Sarah Ellen Ashton

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJC-B1N
• Initiatory (LDS): 30 Jan 1864, EHOUS

Notes:

After Sarah Ellen's family was converted to The Church of Jesus Chris t o f Latter-day Saints they made plans to sail for America and join th e Sain ts in Zion. Sarah's parents, William (33 or 34) and Sarah Ann Barl ow Asht on (33), and their children, Betsy (11), Sarah Ellen (7), Mary (4 ), and E lizabeth Ann (17 months), left Liverpool, England, in May 1856 o n the shi p Horizon. The family left behind in England the grave of anoth er littl e daughter, Esther, who had died in infancy.

Sorrow found this family again on July 2, 1856, as the Horizon was dock e d at Boston and little Elizabeth died. Heartbroken, the Ashton's left b eh ind another daughter's grave and traveled to Iowa City, Iowa, mostly b y r ail. Here they spent three weeks, finishing handcarts and tents. Th e Mart in Company arrived at their major outfitting camp in Florence, Neb raska , on the 22nd of August, and spent three days there gathering suppl ies an d cattle and preparing to cross the 1,000 miles of plains and moun tains b etween there and the Salt Lake Valley. Sarah's family had success fully wa lked and pulled their handcart about 300 miles already.

On the 26th of August, the day after the Martin Co. left Florence, anoth e r baby girl was born to the Ashton family. They named her Sarah Ann, af te r her mother. The mother died in childbirth and 16 days later on Septe mbe r 11th, the new baby, Sarah Ann, also died.

Sarah Ellen's father carried on for four more weeks, caring for his thr e e motherless daughters as best he could. When the company reached Ft. L ar amie on Oct. 9, William enlisted in the U.S. Army and left his three l itt le girls with the Martin Company to continue to Utah. At this time th e da ys were still warm, but the nights were cold. Expected provisions a t Ft . Laramie were in short supply and so food rations were cut, the cap tain s not knowing when promised help from Salt Lake would reach them. Pe rhap s William felt this would be the best way for him to earn some mone y to s end to provide for his daughters. It was not uncommon in those tim es fo r a father to turn the care of his little children over to others w hen th e mother had died. It is not known how long William remained in mi litar y service, but at some point he returned to England.

The Saints cared for the little girls as well as they could. They all su f fered greatly from food shortages and the lack of warm clothing. The se ve re weather began at the last crossing of the N. Platte River (near pre sen t day Casper, Wyoming) on the 19th of October. The Martin Company bec am e stranded near there for over a week before they were finally locate d b y the rescue party from Salt Lake. Sarah Ellen's oldest sister, Betsy , wa s only 11 years old, but surely must have felt great responsibilit y towar d her younger sisters. It finally proved too much for her and sh e joine d her mother and other sisters in death. This left Sarah and he r sister , Mary, to continue on to the Salt Lake Valley. Sarah Ellen los t her sigh t in one eye during this journey. The company finally arrive d in the Vall ey on November 30, 1856. They were met by Saints who took t hem in to thei r various homes and cared for them. At some point Mary an d Sarah foun d a home with the Hatfield family in Farmington, Utah. At th e age of 12 , Sarah was living with the Joseph Carlisle family and workin g for them a s a domestic.

Sarah married Thomas W. Beckstead when she was 15. Sarah and Thomas ha d 1 0 children, four of whom died as infants. Mary was possibly living wi th t hem in S. Jordan, as she later married Isaac Wardle who had lived wi th an d worked for Thomas Beckstead's father, Alex Beckstead, Sr .

Isaac Wardle had also been with the Martin Handcart Company. He was mu c h older than Mary, but may have come to know the Ashton family on thei r j ourney. Mary and Isaac had one son who they named William Ashton Ward le , perhaps after Mary's father. Mary only lived for four hours after he r s on was born.

Sarah devoted her life to her children, her husband, and her church. I n 1 887, the Beckstead family moved to Whitney, Idaho, to help settle tha t ar ea. Sarah did not let her handicap stand in her way. She churned but ter , and sold eggs and also worked as a midwife, insisting that her chil dre n receive a good education. It was during these first years in Idah o tha t a man by the name of Clark came to Sarah's home with a copy of th e Mill ennial Star which contained an inquiry concerning anyone who migh t know o f relatives of William Ashton, pauper, in England, who had emigr ated to A merica previously and left his children on the plains. Sarah El len recogn ized this man as her father and sent passage money to Englan d for him t o come and join her family. Sarah's father accepted her invit ation and Sa rah and Thomas cared for William until his death. He is buri ed in the Whi tney cemetery a short distance from their grave sites.

