Biography of Mary Boggs Perry (1843-1915)

Biography of Mary Boggs Perry

Mary Boggs Perry was born 12 April 1843 in Nauvoo, Illinois, a daughter of Francis Boggs and Elvina Martin. In 1847 she came with her mother and brother and sisters across the plains to Utah, being in the first ten of the second fifty of the first hundred under Daniel Spencer’s company, arriving in Salt Lake City in September, 1847.

Her father came in the first pioneer company under Brigham Young. The family lived in Salt Lake City for three years residing in the Eighth Ward. In 1850 they moved to Springville and lived there until 1857 when the family moved to Fillmore, Millard County. The daughter Mary had decided to live in Springville, and in the year 1857 was married to Stephen C. Perry as his fourth wife and became one of the mothers in this family. It must have been hard at times for Grandmother, but she was always of a quite cheerful disposition and never complained.

To this union were born eleven children, eight of whom are living at this time. They lived at Springville, Utah, the early part of their married life. In 1877 Stephen C. Perry and his wife, Mary Boggs, with their children moved up on a homestead on what was then called the Union Bench. Here, Grandma (to us) or Aunt Mary, (to the community) must have spent many lonely hours with just small children at home with her, as Grandfather’s other family still lived in Springville. She must also have spent many days of worry over the Indians, as there were few homes on the Bench at that time, and what few homes there were, were built far apart. The ground was covered with tall sagebrush with the possibility of an Indian hiding behind each bush.

Mary Boggs Perry and her children were indeed pioneers of the Union Bench, now known as Mapleton. Nine of her eleven children built nice, attractive homes in Mapleton. Three of these children later moved to other cities.

After the death of Aunt Ann Perry, second wife of Stephen C. Perry, Mary Boggs Perry took her youngest son, Charles, and raised him with her own family; he also built a nice home in Mapleton.

She was always a quiet, home-loving mother. In the later years of her life she built a new brick home near the first log house and lived there with her youngest son.

When the family first moved to the Union Bench in 1877, they had one log room for a home, but they later built a room of lumber on the east of the log room. But in July, 1884, after Aunt Ann’s death, the family moved back to Springville and lived in her home, as it had four rooms, so there was more room.

In the spring or [sic] 1884, Uncle Hine, Uncle George, and Aunt Ell were married, and as the old home was vacant, Uncle Hyrum and his wife, Luella Roundy Perry, and Uncle George and his wife, Charlotte Fullmer Perry, moved into the old home and each couple had one room. They lived there while they each built a home on the road south of the old home. Later Uncle George moved to Castle Valley, later Ferron, Utah, and Aunt Ell moved to Idaho.

Grandma lived in Springville until after 1890 when the home was sold, and they moved back to mapleton. Aunt Lucy was married by now and lived in Springville. They lived for a few years with Uncle Charl as he built him a five-room, brick home where Wings now live. When he was married in 1893 to Asenath Duncan, Grandma and her five boys moved back to the old two-room home. A few years later, marion, the youngest son, built a new brick home out by the road about ten rods east of the old home. Here Grandma lived until she died, about ten years later, on 11 March 1915. At that time her family were all married and lived near her.

--1938

The oldest daughter Francis was married April 9, 1883.