CHARLES KINGSTON (1856-1944) SLIDE SHOW

(9 Nov 1856-19 July 1944, age 87) by Joseph Grant Stevenson

Slide 1--Tucker Family Association title slide (#1964)

Slide 2--Charles Kingston (1856-1944) title slide (#   )

Slide 3--Charles Kingston (1856-1944); picture in 1906 age 50 (#1979)

Today we honor Charles Kingston and his family.

The following comes from his atuobiography.

Autobiography of Chas Kingston born at Peterborough, Northamptonshire, November 9th, 1856.

Slide    --

My father Frederick Kingston leaving my mother-Mary Ann Hunter and I when I was but 6 months old, coming to the United States.  My mother was forced into service leaving me to be raised by my grandmother, Elizabeth Freeman-a very religious woman.  She was a real mother, to me and the wife of William Freeman; he was a school master residing at Sawtry, Huntingtonshire.  He taught school at the same town where William Cowper the great English poet wrote most of his great sonnets, including "God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform."  I have understood my great-grandfather and he were on most intimate terms.

Slide   --

I attended a national school until I was 13 years old, when I went to work, later attending a private school for a short time and then obtained a job with a great book house where I had access to many volumes, with time to study, which I did naturally, it being, it seemed, part of my very nature to desire to read, which desire I have fostered and maintained ever since.

Slide   --

After my work with the book house I obtained employment with the Great Northern Railroad Company in the electrical department; during the following 5 years I worked up in this vocation-attending also, at the same time a night school at Nottingham, England, fostered by the government, taking a course in the theory of Magnetism and Electricity.  At the end of the 5 years mentioned I was approached by one of the chief men of that department requesting that I go to London at the Kings Cross Station to take charge of all the electrical works there.  Tis was a great opportunity; which however I declined, as I had already received transportation to Utah, from my father, who resided at Morgan, Utah.  This representative mentioned tried to persuade me to give up my contemplated emigration to Utah, saying if I would do so I would be well cared for.  However, I declined and away I started for Utah.  I arrived at Morgan September 23rd, 1879, crossing the ocean with a company of saints on the steam-ship, "Wyoming".

Slide   --

I had been raised to look upon mormonism-so called-owing to my father marrying another wife-Emma Morris, a very fine woman and a real mother to me-as one of the vilest institutions in existence, and I actually went to studying mormonism with the thought in mind of showing my father where he was wrong.  I had some knowledge of the Bible taught me by my grandmother Hunter, so felt quit well able to judge of the matter.  However, it came about, that the more I read and pondered the subject, the more I became convinced that mormonism was true.  I found myself actually defending the same with apostate mormons and outsiders working on the section of the U.P.R.R.  However, I had yet no desire to accept the doctrine and embrace it.  I refused absolutely to go inside a meeting house, my prejudice still being unabated.  However, there came along one day a man who I had met in Nottingham who was a member of the church, he, after much persuasion, got me to attend a meeting of the Young Mens Mutual Assn. at South Morgan.  I was still smoking a pipe, and had it in my pocket while attending the meeting.  It was about the time the mutual work started in the church, the year 1880 in September.  At that meeting as visitors were Elder John Hyrum Smith and Junius F. Wells; and it was the same year that Elder Smith was ordained an apostle.  Elder Smith, a man ow wonderful presence, and a fine speaker, spoke on the Word of Wisdom, I drank in every work he spoke, and my prejudices vanished away, I knew he told the true; I no longer resisted the spirit of the work, and that night, going home from that meeting, I laid my pipe and tobacco on a shelf, and said, that is all I want of you.  Three months afterwards, on my birthday I was baptized by Bishop Dickson of the Richville Ward, and confirmed the same day in my father's house.  I t was a time of rejoicing among the whole settlement, who had learned of my much reading on the subject of the gospel.

My First Spiritual Manifestation

Slide   --

Some of the aged saints would gather in my father's house and I would read to them out of the New Testament.  On a particular night in the month of February, I had read from the gospel of St. John the 19th chapter-"Jesus before Pilate."  My heart went out to Him in his sore distress.  I retired that night with that feeling still with me.  I do not know how ling I had been in bed; but I suddenly found myself in a dark enclosure, it seems about 20 to 30 feet square and about 16 feet high and built of rock, without a roof over it.  I tried to find away out of this place, but it was so dark I could find no escape;  the thought came to me that the only relief from the darkness was to call upon the Lord for deliverance; so I made my way as near I could tell to the center of the enclosure, and there I kneeled down and prayed most earnestly for deliverance out of that darkness.  I had prayed some time, when all of a sudden a light appeared above the building, and seven men descended and stood around me, so close, I could have touched either one of them; they were dressed in clothing exactly as the angle Moroni is pictured when he appeared to Joseph Smith.  One of these men held a two-edged sword in his hand, point up, his arm at the square.  Neither of them spoke to me, nor me to them, and they ascended and left me still praying; I found myself directly afterwards wide awake in on my bed.

Slide   --

I was afraid to tell this matter to anyone, fearing I might not be believed.  However, some months afterwards, I went to the patriarch of the Morgan Stake and told him of the circumstance, asking him what that which I had seen meant.  He said, my boy; that was a testimony, that the Lord had shown you there His Holy Spirit how he had brought you out of darkness into light.  The sword was the "sword of truth" spoken of by Paul.

Slide   --

Charles Kingston lived a very busy and varied life--both in business and church work.  We present his history as written by two of his sons--Clarence and Charley and his own story as written by himself.  The official christening certificate shows his father's name spelled Frederic. 

