Here is an excerpt of a letter from a nephew of William Reames Gedge which may be of some interest. In talking about his uncle, William Reames Gedge, he said;
"We used to call his wife 'Aunt Maggie'. About all I remember of her is when she would tell me she used to ride her horse in the church house. She used to sing in the Tabernacle Choir and she had Uncle Bill trained real well. When she would call, "Will" he would stop everything and do what she wanted. I used to kid him about it and all he would do is smile."
Where did the Gedges live on Redwood Road in SLC?
The Gedges lived at 2198 South Redwood Road.
Marriage- 12 Nov. 1890
Margaret left Will- 25 Jan. 1891
Rachel was born- 3 May 1894
Marguerite was born- 16 July 1896
W. R. Gedge left on his Mission to England- 2 Feb. 1898
Margaret left Will- 25 Jan. 1891
Rachel was born- 3 May 1894
Marguerite was born- 16 July 1896
W. R. Gedge left on his Mission to England- 2 Feb. 1898
Herbert took care of the farm while he was gone.
Leone was born- 22 Jun 1901
Marguerite died- 1 Dec 1907 Leone was born- 22 Jun 1901
Husband, William Reams 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)Son in law, George Fromm Jr
Granddaughter, Daphne Marguerite Fromm (Moncrief)
Granddaughter's husband Bernard Harlan Moncrief
Grandson, Ronald George Fromm
Married and divorced Barbara Rachel Fromm: Helmut Johann Kuepper
Second wife of Helmut Johann Kuepper: Jacqueline Hansen Kuepper
Dr Cannon
Salt Lake City, 1872, at the time of Margaret's birth
Here are copies of what apparently are two report cards for Margaret Amelia Gardiner sent to me by Gary Layton. The Salt Lake City directories for 1899 to 1910 list the Thirty-Second District School as being in Brighton. In 1910 the name of the school was changed to Boone School. The directories also list the teacher or principal of the school. Janett Cosslett is not mentioned. The Salt Lake City directories do not list Thirty-Second District School before 1899 because apparently Brighton was not considered part of Salt Lake City until then. Unfortunately, I was not able to pinpoint the year Janett Cosslett was principal. However, because Robert Gardiner and his family moved to Brighton in 1884 and Margaret Amelia Gardiner was married in 1890, it is likely the report cards are for a year between 1884 and 1890. NG
about 1884
1890 Marriage certificate
Salt Lake Herald, 1890-12-07
June 11, 1891 Salt Lake Herald,
Margaret left her husband and he sued her in court to get her back:
Salt Lake Herald, 1893-01-15
Salt Lake Herald, 1893-02-03
Salt Lake Herald, 1894-12-09
Salt Lake Tribune 1894-12-09
Salt Lake Herald, December 16, 1905
Some Memories of R Gary Layton Feb. 18 1987
As I was growing up we had much more contact with the Gedge side of the family than we did with the Layton side. Nearly every Sunday we would get together for Sunday dinner either at Aunt Rachel’s or at our house. Always, the one who was traveling would pick up Monie and Grandpa on the way. At these gatherings I was the youngest by seven years and was sometimes made the butt of jokes by the older children, but I still remember these get-togethers with pleasure.
After Sunday dinner the men would relax while the women visited and did the dishes (sometimes the men did them) and the children played.
We were probably the only grandchildren in history who had a grandmother called Monie. This came about when Aunt Rachel had her first baby, who was named Daphne. When Daphne started to talk the problem was what to call Grandma Gedge who did not want to be called grandma. The story goes that she asked Daphne to call her Margaret and the best she could do was “Monie” so that was what she said. It stuck. And by the time I came along I never heard any family member call my grandmother by any other name. It was always Monie and Grandpa.
As I was growing up we had much more contact with the Gedge side of the family than we did with the Layton side. Nearly every Sunday we would get together for Sunday dinner either at Aunt Rachel’s or at our house. Always, the one who was traveling would pick up Monie and Grandpa on the way. At these gatherings I was the youngest by seven years and was sometimes made the butt of jokes by the older children, but I still remember these get-togethers with pleasure.
After Sunday dinner the men would relax while the women visited and did the dishes (sometimes the men did them) and the children played.
We were probably the only grandchildren in history who had a grandmother called Monie. This came about when Aunt Rachel had her first baby, who was named Daphne. When Daphne started to talk the problem was what to call Grandma Gedge who did not want to be called grandma. The story goes that she asked Daphne to call her Margaret and the best she could do was “Monie” so that was what she said. It stuck. And by the time I came along I never heard any family member call my grandmother by any other name. It was always Monie and Grandpa.
I did not spend much time visiting at the farm, except when my family
was out there. I got the distinct impression that Monie did not care
much for taking care of young children. In spite of this I do remember
several times when I spent a day at the farm. One time I can remember
tying a spool of yarn to a pack frame, along with a few other things
that I was to take out to the farm for the day. I can remember being out
there while Monie made candy using her father’s candy molds. I thought
that the best part was the candy canes that she made with the extra
candy. The ones that didn’t come out were even better because I could
eat them right then.
Monie love music. They had a piano, a reed organ, and a Victrola. I can only remember hearing the Victrola once playing some old records. I can’t remember hearing Monie play the piano, but I often heard her play the organ. That is the same organ that we now have in our front room. My mother told me that Monie sang in the Tabernacle Choir under Evan Stephens. Barbara, my cousin, told me how she would go with Monie to the Tabernacle Choir rehearsal and pass out the music to the choir. She said that she often did it in her stocking feet.
