Amy Emily Edgley

Amy Edgley: The second wife of John Luther Dalton.

The history of Amy Edgley who married John Luther Dalton starts in England where she was born to Joseph Edgley and Mary Ann Stillman. She was born on December 19, 1869 in London, Middlesex Co. England. The following story about Amy Edgley was complied from a book by Leslie Dalton Crunk. Edited by Rod Dalton.

Joseph and Mary Ann Edgley and their nine children were baptized in England and immigrated to Utah individually and in groups. Joseph and his daughter Mary Ann were sponsored by Mary Ann's future husband, William Owens, who while on a mission to England lived with the Edgley's. Evidently the rest of the Edgley family members, including Amy come to Utah in 1887 and 1888.

LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 3, p.69:

"Joseph Edgley, a Patriarch in the Church and a resident of Pocatello, Idaho, was born August 25, 1843, at Wickhambrook, Suffolk, England, the son of Thomas Edgley and Amy Simpson. He was baptized June 11, 1882, by Joseph A. West and confirmed by M. F. Brown; Ordained a Deacon in June, 1882; Ordained an Elder in July, 1883; was married Sept. 5, 1864, in London, England, which marriage was blessed with eleven children. Emigrating to America with his wife and nine children he sailed from Liverpool, in September, 1886, in the steamship "Wisconsin" and arrived at Logan, Utah, Sept. 28, 1886. He located at Pocatello, Idaho, in 1887; was ordained a High Priest in 1896 by Apostle Marriner W. Merrill and was appointed to preside over the High Priests at Pocatello, May 28, 1890. He also acted as second counselor, and subsequently as first counselor, to Bishop Carl J. Cannon in the Pocatello Ward. Prior to this he acted as a Ward teacher from 1892 to 1897 and also presided over an Elders' quorum for several years. His first wife died in June, 1906, and in April, 1908, he married Mary Ann Price. Bro. Edgley was ordained a Patriarch August 15, 1915, by Apostle James E. Talmage".

The story of William Owens is a very interesting one. The following is copied from a CR-ROM, Pioneer Heritage Library:

Source: Heart Throbs of the West, Kate B. Carter, Vol.10, p.385

William and Joseph Owens.--Robert Owens and his wife joined the church in Ohio in 1844, and moved to Nauvoo. When the United States called for volunteers, Robert accepted the call and went with his brothers in the Mormon Battalion to California, while his wife drove her ox team to Utah and brought her five children. When Robert came home in 1850, he met and married a second wife, Martha Allen, who had come to Utah with her brother. They had five children, two girls and three boys. Their first son, William, was born in Salt Lake City, February 6, 1853. He was blind at birth. Five years later, two more boys, Rial and Joseph were born, and one of these, Joseph, was also blind.

These two blind boys never went to school, but grew up at home together. From early childhood William had a strong desire to investigate all machinery from threshing machines to old clocks and watches. When he was fourteen years old he left home with his brother, Joseph, to make their own way. They traveled by foot and after the railroad came they walked the rails from town to town; Joseph selling books, while William mended watches and clocks and tuned pianos.

When William, was a man, he wanted to find a doctor to help him gain his sight. This desire took him to England, where he lived with the, family of Joseph Edgley. The oldest daughter, Mary Ann, was his guide while in London. William never found any help for his eyes, so the time came to go home. Knowing the desires of the Edgley family to come to Utah, William offered to pay the passage for two members, so Mary Ann and her father, Joseph, came with him. Soon after on September 26, 1888, William and Mary Ann became man and wife. They lived for a few years in Logan and Smithfield, where five children were born. He built a home there himself and it is still in use. In 1898, the family moved to Pocatello, Idaho, where the Edgley family had settled, and there William Owens built a home and a store. He called it "Live and Let Live Mercantile." He sold most everything needed in the home. He arranged things in their places and insisted they were to be kept there so he could find them. His wife helped him and they did well, but her health failed so they sold the store and moved to Shelley, Idaho, where father farmed for two years, but since it took eyes to farm, he did not do well, although mother's health improved. Soon the ' family moved back to Pocatello where father built another home. He hired carpenters, but bossed the job himself, and when it came to the plumbing, the plumbers charged too much so he sent away for the fixtures and did the job himself. That plumbing is still in use. He opened a small store in that home and the rest of his life he sold groceries.

Father had a very great sense of hearing, and with his cane he could go anywhere he had ever been before without help. He always knew when he came to a corner or a hole in the sidewalk. He could count the buildings and doorways by sound. But for his cane, one would never know he could not see his way. Sometimes as a young girl I tried to hide by being very quiet when I saw him coming, but he always knew and spoke to me. He was a High Priest in the Church, and died July 17, 1923, in Pocatello.

John Luther and Amy Edgley had an alfresco wedding, being sealed for time and all eternity on Monday, February 17,1890, at 12:50 p.m. on a hillside in Paso Del Norte, Mexico. The marriage was performed by A. F. McDonald and witnessed by W. Johnson and Thomas Burmingham. Others present were F.P. Torkelsen, his wife and Mrs. T. Burmingham. Grandma's diary account of the marriage shows that she and Grandpa solemnized their marriage two more times.

