By Annie Fife Layton

In the little town of Clackmananshire, Scotland, lived the family of Adam Fife. As it would seem natural in that mining district to work in the coal mines, Grandfather, with his ever diligent wife, Ellen Sharp Fife, supported their family by working faithfully in these places of industry.

To these hard-working people were born 15 children, three of whom died in infancy. My father, Joseph Fife. born September 9, 1842, was the tenth child born in the Scotland home. When father was 7 years old, his parents joined the church, after collecting all their worldly possessions together, they emigrated to the United States. It was in the year 1849 that these good people, with their family, left their native country on a sailing vessel. As we can really understand, these vessels were very inconvenienced, and it always required some time to make the voyage. It took this good vessel three months to cover the perilous ocean to the land of peace and prosperity.

During the time they were on the water, the cholera broke out on the ship and many died. The hand of death finally descended on the Fife family, and father's little sister, Ellen, age five, passed away. Although father was very young, he could remember his sister's death and her burial ceremony at sea. So many deaths had occurred at the time of her death that the supply of sinkers used to weight the body to the bottom of the ocean had completely diminished. When they put the young child overboard, her body floated for miles in the path of the ship.

They landed at New Orleans and came up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. They remained in this town until 1851. Then, as many had done before them and as many were to do after them, they provided themselves with oxen and wagons and began their long, weary journey across those waste plains toward Utah, the land of the golden West, and home.

On arriving at their destination, they settled in Salt Lake City, where they stayed about two years. It was here that father saw that glorious temple of God rise from foundation to a structure. His brother, John, hauled the corner stone from the canyon, taking about two weeks to make the trip. They then moved to Iron County where they lived about 2-1/2 years. From this county their fortunes led them to move to Cedar City, though they did not live there long. Their changing of homes did not, however, close here. In 1856 this sturdy pioneer family moved to Riverdale, Weber, County. Grandfather secured a quarter section of land from the government and began his remaining life as a farmer. This life did not last long, however, for five years later, when father was yet a boy, this beloved old gentleman passed away, leaving father with the farm, his mother, and five sisters to care for.

His happiness in life was not over for him for in 1865 he married Martha Ann Bingham. With his good wife he lived on the farm in Riverdale with his mother and he began to freight by ox team. He unloaded the first freight at Fort Douglas. He also freighted from Carson City, Nevada and was there before the Pony Express was established. He often told of the time when he took a load of Chinamen to Montana. They were unable to speak the English language. Father was alone with them. One night he became ill. The next morning, however, he went out to get his team and discovered they were gone. He started after them, but fell. One of the Chinaman helped him to the wagon. The Chinaman also found the team and helped father the rest of the journey.

There are a number of sad episodes that always strike one's life. Father's was not over, for in April 1866, his loving mother died, leaving him with his four sisters to care for. She was buried in Salt Lake City. The roads were very muddy. He had to take her body there on the running gears of the wagon, and it took two days to make the trip to the cemetery. But a great joy came into his life, for in July of the same year, his first child was born, it being a girl, she was called Ellen, for his mother. His occupation still consisted of farming and freighting. He would plant the seed in the Spring. He paid $1.00 a pound for alfalfa seed. Mother took care of it in the Summer, and father came home to harvest it in the Fall; thus they raised the first alfalfa in Weber County.

My parents reared 13 children (Grandpa Fife was the second child), but they still had a warm spot in their hearts for others. As a result they reared two orphaned boys to manhood.

Father has much to his memory. Besides acting as a foreman of the grading crew on the UPRR from Greenriver, Wyoming to Ogden, he was road supervisor for years, president of the Irrigation Company. He supervised the building of the first meeting house and school house at Riverdale, and was the first president of the MIA in that town. He was always interested in the welfare of the community and state. It is no wonder that everyone who knew him called him by the familiar name of "Uncle Joe'.

He had trials as well as happiness. His life was saddened beyond belief when on September 13, 1914, his beloved wife left his home on earth. Father then made his home with his youngest daughter, Kathrine Fife Farr, at Riverdale. Having retired from active service, he lived a quiet, peaceful life until November 4, 1921, when he joined those loved ones above at the age of 79 years. His life was an active life, fraught with good results, prompted by honorable purposes, and winning for him that good name which is rather to be chosen than great riches.