Bishop David Evans and His Family

Edna Hinchliff Evans, 1828-1906

Born in a small village near the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire Counties known as Calico Bridge, Lancashire, England, on 24 March 1828, Edna was the third child in the family of Elijah Hinchliff and Hannah Field.

She was baptized a member of the LDS Church in 1844. It is presumed the entire Hinchliff family was baptized at the same time, though no records are known to exist.

The family arrived in America in 1845, and settled in the Boston, Massachusetts area, but later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Edna married Edwin M. Woods, it is believed in Massachusetts, about 1849. Their first child, Adeline Matilda, was born 4 August 1850, in or near West Stockbridge, Cambridge County, Mass. Twin girls, Martha and Mary, were born 9 August 1852 at Valatie, Columbia, New York. Both died within a few days.

About this time Edwin Woods disappeared from Edna's life. He was a sea captain, and a story handed down through her family indicates that he went down with his ship which was lost in a storm.

Edna and her daughter, Adeline, crossed the plains with an ox team in Captain James Brown's Company in 1854. She suffered trials and hardships as she walked most of the journey. She was kind and faithful in caring for others in the Company who were ill, and in preparing for burial those who died enroute.

Her sister, Elizabeth and husband, Samuel Burton, and their six children, were also in the Captain James Brown Company. Elizabeth became ill enroute and died the day before arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. Edna then took her sister's six children and reared them as her own. The family settled in Riverdale, Weber, Utah.

On 23 November, 1854, Edna married David Evans and moved to Lehi. To this marriage two children were born: Samuel, 3 November 1855 (died the same day); and Hannah, 4 January 1857, who died 15 February 1857.

Edna was a natural homemaker. She was fastidious, hardworking, and did not tolerate idleness in herself or others. As a wife of David Evans she occupied the same household with other members of the Evans family. She was not fully accepted by some of his children who were openly critical of her and made life difficult. This led to friction which became unbearable and led her to divorce David and return to Riverdale.

In May, 1859, Edna became the wife of William Stimpson,. To this marriage six children were born.

Edna was ever faithful to her testimony of the Gospel. She was active in church activities, lived a life of love and service to others, and left a rich heritage for her descendants to enjoy.

She died 29 December 1906, and was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery.

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