ASHTON, Brigham Willard^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]}

1858 - 1912  (53 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	ASHTON, Brigham Willard
  Birth	11 Sep 1858	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States   [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14]
  Gender	Male
  WAC	12 Nov 1884	LOGAN
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Death	25 Aug 1912	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States   [11, 12, 13, 14]
  Burial	28 Aug 1912	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States   [12, 13, 14]
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I51400	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Family ID

  F25709

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	PETTIT, Mary Alice ,   b. 9 Feb 1864, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United Statesd. 16 Oct 1944, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 80 years)
  Marriage	12 Nov 1884	Logan, Cache, Utah, United States   [5]
  Children	1. ASHTON, Blanchard Pettit ,   b. 24 Aug 1893, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United Statesd. 31 Jul 1922, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 28 years)
  Family ID	F7951	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

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  Brigham Willard Ashton was born September 11, 1858 in the old Fifteenth Ward, Salt Lake City Utah, the 3rd son in a family of seven children of Edward and Jane Treharne Ashton. His parents were both natives of Wales, his mother (Jane Treharne) arriving in the immigration of 1849, and his father (Edward Ashton) with the group who came in 1850. His parents had met in Council Bluffs on their way from Wales to Salt Lake. They were married on Feb 6, 1854 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City Brigham had 2 elder brothers, Edward Treharne and Jedediah William; and 4 younger siblings, Elizabeth Ann, Sarah Jane, Emily Treharne, and George Savage Ashton. Their old home was located where the Railroad yards now stand at 127 So 6th West. It began as a very humble adobe shack, but was added to at intervals by the boys until it became many years later a substantial, comfortable brick home with porches at front and rear, and included close by a cellar and granary, with a large, well organized lot – a lawn, flowers, vegetable garden, well selected fruit and shade trees and playground with swing, teeter, tricky bar, croquet ground, and a place for horseshoe pitching. There was also a wood pile, chopping block, cow shed, chicken coop, pig pen and hay shed. On this small “farm” was a happy home of much activity including fun, as well as plenty of work, where they raised most of their food supplies; and together with the father’s wage of from $40 to $50 a month, and mending all the family shoes, they lived very comfortably. Even as a child, Brig was an avid reader, always hungry for books and for knowledge. Since all pioneer families subsisted on what they raised in their own gardens, a boy was expected to help many hours in the garden and in the home. Evidently there were times when Brig preferred reading a book to performing some of the chores required of him. His father, Edward, was a kind and loving man, but was strict in his discipline. On the other hand, Jane, his mother, always seemed to recognize this special love for books in him and showed great patience. While still young he expressed the desire to be a teacher, and these yearnings, to learn and to teach, were a guide in his life. Brig’s father was determined that the children, and especially the boys have a good education, but he insisted that they earn the money to pay their own way. While attending the University, endeavoring to obtain a degree in order to teach school, he was a night watchman at a foundry for a time. When this job ended, he unloaded coal during the night for the D & R Railroad. He would have one of his sisters or brothers hold a candle while he shoveled the coal out of the cars. Some nights he worked all night. He was paid 10 cents a ton for shoveling this coal. He would reward his brother or sisters for holding the candle while he worked by taking them swimming in a canal at 8th west and 3rd south. Brigham married Mary Alice Pettit in Nov 1884. He was 26 and she was 20. Mary Alice was the daughter of Brewer Pettit and Lucinda Abrams Pettit who grew up on Long Island, N. Y. and had come to Utah as converts in 1862. Mary Alice was nicknamed “Lollie” from the time she was a tiny child and the name stuck. She and Brigham had gotten to know each other quite well over a 4 year period, part of the time thru correspondence when he was away working at the trade as a mason. For a number of years he and “Lollie” did quite well, in a home on First South, between Sixth and Seventh West in Salt Lake, which he had built with his own hands. Their 1st child, a daughter, they named Lollie was born in that house. A few years later they moved 3 blocks east, because