George Wilding, Jr. - 1851-1898

George Wilding, Jr.

George Wilding Junior was born June 5, 1851, at Winter Quarters, North Pidgeon, Pottowatomie, Iowa. His parents were with the Saints that had been driven from their homes in Nauvoo. George was born while his parents were preparing for the trek to the Great Salt Lake Valley with others of the early pioneers. He was one year old when they commenced the journey.
His Father, George Wilding Senior, was among the first converts to the Mormon faith in England. His Mother, Mary Elizabeth Layne, was converted to Mormonism with her Father’s family in Clay County, Indiana, and later moved to Nauvoo. The Wildings left for the Salt Lake Valley May 15, 1852, and arrived there September 24, 1852, with the Benjamin E. Gardner Company.
George grew up with other pioneer children in the Valley and endured the trials and hardships of those early years. His education was that which was provided the children of the Saints in those first years in the Valley. The children learned to read, to write, and the fundamentals of arithmetic. They were taught those things necessary to live useful and productive lives.
The month and day of George’s baptism is unknown, but it is a matter of record that he was baptized in the year of 1866. George was the eldest child in a family of thirteen children: five sons and eight daughters. He was guided, as he grew, by the influence of good parents. He developed great faith in the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and, as he grew to manhood, he developed the reputation of being a fine honorable man.
George and his family attended Church regularly in the old Sixteenth Ward of Salt Lake City. It was there he became acquainted with Sarah Brown and her family, who were converts from England. George and Sarah Brown were both active with the young people in the Ward. He was ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood in the Sixteenth Ward.
The old Salt Lake Endowment House was where George married Sarah Brown on October 19, 1874. They were sealed for time and all eternity in a double wedding, for his sister, Roselpha married George Rhodes Emery that same day. Sarah was seventeen and one-half years old and George was twenty-three when they were married. The double wedding remained a sweet memory throughout the years for the participants and the family members.
After their marriage, George and Sarah lived in Salt Lake City where their first two children, George David and Joseph Abram, were born. George David was nearly two years old when George and Sarah moved to Fountain Green, Sanpete County, in Southern Utah. This was their home for the following nine years. Their two oldest boys were baptized while they were living in Fountain Green. They returned to Salt Lake and lived on the farm of George’s brother-in-law, Oak Poulton. A year later George purchased a ten acre farm on 33rd South (now 35th South) in the Hunter Ward. He operated a farm for Bishop Spears, of the Salt Lake Tenth Ward, as well as his own ten acres. He contracted to buy 160 acres of dry farm land on the bench land above their home farm, which he also farmed.
These were days of extreme hardship for the people of the Valley because of the grasshoppers. Four years in a row they were able to harvest only one crop of hay before the grasshoppers moved in and stripped the fields. There was danger of losing their farms so George found employment wherever possible. The boys old enough to work found jobs also. It took much to feed and clothe their growing family. They cut railroad ties and logs, built bridges, and worked wherever they could find something to do just to keep things going.
They were faithful in Church attendance. Sarah worked in the Relief Society and she and George attended M.I.A. together. They found that activity in the Church and their associations there brought happiness and peace amid their hardships.
Five more sons were born before a daughter blessed their home: Heber "J", William (who died when he was only four days old), Charles Henry, Thomas Edward, Lawrence Roy, and James Albert. One of the boys had to become his Mother’s helper with this large family and no daughters. Edward (Ed) was the one chosen to help with the labor and upkeep of the home. He helped with the washing, which was done with a washboard and tubs, became a fine cook, and was especially skillful in cooking all types of meats and making delicious gravies. Later in his life he was sought after to help at Ward banquets or wherever meals were being served. He was especially skillful in cooking meat of all types and making delicious gravies.
Finally a daughter came to bless the family when Mary (May) Elizabeth was born in 1889. Lester Layne, Alice Emmeline, Harvey, Eva, and Wilford completed their family of fourteen children, which were born within twenty-two years. During the years of having and caring for her family, Sarah did all the sewing to provide her family with clothing. She made suits, hats, coats, dresses, underwear, and nightwear. She provided for all the needs of the growing children plus doing the cooking, washing, ironing, and the thousand and one things that only a mother knows of. As the children grew old enough to help, they were assigned their daily tasks in the home and farm routine.
The Salt Lake Temple was under construction and every Church member was expected to do his share. George with his young sons hauled granite from the quarries with their teams and wagons to do their part in helping to erect a house of the Lord.
These were years of challenge to George as he worked to provide for his family. Often he would join others in the neighborhood and they would go hunting for wild ducks to earn extra money during the winter months. They went out during the week, killed the birds, dressed them, and took them to town to be sold at Saturday’s market. This market extended from Richard Street to West Temple and was known as "Green Grocery Row." The farmers brought their produce to this market on Saturdays and sold it to those living within the City.
George’s youngest child was fourteen months old when George went on one of these hunting trips with his friend, Joe Messer. They had not been out long when George was stricken with a severe attack of appendicitis. He died in a Grantsville, Utah, hotel on Tuesday, November 8, 1898, before they could get him back to Salt Lake. George was only forty-seven years old. He was buried in Pleasant Green, Salt Lake County, Utah.

