History of Matilda Roberts Bodily

The History of
Matilda Roberts Bodily

Compiled by Anjanette Stone Lofgren


Matilda Roberts Bodily was born on January 2nd, 1854, in Kaysville, Davis County, Utah. She was the seventh of eight children born to Levi Roberts and Harriet Ann Efford.

The Roberts and Effords were from Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, England. Levi was a farmer and basket weaver by trade. Levi Roberts (who was a member of the United Brethren) and his wife, Harriet Ann Efford, were converted and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Wilford Woodruff in 1840.

The story behind the conversion of Matilda’s parents and the other the United Brethren is so remarkable, it must be told here. The following is Wilford Woodruff’s account of the conversion of the United Brethren:

“One of the most remarkable missionary experiences in the history of the Church is the events that surrounded Wilford Woodruff’s service in England in 1840. He began his work by visiting a number of areas where there were some members already, meeting with the Saints and preaching to gatherings of many interested citizens. He then felt inspired to depart that area and move on.

"In the morning I went in secret before the Lord, and asked Him what was His will concerning me. The answer I received was that I should go to the south; for the Lord had a great work for me to perform there, as many souls were waiting for His word." So Elder Woodruff made his way south by coach and by foot, eventually arriving at "a region where no elder of the Latter-day Saints had visited," finding lodging in Herefordshire with a wealthy farmer named John Benbow.

“The first evening of his visit with the Benbows, Elder Woodruff conversed with the couple until 2:00 in the morning. He was thrilled to find that there was a group of over 600 men and women who had broken off from the Methodists, taking the name of United Brethren. This group was "searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were calling upon the Lord continually to open the way before them and send them light and knowledge, that they might know the true way to be saved."

“Within a few days, the baptisms began with John and Jane Benbow and several of the preachers of the United Brethren. Elder Woodruff cleared a pool of water on the property to facilitate the baptisms; he would eventually baptize over 600 people in that pool.
When Sunday came, Elder Woodruff preached at three separate locations, drawing over a thousand listeners. The parish church near the Benbow farm had only 15 persons in attendance. In the evening, a large group met at the Benbow home for a meeting. Elder Woodruff records: “When I arose to speak at Brother Benbow’s house, a man entered the door and informed me that he was a constable, and had been sent by the rector of the parish with a warrant to arrest me". "I asked him, ‘For what crime?’ "He said, ‘For preaching to the people.’ "I told him that I, as well as the rector, had a license for preaching the gospel to the people, and that if he would take a chair I would wait upon him after meeting. "He took my chair and sat beside me. For an hour and a quarter I preached the first principles of the everlasting gospel. The power of God rested upon me, the spirit filled the house, and the people were convinced. "At the close of the meeting I opened the door for baptism, and seven offered themselves. Among the number were four preachers and the constable. "The latter arose and said, ‘Mr. Woodruff, I would like to be baptized.’ I told him I would like to baptize him. I went down into the pool and baptized the seven. We then came together. I confirmed thirteen, administered the Sacrament, and we all rejoiced together.

"The constable went to the rector and told him that if he wanted Mr. Woodruff taken for preaching the gospel, he must go himself and serve the writ; for he had heard him preach the only true gospel sermon he had ever listened to in his life. "The rector did not know what to make of it, so he sent two clerks of the Church of England as spies, to attend our meeting, and find out what we did preach. "But they both were pricked in their hearts and received the word of the Lord gladly, and were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "The rector became alarmed, and did not venture to send anybody else."

“In spite of the protests of the local churches, Elder Woodruff continued to serve and continued to have phenomenal success. He reported on his efforts: "The first thirty days after my arrival in Herefordshire, I had baptized forty-five preachers and one hundred and sixty members of the United Brethren, who put into my hands one chapel and forty-five houses, which were licensed according to law to preach in. "This opened a wide field for labor, and enabled me to bring into the Church, through the blessings of God, over eighteen hundred souls during the eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except one person. In this number there were also some two hundred preachers of various denominations. . . . "The power of God rested upon us and upon the mission. . . . The Lord had a people there prepared for the gospel. They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them, and I declared the gospel of life and salvation unto them, and some eight hundred souls received it, and many of them have been gathered to Zion in these mountains. Many of them have also been called to officiate in the bishopric, and have done much good in Zion. But in all these things we should ever acknowledge the hand of God, and give Him the honor, praise and glory, forever and ever. Amen." (Wilford Woodruff,-- Leaves From My Journal--, Chapter 24; Matthias F. Cowley, --Wilford Woodruff -- His life and Labors--, pp. 116-120)

When the glad tidings of the restored Gospel came to them, their hearts responded to the Truth. The spirit of gathering moved upon them and found them headed westward with the body of the young church, seeking a haven of rest in the valley of the mountains, where they could worship God as they wished and rear their children as God would have them do.

Levi and Harriet set sail on the ship "Echo”, the 2nd ship to leave from England in 1840, with their 2 children, Henry Roberts born 16 June 1836, in England, 4 years old at this time and 2 year old Caroline , born 13 October 1838, in England. They traveled with many new converts to the church. They left many loved ones behind.

After 6 weeks on the ocean, they landed in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. safely in 1840. They traveled by boat up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois, their destination. They remained here until the Mormons began their exodus westward.

While living in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, 2 daughters were born to this family - Phebe Ann Roberts, 22 January 1843 and Marinda Roberts, 10 April 1845.

