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Note: ! ! Margaret Phobe White (Salmon) was the youngest child of thirteen children born to William and Phobe White in Upton on Severn,
Worchestershire, England, March 17, 1890...
Maggie as she was affectionately called by her family was guided by her brothers Samual and Albert and sisters Edith and Fan. The four of them met
the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Maggie
was baptised April 1905. She traveled great distances with her brothers and
sisters to hear the gospel. The missionaries encouraged them to put their
affairs on order to go to America. It was with a mixture of sadness and
happiness when Samuel and Edith were ready to go. Samuel and wife and six
childern and Edith, made their departure for America. Samuel's childern were
nearly all lost with scarlet fever (or diptheria) but Samuel and Edith worked
and enabled Albert and Fan (and her husband and childern) to leave next. Last
but not least Maggie, then 23 came to America. She was married and had two
childern. She was reunited with her brothers and sisters in Salt Lake and seemed
to know that there would be sacrifices yet to be made for her new venture to a
new country and society among her brothers and sisters of the church. Her
husband never joined her religious pursuit and returned to England. Maggie
went to work for Purity Biscuit Company and her social life evolved around the
Church. She joined the Tabernacle Choir. It was on her way from Choir one day
that she met John Salmon, a convert from Iowa. He became an ardent admirer
and eventually married her October 9, 1918 in the Endowment House. From this
union the couple was blessed with seven boys and a daughter to join the ready
made family of two children, making a total of ten.
Probably no family enjoyed more hapiness than this family growing up, particularly with the transition from city life to farm life and from farm life to city
life. It was shortly after the last move, from a farm in Arizona to Salt Lake City,
that John died leaving Margaret to finish the job they both had started. No eyes
displayed greater grief in those first years of separation from her husband, but
her great faith and determination drove her to encourage and guide her family.
In everyway a matriarch.
Aside from making a living for her brood, she found time to make it to football games where her boys were participating, sometimes her son playing on
side and the son of her sister Edith playing on the opposing team, but both women
sitting in the same bleacher cheering for their sons.
Marriages too took place, enlarging her family (acquiring daughters and sons) and eventually grandchildren in great number.
She was able to return to England with Albert and Edith for a wonderful visitwith loved ones and a vacation she will always remember.
Something not said but hopefully noticed in granny is the integrity and courage of a woman who was willing to sacrifice a great deal for something she felt was
worth a great deal more: and, a willingness to work hard and never expect of her
children any challenge that she herself could not accept.
Few tributes are given to mothers as children grow up, but as we grow up we are able to record some of the great attributes they have. We do acknowledge
our love for a woman who had given unselfishly her all to the Church and her
children.
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