Sarah Brown wife of George Wilding Jr.

Born 5 March 1857 - London, Shoreditch, England to Abraham Critcher Brown and Mary Ann Dearman

Died 11 June 1923 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Mother of 14 children

History of Sarah Brown Wilding - 1857-1923

Sarah Brown was born the 13 September 1857, in Tottenham, Middlesex, England, the daughter of Abraham Critcher Brown and Mary Ann Dearman. She was the fifth child in a family of eleven children. Through the efforts of the Latter-day Saint missionaries, the Brown family was converted to Mormonism. One archive record shows that her Mother, Mary Ann Dearman Brown, was baptized in 1853 and her Father was not baptized until 1871. The Whitechapel Branch of the London Conference showed records for Mary Ann Brown, Sarah Brown, and Emily I. Brown. (Whitechapel Branch, London Conference, England, British Mission, Fam. Hist. Lib. film #087,038, p.27,1869.)

The Finsbury Branch showed records for Abraham Brown, who was baptized March 13, 1853 by Elder Spicer, and Mary Ann Brown, who was baptized in 1853 by Elder Spicer. The Finsbury Branch also shows that Abraham Crictcher Brown was a Teacher in the Priesthood. At that time, their Address was: 4 Plough Yard, Shoreditch. The Book of Ordinations show also that he was ordained a Teacher on Jun 13, 1853, by J.B. Maiben; and was ordained an Elder on July 15, 1854, by Elder Harrison. (Finsbury Branch, London Conference, England, British Mission, 1850 through 1859, FHL film #086,998, #218 - Abraham Brown and #265 - Mary Ann Brown.)

Later records of the Goswell Road Branch show that the family had moved to Leonard Street and that the record was received from the Finsbury Branch on March 19, 1859.

Records of the British Emigration Company Perpetual Emigration Fund show that the Brown Family emigrated to Zion with the help of the Church members who contributed to the Perpetual Emigration Fund. Emigration Records from Liverpool show that they sailed on July 12, 1871 on the Ship "Colorado". The ship's Captain was Master Green and their destiny was New York City. Sarah was thirteen years of age at the time they sailed, but her birthday was only two months away. (British Emigration Company Perpetual Emigration Fund, FHL film #025,686, p.24 of Names of Persons Indebted to the P.E.Fund Company. Emigration Records from Liverpool, Office of the British Mission for 1868- 1874, FHL Film #025,692.)

When they reached Salt Lake they settled in the Sixteenth Ward. Sarah had received all the schooling that she was to have before they immigrated to Utah. Soon after their arrival in the valley, she went to work in the home of Emmeline B. Wells. There was no limit to the work hours in a day and for this she received the sum of twenty-five cents a week.

They had been in the United States just two years and seven months when Sarah's Father developed lung problems which were described as "miner's T.B." which was caused by his many years of labor in the coal mines of England. He died on February 4, 1874. Abraham Critcher Brown was only forty-eight years and seven months old at the time of his death.

Sarah took part with the young people in their activities in the Sixteenth Ward and it was here that she met George Wilding. George and his family were also active members of the Ward. At the age of seventeen and a half, Sarah became the bride of twenty-three year old George when they were married for time and all eternity in the old Salt Lake Endowment House. It was indeed a special day as George's sister Roselpha married George Rhodes Emery there on the same day. Wilding Family members were there to witness both weddings and that day became a sweet memory throughtout the years that followed.

