Kezia Keys
Kezia was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann Rushen Keys and was born 16th April 1844 in Danbury, Essex, England. She was baptized in England by her father into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1856. Kezia's mother died in England with cancer of the tongue, Kezia was seventeen years old at the time and her family of three sisters and her father decided to emigrate to Utah.

Kezia's three sisters left England first, then Kezia, who traveled with Warren N. Dusenbury on the ship Manhattan, her father following later. For the first year Kezia arrived in Utah, she made her home with her sisters. While she was with her sister Ann Rushen Keys Paxman in American Fork, she met John Durrant, whom she later married. She was sealed to John Durrant in the Endowment House on the 30th September 1870, thus becoming his third plural wife, and they adopted her baby, Ada Alice.

To Perform the commonest of life uncommonly well; to be confronted with problems and difficulties and surmount them with honor; to minister to the comfort, health, and happiness of the afflicted; to raise a large family of honorable and respected men and women; to live and die with full faith in the Gospel and undoubting hope of the glorious hereafter; is a life of labor that any one may wish to emulate. Such was the life work of the subject of this brief sketch.

Kezia Keys Durrant, daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann (Rushen) Keys, was born April 16, 1844, in Danbury, Essex, England. Her father was born in England December 21, 1800, and died in American Fork, Utah, April 21, 1877. Her mother, Mary Ann Rushen, was born in England, December 21, 1800, and died in England December 21, 1851. They had nine children, among them a pair of twins. Their names were:

1. Kezia Keys; died when about two years old.
2. Ann Rushen Keys Paxman; now living.
3. William Rushen Keys; died when about ten years old.
4. James Rushen Keys; now living.
5. George Keys; died November 18, 1905.
6. Walter Keys; died when about two years old.
7. Kezia Keys Durrant; died September 28, 1917.
8. Tryphena Keys Coppen; died September 1, 1913.
9. Esther Tryphosa Keys Miller; now living.

The parents were poor, and struggled hard to support their children and rear them honorably and well. About the year 1853, they joined the Church of Latter-day Saints in Essex, England; and before their death had the privilege of seeing all their living children embrace the Gospel. Kezia was baptized by her father in England in 1856. Elder Charles W. Penrose, now of the First Presidency of the Church, and Elder Gates were the first to explain the Gospel to the family. These and other Elders frequently enjoyed the hospitality of their humble home.

The childhood of Kezia Keys was surrounded by the struffles and hardships incident to the station in which the family lived. Her opportunities for education were very limited; yet she acquired through her own efforts a rather remarkable proficiency in reading, spelling and writing, which she used wisely and well in the training of her children. At the age of eleven or twelve, she had the misfortune to break a blood vessel while trying to do her own and a younger sister's share of work, and thus lost a great deal of blood. Charlotte Hurd walked five miles to get some brandy, which was one of the means of saving the girl's life. She was very ill for nearly three years. Elder Penrose and others frequently administered to her during her illness, and the visits of the Elders were more than welcome. Often the little girls slept on the floor, to make room for these visitors. Kezia's weakened condition brought on tic-douloureaux, a severe form of neaualgia affecting the nerves of the head and face. Her young sister, who was the innocent cause of her suffering, was thoroughly devoted to her throughout.

As soon as she was well enough she went out to work, bringing home a small wage of one shilling (25c) a week to help her father, who was toiling most of the time for nine shillings ($2.25) a week to support his family of nine. It was necessary at this time to ration the family with the utmost strictness, to make the small income hold out. Kezia became very homesick, and found her chief comfort in writing letters to her parents, by which means she devoted considerable ability in the art of correspondence. This stood her in good stead in her mature life. She remained in this employment thereafter in spite of homesickness and discouragement; thus cultivating by her work and self sacrifice the qualities of courage, self-reliance, and helpfulness which fitted her well for future responsibilities.

When Kezia was about twelve years of age, her mother was seized with cancer of the tongue, and died five years later at the age of sixty-one. During the time of her mother's illness the girl, then the oldest unmarried daughter, waited on her mother, nursing her with tender and constant care. After her mother's death she again went out to work, still contributing to the support of the family and returning home occasionally to nurse the younger children through attacks of illness. Previous to this time, two older brothers, James and George, had enlisted in the army, where they served the greater part of their service being in India. This naturally left a great deal of the responsibility of the home on Kezia, who notwithstanding her youth, measured up well to her labors. She helped in keeping up the home, acted as nurse and tutor to the younger children, and care-taker and comforter to her father. She thus matured through work and discipline at an early age, leaving behind youthful frivolities and preparing for the serious duties destined for her later year.

