Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Maria or Mariah Henrietta Gay

Female 1842 - 1910  (67 years)


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  • Name Maria or Mariah Henrietta Gay 
    Born 12 Dec 1842  Hubbardston, Worchester, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 22 Jul 1910  Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 24 Jul 1910  Spanish Fork City Cemetery, Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I545  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family 1 Lewis Henry Mendenhall,   b. 26 Dec 1839, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Aug 1867, Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 27 years) 
    Married 17 Feb 1858  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Mary Ann Mendenhall,   b. 4 Apr 1860, Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Apr 1933, Mapleton, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years)
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F436  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 George Gillette Hales,   b. 19 Mar 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 31 Jan 1907, Provo, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 62 years) 
    Married 5 May 1873  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F153  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Maria's second husband George Gillett Hales is the brother of her daughter's husband William Parley Hales.

      2. Censuses:
      1850 US: Dist. 21, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 153 of 187, 20 Nov 1850, house/family 1196:
      Mosel Gay, 46, Labourer, MA.
      Lucrecia, 40, MA.
      Albert, 16, MA.
      James, 13, MA.
      John, 8, MA.
      Maria, 7, MA.
      Henry, 6, MA.
      Brigham, 3, IA.
      Aaron, 1, IA.

      1856 Utah: According to Ancesty.com, Maria H. Gay is listed at Palmyra City on page 1056. Palmyra was the early name for Spanish Fork.

      1860 US: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, p. 21 of 30, 23 Aug 1860, house 2020, family 1613:
      Lewis Mendenhall, 21, farmer, $500, $500, DE.
      Maria, 16, MA.
      Mary Ann, 3/12, UT.

      1870 US: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, p.15 of 37, 2 Aug 1870, house 112, family 105:
      Lucretia Gay, 61, MA
      James, 33, farmer, $1000, $1600, MA
      John, 30, farmer, MA.
      William H., 29, farmer, MA.
      Brigham, 24, farmer, IL
      Aaron, 21, farmer, IA.
      Joshua, 18, farmer, IA.
      Maria Mendenhall, 27, widowed daughter, MA.
      Mary. A., 10, UT.
      Ada, 7, UT.
      Lewis Hy, 4, UT.

      1880 US: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, NA film T9-1338, p. 189D:
      G. G. Hales, sawyer, 36, UT OH Wales.
      Maria H., wife, 37, US Eng US.
      Lewis H., son, 15, MA MA MA.
      George, son, 14, UT US IL.
      Julia Ann, dau, 12, UT US IL.
      Bradford, son, 10, UT US IL.
      Charles, son, 7, UT US IL.
      Moses G., son, 5, UT US IL.
      Wm. E., son, 4, UT US IL.
      Triphinia, dau., 2, UT US IL.
      Lawrence, son, 3m, UT US IL.

      1900 US: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, p. 29 of 39, 16 Jun 1900, house 228, family 241:
      Gillet G. Hales, Mar 1844, 56, md. 27 years, IL Eng OH, farmer.
      Maria, wife, Dec 1842, 57, md. 27 years, 6 total children all living, MA MA MA.
      Gillet Jr., son, Aug 1874, 25, s, UT IL MA.
      Lawrence, son, Mar 1880, 20, s, UT IL MA.
      David, son, May 1882, 18, UT IL MA.
      Alice, dau., Nov 1884, 15, UT IL MA.
      Lily, dau., Dec 1886, 13, UT IL MA.
      May (Mary?), dau., June 1891, 8, UT IL MA.

      1910 US: Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, p. 8 of 14, 25 Apr 1910, house and family 72:
      Elisa A. Hales, 31, md. once for 14 years, 7 total children 6 living, UT NY UT.
      Edith R., dau., 12, UT UT UT.
      Elmer W., son, 11, UT UT UT.
      Edward P., son, 6, UT UT UT.
      Lillian, dau., 8, UT UT UT.
      George G., son, 4, UT UT UT.
      Mark S., son, 7/12, UT UT UT.
      Mariah H., mother in law, 67, widow, 9 total children with 8 living, MA MA ME.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. The book "Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude" by Daughters of Utah Pioneers (photo accompanies article):
      "Mariah Henrietta Gay Mendenhall Hales, b. 12 Dec 1842 at Hubbardston, MA, d. 22 Jul 1910 at spanish Fork, Utah, UT, parents are Moses B. Gay and Lucretia Davis, pioneer of 8 Sep 1852 with the Isaac M. Steward Wagon Train. Spouse #1: Louis Henry Mendenhall, m. 1858 (he dies 12 Aug 1867 at Franklin, ID. Their children:
      Mary Ann, 4 Apr 1860
      Ada Maria, 18 Sep 1862
      Louis Henry, 18 Mar 1865
      Spouse #2: George Gillett Hales, m. 5 May 1873 (he dies 21 Jan 1906 at Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah). Their children:
      Gillett Moses, 10 Aug 1874
      William Elmer, 4 Dec 1875
      Tryphena Louisa, 9 Dec 1877
      Lawrence Gay, 10 Mar 1880
      Davis E., 10 May 1882
      Alice Lucretia, 20 Nov 1884
      Mariah was born in Hubbardston, MA. She came across the Plains with her parents and five brothers arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, on Sep. 8, 1852. They were sent to help settle Palmyra, Spanish Fork area, and lived there until Spanish Fork City was laid out. She married Louis H. Mendenhall when she was 17 and they moved to Franklin, ID. Louis passed away in 1867, leaving Mariah with three small children. Mariah and her children returned to Spanish Fork and lived with her mother, who was also a widow with seven sons. In 1873, Mariah married George G. Hales, a widower with four small children. Six additional children were born to them, making a family of thirteen children. Mariah was often left alone with the children while George worked in Spanish Fork Canyon at a sawmill. Mariah was a beautiful seamstress and made all their clothing, including pants and coats for the boys in her family, as well as for her brothers. She also spun and wove her own cloth. George was sent to England as a missionary for two and one half years. When he returned, he brought a young widow convert, Fanny Glen, and her small daughter Lillian. George later married Fanny who died following the birth of their first Child, a little girl name Mae. Mariah also raised these two girls to womanhood. Mariah was faithful and hardworking to the end of her life. She was generous with whatever she had and was a wonderful mother to such a large family."

