Conversion of Mabel Alice Godber Brown to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
by Elaine Brown Harris

James Godber, father to Mabel Alice Godber, came to America after his wife and seven other children had died. He brought his five year old daughter, Mabel Alice, with him. Sometime in 1885 he took up a homestead at Hilliard, Wyoming a few miles south of Evanston, because he wanted to own land and couldn't in England. He filed to be an American Citizen on November 2, 1886. Then on July 19, 1900 William McKinley, President of the United States, signed the document that gave him his land. Mabel grew up on this homestead until December 24, 1900 when, at age 20, she married Herbert Brown. They lived next to the property of Michael Marialaky's family who was also taking up a homestead in America in 1885. Mr. Marialaky had come from Debreezin, Hungary so he could also own land in America. They became good friends with this family while they raised their children.

There was a Horse Corral on Ernest Barker's ranch about two miles from Grandmother's cabin where every fall many Indians would come to trade horses with the ranchers in this area. They had painted faces and would come to Mabel's log cabin and look through the windows wanting food. She was extremely frightened of the Indians and had told Mr. Marialaky many times of her fear. One day Mr. Marialaky came to visit and brought Mabel a book and told her this would tell her where the Indians came from. He said he had read the book and knew it was true and she would not be so afraid of the Indians if she would read it. This book was the Book of Mormon translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith and he told her he believed the vision of Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ was true. This was probably in the fall of 1906. Mabel's father, James Godber, had taught her every day of her life from the Bible. She learned how to read well and understand the Bible. As she read the Book of Mormon she became full of joy at what she learned. Her mind would go back to all the Prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the Latter-day times. Joseph of Egypt said in the last days our Prophet would be named Joseph after him and also after his own father however the most important prophecy about the latter days to her was found in the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. This one made her know for sure the Book of Mormon was true.

Ezekiel 37:15-19 states 15. The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying. 16. Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it. For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick and write upon it for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel and his companions: 17. And join them one to another into one stick and they shall become one in thine hand. 18. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto them saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19. Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah and make one stick and they shall become one in thine hand.

Mabel knew the Bible was the stick of Judah and she had looked and looked for years for the stick of Joseph but could never find it. However as soon as she read the Book of Mormon she knew immediately this was her long lost book, the stick of Joseph. She then knew the church was true and wanted to be baptized right away. Her years of daily studying the bible gave her instant recognition that the Book of Mormon was true. A few months later on 11 November 1906 she went to her husband's family home in Almy, next to the Bear River, and had a hole cut in the ice large enough for her baptism. She wanted to be baptized right away and did not want to wait until the ice thawed in the spring. Afterward, in the Brown family home, she was confirmed a member of the church.

For the rest of her life she expressed how grateful she was to Mr. Marialaky for his kindness in giving her the Book of Mormon. She read daily from this book and taught it to her family and everyone who would listen. After Mabel's six children were raised she would leave the ranch and stay in Salt Lake in the summer months to do the temple work for her parents and seven siblings whom she had never known as she was only two years old when they were all buried in England. She never had a picture of her mother or siblings. There are now seven generations from Grandfather James Godber and over 6oo descendents. The property he homesteaded is still in the family. Grandmother Mabel Alice was a wonderful kind, gentle woman who loved babies and early in her life learned to be a mid-wife and delivered many babies in the rural area where she lived. Her daughter, Dorothy Martin, said that she delivered over a hundred babies without a doctor and never lost one of them. She also cared for many sick people in the community. During the rest of her life she served in many callings in the church and never turned anyone away in need. The following is taken from the book "Progressive Men of Wyoming", written in 1906. Michael Marialaky who born in Hungary then came to America and to Wyoming. He owned the land that boarded my Great grandfather Godber's prosperity. He was the one who gave my Grandmother Brown the Book of Mormon.

MICHAEL MARIALAKY

He came of noble ancestry and was born in Debreezin Hungary on June 22, 1853. Michael Marialaky, the one of whom we write, is a son of Michael and Julia (Nenctky)Marialaky, who has become an American citizen and a stirring man of business in this new hemisphere, where a man's success and reputation depends not on honors but on the dignity of his character and the powers of his own personality. In this field of work Mr. Marialaky has shown himself of equal powers with the keenest of his businesses competitors. His honored father was a son of Michael and Susan (Kollat) Marialaky, and this noble family has been entitled to bear arms since 1631, having a distinguished record in books of history.

His preliminary education was acquired under competent tutors and his advanced education was received in Rosser College at Buda-pest, the beautiful twin-city capital of Hungary, which is located on the banks of the beautiful Danube. He was one of sixteen children of whom seven are still living. He is the only one now still living and bearing the name of Michael in the family, which has the name of all the nobleman of his house.

After school he held the position of book keeper in the government bank at Buda-Pest for a short time and then received a governmental position in the custom house where he worked for three years. Then in 1873 came to the United Stated and located in New Jersey where he worked for a time on a farm. His ambition however was to go to the West where opportunities were greater and his chances for success were not so circumscribed. He worked in Missouri and Iowa again on the farms. Then came west to Cheyenne in Wyoming. Here he was fascinated with life on the plains as a cowboy and in 1863 he worked there for two years and then came to Uinta County to settle.

In 1885 he took up 160 aces of government land (which is called Hilliard, Wyoming) where he now resides and to which he has added on until he owns 280 acres. This property he has developed and improved to a high degree, he has since been successfully engaged in raising horses and cattle.

In 1889 Mr. Marialaky returned to Hungary where on July 4 of that year he wedded Miss Emelia Fabry, a daughter of Frank and Rosa (Varga) Fabry. Her grandfather, Frank Fabry, was a wholesale iron merchant who married Carolina Buknod of German ancestry and his son Frank, and her father was also successful in merchandising.

Mr. and Mrs. Marialaky are the parents of two children, Viola and Charles. (Note later they had four more children). Their home was known for their great hospitality. Both of Michael's parents died in his native land. His father passed away on Christmas day 1865 and at the age of sixty five.

Mr. Marialaky is the oldest settler on Hilliard Flats and his held in highest esteem with the people who have had business transactions with. His scorn of all trickery, dishonesty and deceit is a fundamental trait of his character and has been a potential factor in his life. He would never cheat his neighbors. He is a loyal American and expects to spend the reminder of his life as a citizen of the United States. Mr. Marialaky is in fullest accord with the principles advocated by the young American republic and the loyally that sustains its cause. He is also an honored member of the Church of the Latter-day Saints in which he holds the office of one of the Seventy.

I am very happy to have been given this information from Mr. Marialaky's great granddaughter, Betty Mathson and have copied this for my family as this family lived out their lives living next to my Great-grandfather James Godber and his daughter Mabel Alice Godber Brown. Mr. Marialaky is the man who gave my Grandmother, Mabel Brown the book of Mormon to read and testified to her that the book was true, so she would know where the Indians came from. Now seven generations later there are more the 600 descendants from grandmother who belong to the Latter-day Saint church.

Written by: Elaine Martin Harris grandaughter of Mabel Alice Godber Brown

April 17, 2014