Her sister, Tryphena, became desirous of gathering with the Saints of Utah, and Kezia advanced three pounds ($15.00) towards her passage. Two or three years later the money was returned to her and she emigrated to Utah in the year 1866. A rough voyage lasting eleven days was made in the ship `Manhattern' in charge of Brother Warren N. Dusenberry. The first year after her arrival in the valley, she made her home with her sisters who had preceded her to Utah.

In the year 1867, she became the third wife of John Durrant of American Fork, the ceremony being performed in the Endowment House Salt Lake City. For some time she made her home in the granary, which was fitted up with crude furniture, and this humble home she took pride in keeping scrupulously clean. The hard discipline of her early life gave her the necessary skill and resourcefulness to make the most of a few facilities she had, and provide from her limited means, comfortable surroundings for her family. This quality was especially manifested when she moved to a log cabin of one room, with dirt floor and unchinked crevices, and made it home-like for herself and three children that had been born to her. Here, without help from doctor or nurse, she brought the oldest girl through a servere attack to typhoid fever, lasting nine weeks, and gave material assistance in the support of her children, in addition to caring for them in the sickness and other troubles incident to childhood.

During the coming years as the family increased, she used her ingenuity and skill as a housewife in adding to the comforts and conveniences of the humble little home. To this home came eight children in all, six of whom were reared to maturity. Her faith, courage, and cheerfulness, and her acquired skill as an impressive reader, qualified her for the arduous work of making the home attractive, bringing her children through severe attacks of illness, entertaining them in spare moments with reading and instruction, and keeping them firm in the faith of the Gospel. As a result of her arduous and intelligent labors, she had the satisfaction before her death of seeing her six grown children married in the temple to worthy companions. Thus was her devotion to her children rewarded; and her ministrations to the sick around her, given in her forty-five years of service as a Relief Society teacher, endeared her to all the afflicted of her acquaintance. Passing through a severe attack of smallpox, and thus becoming immune from the disease, and fearless of other contagious ailments, she nursed the sick in homes of pestilence, shunned by otherwise willing workers. Though many times afflicted with illness herself, she made marvelous recovery through the blessings of God and the tender care of her children and friends. The skillful nursing she was always willing to bestow on others, was cheerfully rewarded by similar care extended to her in her own afflictions.

A striking instance of her courage and self-reliance and the devotion of her children, occurred while her husband was serving a term in the penitentiary for polygamy. She undertook the erection of a two room adobe house as a home for her family. Her youngest child was then five years old. Her oldest son, Arthur, Jim's father, traded a horse for which he had worked all summer for adobes, and her daughter, Ada, then about fifteen, worked for the carpenter in payment of his services, and to pay for material used in the construction of the house. Help was cheerfully extended by friends who had received aid and comfort from the mother, and the little house was soon finished. Here the family lived for years in union and devotion, glad to be together as much as possible, though it was still necessary for the older children to go to work occasionally to provide for their own maintenance.

Kezia worked hard and was exceedingly thriftily and careful of her property. Her thrift, cleanliness, carefulness, and housekeeping skill went far toward compensating for the meagerness of her resources and enabled her to keep her family and her home neat, comfortable and attractive. She was thoroughly devoted to her children, and her greatest happiness was in making them happy. Every Christmas she devoted herself with labor and self sacrifice to make a cheerful homecoming for them; and the memory of this happiest day of the year lingers with them still. She was a faithful member of the Church, a regular attendant at meetings, and an enthusiastic worker in the Relief Society. By this example and her impressive evening readings to her children, she trained them to a similar faithfulness in Church service. She read to them, as well, from such standard works of literature as `Uncle Tom's Cabin', `Little Women', Bible Stories, etc., thus instilling in them studiousness and love of reading which was of great benefit to them in adult life.

Her youngest daughter, Lottie, was married in 1908 and a year thereafter the mother, then sixty-five years, gave up housekeeping and went to Salt Lake City to live with her daughter, Ada Smith. About a year later she had the misfortune to break her hip, and from this injury she never fully recovered. For three months she endured close confinement to her room, with remarkable patience and fortitude. At the end of that time she walked with the aid of crutches, and was compelled to use one crutch during the remaining eight years of her life. Still she was able get on and off of cars, and visit with her children at Provo, Huntsville, and Salt Lake City; and she spent a great deal of her time in the temple working for the redemption of her dead. Even under her severe affliction she did not forget or neglect her labors in behalf of the unfortunate. In the spring of 1917 she paid what she must have known would be her last visit to her children. In the middle of August of that year her health began to fail, and she gradually grew weaker until September 28, when she sank peacefully into the sleep of death.