Sarah Ellen lived a good life helping the sick and needy. Surely, she h a d learned to trust in God and be forgiving. She lived to be 63 years ol d . One of her granddaughters wrote of her: "[She made] a tremendous impr es sion on me when I was a little girl. I used to stay with her. She wa s s o clean, neat and orderly - always had her windows filled with bloomi ng p lants, even in the winter time, and carefully covered them with pape r eac h night so they would not freeze. She was a wonderful cook and I ca n stil l remember the good bread, butter and jam she made. Her cellar sme lled wo nderful, where she stored everything and kept pans of milk to b e skimme d of thick heavy cream used to make butter.... I've often wonder ed what h appened to the exquisite samplers grandmother made as a gir l - her apron s always had handwork across the bottoms... I stayed with h er many time s while I attended the Whitney school. This is where she ha d all the fami ly together to a dinner a few weeks before her death. He r flower garden o n the old place was so lovely to me. I well remember th e Sweet Williams , pansies and old-fashioned flowers she had growing ther e. She would sen d me with a cooked chicken and flowers to our mother whe n she was in be d with the birth of a child. She has always stayed in m y memory for her f ine qualities and goodness."

Sarah married Thomas Wesley Beckstead on 30 Jan 1864 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Thomas was born on 27 Apr 1833 in Williamsburg, South Dundas, Stormont Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario, Canada; died on 21 Sep 1893 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 23 Sep 1893 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJD-1X8
• Initiatory (LDS): 6 Mar 1879, EHOUS

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZM-8LW
• Initiatory (LDS): 24 Dec 1890, LOGAN

William married Josephine Foster on 24 Dec 1890 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. Josephine was born on 20 May 1868 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 12 Feb 1950 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 15 Feb 1950 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KVP5-17M
• Initiatory (LDS): 22 Oct 1890, LOGAN

Amasa married Elizabeth Anne Dunkley on 22 Oct 1890 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. Elizabeth (daughter of Joseph Dunkley and Margaret Wright) was born on 30 Oct 1872 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 21 Nov 1892 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Amasa married Mary Myriam Neeley on 13 Nov 1895 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. Mary (daughter of Armenius Miller Neeley and Susan Morgan) was born on 19 Sep 1874 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 19 Aug 1938; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KW8Z-QP7
• Initiatory (LDS): 25 Mar 1885, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWC4-FDN
• Initiatory (LDS): 4 Nov 1891, LOGAN

Sidney married Lela Eliza Hull on 4 Nov 1891 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. Lela was born on 30 Apr 1873 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was christened on 8 Jun 1873 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 4 Jan 1940; was buried on 6 Jan 1940 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KW88-J8Y
• Initiatory (LDS): 13 Dec 1899, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCQ-JXG
• Initiatory (LDS): 21 Dec 1923, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-2PG

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-2L5

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-2PS

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZ7-4TY
• Initiatory (LDS): 6 Feb 1901, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-2G8

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZM-Z83
• Initiatory (LDS): 1 Oct 1914, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K2M4-J8S
• Initiatory (LDS): 18 Jan 1928, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): IFALL
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-2MG

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-K15

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KW83-2XD
• Initiatory (LDS): 25 May 1928, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: KWVZ-299

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): LOGAN
• FamilySearch ID: KWCW-T3Q

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): COMPLETED
• FamilySearch ID: KWZM-8LQ

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZJ-KTC
• Initiatory (LDS): 17 Sep 1930, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZW-DBQ
• Initiatory (LDS): 15 May 1912, LOGAN

Amasa married Ethel Wilcox Maugham on 15 May 1912 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. Ethel was born on 4 Aug 1893 in Garnet Town, Adams, Idaho, United States; died on 27 Oct 1979 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States; was buried on 29 Oct 1979 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: K271-3K5

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCZ-FRJ
• Initiatory (LDS): 25 Sep 1918, SLAKE

Notes:

