WILLIAM DAVIS
William Davies, son of Thomas Davies and Gwenllian Williams was born 15 May 1839 in Ystradgynlais,
Glamorganshire, Wales.
When he was seven, a neighbor musician became interested
in him because of his love of music and gave him a tin flute, and kept him
coming for lessons until he could play well and read music at a glance. On one
occasion, Willie said: "If I had a big house like this, I would let all
the poor people live in it."
"I suppose you want to be a landlord when you grow
up,"
"No," answered little Willie, fondling his
flute, "I just want to sing and make the sad people glad."
This indicated his character and true desires.
At seventeen, William was baptised
into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by his father in Wales.
William took his religion seriously and learned to read and to preach it. He
also read much history.
Just before William was twenty-five, he and his brother
Morgan, two years his junior, boarded the ship General McClellan, March
1864, bound for America.
They started across the plains May 1864, each driving a Government supply wagon
drawn by oxen from Missouri to Montana;
thereby earning instead of spending for transportation. They arrived in Salt
Lake City 31
October 1864. Being plasters [sic] of skill, they were soon working
on the Temple.
William was also a body-guard to President Brigham Young.
He sang in the Tabernacle Choir and joined a brass band. He helped to buy
instruments and to pay the teacher, Mr. Park.
Somewhere in the rush William lost the "e" out
of his name and became Davis
instead of Davies. His only explanation: "It was the American way."
Despite all this activity, William had time to fall in
love and rush a courtship with Amelia Evans Camp, an attractive young widow who
also, was born in Wales.
She had two small children Peter and Deseret Camp.
Amelia had emigrated on the Ship Thornton
in 1856 at age eighteen. She pushed a hand cart across the plains in the Willie
Company. She acquired the name "Charity" for her kindness and for
sharing of spices she had earned while waiting for the hand carts. She had
married a polygamist, the father of her children, Williams Camp. Amelia was
with him at the celebration of the 24th of July, at Big
Cottonwood Canyon
when the message was brought to Brigham Young that Johnston's
Army was on its way to make war on the Mormons.
William Davis and Amelia were married in December 1864,
in the Endowment House, by Brigham Young. On May 10, 1869 William was playing in the 10th Ward band
that celebrated the meeting of the two railroads at Promontory Point. One week
later their third child was born. The next year William bought a lot on 7th.
East between 5th and 6th south and built a house there, where the next three
children were born.
In 1876 William moved his family, to Samaria,
Idaho, and bought a piece of property on
which he built a rock house. In Samaria William was made choir leader and
president of a Seventies Quorum. He also did missionary work. He and his
brother, Morgan, kept open house for the missionaries from Utah.
The stork found their home in Samaria
29th September 1879,
leaving the third girl Phoebe. The sixth boy, Thomas was born 19 January 1881.
William lost his faithful wife, Amelia, October 8, 1886. She is buried in Samaria.
Her seven living children were all single. The eldest, William H. (My father)
age 21. The youngest was under six. William Sr. needed help. He soon moved his
family back to Salt Lake,
after nine years in Samaria. In
February 1887 William married Margaret Morgan. She was good to the children but
was not satisfied with financial conditions. They were divorced.
September 1898 he married Hannah Margaret Hansen. She was
too young to be called Grandma, so his grandchildren called her "Aunt
Maggie". She told me when I was 14, that my grandmother had appeared to
her in spirit and asked her to marry William and take care of him in his old
age. She had heard William's prediction that he would outlive all his sons.
Three of the six were now dead. But regardless of the fact that his other
prophecies had come true, this one was taken lightly by some of the family.
The year after their marriage, 15 March 1899, William left for a two year
mission to the Eastern States. Meantime Maggie gave birth to his 7th son, Milo.
The prophecy could not include him because it was made long before he was born.
William was now sixty-one.
My first memories of Grandpa are after his return from
his mission. He was sturdily built and about average height. He had deep-set
hazel eyes and gray hair and wore a gotee, or
"imperial". With his manner of speaking through his teeth, he gave
the impression that he was staunch and imperial. He was kind and over-generous.
He was still working as a plasterer and doing Temple
ordinance service in his spare time.
The most stirring talk I ever heard about Grandpa was in
1922, at the home of my parents. The family had been called together for the
joyous visit of Uncle Arthur and Aunt Emma from Salt
Lake. As soon as greetings were
over father asked about Grandpa who was by now 83.
Uncle laughed a little before answering: "Father is
a little better than he has been for a month, but he is still very sick. I
don't see how he can bear much more at his age."
Father shook his head sadly and I choked on tears as
pictures of my kind old grandpa flashed through my mind. Aunt Emma, still as
pretty as a peach, looked anxiously at Mother: "Josie, do you think it
possible that Father Davis' prophecy could come true about outliving all his
sons?"
Mother lifted her brown eyes with surprise, "Well, I
hope not, Will and Arthur are still hale and hearty and Father Davis has seemed
near his end for at least two years."
My father then asked how his father and Maggy were getting along other than his health. "About
the same as always, you know that father never was much of a success."
Success!" exclaimed Emma, "that depends on how
you measure success." Her soft, sweet voice rang with vigor and challenge:
"None of us has been through the Temple
3000 times for the benefit of others. And none has spent 40 years singing in
the Tabernacle choir for the joy of others and with no pay!" I gloried in
this speech from his daughter-in-law.
A few weeks later we heard that Grandpa was up and again
working in the Temple. During the
next four years we heard several times from Maggie about Grandpa's ailments. He
was bedfast most of the winters, but up in summer. The fifth year we were
notified of the death of Uncle Arthur, 23
September 1927. He was 11 years younger than father who was still
plastering.
Father died 19
July, 1931. Grandpa survived him more than seven months. He lived
to grieve at the fulfillment of his own prophecy; and to accomplish his
childhood dream to sing and make people glad. Maggie had proved faithful to the
end.
William Davis died 9
February 1932. His funeral was in the 10th Ward and burial in City
Cemetery, Salt
Lake City. He lacked 3 months of being 93.
Amelia Davis J. Everett, Granddaughter