The following comes from notes and comments by Clarence Kingston and edited by his son, M. Ray Kingston, 22nd Apr 1974:

Slide   --England; map of (#1166)

Slide   --Mary Anne Hunter (          ); picture

On November 9, 1856, one hundred forty miles north of London. . . in. . . town of Peterborough, Mary Anne Hunter gave birth to a son, who would later be named Charles.  Mary Anne Hunter's husband,

Slide   --Frederic Kingston (         ); picture 

Frederick Kingston, was serving in the Royal Navy in the Black Sea and the Crimea, and was absent during the event of his son Charles' birth.  Frederick returned shortly afterward, however, to see his first child and son.

Slide   --Peterborough; Northampton; picture of (#983)

While walking one day in Peterborough, Frederick recognized an old adversary, a man who had been responsible for the cruel crippling of Frederick's twin brother, several years earlier.  The man was now a policeman and in the ensuing fight the man was injured and badly

Slide   --Peterborough

 bruised.  Frederick, fearing reprisals from the police, determined to leave the country.  He had long been interested in going to America, and informed his family of his plans.  Before leaving he told his wife, Mary Anne, that he would send for her and their son as soon as he obtained employment in America.

Slide   --Peterborough; cathedral (#984)

Taking a few items of clothing and other necessities he went to the coast (probably that of Boston harbor on the east coast since it was the closest port (40 miles) away from Peterborough.  On the coast he made an agreement to work as a sailor in exchange for his passage on a freighter headed for America.

Slide   --Sailing ship #1183)

By chance, some of his first acquaintances upon arriving in America, were Mormons, who were then being persecuted and who would eventually find their way to the Rocky Mountains, to join those saints who had settled there nine or ten years earlier.  Frederick joined this group and began the trip toward Utah with them.  He obtained odd jobs to sustain himself and eventually took the position of door to door salesman.  Keeping his promise to Mary Anne

Slide   --Peterborough;

 back in Peterborough, he sent the necessary money for her and Charles' passage to America.  Due to the lengthy time required for his travel and that required to earn and send the passage money, Mary Anne had found it necessary to work as a governess for an aristocratic family in order to support herself and Charles.  Charles was taken to his grandmother's home for care and education.  While she visited her son frequently over the years, she remained in her position as governess for the remainder of her life.

Slide   --Peterborough

Charles started school in Peterborough and got along well for three years.  However, his third grade teacher was a typically tough disciplinarian, and one day, after finishing his arithmetic assignment, he turned his slate over and began drawing a horse.  The teacher, seeing this, demanded that he go to the head of the class where after humiliating him in front of his classmates for having drawn pictures during arithmetic, ordered and administered three cracks on his bare hands with a stick ruler.  That night he told his grandmother that he wanted no more to do with school and his formal classroom experience came to an end.

Slide   --Bible (#1319)

Charles' grandmother was a deeply religious woman and to get her grandson interested in the Bible would say, "Charles, I wish you would read me this. . . passage in the Bible."  She would say, "my boy, you see I don't see as well now and can sleep better if you will read to me."

Slide    --

Charles, accustomed to this every night habit, acquired an interest in the scriptures and a desire to read other things.  As he reached his early teens he would stand outside the book store window and read the names of the books on display there.  One day while peering through the window, he decided to enter the shop and ask for a job.  The proprietor looked at him and asked what he thought he could do to justify his being paid.  Charles' answer was "....all your books need dusting and cleaning both in the window and on the shelves.  I would gladly be your clean up boy and do all the cleaning in exchange for your permission to spend my spare time reading the books of my choice."  The job was his.

Slide

As soon as he reached the required age to apply for government-sponsored job-training he did so, choosing the electrician's trade.  He started in the trade by digging holes and setting posts.  He continued at this to the age of 22.  At that time, he was sent for by the overseer at Kingscross station in London where trains arrived or left every five minutes, all controlled by black signals.  He was offered the job of overseeing and repairing this signal system.  He turned this offer down, temporarily, saying he had planned a trip to America, and that if the position was still open when he returned, they could discuss it again.

Slide

During these years he had been receiving letters from his father in America urging him to come for a visit.  Frederick hoped to entice him over and eventually convince his wife to join him as well.  During the past 20-22 years, Mary Anne's mother had belittled Frederick, calling him a deserter of his family---and had succeeded in convincing Mary Anne that it would be unwise for her to go to America where she would know no one.  Charles had heard this story many times and was convinced as well that his own father was a neer-do-well and a deserter of his wife and son.

Slide

However, he finally accepted his father's invitation, ostensibly for the opportunity of telling him how wrong he had been in having deserted his family in England, having joined the Mormon church which he had done shortly after meeting them in the east (and was, being 22 years old, a bit curious about America himself, I am sure).

Slide    --Ship at dock (#1520)

It was 1879.  He booked passage to America, and from the east coast took the train west to meet and see his father for the first time.  It was September when he arrived in Morgan,

Slide    --Morgan, Utah (#1408)

Utah, and stepping off the train was a part of the weekly curiosity which the train had become to the local residents of Morgan.  This weekly curiosity attracted, among others, some of the young Morgan ladies, who would dress up for the occasion and go down to watch the

Slide    --Morgan, Utah train station (#1409)

unloading of cargo and passengers, if any.  This fall September day, Charles was the focus of this feminine curiosity, and elicited the disdain of one girl who offered, "he sure thinks he is smart, doesn't he?" ...promoted no doubt by the careful, erect and meticulous way with which Charles observed the greeters and carried himself (a particularly Kingston characteristic). 

