all learned to talk to Aunt Ba in her language and we all loved her dearly.
Edith Evans