Charles "Charlie" Evans

Charels Evans
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Ann Evans Sainsbury
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Mary Sainsbury Visser
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Steven Mathew Visser
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Me

Charles Evans was born January 22, 1865 in Mason Arms, Lampeter, Cardiganshire, Wales a son of Jane Evans and Charles Evans. He had seven brothers and sisters.
Charles was nearly four years old when his father died so he didn't remember much about him. He worked in the coal mines for years and was also the sexton in that town. Charles had just turned ten years old when the  following spring  he started to work as a water boy in the coal mines. He worked in the mines for two years in the summers and whenever there was no school but the third summer, he decided to come to Utah instead of working in the mines.
Charles mother remarried to Benjamin Richars on November 11, 1879 in Wales. He had a family but they were all married except one son named David Lloyd Richards who was Three years older than Charles. 
Charles mother would get the children all ready for Sunday School on Sunday morning and send them to church at to The Church of England. For a long time they went to the Church of England as they were told.  The Mormon missionaries had been in Wales preaching the gospel. Choyce (Joyce) Ellen had decided to join the Mormon Church and go to Utah with the Elders. She would planning to go to Utah and live with the family of one of the married missionaries, Dan Jones family.
As the children were sent to off to church one day Charles and David decided they were curious about the missionaries and the church that Choyce had decided to join. They went down the hill on their way as usual but when they got to the bottom of the hill, they took off to where the Elders were preaching instead of to their church. They would leave a little before the Elders were through preaching, as it was a little further for them to get home at the same time as if they had gone to the Church of England. They did this a few Sundays out of curiosity but then it became interesting so they told their mother what they had been doing and she said they could continue.
Joyce had to earn her own money to go to Utah. She worked hauling fuel into a furnace and loading sand onto cars. She came to Utah on one of the first railroad trains told stories of stopping and gathering wood along the way to put in the tender for fuel for the train.
Charles decided he would like to go to Utah  So he wrote his sister and asked. She agreed as long as their mother agreed.  Joyce would help send money to bring Charles to Utah if he would help work on their farm and pay them back for the money they sent for his fare to Utah.
Charles had an uncle  in Wales who was very fond of him. He was fairly well to do and he told him if he would stay in Wales he would pay for his schooling. Charles was not swayed by the offer.
When the money came for the ticket to Utah and his mother began to inquire if any of the missionaries or anyone was going to Utah. In answer to her inquiries a Mrs. Simon from Woods Cross, Utah who was visiting Wales said she would be glad to see that  Charles got to Salt Lake alright. Charles left England on May 25, 1878 on the ship "Nevada" it was very hard for him to leave his mother and travel with strangers, but the plan was to try to get as many of their family to Salt Lake as they could. His mother said she would stay in Wales and send the children to Joyce in hopes she could come later. He left feeling better about this after mother reminded him. Mr.s Simon took him and they said goodbye and found their quarters on the ship. His was right by the fog horn and they blew it most of the time as it was foggy. He was what you call "sea-sick"  all the way on the boat. it took 12 days on the ocean, arriving June 5 1878.
They arrived in Salt Lake June 13, 1878. He was thirteen years and six months old. Joyce and her husband Daniel were there to meet them. Mrs. Simon went on to Woods Cross after delivering him safely to his sister as she had promised. They traveled to Joyce's home on State Street in the Union Ward, which was his new home.
He got settled and started to help Daniel with his work. It was a large farm with lots of cows to feed and milk. There was butter to be made and take to Salt Lake City to sell. Sometimes Charles went with them to sell the butter. He also raised horses and had a stallion, which was quite a problem to care for at times.
It took over a year to pay Daniel back the money back for the trip to Utah. The family then decided it was time to send the money for little sister Jane to come over, which they did October 18,1879. Mother Jane's second husband had died a short time after Charles left his home in Wales.  Jane was able to bring both herself and step son David L. Richards to Utah September 4, 1880.
David later married and pioneered Vernal.