Mary Jane Paskett was born on December 17, 1890, at Grouse Creek, Box Elder County, Utah. She was the daughter of William Pope Paskett and Annie Louisa Mecham. When she was three weeks old, she was stricken with whooping cough and was very ill. Through faith and administration of the Elders, she soon became healed. Having been born of Mormon parents, she attended Sunday School and Primary as she became of age.
When six years old, she attended the Grouse Creek public school. She walked about two miles to school with her brothers and sisters. When she was in the sixth grade, a new school was built about a mile from her home. She and her sister did the janitor work for two years.
Stephen, Rhoda, Annie, Mary Jane, David, William Pope, Hattie, William James Paskett
When quite young, she stayed with her grandmother part of the time. When about fourteen years old, she cooked for hay men as her father took a hay contract every summer about thirty miles from home.
She was assistant secretary of the Grouse Creek Ward Sunday School for several years and later became secretary.
At the age of nineteen he uncle, William C. Betteridge had a paralytic stroke, and she worked for and took care of him and her aunt for about six years. During this time, she worked in the Mutual as a teacher and a counselor and was active in all word activities.
Charlotte. Rhoda, Hattie, Mary Jane Paskett
When she was twenty-five years of age, she was married to Arthur Godfrey Ballingham, son of William Ballingham and Emily Marriett Evans. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 7, 1916.
About a year after her marriage, her husband was operated on for growths in his wrists. She was in Salt Lake City with him for some time while he was in the hospital. Upon his return home he herded sheep. As her husband was unable to do any lifting or wrist straining, she stayed with him while he was with the sheep herd.
Jane, Steve, Hattie Paskett
Esmond, Melba, Mary Jane and Arthur Ballingham
Three years after her marriage a son, Esmund Sylvanus was born. A year and ten months later a second son, Arthur was born.
When Arthur was about five years old, her husband was taken ill and the left the boys with relatives and went to Ogden for some time. Upon their return from Ogden, the family moved to Lucin, Utah on the account of her husband’s ill health.
They managed the Lucin Hotel during that winter and the following summer. She also took in laundry. After this, her husband was ill for which he was operated on for tonsils, appendicitis, and gall bladder trouble.
For six years she managed the Lucin Hotel and later moved to the Lucin Quarry where she lives at the present day of the writing (June 9, 1939).
On February 11, 1932, a third child, Dolores Jane was born. She passed away on April 16, 1940, at the age of eight years.
Her husband worked on the railroad as a section foreman. They spent about three years working in different locations. In August 1943 she moved with her husband to Ogden, Utah. She worked on cafes for about four years, then worked at sewing. They joined the Ogden Third Ward. While there she was a Y.W.M.I.A. teacher, a Sunday School teacher and with her husband filled a two-year Stake Mission.
In 1950, Jane and her husband bought a home at 606 6th Street, Ogden, Utah when she was active in church organizations, especially the Relief Society. Also, she and her husband were asked to be custodians of the 8th Ward and Lorin Farr Stake Center, a job the held for about ten years. Jane passed away on January 6, 1973, and is buried by the side of her husband in the Washington Heights Cemetery near the open book marker near the south end of the cemetery