Ann Maria Easter Bailey Sharp Evans 1868-1923
Father John "W" Sharp
Mother Ann Maria Bailey Sharp
Husband Charles Evans
Mother to
Charles John Evans 1890
Ann Jane Evans 1891
*Evan George Evans 1894
Flarence Maria Evans 1896
Earl David Evans 1898
Zina Easter Evans 1899
Lavera Bailey Evans 1902
Artie Sharp Evans 1904
Lee Robert Evans 1907
Elden Stephen Evans 1910
Elvis Henry Evans 1913
History of Ann Maria Easter Bailey Sharp Evans
I was born the 17th of October, 1868. The fifth child of John “W” and Ann Maria Bailey Sharp. I was blessed by Bishop Alexander McRae. y older brothers are John George (6th of February, 1862), Charles Philip (3rd June 1863), James Henry (31st of December 1864 - died 8th October, 1865) Samuel Thomas (15th of January, 1867 - died 10th of November 1867).
When my father and mother arrived in the valley they rented a little house from Silas Richards in Union. My brother John George was born here. My Father went to the city to work in May of 1862. The only place they could find to rent was a hole in the ground with a roof over it. Father soon purchased a vacant lot across the road form the dugout. He went to work and dug a large hole in the ground, and made some adobes from the dirt. He hand made the dugout and fixed it up for our own. They lived in this dugout until the fall of 1866 when Father built a two adobe brick home with a lean-to kitchen of lumber. This is the home I was born in. I was a daughter of promise. After Mother lost her second baby in a row she was so distraught that her health was failing. The Elders of the church came and gave her a blessing. They told her that a comforter would be sent to her. Shortly after this blessing, she was with child again and she felt a great comfort. When I was born she was overjoyed and knew the blessing had been answered. I was always close to my Mother.
When I was about four years old (1872) we moved to the country, on 7615 So. State Street in the town of Union. It was about 12 miles south of Salt Lake City. Father homesteaded one hundred sixty five acres here and built a home on it. He gave his brother Charles the South half of the homestead as he had helped my Father emigrate to this country.
I was very happy when Mother had a baby boy on the 28th July, 1872. He was named Stephen William. Imagine a new little brother living at our home. I really enjoyed being a bit sister and helping take care of him.
I must tell you about a very spiritual experience I had. Just after I was eight years old on the 3rd of November, 1876 I was baptized in the creek which ran through our yard by my father, John “W” Sharp. I was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by my Father at a meeting held in Union. Union was a part of the So. Cottonwood Ward at this time. Even though we were part of the So. Cottonwood Ward a Presiding Elder had been assigned to look after our small town. When he was not out of town or on assignments our meetings were held in Union otherwise we traveled to the So. Cottonwood Ward. On the 1st of July, 1877 Union Ward was officially organized with Ishmael Phillips who had been our Presiding Elder as our Bishop.
When I was old enough to go to school, I had to walk from our home on State Street and 7615 So. to the Union Fort School House about 1050 East and 7200 South including the three coldest months of the year. This was a distance of about three and one half miles one way. On Saturday I had to walk up to the Fort for Primary. I really enjoyed attending Primary.
I was always complimented on my penmanship. People said it was beautiful. I guess this is why in 183 when I was fifteen years old, I was chosen assistant treasure of the Primary. I held that office for two years. The following year, on the 11th of September, 1884 I was chosen Secretary of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association and was set apart on the 16th of September, 1884 by Marion H. Brady. I held this position until 1889. I always signed my name Ann M. E. B. Sharp until I was married and then I signed it Ann M. E. B. S. Evans.
I never had real good health and was administered to by the Elders several times. What a blessing and comfort this was to me.
I started to pay special attention to a neighbor boy Charlie (Charles) Evans who lived just down the street from us in 1887 or 1888. He and his mother (Jane Evans Evans Richards) lived close to his sister Joyce (Choyce) and her husband Daniel Jones who Charlie also worked for. When we decided to get married, we went to Logan on the 11th day of February, 1889. Charlie was baptized for some of his family on the 12th day of February, 1889 and I was baptized for my health in the Logan Temple by Brother Buarned and confirmed by Borther M. W. Merrill on the 13th of February, 1889. Our witnesses were N. C. Edledfsen and S. S. Tibbits.
