Biography

The oldest of five siblings, William Archibald (known as “Archie”) was the son of Martha Ann Leggroan Roberts Stevens and William Roberts. Both of Archie’s grandparents, Ned and Susan Leggroan, were formerly enslaved in the US South and migrated to the West following the Civil War. After arriving in Utah, they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and raised their family in the faith. Archie thus represents the third generation of Leggroan family baptized into the faith. His mother and siblings would eventually convert to the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Idaho, but Archie died tragically young, before his family made that faith transition.[1]

A preponderance of records indicate that Archie was born on 14 July 1890 in Salt Lake City, although one LDS membership record suggests that his birthdate was 14 June 1889. [2] Shortly after his birth, the Roberts family relocated to a homestead in Milo, Idaho, a remote farming region outside of Idaho Falls.[3] The family would stay there for about twenty years. During that time Archie’s mother gave birth to his siblings: Alberta Mae “Albertie” (b. 1893), Martha Ruth “Mattie” (b. 1895), Mary Susan (b. 1902), and Edward Blaine “Eddie” (b. 1907).

In Idaho Falls, Archie’s mother, Martha Ann, diligently took most of her children to be blessed as babies before their Latter-day Saint congregations. Her husband William was not a member of the Church, but he must have acquiesced to Martha raising their children in the faith. Even still, Archie did not receive a baby blessing, which is not a saving rite in the LDS faith. He and his sister, Albertie, however, were both baptized on 3 August 1901 by G.O. Weaver. The following day they were confirmed as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before their congregation in Idaho Falls. Archie was confirmed by J.O. Johnson and Albertie was confirmed by Thomas A. Nixon.[4]

As early as 1907 and as late as 1910, the Roberts returned to the Salt Lake Valley where they lived with other Black LDS families in the Salt Lake Valley again. They settled in an area then called Butler which today includes parts of Mill Creek, Murray, and Holladay. Archie worked with his father William as a laborer, while Alberta entered the workforce and became a house servant.[5]

The family’s stay in Utah, however, proved short lived. Sometime after the 1910 census was taken, they returned to the Idaho Falls region. Tragically, Archie died there of Typhoid fever on the evening of 18 September 1911. Archie was 21 years old. Though a vaccine had been produced several years prior to Archie’s death, the family likely had no access to such medical care as a Black family in rural Idaho. The family held Archie’s funeral in their home. Archie is buried in the Idaho Falls city cemetery.[6]

By Randell Hoffman

[1]Tonya S. Reiter, “Edward ‘Ned’ Leggroan,” Century of Black Mormons; W. Paul Reeve, Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2023), chapter 2.

[2] United States, 1900 Census, Idaho Falls, Bingham County, Idaho; United States, 1910 Census, Mill Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah; State of Idaho, Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, File No. 298, Registered No. 15, William A. Roberts, Idaho State Archives, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members Collection, Eagle Creek/Idaho Falls Ward, CR 375 8, box 3041, folder 0001, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[3] United States, 1900 Census, Idaho Falls, Bingham County, Idaho.

[4] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members Collection, Eagle Creek/Idaho Falls Ward, CR 375 8, box 3041, folder 0001, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[5] United States, 1910 Census, Mill Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah.

[6] State of Idaho, Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, File No. 298, Registered No. 15, William A. Roberts, Idaho State Archives, Idaho Falls, Idaho; “Archie Roberts,” Idaho Falls Times (Idaho Falls, Idaho) 19 September 1911, 5; “Funeral Services,” Idaho Falls Times (Idaho Falls, Idaho) 26 September 1911, 5.

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