William Samuel Evans 1855-1935

 William Samuel Evans   1855-1935

Sidney Kay Smith Creer’s Great Grandfather

William Samuel Evans was born February 1, 1855 to Mary Jones and Abel Evans.  He was the second son and third child of these Welsh immigrants who had left their homeland for the sake of the Mormon Church.

In addition to his own mother, his father had taken two other wives according to the precepts of the Church at that time, and he grew up a child of polygamy.  “Aunt Martha” and “Aunt Jane” and their children were very much a part of his life.

When Bill was ten years old, his father was called back to Wales on a mission for the Church from which he never returned.  He died of consumption while he was there.  Abel John, age twelve, and Bill where the oldest of the ten living children who were left without a father, so they learned responsibility early in life, as Mary relied on the two boys a great deal.

In spite of this, Bill grew up with a zest for life and was fun to be around.  He was short, dark and handsome, and Martha Geneva Clark, a refined, stately young lady who he had known from childhood, loved his outgoing and roguish ways.  He was twenty and she seventeen when they got married.  Geneva’s sister Polly married George Zimmerman the same day.  They were sealed to each other in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.

Bill proved to be a good provider and was free with his means to his family and others.  During this period, the government had a program where one could homestead a given acreage and prove it for very little money.  William obtained one hundred acres in Upper Lehi shortly and Geneva Jane, their first child, was born.  The homestead was known as the New Survey.  They only deed they ever had for this place was the document issued by the government and signed by Ulysses S. Grant, the President of the United States.  

The railroad cut right through the property and on either side of it were lush fruit trees, wild currants, gooseberries and English currants.  Ten children were born here and grew up roaming this paradise for kids.  They lived in a 20’ x 20’ adobe house that Bill had built for them.

Bill, an athletic man, loved to wrestle. He would challenge anyone, large or small.  He managed a baseball team for several years, and he never missed a basketball game in Lehi (some of his grand children were generally planning on the high school or college teams).

He and Neve, as he called his wife, loved to dance and perhaps that is why so many of his progeny are involved in this art form.  His great grandson, Bill (son of Ferd) is nationally acclaimed in this field.  He enjoyed playing cards in his later years.  His grandson Cecil remembers many happy hours in his company doing this. 

Bill and Neve owned a coal yard and many a widow was delivered a ton of coal without charge.  This probably stemmed from the memories he had of his widowed mother and her struggle to raise their family alone.  

Bill was, of course, born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Though perhaps not as zealous as his father, he was ordained an Elder in 1874 and joined the quorum a little later.  When Alpine Stake was organized, he became president of the Sixth Quorum of Elders and held that office until he was released to become a Seventy.

About 1900, Bill built a new home for Geneva on 400 North Second West.  Both he and Geneva were known for their kind and charitable natures and finally, when they left the North Branch (which they had established) to move to the Third War, they were fondly referred to by member as the father and mother of the branch.  LaVerde, the youngest child was born in the new home.

Mining rock was what Bill did best.  They cut it out by hand in those days and he could tell exactly when a rock would break.  In addition to farming, a good share of his working years were devoted to contracting for the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company.  Bill’s youngest son, Vess tells the following story on his father.

When Bill was in his seventies, some of his friends asked him how he had spent his active years.  “Well,” he said I ran the thrasher for three years, I sheared sheep for thirty-five years, and now I have done contracting for some thirty years.  One of the men said, “Now, Bill, hold it a minute.  According to your own figures, you are about 101 years old.”  Bill said, “No sir, I sheared sheep in the spring, I ran the thrasher in the fall and I did contracting in the summer and winter.”  And that was a very true statement of his active life.  

He held several civil offices, serving one term in the city council and one term as member of the Irrigation Company.  But education was his major consuming interest.  He served nine years as a member of the school board at different periods.  During his terms in office, they built the Franklin School, the Primary School, the Grammar School, the New Franklin and the Sego Lily addition.  He also served two years as vice president of the Alpine School Board.  He served on the committee that erected the new high school building in American Fork.

Gean Holmstead, a granddaughter, notes a few memories of her beloved grandfather.

“In his later years, he didn’t want Grandma too far out of his sight.  If she left home, he would go around the neighborhood asking, ‘Is Ma here?’  And he would go from house to house until he found her.  I think this pleased her. When Grandma died, he let me buy her sewing machine for $15.00.  These were depression days and I paid for the machine in three five dollar payments.  Everytime I made a payment, he gave me $1.00 back.  This was an act of his kindness and generosity.”

It was also his way of teaching self reliance.  He might have given her the machine, but he wanted her to stand on her own two feet.

Bill never really got over the loss of his wife.  Juliette, his widowed daughter, and her two children moved in after Geneva died. Each gave to the other both financial and spiritual support.  Julliet or one of his many grandchildren would accompany him to the movies at the Royal Theater. He went to every change; it took his mind off Neve.

“Hell’s Fire and Damnation!”  Those who remember this favorite epithet, fired with indignation, must needs be smile and think lovingly and pridefully of the kind, generous, feisty man whose progeny we are.

He died, November 6, 1935, and was buried beside his beloved Neve at Lehi, Utah

--By Eudon Wasden and Gean Homstead