We lived with my Mother and Father for nearly two years until we could get our house built on a ten acre piece of land that my Father gave us. The land was all sage brush but a nice fertile piece of land. We worked on clearing the sage brush and building our two room home which we didn’t quite finish in time for the birth of our first child. Charles John Evans our first child was born on the 1st January, 1890. Our home was finally completed and we moved in it. Our home was blessed with a little daughter named Ann Jane Evans on the 14th of July 1891. Charlie was still working part time with Daniel Jones, also working on the railroad track crew in Midvale and still trying to get the farm cleared. Our home was blessed with another son Evan George Evans on the 14th February1894. We were blessed with another daughter Flarence Maria Evans on the 15th of April, 1896. A little son Earl David Evans was born on the 4th of January 1898. Tragedy struck our home when on the 15th of April, 1898 our oldest son Charles John passed away. He was just eight years, three months and fourteen days old. Even at this tender age he was a great help to us. I had a hard time getting over his death. We were blessed with a daughter ZIna Easter Evans born the 31st of December, 1899. We only had her with us for two and a half months when on the 16th of Marcy 1900 she passed away. Both John and Zina are buried in the South Cottonwood Cemetery (Later changed to Murray City Cemetary). Lavera Bailey Evans was born n the 29th of August, 1902. Artie Sharp Evans on the 24th of September, 1904. Lee Robert Evans on the 26th of January, 1907. Elden Stephen Evans on he 28th of October, 1910 and Elvis Henry Evans on the 22 May, 1913. This completed our family with eleven children in all.
Charlie had changed jobs and was now working at the Midvale Smelter. We had also bought six and a half more acres of land form my brother George. This gave us 16 acres of ground which kept us busy and provided us with plenty of fruits and vegetables to feed our family. We had a large cellar about ten feet east of our back porch and with our large family needed to keep it full with bottled fruit and vegetables. We stored potatoes, squash, onions, and the likes in here also. It was a lot of work to keep up with everything. By now we had need of more room and had added another two rooms and a nice front and back porch to our home.
My mother died 23 February 1910. My what a loss. I missed her very much.
As our children grew we were very happy with the choices they were making. Evan left on a mission to Great Britain on the 9th of July 1913. We were excited to think he was going to the land where Charles and my parents had lived. Although he labored in Scotland he was given permission to visit Charlies’ family in Wales and my fathers brothers in Northampton. What a thrill it was to hear about our families. We were excited when we had a visit from one of Evan’s missionary companions. His name was William Harold Keysor from Salt Lake City. A romance developed and on 21st of June 1916 our daughter Flarence was married to William Harold Keysor. On the 24th of August 1916 Evan married Eva Arzell Thompson. Ann married George Thomas Sainsbury the 6th of March 1918. On the 18th of September 1918 Earl married Melva Louis Berrett. Lavera married Ellis Reed Maxfield on the 16th of June 1921. On the 26th of November 1924 Artie married Sylvia Elizabeth Ainsworth. My what a thrill it was to see them grow and develop. When the grandchildren came along what a joy it was to be around them.
Charlie became very ill in 1919. This was a great worry to me. He had been working in the arsnic plant and the arsnic had eaten the lining in his nose and his lungs and he had to quit working at the smelter. Charlie then made a living by working on the farm and doing odd jobs.
My father John “W” Sharp passed away while he was visiting with us on the 26th March, 1923. This was a great loss to me. He was such a kind gentle father and I loved him dearly. At this time I felt I needed some added comfort so I received a blessing. I received my blessing on the 8th of May, 1923 by Hyrum G. Smith.
Ann Maria Easter Bailey Sharp Evans was called home to her Heavenly Father on the 6th of June, 1926. She was buried in the Murray City Cemetery which used to be known as the So. Cottonwood Cemetery on the 9th of June, 1926 at the foot of her two children. God Bless her name.
She is survived by her husband, daughters Ann (Tom) Sainsbury, Flarence (Harold) Keysor, Lavera (Ellis) Maxfield, sons Evan (Eva), Earl (Melva), Artie (Sylvia), Lee, Elden and Elvis and eighteen grandchildren. (The three youngest sons were married later.)
Lee married Bertha Lucile Poulsen on the 14th of October 1926. SHe passed away on 2nd of October 1967. He later married Faye Clark Holmberg Nelson on the 17th of August 1974.
Elden married Nola Josephine Stone 22 February 1937.
Elvis married June Larsen 12 June 1936.
Compiled by Lucile Evans Smith, granddaughter.
Reference Sources
- John George Sharp (Ann M. E. B. S. Evans Brother) gave this information to Lucile Evans Smith while visiting with her on the 9th of July 1950.
- History of A M E B SHarp Evans Written by Lavera B. Evans Maxfield
- History of ANn Maria Bailey Sharp by A.M.E.B.S. Ecans
- History of Charles Evans by Lavera B. Evans Maxfield.
- History of John “W” Sharp COmpiled by Violette S. Cutler.
- Historice Record Vol. 5-8 Church Encyclopedia Book 1
- Nellie Cutler has abstract for homstead
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