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Sunday, November 9, 2014

Maria 'Rie' Hepworth Moench

This is what I know about Maria Hepworth the seventh child of John and Frances Amelia Hepworth.  She was born in Salt Lake City on 21 Apr 1862 and attended St. Mary's Catholic school .  She was a delicate child and only went when she felt like it.  (from Rose's Journal.)   
Her family and friends called her Rie or Aunt Rie.  She was twenty two when she married Charles N. Moench who was thirty five. Charles was from Germany and came to Salt Lake as a soldier in the Johnston's Army.  When Rie met Charles he was working at his trade as a cabinet maker.
They were married on 26 Aug 1884.  From the Salt Lake Newspaper
 (note below:MARRIAGE)
Moench --Hepworth - At the residence of the bride, August 26th, by Rev. E Benner,
Mr. Chas F. Moench of Butte, Montana, and Miss Ria Hepworth , daughter of 
John Hepworth, Esq., of this city. The illness of Miss Hepworth up to the 
time of the ceremony, forbade the assembling of so large a company as Mr. Hepworth's
hospitable mansion inquiry welcomes. A few of the immediate family friends were 
present, and the occasion, although a very quiet, was also a very happy one,  Mr. Moench is 
well and favorably known from his residence in this city during eight years past, and few young ladies have a wider circle of devoted friends than the bride  They started immediately
 for their home in Butte,The only slipper that was flung after them landed in the mud.  But the omen was perfect.  May they live long and prosper. 

They made their home in Butte, Montana where Charles worked at a mine. Rose was born a little over a year later on 4 November 1885. When Rose was six month old Charles was injured severely by a huge rock that fell on him. They returned to Rie's parents home in Salt Lake City for him to recuperate. 
(from Rose's journal) My father's health, with the undivided care of mother gave him didn't improve [While] walking in the garden, he grabbed her in his arms and died.  To be torn away from his death grasp was an awful experience.  It left her nervous and high strung all her life. 

From the Deseret News 11 August, 1886 [via Genealogy Bank]
Dropped Dead. - About 10:30 o'clock last night, Charles N. Monch [Moench] of Montana, was standing at the gate in front of his father-in-law's residence, at the corner of East Temple and Sixth South streets, when he had a sudden attack of heart disease and fell to the ground unconscious.  Efforts were made to revive him, but he expired in a few moments.  He has been a sufferer from the disease for some time  He leaves a wife (the daughter of John Hepworth) and one child.  His age was about 38 years.  The funeral will be held to-morrow.

Rie never remarried.  She took on the responsibility of raising her sister Mollie's children and managing the affairs of caring for the large house of her parents.  Her daughter Rose married Henry Julius Plumhof in 1911.  Rose, as I mentioned in another post wrote a very interesting journal that is very honest in her writing and has a lot of information on the Hepworth Family as well as her own life. 
Below is a picture of Rose as a small child and as a woman with her husband Henry on her right side and Ray Biele who married her cousin Florence Donahue. 
Rie was living with Rose and her son-in-law when she died in 1953.  She lived to be 91 years old. 

Many challenges and trials and happy moments the Hepworth's have experienced. Stories that need 
to be remembered  and be told. 
    
Renée                                         Rose's Journal       
                                       
Top Picture: Maria Hepworth  - Maria's death certificate - next pic:
Maria Hepworth Monech aka Ria - next pic
Rose Lottie Moench only child of Rie and Charles Moench
 next pic:  Rose is in the middle - her husband on Rose's left
Henry Julius Plumhof - on her right  Raymond Henry Biele
 husband of Florence A. Donahue cousin to Rose.