LLOYD NEELEY BECKSTEAD
Lloyd Neeley Beckstead was born at Preston, Idaho, September 16, 1897, t h e oldest child of Amasa Beckstead and Mary Myriam Neeley. He grew up o n h is father’s farm south of Preston. At a very young age, he drove a fo ur-h orse team to haul beets. His father owned one of the first automobil es i n Franklin County. Amasa had Lloyd learn how to drive it first and t hen t each him.
Amasa spent a good deal of time in church work and Lloyd learned respons i bility early.
Lloyd had three sisters, five brothers, and one half brother. One broth e r died at birth. Two sisters and his half brother preceded him in deat h . Lloyd graduated from the old Oneida Academy. He played basketball wi t h Harold B. Lee (later a prophet for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latt er -day Saints) while at the academy. He attended the University of Utah , H ennegars Business College, and Utah State Agricultural College (in Lo gan) . He enjoyed playing basketball in college.
He married Adrienne Woolley in the Salt Lake Temple on Sept. 25, 1918. T h ey started to farm on part of his father’s place. Lloyd loved the lan d an d tried to be a progressive farmer. He improved his land by puttin g in ti le drains, which were a new innovation at that time .
During the depression, he hired German immigrants to dig trenches u p t o 8 feet deep to put the tile in. Lloyd then saw his alkaline soil be com e productive. He had one of the first tractors in the valley, also on e o f the first beet toppers.
He built three nice homes on his farm during his married life. Five chil d ren were born to Lloyd and Adrienne—four boys and 1 girl.
Lloyd Jr. was a music teacher in the Granite School District in Salt La k e City. He played the violin and enjoyed playing with the orchestra i n Sa lt Lake. He and June had 6 children.
Shirley has been a secretary and a housewife. She and Raymond Nelson liv e d in Richmond, Utah, where her husband farmed. They had one child.
Spencer graduated in chemical engineering. He was a packaging and labeli n g engineer for Kerr-McGee Company in Oklahoma. He and Anne had four chi ld ren.
David became a Veterinarian. He and Pauline had 8 children and lived o n t he family farm.
Anthony became a civil engineer for the County of Los Angeles. He late r m oved to Bountiful. He and DeAnn had five children.
Lloyd helped all his children get an education. At one time he was suppo r ting two families in college—each with three children. Anytime his chil dr en or grandchildren needed financial help they didn’t hesitate to as k “Gr andpa.”
He loved to hear his grandchildren perform musical numbers for him. Al l o f his grandchildren have spent many hours in his home. He and Adrienn e ca red for Michael, Lloyd, Jr.’s son, for several years in their own ho me.
Lloyd has been active in the church. He has served as ward genealogy pre s ident, Superintendent of the Sunday School for 7 years, and group lead e r of the High Priest Quorum. He served a short-term mission with his wi f e in the Central States in 1962. He was President of his Sunday Schoo l Cl ass. For a number of years he was teacher of the High Priest class , the p osition he held at his death. He really enjoyed and appreciated t his wor k and he studied hard to prepare his lessons.
He loved the cattle roundup in the fall. He loved to fly in airplanes . H e thought that was the only way to travel .
Lloyd began each day with family prayer and realized the blessings of fa m ily home evenings. Each time in his family prayer he prayed for his gra nd children to study and do well in school.
Lloyd bought two wheel move sprinkler lines. He wanted to improve his ir r igating methods and felt this was the way to go. He was very proud of t h e beets and corn that were growing on his farm. His grandchildren kne w Gr andpa would like a basket of these crops by his casket. He always gr ew go od sugar beets. He never missed a year planting them.
Lloyd and his family knew of the seriousness of his heart condition, b u t it was hard for him to slow down. He was out supervising work and che ck ing on his sprinklers almost every day in the summer. He died quickl y a t home from a heart attack after a restful night of sleep on Aug. 2 , 1974 .
Written by Adrienne Woolley Beckstead
Comments – His son, David, said that he was a quiet, patient man. He w a s also very hard of hearing in his later years.

Lloyd married Adrienne Woolley on 25 Sep 1918 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Adrienne (daughter of Ezra Foss Woolley and Grace Ann Hemenway) was born on 6 Feb 1897 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 18 Mar 1982 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States; was buried on 20 Mar 1982 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K271-7S1
• Initiatory (LDS): 18 Oct 1954, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCL-RR1
• Initiatory (LDS): 2 Apr 1924, SLAKE

Hesy married Adelia Marie Quayle on 2 Apr 1924 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Adelia was born on 29 Mar 1907 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 1 Aug 1985 in Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCC-591
• Initiatory (LDS): 22 Jun 1921, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCR-Z49
• Initiatory (LDS): 17 Oct 1928, LOGAN