city water had been brought this far and it was nice to have it right at the door. He had become a contractor by this time, and their 2nd child, a boy, Willard, was born in this location. In 1891 he and another man joined together in their contracting business and did very well for a time. But Brigham was stricken with Typhoid Fever, with a very serious case lasting for many weeks. For a time his life hung “in the balance”. He and his partner had signed a contract for a $12,000 building just before this illness. For some unknown reason this contract was forfeited. Brigham, when he regained his health, assumed the debt, which was a great amount in those days. His partner did not want to accept the debt and moved away. Brigham was the rest of his life paying off that debt. He could have declared bankruptcy, but felt that was not ethical. Brigham went back to teaching, but it paid very little. In 1899 Brigham was elected as County Superintendent of Schools, He built the home on Ashton Avenue in Forest Dale. With his wife (Lollie)’s help and her sewing, they managed to get along, while paying off their indebtedness. Seven other children were born there. They are (1) Blanchard, (20 Lucinda, (3) Edward Georg or Ted, (4) Jedadiah Lewis or Jed, (5) Georgia, and (6) Claude. Brigham and Mary Alice had a total of 9 children. A few years later Brigham notified the family that they were moving again to a new home on 8th East and Garfield Ave. It was the old Mill School which he purchased on a bid when he was told the old school was going to be sold by bidding. He tore out the interior of the building and reconstructed it with the help of the family. It was not completed at the time of his quick and early death. Brigham became the champion of “Graded Schools” and encouraged the combining of small schools to form High Schools. This he encouraged in all of the small towns in the county and eventually became successful. He was the first Superintendent of the Granite School District and recommended and finally established the Granite High School. He became known as the Father of Consolidation, (consolidating all of the small church schools into larger, graded High schools). Mr. Moss, a life long associate of Brigham in his school work, said, “The foundation he laid for the schools of the district is substantial, and the structure reared on it is a monument to him… He died at the height of his success, after a serious illness of but a few hours. His monument in the cemetery was erected by contributions of the students of a grateful community, in which he became known as the Father of Consolidation; not only in Salt Lake County, but throughout Utah, he is known by that name. His daughter Lollie said, “Tho’ Father was always so cheerful and hopeful, his life has seemed quite tragic, as no man likes to be a failure financially. His faith in humanity as a whole was maintained to the end.” Brigham Willard Ashton, died on 25 Aug 1912, at age 54 years 11 ½ months, leaving a his wife with 8 children, and an unfinished home. Brigham Willard Ashton was born September 11, 1858, the third child of Edward and Jane (Treharne) Ashton. His two older brothers were Edward Treharne and Jedediah William, and he would be followed by Elizabeth Ann, Sarah Jane, Emily and George. Brig, as he was called, began his education in the old 15th Ward School, under his father and other teachers. At that time all schooling was carried out in the church houses and was conducted by teachers paid directly by the parents. Children received schooling according to whether parents were able to pay the fees, which were not high by today's standards, but in pioneer times money was scarce. Edward wanted all of his children to have the benefits of learning, but it was not likely that they would be able to receive schooling beyond the early grades. Even as a child, Brig was an avid reader, always hungry for books and for knowledge .. Since all pioneer families subsisted on what they raised in their own gardens, a boy was expected to help many hours in the garden and in the home. Evidently there were times when Brig preferred reading a book to performing some of the chores required of him. Edward., the father, was a kind and loving man, but was strict in his discipline. On the other hand, Jane his mother, always seemed to recognize this special love for books in him, and showed great patience. While still very young he expressed the desire to be a teacher, and these yearnings, to learn and to teach, were to guide his life. On Sundays the family was expected to attend services which for them were held in the 15th Ward. One Sunday, an interesting episode occurred. Brig left the services before the meeting was out, just before the closing prayer. Upon arriving home, later in the evening, his father began asking him who the different speakers were. He dutifully named them off, down to the last man, whereupon he was asked: "And who gave the closing prayer? He answered that he didn't know the name of the man who prayed, feeling quite