Mary Robinson

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10730875/mary-seager

'Mary Robinson Seager (1874 - 1962), daughter of William Kennedy Robinson and Harriet Vilate Pitkin, was born 27 April 1874 at Logan, Cache County, Utah Territory, and died at the age of 87 on 1 March 1962 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, and was buried at Honeyville, Utah. She married Orin Austin Seager on 27 December 1893. They settled on a farm in Tremonton, Utah and had eight children.

Children of Mary Robinson and Orin Austin Seager

1. LaRue Robinson Seager (18 October 1894 Logan, Cache County, Utah - 5 April 1977)
2. Irene Seager (6 December 1896 Logan, Cache County, Utah - 3 July 1929)
3. Orin Burtis Seager (22 March 1900 Cardston, Alberta, Canada - 13 April 1900)
4. William Kennedy Seager (26 September 1901 Cardston, Alberta, Canada - 14 January 1995 Corona, Riverside County, California)
5. Maudell Seager (22 December 1906 Elwood, Box Elder County, Utah - 5 November 1989)
6. Tyrrell R. Seager (30 January 1908 Tremonton, Utah - 8 September 2006 Utah)
7. Mildred Seager (20 November 1909)
8. Carrol Austin Seager (6 February 1914 Elwood, Box Elder County, Utah - 19 January 1993 Ogden, Weber County, Utah

Autobiography

I was born in Logan, Cache County, Utah on April 27, 1874, daughter of William Kennedy Robinson and Harriet Vilate Pitkin. When I was nine months old my father was killed February 16, 1875, while getting timber from Logan Canyon for the erection of the Logan Tabernacle. When five years old, Mother married a dear friend of Father's, Charles Burtis Robbins, who was a grand and good stepfather to me. Father (William Kennedy Robinson) came to Utah when nineteen years of age as a teamster for the Johnston's Army. The first winter he was in Utah, he heard the gospel preached by Apostle Ezra T. Benson and was later converted and baptized by him. He became a very devoted Latter-day Saint and was the only one of his father's family to join the Church. Mother had three daughters by William Kennedy Robinson: Marie Vilate, Sarah May, and myself, Mary. Mother also had one son and two daughters by Charles Burtis Robbins: namely, Hattie (Harriet Vilate), William Kennedy, and Emma Louise.

I was reared in the fourth ward of Logan, across the street, east of the courthouse, and was active in the ward, until I was married and left to make our home in the sixth ward. I was organist in Primary, also in Sunday school, and was a member of the Stake Tabernacle Choir. I had the privilege of attending the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple with the choir in April 1893. I attended the district schools, also the Brigham Young Academy, and the Agricultural College, as it was then called, the first year of its existence. I had many happy days in my girlhood, attending horse races, canyon trips, balloon ascensions, skating rinks, theaters, circuses, dances, and Church activities.

When I was nineteen years and eight months of age, I married a wonderful young man, Orin Austin Seager, in the Logan Temple. He was from American Fork, Utah and had come to Logan to go to school at the AC (Agricultural College). We met about three weeks after his arrival at his boarding house, the Crocket home. After our marriage we built a nice five room, cream colored, brick home, where we lived for nearly four years, then sold it and moved to Canada, September 1897. While in Canada, we went through some experiences that I will never forget and hope none of our loved ones will ever have to undergo. We lived on a homestead in the summer, and in order to get to Cardston we had to ford St. Mary's River or drive twenty-five miles extra in a lumber wagon over the prairie to cross a bridge. We experienced some terrible snowstorms, hail storms, floods, and the worst lightning I have ever witnessed. While in Canada two sons were born, Orin Burtis, who died when three weeks old, and in one and a half years, William Kennedy, came to bless our home. We remained in Canada for seven years and left there with the same amount of money that we went there with, less five acres of good hay land situated in Logan that was willed to me from my father. Our home in Cardston was diagonal, southwest, from where the Latter-day Saints Temple stands.

We left Canada July 1904, and went to LeGrand, Oregon, but after three months there, we came back to Logan for the winter. The 17th of March 1905 we moved our meager belongings on a hayrack, powered by two horses, to Tremonton, then called Elwood. We lived in a two room, frame house with no plaster, just the outside lumber, which was lined inside with tarpaper with wallpaper over it. We had the three children, LaRue, Irene, and William Kennedy. We purchased thirty-six acres of good land at seventy-two dollars per acre, which was covered with sagebrush. We cleared ten acres and planted it in sugar beets. We raised a good crop, which enabled us to meet our debts that fall.

