Moroni Taylor (4th great grandfather)

Moroni Taylor

MORONI TAYLOR Written by Thelma Nielson Sudweeks a granddaughter of Moroni and Mary Ann Taylor Moroni Taylor was born May 1, 1853 at Kaysville, Davis County, Utah, the eldest of eleven children of Joseph Taylor and his second wife, Jane Lake Ordway. Their only other male child (James Bailey Taylor) died at the age of five years, and five of Moroni’s sisters died in infancy. Emma Jane, Lydia Ann, Elizabeth and Amanda lived to adulthood and married. Moroni was the only one of the children to be born at Kaysville. The other children were all born in Weber County. The family was living in Slaterville at the time of Moroni’s baptism, which was recorded in the Slaterville Ward Record, 17 July 1864 — probably performed by his father. His half-brother, Lamoni, was baptized at the same time. Very little is known of Moroni’s earlier years. Living under pioneer conditions, he received little education. Hard physical labor was to be his lot throughout his life. When he was only nineteen years old, he married Mary Ann Alive Rawson, a daughter of Daniel Berry Rawson and Nancy Boss, in the Endowment House. Mary Ann’s father was a prominent pioneer of Weber County and a former member of the Mormon Battalion, as was Moroni’s father, Joseph. For the first ten or eleven years of their married life, Moroni and Mary Ann lived in Harrisville, Weber County. A number of their children were born there — Stephen Daniel, Nancy Elnora, Mary Maud and Joseph Moroni. It was probably during these years that Moroni worked on the Salt Lake Temple. Sometime after the birth of Joseph Moroni, the family moved to the Vernal area in Uintah County. They first lived at a place called Ashley Valley in a one-room log cabin. Their water supply came from a nearby gulch. After heavy rains, two large barrels were filled. In April of 1884, a pair of twin girls were born. They were given the names of Dora and Cora. Soon after the birth of the twins, the family moved to a small settlement called Dry Fork (later known as Mountain Dell). Here they lived in a three-room log house and had a surface well — somewhat of an improvement in their living conditions. Across the street from their home was a one-room log schoolhouse, also used as a meetinghouse and recreation hall. Here the older children attended school. Another baby girl, Dellena, was born in 1886 while the family lived at Mountain Dell. Later the family moved to a ranch home down the canyon about three miles, and the children’s schooling was interrupted again. Moroni bought a few books and a slate, and they were able to learn a little, but they had no set time for study and didn’t get much schooling. During these years in the Vernal area, Moroni hauled freight, worked on a thresher, raised some sheep and always planted a good garden, a few acres of sorghum, some oats and a big patch of corn. He had to harvest the oats by hand with a scythe. The corn was ground into cornmeal for the family, and the molasses was put into barrels. Moroni and his growing family made quite a number of moves while in the Uintah area. Because of moving so often, Mary Ann said, “All I have to say to the old hens is, ‘We’re moving,’ and they turn on their backs and hold up their legs to be tied.” When Dellena was still quite young, Moroni, influenced by some men who were moving to the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado, decided to move his family there. He sold all his property for a few good milk cows, two covered wagons and ten or twelve horses. The trip to Colorado took about six weeks. They settled in the small town of Sanford in Conejos County. They lived in a one-room log house until Moroni sold or traded a team and wagon for a two-room hewed log house. Here the children were able to attend school again. In December of 1889, the eighth child, William Bailey, was born. In 1892 another son, Simon Elwin, came to join the family, but lived only four months. In 1895 when the tenth child (John Earl) was born, he only lived a few days. The two infant sons were buried in Sanford. In Colorado, as in Utah, the family made a number of moves. Moroni’s restless nature finally induced him to leave his family and live the lonely, wandering life of a prospector. He traveled through a number of neighboring states. His sons sometimes joined him for awhile. He was always hoping to make a strike so he could do more for his family. The time or two that he was successful, he bought a better house for them. However, his wife and children were deprived of his council and guidance, and his grandchildren never had a chance to know him. His eldest daughter, Nancy Elnora, married and continued to live in Sanford the remainder of her life. In time the rest of the family returned to Utah. Mary Ann lived at Logan the latter part of her life and was a devoted temple worker. Moroni passed away at Cortez, Montezuma County, Colorado on 24 November 1924 and was buried at Sanford near his two infant sons. When Mary Ann followed him in death 6 February 1926, her body was taken to Sanford and placed beside her departed husband. Moroni and Mary Ann raised a large family under very adverse circumstances. They both exhibited the fine traits of honesty, industry and thrift. They leave a large posterity; however, very few carry the Taylor name, ironically. William Bailey was the only son who had children, and he had a son and daughter by each of his two marriages. I am sure that Moroni and Mary Ann would be proud of their many descendants, many of whom are skilled tradesmen or college graduates. I hope we can all emulate the good qualities of these pioneer ancestors.