safe and satisfied with his reply. Then his father looked him right in the eye and said with mock surprise: "You don't know the name of your own father?" A contrite confession quickly followed. At about the age of nine or ten, Brig left school and began working with his brother, Jed. They made adobe bricks in what was known as the "Adobe Yard," just west of what today is Pioneer Park. Brig's assignment was to mix the "mud," while his elder brother would mold the bricks. Even while making bricks by day, Brig stayed up reading many a night, so that he still might continue learning while helping out with the family income. Brig and Jed worked here for a while until the desire for learning began "pressing on" Brig again. So for a time he and brother Jed attended a school held in another ward, known as Morgan's College. After attending here for about a year, they decided the other students were "too dressed up for them" so they returned to the 15th Ward School where they felt more at home among humbler students. During these growing years, Brig was well-liked and admired by boys of his own age. Even as he mingled with them, this quality of aspiring for learning was apparent. At one time he organized a "night school" in the upper part of his father's granary, gathering his friends together and teaching them subjects of interest to them. He set up debating groups among them, to stimulate mental activity as they argued both sides of a question. And even as a youth, he believed one should use good language, and encouraged its use among his friends. In the summer, he enjoyed taking groups of the younger boys to the Jordan River and there teaching them to swim He was loved and admired for the manly wholesome example that he set. Brig was also known for his even temper. If anyone teased him, even about his love for books, he endured it with patience. John F. Howells, a close associate and admirer, remarked of him: "Brig Ashton was the most even-tempered boy I ever saw. I only saw him 'hot' once, and then he was plenty mad. The occasion was a Sunday School outing up Emigration Canyon, when one of the boys came intoxicated. As the boy rode up to the group, Brig grabbed him with one hand and the horse with the other, and gave him a good walloping." He was also noted for his compassion towards the unfortunate. His brother George relates how "one winter brother Brig found a young man by the name of Ben Dartnell who didn't have a home, having no father or mother. Although he had a brother and sister, neither made him welcome in their homes, so big-hearted Brig brought him to our home and Mother made a place for Ben. In a few weeks, through the work and unity of the rest of the family, a lumber room that was used as a shanty by Mother, was cleaned, papered, and a chimney built for him. Mother and the girls would cook the meals, and some of the boys would take the food to him and chat with him as he ate. He lived there a number of years .. and to the day of his death, he looked up to Brig as his benefactor" As Brig grew older, once again he was able to realize his desire for more education. He registered at the University seeking a teaching degree. In order to pay his tuition he worked as a night watchman at a foundry. When this job ended, he worked for the D & R G Railroad, unloading coal during the night. His younger brother George, tells of these times. "Many nights, I have held a lantern, sitting on the edge of the train car, while Brig would unload the coal. He was paid 10 cents per ton for shoveling the coal out of the cars. He usually finished by midnight, but sometimes worked on through the night. For Brig Ashton, education, feeding an inquiring, searching mind, meant everything, even though it must come through sacrifice. Brig had also learned to cut stone, as did his older brother Edward, and spent time cutting granite on the temple block. He was paid in food orders from the Tithing Office. He became very expert as a stone cutter, and although he did not particularly care for it, could always turn to it when extra income was needed. He would do this work for about nine years, even after marriage, working mostly on Saturdays or after attending or teaching school. For a short time he cut stone on the Manti Temple. While attending the 15th Ward, he had become acquainted with a young lady named Lollie Pettit. Lollie was the daughter of Brower and Lucinda Abrams Pettit, converts from New York State. She was four years his junior. One Sunday night about in the year 1880, he called at the Pettit home very late, and asked Brother Pettit if he could speak with Lollie. She and her sisters were preparing for bed, but she did come out to speak to him. He said he was leaving to work out of town the following day, and would very much like it if she would write to him. She accepted, and through this correspondence, a closer relationship developed between them. It seemed that Brig had obtained work on a construction crew building bridges in differentparts of the Northwest. He worked in Oregon and in Wyoming, with a crew of very coarse men, men of vulgar language and rough manners. It was a true test of character for young Brig, one which he nobly passed. Upon finishing the project, he walked all the way back to Salt Lake "to save train fare." He told of the wolves and coyotes that frightened him so much that he was afraid to stop and rest as he tramped through the wilds by night. And he remembered 'how good it was to see the lights of the city from the top of the last mountain as he approached the valley. He said that the one real benefit from this journey was that he never afterward suffered from rheumatism, which had previously bothered him. He felt that the long walk had "perspired" it out of his system. Brig and Lollie courted over a period of about four years. They were finally married in the Endowment House on November 12, 1884. At her marriage many would find out for the first time that her real name was "Mary Alice" instead of Lollie. To Brig she would always be known affectionately as "Loll." Brig was 26 and Lollie 22. Lollie's parents had been converted by the missionaries in New York, and came to Utah in 1862. She was born in Salt Lake three years later, February 9, 1865, the fourth of six children. When two and a half, her mother took her back east to visit her parents on Long Island, New York. The other children were left in the care of the father and paternal grandparents. Due to fear of Indians on the plains, they remained in the east for two years. There little "Mary Alice" had everything a child could ask for, and as a result became very accustomed to having her own playthings and her own way. At last they were able to return west to the Valley -- traveling across the plains a third time, this time with her Uncle Sanford who drove one of the freight wagons. It was during this trip that she earned the nickname, "Lollie." She would say, "Uncle, take Lollie up in the seat with you," and she was called Lollie from then on. When they finally reached home among her own brothers and sisters, Lollie, a somewhat pampered four-year old, still wished to keep everything for herself, but, as the family said, after playing with the other children a few days, "she became more norma1." Lollie was baptized in 1873 at age nine "in the Burton's fish pond." When she was eleven, the family moved to a farm in Mendon, Utah, where the children learned to help with farm chores. Later they moved back into the 15th Ward, residing at Fourth West and First South. Lollie was only able to attend school until she was thirteen. Tuition was too high for her parents, and since she showed an aptitude for sewing, she was sent to learn to sew from a Sister Bird. Here she worked one year without pay, learning the dressmaking trade. She was then able to sew for others, and soon obtained work at a dressmaking shop. She sewed there until she was married .. After marriage, Brig and Lollie first lived in a three-room house that Brig had designed and built with his brothers' help, located on First South between Seventh and Eighth West. It had three good-sized rooms, and a large closet and a pantry, and outside porches. Brig's sister, Sally (Sarah Jane), had married Joseph Price in the Endowment House the same day as Brig and Lollie, and since they had no place to live, Brig quickly remodeled the pantry and closet into a room for them. They lived here with Brig and Lollie for about a year.Brig and Lollie's first child, whom they named Lollie, was born in this home, October 7, 1885. Not long after, the family moved three blocks east as city water had been brought to this point, making life a great deal easier. The second child, Willard, was born here, January 15, 1889. The family still attended the 15th Ward. Brig had served in various positions before his marriage. He had been president of his deacon's quorum as a boy, and later was a Sunday School teacher. He also served as President of the YMMIA. In those days it was the wards who provided the cultural evenings and special entertainment for members. Brigham Ashton's name appeared often on the Fifteenth Ward program. He had a special talent for telling humorous stories, and usually could be coaxed to give one of his Welsh or Scotch stories, or "recitations" as they were called. These were nearly all original, and were never given twice exactly the same way. On one occasion, when it was announced he would give a reading, a Welsh man in the audience turned to the man next to him and said, "Brig Ashton is a Welshman. No one but a real Welshman can talk like he does." However the other man, a Scotchman, maintained, for the same reason, that Brig Ashton was a Scot. A wager was made, until Brig came out and -- that night -- read "like a Welshman." With Lollie' s support, Brig again began attending preparatory school at the university working towards a teaching certificate. In 1886 he accepted his first job of teaching ina school held in the Third Ward. Here he taught for "three sessions," and then in the Farmers Ward, located in the