Sunday, August 26, 2018
Yesterday's ELP Reunion In Manti
Yesterday we had a fantastic time at the Edward Lloyd Parry reunion, where we commemorated the 200th birthday of this wonderful ancestor of ours. Here are a few pictures of the tour we took of the Edward Lloyd Parry home, which is located at 50 N. 100 W. in Manti. (click on a photo to enlarge it)
Edward Lloyd Parry reunion speech, August 25th, 2018 - ELP's 200th birthday
Here is a video of the speech given at the Edward Lloyd Parry reunion, on Saturday, August 25, 2018, at the Manti Cemetery in Manti, Utah.
And here is a transcription of the speech:
I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Tim Brooks. I am related to Edward Lloyd Parry through two lines.
The first line is through the second child and oldest son, Edward Thomas Parry (b. 1859), who had a daughter named Winnifred Parry (b. 1892).
And the second line is through George Brooks (b. 1845), whom Edward and Elizabeth adopted in 1856 after George’s own parents had died due to the hardships of pioneer migration. For a while, George went by the name of Procter Parry, later changing his name back to George. George had a son named Samuel Brooks (b. 1886).
In 1919, here in the Manti Temple, Edward Thomas’s daughter Winnifred and George’s son were married. Their youngest child, Samuel Brooks Jr. (b. 1934), is my father. My father instilled within me a respect and passion for my Parry and Brooks ancestry. He passed away in 2016. He and my mom helped me with the research of The Life of Edward Lloyd Parry book, proofread, and funded its printing. He would have loved to be here in person, and hopefully is here.
I thank all of you for coming, and I look forward to getting to know all of you much better. Specifically, I want to thank the following people:
Don White, for buying and restoring the old Parry home, and his and Loretta’s generous invitation allowing us to enter their home for the tour.
My brother Matt Brooks, for his encouragement and help in researching the Parry line.
Sharon Jewkes, Lida Larkin, Yvonne Parry, Willa Derrick, the children of Blodwen Parry Olson, including Parry Olson, who spearheaded the erection of this headstone, as well as many other undying supporters of the Parry and Brooks family histories.
I would like to speak about what brings us together today.
Here lie the mortal remains of several of our ancestors.
First there is Elizabeth Evans Parry. Elizabeth was born on the Isle of Anglesey, off the coast of North Wales, in 1817. In her youth she was very beautiful, with piercing black eyes and dark hair. In 1848 she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints along with her husband, Edward Lloyd Parry. Abel Evans was the missionary who taught them. In 1853, Elizabeth and Edward migrated to Utah in the Joseph W. Young Company. In 1854, Elizabeth and Edward received their first of three patriarchal blessings, their temple ordinances, and were sealed to each other. In 1856, she and Edward adopted recently orphaned George Brooks, son of Samuel Brooks, who was a dear friend and fellow convert, also from Wales. In 1862 they moved to St. George to help establish the community, and work on various structures such as the recently renovated St. George Tabernacle, and where Edward could serve as the master stonemason of the St. George Temple. In 1877, right after the dedication of the St. George Temple, Edward and Elizabeth were asked by Brigham Young to move to Manti so that Edward could serve as master stonemason of the Manti Temple. Three years later, in 1880, Elizabeth died at the age of 63.
Next is Ann Parry Parry. Ann was born in St. George, Denbighshire, North Wales, in 1835, the same area as her first cousin, Edward Lloyd Parry. Ann was described as follows: “She had brown eyes and hair and a beautiful complexion. She was not quite average height”. She was “industrious, never idle.” Leonard Arrington describes her as “attractive twenty-one-year-old, brown-eyed cousin, Ann Parry, one of a family of fourteen.” In 1856, Ann came across the plains, by handcart, in the Edward Bunker Company, and in 1857 she married Edward Lloyd Parry, becoming his second wife. In 1858 Ann gave birth to her first child. Leonard Arrington said: “Elizabeth was unable to have any children, and Ann eventually bore eleven. When Ann gave birth to her first child in 1858, she named her Elizabeth Ann and gave her to Elizabeth. The child was taught to call Elizabeth her mother and Ann “Aunty Ann.” The rest of the children were taught to call the first wife [Elizabeth] “Mother” and their mother [Ann] “Ma.” None of them knew which was their own mother until they were quite grown. The family always lived together in the same house and Elizabeth and Ann were like mother and daughter.” Ann ended up giving birth to 11 children, 7 of whom reached adulthood. Ann died here in Manti in 1886, at the age of 51.
Two of their sons are buried here as well: Hugh Evans Parry (1881-1889) and George Parry (1883-1889), who died within a week of each other.
