Sunday, December 29, 2013

History of Edwin Marion Snow (1859-1928)

EDWIN MARION SNOW
A History
Written by Ruby Snow Jensen, His Daughter

Edwin Marion Snow was born November 21, 1859, at Manti, Utah. He was a son of Warren Stone Snow and Sarah Elizabeth Whiting. He lived in Manti until he was twelve years old. Then his mother and sister Clara and he moved to Springville, Utah, where his grandfather, Edwin Whiting, had made his home. He was baptized in Springville by Thomas Childs.

In the year 1876, he worked for Uell Stewart on wagon roads to the coal mines in Schofield, which was a new coal camp that had just opened up. He helped build the family home in Springville. The house was where the art gallery now stands. It was a two room adobe house with a lean-to on the back.

In 1877 and 1878, he worked at a saw mill in Hobble Creek Canyon, getting out logs. He only had one ox to work with. In 1879 and 1880, he worked in Days Canyon, logging at Halls Sawmill, having three yoke of oxen to use by then. In 1881 and 1882 he worked chopping ties and hauling ties on White River. These were for the railroad in Spanish Fork Canyon. He was ever a lover of the out doors and logged at the mills for the lumber that went in their home.

He was ordained a Deacon when fourteen years of age and held that office until he was twenty-three years old. He was ordained an Elder at age twenty-three, in 1882, by Benjamin T. Blanchard. He was married to Frances Evaline Perry in the Endowment House April 9, 1883, by Daniel H. Wells.

In the summer of 1883, he worked at Park City, hauling card wood to the Ontario Mine. In the fall he and his wife moved to Mapleton and started to build a brick home. In 1884 they lived in a tent until their home was built. He logged in the canyon for lumber for this new home, hauled the rock for the foundation from Maple Canyon and the brick from Provo. This was a four room home with two nice porches, one on the east and one on the west side of the house. Two rooms were finished by November and their first child was born, Ruby, November 29, 1884, in the new home. On February 3, 1887, their first son was born, Edwin Marion Snow, named after his father, of course, as they always did in those days. Luella was born September 10, 1890 and a baby boy, Reed, was born April 6, 1896. He only lived for one week. This first home is now owned by Bessie Thorn and is much the same as when it was built.

When Father built the new home in 1895, he sold this home to Uncle Wells Snow, his only brother.

In 1885, the first Sunday School was organized in the branch and Father was made a class instructor and labored in that calling when the ward was organized in 1888. Lucius Whiting was the first Bishop with William T. Tew and John Mendenhall as counselors. Now Father was called to first counselor in the Teachers Quorum and in 1892 was chosen President of that Quorum and labored in that calling until April 19, 1896, when he was set apart as first counselor to Bishop William T. Tew. Uncle Lute Whiting, the first Bishop, died February, 1896, of pneumonia.

Father was ordained a High Priest April 19, 1896, by Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith, who later was President of the Church. Father held this position of First Counselor for twenty-one years. After he resigned, he was chosen as Parents Class Leader, which position he held until November 1924, when he was called to be Second Counselor in the Kolob Stake, which had been organized from Utah Stake. G. Ray Maycock was President, with Frank Bringhurst First Counselor and Edwin M. Snow Second Counselor, and Claud Salisbury as Clerk. This position he held until his death 11 December 1928, from flu pneumonia.

In 1894 Father bought five acres of land nearer the church and schools and began again the hard work of getting the material for this home from the canyons. They were more than a year building this home, as all the material, sand and gravel, had to be sifted through a screen by hand to make the mortar. The lime came in the form of rocks which had to be slacked. Father again hauled the bricks from Provo and the adobe from Uncle Lon Fullmer's brick yard. This was a nice three bedroom home with living room, bath room, kitchen and parlor and a cellar under the house to store fruit. This home was finished by the fall of 1896, but Mother had a bad case of typhoid fever and the doctor did not want her to move in the home in the fall so the move was not made until the spring of 1897.

This was a good pleasant home and we children were always welcome to bring our friends home with us for parties and after church on Sundays. They were always made welcome by Father and Mother. This home is now owned by a great grandson, Richard Bills.

Father was always a religious man, doing everything he could for the Church and for neighbors and friends in the Church. He held many offices in the Mapleton Town, being the first road supervisor in 1890. He served many years in the Town Board after the town was incorporated in 1900 and given the name of Mapleton. He was Trustee in the town 1904 to 1905 and again in 1908-1909, President of the Board 1910-1911, President 1912 and 1913 and President 1914-1915.

He was one of the men who helped to get the Strawberry water for our town and was on the Mapleton Irrigation Co. for many years.

He died in Salt Lake City following an operation 11 December, 1928. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.

Here are some pictures of his grave:

A History of Mapleton

A History of Mapleton
Compiled by
Freeman C. Bird

The first part of this history from 1860 to 1900 is based on a history written by my mother, Abbie Ann Whiting Bird. Names, dates and places are from her history.

The pioneers of Mapleton were the early settlers of Springville and their children. In 1860 this tract of land was uninhabited except for the Indians and wild animals that roamed at will over this barren waste sage. The roads were the trails of the Jack rabbit, the coyote and hungry wolves.

Mapleton extended from Hobble Creek Canyon on the north to Spanish Fork Canyon on the South. Bounded on the east by the Wasatch Mountains. The large mountains at whose feet this small farming community nestled was called "Sierra Bonita," meaning "Beautiful Mountain," was named by the Indians. We always felt that it stood there in its grandure [sic] and beauty as a protection to us people of the soil. In the distant west the shining, silvery water of Utah Lake shimmered in the sun. A more beautiful valley with ideal climate and beautiful scenery could not be found.

A native grove of Cedars ran around the perimeter of this bench, from Hobble Creek to Spanish Fork Canyon. A good screen for Indian raids. Evergreen Cemetery is named because this grove of Cedars ran through it. The Cedars that remain there are part of this grove.

This bench was used as a herd ground for horses and cattle by the pioneers of Springville. Many of these animals and others from the valley were driven away by the Indians. They would come out of the canyons, gathering the horses and cattle and drive them over the high divides into the Strawberry Valley. One raid gathered 50 horses and 30 head of cattle and started up Maple Canyon. The alarm was sounded and men from Spanish Fork and Springville followed them over into Diamond Fork. Two of the posse were determined to go ahead of the group. The posse caught the Indians. The Indians had killed three beef cattle for food. The remainder of the animals were recovered.