Farrell married Helen LaRue Towers on 12 Feb 1931 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Helen was born on 1 Jul 1908 in Mammoth, Juab, Utah, United States; died on 24 Jul 2003; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCB-97L
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Mar 1926, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWC8-7K5
• Initiatory (LDS): 23 Dec 1931, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJW-WBG
• Initiatory (LDS): 17 Feb 1932, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJ8-HWV
• Initiatory (LDS): 20 Dec 1916, SLAKE

Mary married Byron Speirs Tanner on 20 Dec 1916 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Byron was born on 5 Feb 1893 in Tooele, Tooele, Utah, United States; was christened on 4 May 1893 in Tooele, Tooele, Utah, United States; died on 27 Aug 1969 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 30 Aug 1969 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWC4-FD6
• Initiatory (LDS): 20 Jul 1916, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K271-QVS
• Initiatory (LDS): 19 May 1920, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCG-JVN
• Initiatory (LDS): 23 Jan 1924, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCF-NYV
• Initiatory (LDS): 3 Jan 1940, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWC1-46G
• Initiatory (LDS): 13 Dec 1939, LOGAN

Sheldon married Verda Bodrero on 20 Jun 1938 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States. Verda was born on 28 May 1917 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 27 Jun 2002 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 1 Jul 2002 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZH-KLV
• Initiatory (LDS): 1 Dec 2011, REXBU

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZW-DBS
• Initiatory (LDS): 7 Jul 1958, LOGAN

Guy married Vida Long on 20 Apr 1940 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States. Vida was born on 5 Sep 1921 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 19 Dec 1984 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZZ-H2Q
• Initiatory (LDS): 23 Mar 1939, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCZ-FRX
• Initiatory (LDS): 14 Feb 1946, LOGAN

Lloyd married June Hanson on 14 Feb 1946 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. June was born on 25 Jun 1924 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 14 Feb 2001; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KW86-SG7
• Initiatory (LDS): 7 Oct 1998, ARIZO

Spencer married Anne Thomas on 8 Feb 1952 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States. Anne (daughter of Paul D Thomas and Fannie Ann McQueen) was born on 5 Nov 1929 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 28 Dec 2016 in Florida, United States; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LF4X-4J9
• Initiatory (LDS): 16 Jun 1952, LOGAN

Notes:

DAVID WOOLLEY BECKSTEAD
(1932-2018)

David Woolley Beckstead was the fourth of five children born to Lloyd Ne e ley Beckstead and Adrienne Woolley. He was born May 6, 1932 on the fami l y farm just south of Preston, Idaho. He had an older sister, Shirley; t w o older brothers, Lloyd Jr. and Spencer; and a younger brother, Tony .

His parents were solid members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d a y Saints. They lived in hard times. Hard work was the name of the gam e i n building up the family farm during the depression. There were lot s of c hores to do. One of the main crops at that time was sugar beets. D avid le arned to hoe fields of sugar beets by hand, a very difficult task . His da d tried to get the latest improvements in farm machinery as the y were mad e available.

In his young years, rats were a very bad problem. They were very prolifi c . Lloyd paid his son, David, a nickel for each rat he trapped. It beca m e quite a project for David to rid the farm of the pestilence. Here a r e a few quotes from letters that David wrote about his youth himself:

“My letter tonight will be directed to grandchildren about the size of P r eston and Johnny (9 years). I am going to tell you about one of the exc it ing times I had as a boy with their great grandfather, Lloyd N. Beckst ead .

“On a fall day in November when I was 8 or 9 years old, Grandpa Lloyd de c ided to go up the canyon to get a hay derrick to use for putting up ha y t he next summer. A derrick required about four small pine trees and on e es pecially long red pine tree for the top pole which swings over the h ay st ack with the fork full of hay.

“We harnessed old Duke (a blue pigeon-toed horse) and Dick (a brown ol d h orse) and hooked them on the wagon which had the hay tack taken off t he d ay before. Our destination was a sawmill up Franklin Basin about 2 0 mile s up Cub River Canyon. We had some old quilts and our food that gr andma A drienne put in a big box which we sat on. Our supplies were to la st us ov ernight until we would get home the next day.

“The weather that day was cloudy, and at that time of the year most anyt h ing can happen. We had lots of clothes on so we would stay warm. The ov er cast sky seemed to be especially thick as we looked up towards the hil ls .