Orin and myself were soon called to work, he in Sunday school, and myself in Primary and assistant organist in the ward. After nearly five years, in December 1906, Maudell blessed our home. On January 30, 1909, another son, Tyrrell R., was made welcome, and November 20, another little bundle of cheer came in the person of Mildred, who was such a comfort to me while her father was on a twenty-three month mission to the northwestern states. Mildred was six weeks old when her father left for his mission, and I had five other children to care for. Orin came home December 1912. On February 6, 1914, another son, Carroll Austin, came to bless our home, which made eight children. Each one was very welcomed and loved greatly by both parents, and we are very proud of our family.

In July 1929, our second child was killed in an auto accident, leaving eight children. We reared two of them Conn Lamont, who was four years old, and Joyce, age two. Later three more came and were with us for five years, and one year we had all eight children. On November 30, 1954, four of these grandchildren were killed in one accident near the Idaho, Oregon border.

I have worked in Primary and Relief Society as second and first counselor, also have been president in both organizations and have served as second counselor in Stake Relief Society for nearly fourteen years. I was Sunday school chorister for six years and belonged to ward and stake choirs, sang in trios, duets, quartets, and was as active as anyone could be, until I was crippled for the balance of my life in an auto accident, September 16, 1941. In 1955, I had to have my right leg amputated just above my knee. On December 27, 1958, we celebrated our sixty-fifth wedding anniversary. We have had eight children, six of whom are living, twenty-eight grandchildren, and forty-three great grandchildren. We have been to New York City, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kirtland Temple, Carthage Jail, Hill Cummorah, Sacred Grove, and the Smith Farm. We have traveled in all the western states. We have seen eight temples and have done endowment work in five of them. We have seen the Prophet Lorenzo Snow, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff (sat on his lap when a little girl), Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith, and David O. McKay. I have personally known nine of the present and past Apostles.

Now at the age of eighty five years, I sit and crochet by the yards, play the piano some for a pasttime, and enjoy my sweethearts company and visits of our loved ones and friends, which are many. We do our own housekeeping, including washing and ironing. Through all my sickness, my dear companion has been very wonderful and such a help.

Obituary of Mary Robinson

1 March 1962

Mary Robinson Seager, 87, 284 K. St. died Thursday, 4 p.m. at her home of cancer. Born April 27, 1874, in Logan, a daughter of Harriet Violet Pitkin and William Kennedy Robinson. Married Orin Austin Seager, Dec. 27, 1893, in Logan Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Held Church positions of Primary president, Relief Society president, and served as first counselor in Relief Society presidency of Bear River Stake. Moved to Cardston, Canada, in 1898 and Tremonton in 1905. Came to Salt Lake City in 1943.

Survivors: her husband, six children, Mrs. E. H. (La Rue) Furse, Salt Lake City; W. Kennedy Seager, Mesa, Ariz.; Mrs. Tolman V. (Maudell) Burke, Brigham City; Dr. Tyrrell R. Seager, Vernal; Mrs. H.C. (Mildred) Denton, Los Altos, Calif.; C. Austin Seager, Ogden; 22 grandchildren; 48 great grandchildren; sister, Mrs. Fred L. (Emma) Peterson, Cache Valley; brother, William K. Robbins, Salt Lake City.

Funeral services Monday, 11 a.m. in the North 21st Ward chapel, 1st Avenue and K Street. Friends may call at 255-2nd East, Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Monday at the ward one-hour prior to services. Burial in Honeyville, Box Elder County.

Notes

• Burial: Honeyville cemetery, Honeyville, Utah
• Cause of Death: Metastatic gallbladder cancer
• Immigration: 1897, To Canada to homestead for 7 yrs.
• Medical Information: Had gallbladder disease for years, but refused to have surgery until it was too late. * Her son, Tyrrell, finally operated but the cancer was too far advanced.
• Namesake: Mary Ann Robinson, aunt
• Occupation: Farmer's wife
• Religion: LDS
• Marriage: 27 Dec 1893

Sources

• The Family Home Page of Jacob George Chambers