After their marriage, they lived for a time in Salt Lake City, where their first two children were born: George David Wilding and Joseph Abraham Wilding. When George David was nearly two years old, George and Sarah moved to Fountain Green, Sanpete County, in southern Utah. There they made their home for the following nine years. The two Oldest boys were baptized while they were in Fountain Green: George David on June 4, 1884 and Joseph on November 3, 1885.

They returned to Salt Lake and George purchased a ten acre farm on 33rd South (now 35th So.) in the Hunter Ward. He also operated a nearby farm for Bishop Spears, who was the Bishop of the Salt Lake Tenth Ward. They also were farming and paying for 160 acres of dry farm land on the bench above the home farm. These were days of extreme hardship in the Valley as they were able to harvest the first crop of hay, but after the first crop the grasshoppers would move in and strip the rest of the crops. This happened four years in a row. George was forced to find employment elsewhere to keep from losing their farms and just to feed and clothe their growing family. Their sons that were old enough to work also found employment wherever possible. They cut railroad ties, logs, built bridges, and did any work they could find to help the family.

The family was faithful in their Church attendance. Sarah worked in the Relief Society, and she and George attended MIA together. (In those days there were classes for the adults as well as the young people and all twelve and older attended MIA together). These activities brought happiness and peace to them in the midst of their hardships.

The family grew within their first 22 years together from one to fourteen children. One baby son, William, died four days after his birth. During these years Sarah sewed the entire clothing needs of her family. She made suits, hats, coats, dresses, underwear and nightwear. She tended to all the needs of her growing children as well as doing the cooking, washing, and ironing. As the children grew old enough to help, they were assigned their daily tasks in the home and family routine.

Seven sons were born before a daughter blessed their home: George David 11 Sep 1875; Joseph Abraham 19 Oct 1876; Heber "J" 7 Feb 1878; William 1879; Charles Henry 6 Jun 1880; Thomas Edward 26 Jun 1882; Lawrence Roy 11 Feb 1884; and James Albert 2 Apr 1886. As a result, it was necessary that one of the boys become his Mother's helper. Ed (Thomas Edward) was the chosen one that worked with his mother to care for the home, help with the washing (at that time done on a washboard in tin tubs), and prepare the meals. Ed became a very fine cook and in the later years of his life he was sought after to help with the planning and cooking of Ward banquets. He was especially skillful in cooking of all meats and making delicious gravies.

After fifteen years of marriage, Sarah was finally blessed with the birth of a daughter, May (Mary Elizabeth) - 12 Mar 1889. Another boy came to the family, Lester Layne 12 Jan 1891, and then her second little daughter was born, Alice Emmeline 8 Apr 1892. Evidently the Lord considered Sarah a fine mother for boys as her twelfth child, Harvey 3 June 1894, edged himself between two girls, Eva 1 Mar 1896. Her last and 14th child was again a son, Wilford 7 Sep 1897.

The Salt Lake Temple was being built during this time and every church member was called to do his share. George and his young sons hauled granite from the quarries with teams and wagons to do their share in helping to erect this House of the Lord.

During these trying years, George with others of the neighborhood, often hunted wild ducks during the winter months. They went out during the week, killed the birds, dressed them, and took them to town to be sold at Saturday's Market. The Market extended from Richard Street to West Temple and was known as "Green Grocery Row". It was here the farmers brought their produce to be sold to those living within the City. It was while on such a hunting trip that George was stricken with a severe attack of appendicitis. He died in a Grantsville Hotel before they were able to get him into Salt Lake City. George died at the young age of 47 years on November 8, 1898.

After George's death Sarah faced the future alone and to her the task seemed tremendous. Thirteen children must be fed, clothed and cared for. Her youngest child was 14 months old. Just a year after her husband's death her second son, Joseph, was called to serve a two-year mission in Texas. Sarah and the children worked at anything they could find to support him in this calling. Great freezers of homemade ice cream were frozen, cakes were baked, and these were sold at Ward or community socials. Eggs were gathered to be sold. Butter was churned, molded and sold. Sarah made hair "switches" for ladies of the community who brought some of their own hair to her to be made into hairpieces. These funds were always referred to as "Joe's money" and were kept for his missionary expense. The Lord blessed their efforts and Joseph returned in 1901 after completing an honorable two-year mission.

