tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80722617540721478582024-03-08T08:12:24.953-08:00Adventures in Family HistoryWe thought it would be fun to share some of our genealogical findings with our family and friends.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-17983212559851834042016-09-04T19:55:00.000-07:002016-09-04T19:55:02.915-07:00James Hyde Sr.<div>
<ul>
<li>Name: James Hyde Sr.</li>
<li>Born: March 18, 1761 Stratford, Connecticut</li>
<li>Died: October 4, 1834 Strattford, Vermonth</li>
<li>Related through: Elvira Wilde</li>
</ul>
</div>
On New Year's Day, in 1777, a young lad of only fifteen years, by the name of James Hyde (or Hide, before he later changed the spelling), enlisted in the Connecticut army from Stratford, Connecticut, the town of his birth. His desire to serve his country on the struggle for independence from England, as his older brother Agur was doing, was so strong that his family could not keep him home, in spite of his youth.<br />
<br />
He spent the next summer and fall with the troops along the Hudson River. He then joined the troops in Pennsylvania under the command of General George Washington, and was soon "engaged in the sharp action of Whitemarsh," where the army "lost a number of officers killed and wounded." On December seventeenth of the same year, Washington's army, young James included, made quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the enemy, under Sir William Howe, being secure in Philadelphia. That winter was one never to be forgotten by James Hyde. Seeing and experiencing the gnawing pains of hunger with food scarce, the snow and cold, the wind howling through the threadbare tents, the damp cold of the makeshift log huts, the sore and bleeding feet when the shoes finally gave way and rags that replaced them would hardly hold together, the itch and resultant sores — from not being able to bathe for so long; but through it all he resolved that he could do it if the others could, if their honored leader George Washington would continue to do his best in their behalf. By the time the Prussian soldier, Von Steuben, came and started drilling and training the troops, the food, clothing and sheltered situation was somewhat improved, and things looked better with something to do besides think of hardships, especially for James, young and energetic, though he sometimes wondered if all this marching and maneuvering was going to serve any good purpose in the future.<br />
<br />
Summer approached at last, and Clinton, who replaced Howe, left Philadelphia. James Hyde and his companions were elated when the word came that Washington was ready to "set out in pursuit of Clinton," and they were soon on their way.<br />
<br />
"On the night of June 17, the British army, 8,000 strong, . . . was near Manmouth Court-House (New Jersey), . . . It was Washington's plan to strike . . . with an advance of 5,000 men, following with an attack by the main army, . . . He had offered Charles Lee command of this advance, Lee being senior major general in the army. . ." "The morning of June 18 came on intensely hot (and sultry); the thermometer registered 96 degrees in the shade. The British army . . . had passed the court-house . . . when . . . the advance ordered by Washington. . .<br />
<br />
"Out across the fields, reeling with heat, they marched, exuberant, foreseeing victory; over a deep ravine on a causeway where swamps steamed in the hot sun; on for a mile, and over another ravine, and then out upon the plain, . .." where the British, "perceiving them, had hastened to give battle. The American lines were beginning to fold (the British) in; . . . But Lee ordered the Americans to retreat!<br />
"The soldiers, at a loss to understand, disappointed, fretting to be at the red-coats, halted, wiping their brows, cursing. . . Their ground was superb for offense; they outnumbered their foe at this time, and nearly surrounded them; but they must fall back! What could it mean? What sudden and unknown danger forced them their vantage? . . .victory within their grasp, was slipping away from them. Back they turned to the high ravine they had so lately crossed, and so proudly. . . Across the ravine, out upon the fields, hot under the sun, straggled the soldiers of liberty, angry, sweltering; many fell by the side of the way, stricken by the terrible heat. Behind them came the British, making the most of the strange retreat.<br />
<br />
Then came Washington, having received word of what was happening, "riding furiously. . . The sight of the commander was terrifying; his face worked with a rage as mighty as his soul; his eyes flashed fire. . ." Hot and fast the words flew" between him and Lee. (It was later learned that Lee was indeed a traitor, planning and working with the British.) The soldiers, "pouring around them, raised a cheer at sight of Washington." After letting know, in strongest terms, that he had expected his orders to be obeyed, Washington "set about restoring order from the confusion."<br />
<br />
"The British were coming, not a quarter of an hour away. Hastily with great skill, a line was thrown along an eminence behind the ravine, commanding the causeway crossing it. In a moment the shock came; fiery red over the quivering fields, the British lines advanced. . ."<br />
<br />
It was fearful fighting "quietly shepherded by Von Steuben, who thought that "this truly new army fought with as much precision as . . . veteran troops." Others had been skeptical about the value of all that wheeling and marching and pacing on the Valley Forge plateau. "Alexander Hamilton admitted that never until that day had he 'known or conceived the value of military discipline.' "<br />
<br />
"Despite the inhuman heat, despite the endless, killing march form Philadelphia, Clinton's men came on and on until the sun or American fire took them out of action. . . By now both sides were staggering with heat and exhaustion. Men died right and left under the touch of the sun or collapsed, helpless, with purling faces while sweat pattered down on scarlet coats, blue coats, or mended thread bare homespun."<br />
<br />
These were not happy scenes of which James Hyde was a part. "All through the remainder of the terrible day the English strived to breakdown Americans defence; all through the day the patriots held. Deeds of valor were done on every hand. Molly Pitcher, wife of an artillery-man, while bringing water to the battery saw her husband shot down by his gun. Without hesitation she took his place and fought the gun throughout the battle. . .<br />
<br />
Against such spirit the attack grew hopeless. When the sun was sinking in the west, the British broke, withdrawing to the ground where Lee has encountered them early this morning."<br />
<br />
"On the morning of the next day the British were gone, marching in the night toward New York. . ," and James Hyde, though he was still a youth, shared with the other Americans a feeling of bitter glory, knowing that if the first plan had succeeded the war might be over instead of just seeing the British go on their way.<br />
<br />
James Hyde wintered the next season (1778-9) with his company at Redding, and during the following two years continued to serve wherever his regiment was called.<br />
<br />
By the fall of 1781, he was a part of the force commanded by Marquis de Lafayette, and had moved south to Williamsburg, Virginia, preparatory to fighting Cornwallis at Yorktown,<br />
<br />
Washington was commander-in-chief of the whole army, which included the Americans under Lafayette, reinforced by several thousand French troops, and with a strong French fleet off shore on the Atlantic.<br />
<br />
On October 6 the battle began; with Cormwallis ill-prepared for the attack. "Day in and day out the big guns of the besieged and the besiegers roared and stunned. It was probably the heaviest artillery concentration that the continent had ever known..."<br />
<br />
During the evening of October 14th a bayonet and musket assault was made on the foremost British fortifications. "Surprise seems to have been complete, and the enemy works were taken quickly and smartly."<br />
<br />
Three days later, with Cornwallis having launched but a weak counter-attack, probably because of his knowledge that he needed, but could get no reinforcements, the morning dawned with the "French and American artillery thundering into fullest action. . . 'The whole peninsula trembles under thundering of our infernal machines,' wrote Dr. James Thacher. . ."<br />
<br />
"It must have been difficult for gunners and observers to make out the British works. The haze of a lovely Virginia October day was thickened by heavy cannon smoke, and by clouds of soft earth hurled skyward. Somewhere about ten o'clock . . . the air cleared a little. . . Cannoneers began yelling," pointing toward what turned out to be "one little British drummer" beating the request for a parley. . (then) "A bigger man appeared on the parapet. . .and waved a white handkerchief. There was a moment of stunned unbelief through the American and French lines, though every man must have expected (this) sooner or later."<br />
<br />
"Back at Williamsbburg, the commander-in-chief was busily writing letters. Later he meant to ride out and watch the morning's bombardment. . . As he wrote, gunfire down by Yorktown seemed to be slacking off a little, but it was nothing to notice. . . Up to Washington's quarters galloped a sweating dragoon curies with a letter. The Virginian broke the seal, read it, and was on his feet in an instant, staring and staring. . . '. . .Surrender. . .'. . .<br />
<br />
"George Washington had rallied swiftly and coolly from many an adverse blow. Now the hand of success had fallen stunning on his back, and the effort must have been almost as numbing as, say, the sight of Charles Lee's unbeaten men in full retreat from Monmouth. But he soon shook off the impact of the news. . . an answer to Cornwallis was approved."<br />
<br />
"Couriers went out with this reply, with warnings too commanders in all parts of the allied line. Slowly the gunfire died away. . .Far to the right,"<br />
<br />
James Hyde and the other men in the "Massachusetts-Connecticut battalion, worked out into the warn air, peered at the silent British lines, and then stretched out gratefully on the sun, yawning in luxury in spots where a man could not have lived a few hours ago. Throughout the day men walked cautiously, as though afraid that a sudden move, a loud noise might shatter the brittle-seeming hush that hangover the peninsula. . . Night fell and the air cleared. . . Dawn came and the hush was still unbroken and men began to believe in it and in its duration."<br />
<br />
"Bright sun on the noon of October 19, 1781, poured down on the fields of the peninsula. . . The allied camps were a boil with men shuttling about as drums beat out their urgent clamor. In the calm air that was rich with the smell of trampled grass and wood smoke and tobacco and oiled leather, company after company formed. . . The fields then began to flow. The long columns" of smartly dressed French troops "swung off toward the road to Yorktown, and halted at its flat western edge, . . ."<br />
<br />
"To the east, dabber troops were on the move, (but it was also) dazzling, hypnotic. Swarming men and women stood on tiptoe, trying to catch a glimpse of (the men of who, they had heard or read.) There was a deep murmur from the massed bystanders, a rising tide of welcome and wonder as these people saw their own massed army for the first time."<br />
<br />
"Now the army was halting on the east side of the road to Yorktown, facing its French allies with the deserted enemy works looming somber on its right. Drums began to beat, orders snapped out, and right and left the waiting ranks bristled to attention. There were hoofbeats far off to the American left, . . . There on a huge bay horse, gleaming in blue and buff, rode the one man who could have been, the living embodiment of those hard, drab ranks to his right, who could have welded them to the white and blue men on his left. From the beginning George Washington had met every blow, stood up under every, discouragement, every frightening disaster that the army as a whole had known. . . The hoofs clopped on," and, as Washington rode by him, James Hyde's bosom swelled with pride at the thought that he had known this special man.<br />
<br />
"Washington took his post at the far right of the American line." "Then from Yorktown, . . . sad drums began to roll," and the British army marched out between the French and American lines, stacked its arms, and at last marched back, empty handed, to Yorktown for further orders.<br />
<br />
"On the plains about Yorktown the music was gay and soaring again as the French and American armies filed away, quietly joyous, to their quarters." Thus James Hyde, Private, was part of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War and watched the British army Surrender — an experience that would remain vivid for a long time.<br />
<br />
It wasn't until June 8, 1783, however, that he was mustered out of service, the peace treaty negotiations taking all this time. He was discharged at West Point, having been with he army in New York for quite some time. He felt indeed honored that George Washington, him self, signed his release papers (as attested by his application, in 1818, for a Revolutionary Service Pension.)<br />
<br />
James Hyde had served his country for six years, being now twenty two years of age. He had seen more than his share of valor and bravery, of death and suffering — and emerged a man. After his release he went to Manchester, Vermont, where his father, Nehemiah Hide, had located. James' brother, Clark Hide, deeded land to him at Manchester in 1785, and his father deeded some more to him there in 1788. In these deeds James is called a tailor. Perhaps he learned this skill during the was years, as possibly an assistant to a tailor in his company, most probably during his long stay at New York before being discharged.<br />
<br />
James was married at Manchester, 16 April 1786, to Betty (or Bettsey) Pennock. One child, <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/09/heman-hyde-and-polly-wyman-tilton.html">Heman</a>, was born here in 1788. Soon after this family moved to Stratford in northern Vermont, a "new" town to the white man, James' wife's grandfather, James Pennock, being the first settler just twenty years before. There was still land to be cleared and much building-up to do. In Stratford five more children were born to Betty: James, Roswell, Betsey (who died), Hiram, and Betsey Florinda.<br />
<br />
Things were going well for James Hyde: his family was growing; he was able to buy land — also received bounty land for his Revolutionary War service — and through hard work this land supplied his family with the essentials; in addition he was active religiously, in 1798 being among those who founded the Universalist Society in Stratford. His name appears in connection with town affairs, on the grand lists, and on the list of voters. But it seems, in this life the blows must come, and James was no exception. His wife Betty died in February of 1802, when she was but thirty years of age, and their youngest child just a year old. (On her gravestone she is called the wife of "Ensign James Hyde," so James must have been active in local military affairs.)<br />
<br />
In August James married Betty's cousin, Eunice Pennock, to help him raise his family of young children. As the years passed Eunice became the mother of twelve boys and girls (Willian Henry, Alpha, Alvira, Emeline, Eunice Maretta, Hannibal, Harrison, Matilda, Edwin, Daniell, Marinda, and Jannette), making James the father of eighteen. Seventeen of these children lived to maturity and raised families of their own, settling in many different parts of the United States. James Hyde recorded his children's births, and the original paper is still preserved in his Pension file.<br />
<br />
In 1818 James applied for a pension for his Revolutionary War service, at this time calling himself a farmer. Following is a copy of his 1820 confirmation of his application, which contains much interest: (The original document is entirely handwritten and hard to read.)<br />
<br />
"State of Vermont" On this 4th day of July 1820 personally appeared before the County James Hyde 43 Court for the county of Orange said court being a court of record agreeably to the laws ofthis State having the power of fine and Imprisonment &c. James Hyde aged 58 years resident in Stratford in said County of Orange who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows he enlisted Jany 1st 1777 in the second Continental Regiment Col Gharles Web commander in Capt Willls Company during the war and was discharged at West Point the 8th day of June 1783 and when discharged was a soldier in Capt Hopkins Company 3 Connecticut Regiment. That he made his original declaration on the 7th day of April 1818 has<br />
received a pension Certificate No. 11236 and I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provision of an act of Congress entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and Naval service on the United States in the Revolutionary War passed on the 18th day of March and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed to wit. Ninety acres of land 1 old house 2 small barns 2 yoaks of oxen 1 old and 1 young cow 4 yearlings 30 sheeps and lambs 2 hogs 6 pigs 1 ox cart 1 plough 1 Harrow 1 good chain part of chain 1 yoak and irons 1 pitch fork 1 axe 2 **** some old Iron 1 Grindstone 2 old Tables 9 old chairs part broken 1 5 pail kettle 2 old wheels 1 tub crockery knives forks Iron spoons and other household furniture consisting of articles of small value in all $30.00 I am justly owing $150.00 in all amounting to - - - - - - - - - - - - - $750-- I am by occupation a farmer and unable to pursue it by reason of sickness and being afflicted with the Phthisic I have 11 person residing in my family including myself My wife Eunice is aged 41 years week and feeble having had a large family of children and rather poor keeping my son William is aged 17 years Alvire 14 years Emeline 13 & of a feeble constitution Eunice is 11 years old Hannibal 9 Harrison 7 Matilda 5 Edwin 3 and Daniel 1 Year old<br />
<br />
The pension he received amounted to eight dollars per month. This was a help in raising his large family and caring for his "feeble" wife, who lived to be eighty. He continued to farm, as well as buy and sell land, especially dealing with the Pennocks. James Hyde's death occurred on the 4th of October 1834, at the age of seventy-four years, six months, and ten days. His widow died almost twenty years later (January 12, 1859). His grandson, William Hyde, later wrote of him. "He was an active, good man through life, and died with honorable old age."<br />
<br />
An additional tribute, by William Morse:<br />
"James Hyde is a fine example of the sturdy pioneers, who made the unkind soil of New England productive, and succeeded by hard work in rearing families, the members of which have spread over the country and made possible by their energy the development of this great country of ours."<br />
<br />
<i>Contributed By Bobby Blankenbehler</i><br />
<i>Compiled 1965, by Myrtle S. Hyde</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sources of Information:</i><br />
<i> Descendants of Humphery Hide of Fairfield, Conn., by Willard S.</i><br />
<i>Morse (written about 1913)</i><br />
<i>44 James Hyde</i><br />
<i> Connecticut Men in the Revolution, pp 162, 331, 353.</i><br />
<i>The Real America in Romance, Vol. 9, Edited by Edwin</i><br />
<i>Markham, 1912, pp. 310, 311, 313, 322, 323-330.</i><br />
<i>From Lexington to Liberty, by Bruce Lancaster, 1955, pp. 327,</i><br />
<i>329, 334-5, 355, 446, 449-454.</i><br />
<i>Revolutionary War Pension File of James Hyde, General Services</i><br />
<i>Administration, Washington D.C.</i><br />
<i>Manchester, Vermont, Deeds and Vital Records.</i><br />
<i>Stratford, Vermont, Deeds and Vital Records.</i><br />
<i>Vermont Historical Gazetteer, by Abby Maria Hemmenway, Vol.</i><br />
<i>2, 1871, p. 1080.</i><br />
<i>Private Journal of William Hyde (1818-1874).2</i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-44822857838155913592016-02-03T12:20:00.002-08:002016-02-03T12:21:51.831-08:00Hanni letter<div style="text-align: right;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
This is the last letter that was in the box of Hanni letters. A huge thanks to our friend Marion Wolfert who translated all these letters for us from the Swiss German Script! </div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Salt Lake City, the 21 Mar 1924 </div>
<br />
My Dear Loved Ones! <br />
<br />
I have received your card today, thank you very much. I would have loved to see Walter, when I was so excited with joy. Sugar City is great. Wow, now it is a little boy and that means so much, I send my congratulations. Me and Marthalie laughed last night and she said, “now Martha is very happy that Walter’s wish came true ”. We hope that Martha is in the best of health. Tell her we admire her for giving birth to such a heavy little Baby boy. I have bought something little last week, but I only go very seldom into town. When I go to work I take 7th East Street, that is not so hilly. I will be sending later a “Tschoegeli” (don’t know what that is, it is a typical Swiss expression). I am sending this package so that you receive at least something from me and also socks for you, Martha. Mildret is doing fine, she is a good little housewife, a big help. Next to us lives a Misses Larsen and she hat twins, one weighs 7 ½ pound and the other 6 pound and she has her work cut out for her.<br />
<br />