Slide    --Mary Priscilla Tucker (        ); picture (#1986) 

Another of those watching allowed he looked rather nice to her.  Mary Priscilla Lerwill Tucker was a rather meticulous person herself, both in her mental habits and in those habits related to house keeping and moral standards.  She inherited these characteristics from her

Slide    --James Tucker

mother and father, James and Betsy Tucker, themselves immigrants from England (converted Mormons as well).  They had come to America to celebrate their honeymoon and to begin a

Slide    --Betsey Lerwill

new religious and social life among the Mormon settlers in the west.  They arrived in Salt Lake City where James began a cobbler business, a trade he had learned in England.  Their

Slide    --Salt Lake City

first of ten daughters, Mary Priscilla was born in Salt Lake City during the winter month of January, 1862, two days after the start of the New Year.

Slide    --Morgan Valley

When a group of people left Salt Lake City to settle Morgan Valley, James and Betsy went along, homesteading their own piece of land.  James continued his cobbler trade in Morgan.  He was an industrious person and with his wife were soon enjoying what was termed prosperity by the Morgan townspeople.  The Tucker family continued living in Morgan and raised to maturity a family of ten daughters and two sons.

Slide --Morgan train station (#1408)

The chance meeting on the loading platform at the train station in Morgan in 1879 between Charles Kingston and Mary Priscilla Lerwill Tucker, was to culminate 3 1/2 years later in their marriage.  Charles intended staying with his father through that winter and until the following spring.  During the cold winter months, he studied the Mormon doctrine.  His (reported) purpose was to find a falseness in that doctrine with which to confront his father.

Slide    --Emma Morris

A further strain must have been placed on their relationship since Frederick had married a second wife, Emma Morris, in Morgan and had children by this (at that time) "spiritually" and "legally" correct second marriage. . . .  This second marriage must certainly have been spurred on by the apparent intransigence of Mary Anne back in England and her refusal to join Frederick in America.  These newly discovered half-brothers and half-sisters considered Charles a bit "uppity" and viewed him as an "exacting" person who displayed his arrogance toward them in attempts to encourage more "exactness" in their own habits.

Slide    --Mary Ann Hunter 

At one point, Mary Anne Hunter Kingston, did make the trip to America, to see for herself.  She found her husband married to another woman with children by her, and her own son converted to Mormonism and committed to staying in America. . . .  She stayed only two or three weeks and returned to England.  When Charles visited England only a few years later on his mission, Mary Anne Hunter had passed away.

Slide --D & C 

One evening, after Charles had read and absorbed all that was available to him regarding Mormon doctrine and having experienced a winter with his newly found family and associates among the Mormon saints, the stake Patriarch was visiting the Kingston home.  Charles had often called on him for help in his studies, too stubborn to consult his own father (an

Slide    --Book of Mormon

 apparently common Kingston trait).  He had the Book of Mormon in his hand when the Patriarch arrived and commented to him, that he "...just completed reading the Book of Mormon."  The Patriarch, when asking what Charles thought of the Book received this general answer "...if there is any truth in this world, it is in that book...and further, I wish to be baptized."  This beginning of conversion became a total commitment to gospel principles and Charles' faith grew along with the process of total conversion.  The English custom of beer drinking combined with five years of smoking were both abandoned as Charles accepted the word of wisdom as divine law and from that time on he abstained from both habits.

Slide    --Mary Priscilla Tucker 

Along with his conversion came the decision to remain in America, and an announced engagement to Mary Priscilla.  He began looking for work to provide the finances necessary to marry and support a family.  This search led him to the Western Union office in Ogden, where his telegraphic and electrical experience secured an offer for employment as assistant manager of the Ogden office.  They explained, however, that it would be necessary for him to begin temporarily as a lineman in Nevada.  While this position was being arranged, English pride and Kingston obstinance surfaced and Charles explained that he had served his apprenticeship already and was not interested in digging post holes again.  This was the last time that he tried to obtain work at his learned trade.  He left for Colorado and obtained

Slide    --Old wagon

work as a mule driver for an ore wagon.  This mule trip was one day long from the mines to

the railroad station.  While working in this mining camp, it was necessary to keep his faith rekindled and at times to defend his Mormon religion and the standards it required.  This defense, at times, was physical in nature requiring fists and muscle as well as intellectual strength.

Slide    --Endowment House (#1068)

After acquiring the necessary funds for a stake in life, Charles and Priscilla were married.  The rites were performed on May 17th, 1883 in the Salt Lake Endowment House by President Daniel H. Wells.  They purchased a place in Croydon Canyon above Morgan, and with milk cows, chickens, and small farm, made their start.

Slide    --

While Charles' knowledge of farming was limited, Priscilla having been raised on a farm gave them together the knowledge and strength to get along on the farm for a time.  After a few years, however, they decided on a business venture and rented a cafe and rooming house in Rock Springs, Wyoming.  Charles ran the cafe and Priscilla the rooming house.  Help was obtained from a cook who had emigrated from China to America.  Before going to Rock Springs, Charles had been called on a mission for the church and went to England to serve this mission.  He was ordained a Seventy by Seymour B. Young 19 Oct. 1884.  By this time

Slide    --Charles William Kingston (#1978)

 Charles and Priscilla had two children:  Charles born in Croydon 26 June 1884, and Hazel born in Morgan 26 May 1885.  Priscilla was pregnant with the twins, Florence and Bessie, when Charles was called on his mission to England.  Having little or no financial support, Charles made his way through the first part of this mission with dedication.  While there, and absent from his wife, two poignant events ocurred.  His and Priscilla's second child, Hazel, died September 30, 1887, and three and one half months after, January 15, 1888, Priscilla gave birth to twins.  When word of Hazel's death reached Charles in England he recorded in his

Slide    --Mary, Hazel & Charles (#1969)

journal, "...I was heartsick and wanted to leave for home, but I received a letter from my dear wife saying, "...complete your mission, I will take care of everything here.  This gave me new courage."  While he completed most of his mission before returning home, he was still deficient in the eyes of some authorities who demanded that he return the small sum contributed to him by the church for passage home from England.  After some discussion and persuasion from Charles, these demands were dropped.  While in Rock Springs, he served as councilor in the bishopric.

