Frederick Walter Parish

FREDERICK WALTER PARISH son of John Henry Parish and Sarah Knight was born 4 Feb. 1848 at Eynsbury, Huntington, England. His mother and children joined the church and decided to come to America. Their father didn’t want to come so they came without him. He was baptized 27 March 1861. The family moved to Willard and there he met Nancy Henrietta Call and they were married 27 Dec. 1875 in Salt Lake City Utah in the Endowment House. They moved to Willard, Box-Elder, Utah and while living there four children were born. They then moved to Elba, Cassia, Idaho in 1882 or 1883. Eight more children were born here. They had a farm and Frederick ran a thrashing machine. They raised farm crops and cattle. He was a good farmer and always had a good garden and good orchard. The farm was not very big and they had a hard time making a living for the large family. As soon as the oldest children were old enough they went to work and helped raise the smaller ones.
Frederick was very active in dramatics, being president of the Theatrical Group in Elba. The men made the scenery, building the frames while the women painted the scenery. He gave readings. He was a very public spirited man, always working to build up the community and the ward. He loved celebrations. He held positions in the ward and at one time went to Salt Lake City and the Logan Temple where he and his mother did temple work for some of their ancestors.
He was a great reader and read only good books. Later in life he was not able to read as much as he lost one of his eyes, which caused him much regret.

He enjoyed children but the grandkids were afraid of him because he spoke crisp and harsh. He was dark and wore a moustache. He loved horses. As he became older he became deaf. After his wife died he still wanted to be alone. He drove a one horse buggy. He ate by himself and really enjoyed being alone. In 1919 his daughter Amber Glenn and her family moved into the house and he lived with them.
He had a bad heart and when Uncle Walter of Rigby Idaho was killed he was not able to go to the funeral.
One day he went to town to get some groceries, mostly consisting of sardines. When he returned home he went outside to get some chips to build a fire. When he went to go into the house he fell off the step under a bush that was right by the door. Orvis Parish, his grandchild was getting in the cows and decided to go visit his grandpa. He found him under this bush. Evidently he died of a heart attack.
The rest of the family was in Rigby attending the funeral of Walter Frederick, a son who was killed by a train. Alta Parish, a granddaughter called the family and they hurried home to prepare for Frederick’s funeral. Frederick had requested he not be taken to a mortuary so after his death they kept bottles filled with ice packed around him. He was a simple man who lived simply. He did not care for show. He was buried in a simple home-made casket in the Elba Cemetery. He died 26 Sept 1927 at Elba, Cassia, Idaho

FREDERICK WALTER PARISH

By Alta Parish Glade, a granddaughter

(Submitted to Family Blog by Suzanne J. Belger (desertmtnmalinois@gmail.com)

Frederick Walter Parish was born at Eyunsbury, Huntington England, the son of John

Henry and Sarah Knight Parish. His father died at an early age, just thirty-six years.
While he was still young, his mother and her three small sons joined the Mormon Church
and came to America. They finally came to Utah, settling in Willard, Box Elder County.

In Willard he met Nancy Henrietta Call, whose family had moved there also.

Four children were born while the family lived there, namely: William, Walter, Mary

and my father, Alonzo Franklin.

About 1882 or 1883, the family moved to Elba, Cassia County, Idaho. My father,

Lon, was only a few months old. Mary had died when only thirteen days old and is buried
in Willard.

The farm was not very large, but they raised cattle and hay and grain.

Twelve children were born to the union. Mary and Elmer died while very young. They

all worked so hard and as soon as the older boys were big enough they went to work any
place they could find work to help support the big family.

Grandfather was a public spirited man, always working to build the community into a

better place, helping in the Ward. He loved celebrations, and was also at the head of the
Elba Dramatic Club for many years.

He held positions in the Ward and at one time went to Willard, where he and his

mother went to the Logan Temple, where he and his mother did work for many of their
family, among them his father and several of the Knights, his mother's family.

As long as I can remember, Grandfather was hard of hearing, so became an avid reader

and had to withdraw from some of his activities. He read the scriptures and good
literature.

Later in life, he lost the sight in one eye and was not able to read as much, which was a

great hardship and handicap to him.

After my Grandmother's death in 1919, his daughter, Amber Glenn and family moved

in the home and took care of him. Later, his son Ellis bought the farm and moved there.
Grandfather died there.

He was a good farmer and raised good gardens and had a good fruit orchard.

My uncle, Walter Parish of Rigby, Idaho, was hit and killed instantly by a train. He

died on 24 September 1927.

Grandfather had developed a bad heart, so could not go to the funeral. My Uncle Ellis,

my parents and all of his children had gone to Rigby to the funeral. I was at home taking
care of my brothers and sisters.

Grandfather had a one-horse buggy and loved to go to the store and get a few goodies

and fix himself a meal. So he went to the store and stopped at our home (which was only
l/4 of a mile east of his home) on his way to the store. I told him to stop when he went
home and I would have a good dinner ready, but he went on by.

Later on my brother Orvis went up in Grandfather's pasture to look at some traps he

had set there, then to bring the milk cows down. He got to the back gate and was
prompted to go back, so did and found Grandfather dead on the back door step, with a
pan of chips which he had to make a fire with.

Every one was gone, so Orvis called me.- He was only fourteen years old, but had

gotten Grandfather to the couch in the front room. I went right up in the old model-T and
he was crying and so frightened. I had to find Grandfathers dentures, clean and put them
in, find and put his glass eye in.

We stopped a neighbor who was coming from the canyon with a load of fire wood.

We found planks and laid Grandfather out. I called the Bishop who then called the Relief
Society President. They came, washed and dressed him and prepared him for burial.

Grandfather's request was that he not be taken to a mortuary and that he be buried in a

-simple home made casket.

I helped sit up with him the first night, as we had to go to Malta and get ice and keep it

packed around him until his burial so the body would not go dark.

My parents got home the following day. He died September 26, 1927, at age seventy-

nine years. He was a very simple man, not wanting show or the limelight.

He was buried at Elba cemetery beside my Grandmother.