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Eliza Bridget Munson & Thomas Henry Hayward
Thomas Henry and Eliza Munson Hayward lived abundantly--not always by the material
things of life, but through the rich heritage they received from their pioneer ancestors and
through their own abilities to improve upon opportunities. Theirs was a life of romance,
colorful and vibrant from the days of their childhood.
Thomas Henry, or "Tom" as he was known throughout his life, was from his earliest days
forced to struggle for an existence. These experiences, however, only served to strengthen
his character, for he learned the lessons of life first hand. His mother, Emma Dewey
Allred, was a second wife to his father, William Hayward, thus she was obliged to do what
she could to earn a living for herself and her three children.
Tom was born 26 April 1864 in Moroni, Sanpete County, Utah. Emma had previously had
a daughter, Emma, and a son, Adelbert, by her first husband, Issac Allred, who was
accidentally killed just two and one-half years after their marriage. After a few years of
struggle, William and Ruth Hughes Hayward came to her aid and Emma became William's
second wife on 6 June 1863. Thus in the triangle of plural marriages Tom had a half
brother and sister who were no relation to his father's other children.
Tom's early childhood was spent in the very poorest of surroundings. He went barefoot,
poorly clothed and often hungry, while his mother bent over the washboard or perspired
over hot irons to earn a few cents from her neighbors. In these chores he assisted his
mother as he was able, and indeed learned the value of money. While still a young lad they
moved to Richfield, but an Indian raid drove them from their home and they moved to
Nephi. They continued to live here until he was a good-sized boy. William was called to
re-settle Richfield, but Emma remained in Nephi with her children. Her daughter, Emma,
soon married Thomas West and moved to Chester. After a time, Tom and his brother
made their home with them, and Tom worked for his brother-in-law as a sheep herder.
While living in Chester, young Tom went one May Day to Spendrip's pond (Olsen's place)
where a celebration and picnic was underway. He had a sore throat and was wearing a
big flannel around his neck, but he soon forgot about his throat when he saw a new girl
from Spring City whom he had not met before. That evening he attended the dance in
Reddick Allred's hall and again he saw her; her name was Eliza Munson. Her mother was
an Allred, and a cousin to Tom's sister, Emma Allred West, and through this relationship an
introduction came about and Tom and Eliza danced. As was customary, during the dance
a group of young people went to one of the homes for supper; Tom asked Eliza to be his
partner. She willingly said "yes" for she, too, was impressed with this tall, strapping,
auburn-haired young man with grey-blue eyes. It was a gay party and they ate heartily of
their share of beans, rye bread and tarts. After they returned to the dance, Emma came up
to Eliza and confided with a twinkle in her eye, "I have a secret to tell you. Tom has fallen
so dead in love with you it is pitiful." The feeling apparently was mutual, for they rode often
on horseback, she sitting behind him on a blanket. There were more dances, suppers,
and sleigh rides with the crowd. There seemed to be no doubt in Tom's mind that he had
found the right girl.
Eliza Bridget Munson was born in Circleville, 5 June 1866. Her mother was Eliza Maria
Allred who was the third child born in the Salt Lake Valley after the pioneers arrived. Her
father, James (Mogensen) Munson was a convert from Denmark who, at the age of ten,
walked barefoot across the plains with his sister and widowed mother. Just six weeks
before Eliza's birth, a baby girl was born to Eliza's mother, who died in childbirth. The two
new babies were brought up together by James and Eliza Maria as twins, not as aunt and
niece. They were even named alike: Margaret Bridget and Eliza Bridget. And they were
always dressed alike.
When Eliza was but three weeks old, her parents were driven out of Circleville by the
Indians who took all of their sheep. The family encamped in Glenwood, nearby, and the
men stood guard. That night they were asleep, Eliza's mother was awakened by a baby's
cry. Her immediate thought was that the Indians had found them and were coming into the
wagon. She felt for the babies; the larger one, Margaret, was there, but she couldn't find
Eliza. She groped around in the darkness, but the baby was gone. She cried out
frantically, "The Indians have stolen my baby." Immediately her husband and the other men
on guard came running. They searched around the wagon and discovered her lying quietly
in the tall grass under the wagon where she had fallen out but a few moments before.