The Indians scattered in a running fight, eight Indians were killed or wounded and their camp destroyed. The two young men who went ahead of the posse were found, one was wounded, the other killed. They found him scalped and his body mutilated. The wounded man was carried out on a stretcher by the men in the posse who were from Spanish Fork. He died of his wounds the following day. The body of the dead man was also brought out by the posse. This battle was fought in Diamond Fork on June 26, 1866. This battle was one of the more decisive battles fought with the Indians in the wars.

The Indian troubles were carried on until about 1877. Then people could live away from the forts, and feel quite safe. But the red man was stil [sic] hostile and caused troubles. They frightened the isolated people who were more or less unprotected.

Chief Walker was a very cruel man. He stole children from other tribes, carried them to the white people to be sold as slaves. He brought a little boy to Springville, the child was frightened and hungry, and Chief Walker tried to sell him to the settlers. No one could pay what he asked, he became furious took the child by the feet, hit his head on a wagon wheel and threw the lifeless body into the sagebrush. Chief Walker was one of the Indians wounded in the Diamond Fork Battle.

There is a monument in Diamond Fork Canyon for the two men who lost their lives, a Mr. Demmick and Mr. Edmonson, they were both from Spanish Fork.

In 1860 conditions had settled enough that a group of men came to this sage covered bench and tried to farm the land. They planted corn, barley, sugar cane and broom corn. This first project was located in Section 14, south and east of our church. They fenced and cleared the land and then planted seed. There was little water, the thirsty soil drank in the moisture but returned little. Three other projects were started, but all the projects failed because of Indian troubles and were abandoned. From these trials came the name Union Bench. The Indians were still hostile and resented the White mans [sic] intrusion of their hunting grounds.

By 1875 there were some shanties on Union Bench and the Homestead Act had been passed. This gave men the chance to start homes and clear the land. The first permanent homes were built by Oliver Fullmer, Charles Malmstrom, William P. Fullmer, Lucious Whiting, L.J. Whitney, Edwin Whiting, Eli Ashcraft, Richard Mendenhall, soon others followed. By 18 80 [sic] there were man [sic] families. My father moved his family on to 80 acres of land he had homesteaded, into a two room shanty. The family consisted of my father, mother, and two children. My mother said she lived in fear of the Indians for ten years. Many other families followed and by 1882 there were about forty families on Union Bench. The people traveled to Springville for their church and civic activities until 1885 when they were permitted to hold their own Sunday School. Lucious Whiting was ordained Presiding Elder, William T. Tew and John Mendenhall were his counselors and Charles M. Bird the clerk.

In 1884, Lewis R. Perry donated an acre of land on which to build their first church, and the first school. They were located where the City Building now stands. The people constructed a shanty 14 ft. x 16 ft., later they lengthened it for dances and social gatherings. Their place of amusement prior to this building was a roofed over cellar where they danced and held socials. It was built by Lucian Hall.

In 1888, in a business meeting. L.J. Whitney made a motion that the name of Union Bench be changed to Mapleton. The motion passed and Union Bench became Mapleton. Thecommunity [sic] had started to take its place and its people were proud of their accomplishments.

They held school and church, danced, held socials and everyone enjoyed themselves in the first little building on the land donated by Lewis R. Perry until 1888. On August 6, 1888, Apostle Francis M. Lyman, A.O. Smoot of the Utah Stake and Nephi Packer, Bishop of Springville, organized a ward in Mapleton. The first Bishop was Lucious Whiting with William T. Tew and John Mendenhall as counselors and Charles M. Birs [sic] as Clerk. The ward organizations followed. The first Priesthood Meeting was held August 6, 1888 with thirty-four men presetn [sic]. The Relief Sociey [sic] was organized with Annie Van Leuven as President. On December 8, 1888 the YMMIA and YWMIA were organized by George H. Brimhall and Zina Mechan from the Utah Stake with Charles M. Bird as YMMIA President and Abbie Ann Bird as YWMIA President. Samuel O. Fullmer was named as President of the Elders Quoru [sic].

On July 4, 1887, the first baptisims [sic] were performed in Mapleton. Charles Monroe Bird Jr., Milton Curtis and Hattie Whiting Jensen were the first Baptisms. Vina Malmstrom was the first child born in Mapleton, and Ester Whiting was the first person to pass away.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH

If you have any news or announcements you would like to put in our paper, please call Gen Allan 489-5878. We welcome your contributions. [sic] to the paper.

HISTORY OF MAPLETON ** FREEMAN C. BIRD      CONT.

They held school and church, danced, held socials and everyone enjoyed themselves in the first little building on the land donated by Lewis R. Perry until 1888. On August 6, 1888, Apostle Francis M. Lyman, A. O. Smoot of the Utah stake, and Nephi Packard, Bishop of Springville, organized a ward in Mapleton. The first Bishop was Lucious Whiting with William T. Tew and John Mendenhall as counselors and Charles M. Bird as clerk. The ward organizations followed. The first Priesthood meeting was held August 6, 1888 with thirty four men present. The Relief Society was organized with Annie Van Leuven as President. On December 8, 1888 the YMMIA and YWMIA were organized by George H. Brimhall and Zina Mecham from the Utah Stake with Charles M. Bird as YMMIA President a nd [sic] Abbie Ann Bird as YWMIA president. Samuel O. Fullmer was named as President of the Elders Quorum.

On July 4, 1887, the first baptisms were performed in Mapleton. Charles Monro Bird Jr., Milton Curtis, and Hattie Whiting Jensen were the first baptisms. Vina Malmstrom was the first child born in Mapleton, and Ester Whiting was the first person to pass away.

With the ward organized and growing there was a need for a larger church. In a Priesthood Meeting, John Mendenhall, William T. Tew and Charles M. Bird were called as a committee to find and purchase a suitable spot for a new building. Matelda Streeper owned the land in the center of Mapleton, the committee called on her and she offered to give them one acre of land if they would build immediately. The people were eager and excited and went to work. They constructed a large church built of brick. By 1889 the new church which filled their needs for church and entertainment was completed. The people were neighborly and community life took on a new interest. We enjoyed July 4th and July 24th celebrations and Christmas parties around the new church.

