William Reams Gedge 1868 - 1964

My Grandpa Gedge was a farmer. He was a handsome man who was always active in the church. He read a lot and was concerned with “the deep things.” He was a man of faith. One time he was in the hospital and the doctor said that he had leukemia and was sure to die. Brother Harold B. Lee gave him a blessing, and he was restored to health. My grandfather and I always seemed to get along quite well. I can remember having some interesting conversations with him. His land was very important to him. It was his inheritance in Zion. 

 I can remember riding on the disk harrow for awhile while he was disking a field. When I was small they didn’t bale hay like they do now. They would stack it on the wagon after it had dried in the field, and then it was lifted up onto the haystack with the hay derrick. There was a horse that walked back and forth to lift the big hay fork of the derrick. The fork would get a load of hay from the wagon, the horse would then walk down the lane to lift it up, the boom would be turned so that the hay was over the haystack, and then the hay would be carefully placed on the stack as the horse came back. I can recall seeing one of my brothers ride the horse, but I don’t think that I ever did. The haystack itself was in front of the dairy barn. As it got higher it bridged over and eventually covered the barn roof. I thought that it was very exciting to go into the tunnel between the hay and the barn. When the manger doors were open, the cows would be on one side and the hay on the other. 

Some of my earliest memories of the farm are of the flowing well, where I got a drink, and of the privies—the old one and the new one. Later I can recall when Dad [Lynn Layton], Uncle George [Fromm] and my older brothers, and my cousin Ronald worked to build a pump shelter and install a pump so that there would be water in the house. After that they put in plumbing, a septic tank and an indoor toilet. I thought that that was quite an improvement. 

 After Monie died Grandpa lived on the farm by himself for quite a few years. He was very independent, and did very well until he was nearly ninety. He stayed quite active and interested in things even when he was in the rest home. Susan and I visited him there when we were courting. He came to our wedding. We have a picture of him with Susan and I, and also one with some of his great grandchildren. When his time came to go, he was found very peaceful on his bed in the rest home early in the morning. Not long after he died, the farm was taken over by the state for a freeway interchange. I am glad that Grandpa did not live to see the house taken down. The family invited the BYU movie studio to take what they wanted before the house was demolished. They took a lot of things. They even took the molding from around the doors! A real treasure for making pioneer movies, but it was all lost in a fire that burned the studio.

With all their troubles the Gedges were good people that endured faithful to the end. There was never any question that the church must come first in their life. There was never any question of the truth of the gospel, or of the divine appointment of the leaders of the church. They truly left a good example for their descendants to follow.  from ChristineLaytonGraham on FamilySearch

Parents: William Gedge and Rachel Bush
Wife, Margaret Amelia Gardiner (Gedge)
Daughter, Rachel Gedge (Fromm)
Daughter, Margaret G. Gedge 
Daughter, Leone Gedge (Layton)

Grandson,, Robert Lynn Layton Son in law,  George Fromm Jr Granddaughter, Daphne Marguerite Fromm (Moncrief)
 Granddaughter's husband  Bernard Harlan Moncrief  Grandson, Ronald George Fromm 

Granddaughter Barbara Rachel (Fromm)

Married and divorced Barbara Rachel Fromm: Helmut Johann Kuepper
Second wife of Helmut Johann Kuepper: Jacqueline Hansen Kuepper

Some events in the life of William Reames Gedge

Contributed By ChristineLaytonGraham · 2013-11-11 02:53:30

 

William R. Gedge listed additional important events in his life on a short form that already included his mission and marriage: 

 As a Deacon in the Brighton Ward was assigned in turn to keep the Chapel clean for meeting as a service. 

 May 1887—Y.M.M.I.A. Robert Hazen Jr. Pres, Cyrus H, Gold a& William R GEDGE Counselors; Brighton Ward. 

Poplar Grove Ward organized 27 Nov 1908, with Bishop Carlson &William R Gedge chosen as one of his counselors. Sunday School teacher in the Poplar Grove Ward as well as a ward teacher. When the Redwood Ward was organized William R. Gedge became a member of that ward, Here he served as Home Teacher, made an effort to teach the young children of his families by telling of his having seem all the Prophets of the church except Joseph Smith and gave his testimony to their being called of God, Much of his corn found its way into the homes of the widows and their children.

There is some confusion as to the date of death of William Reams Gedge.  His tombstone says April 7 and the newspaper and Hope Hulet say 8th of April, 1964.  

 Birth

Bright Ward Records, Early to 1908. Record of members. page 7, Entry 1. FHL film 26861.

Notes

Gedge, William R. Birth: 30 Jun 1868 at Brighton Ward, Salt Lake County, Utah. Parents William Gedge. Rachel Bush.

 

1870 census

 

 

 

1880 census

Marriag

William's mission:

 

William Reams journals were microfilmed, not digitized. I have paper copies of them as well. Most of them are missionary journals. I could get a paper copy of the journals made, but it is probably  500+ pages. Are you interested in the whole thing?  My guess is that the microfilm version will eventually be digital, but I don't know when. Chris


Hi everyone,  Attached are some copies of pages from one of William R. Gedge's journals (not to be confused with Harry Cushing's journal) that refer to Robert Gardiner or Margaret Stewart Gardiner.  N




















September 20, 1894 Salt Lake Tribune:

December 9, 1894

 1900:

1904

Salt Lake Tribune, 1907-01-03

 

Gedge Brothers dairy

1919-03-23 SL Tribune

 

Salt Lake Tribune 1917-02-06, death of his mother in law:

 

Salt Lake Telegram 1924-10-26

 

 

Carrie Jensen with friends in Bill Gedge's Ford.  William Gedge on the hood. 1928.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the photo below: William Reams Gedge: 

1) With his dog on a horse at the farm. George Fromm, Rachel's husband is next to him, holding their daughter, Daphne, when she was a baby.
2) June 1957, with another dog and great grandson, Steven Moncrief, who was 9 years old. Steven is the son of Daphne.
3) Probably also June 1957, with Daphne's three children left to right: Gilbert, Pamy, and Steven. Daphne died January 9, 1950. She was 7 months pregnant with Gilbert and he was taken by Caesarian Section January 8, 1950. He's lived a healthy and robust life in spite of losing a leg to bone cancer at the age of 12. He learned to ride a motorcycle, surf and water ski! Pamy was the first of the three children. Her name is Patricia Ann Moncrief, but in Daphne's letters to Margaret, she always referred to her as "Pamy" and we still call her that.

Hi, Robert and Margaret's oldest child was Margaret Amelia.  Her husband William Reams Gedge: With his dog on a horse at the farm. George Fromm, Rachel's husband is next to him, holding their daughter, Daphne, when she was a baby, probably 1920, SLC.

1900 census:

1920 census

 


1930 census:

1940 census:

 

He was married when he went on his mission.

From FindAGrave:

Birth:	Jun. 30, 1868 Brighton Salt Lake County Utah, USA
Death:	Apr. 7, 1964 Salt Lake City Salt Lake County Utah, USA
Family links:  Parents:   William Gedge (1830 - 1912)   Rachel Bush Gedge (1833 - 1911)  Spouse:   Margaret Amelia Gardiner Gedge (1872 - 1950)* *Calculated relationship
Burial: Salt Lake City Cemetery Salt Lake City Salt Lake County Utah, USA Plot: N-17-9-2W