Why did they go to Mexico? Undoubtedly it was because of all the anti-polygamy hullabaloo. February 1890 was right in the middle of some very difficult times for the Saints still practicing polygamy. The issue of plural marriage became a serious argument to Utah gaining statehood. An "anti-bigamy law" passed in 1862 and was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. This bill called for a $500 fine and/or a five year prison sentence; it also include a provision forbidding a religious body in a territory to hold real estate in value to exceed $50,000. This law wasn't seriously enforced and it wasn't until 1874 that its constitutionality was challenged. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in 1879. This was a stunning blow to the Church and the forerunner of a period of intense persecution. In March 1882, Congress passed the "Edmonds Bill" amending the "anti- bigamy" law of 1862.

The first child of John Luther Dalton and Amy Edgley was born on Nov. 22, 1891 in Logan Utah; they named him John Luther Jr.

Amy's husband, John Luther was president of the California Mission from 1892 to 1894. Amy traveled to California with him and lived in various place in Oakland. (Read about the story of this Mission to California in the diary of John Luther Dalton in another part of this book). Having filled a successful mission he left San Francisco Feb. 23, 1894, for home, accompanied by his family.

Excerpt from the diary of John Luther Dalton:

Tuesday, Feb. 27th:

2:05 a.m. Arrived in Pocatello, Idaho. Father Edgley and Arthur Tom and Eddy met us at the depot. We went home to their house, they and Dave live opposite each other. Sarah is Amy's sister.

In March of 1895 John Luther and Amy Dalton are recorded as residing in the Logan, Utah 7th, ward.

During the winter of 1895-96 Amy Dalton worked in the Logan Temple doing work for their deceased ancestors.

On Dec. 15th, 1899, Amy's fourth and last child was born in Blackfoot, Bingham Co. Idaho. The U.S. census taken in June of 1900 shows the John Luther Dalton family as living back in Pocatello.

Amy's husband John Luther Dalton died on Dec. 29th, 1908 in Pocatello, Idaho. He is buried in the Pocatello Cemetery.

In 1910-11 Amy Dalton and her family was living in a house on Buchanan Street in Pocatello and of that time period a daughter, Voyla writes:

“Mother had her home remedies and every spring we got sulfur and molasses and sassafras tea. If we didn't feel good we got a dose of “Jollys" in some coffee which made it taste awful. Hall's cancer medicine was another of her favorites, which I hated but it did the work”.

Another concoction she mixed up was a conditioner that we took as a prevention against contagious diseases. One time l was exposed to smallpox and then Alvin came down with diphtheria. As a preventative I was given this medicine so i wouldn't get diphtheria, which I didn't and I had only about 2 pox break out on me and was not even sick. That was after Dad died in July.

Because of these awful tasting medicines we had to take, I never complained when I didn't feel good. Mother went out nursing and we children stayed at home alone.

In the fall of 1910 Alvin was taken ill and I didn't feel good but never said anything; this was the beginning of a long siege of typhoid fever. For days and days I was kept alive with Laudanum. I'm told my life was despaired of .... then mother having become run down with nursing me contacted typhoid and was taken to the hospital. She was there for about 3 weeks. The two of us had to learn to walk all over again. While mother was in the hospital i was taken to grandpa Edgley's home and while convalescing and learning to Walk, etc.

Mother sold our home and we moved down on Clark St. and mother operated a little confect store selling a few grocery's - such as lunch goods, ice cream, home made candies - and in the winter chili and tamales. Then mother bought the Wallen House taking in roomers and boarders. This was in the 500 block on north Main St.

Alvin remembers:

Mother used to go out and work as a midwife to earn money for us... When i was about 12 years old mother sold our house and bought a confectionery store; sold candies, ice cream, crispettes (like Carmel corn but pressed into piece, thick and 2" across) ... five in a package and we sold them for five cents each. We had a horse and wagon, which i drove around town ringing a bell and selling the crispettes, candy and ice cream. Mother kept this business for about two years and then she sold out and brought a rooming and boarding house at about 555 North Main.

Amy during the following years lived in various places with some of her family members; Portland, OR., Boise Idaho. In April of 1921 she is living in Salt Lake City with her daughter Voyla.

On August 6, 1922, Amy Dalton writes the following to her children:

"Dear Children All:

I expect to undergo my operation tomorrow, and of course i realize under such conditions life is very uncertain, but i am convinced that whether i recover or am taken hence, it is all right, and acknowledge the hand of God in all things. However, should i not recover, in order there be no confusion, I thought it best to leave a few hastily written instructions.

The deed to the cemetery lot is in the leather wallet in my trunk at Uncle Will Edgley's, the key is in my traveling bag I have here at the hospital Get the plainest and most inexpensive casket, and endeavor to make funeral expenses come within the limit of my insurance $150.00. My Temple clothes will have to be bought, with the exception of the apron, which Aunt Alice has. I give my watch to Alvin; Voyla my wedding ring; May my breast pin; Margaret my lavaliere and chain; Luther my diamond ring; Edgley shall have a small piece of jewelry later. "O shoot" I can't bother my head to distribute my (vast) belongings, so I am determined to get well and take care of them myself. You see if I get well, and as i am indebted to Uncle Will for my operation, if there is anything whatever in my belongings in Boise, that he can use, I think he should have them. So I simply leave you to do the best you can, trusting no unkind feelings to be engendered, and may God bless you all and lead you to the light of the gospel.

With undying love, I remain ever, Your loving Mother.

P.S. If Uncle Will would like the desk and the chair let him have them, otherwise draw cuts, distribute my books, pictures, and other small treasures among you.

Amy Dalton never recovered from her operation and died six days later on August 12,1922, in Pocatello, ID. She is buried beside her husband in the Pocatello City Cemetery.