Welcome To Our Story, The Story of Bishop Joseph Pollard's Daughters

My name is Ked Kirkham. My great grandmother, with whom I share a birthday on November 27, was Grace Bailey Pollard Backman. Grace was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and was the youngest daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann Bailey Pollard.

There were seven daughters. Joseph and Mary Ann also had two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, who did not survive. I think of this family with feelings of delight and admiration; I can, I am a little removed from them. Although I believe I must have met great grandmother as she died when I was about 3 or 4 years old, I really did not know any of the early generations. Great grandmother liked chocolate and she liked hats. I think that when she was young she was beautiful, something common to the seven young women, the Pollard daughters.

I decided I would approach you, cousins, in this way. Tell us all about the Bishop's Daughter of your heritage. Recollections and legends. We will laugh at the humor together, view with awe the hardships and victories, and we will remember the pioneer family that came across half the world to settle in the valleys of the mountains and became our grandmothers.

Why am I doing this now? It has been on my mind for some time, and then on March 19, 2010 I read that Mildred Lee Baysinger Busk had passed away. I recognized the name Baysinger, and went to my Pollard files; I had nothing after the 1920 census for Julia Evans Baysinger's family! Mildred had lived fairly nearby (Bountiful) and passed away at 101 years of age (I have lived here for about 25 years). I knew then that I needed to learn more of this pioneer family of which I am a part.

Since that time we have had other losses in the families of Joseph Pollard. And we will learn of the passing of others as we go forward. Join me in discovering this family, won't you?