Walter, you write that you heard from a missionary that Emi Bieri was excommunicated from the church a year ago. Wursi’s wife had a child from some Mister Zimmermann and they were both excommunicated. Emi Bieri has admitted and realized that she did sin, I would have never thought it would happen to her. I feel sorry for Adolf, he is such a good and active man and he has to suffer and go through a lot, two operations and his wife also had an operation about three months ago. Brother Brieri has told me himself that he does not like Emmi as much as Johanne Loosli. I am glad that I am not there and have to witness all of this with Emmi Bieri. I told her off in a letter and told her that I knew about her situation for about nine months. I had been informed by a missionary but had been asked to keep it to myself. Now it is nothing new anymore. Now other things happen and I am horrified by much that happens. I have never heard of such things and get dizzy, thinking of all the things that one could be effected by in the “outside world”. <br />
<br />
I will stop now, I am getting tired, I had a hard day today. Tomorrow is Saturday and it will be another hard day for me.<br />
<br />
Best greeting from your mother. Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-47655427060877548592016-01-20T21:08:00.003-08:002016-01-20T21:08:38.580-08:00Walter Hanni letters Part VI<div style="text-align: right;">
Gravama, the 28 Sept 1913 </div>
(don’t know where this is in Utah???)<br /><br />
Dear Martha! <br />
<br />
I have received you dear letter and read it with great joy. It makes me feel so good to receive mail from you. You are so very good to me and I know that will always be in the future the same, I don’t doubt that. You are the dearest to my heart and I want to be true to you throughout eternity. I will provide for you and take care of you with all my strengths and being. I am longing for the day we will live together and built a beautiful home. How happy will I feel to come home after work and be able to go home to my dear wife who will welcome me with a kiss. Let us always be faithful and true to the Lord and in return he will guide us and provide for us. Let us be strong in prayer and God will always remember us. <br />
<br />
So, Martha, you will be in Salt Lake in September. A new life will begin for you. Do not be worried or afraid, all will be well. You will not experience the real life. Learn the English language for it will be of advantage for you. There are many good people, but if one does not know the language one is like a lost sheep without a shepherd. Take the book (Book of Mormon) and study it, you probably have never really done that.<br />
<br />
I will soon write to you in English and you have to learn the language so you will be able to read my letters. That will be interesting if we someday converse together in the English language. I will kiss you in English and embrace you. Now it is soon time for General Conference and I wished I could be there and attend it. My cousin comes from Stiching, Alberta to be there, as well as Bingerer, Kaner, Steiner and Cie. How many of the well-known elders will be there? (I assume he is talking about General Authorities or former ward members), (perhaps dear sister Frieda Ryter will also attend) That will be a superb day. You have the wonderful opportunity to be there and attend it. I am happy that all goes well for you and that you are healthy. You are my dear Martha, oh, that is so certain, my dearest “Schueggerli” (sweetheart). I wished so much I could kiss you now and embrace you. <br />
<br />
Be always loyal and good to me<br />
<br />
Greetings from your loyal and dear Walter.<br />
<br />
P.S. I dreamt that you were on a mountain and I came to visit you. When I was
doubting again, you walked a few steps with me. That was all you walked
with me and that was not very nice of you and did hurt me. These
flowers will welt and dry up but the loyalty and the love will last
forever, dear Martha. <br />
Give my greetings to the Leo Woodruff family. <br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-7963425536794933352016-01-17T15:54:00.004-08:002016-01-17T15:54:58.395-08:00Walter Hanni letters Part V<div style="text-align: right;">
Colten, the 12 Sept. 1912 </div>
<br />
Dear Martha <br />
<br />
Did you receive my letter? We are having beautiful weather here. But it is cold during the night hours. In the morning there is a little frost on the ground. Everything is going well. I have enough to eat. I have met a colleague who is from Walperswyl, only 5 ½ kilometer from Biel. He knows Fritz Gutmann. He has been here already for eight years. I recognized right away the he was a Swiss man, first by his accent and second because of his milk (pale) face. One can always recognize when someone is from Switzerland. How are you doing in Brigham? Keep on eating those peaches faithfully, they are healthy and good for you. I always eat plenty and I will not marry you until you are “fat”. So you can eat as much as you want, and I will do the same. You have to take care of your health and be sure not to have too much free time on your hands.<br />
<br />
I visited the Niederhaeuser family and had a good time with them. Bieri send me a group picture from the Basel Conference. Gutmann and I are looking good on it; too bad that you are not in that picture. But you always look good and I know that the two of us are a beautiful pair and will look good on a picture. The photo was like a post card and Bieri did not wrap it very good. The frame was broken and the picture torn on one side. Brierli sent a note with it, however he only wrote five lines, kept it very short. I guess I have not been very good in writing to him. I wish I was in Brigham, a visit is overdue. I have given peaches to Mathilde. I was not able to eat any more when I found out the news about my work. May God keep on protecting you. Let us remain faithful at all times. Please write to the local post office in Colten. <br />
<br />
Greetings, from your Walter. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><br />
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Lehi, 19 Sept 1913</div>
<br />Dear Martha<br />
<br />
I did receive your letter, It was sent back to Thistle, Utah. I was so happy to hear from you. We are now in Lehi, have to repair a large part of the old train. Lehi is five miles from SLC. There is much work to be done here and the mosquitos are wild here. One can’t go outside in the evening hours without being bothered by them. Brigham is probably not plagued as much by mosquitos. I received a photograph from the Basel Conference. Bierly put the picture inside an envelope and it got ruined. Too bad. We all look good on the picture but Martha is not on it. It is a beautiful memory from Switzerland and it stirred up memories inside of me. Once we get used to life here and have our own home we will feel just as happy as we were in Switzerland. We just need to be patient, all needs time. The dear Lord will bless us and He will prepare thing for us.<br />
<br />
Did Adele receive the money by now? I send 34 Dollars while in Thistle, Utah. The Swiss guy from Walperswyl wants to go to Switzerland next year. He is single, just like Adele is. He has a farm in Colorado. I told him that I know a single Swiss girl and she wants to also go back to Switzerland. Perhaps those two can travel together. He is a larger man, handsome and has red cheeks. Adele would travel in good company until they reach Biel. We chuckled about this, but please don’t mention anything to Adele. We have to keep all the commandments and you dear Martha, please attend all the church meeting whenever you have an opportunity to do so. I am not able to do so right now. I wished that I had a work schedule so I could attend Sunday meetings. It would be a lot more beneficial to me than working on Sundays. Now I keep on praying that the dear Lord will prepare a way so I can attend Sunday meetings and hear about Him. But I do not doubt the truth. <br />
<br />
You are writing and informing me that we should buy land from Leo and that Leo would love to have us as neighbors. How do you feel about it? I know we would get along fine with Leo; but what about the rest? I have also looked at Alfred’s area. I love peace and want to have peace. That is my opinion. It is good that your siblings are now apart and you will appreciate each other more and learn from each other more. Freedom is like a choice flower. We will look into this some more. It would be a beautiful place to live, but I have to see where I find work. Please let me know your opinion about this. I agree, Martha, it is a quiet place and would be nice to live there. We will just have to see what will happen. Leo is a good guy but he is not really settled yet. How are you doing dear Martha, are you healthy? Keep on eating, you are now in a spa town and I wish you much luck and the Lords richest blessing.<br />
<br />
When will I be able to kiss you again? I am healthy and good. Greetings to Leo, how is Sanni doing?<br />Please write to me to the following address:<br />Walter Haenni c/o Joe Witlock B & B Dpt. D8R.G.R.R Salt Lake City <br />
<br />
Greetings from you loyal Walter, whom you sometimes claim to loveErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-20546359428239496012016-01-14T20:47:00.001-08:002016-01-14T20:49:42.627-08:00Walter Hanni letters Part IV<div style="text-align: right;">
8th Aug 1913</div>
<br />
Dear Martha <br />
<br />
We have been gone from Thistle for a while and work not about 28 Miles away from Thistle. Yesterday we returned to Thistle since there was a flood and it destroyed a bridge. We drove back straight to get there and worked until midnight. While in Thistle I go to Mrs. Blackitt's to eat, she prepared good food. I sleep in one of the railroad cars, one that we transfer goods in. It is not really comfortable when so many of us sleep so close together. Sometimes you feel more tired when you wake up then you did when you went to bed the evening before.<br />
<br />
We always have to work on Sunday and it is not a good feeling if one can’t attend Sunday meetings. It is hard to be with inactive members who have fallen away, they become dangerous and can’t be trusted. If it was not for some others, I would have probably been beaten up. Living in these conditions, one learns the principle of humility. I have much time to think about things here. It surely is not a moral lifestyle here, Martha, it is more a life of a vagabond, I would not want to live my life like this. That is something for single people and I sure hope it will get better soon. <br />
<br />
I am learning English quite well. No one speaks German here. How are you doing with your English, are you learning more words? Just talk English to everyone; it will be of benefit to you. You are not learning the language for anyone else, but for yourself. You should try it very hard, I just mean well for you. And how are you? Are you healthy, “I am healthy”. <br />
<br />
I am wondering when I will see you again. It is hard to get away when one has to work every Sunday. I am not a specialist here, only a laborer/worker. So if I don’t appear for work, I can surely lose my job. Americans are just a little different, one day they say this and tomorrow they mean something else. Perhaps I can manage that we can see each other.<br />
<br />
Martha you are my beloved, I love you very much. Even I can’t always show my love and you might not see it as such, but you will experience it once we are together. I will make sure that you will have a good life with me as my wife. I just wish that the time would be here already. I am sure many have to work hard like me, if they want to come to Zion. I hope to see you very soon. I have received the package and the letters. They were forwarded to Tucher (?) where I am working since August. Mister Blackitt works with us here. He brought the things to me when he arrived. Please write me your detailed address in Brigham City. <br />
<br />
Thistle, the 11 August.<br />
I came back from Tucher to Thistle today. I have received all the letters and have read them and know now how everyone is doing. Two letters were from you and I was so happy to hear from you and from home. I did not have much time to write to everyone, and I apologize for it. I am happy that I am back in Thistle. I am sending you the letter I received from home. All is going will and I hope that is also the case for you, dear Martha.<br />
<br />
I can’t tell you when I will be able to see you but I will try that it will be as soon as possible. Well, Martha, I always pray for you, for my parents and for everything, I feel the urge to pray much. Please keep on writing to me, dear Martha.<br />
<br />
Dear Martha, you mean everything to me, I love you. Do you feel about things the way you write to me? Please do not leave me, dear Martha. Good bye my beloved. <br />
<br />
Greetings and kisses from your Walter. <br />
Greetings also to the Woodruff family. <br />
Please excuse my bad penmanship.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
Provo, the 2nd September 1913 </div>
Dear Martha<br />
<br />
I
was happy with anticipation, but it was not possible again for me to
visit you. I was hoping that we could have spent some good time
together. I was for a very short time in Riverton, only 18 miles from
Salt Lake. We worked only two days there and then we had to leave again
for Colton, which is situated high in the mountains. Dear Martha, we
will work long hours until the 1st of October and if I would leave for
Salt Lake and the others are being transferred to another place as
expected, it would be very bad for me and I had to battle with this by
myself.<br />
<br />
I would be so happy if I could come and visit
you; that would be so wonderful, my dearest Martha and I could embrace
and kiss you. I am often thinking for many hours about you, you mean
everything to me and I love you very much and you are all I have here.
Let us be faithful and stalwart and not get discouraged. The first
opportunity I have, I will come and visit you, and it might even be in
the middle of the week and unexpected. I know we will see each other
again; we just need to have patience.<br />
<br />
Again, let me
assure you that you are my love and my all. Do not get discouraged and
start to doubt. I will never leave you. It is too bad that you can’t
write to me. We are staying everywhere for a very short time and I can’t
receive your letters. But I am always writing to you so you will know
how I am doing.<br />
<br />
I send the money to Adele, 24 Dollars.
Please keep to yourself what I write to you. Give my greetings to the
Woodruff family. How is Alferd doing? Tell him hello from me. Did you
forget to send the comb? I have received all the things and I wrote you
about three weeks ago.<br />
<br />
Greetings and kisses,<br />
Your loyal Walter.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-86560539316925929262016-01-07T20:07:00.000-08:002016-01-07T20:07:13.685-08:00Walter Hanni letters Part IIIThistle,<br />
17th August 1913<br />
<br />
My dearest Martha,<br />
I have received the little package you send and thank you very much for it. It is sad that most of the fruit was spoiled, I could only eat about four pieces; the rest was mush. Please don’t send any more. You paid 22 cents for postage and that is quite a lot. I can buy an entire paper sack of fruit here for 10 cents which is much less. But it was wonderful that you thought about me. You are so good and have a good heart. Please don’t be offended about what I wrote. See, the fruit here comes from Provo and Springville. I am not very fond of fruit; however it would be of interest and joy for me to see one of those fruit farms. <br />
<br />
I have read your dear letter. I could tell it was so hard for you to have to wait so long for a letter from me. I was not sick, thank heavens, however we were gone and that was the reason for me not writing earlier. I ask for forgiveness. You know the saying “and please don’t eat me" (because she was upset about him not writing). <br />
<br />
No, Martha, I will never leave you alone, because I love you with all my heart. You mean everything to me, you are so good and I hope you will always be good to me; that would be so great. If you love me as much as I love you, it will be wonderful to be together, my dear Martha. I wished for that time to arrive soon, my Schnugerli (sweetheart). God may lead and guide all and that means all will be well. What was that bad dream you had all about? Forget about it, it is nonsense. Just remain true to all your beliefs and to your associations, that is most important. I do the same. I am healthy and I am getting fatter. It is quite boring here. <br />
<br />
Marie wrote me a letter and she complained that I don’t write a lot. It looks as if I don’t think that much about my relatives, but that is not true. Sometimes I wished I could be in their presence. I have answered Marie right away, I also wrote to Aunt Friede? and to the Guttmann’s. Everyone seems to complain that I don’t write enough. But I write to all those that mean a lot to me in this life. Now I will also write to the friends in the ward, which might hopefully do some good. Marie wrote that our Pappa (father) has been active and has improved much. He raises pigeons again and the cat is trying to eat the pigeons. All seems to go okay, according to Marie, but Pappa needs to be more knowledgeable in the Gospel. Now he has done things that no one expected! He is preaching and correcting the members, which shows that he must have been quite upset. It does however take courage and nothing gets people more upset or wound up than religion. I have experienced it here, especially with jack Mormons.<br />
<br />
I know I can deal with everything and have to deal with things, however it is sometimes hard. But we have to experience everything for a purpose. I have been thinking about how I would react if I would accept my father if he would come into my presence. I am ashamed of how my father treated your parents. Wonder what they think about me now? I will write to them. I am sorry that things happened between our parents. I am still wondering how things could have progressed so fast. I am a little hurt about Marie's letter to me. I know that we will be able to start our own family and get our own home. All beginnings are hard but it can only be better from now on.<br />
<br />
I received your letter on the 17th. I was so happy and your wise words have thrilled me. You are wonderful and good, and I, your Walter, will always be good to you. You don’t have to be worried, my loyalty and my love will shield you and keep us together, my dear Martha. While we are far apart right now, our love is strong and keeps us together. I have learned to value and appreciate you more than ever before. You are so very good and I know you will remain that way, dear Martha.<br />
<br />
Thank you also for forwarding the greetings of your parents to me. How do they feel now that you and I live so far apart? It is too bad that your family can’t be here with you also. If we are patient time will work for us. Patience will award you with roses; first buds are growing and then grow the blossoms. We just can’t get offended and have to endure in love. There are many who are suffering like we are and who are going through trials.<br />
<br />
We now have to learn the language and that is very hard. But each day we are progressing with the language. We are many people sitting at the table. They always ask me something in English. Since they are aware that I am just learning to speak the language, they think I will answer something stupid and are ready to laugh. But I am not upset about it at all. I always seem to answer somehow and I know I have to keep on learning the language. It is all okay and we don’t have to be afraid, we just have to watch and study. Talk as much as possible with your relatives.<br />
<br />
Today is Friday evening the 22nd and I have not yet received my vacation pass. I have reported it to my superiors. They promised they would call the office in Salt Lake City. Only with that official pass can I leave here and come and see you. I sure hope that it will work out and that the superiors will really follow up with this and that I will have the pass by Saturday. I can’t wait to see you again. It will be a wonderful reunion for us, I am sure about that. It is often times so hard to be without you. You are my chosen one. Please send the mail only to the postal office. <br />
I wished we could be together already.<br />
<br />
Kiss and greetings, your loyal Walter<br />
<br />
Walter Hanni,<br />
Thistle Utah<br />
Greetings to the Woodruff familyErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-12244215608593878172016-01-05T20:05:00.000-08:002016-01-05T20:06:10.368-08:00Walter Hanni letters Part IIThe next group of letters appear to be written after the move to America but before they got married. Our translator couldn't figure out what "banten" was but it appears to have to do with his work. He was working for a railroad company at the time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thistle,<br />
2nd August 1913<br />
<br />
Dear Martha<br />
<br />
I have received your letter and thank you for it. I was glad to know that you are in Brigham City. Recently some new “Banten” surfaced of which I had not known before. I asked myself how much longer this might last? If I am required to stay here, it will be until November.<br />
<br />
I feel often times very discouraged and have to tell myself “you have to truly fight/battle”, I have never thought that this would happen to me. I don’t know where the end will be. Perhaps these are trials, I just don’t know. Things happen how they are supposed to. I am happy about your paper (maybe a drawing?). I do not laugh about it, for I have forgotten how to laugh. I will laugh again in the future, and I don’t know if that will be in Switzerland or in America. I have hiked too much in the Swiss Alps and I am constantly thinking about it. In my mind I vision see the elder bush in the yard were we loved to sit while the moon was shining. Some things are not as clear on my mind as others.<br />
<br />
