Rhoda Shepherd Barney was a native-born Utah pioneer, the daughter of Moses Trader Shepherd and Mary Christina Olsen, who were also Utah pioneers. Her father died when she was 11 months old.

When Rhoda was 11 years old, she went to work for Caroline Barney, who lived near the shores of Utah Lake (at that time this place was known as "The Indian Farm.") It is now Lake Shore. It was here that she learned the value of hard work and the art of good housekeeping.

Rhoda had no full brothers or sisters, but she did have a large number of half-brothers and sisters, including Kate, Annie, Lydia, Willie, Morris, Mary, Eliza, Priscilla, Ad, Isaac, Benjamin, Andrew, Daniel, Joseph and Fred.

On May 30, 1880, at the age of 15, she was married to Francis Marion Barney, by Luther Stewart, in Benjamin, Utah. The youthful couple lived with Grandmother, Caroline Barney, for 4 years after their marriage. In about 1883, when their children, Elsie and Francis(Frant) were just babes, Francis (Frank) built a small log house near his mother's, about 1/2 mile from the Spanish Fork River.

They were the parents of 17 children - 10 sons and 7 daughters, 15 of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, married, and reared families of their own....
1-Elsie Delila (1881-1956) md 1)Joseph Alexander Nielsen 1898; 2)Peter Betts 1949; 3)Warren Shepherd 1954.
2-Francis (Frant) Marion (1882-1945) md Elsie Labell Hill 1903.
3-Mary Elizabeth (1884-1972) md Joseph Hyrum Christopherson 1902.
4-Moses Trader (1885-1950) md 1)Rachel Hutchison 1906; 2)Sarah Agnes Simmons; 3)Sarah Lettica McKee 1948.
5-Eliza Jane (1887-1936) md Thomas Gibbs Jarvis 1907.
6-Lilly Leversia (1889-1980) md 1)Alvin LeRoy Soren 1908; 2)Joseph S. Little.
7-Benjamin Arthur (1889-1889)
8-George "Wilbur" (1893-1966) md Emma Amanda Otteson 1915.
9-Jeddy Dean (1895-1965) md Anna A. Hardwick 1917.
10-Joseph "Ralph" (1897-1976) md 1)Elsie Christensen 1915; 2)Sarah Alice Cleveland.
11-Llewellyn (Lew) (1899-1967) md 1)Jennie Marie Huff 1916; 2)Sabra Scougard Young 1941.
12-Gilbert (1900-1979) md 1)Vivian Bjarnson 1915; 2)Bertha.
13-Wells (1901-2001) md Blanche Lorene Fife 1920.
14-Rhoda Caroline (1903-1903)died of smallpox.
15-Sylvia "Vernice" (1905-1996) md 1)Lewis Golden Stallings 1924; 2)Charles Ward 1964(div).
16-Ray Curtis (1906-1975) md Lucinda Young 1928.
17-Hazel Harriet (1912-2003) md 1)Deloy Merritt 1928; 2)Leon Christian Mortensen 1933; 3)Hal Rasmussen.

Frank, an expert logger and timberman, worked in the canyon nearly every summer, getting logs out for the Gardner-Chisholm Sawmill. This left Rhoda and the children to do all the chores and much of the outdoor work.

After she had been married several years, Rhoda purchased a sewing machine, making her first payment with one of her beautiful handmade quilts, and finishing the payments by the sale of her share of the butter she made. She continued making beautiful quilts and sewing clothing for her family.

Rhoda was seriously ill following the birth of their 3rd child, Mary Elizabeth, and the doctor told her that if she ever got well, she would never have another child. Through the power of the Priesthood of God, she lived to become the mother of 14 more children.

While living in Lake Shore, a smallpox epidemic attacked the entire family. Again, Rhoda nearly lost her life. While ill with smallpox, she gave birth to her daughter, Rhoda Caroline, who was born with smallpox and lived only about a month.

Frank homesteaded a tract of land in Cedar Valley, about 35 miles southwest of Lake Shore. The family lived on the land for 5 years during the summer, then came back home to Lake Shore in the wintertime so the children could attend school. They sold this land to a sheepman, then found work in Malad, Idaho, where Frank and the boys worked on farms and Rhoda cooked for a group of men. They returned to Lake Shore that fall. They also lived in Sugar City, Idaho for 1 year, then to Lewisville, Idaho, where they leased a farm and bought a home.

In 1922, they moved back to Spanish Fork, where they lived the rest of their lives. Frank and Rhoda celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on May 4, 1940, with an open house for the family, friends and neighbors.

Frank passed away on 13 Dec 1944, leaving Rhoda alone in the home. She carried on, keeping herself busy with her household tasks, her lovely flowers, quilt making, rug making, embroidery work and all sorts of handcrafts.

She was a lover of home and family, as well as her neighbors - always helpful with her heart filled with love, her hands filled with service, she was quick to come and slow to go in a heighbor's time of need.

Rhoda passed away on 2 Aug. 1946, at the age of 80 years, 9 months and 7 days, leaving a posterity of 349.