THREE AGED PIONEERS DIE WITHIN TWO DAYS: Second Great Uncle John Hepworth

It's been almost a week since I returned from attending the Roots Tech 2015 conference.  It's was an incredible week; just listening to the key note speakers was worth the trip.  It makes me wonder how the people who plan these conferences can top this one.  Also, I found a family treasure; a picture at the Church History Library of my dad when he was five years old.  I will post about this find soon.

This will be the last post on Second Great Grand uncle John Hepworth's family for a while.  I am going to go back to posting about Second Great-Grandfather Thomas's line.  This has been a slow process getting to the end of all the Hepworth's so I'm thinking I might veer off to my other lines in future posts.

To refresh briefly of what I have posted about about John Hepworth and his bride Frances Amelia Fletcher: they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter Saints in England in 1848.  They entered the Salt Lake Territory in 1852. On 23 March
1861 John and Frances were sealed in the Endowment House by Brigham Young. (Record from Special Collection; Family HIstory Library SLC)  Sometime before 1870 John and Frances no longer were affiliated with the LDS Church and attended the Episcopal Church.  A journal of a granddaughter Rose writes a very different story of how John and Frances came to the Salt Lake Territory.  I don't doubt that that she was told the story by her grandparents that they were headed for California and decided to settle in Salt Lake.  (A very short version)  To read 'all about it'  please go to utahrose

John Hepworth was a well respected citizen of Salt Lake City.  (I will only post about John's death)

Salt Lake Telegram Monday January 11, 1904

THREE AGED PIONEERS 

DIE WITHIN TWO DAYS 

THESE SALT LAKERS 

ROUNDED OUT LONG

AND USEFUL LIVES

_____________

Mrs. Sophia Jones, age 82, born in North Wales. 

John Hepworth, age 83, for fifty-one years a resident of Utah.

John Tingey, age 82, has lived in Salt Lake half a century. 

John Hepworth, aged 83 well known in commercial circles, died at his home,

571 South Main street, at 2:15 o'clock Saturday afternoon,  He has been a 

resident of this city since 1852, and conducted a successful butcher business 

for a number of years, retiring in 1886.

On January 28, 1900, he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, 

 Mrs. Hepworth dying about two months later.  At his bedside when the end 

came were three daughters, Mr. Maria Moench, Mrs. I.M. HIgley

 and Miss Sarah Hepworth. The funeral arrangements will not be made until 

two other daughters, Mrs. J. M. Moore of Richland, Or., and

 Mrs. Julia Wright, of Mammoth, Utah arrive in the city. 

John's brother, my Second Great Grandfather Thomas's butcher shop 

was located on the other side of town.

 Grandfather Thomas died in 1895 from a fall down an elevator shaft 

at the Lambert Paper Company. 

Burglars enter Hepworth's House; Father John Hepworth thinks it's the "daughters".

This is a story you can chuckle about.  I can hear the dialogue now of Father yelling out to the daughter's of what the heck is going on and the daughter's asking the same thing of the brother what he is doing to make such an disturbance when all along there are burglars in the house. 

The headline in the Ogden newspaper is 

Burglars Frustrated.  In the Deseret New: 

Foiled Again. --

Last night the house of Mr. John Hepworth, on the lower part of East Temple Street, was entered by burglars, who after getting in opened the doors so as to provide egress in case of  emergency.  Mr. Hepworth was awakened on hearing them rummaging about. Thinking it was his daughters he called out and inquired what they were doing up and about at such an unseemly hour.  The girls in turn thought it was their brother and spoke, thinking they were addressing him.  While this colloquial battery was being fired the burglars rushed out of the house and escaped.  The police were communicated with, but of course nothing could be done, by the way of arresting the thieves.  Luckily the scoundrels were interrupted too early to enable them to carry anything away.  

Highway robbery committed upon Mr. & Mrs John Hepworth 1876

John Hepworth
1 Jan 1822 - 9 Jan 1904

Only a few more postings about 2^nd Great Uncle John Hepworths' family and I am going back to posting about my 2^nd great grandfathers Hepworth’s family. 