I always think about you, Martha. But now I want to discuss another subject. I have promised to marry you. But now I am making way fewer wages than in Switzerland and that makes me think about the future. You have had to wait so long already and I have not fulfilled my commitment to marry you yet. Your sisters are all doing very well and I would like to have the same status for you. In Switzerland I was doing very well and would have had a good future. I love you and I do not want another one in my life. But if you have a better choice, besides me, then it is up to you. You need to decide. Please don’t be upset with these words for I want everything to be okay for you. I am sure your dear parents don’t know what to think about our situation. May the dear God guide and lead us. I have been having deep thoughts about this. I want you to know that I will never leave you, Martha. What I have promised you I will keep. Please answer me as soon as possible, please dear Martha.<br />
<br />
Something else: Please send me the following: three shirts one of which should me my white hunters shirt, hair brush, razor knife, cloth brush, a mouth harmonica, the small one which is in the photo box or the suit case, the letter box which is on top of the closet. Also three pairs of socks of which one will still are stuck inside my Sunday shoes. The keys are in back of the bed in one of the boxes. Money for postage is inside the black box in the wooden suitcase. You can take some of it for your work in my behalf. Ask Adelle if she can deposit my money in the bank; please give her my savings book. She can deduct money for her time spent on this. I will send her money once she lets me know how much I owe her. I am not allowed to keep money here, so I need it put in the bank. Send me please the address from Adelle.<br />
<br />
I send my greetings to all, to you hugs and kisses,<br />
Walter<br />
Good Bye.<br />
<br />
Underlined side remark: Private Mail remark on top (should be inserted somewhere but I don’t know where) the tools are behind the bed, please wrap them in paper and put in the suitcase. Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-70123287365637278622015-12-29T21:08:00.000-08:002016-01-14T20:48:08.116-08:00PostcardsSome postcards addressed to Martha<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
Mademoiselle Martha Rohrbach <br />
Stadt Hospital, Hier, Bienne<br />
Fiel, the 9 Aug 1911<br />
<br />
Dear Sister <br />
How are you doing in the Hospital and how are your eyes doing. I hope that you will be able to come soon back, for without your voice the choir does not sound quite right. Remain healthy and don’t take any high money (don’t really know what they are trying to say, perhaps stay faithful and don’t get disrupted???) <br />
<br />
Good Bye<br />
Bretheren Weber, Farmer and Carver<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Miss Martha Rohrbach,<br />
Brueggestreet, 20 B, Madetoch, Biel, Canton Bern , Switzerland, Europe<br />
send 7th Avenue, Salt Lake, Utah, April 1912 (post stamp)<br />
<br />
The 2 April 1909<br />
My dear ones. I am writing you fast that on the 1 April at 8 am in the morning a healthy, strong boy was born. All is well and healthy. We have now the most beautiful weather here. Next Sunday is again Conference. 1000 Kisses and greeting to all of you. How is Bertha doing?<br />
<br />
The card is from Hanging Bridge Royal Gorge, Colorado<br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-7404128161869517782015-12-03T21:32:00.006-08:002016-01-20T21:14:44.043-08:00Walter Hanni Letters Part 1<style>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">These letters appear to be ones Walter wrote to Martha while he was in the Swiss army. </span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Andermatt, the 10 October 1911</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Martha,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have received the package, many thanks to you. Did you pack this package? It was totally perfect and in great condition. I was on guard duty when the package arrived. It was my first try at shooting; we have been sharp shooting this week with Canons. We shot from Andermatt all the way to Realp. A terrible noise filled the Urseren Valley. It was a loud noise as can be heard when an avalanche is triggered in spring time. We were training shooting at a good time, the weather was very nice. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am happy to hear that your health is making great progress. The very best possession a human can have is to have good health. I have not been sick for a minute yet and I am very grateful for that to my Father in Heaven. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You wrote that you went to visit your sister and brother in law in Schraderau. Now you have the opportunity to spoil yourself a little, so make good use of it. Once I come back home, I will make up for lost time. I am not able to have a very good time up here be for I don’t have the best of company. I think you will understand what I mean. It is no pleasure for me to go to the tavern and there is too much snow in the mountains to enjoy any kind of sport. As soon as the snow freezes I will use the opportunity to go skiing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How are the people in Biel doing? Is the old Friede still there? I have received a report from brother Ritter. I have written a letter to Jeanne Losli, tell her to answer my letter. How is she doing? Is Jeanne healthy? I hope so. Monday in three weeks I will be able to join the Saints, how is the ward choir doing? I hope that we can sing in good harmony. I have to end now. Wish you much happiness and Gods blessings.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Good night,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Greetings from the old Walter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Andermatt, the 8th October 1911</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Martha!<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have received the little bock. Thank you again for it. Now I need to ask you, should I send the little box back to you or may I keep it? It is Sunday evening and I had the honor to be on “guard duty”. What a pleasure it is. The sky is blue, the moon is shining on top of the beautiful Alp Mountain tops. Very enjoyable to go for a walk and I am inviting you to walk with me. Many thoughts went through my mind, all kinds of phantasies. When I am home I can tell you the details, but you probably can imagine yourself what those have been. In 4 weeks I will be done and released to come home. I hope that you will be totally healthy by that time. I wish you much happiness and health and Gods blessings. Schleep wenn and have sweet dreams. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Your Walter (I think he means that she is his sunshine love???)</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To Miss Martha Rohrbach, Brueggestreet, Madietsch</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Andermatt, the 21 October 1911</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Martha!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have received your letter and thank you very much for it. You wrote me about the great time you had. I wished I could have been there with you, but I can’t change it now. In 14 days I will be able to have joy also. I will make up for the time I lost here. Tuesday is our great parade day and that should be really wonderful. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How are you doing? Are your eyes better yet? I sure hope so! We will have a wonderful time together when I come back. I dreamt about you, but I will tell you all about it in person. I am healthy and fine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wish you God’s blessing and much happiness.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good night and sleep well and have sweet dreams.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Greetings, Walter</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Andermatt, the 2nd or 7th November 191<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Dear Martha </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to tell you that I will be coming home on Monday evening and I am very happy about this. I can hardly wait to be with my loved once again. I hope that you will be healthy and fine when I arrive. I am so grateful to you for all the good you have done. I hope I will have a great time at home once I am there. We still have wonderful weather here and it is supposed to be good as long as I am remaining here. I am doing just fine and can thank my Heavenly Father for that. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Several thoughts go through my head, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fantasies</span> of all kinds. I will tell you all about it when I come home but perhaps you can guess some of those already. Only four more weeks and I am finished with my service here. I hope that you will get totally healthy by the time I get back home. I wish you much happiness, healthiness and the blessings from God. Sleep well and dream sweetly again. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Walter</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></span></span></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-82493875747077553822015-12-03T21:29:00.002-08:002015-12-03T21:29:33.305-08:00Martha Hanni letter
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To: Miss Martha
Rohrbach, Hospital Chambre n 22, Pasquart (local village)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Biel, the 23
July 1910</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dear Martha,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have received your letter with great joy and had to laugh when you wrote “you
are in a very good mood hopefully.” How is the English language coming along?
You are probably muddling your way through the language and will soon be able
to translate for some.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t have
any news to report to you, all remains the same, sometimes better, other times
worse! Jeanne has sent you already two letters, did you receive them? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You said that if you would get a beautiful hat you would go and live in town.
We have some beautiful models of it here. I still have the one I had last year. It is made of the same straw as the ones
last summer, but a different style. On both sides is fastened a large rose and
around it small ones and a black trimming. I have bought this hat in Bern.
Jeanne and I have the most beautiful hats of all the girls. Jeanne and I will have a picture taken with our hats so you can see it
yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How is Walter doing, he has not written me at all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brother Hansen had an appendix inflammation and was in the Seeland Hospital.
Lilly and Lisi Trittib were with him almost every day. When he was released from
the hospital he went to Fankhauser’s to sleep and they took good care of him
for him and he only will stay at the Fankhauser’s. One of their sons helped
steal a barrel of Beer. That is what my father told me and that Fankhauser
family is supposed to be the Example Family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brother Bottam was able to go home again. He was close to death in Basel, but
once he felt better he could come home again and I am happy for him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the 10 August is Conference in Bern and I am looking forward to it. We have
had a lot of rain and it is not very good for our white skirts, they drag on
the ground. We don’t see Misses Monbaron any more at church, I don’t know what
happened to her. Misses Baumann is not attending any more either, it is because of Lilly but I
can’t tell you any more about it, since I don’t know more. The old Finschi of Solothurn is getting married soon. His intentions are
already posted and made public. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t know any more. Don’t mind my hand writing, for I wrote very fast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I send my greetings to you and kiss you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Marie </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Please write back soon, don’t let me wait to long with your answer. Greetings
also from mother.</span></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-27760113123776461782015-11-26T21:43:00.000-08:002015-12-29T21:26:26.448-08:00Hanni lettersAs we have been going through my grandma's house the last couple of months we have happened upon many interesting things as is the case when cleaning out grandparents houses. It is interesting to see what things people choose to keep and as a result leave behind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World War II love letters</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First off to everyone who loved the World War II love letters from Grandpa Ken. What a treasure — who knew grandpa was such a romantic. The letters have all been scanned and are available to view or download on <a href="http://familysearch.org/">familysearch.org</a> on Grandpa Ken's page. I felt that was the best place to put them. Mostly because they are multiple page pdfs and there were a lot of them. Second Grandpa Ken wrote quite a long history about himself. We also found a history for Grandma Margaret. We hope to get those put into a book before too long. We will let interested parties know when we get that completed.<br />
<br />
Third we found a box of letters that belonged to Walter and Martha Hanni. They are all around 100 years old and written for the most part in German script. (I still need to put Walter's history on this site. It is rather long.) Most were written by Walter to Martha and some are letters to Martha written by other people. Some were from before the move from Switzerland and some from after. I was also able to borrow these for a day and scan them as well. I did find a friend of ours who can read German script (a lost art I hear) and she has agreed to translate them for us. I have no idea what is in these letters and for the enjoyment of the family I will post them on this blog when we get the translations back — hopefully in chronological order. The first one was actually written in French and written to Martha by a friend. I sent it to a friend who speaks French and this is what she sent back.<br />
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The first letter. It was written to Martha and addressed to her at a hospital in Biel, Switzerland.<br />
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</style> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>February 2, 1910
</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Dear Martha,</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />I arrived well at the house. My [landlords/hosts] received me very well and I wanted to start working Saturday evening, and I was too tired I went to bed.</i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>See you later.You accused me of not having written, but I hope that you do the same pleasure of you having written a little word.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> And when I started to work the next day everything seemed funny [or odd] to me but it made me very bad [hurt or sick] and now it quits a little [isn’t as bad]. I am always thinking that you are doing well I hope for that and that it<br />[pg 2] Will be soon the moment of you lifting/rising yourself and especially if you can walk. And also as much as I hope that it goes well I can’t write his name I remind myself more. Me when I arrived at the house they all had a good laugh; with my package under the arm.<br />And now I end my letter by telling you that for me it all to me you weaken [this part doesn’t really make any sense, but the last word on that line is hard to make out…I think it is t’afais which doesn’t mean anything, but if it’s spelled incorrectly it might have supposed to have been t’affrais, which would mean you weaken] impossible to come Sunday it will be for the next Sunday because I do not want to be at the house.</i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />[pg 3]I had a lot of boredom at the hospital it cost me nothing to come and to go out no more. <br />Finally in waiting until the other Sunday.<br />Good greetings to all and also to Sister Lina,<br />One who thinks of you all<br />Goodbye dear Martha<br />A thousand kisses/Thousands of kisses a friend who thinks of you<br />Mathilde Brandt</i></span></div>
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Interesting letter. Hopefully it will make more sense when more letter translations come back as there were several letters from this time period all addressed to Martha at this hospital. I have not heard any stories about her and why she might have been hospitalized. Anyone know what this is about?<br />
<br />
Until next time<br />
~*Erin <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-56985575278679799882015-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:002015-11-25T14:29:07.163-08:00Let's join the General Society of Mayflower DescendantsWe have known about the <a href="https://www.themayflowersociety.org/">General Society of Mayflower Descendants</a> (GSMD) for some time now and we have seen evidence that I am likely <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Pilgrim">related to multiple pilgrims</a>. We decided to go ahead and try to join the GSMD officially. One of the many things that led to this decisions was that our family line on FamilySearch has been edited in some way to break many of the connections that we thought we had. People have been merging or pruning the tree and we think that some errors may have been made. The process to join the GSMD requires you to provide very authoritative evidence of your direct lineage all the way back to the Mayflower passengers. A lot of the work has already been done for the generations following those pilgrims so our main focus is my immediate 3-5+ generations until we can tie into a line with existing approval of lineage. This will provide two things for us personally: 1) more confident evidence of my pilgrim heritage and 2) knowing that by going through this process we will make it easier for our ancestors or cousins or distant family to prove their lineage and join due to the fact that they may have less generations they need to cover as a result of our work.<br />
<br />
We plan to document the process so that others who are considering joining can see what its like. We have heard that it can be rigorous or, depending on what has already been done, it may be relatively simple. We suspect that we have 4 or 5 lines back to the pilgrims and over time we would like to validate all of them.<br />
<br />
So here is the first post.<br />
<br />
Last night I located <a href="http://utahmayflower.org/">The Utah Society</a>, a local member "chapter" of the GSMD. The Utah Society shows on their webpage that you start the process by submitting a "application review" worksheet showing your lineage. This is a real quick and dirty "this is how I think I am related" with no attached documentation at the moment. The idea is that the local historian will poke around their resources to determine what has already been approved by other members to see how much work we will have to do. We have potentially 5 lines so I sent an email to the historian expressing interest in joining and asked if the historian would like to see 1 "application review" at a time or all 5. While we waited for a reply we got to work reviewing our lines to be ready to send the review worksheets.<br />
<br />
Here are the 5 lines we are interested in pursuing identified by signers of the Mayflower Compact:<br />
<ol>
<li>John Tilley and John Howland. (Both signed the compact and John Howland later married John Tilley's daughter Elizabeth.)</li>
<li>Thomas Rogers</li>
<li>Francis Cooke</li>
<li>Peter Brown</li>
<li>Stephen Hopkins</li>
</ol>
<div>
I jumped on my whiteboard desk while we consulted FamilySearch, AncestorFinder, and Ancestry.com family trees. These tools and many others can be used to look through your tree and determine paths. We are using a new, private Ancestry.com tree to catalog the direct line and will put only direct ancestors and their spouses to have a clean representation of our work. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6XKRxcwEUbY/VlYkiAFRtbI/AAAAAAAAMS4/FAZxRVbeRbs/s1600/IMG_0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6XKRxcwEUbY/VlYkiAFRtbI/AAAAAAAAMS4/FAZxRVbeRbs/s640/IMG_0133.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">See John Lathrop on there? He was not on the Mayflower but is a significant historical religious ancestor and we wanted to see where he fit in.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
The only line that we couldn't currently easily walk is the Peter Brown line. We found lots of conflicting evidence and no actual path to Peter Brown. The documentation we had that suggested a line was generated from RelativeFinder possibly when, for some reason, our tree in FamilySearch was in a poorly merged state. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By the end of the night the historian from the Utah Society had replied stating we could send all 5 application reviews at the same time (now only 4 thanks to Peter Brown). The email also included more information about the application process. This sounds like its going to be a fun adventure.<br />
<br />
-Dan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648995604512794533noreply@blogger.com0Salt Lake County, UT, USA40.644188 -111.9522491000000239.873382 -113.24314260000001 41.414994 -110.66135560000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-25701236388038944952014-11-18T12:15:00.000-08:002014-11-18T20:33:24.106-08:00Giles HopkinsName: Giles Hopkins<br />
Born: 1609, England<br />
Died: 1690, Massachusetts<br />
Related through: Lynn Crookston<br />
<br />
Giles Hopkins was the eldest son of Stephen Hopkins of Plymouth. He was born in England, and came over with his father's family in the Mayflower in 1620. Along with the other members of his father's family, he survived the first winter's sickness, which swept off so many of that company. Of his boyhood days, but little appears.<br />
<br />
