William Robert Cazier

By His Daughter Lorena Cazier Davenport

William Robert Cazier was born in 1863. He died in 1909. His father was Benjamin Cazier Sr. and his mother was Isabell Montgomery. He lived in North Ogden during his youth and was a member of a winning North Ogden baseball team. We know that he made many trips to the mountains after timber with his brothers.

He was married in 1885 to Delia Jane Alvord. They had known each other all during their school days and lived across the road from each other in North Ogden.

In May 1887 William and his brothers went to work in Colorado, building three miles of railroad between Grand Junction and Denver. In July Delia and their baby Vernon went also and Delia was hired as cook for the men for $25 a month. In October they came home in their wagon, traveling over part of the pioneer trail. They saw graves of pioneers along the way. In her journal, Delia said that this strengthened her testimony, realizing what the pioneers had endured.

After returning to Utah, they joined a drama group and went to the various wards to perform. He was a mail carrier and played second base on the baseball team that was organized in 1893.

The family lived on the old Cazier farm which is now the Ben Lomond Stake Farm. Seven children were born here.

After visiting Yellowstone National Park, he filed on a homestead in Farnum, Fremont County, Idaho. The family moved there on April 10, 1906. This was where the last child was born in 1908.

This stories were told by their daughter, Lorena Cazier Davenport:

“I was sent to the hollow to get the butter for dinner. We had buried a box down in the hollow under the aspen trees to keep some of our food cool. I had started back up the hill with the butter when a big wind came up and blew me down, getting the butter dirty. It blew the tent house down too and Mother was upset. Lawrence said, “Don’t cry Mother, we’ll move the tent down in the hollow, so the wind can’t hit it so hard. That night after dark, when Papa (Pupa) and the other boys got home from hauling logs they couldn’t find the tent for awhile.”

“I remember riding with my father on the plow one day and we were finishing when a little rabbit ran out in front of us. It made me laugh and Papa teasingly said, “Don’t you know a little rabbit always comes out on the last furrow?” It was quite awhile before I realized he was joking.”

“Papa had brought his favorite horses from Utah, Morg and Monty. He called the one Morg because he was going to be the mortgage lifter, but he saved them to pull his white-top buggy. One year we took the buggy and went on a vacation to Yellowstone Park. While we were there I had my 4th birthday and I was told I cried because I couldn’t have a birthday cake with whipped cream. One night a bear came into our camp and I remember my father showing me the bear tracks the next morning”.

I remember the spring of 1908 when my sister Inez was born. Josie and I were sent down to Uncle Joe’s to stay all night. It was always a treat to go there so we didn’t question why. In the morning, walking home, we met Uncle Joe. He had been up to our place watering his horses in the pond as he always did. He told us that we had a new baby sister Inez. I told him I didn’t believe him but when we got home one of the older boys said to me, “Who’s the baby now?” I started to cry and Papa held out his arms and said, “You’ll always be my baby.” I remember him as a kind and loving father.

In 1908 William and Joe bought a thresher and went all over the country threshing grain for people. So they were away most of the summer. In 1909 they went threshing again but before they were finished William had to come home suffering from abscesses. One below his eye and one under his arm. Dr. Hargis from Ashton doctored him for awhile and then sent him to Salt Lake City. Joe went with him on the train and Delia was to follow in the next day or two, but before she got there he died. That was the 11th of November 1909. He was buried in North Ogden, Utah.

North Ogden Baseball Team

They won many baseball games in 1897. Pictured are front row, From left. George Randall, Saul Shupe, Lamoni Holmes. Middle Row, Enoch Randall, Milton Holmes, Andrew Clark, Heber Randall, William Robert Cazier. Back Row, Joe Cazier, Harry Chandler, J. Godfrey, Wilson Bailey and Nat Montgomery.