county outside the boundaries of Salt Lake City. To fill this assignment he had to walk four miles each way, which he did for two years. Since teachers were so poorly paid, at times he worked evenings in the County Recorder's Office to supplement his income. But his desire to continue learning never wavered. For one period shortly after their marriage, a friend, Ben Howells, began dropping by the home in the evenings to discuss philosophy. Brig suggested they form a "study class" and study the Greek philosophers: Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. Lollie gathered the material, and he and Ben did the discussing. Sometimes the three of them would end up on a quilt on the lawn, talking over the same subject, or by then their talk would turn to the stars and constellations they could identify in the night sky. He and Lollie also enjoyed literature, especially Shakespeare, and as often as they could afford it, attended Shakespearean dramas at the Salt Lake Theater. In 1891, since teaching paid so poorly, Brig decided to enter the contracting and building business. He and his partner were successful for a time, but Brig became seriously ill with typhoid fever. It lasted several weeks. The two children were sent to live with the grandmother, and for a time his life hung in the balance. He was not allowed to have visitors, not even his business partner. The two of them had just finished signing a large building contract, and it was discovered they could not finish construction without taking out a loan. Brig assumed the debt, a very large sum, and his partner, unwilling to share in the obligation, suddenly left for California. Brig was left to pay the full amount. He was urged to take out bankruptcy, but refused. For many years his life and that of his family would be greatly affected by the burden of this debt. Some months he was only able to pay the interest. His conscience bothered him terribly, for he felt it to be his fault that Lollie and the children suffered. As his family grew, he saw that his children dressed shabbier than others, and this caused him great embarrassment. Lollie was uncomplaining, and being a good seamstress performed wonders redoing the children's wardrobes. After this sad experience Brig went back to teaching, since teachers were now being paid a regular salary instead of having to depend on student tuition. He was made principal of the Cottonwood School in Holladay, and built a large part of the school building himself after teaching hours. In this school, although classes were very large, he began several innovative programs. He initiated a literary and debating society, and held musical programs and plays. One of his associates later described these dramatic presentations where important events in history and literature were presented in tableau form. "Mr. Ashton loved to dwell upon the acts of loyalty and self-sacrifice of the Fathers of our Country. His love was deep and earnest for these men and he infused the same love in his pupils." In those days schooling ended with the eighth grade, but Brig realized that many of his eighth- grade graduates desired more schooling. He recognized in them the same desire to learn that he had felt at their age. So Brig, with the help of a young assistant teacher, established a ninth grade which met daily after regular school hours. He himself planned the curriculum and sought out the materials. Soon other schools saw what he was trying to do, and followed suite. By taking some university classes and passing special examinations, and due to his successful teaching record, he was able to acquire a five-year teaching certificate, the first person in the State of Utah to do so. He next taught and was principal of the 29th District Central School. This school in was later named the Ashton School in his honor. (At a later date it was known as the Irving Junior High School). After the move to teach in Cottonwood, Brig had built a four-room frame home in Forest Dale for his family. One by one the family grew, until there were nine children in all. The house grew along with the family, with brick rooms being added on to the original structure. The children born into this home were Blanchard (Aug. 24, 1893), Lucinda (Dec. 26,1895), twins Jed and Edward (Jan. 15;'1899), Georgia (Jun. 18, 1901), Milton (Oct. 2, 1904) and Claude (Jul. 2, 1906). The location of the home was originally described as being in a "a mustard patch," but as other houses went up, it became a real street and was named Ashton Avenue after Brig. The family now lived further away from parents and other family members, but close contacts were still maintained. In 1899, Brig’s abilities as teacher and school administrator were finally recognized. He was elected to serve as Superintendent of Schools for Salt Lake County. This position carried tremendous responsibility. He had the supervision of 36 “districts, 125 teachers, and between 6 and 7000 students. A “district” was usually a single school, one to each of the towns or settlements