Matilda Jane Garff Crossgrove

Matilda Jane Garff Crossgrove, 1874 – 1940, is given delightful treatment in the book People of Draper, 1849 – 1932 volume three of the history of Draper, Utah. I found this resource in the Family History Library in Salt Lake, but am sure there are copies in Draper City Library, perhaps if there is a special collection.

There is a good biography of Matilda Jane Garff, her husband Bayard Mousley Crossgrove and one of their daughter Hulda Mae Crossgrove – Susan as she was known.

Matilda was born to Peter Niels Garff and Antomina Sorensen, both of whom crossed the veritable width of the United States as Mormon immigrants. With this background Matilda, who was their fourth child learned the operation and care of a tidy, loving farm home. Bayard had similar roots, though his family traveled from Pennsylvania.

When they married on December 21, 1898 in Salt Lake City, Bayard had been the care giver for both his parents, with his mother having recently passed away. Matilda quickly slipped into this caring role with her new husband, as well as keeping up the homestead and farm his family had built in Draper.

Matilda and Bayard were active in their community, likely the typical Mormon village at that time. Bayard had worked prior to marriage as a butcher but found work afterwards as Road Supervisor for Salt Lake County while bringing up five children and managing farm and poultry concerns. They were on committees for the Old Folks, church positions for young men and women, caring for neighbors, and development of the area.

Three sons and two daughters grew up in the home that Bayard’s father built, to which their mother moved as a new bride and which Susan cared and maintained during her teaching career and her retirement. Her brothers were Avar, Paul and Ralph and her sister Helen.

Matilda passed away July 7, 1940 and her husband followed April 14, 1948. They are buried in the Draper Pioneer Cemetery.