A Life Sketch of

KATHERINE PERKES (HARRIS)

Katherine was born to James Perkes and Mary Ann Gibson on May 12, 1861. When she was one year old the family left Eellville, Illinois for the Great Salt Lake Valley, in Captain Miller’s company. They suffered many hardships crossing the plains. They arrived in the valley in early 1862.

The family came directly to Hyde Park, Cache County, Utah to settle. At that time there were only eight families living in the couinunity. The first winter they lived in a dugout, suffering much from the cold winter. The next spring her father built a log house which provided much more comfort. As a young girl she remembers the Indians coming to their home begging for food and how afraid she was of them.

Her early life was that of a pioneer family. They were taught to work and be happy with their meager lot. She learned with others to make soap, candles, to knit, weave, to spin and color yarn and to make rag rugs to cover the floor.

When she was fifteen years of age she had finished her schooling, as meager as it was. Her parents wanted her to further her education, but she met a young man by the names of William Emer Harris. She fell in love with him and they were married November 4, 1877 when she was sixteen years of age. They went to Salt Lake City to be married in the Endowment House, but when the got there it was closed. Daniel H. Wells performed the ceremony. President John Taylor was present and after the ceremony he gave them a blessing and promised them that their seed would be as numerous as the sands of the seashore. This promise has certainly been fulfilled. She is the mother of eleven children, grandmother of forty—four grandchildren, and has one hundred fourteen great grandchildren, as of this writing (May 12, 1956) she is commemorating her ninety-fifth birthday.

Katherine lived most of her life in Hyde Park, except the last few years, when she lived with her son Lamont. All her children were born and raised in Hyde Park, Utah She was very talented when it came to knitting and crocheting. Many years earlier in her life, in a blessing given by the Church Patriarch, she was promised that some of her handiwork would grace the altars of the Temple of the Lord. When she was eighty years old she made a large piece depicting the Lord’s last supper. At the present (1956) this piece is resting on the back of one of the sofas in an upper room of the Logan LDS Temple. Many of her children and grandchildren have in their possession pieces of her work which are priceless to them.

Kate, as she was called, experienced many changes In her life. She grew up from pioneer living to see and witness the advent of the automobile, telephone, airplane, electricity, to modern plumbing, and above all, television which she enjoys very much. She was energetic, always keeping busy doing something she loved to do. She had good health all her life, and enjoyed visits from her family and friends. She passed away at the age of ninety—six September 8, 1957. She was buried in the Hyde Park Cemetery, Utah.

Source: Family genealogical records and

news clipping of her 95th birthday.