Samuel Vernon Brown, my grandfather, was born 26 July 1878 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the son of John Brown and Eleanor Caffall, his 2nd wife. He was known to most everyone as Vern Brown. He lived the greater part of his life in the Ninth Ward of Liberty Stake of Salt Lake City. As a young boy he did not like to go to school and every chance he got he played "hookey". As a result he didn't have a very good education which made it a little difficult to earn a good living.
His father was a very strict parent, born and raised to young manhood in England. He was converted to the church in 1851 and later came to Salt Lake with his first wife and family to make his home. He crossed the plains in 1863 with the "Rosel Hyde Company". He was a bishop's counselor for 23 years. My grandfather, Samuel, was not very religious. He seldom went to church. Perhaps he was forced to go to church as a small boy and rebelled as he grew older. In January 1874 John Brown's first wife died and in May of that year he married Eleanor. They had 10 children only 2 of whom they raised, my grandfather Samuel and one brother named Harold. While Eleanor was still living, polygamy came into practice so John took another wife. He used to live for awhile with one wife and then would go to live with the other one. Eleanor was a practical nurse and while out nursing a patient she contracted spinal meningitis and passed away.
On 11 August 1900 Samuel married Eliza Hugentobler, my grandmother. They did not have very much money. Samuel was very fond of horses and purchased a new team of horses every year. He would sell one team of horses and then purchase another one. He used the horses in his work to make a living for the family. He worked as a teamster in the good weather and hauled coal in the winter time. In those days there were not so many machines to do the manual work so he dug basements for houses and did other hauling jobs that were available. Many weekends he spend grooming his horses, fixing harnesses, cleaning barns etc.
Samuel and Eliza had 7 Children, 4 girls and 3 boys all born in Salt Lake City.
Samuel loved to sing and would often sit in the rocking chair with some of his children on his knee and sing to them. He would have made a wonderful singer if he could have had a little training. He was always cheerful and one of those happy go lucky sort of people. It was my grandmother who shouldered the responsibilities of the family.
He passed away 26 April 1954 in Salt Lake City and was buried in the family plot in the city cemetery.