In doing newspaper research I found several incidences where criminal activity happened to the John Hepworth family. 

 Deseret News 10 Oct 1876

[John was age fifty four and Frances Amelia

 was forty eight years old when this happened.] 

[Highway robbery committed upon Mr. and Mrs John Hepworth]

  Garroting, -- This morning, at 10 o;clock, before Justice Pyper, Frank Treseder and Charles Howard were arraigned, charged with Highway robber, committed last evening, upon the person of Mr. John Hepworth, of this city.  The witnesses were Mr. and Mrs. Hepworth and police officer Alexander Burt.  It was developed that the two young men were seen together as if watching or waiting for someone, just previous to the robbery; that Treseder was positively the party who throttled Mr. Hepworth and called to his accomplice to "go through him;" that so far as the darkness of the evening and the attendant circumstances would admit of a conclusion, Howard answered the description of the other party; that Mr. Hepworth's gold watch, worth $189, was taken from his pocket, the robber breaking a string with which it was tied to Mr. H.'s vest to get it away, the fragments of the string attached to the watch when produced in court and that remaining upon the vest corresponding exactly. The watch was correctly described by Mr. Hepworth, and identified in court as his property, and it was further developed that Mr. Burt took it from the person of Treseder upon searching him after the arrest. 

     Two defendants were arrested by Mr. Burt just as they were in the act of entering the Occidental Saloon. the robbed man pointing them out to the officer and recognizing Treseder as being beyond doubt one of the parties.  Both pleaded not guilty, and were separately arraigned for examination. Howard conducted his own case, basing his defense upon the fact of Mr. Hepworth being unable to swear positively that he was the person who accompanied Treseder.  General Barnum having been sent for the latter defendant appeared and waived examination where upon the justice held each of the parties to answer to the grand jury of the district court, fixing the amount of bond in both cases at $1,000.  In default thereof committed jail.

Funny, even in 1876 criminals deny wrongdoing because of 'Unable to Swear  Positive Identity'  when the circumstances are certain it was him. I wonder if John got a black eye or any cuts or bruises?  Do you think Amelia was so frightened she couldn't scream or did she put up a terrible fuss?  I would like to know the story they told their family.   

Sara Hepworth 1868-1942; could this be the reason for her sour 'sour disposition'?

Beware of information on Death Certificates

Before I write about Death Certificates I need to mention the last post. In transcribing the newspaper article about the  marriage between Charles Moench and Maria (Rie) Hepworth one word was hard to read and I thought the word had a ‘qu’ in it. I interpreted it as inquiry and it obviously was the wrong word because the sentence didn't make sense.   The word inquiry should read usually (I think) so it should read like this: 

 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 usually welcomes.   

It was a friend who helped me with a better interpretation.  Thank You My Friend Margie.  Did anyone notice that odd word besides me?                 

  Death Certificates will generally have the accurate date and place of death but, it can go downhill from there.  It all depends on who the informant is and what kind of state they are in; often they are in a state of shock and grieving.    Often if the informant is a wife or husband they may not know what the maiden name of the mother-in-law or even where she was born and will guess.  That information will put you on the wrong path in a hurry. Always research such information to be sure of the maiden name and place of birth of the mother-in-law.  

In the above examples are death certificates of a brother and sister who never married and the information was given by an aunt and a brother-in-law. 

The top certificate is of John Paul Donahue the son of Patrick John Donahue and Mary Ann 'Mollie' Hepworth.  He died 7 June 1929 CORRECT  His birth date is given as 21 March 1891 which is not correct because his mother 'Mollie' died in January of 1891.  John was born on 21 March 1887 in Butte, Montana and not Salt Lake City.  The place given is the correct place.  The informant was his Aunt Sara Hepworth signed as Mrs. S. H. Carthey.  Age at the time of death is recorded as 38 years 2 months and 16 days.  He was really 42 years 2 months and 16 days.   

The next certificate is a sister of John Paul, Mary Frances Donahue.   She died on Christmas Day 25 December 1941.CORRECT  Her birthdate is recorded as 28 September 1892 born in Salt Lake City and again this year is after her mother 'Mollie' died in January 1891.  I believe (and I am sure) she was also born in Butte, Montana on 28 March 1888.