I was baptized in the Big Hollow west of Mapleton in 1900. I became a deacon in 1904. I took my place in the Aaronic Priesthood. We Deacons did the janitorial work in the church. We swept, cleaned, dusted, cleaned the lamp chimney, chopped the wood for the pot bellied stove to heat the building. Two deacons per week were assigned this task.

Forty families needed schools. The citizens built three one room schools, the North, the Central, and the South. The North School was on 300 West 800 North. The Central was built where the fire station now stands. The south was at 800 South 580 West, the Buss Williams home. All the grades were taught in each school.

My first year at school was in 1898 in the little Central School. In 1899 a new Central School was built, where all the grades had a room for themselves. In 1893, the people whose children attended the South School were permitted to organize a Sunday School. Thomas Williams was Superintendent, Greg Metcalf organist, Ted Marchbank chorister. This Sunday School was discontinued in 1906.

In 1888 the citizens of Mapleton petitioned the County Commissioners to become a town. John R. Bromley was elected the first town president with William T. Tew, John H. Lee, C.S. Houtz, and John Tuckett as Board Members with C.M. Bird as clerk. Mapleton remained a town until 1948, with a group of new officers every two years. Roads were graveled, cnals [sic] built from Hobble Creek Canyon to the farms. Many more improvements were made. A good school system under the County, a franchise was given to the Utah Power and Light. Electric power was brought to Mapleton, blowing out all candles and coal oil lamps. Burton E. Tew was elected town President in 1948 and before his term as President was ended Mapleton became a 3rd class city. Mr. Tew was sworn in as the first Mayor. The first City Council consisted of Ernest Binks, H. Reese Anderson, S. Lavell Bird, Freeman C.Bird and Willis Harmer as clerk.

Elmer W. Bird was the first elected Mayor of Mapleton in 1952. The first elected City Council was John C. Perry, George Murray, Elmer Wiscombe, Lewis Wing, Jack Canto, Freeman C. Bird and Norris F. Binks, clerk. I served 6 yrs.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Ruby Snow Warren Jensen (1884-1966) Autobiography, Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

I came back home to live. This wasn't always easy with five of us moving back home, but Mother, Father and Eddie were all very good to us and we were as happy as we could be there with none of our own things there. The children missed all of their play things most, but of course we could not bring the play things with us on the train. I soon got a job working in the Mapleton store for $1.00 per day, and was able to pay for part of the groceries and get a few things for the children for Christmas, so felt like I was helping to pay my way. Eddie made a nice sleigh for the boys and I got dolls for the girls and some dishes and a wagon for the boys so they had a happy Christmas. The Holidays were quite a happy time. I worked in the store all winter and until August, 1914, then I took the children and went for a visit back to Groveland. We stayed up there and visited for over a month, visiting with the Petersons, Grandma Warren and Altha and the other folks from Mapleton who had moved there.

In June, Burton, Welby and Evelyn had the whooping cough and as they were very strict on the quarantine then and as I was working, I had to stay at my sister, Ella's place. This made it very hard for Mother, as Evelyn was very bad with it. Every time she coughed, her eyes, nose and ears would bleed.

Late summer of 1914, I started keeping company with an old and very dear boy friend, Peter Jensen, and on March 24, 1915, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple. He had always been one of the crowd when we were younger and was my brother's steady pal and had been at Mother's home many times with Eddie while I was living back home. He had bought his Father's home, as his Father and Mother had built them a new home in Spanish Fork so they could be near church and old friends, so he and his brother, Allie, were living here in this big home when we were married. About a month after we were married, Allie got married, so we had plenty of room for all of us. Mother said at the time we got married, that marrying five was different than marrying one, and so we both had to make a lot of adjustments, but Pete had to make more than I did. We have lived together now 45 happy years.

My four children all married and have families of their own--all were workers in the Mapleton Ward. While living at Father's and Mother's the children all attended church regularly and have gone to church all their lives. Jesse used to say whenever he came to Mother's it was like a little bit of heaven in her home, and we have all felt the same way--it was always so peaceful.

We all had plenty of room in the Jensen home and I always tried to make a peaceful, happy home for us all. The children all had some one their age to play with just across the street at Halversons, all except Mabel, and I think two families could not have got along any better than we did. Mr. and Mrs. Halverson were good neighbors all the time we have lived here.

Mabel, Burton, and Welby were all in school by now. We all had plenty of room, for at Mother's we all had slept in one room and now we had four bedrooms. On January 3, 1916, a little boy was born to us and I don't think I ever saw anyone who loved a baby like Pete loved him. He would hold him, walk the floor with him and sing to him "Little Boy Blue." The years passed by and we bought our first car, a Jeffery, and more land, so we were in a debt for a good many years before we got our place free from debt. By then we had four more children. Alene, born June 27, 1920 (Pete called her Dolly Rose), Ruth, born July 16, 1922, Jena V, born May 5, 1926, and Stanley, born August 16, 1930. We all worked hard, especially Mabel, Burton and Welby, to help, and they were always willing to do anything that had to be done.

The years passed by too quickly. The children had their parties and did all the things young folks do as they grew up.

We planted a large peach orchard in 1920 and it grew up and made work for a lot of people besides the family, but we were happy, went to church and the ward outings and I started to work in the Relief Society as organist when Elmo was a year old in 1917, and worked there until I was released on March 14, 1939. I worked for years in the music department as organist, assistant organist and chorister--was also a visiting teacher for 21 years and was secretary to the genealogical society for a number of years.

Mabel was married to Lester Hansen in the Salt Lake Temple August 20, 1924. Mr. Hansen took them to the train to go to Salt Lake at 5 a.m. I went out while it was cool to dig potatoes for the dinner next day. I did not need any onions to put the tears in the potato eyes. Thinking of my first one to leave the nest for a home of her own.

Burton was married to LaRie Dibble September 24, 1929.

Welby was married to Mable Dibble November 14, 1934 in the Manti Temple. Burton and LaRie went to the temple the same day for their Endowments and sealing for husband and wife and the sealing of their two daughters to them, Connie and Maxine. I went with them. Evelyn went with us that day, too, to care for the children.

Evelyn was married to Fred Pomel December 30, 1929. They made their home in Salem and Evelyn died there March 30, 19   when her second baby was born.

The other three children made their homes in Mapleton, where they are living today.

Elmo married Margaret Bertoglio October 16, 1941. They lived in Mapleton ten years and then as Elmo's health was so poor, they moved to Avondale, Arizona, where they still live.

Alene married Albert Starlin June 19, 1947 and went to live in Nebraska, but in September, they moved to Utah and bought a home in Benjamin. But now, March, 1960, they have sold their home and bought a home in California where Al's Mother and brother live. We feel awful bad about them moving away from us.

Jena V married Elden Warthen February 16, 1946, and lives in Benjamin.

Stanley is still home with us and both of us are getting old, so don't know what we would do without him. I have had a broken arm this winter, January 19, and he has had to do a lot for me and I do love and appreciate him. All the family has been very near and dear to me this winter, coming in and doing the work, bringing us things cooked and ready to eat. I think I never knew how much they have loved me or how much I have loved them until this winter while I have been so helpless with the heavy cast on my arm.

I have done much genealogical work the past thirty years, being the genealogist of the Perry family. I have computed over 1000 families for Temple work. I enjoyed this work very much and found time from my home work and families to do it until a few years ago when I had a serious sickness and had to give it up.

We have ever been a happy family living in this home, but now I am left without my dear companion again. On April 3rd, without any warning, my husband died. He was only sick about 20 minutes--died from a heart attack.

So I am here in this big home with my youngest son, Stanley. He is very dear to me, so good to help me in every way and I am very happy that I have someone to love and do a little for to make him happy too. It is very lonely, as Father was always a home person, never going anywhere, except we were with him as his eyesight and his hearing were so bad he could not go anywhere alone. The days and nights are somehow passing by. I have friends and a very dear family who see me often, and I will try in some way to be happy and useful to someone as long as the Lord permits me to stay here. Hope I can keep well and be able to take care of myself so I won't become a burden to anyone. Wish I had a few hobbies now to keep me busy.

On my birthday last November 29, as I was 75 years old, Mabel had a party at her home for all the family and the family were all there except Elmo's family who live in Arizona. We had a very nice time there and I sure do appreciate my family doing things for me. Had some pictures taken of Father and me, also all the children and the grandchildren, and all the boys and girls who have married into my family. They are a very dear lot of people. The pictures bring back happy memories.

[Does anyone have these pictures she is talking about? I would love to be able to share them here.]

Now the family have all been together again for Father's funeral, all except Mabel's children were here. It was a very sad time, but still nice to have them all at home once more.

Stanley and I live on in the dear old home with its happy and sad memories. The children come often and Elmo and family came home for a visit in the summer of 1960, but by this time Ruth and her family had moved to California, leaving as soon as school was out in May, 1960.

Elmo and Margaret and their two small children came for a visit in 1961. They came before June 30 in time for Glenna's wedding. Margaret and the children stayed up until after July 24 when Elmo came back for them. We had a nice visit and on August 20, Ruth and Al and family came for a visit. They arrived here at 6 o'clock on Sunday morning. That afternoon about 3 P.M., we received the sad news that Elmo had died of a heart attack. Tuesday, the brothers and sisters all went to Avondale, Arizona for his funeral. Mable and I went with Al and Ruth. The funeral was on Wednesday and on Thursday Al and Ruth went back to California. They had only five days with us, very sad ones. I stayed with Margaret for two weeks before coming home. The rest of the family left after the funeral.

Time passed by and in the spring of 1962 when school was out, Eldon and Jenna V and family moved to Wendell, Idaho.

On September 22, 1962, Stanley was married to Nancy Neff and they moved away to a home of their own and so I was alone, all alone, again. Mabel and Les have been home all this past winter, for which I am very grateful, and I have done much visiting with her and she has taken me to the meetings and to town whenever I have needed to go. I have letters from the ones who are away and see the rest of the family who are here often, and I am well.

Soon must we come to the night,
          With the day of our toiling done;
A step and the waning light,
          Dies with the setting sun.

Only a little way
          And then where the twilight creeps,
The dreamer has known his day,
          And the soul of the dreamer sleeps.



What have I done with this life of mine,
This life God gave to me?
What have I done with his gift of speech,
These eyes with which I see?

What have I heard with these ears of mine,
Of good and set it free?
What have I done as I've gone my way,
What have I done with me?

How have I succored the ones in need,
How have I spent the years?
How many times have I brought home smiles,
How many times caused tears?

Father forgive me when I have failed,
Help me to set things right.
And let me leave the record clean,
My heart might stop tonight.

Ruby Snow Warren Jensen (1884-1966) Autobiography, Part 3

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

We also bought a big granery [sic] in the summer of 1910 and Jesse built a large shed on the back of it where we could keep the new buggy. It made a nice place for the children to play as we did not have any shade trees around. Jesse later used this shed, part of it, for a blacksmith shop. In the fall of 1910, Father and Mother came to see us and as we did not have much room in the house, we had put two beds out in the granery, as it was nice and clean. So Jesse and I and the children slept in the granery and Mother and Father slept in the house.

We were fixed real nice now in our two small rooms. We had been able to get some new linoleum for the kitchen and a small rug for the bedroom.

In late summer of 1910, I had put Evalyn to sleep on my bed with a cushion behind her head and a mosquito bar over her to keep the flies away from her face. I was outside working at something. She woke up and some way had pulled the mosquito bar and cushion over her face and was very near smothered to death. I called to Jesse who was near by and we had a little whiskey which we diluted with water and fed it to her and after about a half an hour she began to get color back in her face and to breathe better and was soon all right.

In the spring of 1911, we bought 40 acres more land, one mile north and one mile east of our home. This was all sage brush, so a lot of hard work again. Burton was now only five years old, but he drove one team of horses on one end of the rail while his father drove the other team on the other end of the rail. They would rail brush and put it in windrows all day and burn it half of the night. The children all liked to help with the fires.

That spring Eddie gave us quite a surprise. He came up to see us. I don't know how he got out from Blackfoot. He was on crutches as he had shot his foot while hunting deer in October, 1910. We had bought us some blacksmith tools, a forge and an anvil and hand tools to go with them. Jesse was making a wagon wrench. He had it all hot to cut it off and when Eddie and I walked into the shop, he cut it off and it was so short it would just go through the double tree and would not hold the double tree stick on the wagon tongue. Eddie stayed two weeks and worked in the shop and made the boys a farm wagon. Eddie had a lot of fun making the wagon and the boys had a lot of fun playing with it.

