Alston

James Leroy & Lillian Ellen Williams Alston

James, the older brother of Ray Lester Alston (q.v.), was born October 10, 1881, in Hoytsville Utah Territory to Thomas and Mary Ellen Holt Alston. His brother survived the 1918 flu epidemic and lived to 103 but James succumbed to the flu December 26, 1918, at the age of 37. He married Josephine Lilly Darnell, born October 8, 1875 in Ohio, in 1899 and she died October 8, 1901, in Malad, Idaho.

Lillian was born May 17, 1886, in Samaria, Idaho to Meshack Spencer and Elizabeth Mary Lewis Williams. They were married December 8, 1903, in Brigham City, Utah and had two children: Orval Dewey and Thelma Lenore.

Their records were among the first members of the Highland Ward at its' organization in 1915 and they were still living here when he registered for the draft in September, 1918 and when he died. Lillian married William Franklin Crowton in 1925 and she died October 18, 1932.

[Find a Grave Memorial - James LeRoy Alston]

[Find a Grave Memorial - Lillian Ellen Williams Alston]

Ray Lester & Hannah Pearl Southwick Alston

Ray was born September 22, 1895, in Salt Lake City to Thomas and Mary Ellen Holt Alston. He graduated high school in Salt Lake and attended the University of Utah for two years. In 1917 he volunteered for the Aviation branch of the Army and was sent for training to Waco, Texas for two months; Gerstner Field, Louisiana for 5 months then to radio school in Austin, Texas for two months where in October, 1918, he contracted influenza and was sent to the hospital. He developed pneumonia and had two surgeries and remained in the hospital until the first part of March when he was finally released and discharged. He then graduated from Utah State University. In 1925 he moved to Highland and served as a Sunday School teacher for six years beginning that year. He married Pearl May 24, 1928, in the Salt Lake Temple and continued to live in Highland (Number 58 on the 1958 Highland map), and in Number 77. Pearl was born April 29, 1901, in Lehi, Utah to Edward and Rachel Ann Webb Southwick. Pearl attended schools in Lehi, served a mission to the Eastern States in 1926-27, attended BYU and graduated from Utah State University. She taught school in Lehi.

In September, 1930, Ray was called as second Counselor in the Bishopric to Harry Jerling. In June, 1931, he was called to first counselor to replace Brother Groesbeck who had passed away.

Ray and Pearl moved to Salt Lake City within a couple of years and remained there. They had four children: Joan, Gayle, Harold Ray and Celia. In 1942 he registered for the WWII draft and was working at the American Red Cross in Salt Lake City. Ray was a long-time member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers and participated in the 1947 one hundred year anniversary reenactment of the Pioneer trek from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City. Ray and Pearl served a mission together in Texas. Pearl died at 93 on May 26, 1994. Ray's early health problems had no serious consequences, as he lived past his 103rd birthday and died January 20, 1999. They are buried at Wasatch Lawn.

Source: HIGHLAND HISTORY: A compilation by Charles T Greenland II for the Highland Historical Society

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