LYDIA GOVER & JOHN EZEKIEL GODFREY FAMILY 

Emily Gover and George Godfrey 
	Emily, the eldest child, of Morris (Maurice) Gover and Sarah Tucker was born the 18th of June 1849 in Clution, Somerset, England. The family moved from Somerset to Abersychan, Monmouth County about 1850. Her father was a stonemason by trade and rather wealthy with a comfortable home. When her parents were first introduced to the church, her father was deeply impressed from the moment he [lIst heard the missionary speak; and the gospel seemed to take an immediate deep root in his soul. Sarah, more content, happy and satisfied with her life was a more difficult convert. However, when Morris was baptized, she soon followed. She was baptized by her husband on the 10th of September 1849. 
Shortly after becoming a church member, Morris was called on a mission and began proclaiming the same message he had, only a few weeks before, been taught. Prejudice, too, raised its ugly head, and both Morris and Sarah, unable to secure employment, moved for a time to Wales, and then decided to gather with the saints in Zion. Emily was not yet four years old when she and her parents left England on February 26, 1853 to come to America. Her baby brother, Elijah, was born on January 22, 1853 and died the night before they were to leave. They left him to be buried by friends. 
The Govers' journey to America was on the ship "The International," and they were besieged with stormy weather and very rough seas. It took them seven weeks to cross the ocean. They were ill much of the trip and so thankful when they landed at the New Orleans Port of Entry. They crossed the plains with the Jacob Gates Company and arrived in Salt Lake City on the 8th of September 1853. Four-year-old Emily walked all the way across the plains, except when crossing the streams. She and her mother often walked together with an older lady who was unafraid of the Indians. The older lady often struck their horses with a stick she carried that drove the Indians away. Sarah, in contrast, often gave them food and trinkets hoping that kindness would keep them from bothering or hurting them. 
When Sarah, Morris and Emily arrived in Salt Lake City, their food supply was diminished to one quart of flour. They slept in a wagon box the first night. The next day Sarah began working in a home. She had worked as a nursemaid in England before her marriage. Her pay was board for herself, Morris and Emily. 
Like others at that time, the Govers did not always have enough to eat. One Sunday, while living in Salt Lake, Morris, Sarah and Emily were walking to church. Suddenly Emily began to cry, declaring she was very hungry. The family had not eaten breakfast because there was so little food in their home. Though it was difficult and made her ashamed, Sarah stopped at the John Taylor home and asked for bread. Sister Leonora Taylor requested that all three come inside, where she fed them a breakfast of bread and molasses. Emily remembered how good this meal of charity tasted. 
While the Govers lived in Salt Lake City, they resided in the Tenth Ward. It was in this ward that George Godfrey moved and became acquainted with the Gover family and their fourteen year old daughter, Emily. 
George Godfrey, the oldest son of John and Mary Godfrey, was born January 24, 1845 in Worcester, England. Obtaining employment at age four, he worked for a Mr. Bladham, using clappers to keep the sparrows and black birds from eating the grapes. For his labors he was given three pence a day. Reaching eight years old, George was hired by a Mr. Parker as an errand boy in the Stokes Salt Warks where his father was employed. After running errands for eighteen months, George became an apprentice mason. Mr. Paxton taught him the trade that he plied for three years. 