The last fifteen years of her life were marked by a long series of illnesses for herself and the members of her family, as well as friends whom she took pleasure in nursing. About 1902 she suffered a break down, her illness lasting three months and bringing her to the very gates of death. She was nursed through this trouble by her daughter, Ada. At various times she was called to nurse her sister, daughters, and daughters-in-law through their confinements, in which work she possessed unusual skill. Her son, John, was undoubtedly saved from death through Bright's Disease by her care. A partial rest from these strenuous labors was enjoyed during the four years from 1904 to 1908, when she lived with her unmarried daughter, Lottie. This was a very pleasing and peaceful period of her life. Her daughter's income as a school teacher brought to the mother many little comforts and luxuries to which she had previously been a stranger. When, a year after marriage of this daughter, she gave up housekeeping and went to the home of her daughter, Ada, to live, this tender care was continued to her.

Manifestations of her faith in God, love for humanity, and sweet, forgiving spirit were shown especially during the last year of her life. When no longer able to visit her children, she took great pleasure in carrying on a cheerful and affectionate correspondence with them. A few days before her death she offered this prayer: ``O Father, be near me and let me atone for every deed done in the flesh, that when I come unto thee I may come pure." To this another testimony was added in the sweet, peaceful influence that came over her, pervading the household. She was entirely reconciled to her approaching end, and an expression of perfect peace was on her face. During the last few days she was continually conversing with heavenly beings who surrounded her bed. She said to her children, ``Heaven is a beautiful place, and I shall be happy to go." A heavenly calm rested on her, and was partaken by those at her bedside; and she passed away like a baby.

The Sunday before her death all the children visited her and helped to add a little comfort to their honored mother. She knew them all and conversed with each one. Some of the children were encouraged in the hope that her apparent improvement was an indication of recovery, but this was not to be. On Thursday a hurried call was sent to them, and her son, Arthur, and daughter Lottie, and Aunt Lizzie were able to reach the bedside and help her through the final hours. The end came at five minutes before three on the morning of Friday, September 28th 1917. She had previously dedicated to the Lord on two separate occasions, first by Eldar Stutznegger and Bishop Hyrum J. Smith, and second by Bishop Heber C. Iverson and Elder George Bowls.

Brief funeral services were held at her daughter's residence at 1055, fourth street, Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sunday September 30th, at 9 a.m., Bishop Hyrum J. Smith presiding. Bishop Oscar F. Hunter of the eighth Ward and Bishop Heber C. Iverson of the Second Ward were the speakers. Sisters Nettie Hill and Winnie Smith sand a duet, `Unanswered Yet'; Laura McCathy sang `Beautiful Isle of Somewhere.' and Brother and Sister Nelson rendered an instrumental selection. The opening prayer was offered by Elder Conrad Stutznegger, and the benediction by Elder Joseph Schiess. At 10 o'clock the remains were taken in an auto hearse to American Fork, followed by a cortege of relatives and friends. Here, funeral services were held at 2 p.m. in the First Ward Meeting House, the ward in which she formerly lived, Bishop James Gardner presiding. The speakers were Bishop Hyrum j. Smith, Salt Lake City, President Stephen L. Chipman of the Alpine Stake, President James Paxman of Nephi, and Bishop James Gardner. The opening hymn, `Tho Deepening Trials Throng Your Way', was sung by the ward choir; Sister Laura McCathy sang the solo, `Now She's Gone We'll Not Recall Her', the solo `Come To Me', was sung by Bishop Hyrum J. Olsen, of Salt Lake City; a quartet consisting of Bishop Olsen, A.B.Ohson, and sisters Hill and Smith of Salt Lake City, sang `Rock of Ages' and `There I Sweet Rest in Heaven', Brother and Sister Nelson sang with guitar accompaniment, `O My Father' and also played an instrumental selection. The opening prayer was by Elder Warren b. Smith and the benediction by Elder John H. Davis. The pall bearers were Brothers Jesse Misener, William E. Robinson, Joseph Wilds and Sam Grant.

At the cemetery, Brother and Sister Nelson played and sang `Farewell To Thee' as the body was being lowered into the grave, which was dedicated by Elder William E. Robinson of American Fork. Floral offerings were beautiful and profuse, betokening the love and sympathy of many friends.

Sister Kezia Keys Durrant is survived by six children and twenty six grandchildren.