Creer Family History

 

Elizabeth Roach 1828-1885

George Gary Creer Paternal Great Great Grandmother

Elizabeth Roach was born June 21, 1828 at Llanelly, Carmarthen, South Wales. She was the daughter of John Roach and Elizabeth Evans Roach. She married William Christmas on December 14, 1847 in Llanelly, Carmarthen, South Wales. To this marriage six children were born – two boys and four girls.

In the year 1868 or 1869, Elizabeth Roach Christmas joined the Mormon Church in Llanelly, Wales. Her father, John Roach and brother, Walter, joined the Church a few years before and came to Utah, later coming to Spanish Fork. They were so happy and glad they had made the change. Walter went back to Llanelly, Wales as a missionary and converted Elizabeth and her husband to join the Mormon Church, sell out, and come to America. He explained that America was a big country and a land of opportunity while Wales was such a small country without much chance to grow, and mining was the main industry.

Now Elizabeth and her family were happy they and joined the Church and were very anxious to come to Utah as soon as they could. They owned four homes, were quite well-to-do, comfortably fixed, and her husband had a good job, but Elizabeth wanted to raise her family in Utah and was willing to make the change. They sold everything they owned, except a few things which were the most dear to Elizabeth, and on June 1, 1869, she, with her husband and little family of five children, left their native land which they loved so much, never to return again. It was a very difficult thing to do but they thought it would be worth the sacrifice.

The Christmas family sailed on Guion and Company’s steamship “Minnesota” with 338 other Saints, under the direction of Elias Morris. This ship was very old – almost worn out and they had so much trouble with it. The ocean was very rough. Elizabeth was not a very strong woman and was very ill all the way over. She often told her friends she thought she would never live to see land again. But she did, and when they could all see land almost everyone aboard cried tears of joy for they were so tired and so happy to see land. They were met in New York by some of their Welsh friends who were so happy to see folks from their homeland. They did everything they could to make them happy, and to make them feel they had done the right thing by coming to this great country.

They did not stay long in New York, but came on to Utah with the first company of Saints who came all the way from Missouri River by rail. They arrived in Ogden, Utah on Friday, June 25, 1869. Here at the station was Elizabeth’s brother to meet them. It was a very happy reunion. Walter had a wagon and a team of good horses so they started for Spanish Fork with all their belongings, arriving there on June 29, 1869, and went to live at Walter Roach’s home until they could get a home of their own.

It was a hard change to make – coming to a new country with only a few Welsh people who were very poor. You could not buy food if you had all kinds of money. The Christmas’ had money, but there was nothing to buy. The people were just starting to break up the land and make ditches to get the water on the land. They did not know much about doing this as it was a new undertaking for most of the people. It was hard times for Elizabeth and her family for a few years, but times changed. The children got work for they were all good workers; the father got a job he could do in the Tintic District, and they were soon fixed up comfortably.

Elizabeth was a good, kind wife and mother, and a very good housekeeper. She was a quiet, reserved woman, and everyone who knew her, loved her. She was good to everyone. Her friends said of her that she did not have an enemy for she always saw the good and fine things in people. Elizabeth was very glad she had the chance to come to Utah to raise her family and felt that the Lord had blessed her more than she could tell.

Elizabeth Roach Christmas died from pneumonia on August 26, 1885 at the age of 57 years and was buried in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery.