Betsy Ann Kay Goddard

Carried to Work Every Day

Betsy Ann Kay

1863-1921

Betsy Ann Kay was born Feb. 14, 1863, in Darwen, Eng.  Darwen was a manufacturing town.  Many large factories were there and most of the people were poor.  All members of the families had to work. Women and children as well as the men. As soon as Betsy was six or seven years old she was sent to the factory to work at the looms weaving cloth.  She said that her father carried her to work while she slept because they had to be to work very early.  Her father also worked as night watchman and her mother was considered one of the best weavers, operating two looms at once.

Her mother accepted the gospel was baptized when Betsy was 5 in the year 1868.  So as a small child she was taught the principals of Mormonism.  At that time everyone was compelled to go to the Church of England.  She was made to learn chapter after chapter of the Bible and repeat them from memory.  But at home she learned L.D.S. doctrine.  She was baptized when she was 8 years old by John Holden.  She must have helped teach her father about the truth as he was baptized 5 years later with her little sister.  They were the only ones of their extended families to belong to the Church and the only family in that vicinity, so they were looked down upon as Mormons by the people of the community.  They had to walk many miles to attend Sunday meetings. They would get up early Sunday morning and walk there and stay all day for the other meetings.  They enjoyed the day with the members very much.  

         The family always had enough to share with the Elders.  Many missionaries were welcome guests in their home.  John Tanner and William Smith Tanner were two of the missionaries that came quite often.  William Smith Tanner became very friendly with the family.  The family never tired of his stories about living in Nauvoo as a young boy and about sitting on the lap of Joseph Smith while the men made plans. They heard of how his father was in the Liberty jail with Joseph Smith and what is was like after the Martyrdom.  

         When Elder Smith Tanner was released from his mission in 1884 Betsy Ann and her girlfriend a Miss Kirkman decided to travel to UT with Elder Tanner.  Elder Tanner had made good money in the freighting business and he loaned money to people to emigrate to Utah.  Betsy Ann and Miss Kirkham must have grown in the gospel together as it was a Kirkham who baptized Betsy’s mother.

Their friends all tried to persuade them not to go to Utah and told them all kinds of untrue stories of Utah and the Mormons.  They told them that there was a big wall around Utah and once in, they would never be allowed to get out again.  Betsy’s boos said he would give her another big loom and that meant quite an honor in that manufacturing district.  His son also asked Betsy to stay in England to marry him.  But she was determined to go to Utah.  So, in the year 1884, when she was 21 she and her girlfriend came to Utah with Elder William Smith Tanner.  Betsy stayed close with the Tanner family and her daughter ended up marrying Elder Tanner’s 9th child. A child who was born at the time Elder Tanner was on his mission. Betsy lived with the Tanner family for a short time in Provo, Ut.  

Betsy Ann married Henry John Goddard in 1886.  

         In July of 1890 Betsy Ann’s parents, a sister and brother also came to Utah. Kitty, her youngest sister had died just 7 months before their departure.  Her brother died of typhoid fever just three months after arriving in Utah.  Their sorrow was almost more than they could bear, losing both of them within a year.  They were happy they were in Utah and their faith in the Gospel never faltered. 

Betsy Ann and Henry John were the parents of 6 children.  Their first child died at age 6. It must have been so hard losing a little boy. Another little boy Elvin died at age 2 when he inhaled a bean down his windpipe. They were unable to remove it or prevent it from swelling.  

Betsy Ann and Henry John were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple the tenth of April 1995.  That same day they had their children sealed to them, her aunt Jane was endowed.  

*All of the information in this book comes from LDS Family Search, DUP histories, Mormon Overland Pioneer Trail Histories, personal family histories or research of historical facts on the internet.