In the summer of 1911, Altha and Arth came up to see us. We again used the granery for our bedrooms and gave Altha and family the house. The first morning while they were there, I got up real early, but Altha was out in the potatoe patch digging potatoes for breakfast. We had real good potatoes that year. They had five children. We were real crowded, but we really enjoyed their visit. They bought a home and 40 acres of land while they were there and moved up in September 1911.

That summer my children all had scarlet fever and it left the baby, Evalyn, with a bad heart. She had also had a bad time with Pneumonia in the spring.

Christmas of 1911, the Peterson's spent with us and we had a very happy day, although away from our loved families, but it wasn't too lonesome now as there were ten families living in the Groveland Ward. Burr and Pearl Whiting, and Orsen and Jessie Manwaring were living there when we moved to Groveland, also Walter and Emogene Manwaring. Those moving there after us were George and Hazel Whiting, Arthur and Tressa Manwaring, Horace and Ivy Manwaring, Mr. and Mrs. Manwaring, father and mother of the Manwaring boys, Uncle Lon and Aunt Ell Fullmer. Their two married daughters, Cassie and Edmund Roundy and James and Tryphera Childs. Jesse's brother, Theodore, was with us and he married Teenie Hansen, a sister of Lizzie Peterson, so we were a small colony from our home town of Mapleton.

Teenie and Thea lived about two miles from us. They bought a farm joining ours on the east and had built a nice two room home on it. All year of 1912, we all worked real hard. Jesse used to hitch three horses on a sulky pow, then two on the hand plow. He would drive the two on the hand plow and lead the other three. He would have to stop at both ends to put the sulky plow in and out of the ground, but he got more plowed that way in a day.

We built a large shed for the horses and three milk cows and two chicken coops connected with an open run, or scratch pen.

We now had five head of horses, some pigs, three cows and a nice flock of chickens. As we had a drain pond in one end of the pasture we had a few geese. We had good crops that year as most of our land was now under cultivation. We had a nice winter of 1912 and came back home for a Christmas visit with all of our folks. We went to the Christmas party and dances in the new hall which had been built that year (now known as Memorial Hall).

Christmas dinner was at Mother's and when I turned my plate over after the blessing had been said, there I found a very small, beautiful gold watch for my Christmas--a very happy surprise for me.

Ella had been married in 1911 to Elmer Johnson and in 1912 they came up to visit us in July, I think. They had a cute baby girl named Lenore. We had a nice visit with them.

This summer of 1912, Orson Callister built a new home just across the road from us, so now we felt like we really had some nice new neighbors and it was nice for the children as they had three children.

September, 1912, Mabel started to school, but after Christmas it was so cold that she got her feet frozen so badly that she had to miss most of the school for that year. In the spring of 1913, Jesse's mother sold her place in Mapleton and moved with her family to Groveland, to be near her two boys. They bought 30 acres of land. They built a four room frame home about three miles south of us and were doing well. The boys all had work and we were a happy family together there for the summer. Jesse and Thea rented a farm in Blackfoot, just on the edge of the town about four blocks from main street, and when they went into work, we went with them. We had a tent with beds and stove, so it was like going on an outing for me and the children. We were close enough that we could walk into town after work and go to a show and this was something new for us. We had potatoes and beets on this land, so I helped with the hoeing of the crops, but Jesse worked too hard that summer. He helped to build his Mother's home and tended all the farm with just what help me and the children could give him. We needed poles to built [sic] a potato cellar so we all went to the canyon to get the poles and have us an outing too. Arth and Altha and their family, Grandma Warren and her children, Aarus, Leo, Wesley and Laurena, Thea and Teenie, Jesse and I and the children. We had five teams on wagons and one on the buggy. The women rode most of the time in the buggy.

I think we were gone nearly a week. It was a nice trip for all of us and we got enough poles to build a large potato cellar. Burton says we had a saddle with us and his father put it on the poles on the back of the wagon and he rode in the saddle coming home. Now it was time to get the second crop of hay and the grain up, so everyone was real busy, but some way Thea and Jesse built the potato cellar and we had the third crop of hay up. The bins were full of grain and we had plenty of hay for a year to feed the horses. We had six work horses and two nice colts nearly ready to break. It was now October and time to harvest beets and potatoes. We had got the beets dug at home and also the potatoes on the home place. I had a crew of ten men to cook for. They had a place to sleep in the loft of the granery, had a stove up there to keep warm.

Jesse took sick while they were digging the potatoes at home and had to quit work for a few days. The crew moved over to the potatoes on the other forty and Jesse felt a little better, so he got on the saddle horse and rode over to see how they were getting along there and how they were getting the potatoes into the new cellar. He got on the potato digger and drove that a while. This was a Wednesday. He came back home and had to go to bed again. We had the doctor, but they seemed to think he would be all right in a few days, but he got steadily worse and had to be taken to the hospital on Monday morning. We had phoned to father and he came Monday night. They operated on Jesse Tuesday morning for appendicitis, but the appendix was ruptured.

Grandma Warren and Father, I and Evelyn stayed in town with friends as it was too far for us to drive each day and they were using all the horses to dig the potatoes on the farm we had rented in town. Mabel, Burton and Welby stayed with Altha, but she brought them them into the hospital to see their Father. Burton and Mabel were now in school.

Jesse died on October 25. Father sent for Mother, but she did not get there before he died.

Thea and Ed Leiter, our hired man, had all the potatoes dug and sold on the rented place in town before Jesse died. We went out home Saturday night after Jesse died--could not do anything about funeral arrangements before Monday. We packed our clothes and what bedding could be spared, ready to come home, as we had decided to bring him back to Mapleton for burial.