They then moved to Ephraim for a short time, then on to Spring City a few miles north. This
was the town that Eliza's great grandfather, James Allred, had helped settle, under a
calling of President Brigham Young. Here they built themselves a home of adobe, with two
rooms up and two rooms on the ground floor. They were subject to many Indian raids and
lived in almost constant fear of the hostile bands which stalked them. One day when the
Indians raided the town they hurriedly carried their dishes and silverware to the spring to
hide them; they had lost many of their cherished possessions while taking shelter from the
raids. They had learned to quickly hide as many valuables as they could, but their clothing,
including new "Fourth of July" dresses, was left hanging on the pegs on the wall as there
was no time to get them before running for shelter from the invaders. These, of course,
were taken, but fortunately the dishes and silver were not found.
The Indians became so troublesome that the family moved to Ephraim again for a time, but
returned when Spring City was resettled. Eliza was about three by this time and was very
much in love with a little baby brother, Lewis, whom she was helping to care for. The
Indians were not idle and were giving trouble out on the stone quarry hill west of Spring
City, stealing cows and horses when ever they could. Finally a call for help brought
soldiers from Fort Douglas. Resplendent in their blue coats with shiny buttons, they rode
into town on prancing horses. All children ran out of doors to watch the parade. Baby
Lewis climbed onto the fence to see and one of the soldiers rode up and asked "Whose
boy?" Eliza, on the defensive, threw her arm around the baby brother and said, "He is my
brother." The soldier said, "Is he for sale? Here, I'll give you some money for him." Eliza,
too young to know she was being teased, screamed and clutched her brother from the
fence. She valiantly stood guard as the soldier chuckled and rode away. "He is just as
bad as the Indians," she observed to her mother. The Indians had seen the soldiers
coming and sent their squaws and children ahead with the tents and then disappeared into
the dust before the soldiers arrived. They remained in ambush for a short while until the
soldiers returned to the fort and they then raided and killed many people in Spring City.
But the Indians were not the only enemy of the pioneers. Epidemics of sickness took their
toll. The dreaded spotted fever besieged the community a few years later. Eliza's
two-year old brother, Eddie, complained of being sick one day and was put to bed where
his feverish little body lay for weeks. One or more in each household lay ill; many died.
The survivors were left crippled or impaired; Eddie went deaf.
Eliza attended her first school at Spring City where they lived as neighbors to Apostle
Orson Hyde. He was a favorite with the neighborhood children as he gathered them
around to relate stories of his experiences and his mission to Palestine. He stood on the
spot where Christ once stood, and offered up the prayer which the Prophet Joseph Smith
had requested, rededicating the land to the return of the Jews. This story impressed the
children greatly. (Tom's father had been a sailor in his younger days and had been in
Palestine at this same time and heard Apostle Hyde when he dedicated the land to the
Jews.)
Eliza loved to visit her grandfather and her great grandfather and hear the stories from their
lips of the Prophet Joseph and early church history. Great grandfather Allred had been one
of the Prophet's body guards. They told Eliza of many inspirational stories and others of
the Mormon Battalion, of the rollicking good times of "home" entertainment, and of the thrill
of Indian encounters. One of her fondest memories was of the visit Brigham Young made
to the home of her great grandfather Allred in Spring City when she was but a child.
Eliza was baptized in Spring City on her eighth birthday by James Christensen and
confirmed by Lauritz Larsen. Some of the church records were lost and a call for
re-baptism came from the General Authorities in 1878. She was re-baptized when she
was 12 years of age by Grandfather James T. S. Allred.
The family now moved to Chester where they lived in one little room which boasted an 8" x
10" window. Eliza's father had now taken a second wife, Andra Catherine Anderson,
therefore there were two wives and three children to share this limited accommodation.
They were proving up on a homestead and that meant hard work. Wives and children
toiled by day grubbing the brush and clearing the land; at night they would pile the brush
high and set fire to it. This was a delight of the children--the reward for their toils and the
incentive to work again on the morrow.