Reaching age sixteen and having received the advice of church leaders that he come to Utah alone, George prepared to depart. Probably frightened, yet filled with anticipation, George bid his family farewell and boarded "The Monarch of The Sea," May 13, 1861. His was a unique adventure for a boy just sixteen years of age, traveling alone, with no family support. However, he did have an uncle residing in Salt Lake City with whom he was going to live. 
It is probable that George came to Zion in the Woolley Company. George recalled walking much of the way and carrying children across the Platte River on his back. He arrived in the Great Basin September 2, 1861 as reported in the Deseret News. No record shows that George attended school after coming to Utah. He must have had some education in England because his handwriting ; exceptional in its neatness, showing much practice. 
He obtained employment soon after entering Salt Lake, when one job ended he secured another. The first winter he and his Uncle Richard hauled rock for the Salt Lake Temple and theater. With the arrival of spring, George secured employment by carrying mail from Salt Lake City to Butte, Montana. He was good at handling teams of horses, and he learned from all of his experiences. 
When his parents arrived in May 1862, he had acquired city lot, constructed a small log cabin on it, and in addition constructed a table and a few chairs. Later he told his children how proud he was when he showed their new home to his parents. The Godfrey family lived out the winter in Salt Lake City. Then they moved to Chalk Creek, near Coalville. His father John, hearing land was available in northern Utah, moved I Cache Valley. George did not, at first, go with them. Instead ~ moved back to Salt Lake City and again supported himself. While living in the territorial capital, as his parents remained in England, he first became acquainted with the Morris Gover family and their fourteen-year-old daughter Emily. Perhaps his attachment for her drew him to the Tenth Ward once more. 
George and Emily courted for sometime and fell in love. George told of the time he walked all the way from Clarkston to llt Lake City with the exception of a few miles when someone with a team and buggy gave him a short ride. He was going to sit Emily. When he arrived, Emily had her heart set on going a dance, so they went. George said he was stiff and sore, and 	tired but still managed to dance, and they had a great time. 	 
When George asked Morris Gover if he could marry his daughter (a custom adhered to at that time), Mr. Gover asked George if he was sure she was the one he wished to marry. George said he 
Id him he hadn't had too much time to look around, but he was convinced she was the prettiest 
mng lady he had ever seen, and the one he wanted for his bride. 
Emily was only sixteen when she became the bride of George Godfrey on November 26, 
:65. They lived in Salt Lake City. The bride wore a peach colored wedding dress with tiny flowers 'blue and red and trimmed with black ribbon. George gave her some beautiful gold earrings as a wedding gift, which she cherished through out her life. Eleven months later their first daughter, Martha Ann (Annie) was born. A year and a half later Emily gave birth to another girl whom they named Emily. She lived only eight months and was buried in the Salt Lake cemetery. 
George and Emily made an agreement that if they had an argument and Emily was still upset when George came home, he would throw his hat in the door first. If Emily threw it back out, he would know she was still upset. George said he never remembered her tossing his hat out. 
Emily was a beautiful lady and much of the time adorned her hair with little nets accented 
with beaded work to keep her hair in place. She kept herself as well as her house spotless. Emily had flair for tatting and netting and she had a white quilt with a pink design that was a treasure to her. 
le Govers were neat, tidy people, "who had a place for everything and everything in its place." 
In 1869 George and Emily moved to Newton where they lived for about a year. It was here George Henry was born on 17th of Dec. 1869. He died when he was eight months old and his body as taken back to Salt Lake for burial in the same plot where his sister was interred. The parents were grief stricken with the loss of two babies at eight months of age. In 1870, George and Emily moved to Clarkston, Utah, where they homesteaded land in the heart of the city and also homesteaded eighty acres of mountain land, plus some other ground as well. His homestead was directly south of the present (1996) town square. 
With the dawning of a new decade George and Emily had every reason to be hopeful. They had a four-room log home, land, and were respected members of the community. There were, however, periods of sorrow as he and Emily continued to lose children in death. John William, a bright cheerful little boy, passed away having only reached age four. A year later Henry Maurice (Harry), was born on November 5, 1876. In addition, they had an older daughter, Martha Ann (Annie) and a son, Joseph, all of whom appeared strong and healthy. 
Then real tragedy struck the Godfrey home. Emily gave birth to a daughter on November 12,1881, whom they named Mary Rose. The baby passed away on the day she was born. Emily suffered for two weeks from complications associated with this birth. Then on November 26, 1881 her condition worsened and she died. Mary Rose's small coffin was place on top of her mother's bier, and both were buried in the same Clarkston grave. 
Emily and George had a happy marriage during the brief sixteen years they were together. 
Out of eight births only four lived to adulthood. George kept a small trunk belonging to Emily and a few of her little trinkets. Often he would be found holding the trunk, looking inside and reminiscing. Following Emily's death George constructed a barn with three distinct peaks on top to symbolize the initial "E" to stand for Emily (See above picture-barn in background). 
George was left with four children, ages 15 (Annie), 7 (Joseph), 5 (Harry), and 19 months (Sadie), and he knew unsatisfied grief. The burden of caring for the family fell on Annie's fifteen year-old shoulders. Nine months passed, and perhaps she grew weary of the load she carried, or perhaps her love for Alfred Sparks was too strong to be denied. For whatever the reasons, Annie eloped with Alfred, and they were married September 9, 1882. Annie was not quite sixteen year of age. The other three children were much younger. After Annie left, George's sister, Catherine came and helped for a while. Times were hard and George worked hard to support his family. He was terribly lonely, depressed and discouraged. 
George had a dream one night in which he saw a beautiful young lady. He somehow knew that she would become his wife. Not many days following his impressive dream, a friend, Casper Loosli, told George about a young Swiss immigrant, Elizabeth Zaugg, who lived in Providence, Utah. George traveled there and met Elizabeth. He recognized her as the girl in his dream. He offered her ~ job tending his children, to which she gave her consent. Elizabeth Zaugg was so good with children and worked to care for the home. She had a beautiful voice and soon won the love of the family. George and Elizabeth were married in the Salt Lake Endowment on the first of March of 1883. They were the parents of nine children. 
Leaders of the church taught plural marriage and after George had a thorough discussion with Elizabeth, she gave her consent and George then married Eliza Maria Pack, a young girl from Northampton, England on July 6, 1888. They were the parents of eleven children. 
In February 1891 George went on a mission to England. 
On April 27, 1910 he moved to Fielding. He was county commissioner in Cache, Valley and had his office in the Court House in Logan. He w~ Mayor of Fielding and was prominent in both Church and political affairs. 
He was personally acquainted with Martin Harris one of the three witnesses of tl Book of Mormon, and sat up with him during his last sickness. He prepared the grave and helped assist in the burial of Martin Harris at Clarkston in 1875. He was sexton of the Clarkston cemetery for a number of years and was the one who placed the huge rock on Martin Harris's grave with the help of Harry and Joe. 
He was interested in good roads and helped with many of them in this community. He was janitor of the Fielding School house for several years prior to his death on December 31, 1926. He was buried at Clarkston on January 3, 1927 

Sources: 
George Godfrey History, by Kenneth Godfrey. Life sketch of George Godfrey by his daughter, Florence G. Munson.