He appeared to have been of a retiring disposition, only forward when duty compelled. In 1637, the Pequots, a tribe of brave Indians inhabiting the eastern part of Connecticut, commenced war with the English in that region.Plymouth Colony concluded to send a company to assist in the overthrow of the Indians, so Giles, with his [Hopkins-2|father]] and younger brother Caleb, volunteered to go out in the company in the defense of his Connecticut neighbors. Happily for the company, before they were ready to go forth, the troops, under Captain Mason, had 'vanquished' the enemy, and the company was not needed.<br />
<br />
The next year, Stephen Hopkins was allowed by the Old Colony court 'to erect a house at Mattacheese,' now Yarmouth, 'to cut hay there' and 'to winter his cattle.' It is supposed his son, Giles, went down there and had charge of his cattle. The permission given to Stephen in 1638, however, to build a house on the Cape specified that he was not to permanently leave Plymouth. It was not until 1639 that the Plymouth Colony Court authorized a permanent settlement in Yarmouth. At any rate, Giles was in Yarmouth in 1639, and with Hugh Tilley and Nicholas Sympkins, 'deposed' to the last will and testament of Peter Warden, the elder, deceased.<br />
<br />
Marriage and Adulthood<br />
While in Yarmouth, Giles cultivated the acquaintance of a young lady by the name of Catherine Whelden, supposed daughter of Gabriel Wheldon, and was married to her, October 9, 1639. They soon became the occupants of the first house (as is supposed) "built by the English on the Cape below Sandwich." Its location, says Swift's History of Old Yarmough, "was in a field belonging to Capt. Charles Basset, about 75 yards northwesterly from the house of Mr. Joseph Hale."<br />
<br />
The house he occupied while a resident of Yarmouth stood a little to the northwest on the declivity or knoll. It is believed by Mr.Amos Otis to have been the first house built below Sandwich, and certainly it must have been, if it were the one built by Stephen Hopkins by order of Plymouth court. Mr. Otis, in his account of Andrew Hallett, Jr., says it was sold by Giles Hopkins in 1642 to Mr. Hallett.<br />
<br />
It would seem that Mr. Hopkins was not a resident of Yarmouth in 1643, as his name does not appear in the list of those able to bear arms that year in the township, but evidence is quite conclusive that he was a resident June 6, 1644. At that date his father made his will, and several times speaks of Giles being at Yarmouth in charge of the cattle. It is probable he was not enrolled on account of being physically unable to do military duty.<br />
<br />
Later, the town of Nauset was founded just beyond Yarmouth. Among the founders was Giles Hopkins’ brother-in-law Nicholas Snow. By 1650, Giles had also settled in Nauset (which was to change its name the following year to Eastham). In what year he removed to Nausett, or Eastham, is not known. He was there in 1650, occupying the position of surveyor of highways, which he subsequently occupied several years. For some reason, now inexplicable, his father, by will, made Caleb, his younger son by Elizabeth Fisher Hopkins, the 'heir apparent,' and consequently the whole of the real estate, which was large, passed into the hands of Caleb upon Stephen's death. Caleb Hopkins, soon after his father's death in July, 1644, gave up a very large tract of land to Giles, his only surviving brother, located in what is now Brewster.<br />
<br />
Upon the death of Caleb, who was a seaman, and who died single at Barbadoes before 1657, Giles came into possession of several large tracts of land. In 1659, Mr. Hopkins had land granted him in Eastham. In 1662, with Lieut. Joseph Rogers and Josiah Cooke, he had liberty allowed him by the Colony court to look out for land for his accommodation between Bridgewater and Bay Line. In 1672, with Jonathan Sparrow and Thomas Mayo of Eastham, he purchased Sampson's Neck in what is now Orleans, then called by the Indians 'Weesquamseutt.' The tract was a valuable one; it embraced the territory between Higgin's river on the north, and Potonumecot river on the south.<br />
<br />
Giles seems to have been a very quiet man, caring but little for public positions. He was in 1654 drawn into a lawsuit by the noted William Leveridge, who had defamed him. Mr. Hopkins claimed damages to the amount of 50 pounds. Mr. Leveridge was ordered to pay 2 pounds and some shillings for the offense.<br />
<br />
Family<br />
According to records, Mr. Hopkins had 10 children.<br />
The following are the names of the children of Giles Hopkins with the dates of birth as they appear in the ancient book of records at Orleans:<br />
<br />
1.Mary, born in November, 1640 (married Samuel Smith)<br />
2.Stephen, born in September 1642<br />
3.John, born in 1643 "and died being three months old."<br />
4.Abigail, born in October, 1644<br />
5.Deborah, born in June, 1648 (married Josiah Cooke, Jr.)<br />
6.Caleb, born in January, 1650<br />
7.Ruth, born in June, 1653<br />
8.Joshua, born in June, 1657<br />
9.William, born January 9, 1660<br />
10.Elizabeth, born in November, 1664, died aged one month.<br />
<br />
Death<br />
The latter years of Mr. Hopkins' life were of weakness, so much so that he was not able "to provide for" his and his wife's support, and he agreed with Stephen, his son, to take all of his "stock and moveable estate" to use for his and his wife's comfortable support. The exact date of Mr. Hopkins' death is not now known, but there is reason to believe it occurred the latter part of March or early part of April, 1690. The time of the death of his wife, Catherine, is also unknown. She was alive in March, 1689.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Article from <a href="http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hopkins-6">Wikitree</a>. Thanks to whoever put it there.</i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-46263160779743026812013-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:002013-06-19T11:22:56.968-07:00Austin Cowles Hyde<div class="p1">
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<ul>
<li>Austin Cowles Hyde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_AJQ1Li7eZQ/UcHw3HNKMiI/AAAAAAAABrA/uhupDAImZRM/s1600/Austin+Cowles+Hyde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_AJQ1Li7eZQ/UcHw3HNKMiI/AAAAAAAABrA/uhupDAImZRM/s200/Austin+Cowles+Hyde.jpg" width="111" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Born: April 12, 1858 Salt Lake City, Utah</li>
<li>Died: March 18, 1941 Rupert, Idaho</li>
<li>Related through: Elvira Wilde</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="p1">
My father, Austin Cowles Hyde, was born in Salt Lake City, 12 April 1858. His father’s family came west with the pioneers of 1843. They lived in Salt Lake City until the spring of 1858 when they joined a party of Saints going south to locate. The family came back the same year and located in Kaysville, Utah. They built a home that stood for one hundred years before it was torn down to clear the way for a new highway. I know very little of my father’s early life.</div>
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When the railroad came west, it passed through grandfather’s farm and father went to work on the railroad. He told me that he was foreman of the rail crew that laid the first rail from Pocatello, Idaho to Butte City, Montana. I do no know how long he worked there. </div>
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He married <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/07/mary-melissa-griffeth.html">Mary Melissa Griffet</a>h of Hyde Park, Utah in April 1880. This was very much through the efforts of his older brother, Heman, who had already married Mary’s sister. Our first home was in Fairview, Idaho where we lived until our family numbered four. One died in infancy.</div>
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About this time the federal men were making it quite tough on the polygamists so my Grandfather Griffeth and Uncle Heman Hyde decided to move to Star Valley and as I remember, we had besides our household goods, four children, a few chickens and led two cows behind the wagon. I can really picture the trip as a very tedious one. </div>
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Later the issue of polygamy was dying down and Grandfather Griffeth decided to move back to Cache Valley, so his two families would be closer together. Father still owned his farm in Cache Valley so he and grandfather traded and we moved into our new home in the town of Auburn, Wyoming in 1893. It consisted of one room of log construction and dirt roof. It had 160 acres of choice meadowland with plenty of spring water. Our living quarters were very inadequate, so the first job was another room of the same construction. These two rooms served us as a home for several years. During those years father hauled logs from the canyons to the sawmill until he had enough material to build a large house and barn.</div>
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Once provisions were getting short and we were about 50 miles from the railroad. Wild game was plentiful so father and Uncle Heman decided to get an elk, but they came home with a mother bear and two cubs instead.</div>
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We now belonged to the Auburn Ward. Father’s brother Heman was bishop and held the office for thirty years. Auburn was a typical frontier town. It had a store, post office, a one-room church and a one-room school with the population of around fifty. A good number of them were people who could not get along anywhere else. The only entertainment was dancing and the town people would give us two or three plays during the winter. Father belonged to the group and usually took the part of the old man. Uncle Heman was most generally the hero.</div>
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After we moved to Auburn, Father joined as a caller because the only dancing was square dancing. Sometimes there were waltzes, but a couple could not dance more than two together because it was thought they were getting too close. Therefore most of the dancing was square dancing. Father was a big man and to site one incident, as he was calling squares, two men entered the dance hall, which was really the church house. They were drunk, so my father went over and asked them to straighten up or leave. One man pulled a gun on him. Uncle Heman came over to help, but father knocked the man down who had the gun and the two of them dragged them both outside. Afterwards they discovered that the gun wasn’t even loaded.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV7afL9Wt3s/UcHxAKJAtRI/AAAAAAAABrI/RsaFqXJoYKU/s1600/Star+Valley+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV7afL9Wt3s/UcHxAKJAtRI/AAAAAAAABrI/RsaFqXJoYKU/s320/Star+Valley+home.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auburn home about 1914. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
Father led the singing for a good many years, and often during the winter months he would teach music to anyone interested with no charge. There was no organ or piano available so his equipment consisted of a tuning fork and a baton.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Time changed all of these things and at 18 years of age, I went on a mission to the Eastern States. Some of the family was married and some went to college. Now that the family was pretty well taken care of, father decided to go on a two-year mission to the Northwestern States. Upon his return, he served as high councilman in the Star Valley Stake. </div>
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<div class="p1">
After ten years of trial, my wife, Carrie, and I decided we wanted to farm and the only way we could do that successfully was to leave Star Valley. When we got ready to move, father and mother were ready to go with us. We left Wyoming on the 19th of March 1919 and located in Rupert, Idaho three days later. Within two years all of the family had moved to Rupert.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Father had depended on paying for his farm from the sale of his property in Wyoming, but it did not seem to work out and he lost all of his property except for enough to buy a small home across the street west of the Washington School in Rupert and a shoe repair shop which took care of their needs as long as they were able to work.</div>
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There were eleven children born to this couple. Father was an honest, hard workingman and passed away at the age of 82 in 1941. </div>
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<div class="p1">
<i>Written by Rosel P. Hyde, son, Fall of 1959. Article found at <a href="http://familysearch.org./">familysearch.org.</a></i></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-15617090818070081002013-03-01T12:38:00.000-08:002013-03-01T12:38:35.451-08:00Thomas Pitkin<ul>
<li>Name: Thomas Pitkin</li>
<li>Born: June 18, 1700 Bolton, Connecticut</li>
<li>Died: July 20, 1766 Bolton, Connecticut</li>
<li>Related through: Lynn Crookston</li>
</ul>
<br />
Captain Thomas Pitkin at the age of 21 was one of the
incorporators of the town of Bolton in 1720 (Hollister's Connecticut,
Vol. !, p. 388). An act granting a patent for the town of Bolton by
Thomas Pitkin and others. He was commissioned Lieutenant of the militia
company of Bolton in 1737; Captain in 1739; Justice of the Peace from
1751 to 1756. He represented Bolton in the General Assembly in 1755 and
1756. By his will he manumitted his three slaves.<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks to whoever put this history on <a href="http://familysearch.org/">familysearch.org</a>. </i><br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-25299830406111709592013-02-23T20:12:00.000-08:002013-02-23T20:12:12.348-08:00William Pitkin IV<ul>
<li>Name: William Pitkin IV</li>
<li>Born: About 1664 East Hartford, Connecticut</li>
<li>Died: April 5, 1723, East Hartford, Connecticut</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandfather Lynn Crookston</li>
</ul>
<br />
William Pitkin was educated by his father in his profession of the law.
He was judge of the county and probate courts and court of the
assistants from 1702 to 1711. Upon the establishment of the Superior
Court in 1711, he was appointed judge of that court, and in 1713 he was
made Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He represented Hartford in the
General Assembly in 1696. In 1697 he was elected one of the Council of
the Colony, and was annually reelected for 26 years till his death (see
Trumbull's History of Conn., ''. 425, 469, 477).<br />
<br />
He was one of the
commissioners to receive the Earl of Belmont on his arrival in New York.
He was Commissioner of War in 1706 and 1707 (Col. Rec., p. 535). He
was one of the committee to prepare the manuscript laws of the colony in
1709; also was on the committee for the revision of said laws (Col.
Rec., Vol. V. p. 479). In 1718 he was appointed on of a committee of
three, by the General Assembly to build the first State House in the
Colony at Hartford (Col. Rec., Vol. VI, pp. 157 and 197).<br />
<br />
He was also
one of a committee to procure a map of the course of the Connecticut
River from the "mouth of it to the north bounds of this Colony, to be
inserted in the plan of the Colony now ordered to be drawn." He was a
military officer in the company of his brother Roger.<br />
<br />
He is said to have
been no less able in repartee than in argument. Being once opposed in a
case by Mr. Eels, a brother lawyer, who in summing up the case,
thinking he had the better of Mr. Pitkin, said "The Court will perceive
that the pipkin is cracked." His instant reply was, "Not so much
cracked, your honor, but he will find it will do to stew eels in yet."<br />
<br />
Although so much engaged in his professional business, he had previous
to 1706 built two mills at Pitkin Falls in connection with which he
carried on a large business in clothings and woolens. These mills were
bequeathed to his sons, William and Joseph, who succeeded him in the
business. His son <a href="http://www.cslib.org/gov/pitkinw.htm">William</a> went on to become the Governor of Connecticut. <br />
<br />
<i>Article came from <a href="http://familysearch.org/">familysearch.org</a>. Thanks to whoever put it there. </i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-77442790276214742402013-02-19T20:32:00.000-08:002013-02-19T20:32:41.890-08:00Thomas Rogers<ul>
<li>Name: Thomas Rogers</li>
<li>Born: Watford, Northamptonshire, England</li>
<li>Died: Plymouth, Massachusetts</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandmother Elvira Wilde</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
<b>Thomas Rogers</b> was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separatism"><span class="s1">Separatist</span></a> who travelled on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower"><span class="s1"><i>Mayflower</i></span></a> to escape religious persecution, and is best known for being one of the 41 signers of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact"><span class="s1">Mayflower Compact</span></a>. His date of birth is unknown but thought to be approximately 1572. He was among those who did not survive the first harsh winter of 1620–1621.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
Thomas Rogers was born in Watford, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northamptonshire"><span class="s1">Northamptonshire</span></a>, the son of William and Eleanor Rogers. He departed that area sometime after May 1613.</div>
<div class="p3">
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<div class="p3">
Thomas Rogers and his family moved to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden"><span class="s1">Leiden</span></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland"><span class="s1">Holland</span></a> by February 22, 1614. This was the date he bought a house on the Barbarasteeg. He became a citizen of Leiden on June 25, 1618 and worked as a camlet (fabric) merchant. Thomas Rogers is recorded to have sold his Leiden house on April 1, 1620 for 300 guilders, possibly preparing for his voyage to America.</div>
<div class="p2">
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<div class="p5">
Thomas Rogers and his 18 year old son Joseph departed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth"><span class="s1">Plymouth</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England"><span class="s1">England</span></a> aboard the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower"><span class="s1"><i>Mayflower</i></span></a> on September 6/16, 1620. The small, 100-foot ship had 102 passengers and a crew of about 30-40 in extremely cramped conditions. By the second month out, the ship was being buffeted by strong westerly gales, causing the ship‘s timbers to be badly shaken with caulking failing to keep out sea water, and with passengers, even in their berths, lying wet and ill. This, combined with a lack of proper rations and unsanitary conditions for several months, attributed to what would be fatal for many, especially the majority of women and children. On the way there were two deaths, a crew member and a passenger, but the worst was yet to come after arriving at their destination when, in the space of several months, almost half the passengers perished in cold, harsh, unfamiliar New England winter.</div>
<div class="p5">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
On November 9/19, 1620, after about 3 months at sea, including a month of delays in England, they spotted land, which was the Cape Cod Hook, now called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincetown_Harbor"><span class="s1">Provincetown Harbor</span></a>. After several days of trying to get south to their planned destination of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Virginia"><span class="s1">Colony of Virginia</span></a>, strong winter seas forced them to return to the harbor at Cape Cod hook, where they anchored on November 11/21. The Mayflower Compact was signed that day.</div>
<div class="p5">
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<div class="p5">
Thomas Rogers married Alice Cosford on October 1597 in Watford, Northamptonshire. She apparently died in Leiden Holland sometime after the 1622 poll tax listing.</div>
<div class="p5">
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<div class="p5">
Governor William Bradford (Mayflower passenger) wrote of Thomas Rogers in 1650: "Thomas Rogers, and Joseph, his son (came). His other children came afterwards… Thomas Rogers died in the first sickness, but his son Joseph was still living, and was married with 6 children. The rest of Thomas Rogers children came over, and were married, and had many children."</div>
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<div class="p5">
Thomas Rogers died in the first winter. Along with other victims, he was buried in an unmarked grave in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coles_Hill"><span class="s1">Coles Hill</span></a> Burial Ground, Plymouth. He left behind his son Joseph. Thomas is named on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb, Plymouth, Massachusetts. The burial place of his wife Alice, whether in Holland or England, is unknown.</div>
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<div class="p5">
<i>This article comes from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Rogers_(Mayflower_passenger)">Wikipedia article</a> about Thomas Rogers. Thanks Wikipedia.</i></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-9467179784346251702013-02-15T19:39:00.000-08:002013-02-15T19:39:46.484-08:00Peter Browne<ul>
<li>Name: Peter Browne </li>
<li>Born: January 1594 Dorking, Surrey, England </li>
<li>Died: 1633 Plymouth, Massachusetts</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandmother Elvira Wilde </li>
</ul>
<br />
Peter Browne, often modernized as Peter Brown, was a Mayflower passenger on its 1620 voyage that initiated the settlement of New England, and a signer of the Mayflower Compact.
