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Show Funeral Service Held For Aunt Mary Wilcox Mrs. Mary Wilcox, better known as "aunt Mary." this city's oldest lady and last of the local 1847 pioneers, died Thursday May 16, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wesley Bills. She had been in fairly good health and a keen observer of all about her, until three month ago, when it was necessary nec-essary to take to her bed. Thursday, she attempted to arise from her bed and fell to the floor. Jeath ensuing two hours later. Mrs. Wilcox, daughter of James and Elisabeth Seely Young, was born June 6, 1931 in Whitbay, upper Canada. Can-ada. She was converted to the Latter Day Saint faith by Parley P. Pratt when a young girl, and with her family fam-ily moved to Sheridan. Missouri. She often related the drivings and trek-kings trek-kings over the plains and from place to place, until the final migration tc the valley of the Great Salt Lake in 1847. At the age of 15 she left Winter Quarters and daily yoked her cattle and drove them the entire distance to the Salt Lake valley arriving September Septem-ber 29. 184T. She traveled in Elder John Taylor's company and he on one occasion said to her, "Sister Mary, it isn't within the lids of any history where another girl your age has taken as active a part "as you have on this journey You shall live as long as life is desirable desir-able and you shall become ttw mother of a great posterity. She boasts of g posterity of more than 500. She remembered the cricket invasions, invas-ions, the Indian uprisings, dire poverty' pov-erty' ana wants of pioneer days. Sir-helped Sir-helped her father get the logs from the canyon to build their first cabin and made the adobes for the chimney She was married to John Henry Wilcox March 14, 1848. He died November No-vember 21, 1909. Eleven children were born to the union. Surviving are the following children: chil-dren: Mrs. Sarah Bills, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs. Elisabeth Hurst, Blanding; James H. Wilcox, La Sal; John C. Wilcov Mrs. Mary Day and Mrs. Martha West wood, Moab; Mrs. Clarissa Meiling. Payson: Mrs. Hannah Carlson, Salt Lake; Justus A. Wilcox, Alberta, Canada. Can-ada. Largely attended and impressive funeral services were held for Mrs. Wilcox Sunday at 3:45 p. m. in the North ward Chanel. Counselor O. M. Aldrich was in charge. Joseph Seely, Judge Arthur 0. Nielson and Bishop Henry P. Olson were the speakers. Mrs. Obed Nelson sang, "Oh, My Father;" Mrs. H. G. Ericksen, "Tired." James B. Staker dedicated the grave. |