Richard and Ann Rawle Fry no 25 Richard, the son of William and Mary Fry, was born in East Down, Devonshire, England, April 15, 1831. In 1852 he toured the United States with the son of his employer who loved him as a brother and did everything possible to make the trip an enjoyable one. Upon his return from the new world, he met Ann Blackmore Rawle who was born in Devonshire, England, September 3, 1830. Together they investigated the new religion which was causing considerable excitement in that locality. their visits to the meetings held by the L. D. S. Missionaries had to be very secret because of the bitter feeling against their teachings. After several visits to the meetings and conversations with those who already had joined the church, they became convinced that the doctrine the Mormon Elders were preaching was the truth and decided to be baptized, which they did in 1860. When their friends found out they had joined the Mormon Church, many of them were very bitter. Father's people blamed my mother, said it was she who had got my father to join. In that same year, they both decided to go to Utah where they could worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. The farewells were very sad. My mother's mother was very ill at the time and much bitterness on the part of my father's people. My father and mother were married at Liverpool, England. From there they set Sail, March 27, 1860, on the Underwriter, in company with five or six hundred other emigrants. The trip was not an enjoyable one, beoause of the crowded condition of the ship, and at the time it was hard to get any prepared food. One day, brother Tucker undertook to have a big rice pudding made and baked, but just as he was about to deliver it to the little company, the ship gave a lurch and the pudding landed all over Brother Tucker and the floor of the ship. They were six weeks on the water, landing in New York, May 1st. By rail and boat, they made their way to Florence, where they remained for five weeks waiting for wagons and oxen to take them across the plains. The wait was very tedious and Father was obliged to rent some rooms. When the cattle finally came, they seemed very wild and unmanageable to people who had never seen wagons drawn by oxen before, and Mother thought if they had reins on, they would be much safer. They purchased two cows, and a quantity of provisions which they expected would last them through their journey acorss the plains. A Brother and sister Tucker, with whom my parents were aquainted before leaving England, were compaions throughout the trip. At the start across the plains. Father was made A Captain of ten wagons in J. D. Ross' Company. Mother and Sister Tucker decided they would lead the cows, but in that under¬taking, they were not successful. They cows were eager for the green grass they saw by the road side which made them hard to manage. In a day or two, they were glad to tie them on to the wagons. They encountered many things of a trying nature. Herds of buffalo would stampede and frighten the cattle. Bands of Indians rode up to them and acted in a very threatening man¬ner, frightening women and children, but none of the immigrants were killed by them. Where the wood was scarce, the women and children gathered buffalo chips for firewood on which to prepare the meals when they camped for the evening. Upon one occasion, one of the cattle belonging to another member of the company, drank some poisoned water and died. In skinning the animal, the meat looked so tempting, a man cut off a steak and ate it. He, too, soon died. Fording the streams of water was an experience looked forward to with much dreud, especially by the women of the comp¬any. However, no serious accidents occurred and they arrived in Salt Laice Valley, September 3, 1860, which was Mother's birthday, and after having taken practically ten weeks to cross the plains. That night they camped on pioneer Square, or pioneer Park which it is now called. For their dinner that day, they had turnips and mutton. Mother saia that never before or since has a dinner tasted so good. They were there two weeks trying to find a place to locate. Finally President Young advised them to go to morgan. Having come so far, the idea of again taking to the road was rather discouraging, but as they were always obedient to the counsel, they again took to the road. The trip up through the canyon was hard because of the lack of roads, and the cattle had rested for two weeks and were ready to run instead of walking. It took thera three days to reach Morgan, where they made their stop, among the first five families to settle in this vicinity. Father set to work to mow grass with a hand scythe for food for the winter for his six animals. Then the work of home building was undertaken, with that fortitude which has subdued the soil, cleared the lands, and built the houses which you and I now see about us. Shoulder to shoulder, they fought the battle of hardship. Father's first home was built from logs cut from the river bank and built on low land near a creek. After they had it built, President Young came up and told Father the house would have to be moved. He said the high water would come and flood him out, but before they were able to move the house, their first child was born. They moved their home to Mundytown Hollow. Mother had much to learn in the new way of keeping house. a sister Thurston taught her to make lye from wood ashes, and than with all the small particles of grease saved from their cooking, she made her a tub of soap. But with that she had some grief. After putting it to dry, in the night a cow came and ate it all. Then there was the making of candles which she also had to learn. About this time a branch of the Church was organized, with Thomas Thurston as Bishop and father the first counseler. It was just five months after arriving in Morgan that their first child was born, Mary Ann Fry, February 2, 1861, and to this union was born four girls and five boys. The first death which occurred in the little colony, was the wife of Brother Charles Turner. She and her twin babies died. It cast a gloom over them all. After living for about five years in Mundytown father moved to what is now known as South Morgan. During the seige of the grasshoppers when it looked as if they were going to starve to death, father took a contract from President Young to construct the road bed for the Union pacific railroad. It was through the obtaining of this contract that a number of people were able to get work, and thereby obtain provisions to keep their families. The seige of the grasshoppers was one of terror to them as it was to the others in the state. They ate everything except the redroot weed, which the people boiled to eat. At this time, the family was living in a two roomed log house. After living there a good many years, father built a brick home, which is still standing. Father's former employer in England, heard that the Mormons' were going to be Killed. He wrote to Father, telling him to come back to England. He told him that money would be available for his transportation and that his former position would also be waiting for him. Father's answer was that he had cast his lot with the Latter-Day-Saints, and with them he would stay. All through their lives, both father and mother rose from one position of trust to another. Their tithing record was with¬out blemish. Mother's first position in the church was as secretary of the Relief Society. she was put in as President sometime after. After resigning from the position of President of the Relief Society, she was made the Counselor of the primary Association. After the death of the President, sister Welch, mother was made the president. After holding numerous positions, father was finally made president of the Stake, which position he held until the time of his death. In 1876, April 12, Father married Susan Lerwell. To this union was born five children, three boys, ana two girls. Father lived to be 69 years of age. He died April 15, 1900. When Susan Lerwell died she was 68 years of age. Mother lived twenty six yars after the death of father, and died May 3, 1926, at the age of 93 years and 8 months. Father and mother both bore a strong testimony of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ right to the last and admonished their numbrous posterity to prove faithful to family, church and State. Mother and Aunt Susan were very devoted to each other and took much comfort in visiting and being in each others company, it was a great blow to Mother when Aunt Susan died. by Mary Ann Eddington.