Samuel Elijah & Margaret Geneva Holt

Samuel Elijah and Margaret Geneva Holt. . Samuel Elijah Holt was born on August 30, 1868, five years after his family arrived from England. The family lived in a one-room log cabin on the bank of the Beckstead Ditch (east of the South Jordan cemetery). Samuel's childhood days were spent herding cows, fishing and working on the family farm. His mother made all the family's clothing out of denim. His first "readymade" clothes were purchased at age 13. He attended school in the first school house in South Jordan. After the fifth grade, Samuel's health became poor with rheumatism so he moved to the family sheep camp in Wyoming where he became a sheepherder, an occupation he followed until age 23. He then moved back to South Jordan and eventually married Margaret Geneva Beckstead. In 1898 he served a 2 1/2 year for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) mission. After his return in 1901 until the time of his death, Samuel was a very influential and important community and church leader in South Jordan. He served as an LDS bishop for 13 years, during which time his farm played an important community role. He was constantly sharing his vegetables and fruit with the needy. Eventually his farm was used as the Bishop's Tithing Storehouse where ward members would donate goods instead of cash to obey the law of tithing. , Margaret Geneva Beckstead "Neve" was born in South Jordan on April 2, 1874 in a one-room log cabin located on the banks of the Beckstead Ditch. She was the third child of the family. At age five, she started school, which was held in the one-room basement of the first church house. When she was eight, she was baptized in a large pond on the Beckstead farm. Her father was called to serve a mission when she was eight years old. At age fifteen, Margaret worked for her father and uncle in a co-operated grocery store for fifty cents a day. She often accompanied her father to dances all over the county while he played in the band. After her marriage to Samuel, they spent the summer months in Piedmont, Wyoming living at the family sheep camp. Five years later Samuel was called to serve a mission, leaving Margaret with two small children and a third being born six months later. She moved in with her parents until Samuel returned home. She worked hard along side Samuel on their farm, while raising 12 children. She loved gardening and growing flowers. She had at least one-half acre of land where she raised many types of flowers, which were made into bouquets and were sent to hospitals and sick people in the community.