HISTORY OF STEPHEN PERRY cont. page 6 Life in Slaterville followed the usual pattern of make do and hardship which most of the Pioneers experienced. The Perrys were a close knit family and had many good times together. Rhoby is seldom mentioned and I believe that she remained in poor health. In 1854 and 1855 the crickets ravaged the crops. The following year there was a drought which meant that the wheat and corn crops fell short of what was needed to last until the next harvest. In 1857 there was a real food shortage (3) People were eating anything that was edible. The William Howard Perry family along with a lot of others were running out of food. In late summer William's wife mixed what little flour remained with the shorts from the wheat and made bran cakes for the family to eat. The next day there ws nothing left that they could eat. Stephen showed up at their door with a 1/2 bucket of flour which he had traded for and was now distributing among his family. That gave them bread for the day. The next day they were able to harvest their wheat and the food crises was over. This bucket of flour fulfilled a promise made to William the previous fall. He had been asked by his Bishop to go to the relief of the Martin Handcart Company. He had protested that with the short crop, he was needed at home to provide for his family. The Bishop promised him that if he would go, his family would not know a days hunger. Crickets and weather had been dealt with, but there were still threats on the horizon. Johnsons Army was preparing to invade Utah. William Howard had been called to settle the Salmon river country. In 1854 William had married Alice's sister, Juliaette. When he left he took Alice with him and left Juliaette and her two baby girls with Stephen and Rhoby. The project was a failure and he returned the following year and re-claimed his family. It may have been around this time that Rhoby became stricken with cancer. Family and friends helped to care for her. Stephen Washington and Sylvester had married in 1855, Alonzo was the last to leave home when he married Mary Louise Stowell in 1863. After bearing a baby girl both she and the baby died. Rhoby had by this time become bed-fast and Mary Louise's sister, Jeanette Abigail Stowell was hired to nurse her. Alonzo was lonely, Jeanette was pretty and they became engaged. Rhoby had gotten two nice daughter's-in-law, just by being sick. She died on 12 October 1865. and is buried in the Ogden City Cemetary. Alonzo mar-maried Jeanette a month later on November 11 th. Did Stephen re-marry? No one has mentioned another wife in Slatervilie. Two women were sealed to him in 1868. One of these was his dead wife's sister, who had died in her youth. This proves that he had a valid Endownment House recommend at that time. Did he live alone all this time or with family members? William Howard moved to Cache Valley that year and Josiah Henry moved to Huntsville. Stephen's lonliness and bordom probably increased. 1869 was a momentous year in Utah history, especially in the Ogden, Slaterville area. The trains linking the east coast to the pacific ocean were joined at Promontory point, Utah. Was Stephen 223