Orson Levi was born in Beaver City, Beaver County, Utah on February 5, 1883. He was the 7th son born to David and Christina Gibbs Gillies Levi.

David Levi, Merchant and Farmer, was born on May 16, 1833 in Gospeil Essex, Ontario, Canada. He was the 1st child of Frederick and Julia Ann Carl (Karl) Levi. He married Ann Gillispie in July of 1858 in Ogden Utah. They had six children, five girls and one boy. He married Christine Gillies in 1871. They had seven children, all boys.

David met and married Ann Gillespie on July 1, 1858. She had migrated to Utah from Scotland at the age of 12. She crossed the plains with a handcart company known as the Smoot Company in 1852. (Incidentally, that is the same year the Levi's arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.)

Soon after David and Ann had built their home in Ogden, Brigham Young sent them with other settlers to make a settlement in Southern Utah. With their two daughters, Julian and Janet, they made their home at what became known as Pine Creek, between what is now Cove Fort and Beaver City.

In 1869, David built one of the first brick homes in the town of Beaver, and moved the family there. Three baby girls and a boy were born to them in this home. Two of these little girls, Jane and Mary, were stricken with and died of Diphtheria within days of each other. Their family now consisted of three girls and a son.

In 1871, he married a second wife, Christina Gillies, in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Ann accompanied them on their journey from Beaver to Salt lake and return by wagon. Christina, or Aunt Tinnie as she became known to her many friends had come to Beaver from Scotland with her parents. She became the mother of seven fine sons.