Finally there is Edward Lloyd Parry. In Orson F. Whitney’s History of Utah, we read: “The mountains of Wales have furnished much of the brain and brawn that have built up Utah and made her name illustrious in the mighty commonwealth of American States. The staunch and sturdy virtues of the Welsh, which make them good and desirable citizens wherever they settle, shine nowhere more luminously than in the annals of the colonization of the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Something of this will be shown in the ... [life] of Edward L. Parry.”
Edward was born 200 years ago to the day, on August 25, 1818, at or near St. George, Denbighshire, Wales, to Edward and Mary Lloyd Parry. Along with his first wife Elizabeth, in 1848 Edward joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then in 1853 migrated to Utah to be with the saints. A stonemason by trade, he implemented his expertise in stone masonry to work on the construction of the Salt Lake Temple along with his adopted son George Brooks, and where in late 1861 or early 1862 he discovered that the temple’s foundation was faulty and would need to be replaced. He served as master stonemason of the St. George Temple and Manti Temple. He also supervised the construction of numerous stone buildings in Utah.
Edward was personally acquainted with the following General Authorities of the Church: Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, Lorenzo Snow, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, George Q. Cannon, Willard Richards, Daniel H. Wells, and others.
Edward died on August 26, 1906, here in Manti, the day after his 88th birthday, of a “cardiac debility.” Tomorrow it will be 112 years since he passed away. He left a legacy of hard work, and craftsmanship in stone. He and his wives left an even greater legacy in their posterity, which now numbers in the hundreds, if not thousands. They lived a life consecrated to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today we honor their legacy.
If you knew any of their children personally, please raise your hand.
If you knew any of their grandchildren personally, please raise your hand.
And now I thought it would be interesting to see how we are represented by way of each of the Parry children. Please raise your hand if you descend from the following:
1. Elizabeth Ann (1858-1917)
2. Edward Thomas (1859-1938)
3. Mary Ellen (1862-1912)
4. John Lloyd (1864-1916)
5. Artemisha (1866-1871)
6. Minnie (1869-1871)
7. Harriet (1870-1946)
8. Bernard (1873-1940)
9. Emma (1876-1949)
10. Hugh Evans (1881-1889)
11. George (1883-1889)
12. George Brooks (adoptive son) (1845-1930)
And here is a transcription of the speech:
I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Tim Brooks. I am related to Edward Lloyd Parry through two lines.
The first line is through the second child and oldest son, Edward Thomas Parry (b. 1859), who had a daughter named Winnifred Parry (b. 1892).
And the second line is through George Brooks (b. 1845), whom Edward and Elizabeth adopted in 1856 after George’s own parents had died due to the hardships of pioneer migration. For a while, George went by the name of Procter Parry, later changing his name back to George. George had a son named Samuel Brooks (b. 1886).
In 1919, here in the Manti Temple, Edward Thomas’s daughter Winnifred and George’s son were married. Their youngest child, Samuel Brooks Jr. (b. 1934), is my father. My father instilled within me a respect and passion for my Parry and Brooks ancestry. He passed away in 2016. He and my mom helped me with the research of The Life of Edward Lloyd Parry book, proofread, and funded its printing. He would have loved to be here in person, and hopefully is here.
I thank all of you for coming, and I look forward to getting to know all of you much better. Specifically, I want to thank the following people:
Don White, for buying and restoring the old Parry home, and his and Loretta’s generous invitation allowing us to enter their home for the tour.
My brother Matt Brooks, for his encouragement and help in researching the Parry line.
Sharon Jewkes, Lida Larkin, Yvonne Parry, Willa Derrick, the children of Blodwen Parry Olson, including Parry Olson, who spearheaded the erection of this headstone, as well as many other undying supporters of the Parry and Brooks family histories.
I would like to speak about what brings us together today.
Here lie the mortal remains of several of our ancestors.
First there is Elizabeth Evans Parry. Elizabeth was born on the Isle of Anglesey, off the coast of North Wales, in 1817. In her youth she was very beautiful, with piercing black eyes and dark hair. In 1848 she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints along with her husband, Edward Lloyd Parry. Abel Evans was the missionary who taught them. In 1853, Elizabeth and Edward migrated to Utah in the Joseph W. Young Company. In 1854, Elizabeth and Edward received their first of three patriarchal blessings, their temple ordinances, and were sealed to each other. In 1856, she and Edward adopted recently orphaned George Brooks, son of Samuel Brooks, who was a dear friend and fellow convert, also from Wales. In 1862 they moved to St. George to help establish the community, and work on various structures such as the recently renovated St. George Tabernacle, and where Edward could serve as the master stonemason of the St. George Temple. In 1877, right after the dedication of the St. George Temple, Edward and Elizabeth were asked by Brigham Young to move to Manti so that Edward could serve as master stonemason of the Manti Temple. Three years later, in 1880, Elizabeth died at the age of 63.
