Gwenllian "Gwennie" Edwards

The above photo of Gwennie Davis Edwards was found on Ancestry.com. The record for her there shows that she was born July 1844 in Drefach, Cardiganshire, Wales. This record indicates that she was the third child and only daughter of Titus Lazarus Davis (1806-1898) and Mary Gwenllian Bowen (1819-1886). However, another Ancestry.com tree for Gwenllian "Gwennie" Davis Edwards shows that she was one of 22 children, which seems highly unlikely! Although on that page of Ancestry.com, there was a copy of a newspaper article entitled, "The Mother Left Behind." which reads as follows:

My great-great grandfather, Titus Davis, emigrated with part of his family to the United States in 1863. He was born in 1806 in Llandysul, Wales, and was raised by his grandfather. Titus was the choirmaster at the church. He fell in love with Mary Bowen, who was 21. Titus was 34. They were married in Llanweneg Church in 1840. Mary was born in 1819. She came from a distinguished family who owned a prosperous woolen mill in Maesyfelin. Mary's family disapproved of her marriage to Titus, as he did not meet their social standards. Seven of their 11 children grew to adults.

In 1858 Titus and his son, David, became members of the Mormon Church and made preparations to migrate to the US. But May was opposed to this new religion. She was a dedicated Baptist and refused to migrate. She sought the counsel of her minister and was advised against leaving her homeland and family. She felt Mormons made a mockery of religion. Titus decided to go and David, Timothy, Gwenny, Thomas, John and Henry were to go with him while Jenkin was to remain with his mother. Thomas grieved his whole life over the abandonment of his mother. She was left destitute and alone. They never saw her again and she died at the age of 60 in the poorhouse. David stayed in Wales another year to do missionary work for the Mormon Church and Titus and his children left in May of 1863 from London on the American ship Amazon. They arrived in New York on July 18, 1863.

The journey across the sea was monotonous and Timothy contracted typhoid and it was a miracle he survived. It was at the height of the Civil War and progress was slow. They proceeded to Detroit in cattle cars and here a family from Dowlais gave their dead child up to strangers for burial. They reached St. Joseph on the Missouri River and were put on a boat for Florence, Nebraska. They joined up and John Edwards' wagon train and were requested to sign a note of 40 dollars per person with 10 percent interest. The wagon were loaded with merchandise to sell in Salt Lake city and so all immigrants had to walk. Walking them them a tremendous appetite, but they were on half rations. Timothy suffered the most because of his illness. Sometimes they went hungry so that Timothy could have more to eat.

When they reached the Wood River they saw their first American Indians and were shocked at their naked appearance. The Indians were peaceful, though, and they did not encounter hostile tribes. There were a few scattered settlements, but further west they saw only military stations a long distance apart. When they reached higher altitudes, the weather turned cooler and at night they slept under the wagon on the ground. Little Henry, who was only three, never complained of the hardship. Thomas felt he needed the love and care of his mother.

In Wyoming they experienced bad storms of wind and snow. On the other side of the mountains the weather became warmer and soon they descended into Salt Lake Valley at Emigration Square and continued northward to a village called Willard where other Welsh families had settled before them. Gwenny and John Edwards hand fallen in love along the way and the following November they were married. John built Gwenny a beautiful stone house and they raised eight children. This house still stands and is on the Utah State Historical list. She died in 1912 at the age of 67. He died in 1912, being 85 years old.

Timothy was also a merchant in the village of Logan, Utah. He married and had 10 children. He died in 1916 at the age of 74. John was also a merchant in Logan. He worked with Timothy, and later had a store of his own. John loved music and taught people to play different instruments. He played the flute and had a beautiful bass voice. He sang in the Logan Tabernacle Choir. He was the only member of the family who witnessed the Driving of the Golden Spike in Promontory, Utah, in 1868. e had eight children and died in 1927 at the age of 76.

Henry lived with his sister, Gwenny, and later was employed by a merchandise center as a salesman and traveled throughout Utah selling from his horse-drawn buggy. He had eight children and died in 1925 at the age of 66.

Jenkin, the child who was left behind with his mother, was very active in the Baptist Church at Penygroes, Wales. He traveled the country side spreading the gospel of his church. He was also a successful merchant. It is not known when Jenkin died.