Tuesday the funeral was held in the Groveland church and we went and stayed in Blackfoot Tuesday night after the funeral. Some dear friends bought a large spray of pink rosebuds and they were all the flowers at the Groveland funeral. (We brought them with us to Mapleton.) We were on the train all day. Wednesday night when we were met at the O.S.L. track three miles below Springville, half of the Mapleton people were down there to meet us. There was some snow on the ground and it was very cold. Wheeler was there with the hearse for Jesse, and I heard Mother say, "Where is Eddie?" Aunt Maria Mendenhall said he was there. She said also the whole town were there. Eddie was with the horses as they were afraid of the train. It was so cold and the people had waited a long time as the train was late. They had a large bright fire burning to keep warm by and it made light for us to see by to get in the buggies. It was after midnight when we got to Mother's, but the house was full of people to see us and sympathize with us. Aunt Errie and Uncle Horace and Jesse's brother, Wellie, from the reservation was there. Eddie had made arrangements for the funeral and it was held Thursday, October 30 and Jesse was buried on Father's lot in the Evergreen Cemetery. This had been an awful hard two weeks for me.

Altha came with us from Idaho, but Grandma Warren could not come down here to Mapleton as her daughter, Lucy, was there with her and was expecting a baby, so Grandma stayed to take care of her. Father, Mother and I decided I had better stay here with them for the winter as we were so far from school or town and had to haul all the water two miles for all the animals (except the horses), also all the water we used in the house. We only stayed here a few days as I had a hired man taking care of things while I was away. So when Altha had visited as long as she could, Wellie and I went home with her, as Wellie wanted to see his Mother and the rest of the family.

Lucy and her family had come to Groveland for the funeral and she stayed there with her Mother most of the winter. Wellie and Altha and I got back to Groveland November 5. I left all the children here with Mother, as Mabel and Burton were now starting to school in Mapleton and it would be too cold to take the two little ones with me. I had to arrange for an auction sale of all the things we had accumulated around us, as we had such a lot of bills to pay. This was another heart breaking time for me to see all the livestock, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, all the machinery sold. The wheat in the bins, the hay in the stacks--everything Jesse had worked for for four years sold in one afternoon. When the sale was over, I had enough to pay all the bills we owed and a little over. I rented the place to Cassie and Edmund Roundy, packed up the rest of my bedding, clothing and some personal things and came back home to Mapleton about the 25th of November.

While we were down here the ward had turned out and dug all the beets on the land rented in Blackfoot. The Relief Society took a hot dinner to the men. This helped me out a lot. A photographer came out from the town and made some pictures and gave me two. These are all our neighbors and the Relief society sisters on this picture.

Ruby Snow Warren Jensen (1884-1966) Autobiography, Part 2

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

We were a bunch of fun-loving girls, about ten of us in the crowd, and we could always stir up a surprise party for someone. Even if there was no birthday of any one of us, we could still make a party. Most of us worked in the beet field thinning beets. I remember one day we were working in Father's field of beets, Myrtle Robinson, Roxy Fullmer, and several of the other girls and myself planned a surprise party for Roxy at my house as it was her birthday. Mother always made us welcome. On my 18th birthday Mother had a party for me, asking all the girls and boys of the crowd we went around with. Father and Mother gave me a plain gold band ring for a birthday gift and Eddie gave me a pair of brown kid gloves. They were under my plate that morning at the breakfast table. The gloves were soon worn out, but I am still wearing the ring. It is worn very thin, but I have worn it now over sixty years.

We did not worry much about refreshments at our parties. If we were hungry we ate bread and butter. We usually had some corn to pop and had lemonade. We were all going out on dates, but mostly as a large group. Jennie Bird and I started going together and going out quite steady with Russell Holley and Will Jensen. I went with Will for over a year. He died from a rupture appendix in January, 1903. We were a sorrowful crowd of young people, as he was always the life of the party. On February 6, 1903, Jesse Warren's father died. He was the caller at all the dances so this brought sorrow into our young group again as Jesse was one of the crowd. I think a bond of sympathy for loved ones we had lost brought Jesse and me together and we began dating and going steady that summer.

Jesse was taking care of his mother's farm and when the work was finished that fall, he went to Schofield to work for the winter. There was a strike on and he got a job as a guard at the mines. This paid good money and when he came home in the spring, he had over four hundred dollars. He bought me an engagement ring. It was opals and pearls and was real pretty. We decided to get married. He also bought a new one horse buggy so we had a way of going places. Madge Whiting helped me make my wedding dress. It was soft white mull, had five widths in the skirt and shirred in at the waistline. It was floor length with a wide hem at the bottom and five tucks above the hem. There was nearly enough material in this skirt to make a quilt top. Mable, my oldest daughter, now has the quilt and she also has the waist and uses it sometimes when she dresses up for plays. I also made my underwear and slip

I had my first pair of slippers for my wedding. They were treasures, a soft black leather. Black cotton stockings with a white design at the ankles completed my wedding outfit.

All our shoes were black high buttoned or laced and our stockings were most all home knit of black yarn, so my slippers and stockings were really something. We did not have very much in our hope chest, but every girl thought she must have a crazy quilt before she got married and I had mine all finished.

The rest of this history was written in January, February and March of 1960 while I was laid up with a broken arm. most of it was printed with my left hand as my right arm was in a cast.

Jesse and I were married May 25, 1904, married at home by Uncle Will Tew who was the Bishop of Mapleton Ward. The house was full of our relatives and Mother and Jesse's Mother had made a nice supper for over 100 people. That same evening we had a reception in the form of program and dancing in Wallace Johnson's new dance hall. It is now Vance Gividen's "Square Deal Garage."

We stayed at home with the folks for more than a month as Mother had broken a needle off in her hand and so was unable to do he work, but by the last of June we had moved into the Honeymoon cottage, so called because so many of the Mapleton young folks rented this place and lived there a few months while getting settled into some place of their own. It was a two room long house--one of the first homes built in mapleton. It was built by Uncle Henry and Aunt Hrriett whiting Curtis and was built where Welby's barn now stands. We only lived here about a month when we bought the place from Sarah matson and moved into the other home on the same lot. That was down on the street by the Dance Hall.

We had a nice new bedroom set set that Father and Mother gave us for a wedding present. We bought a small used stove and table and a new cupboard and four chairs. About this time there had been a fire in the vestry of the church. This was carpeted with a large home made carpet, it had some burned spots in it, but we bought it and there was enough good carpet left to cover the big kitchen and living room, which was one, in this new home of ours. Part of this home had been Mapleton's first church, but when the brick church was built, Father and Aunt Harriett had bought the building for a store and it was later Mapleton's first post office also. When we bought the place it still had the cupboard in it where the song books and minute books were kept when it was the church.