Sarah remained on the farm for four years following her husband's death. The younger children were attending school in the Hunter Ward where Ness Hall was teaching. At one time or another she taught Harvey, Alice and Eva. Ness later married their brother Ed (Thomas Edward) and became their sister-in-law. The following two years Sarah spent the summer months on the farm but during the school months she moved to town where the children could continue their schooling.

In 1902 the older boys began to marry and establish homes of their own, but on Sundays they would still gather at their Mother's home to visit. Around the large dining table they partook of the bounties of life with which her table was always blessed. They were welcomed with open arms and a glad, thankful heart.

Sarah moved to town to make a permanent home in the early part of 1904. The farmhouse was rented for a while but eventually it was sold and the dry farm was rented. This gave her some income although yearly payments were still being made on it.

Her fifth child, Charles Henry died in 1906 at the age of 26. The doctors diagnosed his death as being a result of Spinal Meningitis caused by the bite of a wood tick. He died just 13 1/2 months after his marriage to Maud Collins. Maud was left a young widow with an infant daughter whom they had named Lucille.

A few weeks following Charles death, Sarah's brother Joseph was drowned in the Snake River, near St. Anthony, Idaho. Then Sarah's Mother and Mother-in-law died within a month of each other. At this time Sarah took one of her granddaughters into her home to raise, Bertha Jones. Bertha was indeed a blessing and a great help to her grandmother, especially as Sarah grew older.

Sarah's youngest child, Wildord, died in 1910 at the age of 13. His death was also diagnosed as Spinal Meningitis. At the same time that family was in quarantine as Ab (Albert) had smallpox. Eva and Ab were not allowed to attend the graveside service for their baby brother but Sarah was "fumigated" by the authorities and was permitted to go.

Sarah's health was seriously impaired by all of these deaths. The stress of caring for those ill and coping with the loss of loved ones had taken its toll. She suffered from exhaustion caused by many sleepless nights. When she began to feel that she might get on top of it all, the family was again confined to their home with Scarlet Fever. This happened just two to three months after their siege with smallpox. There were seven children and Sarah at home at this time.

Sarah's home was on 8th West and she maintained it until World War I, when her only unmarried son, Lester, was called into the Service. During the time he was gone, she moved in with her daughter Eva who lived next door. Eva's Husband, Elmer Hokanson, was also called to serve. The two young men left together. After a period of time Elmer came home on furlough because he had suffered a serious attack of the dreaded "flu" and it had left him nothing but skin and bones. Eva put him to bed, nursed, and cared for him until he returned to duty 12 days later. When the war ended, Elmer returned home about two months before Lester. Upon Lester's return, Sarah again moved into a home of her own on Mead Street in the 30th Ward.

Sarah was able to visit her sons during the years that followed. She traveled to Idaho and stayed at Heber's home in Downey, then she went to Joe's outside of Idaho Falls in Milo Ward, and spent time at George's home in Rexburg. These were the easier and more enjoyable years of her life.

She was kind, thoughtful, and understanding of others. She gave of herself and shared her worldly goods with others. There was a pie or cake for the widowed, neighbors, or friends. She showered little children with love and kindness. Sweet memories of "Granma Wilding" linger in the minds and hearts of the grandchildren who remember her. Her faith in the power of the Priesthood was mainfested in times of sickness and expressed when her first words would be, "Send for the Elders".

In Sarah's Patriarchal Blessing received years before, she had been promised that she should not die until she was ready to go. On Jun 8, 1923 she suffered a heart attack in her home and to her daughter Eva she made the statement that she was ready to go any time. On June 11, 1923 she died at the age of 66 years. She was laid to rest, after 25 years of separation, beside her companion in the Pleasant Green Cemetery, Salt Lake County, Utah.

The noble pioneers, valiant parents, and grandparents now have a great posterity, most of them residing in Utah, Idaho and California, but others are spread throughout the states.

(This history written by a granddaughter with assistance from Aunt Eva daughter of Sarah)

Mary Ann Dearman mother of Sarah Brown (above)

Born 13 Sep 1827 at Tottenham, Middlesex, England

Married 10 Mar 1850 in England to Abraham Critcher Brown

Died 24 Jan 1910 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Phoebe Withers mother of Mary Ann Dearman (above)

Born 1795 London, England

Married to William Dearman