Catherine Cooper Holbrook
Life Sketch

1859-1922

 Written by Catherine Cooper Holbrook

            My parents were of English descent.  The Democratic belief was carried through all generations.  They belonged to the Church of England and my father was a minister of that faith.  My father advocated education and honesty and my mother was a domestic woman.  He was plain in nature, calm in speech, always subduing wrath and anger.  His chief traits were to do good, thinking before speaking, always considering others before himself.  My mother was frank in nature, blunt in speech, always being understood in action and looks.  My father’s people believed in education and building up of social and religious life. 

My grandfather was a military man of the king.  My father and mother were the first of their people to join the Church; their parents having remained true to the old Church of England.  They were converted by Mormon Elders who the family treated with great respect.  They came over across the ocean in 1862 with very progress [sic].  From the ship, they took their journey with ox teams, meeting with many hardships and difficulties on their way.  Their early life in Utah was spent on a farm, tilling the soil for a livelihood.  My father taught school in winter and my mother spun yarn and made clothes.  They both faced many hardships, but still remained true to their religion and taught their children to believe in the same.

            I was born in Nottingham England in 1859, where the people worked in large factories and workshops.  When I was three years old, I came with my parents to Utah .  We moved into a log house with a board floor.  I spent my [time] until about eight years with my parents.  My father taught me my ABC’s out of the Bible, as books were very scarce at that time.  When I was about ten years old, I was sent to a seminary school where I was taught grammar, English, History, and Art. 

When I was nineteen years old, I was married to Joseph Hyrum, who was the son of Judge and Caroline Frances Holbrook.  We made our home in Bountiful for three years.  Here three children were born.  I became president of Relief Society, and aid in the Mutual and choir leader.  I enjoyed my work very much.

While in Auburn , Wyoming , six children were born to me.  When the youngest was one year old, we came back to our home in Bountiful . We spent the summers in Wyoming and the winters in Bountiful . 

 My life work was to rear a family, to work for them, and to make them a honor to their community.  I have been unable to reach all my aspirations of childhood.  I am trying to raise my family to believe in a religion and be a credit to home and country.

Catherine Cooper Holbrook
Parents:  William Cooper and Millezer Robinson Cooper
Born:  6 Jan 1859 at Nottingham , England
Married:  Joseph Hyrum Holbrook 13 Jan 1878 at Salt Lake Temple
Baptized and Confirmed in 1870 by Henry Tingey
Relief Society President at Bountiful 1889 – 1895
Sunday School Teacher at Bountiful 1876-1878

Children:

Mary Catherine Holbrook, born 13 Oct 1878 at Bountiful
            Married George S. Thurgood 5 June 1902 at Salt Lake Temple
Joseph Lamoni Holbrook, born 12 Sep 1880 at Bountiful
            Married Lola Wilkes 4 Dec 1907 at Afton , Wyoming
Clarence Melnot Holbrook born 2 Oct 1882 at Bountiful
            Married 5 May 1904 at Salt Lake Temple
William Cooper Holbrook born 7 Jan 1885 at Auburn , Wyoming
            Died 25 Jan 1901 at Bountiful
Phebe Estella Holbrook born 6 June 1887 at Auburn , Wyoming
            Died 15 Feb 1890 at Auburn , Wyoming
Edith May Holbrook born 9 Sep 1889 at Auburn , Wyoming
            Married Randolph Hepworth 4 Dec 1907 at Salt Lake City
Clara Holbrook born 2 Nov 1891 at Auburn , Wyoming
            Married Walter Bryon[?] 9 Nov 1910 at Salt Lake Temple
Celnorah Holbrook born 24 Apr 1894 at Auburn , Wyoming
Della Holbrook born 19 Dec 1896 at Auburn Wyoming

Source:  Genealogical Form submitted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by Catherine Cooper Holbrook