maragert  steed  hess

Margaret Jane Steed Hess (1894–1977) was a lifelong recorder of Farmington’s history. Born in Draper, Utah, to John W. and Ann Jenkins Steed, who were among the earliest settlers of Farmington, she later moved to Farmington, where she kept a daily diary and gathered stories, photos, and documents about the town. As a girl she worked for Aurelia Spencer Rogers, who founded the first Primary in Farmington, later adopted throughout The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Margaret married Milton Miller Hess in 1908, raised five children in Farmington, and spent decades serving in her church and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Near the end of her life, she worked with others to turn years of research into the book My Farmington, fulfilling her dream of preserving the community’s story for future generations (Hess, 1976).