Elizabeth Hannah Findley Shelton ~ Index
Elizabeth Hannah Findley was born on 7 August 1866 in Mendon, Cache County, Utah. Her father, William Findley Jr., was born on 10 May 1831 in Karkinch Kirkfotherfues, Fifeshire, Scotland and died in Mendon on 8 May 1869. Her mother, Sarah Shaw was born on 14 August 1830 in Hilkson or Ilcastor, Derbyshire, England and died in Mendon on 4 May 1891.
William Findley was baptized on 7 May 1848, in the Lochgelly Branch of Fifeshire by Brother James Watson, just before his seventeenth birthday. He met the missionaries at a street meeting. He later went to England to live and work in the coal mines there. The next known event of William was his marriage to Sarah Shaw, the daughter of Samuel Shaw and Mary Boestick. They were married in the district church according to the ceremonies of the established church after Banns were posted. The marriage was solomized 25 December 1849 at Wingate, county of Durham, England. William's occupation at the time of his marriage was a Pitman in the coal mines and Sarah was a house servant. They lived at Wingate after their marriage. William was ordained an Elder on 29 June 1851 at the Wingate Branch by Brother Carmichel.
On 27 August 1852, their first child, a boy was born; but instead of great joy they were to know heartache as the baby only lived five minutes, not even long enough to be named. (He was later given the name of Samuel William Findley by proxy in 1972.)
Many of the saints were emigrating to America and William felt it best they should join them. Sarah, however was reluctant to go, probably because she would have to leave her parents, and her little son was buried there; and also because she was expecting her second child. William left for Liverpool alone; he left money for Sarah to come and sure enough in a few days, Sarah did come to Liverpool. They came to America through the Perpetual Emigration Fund as most of the saints did. They sailed from Liverpool 12 March 1854 on the ship John M. Woods under Captain Barstow Hartley along with their good friends, the Robert Forester family. There were 395 aboard this ship. Six persons died, Sarah miscarried the child she was to have as told by a lady who was on board the ship with them. The rest of the trip Sarah was not too well. The ship landed at New Orleans on 2 May 1854. They proceeded up the river to St. Louis, and then on to the outfitting place at Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri. The William Finley and Robert Forester families traveled together in one wagon. Ten people were allotted to one wagon, one tent and one team. At the end of a 1189 mile trek a new life began for the Findley family on Saturday 28 October 1854 as they settled in Bug Cottonwood, Utah. On 4 January 1856, James Shaw Findley was born to to William and Sarah. Sarah Ann was born on 10 April 1858. In 1859 the family moved to the Mendon Fort and lived in the fort until 1864 when city lots were surveyed. Lindsey Jane was born 18 September 1861, Mary Shaw was born 19 May 1863 and died in 1864. Then on 7 August 1866 Elizabeth Hannah, our grandmother, was born in Mendon, Cache County, Utah. On the 15th of September 1868 Lucy Sylvia was born.
However William was not to see his children grow up and marry nor was he even to see his only child by his second wife Agnes, as he died of pneumonia of the 8 May 1869, two days before his thirty-eight birthday and was buried in Mendon cemetery. The child, a daughter was born five months after her fathers death on 4 October 1869 and was named Mary Elizabeth Finley. Both Sarah and Agnes were left to face the problems of raising his families alone and supporting them as well. Mary Elizabeth married Joseph N. Sorensen. James was drown in the Logan River on 6 September 1871 at the age of fifteen. This left Sarah with four girls to raise. They grew up in Mendon living by William's sister, Ann Findley Westover who lived at the rock home located at 138 North Main. Sarah was married a second time for time only to Henry Hughes on 6 November 1872 and she died 4 may 1891 and was buried in the Mendon cemetery.
William and Sarah's daughters married the following men; Sarah Ann married Francillo Durfey, Jr. on 8 February 1877, Lindsay Jane married George William Danielson, Elizabeth Hannah married Henry M. Shelton on 10 April 1882, Lucy Sylvia married Francillo Durfey, Jr. on 26 November 1884 as a plural wife, her oldest sister his other wife. Francillo Durfey, Jr. or otherwise known to the Shelton family as Uncle Frank is the family Henry M. Shelton was raised with in Beaver Dam, Box Elder County, Utah.
Elizabeth Hannah Findley at the age of sixteen, married Henry M. Shelton on 10 April 1882 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.
They lived in Beaver Dam in a home Henry had built himself on the corner lot given to him by his grandfather Francillo Durfey, Sr. and Cynthia Harrington Bowen Durfey next to their home.
Their home was small but very comfortable. All but one of nine children were born to the couple at this home in Beaver Dam. The youngest child, Horace K. Shelton was born in Mendon, Utah.
Elizabeth's days were spent caring for and lending support to a hard working husband and nine children. In addition to such a great responsibility she also planted and cared for a garden large enough to provide food for the family year round. What was not eaten fresh, Elizabeth canned and put away for the winter months. She was an excellent seamstress and made all of the family's clothing. She was blessed with the talent of being very thrifty, a much needed asset when raising a large family. She was a great support to her husband and helped him in his work whenever possible. She was an active member of the L.D.S. church and served for a number of years as an assistant secretary in the Relief Society presidency.
Elizabeth loved children and against the protests of her own nine, she opened her home and her heart to a Japanese infant for about a year, while the mother was convalescing from an illness and was unable to care for it herself. With so much of Elizabeth's time and attention spent with the care of the infant, her own nine could not help but feel a little resentful towards the child. However, as time went on, the children became more patient with the temporary addition to the family being first priority and even enjoyed lending their help and support. The experience proved to be beneficial to all as a growing, learning and giving experience. As the children grew older, they could more fully appreciate their mother's unselfish compassion and love for others.
Some of the characteristics Vessie remembers most about her mother were her love for children and her compassion. "She took a great deal of pride in keeping her children neat and clean and always well dressed."
Elizabeth and Henry lived in Beaver Dam until 1906-07 and then moved to Logan, where the children attended school at the Logan City Training School. They lived there for a year and in 1908 moved to Mendon, Utah eight miles west of Logan.
They rented the home located at 123 South Main. This is where they were living when Lucy became ill with diphtheria and died. The coffin was lifted out the back window onto a dray, pulled by one horse and taken to the Mendon cemetery in a rainstorm.
They purchased a home located at 203 North 100 East and cleared the front lawn of a few large poplar trees that had been blown down by a windstorm a few weeks before, and lived there, their remaining years.
Elizabeth Hannah Findley and Henry Miller Shelton had nine children. Dora Alverta Shelton, 8 February 1883; Elizabeth LaVern Shelton, 7 October 1886; Henry Miller Shelton Jr., 20 December 1889; Verland Findley Shelton, 29 November 1893; Lucy Shelton, 22 May 1896; Vessie Shelton, 29 April, 1899; Ethel Mae Shelton, 7 February 1904; Linzy Jane Shelton, 7 May 1906 and Horace K. Shelton, 7 January 1909.
Elizabeth Hannah Findley Shelton died on 25 July 1941 (Obituary) in Mendon, Utah and is buried in the Mendon cemetery.
Notes…
This sketch was compiled by Kathryn Sorensen Shelton sometime in 1986, and was provided by her.