Peter Browne was probably born in January 1594 in Dorking, Surrey, England to William Browne. He was baptized in the local parish on 26 January 1594.<br />
<br />
Browne's brothers John and James joined him in Plymouth Colony in 1632. They were weavers, his vocation is believed to have been a carpenter or machinist. In 1619 or 1620 he was likely enlisted by William Mullins, as part of the "London contingent," whose trades and skills were necessary for the voyage of the Mayflower and the Speedwell and the creation of the colony.<br />
<br />
The Mayflower departed Plymouth, England on September 6/16, 1620. The small, 100-foot ship had 102 passengers and a crew of about 30-40 in extremely cramped conditions. By the second month out, the ship was being buffeted by strong westerly gales, causing the ship‘s timbers to be badly shaken with caulking failing to keep out sea water, and with passengers, even in their berths, lying wet and ill. This, combined with a lack of proper rations and unsanitary conditions for several months, attributed to what would be fatal for many, especially the majority of women and children. On the way there were two deaths, a crew member and a passenger, but the worst was yet to come after arriving at their destination when, in the space of several months, almost half the passengers perished in cold, harsh, unfamiliar New England winter.<br />
<br />
On November 9/19, 1620, after about 3 months at sea, including a month of delays in England, they spotted land, which was Cape Cod. And after several days of trying to get south to their planned destination of the Colony of Virginia, strong winter seas forced them to return to the harbor at the Cape Cod hook, where they anchored on November 11/21. Realizing they were not at the intended destination they determined to bind themselves as a democratically governed and administered colony loyal to England. This document became known as the Mayflower Compact and was sign by all eligible men on behalf of themselves, their families, their fortunes and property. Peter Browne was one of the 41 men who signed the Mayflower Compact on 11 November 1620.<br />
<br />
A 12 January 1621 incident is recorded in Mourt's Relation whereby Peter Browne and John Goodman became lost in the woods after their dogs began to chase a deer. After a sleepless night, during which time both Browne and Goodman believed they heard lions (possibly mountain lions or other large mammals such as bears or coyotes), they successfully reoriented themselves and returned safely to the site of the village on the shore.<br />
<br />
Being among the half of the crew who survived the first winter, Browne could have been present at the First Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621, the event that set the precedent for the American Thanksgiving holiday.<br />
<br />
Peter Browne came over as a single man. By about 1626 he had married a widow Mary Ford, wife of ___ Ford, who were passengers in 1621 on the ship ‘Fortune’. She gave birth after the ship’s November 1621 arrival, but her husband died soon after, as did the baby. Contrary to information published in some sources, Mary Ford was not the wife of the Fortune’s master. Per Banks, the master of the Fortune on this 1621 voyage was Thomas Barton.<br />
<br />
Although Peter Browne had married two times, at his death in 1633 he left only three female descendants. The administration of the estate of Peter Browne on 10 October 1633, indicates that he died sometime since the last reference to his property in the records. It is widely believed that he succumbed to the same sickness that spread through Plymouth Colony in the summer of 1633. He is buried at Cole's Hill, Plymouth. He was survived by his second wife Mary who acted as the executrix of his estate. Following the death of Peter Browne, his widow Mary received custody of the two children she had with him, but his two daughters by his first marriage, Mary and Priscilla, were apprenticed out until they were age seventeen — Mary to John Doane and Priscilla to William Gibson. When they reached that age they requested that the Plymouth Court assign them to the custody of their uncle, John Brown, a weaver in Duxbury.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This article came from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Browne_(Mayflower_passenger)">Wikipedia article</a> on Peter Browne. Thanks Wikipedia!</i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-15057791814949829382013-02-11T07:49:00.000-08:002013-02-11T07:49:48.443-08:00Francis Cooke<ul>
<li>Name: Francis Cooke</li>
<li>Born: 1583 England?</li>
<li>Died: April 7, 1663, Plymouth, Massachusetts</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandmother Elvira Wilde</li>
</ul>
<br />
Francis Cooke was a Separatist who fled religious persecution under English King James I, and in 1620 traveled to the New World on the Mayflower.<br />
<br />
Francis is described in Leiden Walloon church marriage records dating from 1603 as a "woolcomber out of England," however his exact origin is unknown. In Leiden, sometime after July 20, 1603, as Franchoys Couck, he married Hester le Mahieu, born in Lille, the daughter of Protestant refugees from England.<br />
<br />
While in Leiden, Francis and Hester were members of the Walloon church. In 1606, they left Leiden briefly for Norwich, England, where they joined another Walloon church, returning to Leiden in 1607, possibly for religious reasons. Between 1611 and 1618, the Cookes were members of the Separatist congregation in Leiden.<br />
<br />
Francis Cooke with one son John, departed on the Mayflower from Plymouth, England on September 6/16, 1620. The small, 100-foot ship had 102 passengers and a crew of about 30-40 in extremely cramped conditions. By the second month out, the ship was being buffeted by strong westerly gales, causing the ship‘s timbers to be badly shaken with caulking failing to keep out sea water, and with passengers, even in their berths, lying wet and ill. This, combined with a lack of proper rations and unsanitary conditions for several months, attributed to what would be fatal for many, especially the majority of women and children. On the way there were two deaths, a crew member and a passenger, but the worst was yet to come after arriving at their destination when, in the space of several months, almost half the passengers perished in cold, harsh, unfamiliar New England winter.<br />
<br />
On November 9/19, 1620, after about 3 months at sea, including a month of delays in England, they spotted land, which was the Cape Cod Hook, now called Provincetown Harbor. And after several days of trying to get south to their planned destination of the Colony of Virginia, strong winter seas forced them to return to the harbor at Cape Cod hook, where they anchored on November 11/21. The Mayflower Compact was signed that day.<br />
<br />
Francis Cooke was active in Plymouth civil affairs in the 1630s and 40s — committees to lay out land grants and highways, petit jury, grand jury, coroner's jury. He appears on the 1643 Plymouth list of those able to bear arms. At some point in 1638 or afterward, he settled at Rocky Nook on Jones River, within the limits of Kingston, a few miles from Plymouth.<br />
<br />
Francis Cooke married Hester Mahieu in Leiden, Holland on July 20, 1603 or shortly thereafter. They had seven children. Her parents were Jacques and Jenne/Jeanne Mahieu, from France.<br />
<br />
Hester died after June 8, 1666 and was buried at Burial Hill in Plymouth, Mass. His burial place is unknown.<br />
<br />
Their son John came with his father on the Mayflower and survived to live a long life. In the summer of 1623 Hester came over with her other children Jane, Jacob and Hester on the ship 'Anne' or 'Little James.'<br />
<br />
<i>This article was taken from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Cooke">Wikipedia article</a> about Francis Cooke. Thanks Wikipedia!</i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-26412880651063033152013-01-21T20:54:00.000-08:002013-01-21T20:54:35.545-08:00Stephen Hopkins<ul>
<li><b>Stephen Hopkins</b> </li>
<li>Born: April 30, 1581 (Christened) Upper Clatfor, Hampshire, England</li>
<li>Died: between June 6, 1644 and July 17, 1644</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandfather Lynn Crookston</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The son of John Hopkins and Elizabeth Williams. He was a tanner and merchant who was one of the passengers on the Mayflower in 1620, settling in Plymouth Colony. Hopkins was recruited by the Merchant Adventurers to provide the governance for the colony as well as assist with the colony's ventures. Hopkins was one of forty-one signatories of the Mayflower Compact and was an assistant to the governor of the colony through 1636.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MayflowerHarbor.jpg" style="background-image: none; clear: right; color: #0b0080; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: initial;"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" height="168" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/MayflowerHarbor.jpg/290px-MayflowerHarbor.jpg" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/MayflowerHarbor.jpg/435px-MayflowerHarbor.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/MayflowerHarbor.jpg 2x" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); vertical-align: middle;" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor</i> by William Halsall (1882)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Not much is known about his early life in Hampshire, but his family appears to have removed to Winchester, Hampshire by 1586. His father died there in 1593, and by 1604 he had moved to Hursley, Hampshire and was married to a woman named Mary. Their three children, Elizabeth, Constance and Giles were baptized at Hursley between 1603/4 and 1607/8. In early 1609 Stephen Hopkins began employment as a minister’s clerk, reading religious works to a congregation including members of the Virginia Company. </div>
<div>
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On June 2, 1609 Hopkins left his wife and family and in his ministerial clerk‘s position, departed for Jamestown in Virginia on the 300-ton Sea Venture, flagship of a flotilla lead by Sir George Somers. The Sea Venture was carrying the new Jamestown governor, Sir Thomas Gates, to his post as well as resupplying the colony with goods and new settlers. Recent scholarship believes that this is the same Stephen Hopkins who was the only Mayflower passenger who had previously been to the New World and that Hopkins had adventures that included surviving a shipwreck in Bermuda and working from 1610–14 in Jamestown as well as possibly knowing the legendary Pocahontas, who married John Rolfe, a fellow Bermuda castaway. </div>
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After almost two months into the voyage, a severe storm separated the ships of the flotilla on July 24, 1609, and by evening the storm began raging worse and lasted for five days. Just when the Sea Venture was about to sink from storm damage, “land” was called out with that being the island of Bermuda. The ship was forced to run itself aground about mile off-shore to keep from sinking. The castaways soon found that Bermuda was a Paradise, with plentiful water and food. On September 1, 1609, a month after the shipwreck and after they had built up their ship’s longboat for an ocean voyage, they sent eight men out to try to reach Jamestown, Virginia to get help but they never returned. </div>
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In late November 1609, commenced construction of boats enough to take everyone off the island. By January 1610, even though Stephen Hopkins had remained with Governor Gate’s group, he starting voicing dissatisfaction to the governance of Thomas Gates and questioning his authority. Hopkins was arrested and charged with mutiny and was found guilty for which the sentence was death. Many persons begged mercy for him and he obtained a pardon. Hopkins ceased voicing controversial issues. </div>
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The English in Jamestown and those later in Plymouth were the antithesis of each other — with those in Virginia composed of titled leaders who were in charge of often inexperienced settlers and soldiers who were veterans of European wars, such as Capt. John Smith. All at Jamestown were focused on returning a profit to their London investors, and under great stress when no gold, minerals or anything else of much value to London was found in the Chesapeake area. The colonists could not/would not farm, tried to barter for food with the Indians and later stole food from them, leading to much violence, which continued for years. </div>
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On May 10, 1610, the two newly constructed boats departed Bermuda with all on board and arrived at Jamestown in Virginia eleven days later. What they found there was that the colonists in Jamestown were starving to death due to their inability and in some cases unwillingness to produce food. They were afraid to go outside their fort so were tearing down their houses for firewood. They were not planting crops, nor trading with the Indians or catching fish. Much of this had to do with some settlers feeling it was beneath their dignity to work and the violent abuse they gave the local Indians which caused much enmity towards the English. </div>
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At his arrival from Bermuda, Governor Gates estimated there was only days worth of food left, and decided to voyage to Newfoundland and from there find a ship heading for England. Just as they were preparing to depart, an English ship came into the harbor with supplies and new settlers along with a new governor, Lord de la Warr. The colonists were forced to return and reestablish their fort, albeit reluctantly. </div>
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In England, William Shakespeare first presented “The Tempest” in November 1611, which is about a group of passengers being shipwrecked by a mighty storm in Bermuda. A subplot involves a character which could have been based on Stephen Hopkins. </div>
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Back in England, Stephen’s wife Mary has survived by being a shopkeeper as well as receiving some of Stephen’s wages. But she unexpectedly died in May 1613, leaving her three young children all alone. By 1614, a letter arrived for a "Hopkins" in Jamestown and it is presumed that this is how he learned of her death, as he did return to England soon afterward to care for his children. He then took up residence in London, and there married his second wife Elizabeth Fisher. </div>
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Although he had been through all manner of hardships and trials in the New World, including shipwreck, sentenced to death with a last-minute pardon, went to Jamestown, Virginia where he labored for several years, possibly having known Pocahontas, who married one of his fellow Bermuda castaways, John Rolf. When he learned of the planned Mayflower voyage to Northern Virginia to establish a colony, he signed on to go to America.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg" style="background-image: none; clear: right; color: #0b0080; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: initial;"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" height="155" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg/220px-The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg/330px-The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg/440px-The_Mayflower_Compact_1620_cph.3g07155.jpg 2x" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); vertical-align: middle;" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Mayflower Compact</i>, a painting byJean Leon Gerome Ferris<br />which was widely reproduced through much of the 20th century</td></tr>
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Stephen Hopkins departed Plymouth, England on the Mayflower on September 6/16, 1620. The small, 100-foot ship had 102 passengers and a crew of about 30-40 in extremely cramped conditions. By the second month out, the ship was being buffeted by strong westerly gales, causing the ship‘s timbers to be badly shaken with caulking failing to keep out sea water, and with passengers, even in their berths, lying wet and ill. This, combined with a lack of proper rations and unsanitary conditions for several months, attributed to what would be fatal for many, especially the majority of women and children. On the way there were two deaths, a crew member and a passenger, but the worst was yet to come after arriving at their destination when, in the space of several months, almost half the passengers perished in cold, harsh, unfamiliar New England winter.</div>
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On November 9/19, 1620, after about three months at sea, including a month of delays in England, they spotted land, which was the Cape Cod Hook, now called Provincetown Harbor. And after several days of trying to get south to their planned destination of the Colony of Virginia, strong winter seas forced them to return to the harbor at Cape Cod hook, where they anchored on November 11/21. The Mayflower Compact was signed that day.</div>
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Stephen Hopkins was a member of the early Mayflower exploratory parties while the ship was anchored in the Cape Cod area. As he was well-versed in the hunting techniques and general lifestyle of American Indians from his years in Jamestown Virginia, which was later found to be quite useful to the Pilgrim leadership.</div>
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The first formal meeting with the Indians was held at Hopkins’ house and he was called upon to participate in early Pilgrim visits with the Indian leader Massasoit. Over the years Hopkins assistance to Pilgrims leaders such as Myles Standish and Edward Winslow regarding his knowledge of the local Indian languages was found to be quite useful.</div>
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<i>This article was taken from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hopkins_(Mayflower_passenger)">Wikipedia article</a> about Stephen Hopkins. Thanks Wikipedia!</i></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-72626570826163665962012-08-28T12:44:00.000-07:002016-08-18T10:58:47.760-07:00Mary Caroline Turnbaugh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsmbMnqFfcM/TVFpBl_2bfI/AAAAAAAABBA/rbWhaop8_-8/s1600/MCTurnbough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsmbMnqFfcM/TVFpBl_2bfI/AAAAAAAABBA/rbWhaop8_-8/s200/MCTurnbough.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Name: Mary Caroline Turnbaugh</li>
<li>Born: April 25, 1842 Pittsfield, Illinois</li>
<li>Died: August 1914 Provo, Utah</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandfather Heber Langford</li>
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Mary Caroline was the first child of Isaac and Parthena Davis Turnbaugh. Parthena was a member of the LDS Church when Mary Caroline was born. In 1852, at the age of ten, the family crossed the plains in the <a href="http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompany/1,15797,4017-1-146,00.html">James W. Bay Wagon Train</a>. They settled in Centerville, Utah after arriving in the valley. <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/02/james-harvey-langford-sr.html">James Harvey Langford </a>was in the same wagon train and they were married five years after their arrival. Mary Caroline was 15 and James Harvey was 25. Their first home was in Willard, Box Elder County where five of their 11 children were born. In 1865 they moved to Panaca, Washington County, (now Nevada) where the last six children were born, Mary being 33 at the birth of the 11th child.<br />
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Coming from this pioneering background, Mary Caroline was able to cope with and manage the frontier ways necessary to survive and care for her family. All of her children grew to maturity under her care. She was a woman of intellectual ability and was chosen to learn midwifery. She delivered many of the babies in Panaca, and many of her own grandchildren. Of all the babies she delivered safely, she was unable to save the life of her own daughter Mary Caroline Kimball. Isaac and Mary Caroline had gone to pick up their daughter who was soon to deliver and carry her to Panaca so her mother could attend to her needs. Accidentally, the daughter fell off the back of the wagon, went into labor and died during childbirth. Tragically, the baby died soon after they returned to Panaca.<br />
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When she delivered her grandson <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/04/ernest-fountain-langford.html">Ernest Langford</a>, the son of <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/james-harvey-langford-jr.html">James Harvey Langford Jr.</a>, marshals came to the house and tried to take her daughter-in-law, Rose Ellen, to testify in court against her polygamist husband. Mary Caroline grabbed a shotgun and dared them to arrest her and the marshals left.<br />
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Mary Caroline divorced James Harvey in 1880 when her youngest child was four years old. One of the causes was his temper. She married Isaac Riddle as a second wife in 1886 and was sealed to him. During their marriage she did much temple work for her ancestors in the Manti Temple. In some sessions James Harvey was also a participant. Mary Caroline and Isaac were later divorced also.<br />
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In her later years she lived in Provo where she passed away in 1914. She is buried in the Manti Cemetery.<br />
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<i>This article was written by Sharlee Doxey Rands for the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.</i><br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-35171013044643864632012-08-27T09:13:00.000-07:002012-08-27T09:13:55.919-07:00Rosabell Pitkin<ul>
<li>Name: Rosabell Pitkin</li>
<li>Born: June 27, 1863 Millville, Cache, Utah</li>
<li>Died: April 23, 1940 Hyrum, Cache, Utah</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandfather Lynn Crookston</li>
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<i>Newspaper obituary obtained from the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers museum.</i></div>
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Mrs. Rosabell Pitkin Crookston, 76, widow of <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/robert-crookston-jr.html">Robert Crookston Jr.</a>, died at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Dalton M. Reid of Hyrum, Tuesday afternoon after a long illness. Mrs. Crookston resided in Logan at 434 West Second South Street, but recently had been living with her daughter.</div>
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She was born at Millville, June 27, 1863, a daughter of <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/08/ammon-paul-pitkin.html">Ammon</a> and <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/08/olive-chase.html">Olive Chase Pitkin</a>. She was married in the old Salt Lake LDS Endowment House in 1878. Her husband died in May 1928. After leaving Millville, Mrs. Crookston lived in Rexburg, Idaho for six years before coming to Logan where she resided for 48 years.</div>
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Active in the LDS Church she worked in the Logan LDS Second Ward for the past 40 years. Mrs. Crookston served with the Relief Society for more than 30 years and had worked in the Logan LDS temple for 40 years. During the World War she was a member of the work committee of the Red Cross and received national recognition for her work. She had three sons serving in France during the war.</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-35291697358013843952012-08-25T14:34:00.001-07:002012-09-07T16:58:03.919-07:00Melvin Castleton<ul>