Intrigue and adventure stirred him again when many people were called to settle Star Slide --Grover, Wyo. 

Valley, Wyoming.  Leaving Rock Springs, the family went to Grover, Wyoming, where they homesteaded a piece of ground and built a log cabin.  Farming was again attempted, and it is recorded in early history that he succeeded in ripening the first crop of grain raised in Star Valley.

Slide --                 

Priscilla was a bit lonesome there, however, without any of her family, and they invited Emily, her sister, and Gibson Condie to join them, dividing their land in Grover, each shouldering their share of responsibility.  Also from Morgan, William Kingston, Sarah Kingston Taggart, and Lydia Kingston Cranney came to join them.  Here their families were raised in a beautiful valley with green meadows, plenty of clearwater springs, pine trees, and the mountain varieties of plants and trees,  Summertime there was a glorious experience.  But,

Slide    --Auburn, Wyo. 

again the farm was not interesting enough by itself, and Charles opened a store in Auburn, Wyoming, across the valley from their home in Grover.  He was appointed Postmaster there and operated the first post office in Auburn.  People from across the valley travelled there to

Slide    --Afton, Wyo. 

shop.  Eventually, he decided to move his business to Afton, more in the center of the valley.  At Afton, he had many requests from farmers to trade groceries for butter, churned

Slide    --Churning butter

on their farm, with old dashertype churns. The butter's quality was varied and there was no demand for it elsewhere in the Valley.  Charles decided to produced a uniform product and to market it where there was a demand.  A convert who had recently emigrated from Denmark and with experience in Danish creameries was brought in to help.  At a cold spring east of Afton, they worked all the butter over getting out the extra buttermilk, adding the proper salt content and produced a uniform product.  Charles travelled to Rock Springs, Diamondville, and all the small towns along the Union Pacific Railroad and established a market for the butter.  He is credited with having established the first creamery in Star Valley, as crude as it was.  Many commercial creameries have since been added in Star Valley and many millions of dollars realized by the farmers there.

Slide    --Priesthood Line of Authority of Charles Kingston (1856-1944)

He was ordained a High Priest by George Osmond, 13 Aug 1892.

Slide    --Evanston, Wyo. 

appointed Registrar of the United States land office in Evanston, Wyoming by President William McKinley.  He served (2) four year terms, and was appointed for a third term by President Theodore Roosevelt.  He served only one year of this term, as he had three boys growing up and wanted them raised on the farm where they could learn to work. . . .

Slide    --Lorenzo Snow

The following May, 100 families moved into the country of the Big Horn, settled on the land and built a 30 mile long irrigation canal.  There are many thriving communities derived from this early settlement.

Slide    --Train and buffalo

Having free transportation over the railroads of Wyoming, he was set apart by President Snow to visit the settlements along the Union Pacific lines to hunt out church members in the sparsely settled regions and persuade them to become identified with the wards and branches.  During this time, he named the town of Lyman, Wyoming, in honor of Francis M. Lyman, who was a close friend and whom he considered one of the great men of his generation.

Slide    --Ammon, Idaho (#1971)

In 1905, he purchased a 160 acre farm in Ammon, Idaho, at a cost of $35.00 per acre.  He moved his family there and continued to work in Evanston until he served a full nine years.  Upon arriving in Ammon, he spent a few months on the farm, but again, accepted the manager's job in a small store owned by several townspeople.  His pay dropped from $250.00 per month in Evanston to $85.00 per month as store manager.  He remained there until 1910.  Priscilla was by this time the mother of 3 sons and 8 daughters.

Slide

In 1910, their doctor informed the family that Priscilla's health was such that she would not live more than a year in Idaho.  His advice was to take her to a better climate and where the water was softer.  With this move, he said, she might last five more years.  Charles

Slide    --Taylor, Utah

travelled to Utah that same week and purchased a farm in Taylor, in Weber County.  Mother Priscilla was taken to Farmington to Aunt Bertha Spackman's.  Her health began to improve at once through the good care and better climate.  When the move from Idaho was completed (June 5, 1910), she was brought back to her family where she continued to improve.  In Taylor, Priscilla began a turkey business and all summer long would walk over the farm checking on the turkeys, their eggs, and the hatching of the new poults.  She outlasted the doctor's dire prediction by 24 years more than the time he had divined.

Slide     --Charles Kingston family group picture (#1977)

Priscilla's contributions to the family were great ones, providing the stability necessary to balance what was certainly the nomadic, restless, development and pioneer nature of her husband.  To do this would have been enough, but added to this was the birth of 11 children, their care, training, education, and in some cases, their death.  In her early life as always, she was active in the Church, working in M.I.A., and as a teacher of the religion class.  While in Ammon, Idaho, she was president of the Relief Society, and after moving to Taylor, was active in the Relief Society there.

Slide    --Richard Kingston 

Her main role was as a home-maker and one who was always helping the sick.  When Richard was a boy of nine years he had a bad siege of pneumonia.  After the doctors had done everything at their disposal, and had told the child's parents that he couldn't last for more than 24 hours, Charles went to the cemetery to find an acceptable burial spot.  Priscilla said she wasn't ready to give him up and stayed at this bedside continually using her remedy of hot packs to his back and chest, praying for him through the night.  Richard recovered.

Slide --                   

With her home remedies, she helped not only her family, but everyone in the wards where she lived as part of her Relief Society work. . . .

Slide

She was a real Tucker in handling money.  She stretched dollars and in their later years saved money from the turkey business and bought investments.  The money from her savings was the retirement that carried her and Charles over their unproductive years, as there were no government pensions available in their time.

