Eliza Smith Rogers
One of Navajo County's Most Harrowing Deaths
Eleven miles west of Snowflake on State Route 277, lies a monument for Eliza Rogers. Her body was discovered at this location 13 days after she walked away from her home in Snowflake. Her tragic death ended a mortal life of hardship and grief.
Eliza was born to Jesse N Smith and Emma Seraphine West in Parowan, Utah. She was the fourth of nine children. When she was 14 years old, her three older sisters had been invited and gone to a dance. She sat at home crying when came a knock at the door. Smith Rogers was there asking to take Eliza’s sister to the dance. Eliza’s mother informed the young man that she was gone but that Eliza was there and he could take her. Eliza accompanied Smith to the dance. Two years later, they married.
In 1879, the young family was called to go to Arizona to settle. Smith and Eliza, and their two small children left their home and headed to Snowflake. Eliza and her two children had whooping cough during the expedition. Outside of present-day Winslow, their 4-month-old son, Smith Jr., passed away.
They arrived in Snowflake and drew a lot to build a home. Their lot was where the present-day Academy Building lies. Years later, they sold their lot to the school. That first house burnt down while Smith returned to Utah to move his parents to Arizona.
Eliza’s sixth child, Sterling, passed away in 1887 after swallowing a glass marble. In 1893, her oldest daughter, Roxie, drowned while swimming in the Silver Creek. In 1909, her husband died from complications from a rock quarry accident. He left Eliza behind with 12 children to raise.
She moved to Clay Springs then Salt Lake City for short periods of time most likely trying to escape her despair. She ultimately returned to Snowflake but her home burnt down for a second time in 1923.
On December 26, 1927, she left her home in Snowflake after a disagreement with her older sons concerning a land deal. She left her home to take a walk to calm herself down. A storm settled in and obscured most markings leaving her with no sense of direction. The hard rain turned into a major blizzard. The snow soon covered everything. She never returned home.
A search party was formed. Many turned out to help locate her to no avail. Her body was later discovered on January 8, 1928, thirteen days after she went missing. Her body was preserved from the snow and cold temperatures.
The monument on the roadside refers to her death as “One of Navajo County’s Most Harrowing Deaths”. More accurately is to call her life one of Navajo County’s most harrowing lives.
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