“Old Duke and Dick jogged along on a trot and in about an hour and a ha l f we were down the Power House hill where Longs live. By the time we pa ss ed Community Camp ground, it was raining a fine drizzle. Grandpa too k a b lanket out of the big wooden box and put it over our heads so we wo uldn’ t get soaked. The next stop was at Willow Flat. The fall leaves ha d falle n and the road was muddy. A combination of leaves and mud made th e wheel s gum up and the horses could hardly pull the wagon. At Willow Fl at we we re three fourths of the way to the sawmill, and we cleaned the w heels of f so we could keep going up Hillyard Canyon. It was about four o ’clock i n the afternoon and it would be dark by 5:30 p.m., and we had fi ve mile s to go up this steep winding canyon. By now we were very wet an d cold; s o when two deer jumped across the road, the horses hardly notic ed it. W e just watched them bound through the cold looking aspen trees . Where th e road was especially steep, grandpa would slap old Duke wit h the lines s o he would walk a little faster.

“We finally reached the top of Hillyard and were at the north end of t h e basin. It was about a mile to the sawmill and darkness was setting i n o n some wet, cold, weary travelers. A light from the old bunkhouse soo n ap peared through the trees and our spirits were really cheered.

“Grandpa took me to the little bunkhouse where the sawmill man had a ni c e big warm fire and told us we could stay there all night. It sure fel t g ood in that little one room building, and I got warm while grandpa un harn essed the tired horses. After supper, which I remember was a quart o f pea ches and homemade butter and bread, we were glad to bed down on a n ice wa rm floor.

“That night we were warmed up good, but by morning the wood fire burne d o ut and it got quite cold. When we looked out in the morning there wa s abo ut two to three inches of snow and the sky was clear.

“We hooked up the team and drove the wagon over to the mill yard where t h e sawmill man helped load the logs up a ramp, with his team, onto our w ag on. After the logs were chained on we said goodbye and headed out of t h e basin. We put the brakes on the wagon as we headed back down Hillyar d a nd the horses seemed happy to move along at a brisk pace down the roa d. T he day was beautiful and we had a fun time eating some of grandma’ s hone y candy we had saved for the trip home. (Such a trip now would onl y tak e a couple of hours.)

“Maybe next summer I will take you on that trip with my new shire tea m . I know Preston can tell us the difference between Shires, Clydes, Bel gi ans, and Percherons.”

“Now I will tell you about my first horse. This story goes back to the y e ar we built our house in 1939. I had this old brown skinny horse sever a l years before this time. She first belonged to my father’s brother, Un cl e Oral. When Uncle Oral came home from his South African mission wit h a n Aristocratic young English bride by the name of Norah, my grandfath er A masa practically disinherited him. Uncle Oral owned this old horse , and h e loved her very much. At this time he left the farm and went t o New Yor k to work on a dairy. He left the old mare named Fox for me t o care for.

“When I was five I learned to get on her when she would put her head do w n to eat. Then I would jump on her neck and wait for her to raise her h ea d and then slide back on her skinny back.

“Getting back to the year 1939 which I remember because we were buildi n g the house and my job was to herd the cows on the Bamburger Railroad r ig ht-of-way. The trains came on schedule at 7 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6:30 p.m . T hese were the regular, fast passenger schedules which traveled at abo ut 2 5 miles per hour enroute to Logan. There were also a couple of slo w freig ht schedules.

“This job of herding cows took place between schedules, and it kept me p r etty busy keeping the cows off at the time the electric, one-passenge r un it came up or down the track. You could look down the track approxim atel y ten miles and see the sparks above the car when it was coming.

“Sometimes my cows would get out and be along the railroad at the time t h e train came rattling up or down the track. It would have to slow dow n t o avoid hitting them and this made the old conductor pretty mad. It u se d to really scare me when I was hurrying to get the cows off, and I wo ul d look up and it was too late to be off in time. Then old Mr. Fryar, w h o was the conductor, would stop the train and tell me he was going to c ho p off my ears if those cows got in his way anymore. This used to reall y f righten me, and I was glad when our pasture at home got good enough t o fu rnish feed for our few cows by the first of June. Then the cow herdi ng go t better until next spring rolled around. At this time, I vowed t o mysel f that I would buy enough pasture so that Old Fox and I wouldn’ t have t o herd cows anymore. Fox was my favorite skinny brown horse.”

As you can see, David was a great story teller. He had a story about eve r yone, and he knew just about everyone in the county.

