Autobiography of 

Emily Millgate Oborn

I (Emily Millgate Oborn) was born in the Parish of Preston, County of Kent England.  This part was called the flower garden of England, as the climate was ideal.  I remember the buttercups and daisies being very profuse, being so thick that in May I used to try to find a place between the blossoms large enough to step without crushing them, green meadows and wooded parts when the primrose and violet scented the air.

My eyes are brown in color and I have always enjoyed good eyesight, my hair in youth copper brown and inclined to curl, turning gray early in womanhood.  My teeth in youth were regular and white, but at the age of thirty-six, the top set were extracted and were replaced by false ones; my hearing has been good, my height five feet and four inches, and my weight about 190 lbs, chest 46 inches, waist 36 inches, my health has not been what might be termed robust, but with trying to use wisdom, I have been able to attend to the needs of my always large family.

I attended the National School in Faversham from the time I was four years of age until I was eleven when I came to Utah, with my father’s sister Matilda, and her husband arriving in Salt Lake City the day before my eleventh birthday, we stayed three weeks with my father’s brother John, at which time Daniel Ralph, Emily Millgate’s husband arrived from Fillmore and we made the first journey of our lives in a covered wagon back with him and made our home there.

I again attended school in Fillmore for fifteen weeks, and regretted very much that I was compelled to discontinue but owing to the fact that there were no boys in the home, I had to take care of the place of one and helping farm work.

My brother (A. W. Millgate) having emigrated also and settled in Ogden, thought it would be a benefit for me to live with him, made the journey to Fillmore in April 1884 and together we came to Ogden.

I was employed as bookbinding off and on alternating with housework and for avocation helped in Choir work attended Mutual which was then held in the afternoon.

At that time many surprise parties were held at the homes of the young people and was the main source of amusement.  It was at one of these parties that I met and became acquainted with (Heber Charles Oborn) and the friendship, which followed our acquaintance, resulted in our marriage, which occurred in the Logan Temple, April 4^th, 1888.  I had the privilege of attending the Lewis & Clark Exposition and other trips, which are mentioned by my husband. 

My ancestors a few generations back on my father’s side were wealthy people.  A legend being handed down that Jeremiah Millgate of Leysdown, Isle of Sheppy, was disinherited by his father (unknown first name) Millgate because he married the governess of the family.  This man who disinherited his son, it is supposed on very good authority, was the owner of what is now known as the Town of Ashford in Kent and included the Stone Church, a large hall and a number of bath houses, it is understood there was no other son, and he being disinherited, located in Leysdown, Isle of Sheppy as before mentioned and because the father of Jeremiah Millgate (2) born March 27^th 1796, and who lived on this same island, married Ann Reader born 3^rd May 1797 and they became the parents of twelve children, my father (Wm Millgate) born November 1833 being one of them. 

Jeremiah Millgate (2) was the possessor of considerable musical ability being a tenor, singer, and at one time chorister of the Harty Church choir, and in walking with my father on this same island at one time when a little girl, have seen this same church in a state of decay from the waves of the sea beating against the cliffs and was no doubt has done so ere this, as that was fifty years ago.  Jeremiah Millgate (2) was light in complexion and at the time my father (William Millgate) and his twin brother Joseph Millgate was born was a looker by profession, In the later years of age, he lived at Faversham, and died there, and I understand but not sure, he was buried in the Faversham Church Cemetery. 

Ann Reader, my grandmother, had brown eyes, dark hair, was a little over five feet in height, and at the time I knew her lived with her daughter Ann at Uplees near Faversham.  She was of medium weight, and used a walking cane.  Her life with her husband was happy and she outlived him eleven years. 

My father resembled his mother in complexion, but was shorter in comparison, being a man and he was only a little over five feet, of medium weight also, and his health good.  He followed different lines of work for a living but was expert as a gardener , talking great pride in that line as an avocation, greatly enjoyed walking, one of the most pleasant memories of my childhood is the remembrance I carry that of him holding my hand and walking, walking, for miles, the birds singing the flowers in bloom, and all around, at times he would lift me to his shoulder and he would describe the places where we were.

At one time he at a gunpowder mill, and afterward at making cement which occupation he followed until he emigrated to Utah in 1888.  He was President of the branch at Faversham a number of years. 

The Chapel being used then was called Noah’s Ark, and was located on the Iuays, considerable shipping business being carried on from the Cinque Port on the Swale c canal large enough for barges, fishing boats, some ship building, and the cement factory was located on this canal, a draw bridge was used at the Front where I used to go and from school, and I have stood on it while it was drawn back to allow loaded vessels to pass through to other points inland.

After my father came to America he located in Ogden and for a time was watchman at Boyles, but his employment was not steady at anytime, although he was industrious by nature and in the last few years of his life did shoe repairing.

He visited missionaries that were scattered all the way from Salt Lake to Fillmore whom he became acquainted with in England using a horse to travel with.

He became the father of seven children, five being my mother’s family and two from his second marriage. 

