Emma Jane McKell Brockbank was born March 4, 1866, the eighth child of Robert and Elizabeth Boyack McKell. Her birthplace was the adobe house on the southwest corner of Third North and First East Street, which her parents had built six years previously. She was born in an environment of pioneer experiences where people built their own homes, planted their own gardens, fruit trees and vineyards. They baked, churned, dried fruits, husked corn, made their own preserves, jellies and jams. They did their own sewing and made their own quilts. They made their own fun. Being born of parents who accepted the gospel principles in Scotland, the church and its teachings were of tremendous importance in their home.

As a young girl Emma Jane was kept busy helping her mother in taking care of the younger children and the many household tasks. For a time Emma Jane's mother's health wasn't good, so on wash days, Emma and her older sister, Ellen, would encourage their mother to go visiting. As soon as she would leave, the girls would hurry and heat the wash water and have the washing done and the house in order before their mother returned. Emma Jane enjoyed helping her mother in the home. She also spent many happy hours in her father's blacksmith shop, watching him go about his work.

On September 3, 1875, at the age of eight, Emma Jane was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by William Jex and confirmed by R. Timmins. Her confirmation and blessing certainly impressed her and helped to lay the foundation for her great faith and work in the church.

Not too much is known of Emma Jane's school life. However, some of her favorite friends were Emma Miller, Priscilla Swenson, Emma Monk and Marelda McKell. As a young girl, Emma Jane loved to dance, and her friends said that she would rather dance than eat. She loved to read, and one of the fondest memories held by her children was her reading aloud of stories both religious and secular.

Emma's older sisters, Ellen and Louisa, worked in Sal Lake City. Hence the responsibility of assisting in the home rested on Emma's shoulders. Because of this she received a wonderful education right in her own home under the guidance of her parents and other members of her family. She learned well, in the best type of laboratory, all the arts of homemaking.

In the summer of 1884 when Emma was 18 years of age, she was invited to cook for the men at the sawmill up Spanish Fork Canyon. One of the workers at the sawmill, Joseph Brockbank, took a keen interest in Emma Jane and told her of her excellent cooking. On several occasions he tried to court Emma, but she always rebuffed his attentions. One day Joseph was teasing and tormenting Emma, so in defense she picked up a large pair of horseshoe pincers which were lying at hand and pinched him on the back. Soon after this rather painful event, the two started going together.

Out of mutual friendship grew a sincere love. In December, 1885, with separate teams and wagons, two young couples, Emma Jane and Joseph and David Banks and Kate Creer, drove to Logan, Utah, where they met another couple, Richard Money and Eliza Banks, who had gone to Logan on the train the day previously. The three couples often jested with each other as to who had the most fun, the couple in the train or the two couples who had gone in the wagons and stayed on the tithing office grounds in Salt Lake City for the night they were enroute. The two girls slept in one wagon and the two boys in the other. The three couples were married in the Logan Temple, December 17, 1885.

Joseph and Emma Jane returned to Spanish Fork and started housekeeping in part of the home belonging to Joseph's father, Isaac Brockbank. It was located on the northwest corner of Main and Center Street. The furniture in their home was not elaborate but was sturdy and well made.

In less than two years after their marriage, Joseph was called to fill a mission to the southern states for the Church. He was set apart as a missionary by President Wilford Woodruff on November 14, 1887. At this time Emma and Joseph had one son, Joseph Archibald ("Archie"). While Joseph was laboring in the mission field, Emma kept up her own home, labored in the MIA, and worked hard to help keep her husband on his mission.

One of her ways of making a little money was taking in roomers. Near their home on the north was the Boyack House, which was known as a hotel. When there was no room at the hotel, Susan Boyack would send their extra guests over to Emma Jane's for lodging. Nothing was ever stolen by the many troupers who spent the night in her home except on one occasion when Emma found her black petticoat was missing after the dramatic troupe had left town. She told "Aunt Susan" and at once the sheriff was notified. The troupe was located in Nephi and the petticoat was returned to its owner.

Emma Jane did very little traveling during her life. She was never out of the state of Utah. Yet she found much beauty, contentment and happiness in staying in her home and helping others in the community. She and her husband were very happy. She often remarked she would be happy with Joseph even if she had to live with him in a tent on the top of the east mountain.

