Henry and Rebecca Hone
Family of Henry Hone & Rebecca Mills, 1875-1931 (b. 1853)
Residence: Utah County, Utah
Grandparents:
Descendants:
Parents' Childhood
Henry Hone was born in 1853 to George and Mary Hone in Bodicote, Oxfordshire, England, the youngest of 8 children. At about age 8, his family moved to Greater Manchester, England. In 1866, at age 13, he immigrated with his family to Utah County, Utah.
Rebecca Mills was born in 1856 to Thomas and Ann Mills in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England, the 10th of 13 living children. When she was 17, her mother died. Soon after, her father immigrated with her, one of her older sisters, and her three younger siblings to Utah.
Married Life
Henry and Rebecca married in 1875 and lived together in Benjamin, Utah for 55 years.
| 1875 | Married, living in Benjamin, Utah |
| 1876 | Henrietta born |
| 1878 | Charles Henry born |
| 1880 | Mable Florence born |
| 1882 | Edward born |
| 1885 | Edith born |
| 1887 | Lucy born & died |
| 1889 | Arthur born |
| 1892 | Pearl born |
| 1894 | Norman Francis born |
| 1896 | Edward died, age 13 |
| 1897 | Wilford Woodruff born |
| 1898 | Henrietta married George Blackburn Williams |
| 1901 | Norman & Pearl died, ages 6 & 9 |
| 1902 | Henry left for the British Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| 1902 | Florence married Jesse Woodrow Ludlow |
| 1903 | Charles married Alenia Ludlow (cousin of Jesse) |
| 1903 | Arlynn born |
| 1904 | Henry returned from the British Mission |
| 1909 | Arthur married Ida Henrietta Tietjen |
| 1911 | Henry & Rebecca departed for the British Mission |
| 1913 | Henry & Rebecca returned from the British Mission |
| 1922 | Woodruff married Inez Regina Johnson |
| 1925 | Edith married Oliver Henry Nash |
| 1925 | Arlynn married Melva Stewart |
| 1930 | Henry died, age 77 |
| 1931 | Rebecca died, age 75 |
Henry's and Rebecca's siblings, George and Jane, had married in 1863 in England. When Henry immigrated, their group included another member of the Mills family. So Henry and Rebecca were probably well acquainted when she arrived in Utah in 1874, although they had not seen each other for 8 years.
In Benjamin, Henry and Rebecca built an adobe house and cleared land for a farm. Around 1905 they were able to build a nicer brick house on the same land. Among other farming activities, Henry kept bees.
Edward died, perhaps in an accident, in 1896. Around 1899, Edith (about age 14) had an illness that led to her leg being amputated. And in 1901, Norman and Pearl both died, perhaps from a disease.
Henry served twice as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Mission. He left his pregnant wife behind for the first mission—Arlynn was born a few months later. Rebecca worked hard to take care of the farm and send money to support him.
For the second mission, Henry and Rebecca served together, when they were 58 and 55 years old. They sold half of their farm to pay for the mission. Edith (age 26) remained with Woodruff (age 14) and Arlynn (age 8). After a short while, Woodruff went to live with Florence and her family. Edith was a piano teacher. Arlynn remembered this as a difficult time, with something lost in his relationship with his parents. Rebecca was remembered as an excellent speaker and especially effective at making missionary contacts.
The Hones would often host gatherings of neighbors in their home between church meetings on Sundays. Rebecca would prepare food on Saturday. Henry would take photographs of the guests. People in Benjamin called them "Uncle Henry" and "Aunt Becky".
Woodruff joined the Navy in 1917 when the United States entered World War I. He was gone for two years.
In the late 1920s, Henry and Rebecca lived in their house together with Woodruff, Arlynn, and their families. The two sons took care of the farm. In 1930, Henry developed a prostate illness, eventually causing his death. The next fall, Rebecca caught pneumonia and died.
Descendants
- Charles, Florence, Arthur, Woodruff, Arlynn, and their families remained in Benjamin and nearby Spanish Fork.
- Henrietta and her family moved frequently, for a short time investing in land in Florida. Eventually they settled in Salt Lake City.
- Edith married into a large family, with 8 stepchildren. They spent a few years in Bingham County, Idaho, but otherwise mostly lived in southern Utah County.
References
- Church History Biographical Database entries for Henry Hone and Rebecca Hone
- Saints by Sea travel record from the British Mission
- The Faces and Places of Benjamin, Utah
