Mary Jane Thomas (1854 - 1898)

Born 20 Jan 1854 in Cedar City, Iron, Utah, USA

Ancestors

Wife of Llewellyn Thomas Sr — married 20 Jan 1873 in Cedar City, Iron, Utah, USA

Descendants

Died 17 Mar 1898 at age 44 in Palmyra, Utah, Utah, USA

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Biography

(Written by her daughter Mary Caroline Thomas Averett when she was 83 years old)

Mary Jane and Llewellyn settled in Spanish Fork and later they homesteaded some land outside the old fort. Being the first family to move outside the fort, their safety was feared by the other people, but they had no trouble.

After the death of her sister in law, she took her baby girl and raised her as a twin to Lew II. She treated this little girl as her own child and was very sad when her brother in law remarried and took her back to live with him. As hard as it was for them, she did her best in explaining to this child why she must go with her real father. The little girl went with her father, but a true mother and daughter relationship remained between them. This little girl was Maggie Beck Baasdsgarrd.

Mary Jane was a very hard working person, a very patient women and a wonderful wife and mother. There was always love and harmony in her home. Because Lew was gone so much running freight to Nevada and Arizona, she was left alone with the family much of the time. With the help of the children, she was able to keep things up while he was gone.

The Thomas children were each given certain jobs to do and knew it was their responsibility to do them. They were taught love and respect for each other and this lasted throughout their entire lives.

She met with a terrible accident one day, which caused her death several months later. While on her way to Provo to get material for a new dress for one of the girls, she stopped to borrow an umbrella from a friend to keep the heat off them. As they got into the buggy and raised the umbrella, the horse became spooked and ran away. Although Mary Jane was an excellent horsewoman, she was unable to bring the horse under control. Then near what is known as Maggie's Bend, on the southeast boundary of Spanish Fork, the horse broke away from the buggy, pulling her out. She was dragged for about a block and injured very badly. When help arrived they took her to the home of a friend where she lay close to death for several weeks. When she was well enough, she was moved to her own home, but she was never really well again.

Sometime later she developed an abscess on her brain and became very ill. She went into a coma and died a few days later on 17 March 1898. Llewellyn and the children were heartbroken and grieved her passing very much, but the family stayed together and the loving memory of their mother remained with them the rest of their lives.

Name

Mary Jane /Thomas/

Birth

Place: Cedar City, Iron, Utah, USA

Death

Date: 17 March 1898

Place: Palmyra, Utah, Utah, USA

Burial

Date: 19 March 1898

Place: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, USA

Marriage

Date: 20 January 1873

Place: Cedar City, Iron, Utah, USA

Children

Margaret

1873 -1875

William

1875 - 1957

Elizabeth

1877 - 1953

Llewellyn

1879 - 1961

Mary Caroline

1883 - 1969

Rachel

1885 - 1966

Pratt

1887 - 1947

Jennie

1889 - 1921

Ross

1894 - 1971

Residence

Date: 1860

Place: Beaver, Beaver, Utah Territory

Date: 1870

Place: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah Territory

Date: 1880

Place: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States

Date: 1900

Place: Spanish Fork City, Utah, Utah

United States Federal Census

• 1860 - Beaver, Beaver, Utah Territory

Mary J Thomas, Age: 6, Female, Birth Place: Utah, Post Office: Beaver.

William Thomas age 34, Elizabeth Thomas age 30, John Thomas age 8, Mary J Thomas age 6, Caroline Thomas age 4, William Thomas age 2, Elizabeth Thomas age 3 months

• 1870 - Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah Territory

Mary J Thomas, Age 16, White, Female, Birthplace: Utah, Post Office: Spanish Fork.

William Thomas age 44, Elizabeth Thomas age 39, John Thomas age 18, Mary J Thomas age 16, Caroline Thomas age 14, William M Thomas age 12, Elizabeth Thomas age 10, Rachael Thomas age 7, Emma Thomas age 3, David G Thomas age 5 days

• 1880 - Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah

Mary J. Thomas, Age: 26, Birthplace: Utah Territory, Race: White, Gender: Female, Relation to Head of House: Wife, Marital Status: Married, Spouse's Name: Llewellyn Thomas, Father's Birthplace: Wales, Mother's Birthplace: Wales, Occupation: Keeping House.

Llewellyn Thomas age 26, Mary J. Thomas age 26, William Thomas age 5, Betsy Thomas age 3, Llewellyn Thomas age 10 months)

Sources

• Headstone - Spanish Fork City Cemetery Spanish Fork, Utah
• Find A Grave: Mary Jane Thomas Thomas
• Family Records
• Archive Family Group Record
• FamilySearch.org
• Ancestry.com