Slide    --Bertha Spackman

Priscilla had a deep love and appreciation for her family.  Aunt Bertha Spackman, who nursed her back to health in her home in Farmington, was always credited by Priscilla for her recovery. . . .

Charles again abandoned the farm to be Secretary Treasurer for the Federal Land Bank, organizing the first branch in Weber County and later in Morgan.  He retired from this position on his 80th birthday.  Priscilla passed away at the age of 77, Charles living on for five more years, alone with his children and grandchildren until passing away on July 19, 1944.  At the time of his death he and Priscilla had 51 grandchildren and 39 great grandchildren.

Slide    --Golden Wedding #1976)

The legacy left by Charles and Priscilla Kingston seems to be one of love and consideration for all people, combined with a great sense of industry and committment to life.  Their children and grandchildren include wide ranging talents including doctors, writers, artists, engineers, pilots, farmers, electricians, skilled craftsmen, architects, businessmen, and many others.  All these descendants seem to share Priscilla's deep concern and respect for their fellow men as well as a tolerance for their different views, combined with Charles' "restless" industry for doing, creating, and organizing.

Slide

The recollection of one of Charles' grandchildren may serve to illuminate his philosophy.  He said to this child of ten years, a few days before his death, while handing him a copy of a small, very worn Bible. . . .  "When dealing with other people, I've found it wisest to listen to them and hear them out before offering your own comments to the situation.  This gives you the advantage of knowing more of them than they do of you, and you can then make the most out of each situation through a clearer understanding of their goals and feeling."  And he added, releasing the Bible,. . ." reading is the most important talent to develop, because this is the only way to discover the success and failures of other men. . . My greatest sadness is to see children who will not read."

His son, Charles William Kingston, adds the following under date of 3rd, Nov 1962:

Slide    --William Hunter

Mary Anne's father, William Hunter was crippled having received a bullet wound in the ankle while fighting in the battle of Waterloo.  Charles Kingston was raised by his grandparents, William Hunter and his wife.

Slide --                      

The boy Charles sold papers and worked at other common jobs until he grew up to a young man.  When he became a telegraph operator and electrician and even made a workable telephone, a sample of which he brought to America and which I played with when I was a small boy. . . .

Slide --                      

One of the many miraculous experiences he had while he was on his mission traveling without purse or scrip was while he was walking from one town to another.  A man, a perfect stranger, came out of a house and handed him a few pieces of small change.  Further down the road there was a body of water that had made a small lake from rain that had fallen during the night and a man was there in a boat ferrying people across.  Father counted the change the man had given him and found just enough to the penny to take him to the other side.

Slide --                      

When he came home from his mission I asked him to take me with him back to England and he said, "I will take you to Rock Springs instead."  I thought Rock Springs, Wyoming was as far away as England.  Father and mother rented a hotel and mother ran the hotel while father ran a dray wagon and sold and delivered hay and grain.  Lifting sacks of grain and bales of hay all day made his muscles as hard as nails.  Besides this he had become a good hand with the boxing gloves before he left England.

Slide --                      

While in Rock Springs three things happened that I shall never forget....

Slide --                      

    There was a boy my own age that I had played with day after day and although he was only four he could use all the swear words in the English language, as effective as any man and I had learned a lot of it from him.  I came in the house this Thanksgiving day while my mother was putting the dinner on the table.  I climbed up in the rocking chair and started rocking back and forth.  I could just reach the two knobs on the top of the chair and I pushed the chair farther on the heels of the rockers each time until it tipped over backwards and I fell on my face and got up with a bloody nose.  As I stood there I cussed that chair with all the cuss words I could think of up to that time. . . .

Slide --                      

She picked me up and gave me a good spanking and put me to bed and made me stay there until the next morning without dinner or supper.

Slide --                      

I can still remember looking out of the bedroom doors where I could see all the good things on that Thanksgiving table.  My mother impressed me with the fact that I had committed one of the gravest sins by taking the Lord's name in vain.  This lesson stayed with me the rest of my life.

Slide --                      

The third scene was one Sunday noon after Sunday School.  Father and mother were each carrying one of my twin sisters home and I was holding my father's other hand.  When we went in the kitchen door the chinese cook said, "Oh, Mr. Kingston don't go in there pointing to the dining room.  Two bad men in dare.  One throwed de beef steak and hit me in the face."  Father and mother put the two babies in the bedroom leading off the kitchen on the bed and mother grabbed father's left arm and said please daddy don't go in there.  I still clung to father's hand.  Father shook mother off by saying, "You stay out of this.  I'll handle it."  When Father entered the dining room, he said, "What's the matter gentlemen?"  The heavy set man said, "We'll show you what's the matter you Mormon S. of a B."  And he picked up a heavy glass tumbler from the table and threw it at father's head.  Father ducked the tumbler and ran for the man.  In the meantime I ran to the farther corner of the room and sat there with my back to the corner scared stiff.  While father was running after this man, he threw a heavy case knife at father which he also managed to duck.  Then the fire

Slide --                      

works started.  Father had this big fellow messed up with so many hits to the face and head that he couldn't ever hit back.  Then the little fellow came up from behind and hit father on the head with a big heavy hardwood chair.  Father turned around and cut him on the chin knocking him down and that was the end of the fight.  These men both went up to their room.  I remember the big man coming down the stairs and into the room where father was standing.  The big man said, "I am very sorry Mr. Kingston that we made you any trouble.  We heard in Denver that there was a Mormon joint in Rock Springs and we decided we would come and clear out the place."  You've made it hard for me because I won't be able to appear on the stage for about three weeks or more.  I'll have to cancel my appointments in the shows we have arranged ahead in other towns.  These men were strong men, weight lifters, Indian clubs and dumbell experts and other feats of strength.  He said, "it wouldn't have been so bad if you had not cut me up so bad."  