Monie love music. They had a piano, a reed organ, and a Victrola. I can only remember hearing the Victrola once playing some old records. I can’t remember hearing Monie play the piano, but I often heard her play the organ. That is the same organ that we now have in our front room. My mother told me that Monie sang in the Tabernacle Choir under Evan Stephens. Barbara, my cousin, told me how she would go with Monie to the Tabernacle Choir rehearsal and pass out the music to the choir. She said that she often did it in her stocking feet.
The other day Paul [Gary’s son] was going cross country skiing and needed pair of warm socks. I got out my last pair that I have that were knitted by Monie. When I was skiing and doing other outdoor activities that called for warm socks I always had a pair that had been knitted by my grandmother, Monie. I can remember being very happy to get a pair for Christmas, which was unusual for me, as I usually didn’t think too much of getting clothes for Christmas. I really appreciated those socks on many activities.
It was years before I realized that there was more to the farm house than the kitchen. They pretty well lived in the kitchen. The floor was covered by linoleum, and the linoleum was covered by smaller rugs and pieces of linoleum to keep the main floor covering from wearing. There was a fine bay window on the East wall. That was where Monie grew her geraniums. She had several shelves in the window, and they were full of geraniums. Mother swore that she would never have a window full of geraniums, and she never did. Hers was full of cacti and African violets.
When we went out there for dinner, I sometimes had to go and help pick asparagus. There were no neat rows to pick from—just the ditch banks. We would walk along the ditch banks looking for asparagus spears that were not too small and not too large. Just the right size to be tender. I never did know just how it got started, but it was growing wild along the banks of the ditches. Since I did not like asparagus, I did not view the excursions with much favor.
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 discing 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.
Now when I drive out on the freeway all that there is left there is memories. I am impressed at how small a lot of things seem now, like the river and the canal. They really seemed large when I was small.
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.
One Christmas, we gave each of our children America’s Choir, by Heidi S. Swinton and added this message which will answer your question:
Please note that there is a list at the back of this book containing the names of those who have been members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Margaret Amelia Gedge is Dad’s great grandmother. She was married to William Reams Gedge and they had a productive farm in Salt Lake City. Their address was 2198 South Redwood Road. Margaret was known as Monie (long o sound) and loved by all.
William R. Gedge was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 84 years old. He was given a blessing by Harold B. Lee, that he would be cured, that he would be well and strong, and that he would see many great changes take place. He died in April of 1964 at the age of 96! Grandpa George told me that William planted 5 acres of corn by hand the year before he died. TM
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| Margaret on the right, visiting relatives on the coast. From FamilySearch |
Hi everyone, Attached above is a photograph of Margaret Amelia Gardiner Gedge in Chicago. She was in Chicago with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. N
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| Margaret Ameria and Will Gedge |
June 1957, William Reams Gedge with another dog and great grandson, Steven Moncrief, who was 9 years old. Steven is the son of Daphne:
Probably also June 1957, with Daphne's three children left to right: Gilbert, Pamy, and Steven.
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| LtoR George Fromm, Rachel Gedge, Margaret Amelia, William R Gedge, Daphne and Monty/Bernard. Daphne is holding Baby Pamy aka Patricia Ann Moncrief |
Margaret Amelia Gardiner Gedge from K on Vimeo.
Research:
William and Margaret's daughter's death certificate: Look at the cause of death!
Hi everyone, This weekend I tried to do a little work on Robert Gardiner's timeline and came across some information that may be of interest to you. In 1899 the Salt Lake City directory lists Clarence LeRoy Gardiner as boarding with his brother-in-law, William Reames Gedge, at 12th South and the Corner of Redwood Road while working as a laborer. Clarence was likely working there to earn enough money to go to school. N
Note:
"Here are some dates that may be of interest:
Marriage- 12 Nov. 1890
Margaret left Will- 25 Jan. 1891
3 July 1892 - They are still not back together
Rachel was Born- 3 May 1894
Marguerite was born- 16 July 1896
W. R. Gedge left on his Mission to England- 2 Feb. 1898 N. R. Gedge told me that Herbert took care of the farm while he was gone.
Leone was Born- 22 Jun 1901
Marguerite Died- 1 Dec 1907 At this time Will was a counselor in the bishopric. He apparently tried to heal her with faith. Her dying words were said to be "I hope you're satisfied." Not a good time for the family!"
Research:
Hi everyone, I have seen a baptism date for Margaret Amelia Gardiner on some family group sheets as being her 10th birthday. Does anyone know where this date has come from? The oldest church record for Margaret Amelia that I could find was the Brighton Ward records. However, they only list her re-baptism date. When I get a chance I will check her endowment record. Sometimes they list a baptism date. The 10th birthday date is suspect from my point of view since both Margaret Amelia Gardiner and Margaret Stewart Gardiner could have provided Margaret Amelia's baptism date to their ward in 1890 if they knew it back then. N
One Christmas, we gave each of our children America’s Choir, by Heidi S. Swinton and added this message which will answer your question:
Please note that there is a list at the back of this book containing the names of those who have been members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Margaret Amelia Gedge is Dad’s great grandmother. She was married to William Reams Gedge and they had a productive farm in Salt Lake City. Their address was 2198 South Redwood Road. Margaret was known as Monie (long o sound) and loved by all. William R. Gedge was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 84 years old. He was given a blessing by Harold B. Lee, that he would be cured, that he would be well and strong, and that he would see many great changes take place. He died in April of 1964 at the age of 96!
As side note: George and Rachel bought their home on Indiana Avenue from Harold B. Lee. George dug a basement to it by hand with pick and shovel. It was the best place to sleep in the summer! Grandpa George told me that William planted 5 acres of corn by hand the year before he died. Or was it 50 acres? I need to review that story, which I have in his voice on tape. L.M