THE DESERET NEWS, SALT LAKE CITY, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 12, 1881, page 16.,"Bro. JOSEPH GODREY, son of William and Margaret Barren Godfrey, born at Bristol, Somersetshire, England, March 4th, 1800, died December 16, 1880, aged 80 years, 9 months and 12 days."
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LIFE OF JOSEPH GODFREY
Joseph Godfrey, son of William Godfrey and Margaret Barron was born at Bristol, Somersetshire, England on the 1st of March 1794. Family conditions were bad for him as a child, and he ran away from home at the age of 9 years. He hid in a whaling ship bound for the north. He was not discovered until the ship was far out to sea. The captain of the ship was real kind to him and he remained with the ship for 4 years, hunting whales in the land of the Eskimos. When the ship returned to port, he returned home to see his mother. She had died while he was gone and he left again, never to return. The experiences he had gained on the whaling vessel qualified him for another position as a sailor. For 19 years he visited the shores of many countries, among them the US and Canada. He was forced to leave the ship when the crew mutinied in New York harbor. The captain had become sick and Joseph was selected as first mate. He and his good friend, George Coleman were forced overboard and their trunks with all their possessions, souvenoirs and money were dumped over behind them. They went to Canada and while there they enlisted for a term in the English Army and were stationed on the Canadian Frontier. In 1841 they married sisters, Ann Eliza and Mary Reeves of New Jersey. They later moved to New York and it was there they met the missionaries of the LDS Church. They were all converted and were baptized in 1843. Joseph worked for a time for the Prophet Joseph Smith, and due to his age and experience with the military it is thought that he was a guard. However, this cannot be proven. They endured the sufferings and hardships related to the mobbings and persecutions of the Saints and due to the close relationship with the prophet these offences were very hard on them. When the Morman Battalion was called up, George Colemn volunteered to go. He had the promise from Joseph Godfrey that he would care for his wife and child while he was gone. As it turned out the promise was not a temporary one. George's death was never established. He was taken sick and one man, and 2 mexicans were left with him while the Company went on. They ran out of provisions and his companion left Colman with the Mexicans and went for food. On his return he met the mexicans who reported that Colman had died and they had burried him. The man continued on to where he had left Colman but could find no grave. Rumors were later heard that Colman had been seen, but they were never verified. Joseph Godfrey located the first farm on the East bank of the Missouri River a few miles below Council Bluffs, IOWA. In 1852 with his family and Colman's wife and child, Joseph started for Utah with the David Wood company. They reached Salt Lake in Oct. of that year. Mrs. Colman and her son went to Tooele and Joseph's family went to N. Ogden where he took up a claim consisting of a lot near the homes of the other settlers on which he made a temporary home by building a dugout. Later he purchased an adjoining lot from William Roylance on which he erected an adobe dwelling and years later a brick house. He also took a farm on the lower Rice Creek, which he owned and cultivated until his death. When Joseph first saw the Mountain at whose feet he chose to live, he commented on how much it looked like Mt. Ben Lomond in Scotland. How he loved the mountain he named. The first bishopric was organized in N. Ogden in March of 1853 with Thomas Dunn as Bishop, Ira Rice and Edwin Austin as Counselors. Ira Rice later sold his farm and moved away and Joseph was called to take his place next to Bishop Dunn. "Father" or "Daddy Godfrey" as he was affectionately called, took a prominent part in the events of N. Ogden. His wife Eliza Reeves died and he went to the home of Mr. Price to ask for his oldest daughter Ann to work for him. As Ann was engaged he asked for Sarah Ann. She was given 3 weeks to make up her mind. She worked for the family for 1 month and was then married to him on 7 March 1857. That same day he was also married to Mary Reeves Colman, his sister-in-law. Mary was his 2nd wife and Sarah his 3rd. He was 63 years of age and Sarah was 15. Joseph was doctor, sociologist, psychologist, marriage councellor and welfare worker for the community. His charitable acts were so well known that he could pass a hat around in a crowd and the people would freely contribute, without saying a word and knowing that someone whom he did not care to mention was in need of help. He had 3 families. Eight children were born to Ann Eliza Reeves, who died 30 Dec 1856. Mary Reeves Colman bore him 4 children and Sarah Ann Price bore him 9 children. When he died at the age of 86, his oldest child was 39 and his youngest by Sarah Ann was 1 month old. He died in North Ogden on 16 Dec 1880 and is burried in the North Ogden Cemetary.