Thomas and Mary (Polly) Catmull Chandler

Thomas was born 14 Apr 1851, in Graveley, England, son and 6th of 10 children of John Chandler and Hannah Tack, and apparently, the only member of his family to join the Church, doing so as a married man, after his wife and her mother first embraced the gospel.

Mary (Polly) Catmull was born 19 Apr 1857, in Graveley, Cambridgeshire, England, daughter and 3rd of eight children born to John Bradley Catmull and Susan Arbon.

Thomas and Mary (Polly) Catmull were married on 17 Sep 1873, when he was 22 and she was 16. Their first child, born 24 June 1874, a son named Albert, died at eleven months. Their second, a daughter named Gertrude, was born 6 Sep 1875, and lived to die at the age of 81 in Pocatello, ID. Gertrude was a seven months old, and Polly was expecting her third child, when she and her mother, Susan, were baptized 19 Apr 1876, when Polly was 19.

Thomas was baptized 15 Jun 1876, at age 25, and emigrated with his wife and family, and perhaps her family, to America as a member of the Church. Thomas and Polly ultimately had 20 children, five in England, one of whom (Gertrude) survived, and 15 in America, nine of whom survived to older age. We can speculate that cystic fibrosis, unknown at that time, may have been a factor in the deaths of their children, half of whom (10 of 20) died of “consumption.” The 8th child (3rd in America), and 3rd overall to survive to older age, was William, born 7 Mar 1882, in Calvin, Oneida, ID, north of Logan, in Cache Valley, UT. He lived to marry Eliza Lovina Babbitt 7 Mar 1906, in Pocatello, ID, and died in Rupert, ID 16 Jul 1954, at the age of 72.

Thomas and Polly were endowed and sealed to each other 28 Nov 1895, in the Logan Temple, when he was 44 and she was 38. Mary was sealed to her parents in the Logan Temple on 7 Jul 1906.

Entry 11/6/05: My father, Joseph Leland Hepworth, was 5 when his great grandmother Polly died and 13 when Tom died. He has personal memories, which I will record as follows.

Polly was a big woman, very soft spoken, with not much accent, just softening the ending of every word. She liked to give pieces of China away to all of her descendents. (Memories of a five year old). Tom or Thomas (he went by both names; Thomas in Church and business; Tom to friends and family) had a real “haccent” – and would say, “Don’t meddle with that cat, etc.” He used the word meddle a lot, no doubt with a young great grandson. He pronounced Hepworth without the H, saying “Epworth.” He was smaller than his wife, about 5’6” and 150 lbs., quite stocky, strong shoulder muscles. He was a blacksmith, which had contributed much to his strong arms. He worked for Union Pacific after he had retired. He trained UP blacksmiths. He had a big gray moustache, with fine hair, enough to comb.

End 11/6/05 entry.

Polly died 4 Apr 1930 in Pocatello, at the age of 72 (almost 73). Thomas lived as a widower almost ten more years, then died 28 Mar 1938 in Pocatello, ID, at the age of 86 (almost 87). Thomas was sealed by proxy to his parents two years later on 22 Mar 1940.