Eliza remembered an exciting experience one day when father and mother had gone to
town for provisions and left the second wife, who was affectionately known as "Aunt Drear",
with the children. From their small window they saw men on horses approaching their
house. As the riders drew near whooping and hollering, her first thought was that Indians
were coming and she fastened the door tightly. In a cloud of dust the riders halted in the
yard, and trembling Aunt Drear saw that they were white men with painted faces and mean
ideas. They had known she was alone and had painted their faces to give her a good
scare. Her fear now turned to anger and it didn't take her long to tell those "bullies" just
what she thought of them, scaring innocent children in such a manner. As she stood in the
doorway, flanked by frightened children, the men rode away--their laughter echoing in
Eliza's ears.
One Fourth of July, not long after this, the family decided to go to Spring City for the big
celebration. Eliza and Margaret were to have new pink calico dresses and blue bonnets.
They were getting to be "big" girls now and were excited about the prospects of new
clothes and the celebration. Despite their efforts to help, the new dresses weren't finished
in time, and the Fourth of July arrived with two disappointed girls tearfully climbing into the
wagon for the ride to the celebration. Eliza's mother and Aunt Drear came prepared with
needles and thread and they sewed ruffles on the dresses all the way from Chester to
Spring City and finished just in time. The girls were barefoot, but that made no difference;
they wore new dresses! They danced under the bowery on the bare ground, and no
happier girls could have been found. There was a program and then the dance, complete
with two fiddlers and an accordion player. A special treat was in store too; father bought a
sack of stick candy and each one had a long stick of it. The chief entertainment of those
days was dancing, singing, reciting and playing games. The dances were held in the
school house, meeting houses or private homes. It cost about $1.50 to pay the
musician--usually it was an accordion. If a violin or flute were added, it was a real treat.
The caller also received about $1.00 for his services. Eliza's father was a caller and
enjoyed dancing too; he used to like to stay until the wee hours of the morning calling the
dances. After paying the bishop for the building, the total bill would be around $5. This
was usually divided up to cost about .25 each. The bill would be paid in wheat, oats, barley
or whatever was easiest spared. Usually a peck of wheat paid the admission. The
dances were quadrilles, waltzes, hopsies, schottishe, polka, scotch reels, etc. The girls
always liked their dad to be the caller because they could stay longer; often they returned
home as the sun was coming up. But dad always would remind them that the dancer had
to pay for the music, so there was no sleeping by day after a late night out; the work had to
be done regardless.
The next year the family decided to move back to Spring City to get away from the Indians.
They had recently shot one man after another as they went into the meadows to haul hay or
to round up cattle and horses. They took up a farm above Spring City where Eliza's father
farmed and freighted to Pioche, Nevada and Silver Reef. These were mining towns and
Eliza recalls many times seeing her father come home with a roll of green backs and
stacks of gold bricks. One time when he was returning from a freighting trip to Nevada he
heard that a man by the name of Thrasher had a gang and they were robbing the
freighters, so he turned the wagon tongue over and bored holes in it the size of $20 gold
pieces. He then filled the holes with money and covered them over. He also put his money
in his water barrel on his return trip from taking supplies of flour, bacon and eggs to the
miners.
When Eliza was 15 the family moved back to Chester again. Here she was made
secretary-treasurer of the first Women's Entrenchment Society--later called the Young
Women's Mutual Improvement Association. Her mother was president at the same time.
Eliza was also made a Sunday School teacher in 1881.
It was just prior to coming to Chester that she had met young Tom Hayward at the dance.
Now that they both lived in Chester, the courtship continued. Tom and Eliza enjoyed each
other's company and it was inevitable that their thoughts should turn to marriage. He was
nearly 20 and she almost 18 when they set the date and made plans to travel to Salt Lake
City where they might be married in the Endowment House, as the Salt Lake Temple had
not yet been completed.
They traveled by wagon team in company with two other couples: Eliza's "twin" Margaret
and Hans Nielsen, and Hulda Allred and Joseph Nielsen. The journey required three days;
it was February and there was a great deal of snow and storm. At the Point of the
Mountain just south of Salt Lake they were caught in a terrible blizzard as they journeyed
homeward, following their marriage on 14 February, 1884. The men were busy trying to
keep the wagon on the road; it was a bitter cold day. Eliza became so cold and numb that
she thought she would perish. Again, as they were going through Salt Creek Canyon at
Nephi, the road was impassable and they were obliged to ride on the train tracks. A train
came puffing round the bend and the girls jumped off and the men rode the wagon down
into a gulch which was so filled with snow that the wagon was almost completely covered.