During the years Emma and Joseph lived in the Isaac Brockbank home, they had born to them Joseph Archibald, Emma Elizabeth, John Ross and Hazel Agnes. Their other children were born in the new brick house into which they moved on Thanksgiving Day in 1896. Their home was located two blocks west (where Spanish fork High is now). Later it was remodeled and enlarged, but it was their home the remainder of their lives. Emma often remarked that her front door was in town and her back door in the field.

Emma Jane was a good homemaker. While her husband was in the field planting or harvesting crops or irrigating, Emma would carry hot dinner to the field for him and would help and encourage the children to help in every way possible. She found time to join her children in their work and play.

She with her husband, who was in the bishopric, set the pattern of attendance at church. They taught by example as well as by diplomatic precept. For example: one Sunday afternoon Hazel and a group of her friends were on the front lawn chatting when her parents went off to sacrament meeting. Her mother said, "Aren't you girls going to sacrament meeting today?" Hazel replied, "No, Mother, not today. We will hang on your apron strings as you pass through the pearly gates." Emma Jane said, "No, you won't. I will shake you all off. Besides everyone has to earn their own ticket." Such diplomacy kept her children active in the church. She often said, "If you want to have the spirit of your Heavenly Father with you, you must always be active in the church."

Emma truly believed that activity meant vigor and growth in her religious life. On May 27, 1901, she was given a patriarchal blessing by Patriarch E. H. Blackburn which reads in part: "The blessings of the Lord shall be upon you and your household forever, and blest shall be your body to increase and grow in posterity and of the increase of your kingdom there will be no end. Your life will be a busy one, to lead, to guide, and to preside over your fellow sisters. For this you were born into the world.

"You are under great responsibility to the Lord for the intelligence and talents that He has given you, and he requires you to work, and you are blest and you shall have success in your ministry and your tongue will be loosed, your understanding quickened, your guardian angel shall watch over you. Your course shall be onward and upward, and you are blest to become equal to all the requirements of this labor. You shall be blest to become a preacher of righteousness, and the day will come that you will stand before thousands in this capacity."

Early in life she worked in the Mutual Improvement Association. When her babies were young and it was difficult to leave them to go to MIA, she went to Bishop Snell and said, "Bishop, where is my place, with the MIA or at home at night with my babies?" She was released from Mutual and set apart to work in the Primary, which met in the Central Meeting House.

When Spanish Fork was divided into four wards by Apostles John W. Taylor and Abraham H. Cannon in December, 1891, Emma Jane was made the first president of the Second Ward Primary with Nancy James as her first assistant and Serena Andrus as her second assistant. Jennie Brockbank was her secretary. She acted in this capacity until January 18, 1904, when Jane Jones succeeded her. She supported her husband, Joseph, in his position as counselor to Bishop Benjamin Argyle from August 17, 1902, until he was released September 24, 1916. they were compliments to each other in all activities.

As early as March 23, 1892, she assumed responsibility as teacher in the Relief Society. In 1904 Emma was chosen to be first counselor to Caroline Pace, and in 1905 as first counselor to Mary Bradford. During this time Emma Jane was a leader in gleaning wheat and gathering Sunday eggs for the Relief Society Hall and the Second Ward Church. Often a quilting was held, and Emma Jane would be heard to say, "Pull your knots through so they won't be seen even on the wrong side." In 1911 Emma was chosen as counselor to Lizzie Tuttle. In 1914 she succeeded sister Tuttle as president with Serena Andrus and Emma Creer as her counselors.

Emma Jane had unusual ability to go into houses of sickness, mourning or want and render aid and give solace and comfort. Many people testified how, when they were in trouble, sorrow or need, Emma Jane came as an "Angel of Mercy," bringing sympathy and sunshine where before had been fear and discouragement. A few examples:

Archie at the age of nine years went with his mother one winter afternoon to a house where a poor family lived. The father was a tailor and the mother was partially paralyzed. They had three small children. Archie pulled his red wagon loaded with coal and kindling wood. His mother had in her arms bread, butter, bottled fruit and cookies. When they were bidden to enter the home, it was cold. The mother was seated by a fireless stove, and her children were huddled at her knee, wrapped in an old quilt. Archie's mother soon had a warm fire, and the children began dancing around the table laden with food while the crippled mother sat and wept.

During a plague of black diphtheria, Emma Jane went to the homes of Maggie Bunting and Katie Holding, where she assisted, not only with the sick but with the household duties. She would cut through the field to return to her home so as not to come in contact with any people and would bathe and change her clothing in a wash room at the rear of her home before coming into the house to care for her own family.

It was during the Christmas Holiday when Emma baked her three apple pies and placed them on a large bread board (a very common practice) and said, "I must go up to a home in First Ward where there has been a death of an old Icelandic man." Hazel said, "Why Mother, we are all here for the holiday. Why do you have to run away in this terrible blizzard?" Nothing daunted her purpose. She said, "I shall only be a short time." When she returned, she radiated the glow that come from well doing.

A year later, during the holiday season, Emma died suddenly (age 59). Because she had enjoyed hearing Ellen and Rose Jameson sing, her family invited them to participate in her funeral service. It was the custom for the girls to receive money for their singing. They were not members of the LDS Church. Two days after the service Hazel and Archie went up to pay the sisters. When they were offered the money, Ellen said, "Why, Hazel, do you know just a year ago your Mother came to our grandfather's home in a terrible blizzard, brought pies, and helped lay out our old grandfather? We never could repay her for what she did for us. We could never take money for singing for such a woman."

Emma helped wash and lay out the dead with the help of her husband. When they went to a home of death to take care of a body, Emma would say, "Now Joseph, 'get the door'." The unused door was used to lay the body on to cool. Bottles of ice were placed around the body until the clothes were made and it was dressed for burial.

The responsibility of being the president of the Relief Society along with her great desire to do neighborly service was difficult. Her health was not good so she was released. But as evidence of the reluctance with which she was released, she was chosen as counselor to Delilah Hughes, who succeeded her as president. She was given chairmanship of the charity and relief committee. The year before she died, the report was given that she had made 320 visits into homes where she was given opportunity to exercise her God-given gift of administering comfort and aid to the needy. To hundreds of Spanish Fork people Emma Jane was known as "Aunt Emmy" because of her untiring work and desire to help.

She was a charter member of the J. Wylie Thomas chapter of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and was at one time a chaplain in the organization.

At the age of 59 years, Emma Jane was stricken with acute diabetes. She had attended her church duties on Sunday, but on Thursday morning, December 24, 1925, she passed away. Funeral services were held in the city pavilion on December 26. The large pavilion was filled to capacity, where bishop Elisha Warner presided over the services. The invocation was offered by President Ed M. Rowe, after which Ellen Jameson and Rose Funk sang a duet, "Beautiful Sunset."

The speakers, President Henry A. Gardner, Dr. Joseph Hughes, Edna Brockbank (president of the Second Ward Relief society), J. Preston Creer and Bishop Elisha Warner, all paid tribute to her life and character.

Emma Jane was buried in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery on the afternoon of December 26, 1925, where Henry J. McKell dedicated the grave.

Written by her grandson, Ivan Edward Hall

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Aunt Emmy, let us tell of the love in our hearts
We hold for your deeds of devotion.
The example you've set, we can never forget,
You have given us true inspiration.

As a womanly woman, forgetting yourself,
And doing each day to full measure,
You've left for yourself a record on earth,
And laid up in heaven your treasure.

The dear kindly smile will last with us the while
We stay in this mortal probation,
And we never can tell all the work done so well,
Which we now know means your exaltation.

You've gone and we'll miss you, more than you know,
We've enjoyed working with you each year,
You've enriched and inspired each one of our lives
By kind words and good deeds that endear.

Unhampered by weight of this earthly coil,
You'll go on with the work you began here.
You can mingle with beings in celestial light,
Enjoying the crown you have won here.

An Appreciation
By Bishop Elisha Warner

Her voice was soft and pleasant
As a breath of summer air,
Her eyes were kind, her face was sweet,
She was more than passing fair;

The sunlight seemed to hover
Round about her as it were,
Oh, What a happy world 'twould be,
If all could be like her!

She ruled her home with kindness;
She spoke in accents mild;
and her faith was pure and holy,
Like unto a little child.

She found life's greatest treasures--
the meat within the burr',
Oh, what a righteous world 'twould be,
If all could be like her!

She was present at the bedside
When death's angel hovered nigh;
She loved the poor and needy;
She stilled the orphan's cry.

She cooled the aching, throbbing brow
When grief caused eyes to blur;
Oh, what a glorious world 'twould be,
If all could be like her.

Written by Edna Brockbank