Slide    --Grover, Wyo.

We lived in Rock Springs two years then moved to Grover, Wyoming where father started a store.  He moved this store to Auburn across Salt River to the West.  In this town my brother Richard was born the next spring.  Grandmother Morris come and lived with us during this time.  We moved to Star Valley in the year 1890.  Father sold his store in Auburn to Henry Harry Harrison and moved back to Grover where father filed on 480 acres of land where he built a home for his family.  He taught school the first winter in Grover.

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Another time a certain rich man offered him ten thousand dollars in gold if he would decide a contest case this man had filed against a poor settler to take away the land he had homesteaded.  Father told this man the case could be decided on its merits.  If the settler had not lived up to the law the rich man would get the decision.  He decided the case in favor of the poor settler.  There was a valuable vein of coal that the rich man was mining that extended under the poor man's homestead that was worth many times more than the ten thousand dollars.  At this time father had lost a lot of money in the sheep business and ten thousand dollars would have paid all his debts and left him a good share in the bank.

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About 1904 father bought a farm in Idaho, 160 acres of land with full water rights for $5,000.00.  A few years later he sold this farm for $90.00 an acre.  With this money he got from the sale of this farm he bought a farm in Ogden.  In Ogden he went into the Abstract business.  If a poor person came to him for an abstract and asked him about pay he would charge from 3 to 5 dollars.  Much less than the amount charged for this same work.  He also was an agent for the Federal Land Bank and secured farm loans for farmers in the Ogden area.

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Mother was five years younger than father, but she died five years earlier at the age of 77.  Father came to the mine and lived with us about three weeks.  This was when Minerva was a baby.  He called her his little sweetheart.  When mother was sick just before she died her daughter, Bessie, who had died in 1930 came to see her.  Mother asked Bessie if her time had come.  Bessie said I will go back and find out and if its your time I'll come back and get you."

Slide

A few days before father died he sent a telegram for me to come and see him.  When I got to Horace's and Estella's home where he was staying at the time he said, "Well, Charley I feel so foolish about sending for you.  It was nothing.  I just blacked out for a little while then came to and now I'm alright again.  I know how very busy you are at the mine so I hope you will forgive me for sending for you.  "That's alright," I said, "I should have visited you long ago, but I kept putting it off so I'm glad that something come along to jar me in coming at last."  I think it was two days later that he passed away."

A TESTIMONIAL by Charles Kingston

(Published in Andrew Jenson's LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:331)

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At the instance of the leader of our stake, I am writing a testimony which I delivered in the 10th Ward, Weber Stake, that the youth of Zion may, peradventure, receive benefit from the same.

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I came to Utah with much prejudice in my heart.  I had been taught that Mormonism was the greatest fraud perpetrated upon the world.  My father had joined the church when I was but a child, causing his own mother to become estranged; she refused to join hands with him in Mormonism.  My father emigrated shortly after joining the church and when I became 22 years of age, I left my home in England and crossed the waters to join him.  I left a good position with one of the leading railroads in my native land.  Therefore, when I reached this pioneer community in America in 1879, and found a hard severe winter -- so severe that live stock were dying for want of food -- I began thinking that things were rather tough.  I was used to a very active life in England, but now could find no employment whatsoever except feeding my father's cattle.  So unaccustomed was I to this sort of life that I felt that I was buried above ground, as it were.  However, I was very fond of reading which seemed the only

Slide    --

thing that kept me alive.  When the good Saints found I was reading Mormonism, they just swamped me with Mormon literature.  I was glad of this for two reasons; it gave me sufficient reading material, and then it seems that I had a desire to find out the untruth of Mormonism so I could show my people the error with which they were connected.  Never for one moment did I think that this could not be done.  The Book of Mormon was my main weapon of

Slide    --

assault.  I read it with much care, making comparisons with the New Testament, of which I had an elementary acquaintance.  As I proceeded in my investigation, I discovered I was gradually drinking in the truths of that great book.  Having finished the reading, I laid the book on the table and said, "Well, I have finished the reading of it."  There happened to be present at the time an aged prospector from Park City, a very wicked profane man.  He said, "Well, what do you think of it?"  I then raised my right hand high above my head and said, "If there is any truth in this world, it's in that book."

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Soon I found myself defending the work before apostates and others who opposed it.  Notwithstanding, I had no desire to join the church.  I even refused to attend meetings, but one day I met a man who was a member of the church and whom I had known in England.  He, after much persuasion, prevailed upon me to attend a meeting at which Elder Smith preached.  It was a Mutual Improvement meeting and Wells was the first speaker.  His talk had no impression whatsoever upon me; it seemed to convey nothing of value to me.  Elder

Slide    --Joseph F. Smith

Smith being the second speaker preached on the Word of Wisdom, and every word he spoke sank deep into my heart.  I found myself, as it were, lifted above the earth and in a new world.  I went home that night -- laid my pipe and tobacco on a shelf and said, "That is all I will have of you."  I didn't ever take it down again.  From that day I have endeavored to live up to the ideals and the high standards of the Church of Christ.

Slide    --Baptism

Three months after that meeting (on his 23rd birthday -- 9 Nov 1880), I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church by Bishop Albert D. Dickson.  Soon thereafter a number of the good Saints gathered at my father's house that I might read to them.  I chose the account of our Lord's trial before Pontius Pilate.  My heart went out to Him in that tragic hour.  I said to myself, "Would you have deserted Him and left Him alone to the cruel rage of those wicked men who damned for His death."  I said, "Never would I have forsaken Him."