So instead of being 49 years old as stated on her death certificate she was 56 years old 2 months and 27 days.  The informant was the husband of her sister Florence, R.H.Biele. 

Florence Alice the oldest of the Donahue children, she did marry and lived to be much older than her siblings.  Florence married Ray Henry Biele in Salt Lake City on 30 April 1913.  She was born 26 December 1885 and died at the age of 8o just short of her 81st. birthday. 

So be aware when using death certificates and tombstones inscriptions as they cannot be treated as absolute fact.  Everything is true somewhat but the more evidence you can gather, the more confidence you can have that you are right.  

Renée

  

  

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. 

PAT - RIE AND LOTTIE - SISTERS WITH BROTHER IN LAW.

Patrick John Donahue b 1849 - d 1932
Maria 'Rie' Hepworth Moench b 1862 - d 1953
Charlotte Hepworth Higley b 1865 - 1956

This picture is so interesting to me because the man is a brother-in-law to the two ladies.      

This is Patrick John Donahue who was the husband of the late 'Molle' Hepworth with Mollie's younger sisters Maria 'Rie' b 21 April 1862 and Charlotte "Lottie' b 14 Aug 1865.   

Seems everyone had a nickname. 

Maria or Rie married Charles Moench in about 1884 in Salt Lake City and moved to Butte, Montana where Charles worked in a mine. They had one child named Rose born in 1885.  Rose was only nine months old when her father died. Rie never remarried and Rose and her mother lived in the large beautiful  Hepworth house for more than twenty years. 

Charlotte or 'Lottie' was twenty nine years old when she married Irving Higley in 1895.  Irving and Lottie did not have any children. 

‘Rie died at the age of ninety one in 1953. Three years later ‘Lottie’ died at the age of ninety 1956 and was the last one of the twelve children.  That's a long time to live back then. 

Pat did remarry and died at the age of eighty two in 1932.

I will post more about the lives of ‘Rie’, ‘Lottie’ and Pat later.

Renée

Mary Ann 'Mollie' Hepworth married Pat Donahue

Patrick John Donahue b1849-d1932, Mary Ann 'Mollie' Hepworth b1860-d1891,
 Florence A. Donahue Biele b1885 - d1966, Mary Frances Donahue b1888 - d1941, John P. Donahue b1887 - 1929
(Picture via email attachment from Kathy)

          Mary Ann Hepworth was the sixth child of twelve of John and Frances Amelia Hepworth. She was born on the 26 May 1860 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Everyone called her 'Mollie'. I only have the year of her marriage, 1884 to Patrick John Donahue married in Salt Lake City.    Mollie was twenty four years old and Pat was thirty five. Pat was born on 1 Aug 1849 in Boston, Massachusetts and at the time of Mollie’s untimely death he was a superintendent of a mine in Montana.  Mollie was the mother of three beautiful children; the first two Florence and John were born in Montana.  The youngest a girl Mary Frances was born in Salt Lake City. 

  What a terrible tragedy to the Hepworth family of the death of Mollie.  She was visiting her family when this accident happened. I can imagine the anguish and sadness of the family.  From the journal of Rose a niece of Mollie’s who was only six years old at the time remembers seeing her Aunt Mollie in her casket  “the weeping of the whole family which disturbed me very much.    When I asked my mother why she cried, she said it was because she felt sorry for my three little cousins, who should never see their mother again.”  

     Can you imagine
the pain she went through?  I'm sure no one realized how she was really feeling or they stood by wondering what they could do to ease her pain not knowing how badly she was injured.  

  After the death of their mother the three children lived in the beautiful fourteen room house of their Grandparents.  Cousin Rose’s mother, Maria Hepworth Moench who was a widow and already living in the Hepworth house “assumed the role mother and took complete charge of them.”  (Florence age 5, John age 3  and Mary Frances age 2.)

The father; Patrick did remarry and that's another story to tell later. 

I love to do newspaper research.  Unfortunately

most news articles are of death, or sad circumstances. 

 Mollie is my first cousin 3 times removed. May she rest in Peace.