Next is Ann Parry Parry. Ann was born in St. George, Denbighshire, North Wales, in 1835, the same area as her first cousin, Edward Lloyd Parry. Ann was described as follows: “She had brown eyes and hair and a beautiful complexion. She was not quite average height”. She was “industrious, never idle.” Leonard Arrington describes her as “attractive twenty-one-year-old, brown-eyed cousin, Ann Parry, one of a family of fourteen.” In 1856, Ann came across the plains, by handcart, in the Edward Bunker Company, and in 1857 she married Edward Lloyd Parry, becoming his second wife. In 1858 Ann gave birth to her first child. Leonard Arrington said: “Elizabeth was unable to have any children, and Ann eventually bore eleven. When Ann gave birth to her first child in 1858, she named her Elizabeth Ann and gave her to Elizabeth. The child was taught to call Elizabeth her mother and Ann “Aunty Ann.” The rest of the children were taught to call the first wife [Elizabeth] “Mother” and their mother [Ann] “Ma.” None of them knew which was their own mother until they were quite grown. The family always lived together in the same house and Elizabeth and Ann were like mother and daughter.” Ann ended up giving birth to 11 children, 7 of whom reached adulthood. Ann died here in Manti in 1886, at the age of 51.
Two of their sons are buried here as well: Hugh Evans Parry (1881-1889) and George Parry (1883-1889), who died within a week of each other.
Finally there is Edward Lloyd Parry. In Orson F. Whitney’s History of Utah, we read: “The mountains of Wales have furnished much of the brain and brawn that have built up Utah and made her name illustrious in the mighty commonwealth of American States. The staunch and sturdy virtues of the Welsh, which make them good and desirable citizens wherever they settle, shine nowhere more luminously than in the annals of the colonization of the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Something of this will be shown in the ... [life] of Edward L. Parry.”
Edward was born 200 years ago to the day, on August 25, 1818, at or near St. George, Denbighshire, Wales, to Edward and Mary Lloyd Parry. Along with his first wife Elizabeth, in 1848 Edward joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then in 1853 migrated to Utah to be with the saints. A stonemason by trade, he implemented his expertise in stone masonry to work on the construction of the Salt Lake Temple along with his adopted son George Brooks, and where in late 1861 or early 1862 he discovered that the temple’s foundation was faulty and would need to be replaced. He served as master stonemason of the St. George Temple and Manti Temple. He also supervised the construction of numerous stone buildings in Utah.
Edward was personally acquainted with the following General Authorities of the Church: Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, Lorenzo Snow, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, George Q. Cannon, Willard Richards, Daniel H. Wells, and others.
Edward died on August 26, 1906, here in Manti, the day after his 88th birthday, of a “cardiac debility.” Tomorrow it will be 112 years since he passed away. He left a legacy of hard work, and craftsmanship in stone. He and his wives left an even greater legacy in their posterity, which now numbers in the hundreds, if not thousands. They lived a life consecrated to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today we honor their legacy.
If you knew any of their children personally, please raise your hand.
If you knew any of their grandchildren personally, please raise your hand.
And now I thought it would be interesting to see how we are represented by way of each of the Parry children. Please raise your hand if you descend from the following:
1. Elizabeth Ann (1858-1917)
2. Edward Thomas (1859-1938)
3. Mary Ellen (1862-1912)
4. John Lloyd (1864-1916)
5. Artemisha (1866-1871)
6. Minnie (1869-1871)
7. Harriet (1870-1946)
8. Bernard (1873-1940)
9. Emma (1876-1949)
10. Hugh Evans (1881-1889)
11. George (1883-1889)
12. George Brooks (adoptive son) (1845-1930)
Saturday, August 25, 2018
The Reunion is TODAY
Edward Lloyd Parry
Reunion
To celebrate his 200th
Birthday
Saturday, August 25th,
2018
Manti, Utah
Itinerary:
10:00
Manti Cemetery. Meet at the graves of ELP and his family. We will hold a
brief tribute for him and his wives, as well as take the opportunity to meet
and get to know each other.
11:00
Tour the ELP home. The home is located at 50 N. 100 W. in Manti. The
current owners and restorers have graciously allowed us to tour the home and
see their progress in restoring it.
12:00
Lunch at Manti Park. The park is located at 200 N. 300 W. in Manti.
Everyone is on their own to either bring their own food or buy from a local
restaurant.
1:00
Tour Manti Temple grounds, quarry, etc.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
The Yardley Inn and Spa
The Yardley Inn and Spa of Manti, located at 190 W. 200 S., has one of their rooms after Edward Lloyd Parry.
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