spread throughout the county. In visiting them, he found that many had ungraded classes; they were the typical one-room schools of that day. Also schooling ended with the eighth grade. A "district" by itself could not support a ninth- grade high school, yet townspeople would jealously refuse to join with other districts or towns to have common high schools among them. Brig saw the task that lay before him: to grade individual classes and to preach to the districts the philosophy of consolidation, of building large central high schools where more the. advanced learning would be available. He visited school after school, held mass meetings in the towns, brought in prominent educators from the university and the state school organization, and he and they spoke to the theme: "High Schools-The Poor Man's College for Children." It meant many extra hours of hard work and travel about Salt Lake Valley. Finally, on December 10, 1904, Brig had created enough support that he, as Salt Lake County Superintendent of Schools, could send a letter to the County Commissioners recommending that the 36 districts of the county be consolidated into two large districts, Granite and Jordan. Five days later, the Commissioners passed an ordinance which created these two districts. Brigham Ashton had accomplished his goal, and became known as "The Father of Consolidation." A year later, the Legislature passed a law authorizing the formation of consolidated districts throughout the State of Utah. On June 11, 1907, Brig was chosen "by unanimous vote of the Board of Education" as first Superintendent of the Granite School District. One of his first acts was to recommend the establishment of the Granite High School. Later on, Jordan High School was also established. Brig had also recommended that new school buildings be carefully planned and built to fill the needs of both teachers and students. Up to that time classes were held either in chapels or in old renovated buildings. He had had to keep up the repair of many of them. But together with the concept of establishing these larger high schools, he preached the idea of the "modern" school. This led to the building of the Granite High School building, and later with the establishment of the Jordan High School, the erection of that building also. They were thoroughly modem, well-equipped buildings for that day. Lollie supported her husband completely. In the home there was much to do. There were clothes to be made and to be mended -- all by hand. Children needed to be assigned and supervised in their tasks of caring for the garden and milking the cows And with five live challenge for Lollie. There were large meals to be prepared daily from garden products and bread to be baked every other day. Lollie had to carry in water daily from about a block away, both for household use and washing the clothes. One wash day she had carried enough for the washing and for the cows and horse. She went inside to care for her little twins, and while she was inside a herd of cows came in and drank all the water, suds and all. As busy as he was as a teacher and school administrator, Brig did not neglect his family. Monday night was set aside as home night. This was many years before the Church established the Family Home Evening Program. On Mondays everyone had to be at home. The evening meal was at 6:30. Then Brig and the boys did the dishes, while Lollie and the girls washed and dressed the smallest children in their pajamas. Chairs were placed in the living room, and at 7:30 the meeting began. Father Brigham called the roll, and each person responded with a quotation. Lollie the mother would find quotations for the younger children and help them learn them. Then came the opening prayer (by a smaller child), the minutes were read, and there was an opening song. This was followed by two numbers, which sometimes were poems or readings, or a number on the mandolin by one of the boys, or a piece on the organ by one of the girls. After this, Brig would tell them stories from the Bible. Then the smaller children were excused and Mother put them to bed. Next came a lesson from the Book of Mormon, also taught by Father Brig. Sometimes discussion became very interesting and lasted late into the evening. The meeting was then closed with a prayer. In later years, the children often commented on how a man as busy as their father, and a woman with nine children to cook for, wash clothes on the scrub board for, sew and mend for, could find time to give a whole evening once a week to their children. They fondly remembered the many experiences and teachings from these evenings spent together as a family. For one period of their lives, Brig rented a fruit farm in Holladay where he would take the children and Lollie to spend the summer, while he stayed at home working physically on the schools under his jurisdiction. He spent many hours of vacation time making repairs in old school buildings. But he wanted the children to have space to work and to play, and especially that the