Thomas, who is my great grandfather, learned the blacksmith trade in Willard and later went into cattle raising and farming. He was elected to Idaho State Legislature for two terms and was appointed mineral commissioner by President McKinley.

More than any of the children, he thirsted for knowledge throughout his life and was self-educated very well. He was active in politics and civic affairs. He conducted a brass band and performed at local functions. He had 11 children andied in Malad, Idaho, in 1926. In 1898 Thomas left the Mormon Church and never returned. He became an active Mason. In 1920 he wrote his life story. Their father, Titus, lived out the rest of his life in Willard, Utah. He died in 1898 at the age of 92.

This article was published in 1979 and was from Mrs. Dorothy C. Kryemes of Salt Lake City, Utah. Here is a link to the Ancestry.com page where the article was found:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/26483861/person/27325024802/media/a2...

Gwennie married John Lodwick Edwards (1838-1920) in 1863 and they had 8 children:

John Alfred, 1864-1949;

Mary Ann, 1867-1958;

David Titus, 1869-1950;

Gwennie Jane, 1872-1920;

Hannah Elizabeth, 1875-1951;

Henry Lodwick, 1878-1909;

Margaret Etta, 1881-1918;

Mabel Leona, 1888-1960

In the 1870 U.S. Federal Census taken on June 2nd, for Blue Creek Section (Promontory Post Office) of Box Elder, Utah Territory, the family was listed in the census as follows: John Edward(s) 31, Gweney, 26, John A., 5, Mary Ann 3, and David, 6 months old. Also living in their home was a Margaret Davis, 15, listed as a domestic servant, and William Jones, 14, listed as a farm laborer. John Edwards was working as a farmer and his real estate was valued at $1,000 and his personal state at $500.

By the 1880 census, they were listed in the Willard, Box Elder Census as follows, and John was working as a cattle dealer: John L., 41, Gwennie, 35, John A., 15, Mary Ann, 13, David T., 10, Gwennie Jane, 7, Hannah E., 5, and Henry L., 1 year old. John A., was working at herding cattle, and all the other children were at school except for Hannah & Henry. In the 1900 census, they were listed as follows: John L., 61, Gwennie, 55, Hannah E., 24, Henry L., 21, Etta M., 18, Mable L., 12. They were still living in Willard and John was still working as a farmer, and his son, Henry was working as a farm laborer. John stated he had immigrated to the United States in 1855 and had been naturalized.

In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for Willard, they were listed as: John L., 7 2, Gwennie, 66, Etta, 27, and Mabel, 22. John was still working as a "cattleman." Gwennie passed away on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1912, at the age of 67, in Willard, Box Elder, Utah. Her death certificate indicates that her cause of death was stomach cancer. Her husband John lived another 8 years and passed away on December 15, 1920. They are both buried in the Willard Precinct Cemetery in Willard, Box Elder, Utah.

Their daughter, Gwennie Jane Edwards Anderson, had passed away on March 29, 1920. She had married Heber Anderson who was born in 1866 and passed away in 1957. Their son John Alfred passed away at the age of 84 on January 3, 1949, in the Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City. He had been married to Naomia Nebeker. The cause of his death on his death certificate was listed as a fractured left hip, and arteriosclerotic heart disease. He was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. His wife, Naomia, had passed away at the age of 74 from a coronoary occlusion and hypertension with cardiovascular disease.

John and Gwennie's daughter, Mabel Edwards, married Marcus Wayne Nevenhisen (1896-1984), and she passed away at the age of 68 on January 16, 1960, in Los Angeles, California, at the Doctor's Hospital, located at 325 W. Jefferson Boulevard. Her death certificate indicated that the cause of death was a cerebro-vascular accident and generalized arteriosclerosis. She was buried in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California. Her death certificate indicates that the last occupation of her spouse, Wayne Nevenhisen, was artist. They were living at 11213 Van Buren Avenue, Los Angeles, and had been living in the county and in California for 35 years. Her husband, Marcus Wayne Nevenhisen, born January 14, 1896, in Los Angeles, California, passed away there February 24, 1984. He was buried with his wife in the Inglewood Park Cemetery. He was the son of Bryon Lee Nevenhuisen and Eliza Alvira White. He had previously been married to Iona Ntiffler and they were divorced.