Elizabeth Ann Ashby (1876-1956)

Elizabeth Ann Ashby McBride
Libby McBride
Born:	26 Sep 1876 St. George, Utah
Died:	7 May 1956 Tooele, Utah
Father:	Nathaniel Ashby
Mother:	Martha Ann Truman
Siblings	Richard Truman Ashby Jacob Henry Ashby Elizabeth Ann Ashby Alice May Ashby Emma Lualla Ashby Rodney Carlos Ashby John Franklin Powell Jesse Truman Powell Nathaniel Ashby Powell
Married:	17 Jun 1894 Fillmore, Utah
Spouse:	John Sheridan McBride
Children:	Van Francis McBride Martha Ann McBride Ray Ashby McBride

Elizabeth Ann Ashby was born Tuesday, September 26, 1876, at the St. George, Washington County home of Nathaniel and Martha Ann Truman Ashby. She was the third child and oldest daughter in the family. She was named for her Grandmother, Elizabeth Boyes Truman.

Elizabeth was six years old when her father, Nathaniel, died. She was eight when her mother married John Powell in 1885. She always went by the name Libby as a child. In 1888 the Powell/Ashby family moved up to Fillmore, Millard County, Utah. It was there that Libby finished her schooling and attended the Millard Academy.

Because of John Powell's marriage to Libby's mother, John was convicted of co-habitation in 1889 and spent several months in the state penitentiary. On Christmas Day, 1889, Libby wrote to her step-father:

Martha Ann Truman (1850-1892)

Martha Ann Truman Ashby Powell
Grandma Martha Ann
Born:	2 May 1850
Died:	26 Feb 1892
Father:	Jacob Mica Truman
Mother:	Elizabeth Boyes
Siblings	Martha Ann Truman John Franklin Truman Emma Maria Truman Jacob Boyce Truman George Almus Truman William Thomas Truman Lucius Truman Lucy Elizabeth Truman Albert Henry Truman Mary Lois Truman Lacina Almena Truman Esther Priscilla Truman
Married:	11 Aug 1870 Salt Lake City, Utah
Spouse:	Martha Ann Truman
Children:	Richard Truman Ashby Jacob Henry Ashby Elizabeth Ann Ashby Alice May Ashby Emma Lualla Ashby Rodney Carlos Ashby
Married:	20 Mar 1885 St. George, Utah
Spouse:	John Powell
Children:	John Franklin Powell Jesse Truman Powell Nathaniel Ashby Powell

Martha Ann Truman was born Thursday, May 2, 1850, at the Cottonwood, Great Salt Lake County home of Jacob Mica and Elizabeth Boyes Truman. She was the oldest child of the family. She was named for her Grandmother, Martha Spencer Truman.

By the time she was a teenager, her father answered Brigham's call to go south, where the family settled in the Mountain Meadows country of Washington County, Utah Territory. It was in that area that she came to know the Ashby family, probably when the Trumans would travel in to St. George for supplies and trade.

Martha married Nathaniel Ashby, on Thursday, August 11, 1870. The couple was sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Nathaniel was a newly called Bishop. He had been sustained as the Bishop of the St. George 4th Ward the previous November. 20 year-old Martha joined his family as the second wife. Nathaniel had previously married Mary Virginia Garr and she was not quite 10 years Martha's senior. Nathaniel was almost 15 years older than Martha.

Nathaniel and Martha had 6 children together. Their first child, a son, was born at the home of Martha's mother, in Mountain Meadows. The rest of Martha and Nathaniel's children were born in St. George. They were:

Richard Truman Ashby, b. 2 Apr 1872, d. 14 Oct 1920, md. Minnie Colegrove, 14 Nov 1894
Jacob Henry Ashby, b. 2 Mar 1874, d. 21 Apr 1881
Elizabeth Ann Ashby, b. 26 Sep 1876, d. 7 May 1956, md. John S. McBride, 19 Jun 1894
Alice May Ashby, b. 8 Apr 1877, d. 22 Apr 1881
Emma Luella Ashby, b. 21 Jan 1879, d. 24 Apr 1881
Rodney Carlos Ashby, b. 12 Dec 1880, d. 1 Nov 1904, md. Jennie Warner, 9 Jan 1901

Tragedy struck the Ashby home in 1881. Martha’s granddaughter records that diphtheria broke out in their home that summer. The death of 3 children in less than a week would have been a hard trial for anyone to bear. Martha's sister wife also lost a child that same summer. It was a period of great tribulation for the Ashby family.

It appears that the family turned to the Gospel for comfort. Martha received her patriarchal blessing later that year on December 4, 1881 from William G. Perkins. Nathaniel had received his blessing three days earlier. Martha's blessing gives us a small glimpse into her life and character. It states: "Thou art an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile...You will go to the central stake of Zion. There you will have a house built unto you in the name of the Lord. You will keep that as a paradise. Your neatness will be admired by all that see it, for the glory of your Redeemer will be there, and you will see as you are seen and know as you are known." She was also blessed that "your children will grow up as men and women in the gospel and accomplish a great and glorious work."

Richard Truman Ashby (1872-1920)

Richard Truman Ashby
Grandpa Ashby
Born:	2 Apr 1872 Mountain Meadows, Utah
Died:	14 Oct 1920 Fillmore, Utah
Father:	Nathaniel Ashby
Mother:	Martha Ann Truman
Siblings	Richard Truman Ashby Jacob Henry Ashby Elizabeth Ann Ashby Alice May Ashby Emma Lualla Ashby Rodney Carlos Ashby John Franklin Powell Jesse Truman Powell Nathaniel Ashby Powell
Married:	14 Nov 1894 Manti, Utah
Spouse:	Minnie Colegrove
Children:	Martha Geneva Ashby Richard Eugene Ashby Fern Ashby Alice May Ashby

Obituary

The Progress, about 22 Oct 1920 [found in the scrapbook of Scott Ashby Speakman]:

Richard T. Ashby

Laid at Rest

A depressing gloom was cast over the whole community last Saturday when the sorrowful news was passed from one to another that the esteemed citizen, Richard T. Ashby, had died unexpectedly and apparently very suddenly of heart failure at his farm. Saturday morning he was found by two neighbors in his farm house in a sitting position where he had apparently died a sudden and painless death. The fact that he still wore his boots and his hat indicated that he must have come in from the days work, sat upon the couch and passed away without a struggle. It is thought probable that he died on the evening of October 14th.

The funeral services were held last Monday and the Ward Chapel was filled beyond capacity, not only with townspeople but many form all parts of the county and other parts of the state. It was one of the largest funerals ever held in Millard County.

The speakers were all eloquent and feelingly earnest in extolling the many virtues of that good man. They were Bishop Rufus Day, John Cooper, Attorney James Alex Melville and Judge D. H. Morris. Resolutions of respect and condolence from County Officials at the Court House were read by County Attorney Grover A. Giles. The group of lawyers and court officials now holding court here also presented resolutions of respect. Court was adjourned for the day in recognition of Mr. Ashby's faithful services as County and District Court Clerk for three successive terms.