Samuel Ashby

Samuel Ashby is the son of Samuel and Hannah Ward Ashby, born in Belgrave, Leicestershire, England. When he was very young his father died in Liverpool, England. The family was baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in England.

The two oldest boys went to America leaving their mother and three of her children. Hannah and her three children came later to America. When Samuel was eleven old he went to live with his older brother in Ogden, Utah. His mother, Hannah went to Ogden to live and had William and Samuel move in with their grandparents, Thomas Ward at Spanish Fork, Utah. They were old and very poor and unable to look after Samuel and his brother William. So Samuel went to live with Pleasant S. Bradford and was treated like one of the family. William stayed with John Beck, who had a freighting line to Pioche, Nevada, by wagon and teams.

When the railroad was laid through Millard County, Samuel went to work for the railroad. While living with the Bradfords he acquired forty acres of land in the river bottoms in Lake Shore, Utah. Here he built a two room brick home.

When he was 28, he married Emma Priscilla Clayson who was 17. They were married June 10, 1883 and moved into the two roomed brick home he had built, the following December 22, 1886 they were married for eternity in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Samuel was a good farmer and raised some good raspberries and strawberries. After a few years they added three rooms to their home. (The home was still standing years later and in good condition, owned by Andrew Poulsen).

Seven sons were born before any daughters so Samuel always had the older boys take turns helping their mother. Emma was never strong, Samuel helped, he'd bring in scrubbed new poatatoes and shelled peas that were prepared outside at the old well trough. They always had company and Emma loved to cook. Samuel planned a surprise party for Emma's birthday. He shelled peas to cook and new potatoes, they had osters and home made ice cream. A piano was borrowed and brought to their home and the fun lasted well into the night.

In 1901 Samuel went on a mission and after he returned they had three more daughters. The last one died of whooping cough. Samuel was also a director in the Lake Shore Irrigation Company. He helped construct bridges, canals and roads. He was a true pioneer of Lake Shore, Utah.