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I went to my bed that night with that impression upon me.  I know not how long I lay but of a sudden I found myself in a large stone enclosure built of black lava rock, without a roof upon it.  It was so dark that I could find no way out.  I decided to call upon God to deliver me out of that darkness.  I knelt down and prayed most earnestly for some time; then a light came over the building.  I heard the air cut, and seven heavenly beings descended and stood around me, so close I could have touched any one of them.  They were dressed in white flowing robes, one, who seemed to be the leader held in his right hand a two edged sword pointed upwards.  Not one of them spoke to me and soon they ascended and went away as they had come; and I found myself on my bed very wide awake.  I told no one of this for some time; however, after several months I went to the Patriarch of the Stake and requested that he give me an understanding of this visitation.  He said, "My boy, that is easy.  The Lord was showing you how he had brought you out of darkness into light.  The sword you saw was the "Sword of Truth" spoken of by Paul.

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I married a fine LDS girl and we kept the Word of Wisdom all our days.  We lived together 50 years or more and 95% of our children are following in our foot-steps.  It seems to be part of their nature to keep the Word of Wisdom.

The following is given by a granddaughter, Marilynn Kingston Stevenson

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One strong memory I have of Grandpa Kingston was hearing my father, Richard, tell of the time he was called to administer to him.  Grandpa was very ill and not expected to live, and Richard blessed him that he would get well.  

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The next morning Richard was called again to his father's side.  Seeing that he felt much stronger, Richard expected his father to thank him for the blessing.  Instead he was told "Don't you ever again bless me to get well.  My wife is waiting for me on the other side.  I have done temple work for over 5,000 people.  I know that my work for them is not done till I look all of them up and see if they have accepted the Gospel."

CHARLES KINGSTON (1856-1944)

(from the Ogden Standard Examiner, Sunday, May 21, 1933, p 2B)

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"Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kingston of Ogden celebrated their golden wedding anniversary May 17, when a program was given in the Taylor Ward recreation hall.  All of the living children and many of the grand children were in attendance.  Mr. and Mrs. Kingston were married May 17, 1883, in the Salt Lake Endowment House.  Mrs. Kingston was formerly Miss Mary P. Tucker of Morgan. . . .

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Mr. Kingston's Church activities have been many and varied.  He served as stake president of the M. I. A.; as High Councilman in the Star Valley stake; second counselor to the president of Woodruff stake; counselor to the bishop of the Rock Springs ward, president of the high priests quorum of the Bingham stake; High Councilman, and president of the High Priests quorum in the North Weber stake.  He was also stake genealogical representative in the North Weber Stake for 12 years. . . .

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Mrs. Kingston has been a loyal mother of eleven children, which speaks for itself."

Charles Kingston and Mary Lerwill Priscilla Tucker were the proud parents of eleven children, three sons and eight daughters.

Slide    --Charles William Kingston; picture (#1987)         

Slide    --Vesta Minerva Stowell; picture in 1906 age 22 (#         

Slide    --Amanda Lavenda Newman; picture in 1954 age 47 (#1989)         

Slide    --Vesta Minerva Stowell (1884-1963); gravestone (#1988)        

Slide    --Charles William Kingston (1884-1975); gravestone (#1990)     

Charles William Kingston was born June 26th, 1884 at Croydon, Morgan County, Utah and was married May 17th, 1906 in the Logan Temple to Vesta Minerva Stowell.  She bore him six children.  He was married Mar. 30th, 1935 at Logan to Amanda Lavenda Newman.  She bore him seven children.  Vesta died Sep. 19th, 1963 age 79 at Salt Lake City and was buried Sep 21st in the Bountiful City Cemetery.  Charley died Nov. 29th, 1975 age 91 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah and was buried Dec. 2nd, in the Bountiful City Cemetery, Davis County, Utah.

Slide    --Hazel Kingston; picture in 1887 age 1 (#1991)

Slide    --Hazel Kingston; gravestone (#     )      

Hazel Kingston was born May 20th, 1886 at Croydon, Morgan County, Utah.  She died Sept. 30th, 1887, age 1 and was buried it the Morgan City Cemetery, Morgan County, Utah.

Slide    --Florence Ruth Kingston; picture (#1992)    

Slide    --Jesse Hans Nielsen (1885-1946); gravestone     

Slide    --Almon Dell Daniels Brown; Temple Index card (#        )

Slide    --Almon Dell Daniels Brown (1884-1960); gravestone (#1994)    

Slide    --Jesse Hans Nielsen; (#    ) picture

Slide    --Florence Ruth Kingston (1888-1981); gravestone (#       )

Florence Ruth Kingston was born Jan. 15th, 1888 at Morgan, Morgan County, Utah and was married June 11th, 1908 in the Salt Lake Temple to Jesse Hans Nielsen.  She bore him nine children.  She was married Aug. 15th, 1958 at Salt Lake City to Almon Dell Daniels Brown.  There were no children from this marriage.   Dell died Jan. 11th, 1960 age 75 at Mesa, Maricopa Co., Ariz. and was buried Jan. 16th in the Ogden City Cemetery.  Jesse died Aug. 25th, 1949 age 64 at Berrley, Alameda Co. Calif. and was buried Aug. 29th in the Brigham City Cemetery.  Florence died Jan. 24th, 1981 age 93 at Pleasanton, Alameda County, Calif. and was buried Jan. 31st in the Brigham City Cemetery, Box Elder County, Utah.