We were fixed nice and comfortable in this place and on December 30 our first baby was born while a big dance was going on in the hall. This was the New Years Eve Party. That year New Year's day came on Sunday, and they never danced the old year out and the new year in on Saturday night. We named this little girl Mabel. When she was only six weeks old she got the whooping cough and was very bad with it; so bad, we did not know if she would live for many days. John and Cynthia Dall were living in the big room of our house which had been the store at this time and they were very good to help me.

Jesse was taking care of his mother's farm and to make a little extra money he bought fruit, garden vegetables, eggs, butter, and chicken and peddled them to Schofield, making a trip once a week. This took three days to make the trip so he was away from home about half of the time.

In the spring of 1906, Jesse got a job on the Strawberry Reservation Project, working on the tunnel in Strawberry Valley, so now he only got home about once in two weeks to get some things to take back to eat, as the men were all doing their own cooking while away from home. Leo Harmer and Afton Waters from Mapleton were working there too. On the 12th of August, our first baby boy was born. I was staying at Mother's then as Jesse was away so much. We named this baby Burton Jesse. He had blue eyes and red hair, very curly. When he was 6 months old he took the prize at a play for being the prettiest baby there. The prize was a baby ring with pearl sets in it.

Time passed on. We lived here, visited with our folks, went to church and did the things socially that our gang had always done, some shows and dancing, when we could. When Burton was just learning to walk, we had a pet lamb that we had raised on a bottle and every time Burton would go out doors, the lamb would bunt him over. Just as fast as he would get up, the lamb would knock him down again. This was great fun for the lamb, but hard on Burton, so I would tie the lamb up, but even then Burton wanted to play with it so would go close enough so the lamb could push him down again.

Burton still had long curls and on the 4th of July, 1907, I had got his hair curled with a braid on the top of his head and a white ribbon bow and long ringlets. He looked real cute. I had Mabel and him all ready to go to the program and Mabel's hair was curled in ringlets too. I sat Burton down on the floor with Mabel to watch him while I got ready. When I came back in the room, there Burton sat with a long ringlet on the floor on each side of him. Mabel had cut them off while baby sitting. Now Jesse had to finish barbaring him before we went to the program. He really looked a sight too.

The winter of 1907 we went to Castle Gate and Jesse got work in the mine. Then we came home in the spring of 1908 to tend his Mother's place again. This summer he hauled all the material for the John Murray home and helped some on the building. George Murray lives there now.

Welby S., our second boy, was born on 12 August, 1908, on Burton's 2nd birthday. The young man that Ella was going with said that would be a big birthday some day. We have had some big family outings on that day in the canyons and in 1952 the ward had their ward reunion on that day with the tables set out on the lawn. Elmo and his family were here from Arizona. The family was all seated at one table and we sang Happy Birthday to Burton and Welby. Well, it was a big birthday and all the ward was there and joined in singing.

The winter of 1908 we again went to the coal mines at Schofield and stayed for about three months. Chris and Ovilla Jensen and their two children were with us that winter so we had a nice time as we had someone to visit with. We came home in February. March of 1909 Jesse went to Idaho and bought a farm, 40 acres, seven miles north of Blackfoot. We had a house 12 by 24 feet built like a chicken coop. It just had the outside walls of sheeting. We sold our home in Mapleton to a Mr. Woodward and stored our furniture in the old log house which was on the place and went to Clear Creek to work in the timber, getting out mining props. We had a very nice summer camping out, living in a tent. Mother's sister, Aunt Ell Fullmer and Uncle Lon and the family were up there too so I had someone to visit with. We had a little red wagon and I would put Burton and Welby in the wagon. Mabel pulled the wagon down the hills and I pulled it up and we would go a mile to where Aunt Ell was camped. Father and Mother came up for a while and Father worked in the timber and Mother and I just visited. Father stayed two months, but Mother only stayed two weeks. We all went to Schofield for the 4th of July celebration. We had a very nice summer and came home the first part of September and packed and loaded our furniture, the horses and what implements we had, wagon, buggy, plow, harrow, etc., in a railroad car, to ship to Idaho, and Jesse and George Whiting, who loaded his things in the same car, left for our new home in Idaho. When we were in the timber that summer a sheep herder gave us a pup. It was so black that we named it Sinner. Jesse took the pup in the car too. About the first of October, Hazel Whiting and I, with the children, Mabel, Burton and Welby, and Hazel's boy Ron, went by train to Blackfoot. Father took us down to the lower depot in Spanish Fork to get on the train. He had to take a wagon as we had so much baggage. We arrived at Blackfoot at Midnight and crossed the Snake River in the dark.

Jesse had our furniture all fixed and beds ready for us in a one room house about one-fourth of a mile from our own place as our house had to have adobes put in and plastering done before we could live in it. When I got up and looked out the next morning, I think I was the most homesick person in the world. That was the most desolate looking country I had ever seen. There were no nice brick homes anywhere around us, just weather beaten shacks that looked more like barns and sheds than homes, but we were there so had to make the best of everything.

We got moved into our own place by Christmas 1909. This was a very hard cold winter, cold wind blowing all the time, seemed like all I got done was keep the stove full of cedar wood (we did not see any coal while we lived in Idaho) to keep us warm. Jesse had to go to the Lava Beds (Lavies) so many days to get enough wood to keep us warm. We had to haul all the water we used for the house and chickens over two miles--hauled it in 40 gallon barrels and watered the horses at the canal. The farm was all in sage brush, but by spring we had 20 acres ready to plant. Of course by now we were acquainted with out neighbors. Seym and Phyllis Hess were the nearest ones, but the dearest ones were Dave and Lizzie Peterson, who we learned to love like family. They lived one-half mile from us. I would put Baby Evalyn and Welby in the baby buggy and with Burton and Mabel walking, I would go to our dear friends and spend many happy hours. We always had mending to do or some kind of sewing, so we visited while we worked. We did a lot of visiting with the Petersons. They did not have any boys and they liked our boys. Dave used to call Welby "Bishop" all the time. One day when he called him bishop, Welby looked down at Dave's shoes and then up at Dave and said, "I's not Bishop now, but when I is Bishop, I will buy you a new pair of shoes." We all had a laugh at this, as Dave had bad corns and a bunyan [sic] and had just got a new pair of shoes and had cut holes in them to ease his feet, but Welby thought they were really worn out. Welby was made a Bishop of the Mapleton Ward February 11, 1951, but by this time Dave Peterson had died, so he never got to buy the shoes.