boys gain experience in farming -- how farsighted he was! In the evenings on the farm, their mother would read to them by lamplight. Lollie also loved good literature and wanted her children to acquire the same literary tastes as the parents. The children especially remembered reading "Huckleberry Finn" and "Quo Vadis," and with this second book, they remembered the historical background their mother gave with it. In his life-long desire for learning, Brig continually acquired books, many times from a second-hand book store, until he ended up with an unusually fine library. In the evenings, his children remembered how Father would pull the sofa out into the middle of the front room, where the light was best, pile the books around him on the floor, and study far into the night. While living in Forest Dale, or "the Dale" as they called it, Brig, though very busy, still found time to serve in his ward as a Sunday School teacher, and then in the Superintendency of the Sunday Schoo1. He also acted as Ward Clerk for many years, and later as a member of the Granite Stake Sunday School Board. At times he led the singing, or sang in quartets or was in the ward choir, and usually participated in the yearly "Minstrel show." As his children described it, "He loved music and fun." On ward programs Brig recited poetry of real beauty and sentiment as well as humorous ones. Poems by Robert Burns were some of his favorites. Many poems were his own composition, reminiscing about the older members of the ward. These were filled with tender thoughts and reflected the loving feelings he held for fellow ward members. He considered them like family. The family's last home, located on 8th East and Garfield Ave, where they moved in 1910, was originally known as the "Mill Schoo1." It was an old school building which Brig was able to buy on a bid offered by the Board of Education. With the help of his wife and children, he began reconstructing the interior to make it into a comfortable modem home. Lollie and her daughter installed windows, Brig put in additional doors, and all family members helped paint. In 1911, serious tragedy touched their lives for the first time. On May 25, their son Ted, one of the twins, died very unexpectedly of diphtheria at age 12. This brought great sadness to the family, to lose a lively, fun-loving child. During the summer of the following year, Brig was sent as a delegate to the National Education Association Conference, held in San Francisco. He was still serving as Superintendent of Granite School District. Brig took Lollie with him to California. It was a wonderful time for them both, a real vacation after so many years of hard work and frugal living. Upon their return, Brig spent time doing additional remodeling to the home .On August 23 and 24, he took part in the annual Convention of City and County Superintendents, held at the City and County Building. He read the last paper. After the meeting, all of the superintendents planned on having supper together at the Hotel Utah. As the group was leaving, Brig quietly slipped away, crossed the street and caught the trolley car for home to eat with his family. After supper, he and Lollie with the younger children rode over to the stable in their buggy where he milked the cows, and they all returned home together. That was his last evening with his family. The next morning, Sunday, August 25, he was seized with severe pain. After an illness of a very few hours, he died later on the same day. One of his last statements was, "Loll, I love humanity, I love humanity." In a month he would have been 54 years old. At his funeral held two days later in the Granite Stake Tabernacle, there were 1500 persons in attendance. In addition to family and close friends, many former students, fellow teachers, university and state educators and school children had gathered to do him honor. Two months later, on September 28, a beautiful large granite monument was placed on his grave at the City Cemetery. It was paid for in part by the children of the Granite School District. On it was inscribed: "Brigham W. Ashton, Educator and Character-builder. Memorial by Granite Schools." Superintendent. Among all those connected with the high school, no one' has a stronger hold on the affections and esteem of the students than' has the Superintendent. Mr. B. W. Ashton. To his untiring efforts the establishment of the high school in the first place is very largely due So modest and unassuming is Mr. Ashton. so unobtrusive in his work. his selfhood so subordinated to the cause which claims his in- terest, .that his part in the establishment and growth of the' high school IS likely to be overlooked; the fruits of his labors to be en- joyed without a thought, of the man whose unwearied efforts made them possible. The 1912s would not have this so. They do not wish to leave the Granite Schools without expressing their sincere: regard for the man, their admiration of the genius, their appreciation of the life of self-effacement and devotion to the