Slide    --Betsy Vilate Kingston (1888-1931); picture in 1924 age 36 (#1996)    

Slide    --Charles Henry Owen; (#1997) Temple Index card

Slide    --Charles Henry Owen (1887-1984); gravestone (#    

Slide    --Besty Vilate Kingston (1888-1931) gravestone (#1998)

Betsy Vilate Kingston was born Jan. 15th, 1888 at Morgan, Morgan County, Utah, and was married Sept. 15th, 1910 in the Salt Lake Temple to Charles Henry Owen.  She bore him seven children.   He died June 28th, 1984 age 97 at Taylorsville and was buried July 2nd in the Ogden City Cemetery. Bestsie died May 24th, 1931, age 43 at Salt Lake City and was buried May 26th in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Slide    --Richard James Kingston; picture in 1914 age 23 (#2000)    

Slide    --Minnie Eliza Jensen; picture in 1918 age 26 (#2001)

Slide    --Donna Estella Child; picture in 1972 age 70 (#2002)

Slide    --Minnie Eliza Jensen (1892-1955) gravestone (#2003)

Slide    --Richard James Kingston (1891-1971); gravestone (#2003)    

Richard James Kingston was born Apr. 21st, 1891 at Auburn, Uinta (now Lincoln) County, Wyo. and was married Oct. 23rd, 1919 in the Salt Lake Temple to Minnie Eliza Jensen.  She bore him three children.  He was married Sept. 9th, 1957 at Logan to Donna Estella Child.  There were no children from this marriage.  Minnie died Dec. 21st, 1955 age 63 at Ogden and was buried Dec. 23rd in the Ogden City Cemetery.  Richard died Oct. 8th, 1971 age 80 at Ogden, Weber County, Utah and was buried Oct. 12th in the Ogden City Cemetery.

Slide    --Estella Lucile Kingston; picture (#2005)    

Slide    --Horace Holley; picture in 1963 age 73 (#    

Slide    --Horace Holley; (1890-1973) gravestone (#2006)    

Slide    --Estella Lucile Kingston; (1893-1971) gravestone (#2006)    

Estella Lucile Kingston was born June 5th, 1893 at Grover,  Uinta County, Wyo. and was married Nov. 12th, 1913 in the Salt Lake Temple to Horace Holley.  She bore him seven children.  Horace died Jan 5th, 1973 age 82 at Salt Lake City was buried Jan 9th in the Ogden City Cemetery.  Stella died Sept. 29th, 1971, age 78, at Ogden, and was buried Oct. 2nd in the Ogden City Cemetery.

Slide    --Lillian Kingston; picture (#2007)

Slide    --Ephraim Poulter; (#2008) Temple Index card

Slide    --Ephraim Poulter (1893-1971); gravestone (#

Slide    --John Gordon Fisher; marriage certificate (#2009)     

Slide    --John Gordon Fisher (1890-    ); gravestone     

Slide    --Lillian Kingston (1895-1976); gravestone (#2010)

Lillian Kingston was born Feb. 26th 1895 at Afton, Uinta County, Wyo. and was married Dec. 19th, 1917 in the Salt Lake Temple to Ephriam Poulter.  They had one child.  Epharaim died Feb. 7th, 1971 age 77 at Salt Lake City and was buried Feb 11th in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.  She was married Feb. 14th, 1939 at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, Calif. to John Gordon Fisher.  There were no children from this marriage.  Lillian died Dec. 6th, 1976 age 81 at Ogden and was buried Dec. 9th in the Ogden City Cemetery.

Slide    --Clarence David Kingston; picture in 1968 age 71 (#1011)

Slide    --Viva Witt; picture in 1968 age 71 (#1012)

Clarence David Kingston was born Mar. 26th, 1897 at Grover, Uinta County, Wyo. and was married Mar. 20th, 1918 in the Salt Lake Temple to Viva Witt.  She bore him six children.

Slide    --Mary Elizabeth Kingston; picture (#2013)    

Slide    --Bruce Milford Olsen; (#2014) Temple Index card

Slide    --James Paul Reed; marriage date verification (#2015)

Slide    --Ira Oliver Fisher; (#2016) Temple Index card

Mary Elizabeth Kingston was born Dec. 27th, 1898 at Evanston, Uinta County, Wyo. and was married Nov. 22nd, 1917 in the Salt Lake Temple to Bruce Milford Olsen.  She bore him six children.  Bruce died Apr 25th, 1947 age 50 at Phoenix, Maricopa Co., Ariz. and was buried May 4th at Idaho Falls, Bonneville Co., Ida.  She was married Oct. 1st, 1951 at Ely, White Pine County, Nev. to James Paul Reed.  There were no children from this marriage.  She was married Aug. 15th, 1958 in the Salt Lake Temple to Ira Oliver Fisher.  There were no children from this marriage.  Ira died Dec. 5th, 1976 age 94 at Idaho Falls, Bnnneville Co., Idaho and was buried there in the Rose Hills Cemetery. 

Slide    --Luella Agnes Kingston; picture (#2017)

Slide    --Abram Mattson McFarland; Temple Index card (#         )

Slide    --Abram Mattson McFarland (1896-1983); gravestone     (#         )

Slide    --Luella Agnes Kingston (1901-1967); gravestone (#2018)    

Luella Agnes Kingston was born Mar. 24th, 1901 at Morgan, Morgan County, Utah and was married Jan. 8th, 1919 in the Salt Lake Temple to Abram Mattson McFarland.  She bore him six children.  Abram died Feb. 26th 1983 age 86 and was buried Mar 2nd in the Ogden City Cemetery.  She died July 28th, 1967 age 66 at Ogden, Weber County, Utah and was buried July 31st in the Ogden City Cemetery.

Slide    --Priscilla May Kingston; picture in 1924 age 21 (#2019)

Slide    --Vernon Oborn Maw picture in 1922 age 30 (#         )

Slide    --Vernon Oborn Maw (1892-1925); gravestone (#2021)

lide     --Priscilla May Kingston (1903-1925); gravestone (#2022)    

Priscilla May Kingston was born July 14th, 1903 at Evanston, Uinta County, Wyo. and was married Aug. 18th, 1922 in the Salt Lake Temple to Vernon Oborn Maw.  She bore him two chi