It took them nearly a day to get it dug out. But these were hearty young folk and they took
troubles and problems in stride. Each day was a challenge and they met it full face with
determination and courage.
Tom and Eliza made a home in Chester following their marriage until 1890. During these
six years three children were born to them: Willard Thomas, 7 June 1885; Hazel Eliza, 19
January 1887, and William Arnold 10 May 1889. When William was 10 months old, the
children were stricken with diphtheria. Willard and Hazel recovered, but the baby died and
was buried in the Spring City cemetery. During this time Tom worked for his
brother-in-law, Thomas West, and part of the time he operated the James A. Allred farm.
In 1890 Tom bought the Frank Fullmer home in Circleville and moved their family there
were he engaged in sheep raising and Eliza started a millinery store. She took training for
this work at Auerbach's store on Main Street in Salt Lake City; it took about three weeks to
learn the course and upon completion of it she bought materials and supplies and returned
to Circleville.'
A year later, 27 September 1891, Tom's father, William Hayward, died at Richfield, Utah,
they moved there to take care of his place. Here their forth child, Hugh Adelbert was born
13 January, 1892. A few months later they moved to Mayfield where their fifth and sixth
children were born: Ralph Henry, 28 December 1894 and Coy James 27 October 1897.
They remained here for six years and during this period purchased two homes, but due to
reverses and losses sustained in the sheep business, they lost them both.
In March, 1898, the family returned to Circleville. Here Tom bought a quarter section of
land known as the Kittleman Ranch. He engaged in raising and feeding cattle and selling
hay. A daughter, Thelma Emma, was born 8 January 1900 and two years later on 27
February 1902, Aldin Orris was born. When Aldin was 9 months old, Tom sold the ranch
and bought land and a large home in the town which they operated as a hotel. "Drummers"
or salesmen as we call them today, patronized their establishment which gained a
reputation for good meals. Many of the General Authorities of the Church stayed at the
hotel on their travels to the south country. At one time it was their honor to entertain
Apostle Joseph F. Smith and his wife Edna. For the occasion Eliza prepared a chicken
dinner, but to her surprise they ordered a cup of bread and milk which each said he
preferred, and for breakfast a dish of oatmeal and "some more of that good fresh milk, a
slice of toast and a poached egg." Eliza long remembered this incident.
Eliza had many such interesting experiences, one highlight being in 1894 when she was
made president of the Primary while living in Mayfield. At one of the Primary Conferences
Sisters Eliza R. Snow and Emmeline B. Wells were in attendance, and Sister Snow spoke
in tongues and Sister Wells acted as interpreter. This was indeed a thrilling experience for
Eliza and one she never forgot. She also remembered that Sister Snow showed the
Primary children the Prophet Joseph Smith's watch and she told them that she was his
eternal wife. These sisters stayed at Tom and Eliza's home during their stay in Mayfield.
While living in Circleville, Tom was instrumental in the building of a new chapel and also the
construction of an amusement hall, the latter being a civic project in which he was a large
stockholder. On 28 February 1903 Tom was ordained a High Priest by Mohonri Steele
and set apart by Apostle Mathias Cowley as First Counselor to Bishop James E.
Peterson. He faithfully served in this capacity until 1906 when the family moved back to
Chester. He then donated his holdings in the amusement hall to the Circleville Ward.
Prior to leaving Circleville, their ninth child, Velda Margaret, was born on 12 October 1905.
When she was about a year old, Tom learned that a farm of 160 acres in Chester was up
for sale. Through a sealed bid, Tom became the purchaser of this place which was within
a half mile of Spendrip's Pond where he first met Eliza. Tom stocked this quarter section
with Holstein and Guernsey cattle and earned a very comfortable living for his family. Their
last child, Edris Revon was born in the old ranch house on 17 January 1908. This old
home was known far and wide for its hospitality. The young people especially loved to go
there for picnics, baseball games, sleigh rides, indoor parties and good food. Tom was
especially known as a skilled baseball player and organized the games.
Tom was president of the YMMIA for several years in Chester. He had the love and
esteem of all the young people with whom he delighted to be. Eliza was again named
Primary President in 1913. The next year she was made second Counselor in the Relief
Society. She also taught classes in the MIA and Sunday School, instructing the parent's
class in the latter. Tom was a ward teacher and his family were all very active, holding
various offices in the auxiliaries of the church.
