The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-06-30
OLD LADY IS
lOl YEARS
OF AGE
MRS. MARY CAVANAUGH OF OG
DEN WITH OLD FOLKS.
She Enjoyed the Automobile Ride in
Salt lake-Other Old People,
Pioneers Of Utah.

Probably the Oldest person on the
tabernacle grounds in Salt Lake yes
terday was Mrs. Mary Cavanaugh of
ogden, who has been a resident of
Utoh thirty-five years She was bora
in Wexford. Ireland. in 1907. Although
having a clear memory and fine health.
and usually conVersing very freely, she
had been talked TO so much during the
morning she was in a state vcrging on
nervous collapse. and for that reason
did not go into the tabernacle to at
tend the fine concert, but sat with her
young and pretty attendant through
the time in the temple grounds. where
ii was cooler. She enjoyed the auto
ride about the city exceedingly.
Another old pioneer was Richard
Dye, who came from Boston, Mass, TO
this state IN 1853. and is II years OF
age. He was driver with Johnston's
army across the plains. At that time
Salt Lakes business houses on Main
street consisted OF one store and one
hotel. He moved next year to Weber
county, where he has since lived.
He married that year, rented farm
and prospered until now he has much
property. This couple raised nine
children. six boys and three girls. All
the SONS have been on missions OF at
least two years at different times.
Life was hard in those early days but
but we were happy" he said.
William Driver of Ogden started
from England May 4. 1866 with a boat
load OF other Mormon colonists for
Utah in the ship Caroline They
were nine days reaching the Isle OF
Wight, where off the coast they were
caught in a terrible storm and barely
escaped shipwreck. They were thirty
five days reaching New York They
boarded the Grand Trunk railway TO
Montreal and were in dreadful
smash-up, six cars smashed to atoms
The party was In charge of l.. Nathan
Eldredge, who gave out that he
thought 800 OF their number had been
killed. but It turned out that not
single person was missing and peo-
pie called this escape he said with
chuckle, "a damned Mormon miracle
at the time"
He said too: II don't believe many
people know of this. We crossed the
plains with Holidays teams"
He said, too. he was pleased with
present conditions In this state
Mrs. James Barker. aged n, arrived
In 1850. She said
when VIC reached where ogden
now stands I waded the creek to help
drive the cattle and sheep. We lived
year at Forest fort where my hus-
band guarded the canyon to keep the
Indians back. But only one man was
shot. and that was because he tried
to steal. We arrived with provisions
to last a year, but we divided with the
others and lived much of the time on
boiled wheat, served like hominy. [
made breeches for my husband and
the boys from wagon covers"
One memory brought tears of laugh
ter to her eyes A society affair was
to be given in the settlement and
she was exercised over the old femin
inc question about getting new dress
for the affair
why" she said. 81 just dipped
sheet in the tanning vat and dyed it
beautiful color, and from it / made
dress that I am sure no one could
have been prouder Of not even a
Worth creation"
They reared eleven children, seven
OF whom are living.
"Yes." she said, financially the
conditions here now could hardly be
improved, but there Is not as much
brotherly love"
At the birth of her third child Mrs.
Barkers husband became desperately
Ill with cholera morbus and fell three
times in trying to get across the floor,
but begged her TO lie quiet and not to
try to help him. When he fell the
third time he lay unconscious, and she
got up and with great effort dragged
him back to bed, where he became
conscious three hours later. and she
ended with, "and it didn't hurt me at
all. 7 was soon out Of bed and we'll"
That was December 3. Her father
was one of the builders OF the temple.
His name was Newman G. Blodgett-