Willis Jay Lyman (1891-1918)

Willis Jay Lyman

Willis Jay Lyman was born on 21 June 1891 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah, to Edward Leo Lyman and Mary Maranda Callister.

He married Angie Finlinson on 1 May 1918 in the Manti Temple. They are the parents of six children, Asael, Millie, Blaine Finlinson, Eddie Finlinson, George Edward and Mary Lyman.

Willis died on 17 October 1968 in Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho, and was buried in the Oak City Cemetery, Millard County, Utah.

This was written by Willis Jay Lyman: “My father was Edward Leo Lyman Sr. My mother was Mary Maranda Callister Lyman. My grandfather on my father's side was Amasa Mason Lyman. He was a descendant of Richard Lyman who came from England and settled in Massachusetts in 1631. Historians say that all the Lyman’s in the United States and Canada are descendants of this man, so I am of the great Lyman family of America. My grandmother on my father's side was Lydia Partridge, daughter of Edward Partridge, the first Presiding Bishop of the L.D.S. church. My grandfather on my mother's side was Thomas Callister. Thomas Callister was converted to the church in the Isle of Man, and came to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1842, when he was 19 years of age. He was the only one of his immediate family who joined the church. Thomas Callister lived most of his life in Fillmore, Utah, where he served as Bishop of the Fillmore Hard then a Stake President of the Millard Stake. He was a friend of the Indians and a man of great human kindness, loved and respected by all who knew him. My grandmother on my mother's side was Caroline Smith. She was a daughter of John Smith and Clarissa Lyman. Clarissa was a distant cousin of my Grandfather Amasa Lyman. John Smith was a brother of Joseph Smith Sr., father of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He was the first President of the Salt Lake Stake and served as Presiding Patriarch to the church.”

“My sisters Lydia and Millie always made quite a fuss over me. I am inclined to think they spoiled me with their attention. Millie taught school in Oak City and I attended her school. Mother also taught school in Oak City and I attended her school at least one year. Mother never took any monkey-business from her own boys in school.”

“We moved our few household goods to Oak City and set up housekeeping with mother in her home. These were trying times to say the least. At this point my sister, Lydia, came to the rescue and made it possible for me to go through college. This was one of the most gracious things a sister could do for a brother.”

Descendancy:

Amasa Mason Lyman & Lydia Partridge

Edward Leo Lyman 

Willis Jay Lyman 
Find A Grave Memorial

Lydia Lyman (1884-1958)

Lydia Lyman Finlinson

Lydia Lyman was the daughter of Edward Leo and Mary Maranda (Callister) Lyman. 

She was born 11 August 1884, at Oak City, Millard County, Utah.  She married Leo Finlinson in the Salt Lake Temple on 3 October 1907.

Leo and Lydia reared a family of eight: Maidie, Grant Lyman, Virginia, Clara, Leo Lyman, Isabel, Julia and Richard Lyman Finlinson.

Lydia was one of ten children, who always had a project to earn money. As a teenager and young adult, she knitted stockings to earn money. After her marriage she raised chickens to have her own "more discretionary" funds. She worked on the farm with her husband, kept a vegetable garden and grew roses and peonies which she sold on 'Decoration Day' to people who came from other towns to purchase flowers for their family graves.

Lydia owned and operated the Oak City Cash Store for twenty-five years, was the Postmistress and served on the City Council.  She was ambitious and in addition to the store and home, she made most of her daughter’s dresses and many beautiful quilts.  She made quilt tops at her store during the more quiet winter months, then invited the women in town to her home on her birthday in August where she would prepare them a lunch and they would help her quilt her quilts. 

Her pies were legendary. She would make 20 pies then go to the store to work. She taught the social science lessons in Relief Society which brought her a great deal of enjoyment. 

Lydia always enjoyed gathering sayings which expressed a motivating philosophy of life.  She stimulated great goals in others by sharing these sayings.

Leo and Lydia’s main desire in life was to rear a family with high Latter-day Saint ideals.  Their children were taught to pray.  They all cherish the memory of gathering around the kitchen table each morning for family prayers.  They were also taught to accept any job they were asked to do, both at home and in the Church.

Lydia died 9 years before her husband in the Payson Hospital in Payson, Utah County, Utah on 18 May 1958. She was buried in the Oak City Cemetery on 21 May 1958.

Descendancy:

Amasa Mason Lyman & Lydia Partridge

Edward Leo Lyman 

Lydia Lyman 
Find A Grave Memorial