<li>Name: Melvin Castleton</li>
<li>Born: March 14, 1900 Salt Lake City, Utah</li>
<li>Died: June 2, 1998 Tremonton, Utah</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandmother Melva Castleton</li>
</ul>
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I was born March 14, 1900, to <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/arthur-robert-castleton.html">Arthur Robert</a> and Ellen Woolley Castleton at the home of my mother's sister, Aunt Stella Snowball, in Salt Lake City, Utah.<br />
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My father, Arthur Robert, was the seventh child of <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/08/james-joseph-castleton.html">James Joseph Castleton</a> and <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/10/frances-sarah-brown.html">Francis Sarah Brown</a>. James Joseph was born January 25, 1829 in Lowestoft, Suffolk England. He was a rope maker and fisherman in England. Francis Sarah Brown was born in Pulham Market, Norfolk England, the fourth in a large family of fourteen children. It was necessary for her to work out as a servant girl in Lowestoft where she met and married James.<br />
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They were converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in 1863, immigrated to America. They sailed on the ship Amazon to New York Harbor, and took a train to Florence, Nebraska where they joined the Ricks Company to cross the plains. It was a hard trip with four little boys and Grandma expecting her fifth little one; there were very few wagons and they walked every step of the way. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley on October 4, 1863, and Grandma gave birth to her fifth son in December.<br />
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Grandpa (James) became a gardener for Brigham Young. Father (Arthur), their seventh child, was born May 16, 1868 in Salt Lake City. He often told of seeing and speaking with Brigham Young and taking vegetables to his wives, who he said were "fine" women. Grandma Castleton and her older boys opened the first Castleton Store in their home, with the help of her very young son Arthur Robert. At first they just sold things that women use in sewing and some dry goods. Later a store was built on the corner of L Street and 2nd Avenue which supported them after Grandpa's death in 1882. They also had a family orchestra and played for dances. This love for music carried over in my parents' home. Grandma was a wonderful woman, very strong in the Gospel.<br />
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My mother, Ellen Woolley was born in Leicester, Leicestershire England to Emanuel Woolley of Leicester and Ann Cheney of Blaby, Leicestershire England. Emanuel had been raised Catholic and joined the LDS church when he was seventeen years old. Ann and her mother Mary Goodman, who was a widow, had joined the church when Ann was a young girl.</div>
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Emanuel and Ann married and had a large family. Mother remembered that they always had missionaries in their home in England. She also remembers that their relatives disliked the "Mormons" but one uncle was friendly to the daughters of the family and would give them fruit from his fruit stand. I remember Grandfather as a real student of the Bible, and Grandmother as a sweet quiet little lady.<br />
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The Woolley family emigrated from England in 1880. Grandpa Woolley worked at the shoe store at ZCMI. They lived in a little house on 27th and L Street set in the back of a yard full of roses. Although mother was only twelve years old when she came to America, her speech reflected prominently her English background. She was a refined, cultured lady who read a lot and held spiritual values.<br />
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This pretty English girl walked past the Castleton Store where Father worked, and finally they met. They had a lot in common; they both loved music and sang in the Tabernacle Choir when Brother Evan Stevens was director. They loved the gospel and had a happy courtship. Arthur and Ellen or Nellie as she was called, were married May 29, 1890 in the Logan Temple. Grandma Woolley was a wonderful cook and gave a nice little reception at the Woolley home.<br />
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Soon after their marriage, Mother and Father bought a lot that was at one time part to Brigham Young's apple orchard. It was near 7th East and 12th South. (21st South is now where 12th South was then) They build a lovely little brick home and lived there about ten years. They attended the Forrest Dale Ward where Dad was the choir leader.<br />
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Art, Harold, Ruth and Wilford were born there. I was born at Aunt Stella Snowballs' home in Salt Lake City. As Mother's health was poor, the doctors advised her to move to a high, dry place. Father had always desired to farm so we sold our home in Salt Lake and moved to Idaho.<br />
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I was about a year old when our family moved to a small farm in Pleasantview, Idaho, about eight miles west of Malad.<br />
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My first memory of the farm at Pleasantview was a brick home to which we added several rooms. It was a pretty area with a pond, green meadows and trees. We bathed in a round bathtub in the kitchen; Mother mixed bread; we played games of hard ball and horseshoes and we caught crawfish and frogs from the pond. We had chores of feeding livestock, milking, and carrying water to the house from a fresh spring by the creek. When we were real small we went to the little white one room schoolhouse on the hill.<br />
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When I was about three years old, Mother took me visiting in Salt Lake City. Mother was a good friend of a daughter of Wilford Woodruff. We went to visit her in her home and she insisted that we spend the night. Mother was always so proud and felt it such an honor that we slept in Wilford Woodruff's bed.</div>
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Mother often told of an incident concerning me that took place at Pleasantview. I had fallen into the pond and when I was finally pulled out, was given up for dead; my family had great faith and through the power of the Priesthood my life was preserved.<br />
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It was here in our pond that I was baptized March 14 1908 by William Camp into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints.<br />
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A salesman came along and wanted to sell us a piano for $500. Mother said she would buy it if he would throw in a violin. Ruth took piano lessons and I got the violin. Art played clarinet, Harold the trumpet, and Leonard the sax. Later Ruby and Don played the piano also. We had some great times; we really brought music into those hills of Idaho.<br />
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Father was the choir leader in this ward, also. It's often told how he would tie his horses to the fence at the church, go in and teach the Primary children a song, then go back to his plowing. Another story tells that as he led the singing he would pump the organ with one foot while Ruth played, as her legs were too short to reach the pedals.<br />
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In my younger years before I graduated from the eighth grade I spent some summers in Salt Lake City where I helped in the Castleton Brothers Store. I stayed with my brother Art at Uncle Frank's home. I remember that my Uncle Jimmy was caretaker at Liberty Park, and he taught me to ride a bike there. During these summers I was able to take some violin lessons from a Mr. Shepherd. He gave me a lot of encouragement, as he felt I had a lot of potential as a violinist. I really enjoyed playing with an orchestra of young people in the Forest Dale Ward while there; I loved playing the violin and I've always had an interest in good music.<br />
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Father worked hard to give us the necessities; we were always clean and dressed neatly. We were not poor, but we were not the most prosperous. Father's endeavors as a farmer were not very successful, so he spent several winters in Salt Lake working at the Castleton Brothers Store. He was also employed at Waldron’s Store at Samaria, Idaho, his family still trying to run the farm. Harold was Mother's right hand man, as my oldest brother, Art, was going to school and working in Salt Lake City.<br />
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I have such fond memories of Pleasantview; three babies were born there; we had good friends and of course our music, we had some wonderful times.<br />
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In 1913 Father sold the farm in Pleasantview and bought a dry farm at Holbrook, about 20 miles west of Malad. This was a very isolated area, so we also had a home in Malad and attended school there. In Holbrook we didn't irrigate but had a well. Our home was a frame lean-to with a windmill in back; we had a few sheds and a stable.<br />
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My best memory of that place was a pony which I claimed as my own. It was born kind of immature; it was a scrub and we didn't think it would live. I babied it along and finally got so I could ride him. I was with him every chance I had; I really loved that pony. On the picture of the Holbrook house, I am on my pony.<br />
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I remember the entertainment at the church; again we had a little orchestra where I enjoyed playing my violin. Being an isolated farm community, we were very close and had great times together.<br />
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We sold the dry farm in Holbrook in about 1918. Malad was our home from then on. We lived in a house on the hill about four blocks north on the east road leading from town. There was a steep hill with poplars growing on it leading to the gravel pit where we often played as kids.<br />
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It was about 1913; I was the oldest going to school and was to take Ralph, Leonard, and Ruby to school for the first time in Malad. We were just green kids from the country, so I took each of them right to the class where they looked about the age of the other pupils. Then I went to class where I thought I belonged. Very soon E. M. Decker sternly called me out of class, demanded to know who I was, where I came from, and where the other kids were that I had brought with me. He put us each in the right classes and all turned out well.<br />
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In my school I was never a star, but I was an above average student. I went to school with Herbert Thomas, Mary Ward, Annie Evans, Eva Jones and I guess my best friend was Owen Howard. He lived just a few blocks from us; I knew him all my life. He was a reliable guy and we did a lot of things together. My brother, Harold married his sister, Hilda.<br />
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I remember a fad of the girls wearing hobble skirts. One girl in particular always liked to be in style and was one of the first to get a tight hobble skirt. She came strutting along and fell flat. A bunch of us boys sat and couldn't help but laugh before we finally helped her up. One day after school I had to stay in and draw a map. When I finished I went running down the stairway when out of nowhere E. M. Decker appeared. He grabbed me by the back of my collar and every button popped off my shirt. I was really nervous about going home, I didn't know how I would explain this to my mother. I still remember how it felt when he yanked on your hair right at the back of your neck. We always liked to play marbles, when the girls didn't bother us.They always came around begging to play with us.<br />
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After eighth grade I spent a summer at Brady, Montana working for the Great Northern Railroad, with my brother Art. He was the agent and taught me telegraphy. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, so I returned to school that fall. After high school money was scarce, so there was no thought of further education or a mission. I went back and worked on the railroad.<br />
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Our home was a place where our friends always felt welcome. Each Sunday night friends would gather after Sacrament Meeting and sing, eat, and have a good time.<br />
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Our family had a lot of fun; we had very high standards and were religious. I will always remember that when I was a young man, Joseph F. Smith came to speak in Stake Conference in the old Malad Tabernacle. He was the President of the Church, and walked in slender and tall in a white suit, with his long white beard. The congregation stood and sang "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet". I felt very impressed that he was a Prophet of God, this has always stayed with me.<br />
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Father was a strict disciplinarian who liked things in order, but was very cheerful and a lot of fun. He kept a beautiful garden and yard, umpired baseball games, and called out the numbers each Wednesday night at the picture show on bank night. He was Justice of the Peace for thirteen years. He inspired people to sing; when he got up to lead you'd better sing! He was an honest religious man. Mother told how he gave our milk cow to the Bishop for tithing. The Bishop credited him for the cow, then told him to take it home and use the milk for his family. Later they were able to buy the cow back and complete their tithing. Father loved music, sports, gardening, his family, but most of all he loved my mother.<br />
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Mother was a gentle gracious lady. She had a delightful sense of humor and always took time to give us her attention. She read to us, told us stories and helped us whenever we needed her. She was a clean person, but things didn't worry her; people were more important. She loved everyone and never ever said an unkind thing about anyone. She was always cheerful and when she felt that Dad was worried or had a lot of pressure she would leave the family to eat their supper and meet him at the gate with a picnic lunch for two. She always kept her genteel English ways; we loved to tease her because she never caught on to a joke.<br />
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It was about 1920 when I left Malad. Jobs were hard to find, and I hired on at Union Pacific Railroad. I started at Garland and lived at Bishop Munns' home. Art was the agent there at that time. It wasn't long before I was bumped and moved on to another place. I worked at Garland, Utah, Emmett, Idaho, and Glenns Ferry, Idaho. I liked to take my violin with me but my practicing wasn't appreciated at some of the boarding houses. I believe the Railroad gets into your blood, as I still get a kick out of playing with a telegraph or seeing a train.<br />
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In the spring of 1928 I came down to visit Leonard, who was living at Landvatters and working for O.P. Skaggs in Tremonton. Leonard played saxophone with an orchestra at a dance in Corrine at the Masonic Hall. This is where I first saw Ruth. She was wearing a red dress, and she was the most beautiful girl I think I'd ever seen. She and Grace Thompson had come with Ben and Gladys Elleson. When they walked in, Ruth asked who the guy was with Herman Landvatter. Grace said, "Oh, just some traveling salesman." During the evening Ted Hone, an old friend from Malad who with his wife Lena, was now living next door to Grandma Getz went over to Ruth and told her that there was a guy over there who wanted to meet her. We met and danced several dances. After that we corresponded, and I came down more often to visit. Two years later we were married.<br />
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Sunday February 16, 1930, was our wedding day, I came down on the train to Deweyville, where Ruth and Ike met me. There to surprise us were Ben and Gladys Elleson, Ben and Mamie Winzler, Grace Thompson and Ann Miller. Ben Winzler was wearing a ten Gallon hat and tried to lasso me; I came very near running right in front of a big freight train going at high speed on the next track. I was pretty nervous that day.<br />
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We drove Ike's car back to Malad and we were married at my folks' home by Bishop Thomas D. Evans. Mother cooked a lovely family dinner. We returned to Tremonton the next day where Ruth's friends had a reception for us. Thursday we left on the train for our new home at Glenns Ferry, Idaho. I had rented an apartment, but in the meantime had been bumped, so we went to a one room apartment in Minadoka. I worked nights for the railroad, but was soon bumped again and was sent to Nampa. We were in Nampa three days when I found there was a vacancy in Emmett so we packed up and moved again. We were there two and a half months when we were bumped again. We had a pass to use up our vacation, so we went to Utah for two weeks and had no idea where we would be after that.<br />
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We were pretty tired of railroad life! On our way back to Emmett we had a layover in Boise, so we went to Safeway's head office. Fortunately they had an opening the next day in Ontario. We went back to Emmett, packed our things, caught a train to Ontario, and walked the streets looking for a place to stay. I even worked a few hours that night! We enjoyed three months at Ontario; then Safeway transferred us back to Emmett. We loved Emmett and were happy to be back among friends again.<br />
<br />
On January 7, 1931 Melva was born, and on May 26, 1932 Maxine arrived. There was no hospital in Emmett, so they were delivered in our little apartment by Dr. Cummings. With each baby Grandma Bertha Getz came and helped us for a couple of weeks. Our recreation was putting the babies in the buggy and walking down to the depot to watch the trains. We couldn't afford a show; which were 25 cents each, plus 25 cents for a babysitter. We made some lifelong friends there.<br />
<br />
After two and a half years in Emmett we moved down to Tremonton, Utah where I worked for Safeway again. The depression had hit hard, Grandpa Getz and Mary, Ruth's sister, were out of work. Ruth was able to get on at J.C. Penny's, so Grandma and Mary cared for the children, Ruth and I paid for groceries and house payment, while Erv and Ike paid for coal and lights. They had a large home and garden so we made out very well. Times were so bad. Many weren't able to make their house payments, therefore losing their homes. We were happy to make it through and keep the house.<br />
<br />
The Getz’s were of Swiss-German descent, and spoke the German language a lot in their home. They were members of the Apostolic Christian Church, but had no regular minister as most of their people had moved back East where they had come from. Ministers often came from the east, and church was held in the Getz living room, the sermons and songs were in German. They were strict living, good Christian people.<br />
<br />
Grandma Getz was a large, good-hearted woman. She had a lot of boarders and worked hard cooking big meals and keeping up her big home and garden. She loved our children and they loved her. Grandpa Getz was a softspoken, kind, white haired gentleman, reminding me of a distinguished senator. He kept busy with a large garden, a cow, and chickens. They cleaned many eggs and sold them to the Poultry Plant.<br />
<br />
After living at the Getz's for two years, we bought a small home south of town from Aunt Hulda Meister for $l,500.00. I was making $20.00 a week and, our house payment was $20.00 a month. In those days a loaf of bread cost 4 cents, eggs were 15 cents a dozen, butter was 30 cents a pound; bananas and oranges were a real luxury. I was working until ten or eleven o'clock at night six days a week at Safeway. I was offered a job at Gephart's for $80.00 a month, and I thought I'd like the change. I was working with Fred Gephart and his son Wes.<br />
<br />
On June 1, 1938 Gary arrived. He was delivered by Dr. White in the Getz home. I finally got my boy and I thought I was about the happiest guy on earth.<br />
<br />
About this time, I wanted to get back into grocery business, so I went to work for Gus Forsberg in Garland. We bought Getz's 1934 Plymounth; this was our first car. After driving or riding my bike to and from work about a year we bought a lovely home in Garland. We enjoyed our neighbors Art and Ruby Felsted, Gus and Margaret Forsberg, Charley and Bell Woods, and the Elmer Jenson family. The kids made a lot of friends and enjoyed school there. We were close to Gus; we picnicked together, and our girls tended their babies. I was known as Shylock and Gus as Little Ceasar. We did a lot of practical joking and I enjoyed my work a lot.<br />
<br />
I remember well the Sunday the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Many friends and nephews were called to serve in World War 11. The U.S. had joined the Allies against the Central Powers of Europe. Our lives changed; war was everywhere, in the newspapers, movies and radio, causing much fear and hatred. Our business was affected. There was a great shortage of tuna, marshmallows, bananas, pineapple, and many other luxuries we had become accustomed to. Rationing of sugar and gas was put into effect.<br />
<br />
In 1943 I decided I would like my own grocery store, I thought if I could make money for someone else, I could make money for myself. We bought a store in Logan on 4th East and Center. The family lived in the back and again we made many friends. However things were not on the up and up; there were legal entanglements, back taxes and payments, therefore we were unable to get a clear title. Realizing the overwhelming problem, we got out of it and moved back to Tremonton.<br />
<br />
Back in Tremonton I managed American Food Store until the former manager came back from the war. Then I started working for John Laub and his sons Merrill, Max, and Rex at O.P. Skaggs. The store was located a few blocks west on Main Street. The Laubs were great people, making this the best move I ever made. We had such good times. As always Ruth pitched in and helped, going to work at J.C. Penneys again.<br />
<br />
I believe the whole family enjoyed being home in Tremonton. We lived in an apartment in the back of Burgess Plumbing Shop, one door south of the First Ward Church. The kids enjoyed school and being with old friends and their Grandma and Grandpa Getz.<br />
<br />
The war was still raging. Many foods were scarce so I would keep my eyes opened bringing Grandma Getz coconut or pineapple on occasion and she would make me a pie. The war finally ended in Europe in May 1945 and in Japan, August 1945. There had been no fighting on our shores, but there was much fear and many lives lost. Harold's boy Stan was killed and many friends and neighbors lost their lives. Some of the men had been in prison camps and many returned wounded. It was such a wonderful feeling to finally be at peace again.</div>
<div>
<br />
In 1945 we bought our home at 352 N. Tremont St in Tremonton. It was located across the street and up the block from the Getz home and just through the block from Sam. We agreed to pay $5,700 for it without even seeing the bathroom, as Mr. Olsen was taking a bath when we were going through it! This has been a wonderful home for us.<br />
<br />