In 1910 Willard, who had married Berth M. Beck, and his brother Hugh, took over the ranch
and operated it while Tom moved his family to Richfield to run the Frank Baker farm. Here
they remained for two years before returning to Chester. Hazel was the second in the
family to marry; their wedding date had been set for 21 April, 1909, but Tom's mother
passed away on that date and they postponed the wedding for five days. She married
Howard Peter Rasmussen on 26 April, 1909. The next three children married; Hugh to Alta
Justesen on 27 August, 1913, Coy to Cora Louise Taylor on 20 October 1915, and Ralph
to Dorcus Childs on 30 August 1916.
The rest of the family then remaining at home consisted of Thelma, Aldin, Velda and
Revon. In 1918 Eliza was stricken with the flu and was, through complication, made
bedfast for some time. Tom was solicitous of his wife's health and they wanted to be near
their eldest son Willard at Bountiful, so he decided to sell the ranch at Chester and move
his family to Bountiful where he purchased the Mark Waddoups home and another tract of
land known as "the old Mitchell place." Here he and his son, Aldin, engaged in truck
gardening which he found to be a very successful venture. He was a good farmer and
often his products were superior and earlier than his neighbor farmers. He was most
generous and gave much of his produce away to friends and visitors of which there were
many from their previous home. He was especially generous to charitable organizations,
although only a thank-you letter or phone call might disclose to his family that he had given
another donation. One day a letter was found in one of his coat pockets from the Salt Lake
Authorities acknowledging his act of kindness for donating a truck load of finest Spanish
onions to the city to be distributed among the poor, and thanking him for the same.
Tom enjoyed robust health until his later years and was a tower of strength. This, however,
did not prevent him from being very sympathetic and tender toward his wife who had very
poor health after their move to Bountiful. Many times she was very ill, but through faith and
prayers and good medical skill her condition improved. Her daughters were ambitious
and capable of running the household during her illnesses, and Thelma, especially, was a
loving nurse to her mother. In spite of poor health, Eliza attended to her church duties as
often as she could. She was a visiting teacher in the Relief Society for 10 years. She
joined the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers at Richfield and transferred her membership to
the Session's Camp at Bountiful which she enjoyed for many years. Tom and Eliza
enjoyed many visits to the Salt Lake Temple and Eliza was present at the dedication of the
Idaho Falls Temple. Thelma married Jack Christensen on 25 May 1921 and in 1926 the
remaining three children married: Velda to Elmer George Haacke on 3 February 1926,
Von to John Lloyd Porter on 1 September 1926, and Aldin to Etta Olevia Johansen on 15
September 1926.
In 1931 Tom felt that he was not physically able to operate his farm by himself so he bought
a home near the business section of town. At his little home he reveled in his small flower
and vegetable garden; he was a true nature lover. Here he and his wife could be nearer to
church and also the modern new market which his sons, Aldin and Coy now operated. He
was always proud of this enterprise having been instrumental in getting it started. He built
a building about 28'x100" which was located in the center of town which had apartments
and offices on an upper floor with their store on the main floor; the building cost $10,500
and he rented it to his boys for a few years and then they bought his mortgage.
In 1933 Tom was taken ill and underwent major surgery. This was the first time he had
ever been a patient in a hospital or really been sick in his life. He made a rapid recovery
and enjoyed fairly good health for a few more years.
In 1934 Tom and Eliza Hayward celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary. All of their
nine living children and their partners were present on this occasion and all but one of their
24 living grandchildren. Eliza's mother, who was making her home with them at the time,
was present, as was Eliza's twin, Margeret B. Nielson Griffiths, who had been married on
the same day with them 50 years before; she had long since been widowed and
remarried. A picture of the entire group was taken in front of their home with about 50
people in attendance, showing all of their posterity.
In the winter of 1936 while visiting with his daughter, Von, at her home in Blackfoot, Idaho,
Tom was stricken with a paralytic stroke. However, due to his strong faith in the prayers
which were offered in his behalf, and because of his strong constitution, he recovered from
this stroke as few persons so stricken ever do, and within a comparatively short time he
was able to use his paralyzed side again and get around almost as well as before. He
spent his time in his garden and helped care for his wife during her frequent illnesses.
