History written by granddaughter Owona Brown Grundy
Submitted by Debra Young, June 20
this family. William Riley and Margaret Taylor were living in Kaysville, Utah.
In 1863, they were sent to Southern Utah by the church president to help colonize the town of New Harmony. They lived there and had eight sons and one daughter.
Then in 1879 they pulled up their family and came to Rabbit Valley. They had cattle and a large herd of sheep, and were hunting a place where the feed was good. They moved here to what was known as Rabbit Valley. At that time this valley was in Piute Co. Then in a few years they named this place Wayne County. Loa, Utah is where Grandfather and his family settled to live.
As a young boy, Grandfather worked real hard. He herded sheep and cattle and farmed. And they had a lot of horses. As a young boy, Grandpa was out in what is known as Riley Canyon. A horse fell with him and that is how he broke his leg. He was crippled in that leg for the rest of his life. Grandpa went to the sheep herds and stayed, sometimes all winter before he would come home. He always had a good team of horses and a good wagon. He did a lot of freighting goods for the store and hauling coal from the mines. This would take them sometimes a week to make the trips over the mountain. They worked in all kinds of cold weather. They would camp in tents on these trips when they were freighting these goods for the store. Then in 1900, Grandpa met a lovely young girl, Zona Zina Jeffery. They were married in the Manti Temple on Wednesday,
September 5, 1900, by J.D.T. McCalester.
On August 13, 1901, Zona Lillis Taylor, daughter of Isaac Harvey and Zona Zina Taylor was born, Tuesday at 9:15 a.m., in the morning. Then sixteen days later, a sad thing happened. Zona Zina Taylor was called back home to our Father in Heaven. She died Thursday, August 29 at 3:20 am, in the morning, 1901. She was 24 years, 10 months, and one day old. Great Grandma Margaret Taylor took Zona to raise.
After Grandpa married Grandma (Ada Potter) they got a small farm and some sheep. Grandpa worked hard to help build the canals and ditches with horses and scrapers. They were the first ones to help get the culinary water from the spring out of the canyon. He also helped to make the head house to store the water in, and was the first Water Master of Loa City Water Works. He used a team of horses and a pole to make the trench. Then the other men would use shovels to dig the trench out. Grandpa worked on the Forsyth Reservoir. The reservoir stored water for the farmers.
On June 9, 1921, the dam broke in the reservoir and flooded the fields and lower part of Loa and Fremont. Grandpa worked to help put this dam back in. They had many trials. Melvin broke his leg October 16, 1911, age 3 yrs and 2 months old. Ward broke his leg April 16, 1920, age 7 years and 2 months, and he broke it again September 1926 at age 13 years. Grandpa went blind and had his eye operated on for cataracts June 10, 1916.
Grandpa filled a mission for the M.I.A. to Davis County from November 18, 1901 to February 18, 1902. Grandpa and Chap Morrell broke ground for the stake tabernacle (Loa) with a team of horses and a plow.
Grandpa and Grandma had a large family in two small rooms. They had eight children. Vaughn Alvin was born October 28, 1906, Sunday morning, 15 minutes past six. He weighed 9 pounds. Vaughn married Lila Oyler, April 8, 1929. To them were born four children: Gilina, Anna, Morrell, and Ernest. Vaughn and Lila were divorced. Later Uncle Vaughn married Dortha Spencer Aarron from Aurora, Utah, on July 7, 1959. To this marriage they were blessed with a daughter, Teresa. Aunt Dortha was so thrilled to have a daughter. He (Vaughn) lives on his farm.
Two years later along came Melvin Harvey. He was born July 25, 1908, Saturday, at 10:00 a.m. He weighed 11 pounds. Uncle Melvin married Blanche Jackson from Lyman on October 21, 1932. To this marriage they had six children: Neilo Q., Harvey Lynn (He met with an accident on a horse and died in July 1951.), Verla, Judy, Shanna Blanche, and Ardella. Uncle Melvin and Aunt Blanch live in Mayfield, Utah. They also have a farm.
Then in the year of 1911 on February 23 there came to bless their home, a baby girl, born Thursday at 10:00 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds. They gave her the name of May. She married Charles LaVor Brown April 2, 1928, and to this marriage they had seven children: Owona, Arlen LaVor, Freeman Earl, Dale Jay, Myrna, Erma, and Lois Ann. They made their home in Loa, Utah.
Then two years later, along came another son, Ward Ray born February 16, 1913, Sunday at 2:00. He weighed 10 lbs. Uncle Ward married Rula Buchanan, August 9, 1934. To this marriage they had seven children (four still living): Floris, Reed, Elaine, and Robert. (They had three baby boys that died shortly after birth.) Aunt Rula died April 30, 1953 in Salina Hospital. Uncle Ward had a real hard time alone with his family. But he met Ruth Page from Salt Lake City and they were married November 5, 1955. They live on their farm between Fremont and Loa.
Then two years later they were blessed with another son, Roland James. He was born July 28, 1915, Wednesday at 4:00 a.m. He weighed 10 pounds. Roland married LaPreal
Jackson on May 22, 1943. Roland and LaPreal never were blessed with any children of their own. They adopted a small baby boy. They were so thrilled for this baby in their home. They named him James Kay. He was born June 23, 1966. They made their home in Murray, Utah. Then on December 1, 1970 Uncle Roland died of a heart attack. Aunt LaPreal and James still are living in Murray, Utah.
Four years later their home was blessed again with a baby girl. Her name was Julia. She was born on January 16, 1919 Thursday morning at 10:00. She weighed 10 pounds. Julia was a beautiful child and was a special spirit of our Heavenly Father. She contacted meningitis and died on March 18, 1929. She was 10 years old.
In the cold winter of 1922, on Sunday, February 5 at 7:00 a.m. there came into their home another son, Veral D. Veral married Nita Pierce May 27, 1942. To this marriage they had four children: Max, Meryl, Carl, and Gaylene. On September 18, 1970, Veral was called back to our Heavenly Father. He had a heart attack and passed away at their home. Aunt Nita lived alone for a few years and was really lonesome. She met Phil Neilson of Salina and they were married. Phil works on construction, so they move around where Phil’s work is. But their home is still here in Loa and they come home when they can.
Then I think Grandma thought she had her family. May & LaVor were married and had a baby girl in November 1928. And then a blessing came to the family again on the third day of February 1929 they had a baby boy whom they named Oren Ellison. He married Viola Duncan on June 8, 1949. They were blessed with three daughters: Vivian, Julia, and Gayle. Oren works for the Fish & Game and makes his home here in Loa. They now own and live in Grandma and Grandpa’s home.
Howard and Florence Blackburn were their neighbors. Through them we learned the healing power of faith. Brother Blackburn had the gift of healing. We went to him for everything from removing a wart to giving Roland and the rest of the family blessings and building our faith. He promised Roland while he was blind for four years, that he would see again. And this was fulfilled. He was called on the morning that Grandma got meningitis. We feel that it was through him that her life was spared. Oren was one month old then.
Grandpa was a real honest man. He gave a good days work for a days pay. He never borrowed a dollar from the bank in his life. He paid as he went. If he didn’t have the money, they went without.
Grandpa and Grandma can be real proud of this family. All their children have been to the temple and married and have been sealed for time and all eternity, and had their children sealed to them.
Loa, Utah
July 12, 1977