The next few years brought a lot of changes to our lives. Ruth left Penney’s and started to work at the Post Office, her parents passed away. Grandma died on the 24th of December 1945 and Mary moved from Peoria, Illinois to live with Grandpa and Ike. February 23, 1950 Grandpa died and Mary returned to Peoria. Ike built a small home on the lot in back and to the north of the old home. He became more and more crippled, then he was hit by a fire truck on Tremont Street in front of our home and was in braces and in a wheelchair until he died. Ruth helped him a lot with canning, mending and laundry. I helped him in and out of bed and with his bathing, he would sit in a wheelchair all day. Sam's wife, Mary died in 1949 so Ruth helped him a lot also. The kids all finished school at McKinley and graduated from Bear River High School. They played in the band and orchestra, and Gary and Maxine sang in the choir. Melva received a scholarship to the Nursing Program at the Thomas D. Dee Hospital in Ogden and has lived there since.<br />
<br />
On June 21, 1950 Maxine and Gary were baptized in Tremonton, and on March 4, 1951 Melva was baptised in Ogden. For several months Melva's missionary friends from Ogden, Clifton and Maurine Rhead, drove to Tremonton each week to teach Ruth the missionary lessons. They were wonderful people and taught the gospel beautifully. I will always remember the night Ruth asked for baptism; Gary threw his arms around his mother and sobbed, "Now we will be a family!" I had always known this would come about some day. On August 1, 1951 I baptized Ruth and on February 16, 1955 we were sealed in the Logan Temple for time and eternity.<br />
<br />
Father (A.R. Castleton) and Mother were in poor health for several years. Don and Elaine lived with them and cared for them; as their children came, they moved to a place of their own, but were still close enough to help. Ruth and Roy moved back from California to live with Mother and Father, and care for them along with Roy's Mother, Victoria Davis. Mother and Sister Davis did a lot of reading together and enjoyed each other a lot. Each Wednesday Harold went up to Malad and each Saturday I would go up to give Ruth a hand. On January 31, 1956 Dad passed on, and on November 4, 1960 Mother joined him. We felt much love and peace in their passing; they lived good lives and were sweethearts to the end.<br />
<br />
After graduation Maxine married Roger Taylor, and the next year they gave us our first grandson, Jay. We were thrilled, and enjoyed him so much. They moved to California and Barbara and Bruce were born there.<br />
<br />
Melva graduated from the University of Utah, with a bachelor of science degree from the nursing program. On March 4, 1955 she married Lynn B. Crookston, a dentist from Logan. They live in Ogden and have twelve children: Wendy, Becky, Miriam, Sarah, Peter, Wayne, Paul, Elizabeth, John, Emily, James and Michael.<br />
<br />
Gary served in the Southern California Mission. On June 28, 1963 he married Marilyn Call. He finished school at Utah State University with a degree in civil engineering. They moved to California where nine children have been born to them: Amy, David, Laura, Denise, Heidi, Melissa, Daniel, Rachael, and Deborah.<br />
<br />
In 1959 I was hired as City Clerk. After a few years I went out to Thiokol and retired when I was 65. I couldn't stand retirement so I got on at D&B Electric, where I've worked part time in the last few years. DeVerl Payne, the owner, says he'll tell me when I can retire.<br />
<br />
We have enjoyed many nice trips and outings with our friends. One summer we went back to Michigan with Les and Dee Garfield to pick up their new car. On the way back we stopped to visit the relatives in Peoria.<br />
<br />
In 1965 we went to the World's Fair in Calgary, Canada with Grace and Mel Homer, and in 1967 we went to Hawaii with the Bunnell Travel Agency. We had such a great time seeing the sights with Frank and Ada Chadaz and Lee and Evelyn Fuhriman. We have been on several outings with Wes and Lois Dustman, including one to Elko, Nevada, and one to Evanston, Wyoming. We drove to California with Duane and Ellen Crompton one summer. In November, 1973 we took the train to Peoria and drove on to Akron, Ohio with Henry and Bert. Once there Henry celebrated his 70th birthday. We went on with Henry and Bert to Levittown, Pennsylvania for Joan Maria Contento's wedding. In 1982, Elizabeth flew to Peoria with us to Helen's funeral. Most of our traveling is to visit our children. I don't think we have missed a year going to California since Maxine lived there. We have gone with Melva's family to California several times. Lynn and Melva go on a lot of short trips to the mountains, Bear Lake and around in Utah and Idaho so we get to tag along. Roberta Fronk called to see if we would like to send anything to Peoria, we jokingly said "just us," We went along and had a wonderful time.<br />
<br />
Back in Tremonton we don't have much time to get lonesome. We have always been very close to the grandchildren. We spend most holidays with Melva's family and it is a tradition to bring a bunch of the grandkids home to Tremonton with us during Christmas and Thanksgiving vacation and also during the summer. Maxine's children visited almost every summer when they were younger. Gary's family has visited each summer and we have been able to enjoy and feel very close to each of our grandchildren. Now we are also able to enjoy great grandchildren.<br />
<br />
June 28, 1983 Maxine married Tom Boots in California. Gary married Ruth Robinson on May 8, 1986, so now there is another Ruth Castleton.<br />
<br />
Throughout the years we have kept busy and active in the Church. I served as a Sunday School Superintendent when we were newlyweds in Emmett, Idaho and again here in Tremonton First Ward for many years. I have served as a Stake missionary, ward clerk, High Priest group leader, and secretary to the High Priest group leader. Apostle Harold B. Lee set me apart as ward clerk. He looked around the room and said he felt the wives needed a blessing. Ruth was always so pleased to tell she had a blessing from Harold B. Lee, especially when he became president of the church. I was always a Ward Teacher or Home Teacher.<br />
<br />
I love my wife Ruth, she is beautiful, fun and she was such a great support in every way. I love my children and grandchildren. I am proud of them and their accomplishments, and encourage them to keep the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ and love one another. If they do that it about covers everything.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I (Melva) will finish Daddy's last few years.</i><br />
<br />
Mama passed away May 15, 1987. This was rather sudden and Daddy missed her so much. He was independent and lived alone and worked for several years after. He was always in high spirits and had fun with everyone. One day he told me that someone remarked on how well he had taken her passing. He said he missed Mama so much and he hoped we realized how he missed her. He said no one really knows but it wouldn't bring her back if he were bitter and moped around. It seemed he wanted to make others comfortable rather than complain.<br />
<br />
He was with us most of three winters. He would call someone in Tremonton almost every day and so many friends called him. He had a lot of visitors, Carl King even brought his mail down to him. Many friends came to see him they almost all brought candy. I would take him up for a visit and to go to church and bring him back again. He was so much fun with the kids and their friends. Our neighbors and members in church made a big fuss over him. Several guys in our ward had known him years before, they had delivered bread to grocery stores and some had even lived in Malad years before and knew him there. Everyone got to know him and enjoyed talking to him. He seemed like a part of our ward.<br />
<br />
In June of 1994 Maxine and Tom moved to Tremonton to care for Daddy. He enjoyed being in his home, he became more and more frail.<br />
<br />
He finally passed away on June 2, 1998 after being in the hospital 28 days. As we cared for him at the end I told one of my friends that he was so polite and appreciative, how he expressed his love to us even when he was in great pain and not really with it. My friend remarked that this showed his natural goodness to the very core, as he was concerned about our feelings, and tried to make us comfortable. His attitude reflected his love for his fellowman and his Savior.<br />
<br />
His funeral truly reflected his life, as friends and grandchildren prayed and spoke. Emily sang "O MY Father" and the Castleton Men, Uncle Don, young Don, Doug, Lowell, Jerry and Gary sang "Jesus Lover of my Soul." Uncle Don remarked that he could imagine Mel, his brothers and his Dad singing along with them from the other side. This was memorable, as the Castleton's always loved to sing when they were together.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Thanks to Grandma Melva for sharing with historty with us.</i></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-7441618697245613872012-08-05T20:05:00.000-07:002012-12-08T10:37:21.191-08:00Byron Crookston<ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WEL1vW9rvwo/TX6GjeHJnuI/AAAAAAAABOs/5yVG82QlZUc/s1600/Byron+Frank+Crookston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WEL1vW9rvwo/TX6GjeHJnuI/AAAAAAAABOs/5yVG82QlZUc/s200/Byron+Frank+Crookston.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>
<li>Name: Byron Crookston</li>
<li>Born: June 22, 1893 Logan, Utah</li>
<li>Died: June 9, 1976 Logan, Utah</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandfather Lynn Crookston</li>
</ul>
<br />
I, Byron Crookston, was born June 22, 1893, at Logan, Utah. My parents were <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/robert-crookston-jr.html">Robert Crookston, Jr</a>. and <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/08/rosabell-pitkin.html">Rosabell Pitkin</a>. I was the sixth child in my father's family of ten children, six boys and four girls.<br />
<br />
My parents were very poor. Father worked in Logan Canyon in the timber, getting out logs and sold them to the saw mills for very little money. We never owned a home, but always had to pay very little rent. We didn't have much furniture and our food was mostly home grown, as father had a large garden. We always had a cow, so we had our own milk and butter.<br />
<br />
When I was about eleven years old, my father bought a lot on 434 West 2rd South in Logan. My father and older brothers got the logs from the canyon and had them sawed into lumber and built a four room house with two bedrooms upstairs and two rooms down. There was a large shanty attached to the house. There was a dirt covered near the back door. In those days very few had bathrooms or city water. We carried water from a ditch by the front gate.<br />
<br />
I attended Logan City schools. My first teachers' name was Miss Rose Jones. I liked school but thought I had to stay indoors too much.<br />
<br />
When quite young, I used to go thin beets for fifty cents a day. On Saturdays and in the summertime I used to work at Bordens Condenced Milk Factory for a dollar a day. It was located close to my home. I also worked there when I attended the Agricultural College, for 35 cents an hour. The summers of 1909 and 1910, I worked in Thatcher's Flour Mill for 1.75 a day ten hours a day. I earned my own way through school. The registration fee was from $11.00 to $15.00 a quarter. I first took carpentry, and later subjects leading to forestry.<br />
<br />
The summers of 1911 to 1914 I worked for the Cache National Forest, mainly in Logan Canyon, on roads and trails, telephone lines and bridges. In the spring of 1915, Charley Goodman and I went to San Francisco and the San Diego Worlds Fair. We went on the train. The winter previously we had run a shooting gallery and saved our money for this trip.<br />
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Later in the summer Charley and I made a trip with team and buckboard from Logan to Burnes Oregon, looking for homesteads. Early in 1916, Charley Goodwin and I moved to San Juan County in Utah and filed on a homestead near La Salle while I worked for the General Land Office Survey, surveying the Utah-Colorado border.<br />
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In the fall of 1914, I took an examination for forest ranger and passed. In the spring of 1917, I got a job as forest ranger on the Caribou National Forest in Idaho with headquarters in Montpelier. This district included Montpelier, Red Mountain, Wells Canyon, and Georgetown.<br />
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I used to stay at the Alleman Ranch on Crow Creek overnight. The Alleman’s ran a dairy, milking 75 to 80 cows, and made Swiss cheese. The place became quite an interesting spot for me as there was a young girl who kept house for her father and two brothers.<br />
<br />
A married brother, Abraham, and his family lived just across the creek from their house. Emeline milked about 25 cows night and morning and was a good worker. She was also a clean housekeeper. Whenever they worked out with the animals in the corral, they would change to old clothes, and Emeline would wear a man's old hat since they lean their head against the cow as they milk. She never wore jeans or pants, but an old dress. She was too timid to let me see her in these old things, so she would get dressed in them, and then crawl out a back window and beat it for the corral. I never liked to milk cows, so I usually managed to stay away from the corral. One time I was going to be nice and help her. However, I was so slow that she milked ten cows while I was still on the first one. This was enough for me.<br />
<br />
Since there were very few cars at that time, it was hard for them to get away from the ranch. I had two saddle ponies, so we would often go for a ride. Our love for each other increased rapidly.<br />
<br />
The first part of September in 1917, I left the Forest Service and joined the army. On October 13th Emeline left for a mission in the Northern States. I went to Washington, D.C. to the American University and took military training there for about three months. On New Year’s Eve, I sailed for France with the Tenth Engineers Battalion.<br />
<br />
There were 10,000 soldiers on that ship. This was the largest ship at that time, it was called The America. It took 11 days to cross the ocean and arrive at Brest, France. I stayed in the harbor 3 or 4 days, then went on the train to Blois, France. We camped there for about a month, then went about 50 miles south of Bourdeaux. A saw mill was set up and I worked in the timber for about a year. On New Years Eve of 1919, we left by train for Brest, France, and camped there for a few days before sailing for the United States.<br />
<br />
When we first heard about the armistice, it was a week early and a false alarm. There were no radios, but passed from one fellow to the other. At the news we all quit working and went back to camp. But we didn't just sit around talking as there was plenty to do. We had over a 100 horses to take care of. The next day we all went back to work. When the real armistice was announced a week later, we didn't believe it, but just went right on working.<br />
<br />
On the way home, we stopped at the Azores for two days to take on coal. Then we went on to Newport News, Virginia. We stayed at Camp Funston in Kansas for a few days where I was mustered out of the army February 14, 1919. My train was delayed a few days on account of deep drifts of snow. I arrived in Logan the 20th of February. The severe epidemic of influenza was raging in Cache Valley, and everything was closed for public gatherings except the Temple.<br />
<br />
On Mar 12, 1919, Emeline and I were married in the Logan Temple by President Joseph R. Shephard. We lived at Brigham City at Aunt Mary Farmer's two room house for several months. I had a job there as a guard for the railroad. I was paid $4.00 a day. Later we moved to Logan and rented a house on 5th North for $13.00 a month. We went to the temple often.<br />
<br />
Our first baby was born January 4, 1920 on a Sunday afternoon about 4:00 P.M. We were so happy and proud to be parents of such a darling baby boy. We named him Lynn Byron.<br />
<br />
In May of 1920, we bought a shabby little place on 340 North 3rd East where we are still living. We worked hard to clean up the lot and fix up the house so it was fit to live in. We always had a nice garden of all kinds of vegetables and beautiful flowers.<br />
<br />
Our second baby was born the same year as the first, On December 30, 1920. His name is George Warren. Lynn didn't walk until he was 14 months old, so they were almost like twins, since George walked at 11 months.<br />
<br />
My brother Bob and I worked together as plumbers. Bob owned a small truck, and we made barely enough to exist. There wasn't much building going on at that time so it was all repairs.<br />
<br />
On June 29, 1922, our third baby was born, another son. We named him Ray Benjamin. He was such a good little baby.<br />
<br />
Our two rooms were getting too crowded for our family, so we built on two bedrooms and a bathroom. We did most of the work ourselves. My wife was a good worker and she helped me with everything. I also helped her with the house work. When our house was finished, we were quite comfortable and happy.<br />
<br />
Our fourth baby came and we were so happy to have a little girl. We named her Lola. I remember Lynn said one time to his mother as she was holding baby Lola, "Aren't you glad no one else got her?" She was born August 24, 1923.<br />
<br />
On January 17, 1927 we were again blessed with a lovely baby boy. He seemed to be very healthy. Our other children had the measles and we think he got them and it affected his heart. He died when he was 12 days old. We were very sad, as we surely all loved him dearly. We had a little funeral here at our home. Uncle Nick gave a comforting talk.<br />
<br />
Two and a half years later, on June 29.1929 on Ray's seventh birthday our sweet little girl Donna came to bless our home. We were very happy to have another little girl. My wife had all our babies at home. Dr. Eliason was our doctor. The cost was $35.00 each time. Her sister Sarah took care of her the first few days. Mrs. Bird was with us when Donna was born. Along in March, our children had Scarlet Fever and we were quarantined. I went to a Veterans Hospital in Boise, Idaho for a hernia operation, and was gone two weeks.<br />
<br />
In 1933, I went to work in a Civilian Conservation Corp Camp in Logan Canyon from April 1 to November. In 1934, I went off to Mt. Nebo district for the CCC works for #30.00 a month, plus board and clothes. My wife and children managed to live on the small sum without going into debt, with a good garden and groceries that were much cheaper then. We bought our milk for 5 cents a quart, margarine for 16 cents a pound, and peanut butter for about 15 cents a pound.<br />
<br />
From November of 1933 to April of 1934, I worked in Black Smith Fork Canyon for the Forest Service, making camp tables and guarding the place. I was paid $75.00 a month. Then I worked with Bob about two years, and took out my own plumbing license. Later when my boys were old enough, they helped me and we had enough work so the boys didn't have to look for other jobs. In April 1941, I started to work for the Agricultural College. I worked in the boiler room for five years, then started to do plumbing repair, heating and other pipe fitting jobs. I worked there for fifteen years.<br />
<br />
In 1955, I had two major operations. The one was for the prostate gland, and the other came two weeks later when a tumor was removed inside the spinal cord. I was in the Verteran’s Hospital in Salt Lake City for about three months. My folks came to see me quite often; even Ray and his daughter Gail came from Independence, Missouri and were here for Thanksgiving. I suffered terrible pain at times, but was always helped when administered to. Since my operation, I haven't been able to work.<br />
<br />
When a young boy, I would go ice skating on the canal near home, and skiing on the foot hills. In the summer, I would go fishing in the river. When I was seventeen I shot my first deer. In 1922 they closed the season for five years to build up the herd. I didn't go hunting until about 1925, but haven't missed hunting except two or three years since. I usually shot a deer and it supplied us with winter meat. For about twenty years I worked in scouting. For many years I went with the Bridger men on trips to the Salmon River, Yellowstone Park, and the Windriver Mountains. The group numbered from 35 to 100. I always enjoyed the trips, especially when my sons could go along. In 1957, my grandson David went along. We went to the Windriver Mountains. We had buses take us as far as Pine Dale, then by truck to higher elevations. This is the first time I used a saddle horse on these trips. In 1952, I went with the College Summer School to Yellowstone. We camped on the southeast arm of Yellowstone Lake. There were about thirty six of us.<br />
<br />
All my formal schooling was in Logan, Utah where I grew up and lived most of my life. The first were grade schools, the Woodruff, Ellis, and Ballard. There were no junior high or high school as we have now, but the grade schools were about eight years. Then we went on to the Agricultural College. I would register in the fall and pay my tuition each quarter, but about April each year I would run out of money to live on, and go out and get a job. The only ones who certified to get a diploma were usually the school teachers, anyway. Most of my classes were leading up to forestry. When I did get a job with the Forest Service, I took the Civil Service examination and passed it. I did go to the college most of four years, but never got a degree. Most of my life I worked as a plumber after I left the Forest Service.<br />
<br />
My first position in leadership was as a counselor in my Deacon's Quorum in the 2nd Ward in Logan. Then I became a Ward Teacher, and did this along with other jobs for over fifty years. In the 5th Ward High Priest's Quorum I was Assistant Group Leader, and was on the Genealogy Committee. For many years I worked in scouting and went on many trips with my sons and their friends. For forty years I did temple endowments each year, then after I retired in 1962 I did more. The summer of 1962 I became a Temple worker, checking the men’s rolls.<br />
<br />
I have been in France, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and 36 of the states. Since we were married, we have been on several nice trips together. In October, 1944 Lynn drove Emeline and me to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where Ray and Marvel were stationed at the air base during World War 11. There we saw our first granddaughter, Marnita, who was a year old and just learning to walk. We stayed there about a week and came home on the bus, since Lynn drove on to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he was attending dental school. The bus went to Sioux City, Iowa, Omaha, Kansas City and Independence, Missouri where we visited Marvel's parents.<br />
<br />
In July 1951 we went with George and his wife Virginia to Yellowstone. In 1952 we went to Grand Canyon and Las Vegas and Manti. In August of 1953, we went with a group of temple workers to the Palmyra Pageant in New York for a 19 day trip by bus. We visited Lynn at Tohatchi, New Mexico where he was in the Public Health Service doing dental work among the Indians. In September 1955 we went with the temple workers again on a tour of the temples in Manti, St. George and Mesa. We visited Clem and Carl, my brothers in Mesa. It was extremely hot. We also had a wonderful trip by plane to Hawaii with the temple workers and toured the islands there. We have many pages of interesting reading about our trips with the temple workers.<br />
<br />
