Mary Bunting Ashton was born February 14 or 15, 1820 at Nottingham, England. She came across the ocean on the ship “Horizon” with her husband Samuel Ashton.

She pushed a handcart the entire distance across the plains, gathering up her skirts to ford the many streams along the way. Her husband had poor health so many times she pushed the cart with him in it.

They arrived in Salt Lake Valley November 30, 1856 where she and her husband remained until 1862 when they came to Kaysville. They built a log cabin in east Kaysville by the mountain road.

Mary Ashton was a doctor and midwife going all over the county at a moments notice to care for the sick, sometimes staying days and weeks. She made her own medicine from herbs which she carefully gathered, dried and prepared.

She did a great deal of handiwork. She did beautiful netting of fine cotton and silk, making the large triangle shoulder scarfs the women wore for “dress up wear” as they called it then. She also made lovely wool, spinning it on her spinning wheel, while her mother knit. Neighbors would take their wool to Mary Ashton in the fall and soon the winter’s supply of stockings for the family would be ready.

She did not have children of her own, but always welcomed and loved other children. There was always bread, butter and her famous pottowatomine plum preserves for them. She was always kind hearted, generous and capable in her work. She and her husband were good neighbors and faithful church workers.

Mary Ashton died February 17, 1900 at the home of Mrs. Annie Bacon.
Buried in Kaysville-Layton Cemetery.