      BIRTH:
      1. Date per cemetery record cited below and obituary.

      2. Biography above gives birthplace as Hubbardston, MA whereas obituary says Mulverton, MA which I cannot locate in a modern atlas.

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Appears as if George and Maria Gay were married a second time civilly perhaps due to polygamous issues per Western States Marriage Records Index per http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/fhc/gbret.idc
      ID Number 205240
      George G. Hales (48)
      Residence: Spanish Fork
      Maria H. Gay (50)
      Residence: Spanish Fork
      County of Record Sanpete Co., Utah
      Place of Marriage: Manti
      Date of Marriage: 18 Jan 1893
      Volume 2; page 368.

      DEATH:
      1. Date per cemetery record cited below.

      2. DUP biography cited above.

      BURIAL:
      1. FHL film 231907 "Spanish Fork Cemetery Records": "Gay, Maria Henrietta, b. 12 Dec 1842 in Mass., d. 22 Jul 1910, bur. in Spanish Fork, parents are Moses Gay and Lucretia Davis, m. Hales."

      2. Per obituary.

      3. "Index to the Utah County Cemeteries, 1850's to 1996," compiled by Diane R. Parkinson and located at the family history center at the BYU Provo library: Maria Henrietta Hales 12 Dec 1842 - 22 Jul 1910 Spanish Fork.

      OBITUARY:
      1. "Mrs. Maria Hales Laid to Rest. On July 24 the funeral services were held in the City Pavilion, over the remains of Sister Maria Hales, the widow of George G. Hales. The speaker's platform was draped in white muslin and decorated with beautiful potted flowers. The vast congregation was called to order at 4:30 p.m. by Niels Anthon presiding. The choir, lead by Ed. M. Rowe, with Mrs. David Prior at the piano, sang "Come, Come ye Saints no Toil or Labor Fear." The invocation was by Bishop Marinus Larsen. The choir sang "The Resurrection Day." The first speaker was John F. Beck; he had known Sister Hales since the days of Palmyra, when she was a little girl and he a small boy. She was a good and true Latter-day Saint, she was a good wife and mother. There were three or four sets of children at her home, which she had to manage, and she had never driven any of them away from home. W.A. Jones was the next speaker; he said the greatest blessing that can be conferred on any woman, was to become a mother of Israel; Sister Hales has been a true mother to those Children. It is God's will that we should die. We know, as Latter-day Saints, that there is a resurrection of the dead. There are many who believe that death ends all. He was thankful to his heavenly Father for the knowledge of the gospel and the hope of the resurrection of the dead; our spirits are immortal and they will take the bodies again, and these bodies will also become immortal. Sister Hales is not dead; God is merciful to his children. Only those who remain faithful to the gospel of Christ will have part in the first resurrection. The next speaker was Elder John Moore who read a short biographical sketch of the deceased. He had known Sister Hales since 1856 and knew no evil of her. He thanked God for the knowledge of the gospel like Brother Jones; he is assured of a resurrection of the just. We have received the gospel to prepare us for an exaltation in the life to come. These bodies will be restored. Men who had been raised from the dead, laid their hand on the head of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and conferred the holy priesthood upon mim of the Son of God to open the dispensation of the fullness of times. Those who have not kept the faith will be ashamed and will never enter into the presence of God's world with end. Niels Anthon was the last speaker. He said he would like to have the people read the 20th chapter of Johns Revelation. In days that are past people did not believe in the resurrection of the dead; they could not comprehend it. The Latter-day Saints have a knowledge of the resurrection and that is what makes a peculiar people. What is death? It is only passing into eternal life. The choir sang in closing, "Farewell all Earthly Honors." Benediction by August Swensen. The pall bearers were Bishop George Hales, Hial B. Hales, Wm. P. Hales, Lawrence Hales, David E. Hales, and D.D. Nisonger. The floral tributes were many and beautiul. Sister Maria Hales was born in Mulverton, Mass. December 1, 1842. She came to Utah in 1842 and to Spanish Fork the same year. She is a mother of five sons and four daughters; she has thirty-three grand-Children, she was a kind mother and a loving wife, a peaceful neighbor and a woman who did all the good that she could and as little harm as possible." Spanish Fork Press, Thurs., 28 Jul 1910.

      SOURCES_MISC:
      1. 18 Dec 2002 website .