Emeline died August 11, 1975. Grandpa was lonely but kept the home so nice and tried to keep it a welcoming place for us. One morning Grandpa didn't show up at the temple for his assignment. He was never late so the workers were concerned. They called his grandson, Gregory Jenkins who was living in the basement. He went up stairs and Grandpa was in bed, he just peacefully slept and had joined Grandma in death, June 9, l976, just eight months after she had gone.<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks to Grandma Melva for providing this history for us.</i><br />
<br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072261754072147858.post-43708079347321713012012-08-05T20:02:00.000-07:002012-09-07T17:03:07.509-07:00Emeline Allemann<ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3ZhlckpHKWQ/TX6HAtuQSoI/AAAAAAAABOw/VfGXAFAzJsI/s1600/Emeline+Alleman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3ZhlckpHKWQ/TX6HAtuQSoI/AAAAAAAABOw/VfGXAFAzJsI/s200/Emeline+Alleman.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
<li>Name: Emeline Allemann</li>
<li>Born: June 16, 1890 Bern, Bear Lake, Idaho</li>
<li>Died: August 11, 1975 Logan, Cache, Utah</li>
<li>Related through: Dan's grandfather Lynn Crookston</li>
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Emeline was born June 16, 1890 in Bern, Bear Lake County, Idaho to <a href="http://adventuresinfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/04/george-allemann-sr.html">George Allemann Sr.</a> and Anna Maria Gredig.<br />
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My earliest recollection was when I was about three years old. Mother had a large wooden cradle. I recall my brother George rocking me to sleep by singing "Now Let Us Rejoice in the Day of Salvation."<br />
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When I was five years old, my brother Edwin was born. One afternoon, which was the 7th of September, Sarah went with Matthew, Annie and myself with my older brothers down in the south bend where they were building a fence. When we came home Mother had, to our surprise, a little new baby boy. A midwife had delivered him.<br />
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In the fall of 1899 my parents prepared with much rejoicing to go to the Logan Temple and have their endowments and their nine living and three deceased children sealed to them. I recall well how we went in three covered wagons down Mink Creek Canyon. We stayed with an old couple by the name of Latterman on Fifth North Street in Logan. They were very nice to us. They had fruit trees. I recall Mother was afraid we would eat too many blue plums.<br />
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The 11th of October, 1899, I guess was about the happiest day of Mother's life. We all went to the Temple and were sealed as one family. On our way home it had snowed in the canyon and the road was muddy. It was hard for the horses to pull the load, so we had to get out and walk up the steepest hills. We didn't have galoshes, so Mother put some heavy homemade men's socks over our shoes.<br />
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We lived in lower Bern, about two miles from the meeting house. It was only a one room meetinghouse which was also used for our schoolhouse from the first to the eighth grades. I started school when I was six and was very thrilled with it. I loved to read from the big chart at the front of the room, John T. Rigby was my teacher. Our neighbors, the Buehler and Bienz families, and we would ride in one big bob sleigh to school. There were about ten or twelve of us. We had lots of fun.<br />
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I remember the day I was baptized. It was Sunday afternoon on May 20, 1899, in upper Bern in an irrigation canal. There were quite a number of others baptized that day.<br />
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My parents were immigrants from Switzerland and lived in poor circumstances. They had four small children. One died in Switzerland before they left. The others were J. Peter , Sarah, and Abraham. Abe had a hard time to survive on the three week trip on the ship. They came as far as Evanston, Wyoming by train, from there on a wagon. The driver was partly drunk, so gave them a rough ride. They first went to Nounan and worked in a dairy. Later they moved to Bern and homesteaded the place where Edwin now lives. They built a one room log cabin with a dirt roof and floor. There several babies were born.<br />
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My father's sister came with them from Switzerland. Aunty Basy, we called her. She is the only relative I ever saw or knew outside of my Father's and Mothers own family. Basy had arthritis ever since she was eighteen years of age. She wasn't married and always lived with my father's family. She was a great help to my mother. She was one of the kindest and sweetest, patient ladies I ever knew.<br />
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Mother had twelve of her children with a midwife to assist. When the twins were born, Matthew and Annie, the old dirt roof would leak and my Aunty would hold the umbrella over the bed where the babies lay.<br />
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The year before I was born Father hauled logs from the canyon and had them sawed on all four sides and built a house. It is the one that is still on the homestead. At that time, it was by far the best home in Bern. I was the first child born in it, and I am the tenth child.<br />
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Father always had enough work for the children and kept them home. In the summer he made Swiss cheese. He didn't have enough feed for the cows, so he went to a small valley twenty miles from Montpelier called Ephraim Valley. There was lots of good feed and water there. He took cows on share from people in Paris and Montpelier and made cheese and gave them half. We milked about fifty or sixty cows daily.<br />
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Father took the boys and Sarah to the ranch and Mother always stayed in Bern with the smaller children and took care of the place there. She worked hard as she always had to chase stray cattle out of the meadow and fix fences. When I was about ten or twelve, I too went to the ranch and milked cows. Sarah got married so we hired a girl, Lena Bienz, who was my age, and we kept the house and milked the cows. She was my lifelong friend<br />
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Later Father bought Crow Creek, a large ranch where there was plenty of feed for the cattle. My brother Abe homesteaded there and when he got married, lived just across the creek from us. His wife, Lizzie Bueler, Lena and I would go fishing on Crow Creek. This was before automobiles, so there weren't many fishermen around. This was our main sport; we loved to go fishing. We always came home with a good mess of native rainbow trout.<br />
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It was too far to go to Sunday School or church, so on a Sunday we would go visit our neighbors about a mile or two away, the Books ranch, the Wells ranch, and the Wilkes at the half-way; or else we had them come visit us.<br />
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We had snow in the mountains until about the latter part of June. The boys would ride horseback to get some snow and we made some of the best ice cream you could wish for.<br />
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There used to be lots of sheep herders on the forest reserve and there would be sheep men around. They would bring us some mutton. Once in a while we would be invited to a sheep camp for dinner and sometimes their wives stayed with them a couple of weeks.<br />
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We would also pick wild berries and strawberries at the edge of the meadow. They were small, but very sweet and good flavored. We could usually get enough for at least a dish. There was a beautiful spring of water a fourth mile from the house where wild gooseberries grew. We also got service berries in the mountains.<br />
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Lots of times we would go on a hike with my brother. I recall one time Lena and I had new shoes. We wanted to go to the Snow Drift Mountains west of our house. We could go horseback to the foot of the mountain, then hike to the top. It was a strenuous hike and we almost wore out our shoes. Matthew and Edwin were with us. We always had to be back in time for milking as we each milked about twenty or twenty-five cows.<br />
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I recall when the haying season was on and the boys didn't have time to milk. Lena and I milked most of them, one evening I milked forty-three cows. This was the most I ever milked at one time. Father would have calves tied and the cows ready so I could just go from one cow to the other. He would also empty my milk buckets. I think I milked more cows than anyone else.<br />
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Father made the best Swiss cheese. In the fall he would always take a wagon load to Logan to sell. He would bring back a load of fruit, mainly apples and pears and some prunes and plums. He always took one of the boys with him. They would be gone about a week. We children would anxiously look for them to come back and run to meet them. Father would pick us up and give us a nice apple. We had shelves in the cellar and we laid them out so as to keep longer. In the evening before we went to bed, Mother would give us all an apple.<br />
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We had very little canned fruit. We had a small garden and berries. I remember our Christmases were very meager. The ward had a children's party with a community tree where about one or two presents were hanging on the tree I remember I received a picture album once and another time a pretty cup and saucer. Santa Claus would come and give each their present, also a bag of candy and nuts. Sarah would make us each a new dress for Christmas.<br />
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I remember so well my sister Annie, about ten, and I seven, received the first nice doll. An old trapper by the name of Will Adams lived down by the river, who used to come around quite often. He played Santa Claus. He had a big bag on his back and a Santa Claus mask. He liked Sarah and when he came up from the barn, Sarah said, "Oh look, girls! Here comes Santa!" We were so scared we ran and hid under the bed. We bawled and didn't want to see him. But we each got a beautiful, large doll; one dressed in pink and the other in blue.<br />
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When my sister Annie was thirteen years of age diphtheria came to our community and very severe cases in our family. It took the lives of my sister Annie and my brother Benny, seven years of age. Annie died on the 17th of June and Benjamin on the 1st of August. Previous to this, in the year 1899, Mother lost two little girls, Elsbeth and Marie, ages six and four, within two weeks apart, from malaria fever. This was before I was born. Mother and Father had lots of hardships, but in all their trials, they would acknowledge the hand of the Lord. They never had a photograph of these girls. I dreamed I saw a photo of them, when I described it in the morning to my mother, she wept.<br />
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I guess I was about thirteen or fourteen when I first had dates. I think Ezra Kunz was my first beau and I would go to ward and school dances with him. We went in sled and there were several couples together. We had good times as everybody exchanged partners and everyone danced square dances, waltz, two-step, tucker dance and polkas. The tucker dance was a mixer where someone would clap their hands and the girls would move ahead marching a while and change partners.<br />
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Chris Petersen would play the fiddle and someone the piano. Matthew also played the violin, so the orchestra didn't cost much. Young folks from surrounding towns would come to the dances. I had several boyfriends. In the summer of 1917 I met my future husband on Crow Creek.<br />
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Byron Crookston was a forest ranger for the Caribou Forest. He stopped at our ranch quite often and I began to think he was a very nice fellow. He was quite timid and so was I, especially when I had to go change my clothes to go milk cows. I would leave him sitting in the front room and I'd go to the laundry room to change. Then I'd crawl out of the back window and out to the corral so he wouldn't see me in the old clothes.<br />
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Byron didn't very often come to the corral, but one time he offered to milk. He wasn't used to milking, so was very slow. I guess I milked three cows to his one, so he didn't offer again.<br />
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We used to go horseback riding and our love for each other increased. In September of 1917 he had to leave for the Army. We went to Bern together as I wanted my mother to meet him. The next day I saw him off at Montpelier. It was surely hard to part as we both felt we were meant for each other. <br />
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I had a call to go on a mission to the Northern States and left home on October 3, 1917. Sarah went with me to Salt Lake City where I went through the Temple and had my endowments. I was set apart for my mission by Apostle Rudgar Clawson. We also attended conference. I left Salt Lake City on October 10, 1917.<br />
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It was my first long trip on the train. Bertha Hymas from Bear Lake Stake was going to the Eastern States, so we had a berth together. Chicago was my headquarters. There were six of us lady missionaries and four elders in the company. I stayed in Chicago several days and had district conference. Then I went to Council Bluffs. Sister Ellsworth, the Mission President's wife, went with me.<br />
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We had district conference there with ten elders and five lady missionaries. It was the West Iowa Conference. Sister Florence Child and I were assigned to Boone, Iowa. There was a small branch and two elders also labored there. I had the experience of speaking on a street corner and drew a pretty good crowd.<br />
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Sister Child was released and left for home on the Dec 7. I was alone for three days, then Eletha Simmons came to be my companion. We went tracting a lot and made lots of friends. One day we witnessed a cyclone. It was one warm summer afternoon. We were out gathering in some of our Books of Mormon as we were to be transferred. Suddenly some dark clouds appeared. We decided to go to Strobel, one of the families of Saints, and do a little sewing. It got almost dark and Sister Strobel hollered, "Oh, a cyclone!"<br />
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We looked out of the window and saw timber and stuff flying in the air. We were only about a block away. It lasted only a minute, but blew houses away. It took the porch off the house we had planned to go to, just before we decided to quit.<br />
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The Hollomans, a family of Saints with two little children, were in their home which was moved off the foundation over against another house and a huge tree fell where their house had stood. It picked a cow up and carried it a block, but left it unhurt. It only passed through a corner of the town, but destroyed everything in that part.<br />
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Another unusual coincidence happened while on my mission. One day as we came in from tracting at noon our landlady said she had heard that a train of soldiers was coming through Boone from the West. My youngest brother, Edwin, was at Camp Lewis in Washington. Sister Simmons and I thought we would go see if anyone we knew could be on it, s the train would stop for about ten minutes.<br />
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We watched them line out of the car one by one like cattle. To my happy surprise, here came Edwin. He spied me about the same time I saw him. I heard him say, "Oh here she is." The lieutenant told him to step outside the line and we had a short and enjoyable visit. He was on his way overseas to France.<br />
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I labored in Boone, then a short time in DesMoines, Iowa, when I recieved word from my Bishop, Robert Schmid, that my mother was seriously ill. They thought it best for me to come home. This was truly a very hard thing for me to do, as I so much enjoyed my mission and hoped to stay for two years. I only served not quite a year.<br />
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I arrived home on August 13, 1918. Mother got well again and was able to go to Logan to the Temple. In February, 1919, I also went to Logan. <br />
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The war ended on November 11, 1918. This was the happiest news I had ever heard as my sweetheart and my brother Edwin were in the Army. They would all come home.<br />
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On March 12, 1919, Byron and I were married in the Logan Temple. This was indeed the happiest day of my life, in spite of the flu which was raging so badly that all public places of gatherings had to be closed except the LDS. Temple.<br />
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Byron had a job in Brigham City guarding the railroad at $4.00 dollars a day. We lived in Aunt Mary Farmer's little home. In August we rented a place in Logan on Fifth North. On January 4, 1920, our first baby, Lynn, was born. Byron was so good to me and helped to care for the baby. In the spring of 1920 we bought a little old place on 340 North 3rd East, where we have lived ever since.<br />
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We could not afford to pay much for a home and we had been taught not to go into debt. We had looked around for some time and I am sure we were inspired to buy this place. At the time I cried and told my husband I thought I deserved a nicer home. But we cleaned it up and later started to build on to it, and then we made it modern. We always worked together. I helped with the carpentry and he helped with the house work.<br />
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On December 30, 1920, our second child came. We named him George after my father. So we had two babies born in the same year. Lynn didn't walk until he was fifteen months old. Both babies were born at home. My dear sister Sarah, always took care of me and the babies for the first twelve days. <br />
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On the 29th of June 1922 another little baby boy came to bless our home. We named him Ray Benjamin. He was such a good baby that it made it easier for me to watch the two older live wires. George walked when he was eleven months old.<br />
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August 24, 1923, we had another baby and were so thrilled when we had a darling little girl that we named Lola. Little Lynn was so happy and said to me, "Mama, aren't you glad nobody else got her?" While I was in bed, Byron finished our bathroom. Was I ever happy! Soon after, he finished the two bedrooms. <br />
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We had a lovely garden and raised all the vegetables we needed, also flowers. When the boys were old enough they would take the little wagon and load it with vegetables and sell them. They would come home so happy with the money. We sold it cheap enough so they always got rid of it.<br />
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On the 17th of January in 1927, we were blessed with another sweet boy. He seemed healthy at first, but the older children had measles and he may have gotten them, too, which affected his heart. He died when he was twelve days old. We named him Rulon. It was so hard for me to take as I loved him so much. We had a little funeral at our home. Uncle Nick Crookston gave such a lovely sermon, which gave us comfort. <br />
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On June 29, 1929, we were blessed with another darling little baby girl. We named her Donna. Mrs. Florence Bird, a neighbor who was a nurse before she married, took care of me. Beatrice, my niece, stayed with us a short time while she worked in town.<br />
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Lots of things could be mentioned about the children as they grew up and our early married life. The place we bought was just two small rooms, was very dirty and we had to put in a new floor. There wasn't even water on the lot. We had to carry it from the neighbors. Wild plum and chokecherry trees grew around it like a forest. We surely worked hard to clean it up. My husband was a plumber, so we soon had the water in the house. Our lot was mainly in grass and weeds.<br />
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We had a little garden in our front yard for a few years. I remember we also got a cow and had her staked in the back yard. I milked her most of the time. Where the chicken coop is now was the stable for the cow. One time we just had a ton of hay delivered and some boys in the neighbors lot set it on fire while we were gone. The firemen were here and saved some of it, but it was water soaked. We soon sold the cow and had chickens. My brothers gave us a pet lamb which was lots of fun for the children.<br />
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Byron made swings and trapezes for the children and there were always lots of the neighbor children around.<br />
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Byron did plumbing with his brother Bob the first year, then for himself. When the boys were a little older, they would go with him and help. So they all learned to do plumbing. There was always a lot to do on the place as we soon had the lot plowed. We planted berries and trees. We always had a lovely garden and raised all the vegetables we needed the year around.<br />
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In the fall Byron went hunting and always got a deer. When the boys were old enough, they would go with him. They all loved the mountains and would go for hikes. We never had to worry about our boys rambling around town. Often the neighbors who had boys would call to see if their boys were here and if so, would say, "I never worry if they are with the Crookston boys."<br />
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All our children grew active in the church. Lynn was the only one to go on a mission. Ray was a Stake Missionary for a short time, but by the time he and George were old enough to go on regular missions, they were in the service.<br />
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All our children married lovely companions who came from prominent and good families. Lola and Donna each married sons of Stake Presidents. All our children were married in the Temple, and are now raising lovely families. I hope they will all follow in their parents' footsteps. <br />
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We now have 45 beautiful grandchildren, all beautiful and normal in every way. I am thankful for each and every one of them. (They ended up with 50 grandchildren.)<br />
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Now in conclusion, I am most grateful for my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for all the wonderful blessings He has given me. My great desire is that I may live true and faithful to the end and that all of my family and loved ones will all be true Latter-day Saints so we can be one great family in the hereafter. <br />
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<i>Thanks to Grandma Melva for providing this history.</i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603559096786112243noreply@blogger.com1