Elizabeth Crookston (Crystal)

People Buried Here

Epitaph

Description

Thomas was born in Dysart, Fifeshire, Scotland 3 August 1839 to George and Jan Hutchinson (Hutchinson) Crookston, the third in a family of seven. They were tenants of a coal company owned house. Thomas went to school for a short time but studied from his father's many books. When he was sixteen and his father forty five the family immigrated to America, like so many others, the six-week journey on a sailing ship was full of hardships. They landed in New York in 1855, then made the journey to Utah by ox team. Thomas and his sister, Janet, lived in several places before the family finally came together in American Fork where they lived in a dugout, later building a house at 145 South 100 West. /

In 1864 Thomas went to Montana to work in the mines where earned enough for a span of mules. He then freighted across Nevada and Montana. At the onset of the Black Hawk War he was hauling coal to a blacksmith in Salt Lake and was subsequently called to serve in the war in Manti's twelve mile canyon area. (Mayheld) /

Elizabeth (Betsy) Crystal was also born in Dysart, Fifeshire, Scotland 10 January 1852, the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth cousins Crystal. The family of eight left Scotland 27 May 1863 on the ship Cynosure, enduring the eight-week trip with the usual hardships, but also measles. After landing in New York they started immediately for Utah by ox team. Baby William died during the journey and was hurriedly buried in the flour box of the wagon train captain. They were met in Salt Lake by an uncle Peter Adamson, coming directly to American Fork, where they settled on the northwest corner of what is now called Merchant ST. After the father made sufficient abodes they built a home on East State Road. In this house an additional seven children were welcomed into the famliy. /

Elizabeth worked for the Crooks family for a time, then was employed in Salt Lake until her marriage at age 20 in 1871. Thomas was then 32. The marriage was performed in Judge Obed Stricklands office. The judge was appointed associate justice to server in the first district at Provo by Abraham Lincoln. They became the parents of nine children, Elizabeth, Thomas, Andrew, George, John, Byron, Lenorah (died as a child), Pearl, and Frank. /

Elizabeth died 16 April 1925 at age 73 having endured the hard work and hardships of that era yet she was known as a kind, honest and industrious woman. The services were conducted in the family home by The Reverend W. Murphy of Payson, who also dedicated the grave in the American Fork Cemetery. /

At the time of his death on 25 April 1933, Thomas was the oldest resident of American Fork, being 94. His life was full of hardships but one of an earnest pursuit of righteousness. He was the proud father of nine children. He was cut off from the church because he would not stop trading at Auerbach's and Walkers in Salt Lake, where he could obtain better prices. He said in his typical Scottish brogue, "I'll go where I can get the most for my money." His religion was to pay his honest debts and to owe no man. He is buried in the American Fork Cemetery. /

The last paragraph was taken from an account by his son Byron. The rest of the information is from the family records in the possession of Phyllis O. Crookston. That which pertains to Judge Strickland is taken from the History of Utah by Andrew L. Neff.