William Moyer Grow was born May 30, 1842 in Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, the third child of Henry Grow and Mary Moyer. Twleve days before his birth his father joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being baptized May 18, 1842 in the Delaware River in Philadephia. His mother was baptized nine days after his birth.

By March of 1843, the Grow family was living with the Saints in Nauvoo. William's father was a builder by profession, and his first job in Nauvoo was to build a barn for Hyrum Smith. He also worked on the Nauvoo Temple. William's family participated in all the sufferings of the Saints as the Prophet and Patriarch was martyred and the people driven from their homes.

William arrived in the Salt Lake Valley with his family on October 1, 1851 being then just 9 years old. They came with the James Cummings company. William's family eventually settled in Huntsville, where he grew into manhood. He assisted in locating the town of Huntsville. He didn't have much schooling, but he did learn how to work hard. He worked in a saw mill as a young boy. While employed there he had an accident and lost a finger. He also broke his right elbow during his youth, and since it was never set right, his arm was crooked and didn't function properly during the rest of his life. He learned to play the violin, but played it left handed because of his arm.

William enjoyed hunting and fishing, and would go out hunting with his brothers frequently. They were very good shots, but he was not. In spite of this, one time when they were out hunting, William was the one who shot a bear. This became kind of a family joke, since he was supposed to be such a poor shot.

On July 2, 1865, William married Esther Hunt Coffin, a daughter of pioneer parents. Esther was born August 15, 1844 in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana the sixth child of William Barney Coffin and Abigail Starbuck. Her parents joined the Church in 1833.

William and Esther lived for a time in Huntsville, where their first child was born in 1866 a little girl they named Mary Abigail.

In 1867, William moved his family to western Oregon and on the way assisted in making the first brick manufacture at Boise, Idaho. He later engaged in freighting from Umitilla, Oregon, to the mines in northern Idaho. The family returned to Huntsville in 1871. They became quite nomadic and moved from place to place. At one time William owned forty acres in Ogden, in what would now be a choice site. He sold it for $5.00 and a barrel of molasses. In later life, when asked by a friend why he had sold it, and why he sold subsequent places he had owned, he always answered that it was "to keep from starving to death."

Nine children were born to this couple, and they were all raised to maturity. They were Mary Abigail (Abbie) born March 27, 1866, William Nathan on September 8, 1867, James Alphas on March 16, 1871, David Henry on November 19, 1873, Jesse Michael on October 22, 1875, Horace Isaac on August 8, 1877, Cyrus Lot on March 10, 1880, Charles Edwin on November 1882 and Esther Effie on April 16, 1886. For some reason, Esther wanted each of their children to be born in a log cabin in Huntsville, and no matter where they might be living, when her time was near, they made the journey back to Huntsville. As the eighth child drew near its time, she was on the train heading for Huntsville. She didn't made it however, and Charles Edwin was born in Blackfoot, Idaho.

On December 21, 1874, William and Esther went to the Logan Temple and were sealed to each other. They were good honest people not necessarily inactive in the church, but not inclined to go too often or accept positions.

William and Esther moved to Marsh Valley Idaho in 1879, where they spent the winter. Moved from there to Gray's Lake Idaho where William took up squatters right in 1880. Sold this land for 250 lbs of flour and $1.50 in cash. They started for Beaver Canyon and on the way passed through Eagle Rock, now Idaho Falls. They passed over the Anderson Toll Bridge which cost them their last cash of $1.50. The children were bare footed and did not have much to eat. They reached Beaver Canyon in August of 1880. William secured work for the Railroad shoveling coal and working in the round house.

In 1883, William and his family were living in Camas, Idaho. Willam and his sons were working in the railroad shop. They became acquainted with Joseph Henry Owen, and engineer who ran the helper there. Their eldest daughter, Abbie fell in love and William wanted to move his family to Canada, Joseph persuaded Abbie to stay in Camas and marry him.

William and Esther left for Alberta and Cardston Canada, in 1888. They spent about 13 months there and headed back to Idaho. Abbie and Joseph were homesteading land in Ammon, Idaho with several of Joseph's brother. Joseph also got land for William and Esther and helped them finance it. William received 160 acres for $350 which he farmed and raised cattle and sheep. By 1888 William and his family were living in Ammon, in a two room log house, and here he and Esther finished raising their family. Their land corned Abbie and Joseph's land. Every one of their boys lived with them a while after they were married, so the little two room house must have been very crowded at times.

In 1915, their children all being grown and on their own. William and Esther sold their farm to a grandson, Charles Owen, and bought a home in Idaho Falls. They again became wanderers. William built a special wagon called a "white top" to live in, took a cow along behind and travelled wherever they wanted to go.

In later years, Esther became ill and died in 1920 in Ogden, Utah. She was buried in Ammon, Idaho. After her death William moved in with his son Jesse in Ammon. He had always enjoyed walking, frequently walking up into the mountains around Ammon, but he really became quite a walker in his later years. At one time (1927) he walked from Ammon to Ogden, Utah a distance of over 200 miles. He would walk on the railroad tracks instead of the highway. When someone asked him why he walked on the tracks, he answered, "Well, I know that if I see a train coming, and get off the tracks, I won't get run over. If I walk on the highway and see a car coming, I wouldn't know if I was going to get run over or not." He wouldn't take a chance on cars on the highway. When asked if he got rides from people, he would answer, "If I had wanted a ride I would have bought a train ticket." He was in his 80's at this time. He evidently had quite a sense of humor, because he told the story that as he walked through Marsh Valley in Idaho, the mosquitoes were so thick that you could take a pint cup and swap it through the air and get a quart of mosquitoes.

William would go visiting, always walking. He would go from one end of Salt Lake City to the other on foot. He said he couldn't be bothered with the street car. His grandchildren looked forward to his visits. They would beg him to play his violin but he would always refuse. However, if they would wake up early in the morning, they would hear him playing softly to himself. When he was through visiting, he would walk off again, refusing rides or street cars. Once when his grandson Charles asked him "Grandpa can I drive you where you want to go?" He answered "No thanks, I'm in a hurry."

Once on holiday (August 8, 1931) when a lot of people were climbing a mountain near Ogden (Mount Ben Lomond) William climbed it also. When the people in the city heard about this old man climbing, they were very concerned and set two men up with a stretcher to bring him down. The two men had stopped to rest when William who had been to the top and was on his way back down, passed them. He called out "Come on fellows, let's go." as he went running on down. He use to laugh about this quite a lot.

William was a good man, a hard worker and very honest. An example of his honesty is when a man offered him fifteen dollars for a horse, William knowing of a defect that could not be seen, would not take that much, and asked instead for ten dollars.

On March 11, 1932, William arose early as usual, got dressed and made his bed as he always did. He went over to the stairs to take his bedding up and put it away, and fell over dead at the foot of the stairs. He was 89 years old. He is buried in the Ammon Cemetery.

- Written by Lois Owen Tucker from conversations with her father and Aunt Lois Chapman -