William Greenhalgh 1861-1943

William Greenhalgh was born on 18 March 1861, in Whalley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom. His mother Mary Moorcroft was 34 years old when William was born. His father was Thomas Greenhalgh and was 40. William was the seventh child of ten children. 

From the autobiography of his sister, Mary Greenhalgh Mace we read, "In April 29, 1865, our family of nine children with Father and Mother, left Liverpool for America on a sailing vessel called the Belle Wood. This ship was in the charge of Captain Freeman, a large red-headed Yankee, who said he had crossed the ocean six times. Our trip on the ocean lasted five weeks and two days. The captain said it was the nicest trip he had ever taken across the Atlantic Ocean."

"We landed at Castle Gardens, New York, June 2, 1865, and found the country in deep mourning over the tragic death of Abraham Lincoln. Everywhere we saw soldiers who were returning home from the Civil War. I remember one troop carrying what remained of a huge American Flag. The center had been taken out by a cannon ball, and soldiers were carrying it down the street by its corners. They looked ragged, tired and sick as they dragged themselves down the street to their quarters amid the shout of cheers and martial music." What a sight this must have been for 4 year old William after traveling so far on a difficult journey."

"My baby brother, (Francis Moorecroft Greenhalgh) who had been sick on voyage, died one month after we landed in New York and was buried in the Green Wood Cemetery."

"Our family stayed in New York City until the middle of September, where my sister Sarah and I obtained work in a silk factory. We were dissatisfied here because Father could not find work and we did not like living in a city either, but we were obliged to stay until we could do better. In a short time we heard of a manufacturing town called Co hoes, ("Spindle City" )which was eleven miles from Albany, so we moved there. Here we obtained a comfortable house in which to live, and secured work for us all. . ." We lived here until July 10th or 12th, 1866, when Father decided to move west to Utah."

Thomas and his family were called to the Cotton Mission, 1867

"We arrived in the little town of Washington, Utah on November 7, 1867," recalled his daughter Mary Ann. "Here we found a factory operating Mendenhall hand looms. Father now started to set up power looms immediately, and I began to weave cloth as soon as he got the first loom set up." These were the first power looms in the state of Utah.

William Marries Sarah Emily Potter, 1892

William Greenhalgh married Sarah Emily Potter from Kanab, Utah
2 November 1892. She was just fourteen years of age and he was thirty one.

Sarah's mother had passed away in December of 1891 after the birth of her ninth baby. "It was a sad thing for this Potter family of small children to have their mother taken from them. After this Elijah was never satisfied to stay in one place for long. He never remarried. . . Elijah kept the boys with him as they traveled around from place to place. " *

Keele Family Move, 1938

During the Great Depression in about 1938 the family of Chester R. Keele and Elizabeth Ruth Greenhalgh Keele moved to Twisp, Washington. They probably moved to find employment and join Elizabeth’s sister Sarah Melissa Workman that moved to the Wenatchee sometime before 1930.

It appears that William arrived in Wenatchee Washington only eighteen months before his death in June 1941. This may be one reason that most family members did not know of his gravesite. He lived with his daughter Elizabeth Greenhalgh Keele on Springwater Avenue.  William died when he was 81 years old in Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington and is buried at the Wenatchee City Cemetery. Please share his story so that he will not be forgotten!

William Greenhalgh saw a lot of changes in his lifetime, from a small boy born in England traveling with his family across the Atlantic, to a covered wagon train crossing the mountains to Utah. He may have saw the passing of his baby brother. His family settled in Southern Utah as pioneers. They established and worked in textile mills and at farming.

He had married a girl young enough to be his daughter and began his own family. He toiled on his farm raising children through dust bowl and depression through two world wars and the invention of phones, electricity and automobiles. Three of his children and his wife died before his passing in 1943. We can only imagine the life he led and the things he experienced, his personality, his work ethic and his love as a father.

His life and legacy lives on in each descendant that remembers and looks forward to a glorious reunion in the eternities.

Children of William Greenhalgh and Sarah Emily Potter:

• Sarah Melissa Greenhalgh 1893–1948, married Lindsay Nathaniel Workman 
• Elizabeth Ruth Greenhalgh 1900-1971, married Chester Reynald 

             Parents of Cleo, Chester, Fern, Beth, Ramona, Velva Jean and Lawanna. 

• Mary Emily Greenhalgh married Dumont Arbuckle 
• Alice Fern Greenhalgh married Denzil Rex Gardner 
• Myrtle Nellie Greenhalgh married Keith Warby 
• William Wallace Greenhalgh married Anne Sevella Wilson 
• George Greenhalgh born and died in 1907
• Eva Greenhalgh born and died 1908
• Elijah John Greenhalgh married Fern Marie Lamb 
• Wanda Greenhalgh married Charles Ambrose Potter 

*From the bio of Elijah John Potter, Familysearch.org

Sarah Emily Potter

    

     Of the ten children born to Elijah John Potter and Sarah Eliza Jolly, Sarah Emily Potter was the oldest surviving child. Four other siblings passed away while under two years old. Her mother passed a couple of months after giving birth to the youngest Pearl Melvina Potter. Pearl died just ten months later.

     From the history of Elijah John Potter we read, “Sarah Eliza died 14 Dec 1891 and is buried on a high hill overlooking Asay Creek, Garfield, Utah. It was a sad thing for this Potter family of small children to have their mother taken from them. After this Elijah was never satisfied to stay in one place for long. He never remarried and was both father and mother to his children. Elijah kept the boys with him as they traveled around from place to place.”

     This may have been one of the reasons that Sarah Emily married so young. Just days before her 14th birthday she married William Greenhalgh. In 1892 he was 31 years old, 17 years her senior. Together they had ten children. Her first was born when she was just 15 years. All but two children lived to adulthood, Sarah, Mary, Alice, Myrtle, Elizabeth (married to Chester Reynald Keele), William Wallace, George (died as an infant), Eva (died as an infant), Elijah John and Wanda Greenhalgh.

     In 1910 William and Sarah lived in Heber Valley described as, “one of several back valleys in the Wasatch Mountains, that was often called Utah's Switzerland because of the rugged beauty of Mount Timpanogos located to the west, its climate, and a large population of Swiss that settled in the area."

     In Williams obituary he is said to have raised sheep and cattle in this area. William and Sarah toiled on the farm raising children through the dust bowl, the great depression and through two world wars. They saw the invention of phones, electricity and automobiles.

     Life was hard for families in the these early days. Often as my husband and I go for drives in the country we longingly look at the lovely county homes in the midst of rolling hills and remember raising our children in such a place. We can hope and imagine that during Sarah's life there were periods of peace and joy and watching her children grow. 

Sarah Emily Potter/Greenhalgh/Slack
" .Grandma Slack Wanda and John her daughter and son"

Breast Cancer Awareness

     Important note! Sarah Emily Potter/Greenhalgh died of Bilateral Breast Carcinoma at just 58 years old if you are a descendant of this family line be aware and be diligent.

Sarah Emily Potter/ Greenhalgh
mother of 
Elizabeth Ruth Greenhalgh/Keele
mother of
  Cleo K. Keele
        Chester Gale
        Alice Fern Keele
        Elizabeth Keele 
        Ramona Mae Keele
        Velva Jean Keele/Latimer
        Lawanna Pauline Keele