David was a bright boy and skipped a grade in school making him a year y o unger than everyone else who graduated from high school. He went to th e U niversity of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. He married Pauline Westerberg wh o al so went to college in Moscow. He knew her in high school in Preston . Fo r their honeymoon, they took a drive to the Utah National Parks—Bryc e, Zi ons, etc. David went through Veterinarian school at the Universit y of Was hington, and then worked as a vet in Malad, Idaho for a year o r two befor e moving into his parent’s home (1498 S 800 E) to farm. He bo ught some la nd from his father and worked hard. As the uncles got older , David bough t their land. Over time he accumulated all the land along B eckstead Lan e that belonged to his ancestors, the pastures, he vowed h e would try t o get for his cattle and much more. He eventually had abou t 6,000 acres a nd 300 cattle.

David and Pauline had eight children, four boys and four girls—Kristy, K a thy, David (Brad), Kaye (Pud), Jed, Shirley, John, and Alan (Fred). Th e y taught their kids how to work hard and that stayed with them througho u t their lives making them very prosperous, industrious people. Paulin e ma tched her husband as a hard worker and was an incredibly giving an d sacri ficing person. She had a bright, cheery, talkative personality an d she su pported David in all his farming efforts.

David had constant goals for improvements to the ranch. He obtained th e l atest farm machinery, increased his sprinkler wheel lines, improved h is i rrigation, put in steel gates, nicer fences, etc. It was a family af fair . A love of the farm stayed with his kids. Some of his grandchildre n work ed on the farm in the summers (Kathy and Brad’s sons). Their paren ts kne w the value it would be to them.

David encouraged and helped pay for his children to go to college. Sev e n of his children had bachelor degrees. David B. became a family docto r i n Preston and Jed received an MBA. David and Pauline encouraged growi ng e xperiences; for instance, David B. went to Europe with the BYU Ballr oom D ance Team; they sent Pud on a BYU tour of Europe; they helped Fre d go t o Jerusalem with a study group. They wanted their kids to broade n their h orizons. All there children also took piano lessons.

However, for himself, David never wanted to leave the farm. It was foo d a nd drink to him. Hard work was his entertainment. He did go to othe r stat es to see his children graduate from college and get graduate degr ees, o r see his posterity marry. He also went to California to visit Kat hy. Bu t his favorite place was the farm. He was very proud to be the fou rth gen eration living on his road, Beckstead Lane, 800 East, Preston, Id aho.

David had many, many friends. He would help them dehorn cattle or tend e d to their sick cattle. His friends in turn helped him when he needed i t . He enjoyed stopping to visit his pals as he went about his everyday w or k.

As the kids grew up and moved away, he had a lot more work without all t h e help. For years he hired two or three Mexicans to come for six month s o ut of the year to help him farm—Robbie, Pedro, and Juan .

David told of a special spiritual experience that happened to him when h i s son, Fred (Alan), was in a coma in Ogden hospital after a severe ca r ac cident. On a trip through Sardine Canyon to visit Fred at the hospit al, D avid saw an angel surrounded by light, standing in the air near th e top o f a hill. The angel spoke words of comfort to David explaining th at Fre d would recover. And Fred did get well, went on a mission, and wa s seale d in the temple to a lovely girl. Every time David drove throug h that sam e canyon, he recalled the incident.

David had a strong testimony of the gospel, and a firm devotion to his a n cestors that crossed the plains as pioneers and settled the land tha t h e loved so much. He and Pauline established a strong family who did m uc h to help build up the kingdom of God in the latter days. David and Pa uli ne gave future generations an invaluable foundation.


By Alexis Champneys Beckstead, David's daughter-in-law.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZK-WTX
• Initiatory (LDS): 9 Jan 1958, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): Not Needed
• FamilySearch ID: K271-QWG

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZZ-D4D
• Initiatory (LDS): 20 Sep 1946, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L5NS-TQR
• Initiatory (LDS): 9 May 1951, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZR-F5Q
• Initiatory (LDS): 17 Nov 1955, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZ7-DLL
• Initiatory (LDS): 29 Jun 1955, IFALL

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZZ-621
• Initiatory (LDS): 13 Mar 1953, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: 9ZCM-WL2
• Initiatory (LDS): 6 Oct 2010, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJ8-83G
• Initiatory (LDS): 1 Dec 1999, OGDEN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCF-998
• Initiatory (LDS): 8 Mar 2002, OGDEN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCG-34N
• Initiatory (LDS): 5 Dec 1946, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCT-HS5
• Initiatory (LDS): 11 Mar 2004, LOGAN