Mary Melissa Griffeth

• Name: Mary Melissa Griffeth
  
• Born: July 17, 1862 Hyde Park, Cache, Utah
• Died: November 28, 1944 Rupert, Idaho
• Related through: Dan's grandmother Elivra Wilde

Mary Melissa Griffeth was born July 17, 1862 in Hyde Park, Cache County, Utah to Patison Delos Griffeth and Elizabeth Carson. She was born a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was baptized June 11, 1871. She received a meager pioneer education and spent her girlhood days in Hyde Park. She met Austin Cowles Hyde and was married at the age of eighteen on February 12, 1880 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Shortly after their marriage they established their home in Fairview, Idaho. She lived there until 1890, then moved to Grover, Wyoming. Two years later they moved to Auburn, Wyoming on a ranch her husband had purchased from Mary Melissa’s father.

Mary and Austin

While there, she endured the hardships of the pioneer wives and mothers. They lived in a one-room log house with a dirt roof. The family soon outgrew the one room house and another room was added on. Their united effort soon brought results. They moved from the dirt roof house into a new commodious frame home.

While in Auburn, Mother was very active in the Church organizations. She was Primary President, and served as Relief Society President for a number of years.

In 1919 they decided to move to southern Idaho, thinking it would be a warmer climate and would be more desirable for their remaining years. They bought a farm near Rupert, Idaho which proved to be a little more than they could take care of in their advanced years. In 1921 they bought a home and moved into the town of Rupert, where Mother resided until her death November 28, 1944.

She was the mother of eleven children, eight of whom survived her. She lived a useful life and was a very good mother. Her husband Austin Cowles Hyde died March 18, 1941 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This sketch was written by her son Rosel.