Sidney Cometrius Goddard
Born: 1 October 1858, Payson, Utah, Utah
Parents: William Pettibone Goddard and Mary Ann Pace
Died: 9 Nov 1925, New Harmony, Washington, Utah
Life Sketch of Sidney Cometrius Goddard
Sidney Cometeris Goddard was born in Payson, Utah October 1, 1858. His mother was Mary Ann Pace
who was the first white girl married in Payson. Payson, Utah was named for Sidney’s grandfather, James Pace.
Sidney appears in the August 1860 US census as a one-year boy living on his family’s farm in Payson. He has
an older sister, Hannah about 4 years of age and an older brother William P. who was about 7 years older.
At 11 years of age in 1880, Sidney and his family had moved to Harmony, Washington, Utah. He is living
with his mother, brother and sister. His mother is keeping house and his older brother William P., age 17
is working in a mill. His father does not seem to be in the picture a few years after the birth of Sidney’s
younger brother George Clarence in 1872.
In 1879, Sidney was part of the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition. He, along with his brother William and
his family, made the grueling 6-month trip from Escalante, Utah to the Bluff, Utah site in the winter of
1879-1880. He was single and 21 years old at the time of the trip. It is unknown what part he played in
the company, but according to his obituary he “never complained and was always ready to work.” Perhaps, g
iven his later profession as farmer and stock raiser, he helped with the cattle.
San Juan County, Utah was the home of Sidney in the June 1880 US Census. He was living with his
brother, William P. and family. He is listed as being unemployed for the prior 12 months of the
census year. Labeled as unemployed after helping with the backbreaking work of the Hole-in-the-Rock
expedition would probably not be something he would agree with as an apt description of his previous year!
His brother William P. was only listed as unemployed for 6 months on the same census record. The census
taker was B. T. Young.
Sidney left San Juan County sometime between 1880 and 1885. He probably went with his brother William P.
who moved to Pleasanton, New Mexico during this time. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
established church organizations in the Pleasanton are beginning in 1882. In June of 1885 Sidney
was living in the 10th precinct of Socorro County, New Mexico. The 1885 New Mexico Territorial Census
listed him as freighter. William P. and family were also living there where William was listed as 'farming.'
Around 1895, Sidney returned to New Harmony, Utah.
June of 1900 finds Sidney living in State Line Precinct, Iron County, Utah with his mother Mary
and a nephew Jed Woodard. Sidney is listed as a farm laborer on a farm they own free of mortgage.
Sidney’s father, William Pettibone Goddard dies sometime in 1903 and is buried in New Harmony, Washington, Utah.
He becomes best friends with LeRoy (Roy) Grant about 1905 and lives with him for the next 20 years.
He eventually becomes half-owner of a farm with Roy. Roy’s father was a livestock man and prominent in
pioneering the sheep industry in southern Utah after serving a colonizing mission in Arizona.
The May 1910 US Census lists Sidney living in Harmony, Washington County, Utah by himself. He lives
alone in a house he owns without a mortgage. He is listed as a rancher on a stock ranch.
Mary Goddard, Sidney’s mother dies in Leeds, Utah May 3, 1915. He and his brother G. C. attempt to
get to the funeral. However, since they were delayed in getting the word of her death, and the extremely
stormy condition of the weather, with resultant muddy roads and swollen mountain streams intervening,
were unable to get through by the appointed time and were obliged to return home.
Roy Grant married in 1909 but his first wife died and he remarried in 1913. Shortly after that
Sidney evidently came to live with them.
In the January 1920 US Census Sidney is listed as a half owner living with Roy (LeRoy) Grant (34 yrs),
Roy’s wife Sadie (35 yrs), daughter Marnie (4 ½ yrs) and son Kent (1 ½ yrs). He is listed as being a
farmer on the home farm.
Nov 9, 1925 Sidney dies of a heart attack while cutting wood near his ranch. “He apparently felt
as well as usual that morning, and he and LeRoy, E.C. Grant and Jos. D. Nielson all were getting
their winters supply of wood out. He had been working near Roy and put his axe down, went where he was,
and told him that he had a severe pain around his heart. Roy could see that something was wrong and
told him to sit down. A minute later he looked at him just in time to catch him as he fell dead.
It has been known for a few years that his heart was weak although he never complained and was always ready to work.”
The speakers at his funeral were Albert F. Mathis, Wm. P. Taylor, Gottlieb Schmutz and Bp. Pace.
All of whom spoke of the many good qualities of the deceased. All testified that he had always been honest, industrious and always ready to help in any way when called on. All said that he would not profane or gossip about anyone.
Albert F. Mathis read a piece from his (Sidney’s) own pen which tells better than anything how he has lived which is:
“In the course of human life,
Five things observe with care;
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,
and how and when and where.
Both LeRoy Grant and Hannah Jolley signed Sidney’s death certificate as informants. His middle name, Cometeris is written in later. Since Hannah wasn’t there at his death, it appears she wanted a say on what went in the death certificate.
After Sidney’s death there was a five-year court battle over his will. He had been living with Roy Grant and his family. Roy and he had been friends for 20 years. In 1913, Roy married and his wife Sadie and he had several children. Not sure when Sidney began living with the family, but the 1920 lists both he and Roy as half owners of their farm. It appears, from newspaper accounts, that in May 1917 Sidney had a serious operation for appendicitis at the McFarland Hospital. The Grant family, Roy and his mother Emily, went with Sidney to the hospital and stayed with him through the surgery and recovery. Before the surgery, he wrote a will leaving 400 acres and $12,000 ($178,000 in 2020 dollars) in real property to Emily. After his recovery, Emily returned the will to him and he kept it for 6 years, and then gave it to a daughter of Emily’s. The daughter kept for 2 years until his passing and then gave it to her mother. Emily then submitted the will for probate. Sidney’s sister Hannah Jolley contested the will. The court battle continued until the middle of 1930 when Emily was awarded the land and real property after a review by the Utah State Supreme Court.
Sidney Cometeris Goddard was another of the unsung heroes of the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition. He exemplified what a later church authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints extolled. “And so the Church moves on. It is carried upon the shoulders of worthy members living ordinary lives among ordinary families, guided by the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ, which is in them.”
Researched and written for the Hole-in-the-Rock Foundation by:
C.S.M. Dean Phillips
Notes:
1 Iron County Record, Cedar City, Utah, 7 May 1915, Friday p. 1
2 1860 US Census, Payson, Utah County, Utah, p 243
3 1870 US Census, Harmony, Washington, Utah, p. 4
4 Obituary, Iron County Record, Cedar City, Utah, 20 November 1925, Friday, p. 5
5 1880 US Census, San Juan County, Utah, p. 5
6 Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New Mexico, Pioneer Settlements in, Richard L. Jensen, 1992, p. 1010
7 1885 New Mexico, Territorial Census, Precinct 10, p. 4
8 1900 US Census, District 0098, State Line, Iron County, Utah p.1
9 Obituary, Edmund Carbine Grant, Washington County News, 27 October 1949, Thursday p. 4
10 1910 US Census, Harmony, Washington, Utah, p. 8
11 Obituary, Mary Goddard, Iron County Record, Cedar City, UT, 7 May 1915, Friday, p.1
12 1920 US Census, Harmony, Washington, Utah p. 9
13 Obituary, Sidney Goddard, Iron County Record, Cedar City, Utah, 20 November 1925, Friday, p. 5
14 Iron County Record, Cedar City, Utah, 20 November 1925, Friday, p. 5
15 Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah, 6 January 1929 Sun P.14
16 Elder Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, November, 2007, p 11