After careful consideration I have chosen the death dates according to the death certificate instead of the headstone date.

Thomas Charles Stapley, eldest son of Thomas Stapley and Mary Ann Bliss was born in 1863 in Toquerville, Washington County, Utah. When he was quite young the family moved to Mesa, Arizona to make their home. Thomas was a stirling young man of a kind disposition, strictly good and moral, and ever had a kind word for all - especially for his parents, brothers, sisters and friends.

When Thomas was in his early twenties he returned to Utah and found work in Cedar City, and it was there he met and married on 8 Jun 1892 to Sarah Bailey Adams, daughter of John Vorley Adams and Mary Ann Bailey.

One of their first homes was a brick house on 3rd East Street, Cedar City, Iron County, Utah and it was built by Gomer Cosslett. When they had one or two children Thomas became homesick to see his family in Arizona, so they sold their home and moved back to Arizona.

They stayed in Arizona about a year then returned to Cedar City.

Thomas was a butcher by trade.

Thomas loved music, he played the banjo and tambourine, and for many years Thomas and his tambourine were familiar figures at most dances.

For a number of years he run the ice pond for Harry Hunter, with the help of his two oldest sons, Orley and Arthur and a nephew William C. Adams.

At one time Thomas worked as Deputy Marshal with Andrew Hansen, City Marshal. He didn't care for this line of work and soon gave it up but continued to work for the city in the water works.

Thomas hauled logs from Cedar mountain and took them to Dixie to trade for molasses and fruit. It was while he was hauling logs and wood that he got the idea he wanted to be a prospector and he walked many miles prospecting the hills around Cedar.