While living in Nauvoo, Levi acted as one of the body guards of the prophet, Joseph Smith and with his family shared in the suffering and sorrow of the memorable exodus of the saints from Nauvoo, and they finally reached Mt. Pisgah (Winter Quarters). It was here that Levi Roberts joined the Mormon Battalion. He was in Company "E" and crossed the plains and mountains to California, a trek of 2000 miles in all. The longest, hardest march in recorded history.

The Roberts lived at Council Bluffs, Iowa for two years while preparing to cross the plains.
Harriet Ann Roberts was born 8 September 1848 at Council Bluffs.

They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah in the fall of 1850 with the Captain Pearson independent company, and lived there a short time, then moved to Kaysville, Davis County, Utah. Levi and Harriet had three more daughters born to them after settling in Kaysville. Mary Jane born the 13 December 1851, Matilda born 2 January 1854, and Lucy Ellen born 1 November 1855.

Matilda grew up and was educated in Kaysville. It was while living here that she met and married Edwin Bodily in the Salt Lake Endowment House on 25 January 1875.
After their marriage they moved to Fairview, Idaho and homesteaded in the north part of the settlement. She helped her husband as best she could to get started. They worked hard in getting the land ready to plant. They worked very hard for several years. They planted and took care of a large vegetable garden. They had been married just over ten years and had five small children when her husband, Edwin was called on a mission for the Church to the then Northwestern States Mission. A daughter Harriett Matilda was born a short time after Edwin left for his mission.

A relative of the family, Edwin's brother William's son, William Edward, helped run the farm while Edwin was gone, but Matilda and small children had to work hard and carry on while he was away. Henry, the eldest, was only about ten years old, so Matilda had many responsibilities with the farm and raising her small family. She would walk to Bear River, five miles away, to take the cows and get them again each evening, leaving the children alone while she made this trip. They separated the milk, so she had to wash the separator each day, and she would churn the cream into butter, and take it to Franklin to the store to sell. She was very diligent in having family prayers when her husband was away, and in the later years of their married life he was away with the sheep much of the time.

Matilda was a good housekeeper. She had a large house and always kept it neat and clean and had plenty of good food to eat, especially home made bread. While Edwin was Bishop for so many years, she always prepared dinner on Sunday when the Stake Presidency came to Fairview for Ward Conference. She always made lemon pie for which she was noted for making so deliciously. She made the crust of butter, as Brother Geddes, the Stake President, preferred it.

Matilda was a counselor in the Relief Society and was a Visiting Teacher for many years. She also worked in other offices in the Church.

The first few years of her marriage, she would make a trip to Kaysville to her parents home each fall by wagon, to get their winter's supply of fruit. They would dry most of it by spreading it out on sheets on the floors of the upstairs of their home. After many years of hard untiring labor, Edwin had a wonderful large orchard and had every kind of apple, plums, pears, and even a few peaches, berries and currants. This fruit was bottled, dried, or given away. Every one of the children after they were married and had homes of their own, got their years supply of fruit from this orchard each year.

Aunt Robenia commented that Grandmother was always home when the children came home from school. She remembers Grandmother driving the horse and buggy and taking the children to Franklin to visit her sister Caroline Oliverson. She also remembers their visits to Uncle William and Aunt Delilah Bodily's and the good pigeon pie they would have while there. They killed pigs each fall for their supply of meat, and Grandmother would render the lard, make sausage, head cheese, and cure the hams and bacon. She made all their laundry soap from the mutton tallow (Grandfather having large flocks of sheep, they always had plenty of mutton.) They had an old buck sheep who walked on a treadmill to turn the washing machine. They also had the first Delco plant in the area to furnish electricity for their home.

Matilda was the mother of thirteen children, and has been known to have said, that she would take all the children the Lord would give her. She did not raise all of her children to maturity as four of them died as small children, and one son, Robert, was killed in a farm accident, when he was fourteen years old, so she did have many sorrows and sadness in her life. It has been said that on the morning of Robert's death, he asked for a piece of pie for breakfast. Grandmother refused, stating that pie was hardly appropriate for breakfast. A few short hours later he was crushed to death under a large land roller of Brother Ether Rawlings. Grandmother chastised herself and felt so terribly bad to think that she had refused him the piece of pie.

Matilda was a small petite woman and did not have the best of health. After the death of her husband on 24 March 1923, she lived with her children until her death on 23 February 1925. She was 71 years old at the time of her death. She was buried in the Fairview, Idaho Cemetery.

The children of Edwin and Matilda are: Henry James, Effie (died as an infant), Edwin, Levi, Robert (died when 14 years of age), Christopher (Chris), Harriett Matilda, Robenia Vida, Wilford, Emma (died as an infant), Lynn Roberts (died as a child), Delbert (died when an infant), and Myrl LeRoy.


Sources: Excerpts taken from the following; Matilda Roberts Bodily History written by Oneta H, Hyde and Dorothy H. Gilbert, Levi Roberts History written by Arvilla Roberts Ford, and Wilford Woodruff,-- Leaves From My Journal--, Chapter 24; Matthias F. Cowley, --Wilford Woodruff -- His life and Labors--, pp. 116-120. Family records.
Photos: Edwin and Matilda photos copied from Lyle Rawlins’ website. Church photos from a website no longer in service ,Levi Roberts Home photo from familypreserves.com