George Yost Myers, son of George and Ann Yost Myers, was born March 7, 1852 in Salt Lake City, Utah. His parents were George Mayer and Ann Yost Mayer. His father was born in York, York County, Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Bucks, Pennsylvania. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and came to Utah with the Pioneers.
His father was ready to come with the first company of pioneers but when Brother Heber C. Kimball asked for one of his wagons he gave it to him and satyed back and came with the next company, fearing perhaps that he might not have enough supplies for all of his family, having six daughters. Diantha was born in Scessions Canyon on the way to Salt Lake Valley. They buried a small son, Benjamin Franklin, on the plains in 1848, and so when George was born his father writes in his diary, "In the spring of 1852 my wife gave me a fine son and I called him George, he is a fine, healthy child. I blessed him when he was 8 days old."
They pulled the sage brush and cleared the ground on which to build their home. The old home stood on the same grounds where the Salt Lake City and County Court House now stands at So. 5th and block 37. George was born and raised in this log cabin. When his father was called on a mission to Switzerland they were very poor. His mother worked hard and George was always willing to help wherever he could. They were so poor that for clothes his mother made him a suit out of burlap. There were many days that all they had to eat in the house was parched corn and sego bulbs.
Brigham Young asked Grandpa and Elder Fullmer to go down to Arizona and start a branch down there. Grandmother gave her consent to take another wife with him. This broke her heart. She remained in Salt Lake with the children. They lived neighbors to John Whiting in Salt Lake. John Whiting was a brock (brick?) mason and very well-to-do. George as a young man of 19 married Mary Whiting who was a lovely young girl and to them were born 9 children: John, Maud,(original says Maud, John, but this is crossed out with pencil and underneath is written John, Maud) Jesse, Blanche, George, Belle, Nida and Victor.
He came to Highland, Utah County, and Homesteaded 80 acres of land. 40 acres of it was for William Whiting, a brother-in-law. He was required to live or spend so many months out of each year on this ground. So he roughed it, camped out in the open and pulled sage brush and cleared the ground so he could farm. John Whiting having having considerable money gave each of his children enough to pay the $1.25 per acre that had to be paid to the government for the homestead and did what George always said, "Staked him." The homestead papers were signed by President James A. Garfield.
John Whiting helped George build his small house of two adobe rooms, which were very nice. Helped build a home for George and Mary Ann, Sarsh William, Brigham and Emma Marcia and a Stepson by a second marriage, Rob Jones. All of these brothers and sisters lived on the canyon stream coming from America Fork and was called the Myers Ditch. The adobes were made from the soil on the farm and the apple trees and the orchard that was planted by the house were given to Mary Ann and George by John Whiting. The elm trees came from George's sister, Catherine Bevins, in Waterloo, about 5th East and 21st South Salt City.
George and Mary Ann were married in the year 1871 and for a while lived in Salt Lake where John Whiting Myers the oldest son was born on the 31 of March 1874. In the fall of 1875 they moved to Alpine and rented part of the house of Brother and Sister Walton. Maud Ann was born January 22, 1876. In the fall of 1876 they moved into a new home on Highland. When ther youngest son, Victor Floyd, was 3 the dreaded disease diptheria came into his home and his beloved wife, Mary, Just 38, and three of his little girls, Belle, Grace and Nida died. From a nes clipping May 12th, 1894 on page 5 we read: "Mary Ann Whiting Myers died May 8, 1894 at Highland Tuesday morning of diptheria, wife of George Y. Myers. Also Belle Myers died Thursday evening of the same disease, age 12 years and 3 months. She died at 6:30. Another child Grace died Friday morning May 11, 8 years and 2 months old. All of one family. the father and seven children are left. Some of these are very sick." Also Nida age 5 years died May 24, 1894.
A home of laughter and happiness turned almost overnight into one of great sorrow. George Myers was very kind to his children and took very good care of them when they were sick. Maudie was 20 years old, John 18, Jessie 16, Blanche 14, George 10 and Victor 3. Jessie says she can remember the meadow lark singing in the locust trees and they sang at each dear one's death. She told many times of how she picked sego lilies and fruit tree blossoms to lay on their graves. They didn't have funeral services, due to the dreaded diphtheria. Being the eldest daughter at home at this time she quit school and took care of the family.
June 18, 1895 George married Mary Lee Wilson, a daughter of Lawson and Elmina Green Wilson, a convert to the Church from North Carolina. Mary Lee was a beautiful young girl, 21 years younger than George, but she proved a mother indeed to his motherless children. Mary Lee was a good housekeeper and a lovely person; she was a good helpmate for George. They were blessed with five children, three boys: Gilbert, Delos and Bennie; and two daughters, Elvie and LaDean.
George remembers as a small boy being baptized, but there was no record kept. After his marriage to Mary Lee and the loss of his family of small girls, he was re-baptized by James J. Bolin July 22, 1899. James Bolin was a cousin of Mary Lee. George was ocnfirmed July 23, 1899. He was ordained an Elder the 4 of May 1900 by William Loveridge and Stephen Moyle.
On the 16 of May 1900 he went ot the Salt Lake Temple with Mary Lee and here he was sealed to Mary Lee and his first wife, Mary Ann and the sealing of the children was done.
George Yost Myers was a fine-looking man and very proud. He always dressed up nice to go to town and to keep appointments. He drove a fine horse and a new buggy. He was a loving husband and such a kind and understanding father. He wa sa firm believer in the principles of the gospel and ever on hand with whatever donations were required of him. He was a kind and hcaritable neighbor and always had kind words of advice and a helping hand for his friends.
When my grandfather, James C. Orr, was in Salt Lake City Hospital and not expected to live, many times a day George Myers called at his neighbor's home to offer assistance and to tell his dear ones how their father was. They called George Myers when James Orr passed away and it was his task to tell them the sad news. He was a good neighbor.
He filled many positions of trust. He had charge of the building of Silver Lake Reservoir at the head of American Fork canyon, which was completed about 1907, and here the men had great respect for his wisdom and jdugement and he treated them all fairly. He held the position of County Road Commissioner for 2 years and served as school board trustee for a number of years. He was director of the Lehi Irrigation Company for 22 years.
He was a loving husband and a kind, indulgent father/ In June, 1927 he met with an accident while unloadin ghay and was sick all durin ghte summer. October 1, 1927 George Yosy Myers died at the age of 75, a well-loved neighbor and friend. He was laid to rest in the American Fork Cemetery.