Peculiarly, he and his wife were very, very ill on many occasions during the last years of his
life, but they were never down at the same time. She would stand by and nurse him
through an illness just in time to be stricken and have him care for her. Eliza was in the
hospital very seriously ill many, many times; yet through it all, they were wonderfully kind
and devoted to each other.
In 1939 they moved back to the old farm home and Aldin bought his home from him. Tom
was unable to farm the land himself and rented the land to others. His heart was giving him
considerable trouble as did his high blood pressure; these were a constant source of worry
to his family. They felt very keenly for him because he had always been known for his
"sweet tooth". He had a passion for sweets of all kinds like few people do (especially
raisin-filled cookies.); of course they were all forbidden. In 1940, they moved back
"up-town" just east of Aldin and their previous home.
Finally in the early spring of 1941 he was stricken with a heart attack while carrying a
bucket of coal to the house. He collapsed and fell on a lump of coal which he had under his
arm and his chest was partially crushed; he was confined to his bed. His condition did not
improve as the days went by and finally he was taken to St. Mark's Hospital where he could
have the aid of an oxygen tent. He spent three weeks in the hospital, during which time
some member of his family was constantly with him. On the morning of 8 April 1941 he
departed form this life; thus the world lost a truly noble man. His body was brought to his
home where it lay in a beautiful bronze casket amid a profusion of flowers until the day of
his funeral on the 11th of April. His services were conducted in the Bountiful First Ward
Chapel and were attended by scores of friends who traveled long distances to pay their
respects and honor to this wonderful man. His body was lovingly borne to its final resting
place by six of his grandsons, while his granddaughters and friends carried the 74 beautiful
floral offerings. Tom's chapter in history was finished, but his teachings and example will
long remain with those who knew him. He taught his family the true values of life. Brother
Amby Briggs who spoke at the funeral said of Tom: "He was cheerful, friendly and honest
in all his dealings. He had a fine personality at all times; you always knew how to take
Brother Hayward. He never had moody spirits; he was always pleasant and friendly. I
liked his carriage. He walked down the road with his head erect and with his shoulders
back. That proves to me that he was proud of himself and the work he had done."
Her last few months were filled with extreme pain. She was not afraid of death, but for
many years had her burial clothes in readiness. She was particular that they were ready as
she "wanted to look nice" when sShe joined Grandpa again. Her release came early in the
morning of 21 July 1955. She had lived past her 89th birthday--a long, full life, rich in
blessings and experiences. Her funeral was held on 26 July 1955 in the Bountiful First
Ward Chapel. She was young and beautiful in death; the years seemed to have slipped
away as her tired body was released from its suffering. Six of her grandsons carried her to
her place beside Tom in the Bountiful City Cemetery. It was a sad, happy occasion, for
those who loved her most were glad that her "honeymoon " with Grandpa could now be
resumed, for theirs was indeed a honeymoon while they lived together.
She left to mourn her passing the following: 9 children, 27 grandchildren, 46 great
grandchildren and 3 great, great grandchildren-- a total posterity of 85. She was also
survived by two brothers, John Munson of Fielding who was present at the funeral, and
Silas Munson of Tropic, and a half sister, Mrs. Margaret Waugaman of Pasadena,
California, and a half brother, Lyman Munson of Provo.
Excerpts from a tribute to Eliza B Munson Hayward by her first granddaughter, Eva
Rasmussen Ellison, at the funeral, 26 July 1955:
"I feel that it is a real privilege to pay tribute to Grandmother, hard as it may be for me to do
it. Many of the wonderful things that have come to me in my life have come from
Grandmother, and the influence that She has had upon me. I have some very choice
memories of her and I would like today to do a little remembering with you of some of the
things that happened in her life. You know, I had the privilege of knowing my Grandmother
when she was a little girl, because she told me so many stories of the things that happened
when she was a little girl. She made them live, and I lived them with her.
"...I remember the patient lessons that she taught us, and her pride in the lessons that we
learned. I remember cupboards that always held food when we were hungry, and I
remember clothes that she fashioned with her own hands, to the delight of my heart. I
remember family gatherings and picnics,Thanksgivings, and Christmas that were really
good fun, and I remembered her pleasure in learning of any of my pleasur
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