Sariah Diantha Rawson

1861 - 1924  (62 years)

• Name	Sariah Diantha Rawson
  Born	8 Jul 1861	Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States
  Gender	Female
  Buried	May 1924
  Died	9 May 1924
  Person ID	I4778	Wagner-Thomas | Hallmark
  Last Modified	11 Jan 2014

  
  

  Father	Daniel Berry Rawson,   b. 16 Dec 1827, Washington, Indiana, United States ,   d. 18 Feb 1892, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States  (Age 64 years)
  Mother	Nancy Boss,   b. 26 Mar 1829, Lexington, Davidson, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 20 Aug 1888, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States  (Age 59 years)
  Married	26 Nov 1849
  Family ID	F1301	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 8 Jul 1861 - Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  BIR,MG,DTH,ORD: Rawson-Coffin Book of Remembrance - copy in possession of Pam B Wagner. From Mrs Estella R Christensen, Daniel Berry Rawson family records. BIOGRAPHY: Joseph Hyrum Brown and Sariah Diantha Rawson. Born in 1856, Joseph emigrated to America from Gorton, Lancashire, England in 1864 with his parents. They settled in Harrisville, Weber Co, Utah. His future wife was born in 1861 in Ogden. No record of growing us is recorded. He received very little formal education, but was a good reader and penman, and received a practical education in math, etc. through persistent self study. At an early age he went to work for Utah Northern RR as a brakemen, running between Eagle Rock (Idaho Falls) and Butte, Montana. In his early twenties he met and courted Sariah and they were married at the Old Endowment House in SLC in 1878. Their first home was in Harrisville near his father's home. Later, his father came to live with them, staying most of the remainder of his life. Sariah was very good to his father and he thought a lot of her. They had three children and took an active part in the Ward and Stake affairs. They were both talented in music and drama and usually took leading parts. Joseph was chorister for a number of years. In June 1884 they answered the call to go on a mission, loaded up their belongings and family and took their long journey to Arizona, where they helped settle that dry and lonely land. It took many weeks, singing and enjoying themselves the best they could. In 1885 another daughter was born in St John. Because of her poor health and the Indians killing so many of the Saints, they were recalled home. The trip was hard both ways and Joseph tells of some of the experiences on them, some very spiritual and faith-promoting. Back home, Joseph again was able to work for the RR and several more children were born. One of them, Hyrum, nearly died after eating some wild parsnips, but they say Sariah's faith brought life back to him. Joseph told of many experiences working on the RR, one almost took his life, partly crushing him. After several more children, they moved to Idaho in 1897 with several other families when the RR went on strike. 8 of their 9 children went with them, the eldest, Della, staying behind to work. Joseph and the older children walked, it taking them a week to arrive. After the first year he bought a small farm from his Uncle Silas in Coltmna. He lost his RR job and jobbed around, doing carpentry work and found he was quite good at it. He built a nice 2-room house on the farm, which felt like a mansion to them. They had another child, lived here for about 17 years, enjoying gardening, farming sugar beets, potatoes and grain. They had many animals. Another son was born, the older girls worked for themselves away from home, which helped relieve the burden of their parents. They spent many hours singing, with Joseph teaching them many songs. However, he began to drink and would today be called an alcoholic. He spent most of their wages and gambled some, so life was very hard for the family. With the exception of these bad habits, he was very well liked and good to his family. They rented their home and moved to Idaho Falls on the banks of the River (at the end of "E" Street today). After a year or more, they moved back home where he worked wherever he could find work, which was not plentiful. He helped build many homes in Rigby and most of the houses in Coltman and Grant. One of their oldest boys was killed after a logging accident in Spencer, which was almost more than Sariah could bear. Sariah was very active in the Coltman Ward, going out at nights to aid the sick. She bore her 12th child and became discouraged after. Several of their daughters married, Joseph became sick and had to go to the SL hospital for treatment and was there for some time, worsening. Shortly before he died he called all of his brothers and sisters together and had a family photograph taken. Many of his brothers and sisters also died. Joseph died in the Idaho Falls Hospital and was buried in the Grant Cemetery. Times were not better after his death, except for his daughter, Maud, who graduated as a nurse and began to do for her family. Some of the animals became sick and died, a son contracted spinal meningitis, but he graduated from Art School in Logan, and after Sariah died, he was given a job teaching there. Later he took a cold from his room flooding and died of pneumonia. The other boys worked out for farmers, but didn't help as much as they could. Sariah was proposed to by a man with money, told him she didn't love him but needed his help, so they married, but he didn't get along well with the boys, and they parted, friends. She moved back to Coltman, the children staying in Idaho Falls to work. She eventually moved back to Idaho Falls. She eventually moved to Logan, where she could do Temple work, and the boys obtained employment. She became RS President in the 8th Ward. True to her patriarchal blessing, her last days were the happiest doing Temple work, her children around her with their musical abilities.