interests of young people which has meant so much to them in their school career; which twill mean so much to them throughout all their lives. Many tributes were given "Superintendent" Brigham Ashton at the time of his death. They tell much about his character and the measure of affection and admiration in which he was held. Two of these tributes are quoted here: A student from his early teaching days remembered him in these words: "He was more than a teacher; he was a friend and an advisor. He helped me solve many of the problems which confront boys in the adolescent stage. He was ever-present to encourage me in my school work. He took a personal interest in those in the school room; and aided and encouraged us in every possible way." From Frank B. Moss, a fellow educator: "He had a passion for work and a thirst for learning, and he sought a profession that opened up to him a larger field of service. His work in preparing the courses of study, outlines, examinations, and in visiting the schools, was almost beyond human capacity. His appetite for work was unlimited. "Our country schools have had no warmer friend, no stronger advocate, no abler official. He had a magnetic personality. His manner was cheerful, cordial and kindly. He was gentle, yet brave, noble and charitable. He was modest and unassuming, yet capable and efficient. He met you with a cheerful, kindly smile, which was the sunshine from his soul. He was a lover of mankind, humble and unselfish, devoid of sham and hypocrisy. What he seemed he was, what he thought, he said; and what he felt was right, he did.". With Brig's death, it fell onto Lollie's shoulders the burden of supporting and raising eight young children. The oldest girl, also named Lollie, was eighteen, and the youngest, Claude, was six. In the home, Lollie would follow the pattern Brig had already set, a pattern of study and learning. She herself, with great patience, spent many hours teaching her children. Often in the evenings she sat and read the Bible to them, as their father had done. During the first years the family faced tremendous financial struggle. During one summer Lollie had four girls board with them while attending summer school. The large house that Brig had converted from a school into a home, was a blessing for them. When World War I came, two of the boys, Blanchard and Jed, were called into the service but did not see action. Their pay helped support the family. All of the children finished high school, and four attended the university. The two eldest, Lollie and Willard, became school teachers like their father. Succeeding years brought happier times financially, but there were also years of great sadness and trial, especially for Lollie. In 1922 there were three family deaths. Her mother passed away in May, and on July 31, two of the children, Blanchard and Georgia, were drowned in a canal near Blackfoot, Idaho, where the family had purchased farms. Another sad year was 1932, when Willard's wife Leona died January 3, and three weeks later, Blanchard's young widow, Jeanetta, passed away. Lollie brought Willard and his children into the home until he remarried the following year, and then the home was arranged so that he and his family lived in a part of it. Lollie weathered every series of trials with unquestioning faith and trust in the Lord's purposes. Throughout life she retained her seamstress abilities, and was especially known for her talent in making beautiful quilts. She was always active in Relief Society and made many quilts for them to give to others. In later years, she made a quilt top for each of the grandchildren. Among five of the granddaughters she organized a little "sewing society." Once a week they would meet at her home for two hours, while she taught them sewing skills and quilt- making. Lollie also retained her love of good literature. She always read good books, including the Scriptures, and her reading of the classics included a set of Galsworthy. During her last years she accompanied her children on many family trips. One was a return to the family home on Long Island which she had last seen as a four-year old with her mother. She continued living in the old home. Daughter Lollie, who never married, lived with her and could help in her care. Her children visited frequently, and grandchildren who came to spend days with her sometimes told their parents they were having too much fun and didn't want to go home. She was loved and honored not only by her family, but also by fellow ward members who recognized in her a woman of exceptional qualities. A few years before her death, a special program was given in her honor by her ward Relief Society sisters. Their words of praise aptly described her:"a personality radiating love, a mind that challenges and seeks the best, and a spirituality that inspires hope and faith." Lollie passed away at age eighty, October 16, 1944, still in the home that Brig had bought for them all so many years before.

  
  

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