A few days before his death, he was riding a donkey which he wanted to use to travel around the country with again, his health was not good at the time, and he was living alone as he and his second wife became separated and they lived apart, the saddle was not secured tight and slipped sideways, causing him to fall and breaking two ribs, which resulted in his death, May 18^th, 1901 at my home, 1141, 23^rd Ogden.  

My mother (Mary Fekins) was medium height a little taller than my father, hazel eyes, black hair which turned grey early in life, inclined to be thin, features were long, a Roman nose, rather high forehead, quiet expression, and was quiet in manner and temperament, she was born at Lenham, Kent, England, the daughter of John Fekins and Rebecca Chambers, during her early childhood her father left England and came to America, her mother placing her in a family by the name of Hunt to be cared for, later in her life she made her home with a Mr. And Mrs. Johncock who lived on and occupied the Ham estate at Preston, who were very kind to her and whom she lived with at the time of her marriage with my father.  My brother (A W Millgate) is in possession of a picture, a sketch of the house which is a low roofed, but quite large, thatched roof, my mother is sitting in the door with myself on key knee, my sister (Elizabeth Ann) on the step, my mother embraced the Gospel when I was one year old, and was faithful to the end, she held the positions of Counselor to the President of the Relief Society of the Faversham Branch which position she held at the time of her death.

Her great desire was to have the privilege of coming to Utah, as it was a trial to her to have one of her children so far away as I left her there when I came, but that desire was not to be realized, her health failed, as she always suffered from a weak heart, and which was the cause of her death.  She departed this life on the 18^th of August 1881.

To resume my marriage, at the time I lived in Fillmore, I received a Patriarchal blessing at the hands of Wm McBride, which has since been a great inspiration.  There were eight blessings given at the time I received mine and I acted as clerk.  

The Blessing

I held my first position in the Church as Sunday School teacher to a class of little children in Fillmore, and after I came to Ogden, I was chosen to act in the same kind of work in the Fourth Ward Sunday School the building standing where the Madison School stands today, the Fifth Ward being organized about 1886 and the Fourth Ward using a Sunday School house on 22^nd Street until the Chapel was built, said school house now being used as an apartment house, I continued being SS Teacher until I was married, the children being older however than they were in Fillmore.

In the Fall of 1897-8, I was called as an aid to Sister Barrows who was President of the YLMIA Fourth Ward, and occupied that position about one year.

My children being born in quick succession, I took a recess again from Church duties until the fall of 1904 when Sister Elizabeth Barrows again asked me to assist her, this time in Primary Association which I continued for a period of eleven years during this time I acted as teacher and counselor.  The Wards were again divided and I continued the same work and was called on the Stake Board for Primary work in 1912, in 1914, I became President of that organization in the Sixth Ward during the time I was in that position with the assistance of the very able corps of teachers with me and Sister Marion Clark a very capable and willing helper, we put on the operetta “Hiawatha”, the children of the ward ranging in age from 5 to 14 years taking part and doing all the singing.  It was a great success.  However, in the fall of 1915 I was released because my health was not good.  I regretted doing so because I enjoyed the work very much.

In 1917 Sister Ruth B. Evans who was President of the Relief Society in our ward which was now the Thirteenth asked me to take charge of the Chorister work of the Society.  This I did for four years, but my little girls [Mary] health was very poor, and I felt I needed more liberty to better care for her.  But at this same time Brother Charles Taylor desired my help on the Genealogical Committee and it being the kind of duty that I could take care of in the evening, I accepted, and I am still doing that line of work, in connection with my husband, and who was Brother Taylor’s successor.

I have taken great delight in singing, possessing an Alto voice, have used it in choir work, choruses, duets, have sung at many funerals, and wherever I have been requested to use my voice, have never refused if it has been possible for I always loved to sing, I truly appreciate this gift, which I know is one of the greatest gifts the Lord bestows on His children.

I much enjoyed a trip to Fillmore, the summer of 1924 using our own machine, and my son Ralph being driver, and my husband had never been so far south in Utah.  It was my first return after forty years; I met and stayed with my cousin Minnie Millgate Nichols and her husband Simon Nichols.  I appreciated being there again, I visited the cemetery where the dear old people I lived with are buried all six are in a group, my aunt Matilda and 2^nd husband John Cripps, Aunt Emily and husband Daniel Ralph, and Uncle Jesse Millgate, and his wife Jane Morris.  On the return trip we came through central Utah, which enabled us to see the Manti Temple and visit Brother & Sister Rasmussen whose son also died while on a mission to the Tongan Islands and is buried by the side of our Clermont.

I have experienced the fulfillment of the promise made in my Patriarchal blessing to me that I would have dreams, visions, and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, I can testify that this promise has been literally fulfilled, because I have experienced many dreams and have watched the fulfillment of them, even to visions, one especially, a few months prior to my son’s death, who was on a mission to the Friendly Islands.

I have seen my husband and my children healed and comforted in times of sickness and distress, and if death has come into my home, which has been the case with some of my children, we have asked for and received the comforting influence of the Holy Spirit.

A Testimony

Life in Bear Lake