April, 1910, Ella came up to stay with us a while and on April 26 my baby was born on Mother's birthday. We named her Evalyn after Mother. Ella stayed with us a month and we had a very nice visit.

We had planted out a few fruit trees, shade trees and raspberry bushes and the day Evalyn was born, Jesse was planting the lawn and finished it before he hitched the small black horses on the buggy and went to get our neighbor, Seym Hess, to drive 7 miles to Blackfoot for a midwife to take care of me. We also had a nice spring garden coming up and had painted the house on the outside a light grey and the place now began to look like home and we were not so homesick. Well, we hardly had any time to be homesick, as we worked from daylight till dark. Jesse was determined to get more of the land ready for planting and I had about all I could do to see about the little chickens and my family. We had started to go out to church in the Groveland Ward and met more friends that way. We had bought a new buggy, two seats and a nice top, so it was nice riding around the country when we found any time.

In the spring of 1910, Jesse rented a 40 acre farm from a Mr. Pope. This was under cultivation and had some alfalfa on it. There was a team of small black horses with the place and when we hitched these black horses on our new shiny top buggy, we were really as happy and proud as we have ever been about any of the cars we have owned. Clearing sage brush from the land, making new ditches on the land, took a lot of time, but we were gradually getting the farm cleared of sagebrush.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Ruby Snow Warren Jensen (1884-1966) Autobiography, Part 1


Autobiography of
Ruby Snow Warren Jensen
Written January 25, 1963

The fields and mountains are white today with a covering of snow, about six inches deep. It was this same kind of a day, my Mother told me, when I was born on November 29, 1884. I was born in the settlement the pioneers had built when they moved out on the bench east of Springville, Utah. It was then called the Union bench but in a year or two this place was called Mapleton. I am the oldest child of Edwin M. and Francis Evaline Perry Snow. They were called Uncle Ed and Aunt Frant to everyone in the community. My grandparents and great grandparents on both sides of the family were all pioneers coming to Utah in the years of 1847, 1949 [sic--1849?], and 1850.

My parents were married April 9, 1883 and moved out on the Union Bench where they lived in a tent until Father built a home. The tent was about 40 rods north of where the home was built, by a big ditch which was always filled with water running in it. This water was used for washings, cooking, cleaning, and bathing.

Father started building this home in 1883. It was the first brick home built in Mapleton. Father hauled the brick from Provo for this home. It is much the same today as it was when it was built and is now owned by Bessie Thorn. They did not have this home all finished when I was born. They were only using two rooms then. My Childhood was lived in this home and I remember many happy times we had in it. We had a nice orchard with all kinds of fruit, shrubbery and flowers. I always liked to sew and my Mother was a good seamstress and every time she sat down to do any sewing, I had to have a needle and thread to sew the scraps. Mother said when she asked me what I was sewing I always said, "Making a basque for Uncle Wellie." He was Father's brother and was at our home much of the time. When I was eight years old, I had pieced enough blocks for a quilt. My, how sore my fingers got as I did not have a thimble. Mother had my Aunt Eva and Aunt Clara and some of the neighbors in to help quilt this quilt.

Aunt Eva Perry brought me a white lace collar and Aunt Clara gave me a pretty pin. I mention these things as we did not have many gifts then. When the Salt Lake Temple was completed and ready for dedication, Father and Mother, Uncle Will and Aunt Clara Tew, decided to go. This was to be April 6, 1893. They wanted to take Willie Tew and myself with them but we were past eight years of age and as all who went had to have recommends, we had to be baptized. It was a cold wintry weather still, but we were baptized in the Big Hollow. There was snow all around the edge of the stream, but the water was not frozen. Willie and I were. That trip to Salt Lake was our first ride on the train. About all I remember of the Dedication was the stairways and the beautiful large mirrors. We were baptized by Uncle Will Tew, Willie's father, March 28,  1893.

I had two brothers and one sister all born in the old home. One little brother lived only a week. Our house was now all finished with four nice rooms in it and we were very comfortable. One morning while we were getting ready to go to school, my brother, Eddie, took the tea kettle from the stove to get warm water to wash in and he accidentally spilled some on my legs. They were scalded so bad that I had to stay home from school for weeks while they were getting well. My, how Eddie cried about this for many mornings, not for me but because he had to go to school alone.

At first the settlers had to go to Springville to church and school, but they soon built a room of lumber for school and church. Soon a large brick room was built in the center of town. This is now the Town Hall. It was in this building that I first went to school. The lumber building was moved and part of it was joined on the home of Harriet Curtis. She operated the first store and post office in Mapleton. (This home later became my first home.)

I started school in this nice brick school house when I was about eight years old. My sister Ella, who was then about two years old, had inflamatory [sic] rheumatism and had to be moved and carried on a pillow for many weeks. My Grandfather, Warren Stone Snow, came to our house and with some of the Elders he administered to Ella. We all had great faith in the administration of the Elders and annointing [sic] with the consecrated olive oil.

Uncle Lute Whiting, bishop of the ward, died in February, 1896, and Uncle Will Tew, one of his counselors, was made bishop. He chose my Father, Edwin M. Snow, as his first counselor and Wm. P. Fullmer as his second counselor. They were set apart in April, 1896, by Joseph F. Smith, then President of the Church. My father bought a new buggy, a Spaulding, being the brand name. How bright and shiny it was and what a joyful time it was when we all got in this buggy, took our lunch and hay for the horses and went to Provo, Utah, to Conference. How big the tabernacle looked to us children. We would leave home about eight o'clock in the morning and it would be near six o'clock at night when we got home. In 1896 Father started to build a new home much nearer to school and church. This home was what now would be known as a three bedroom home. There was also a big parlor, a dining room, a kitchen, a bath room, and a cellar under the bathroom. There was no running water at that time, but we still had a room we could take the washtub in and have a bath in private.

Father started this new home in the spring of 1895. It was not as easy to build then as it is now. There was a carpenter in charge of the building, but Father went up in Maple Canyon and got rocks to make the foundation and in the summer he went up Spanish Fork Canyon and worked at a sawmill and logged and got enough rough lumber for the floor and ceiling joists and for sheeting for the roof. He hauled by wagon all the brick from Provo and the adobes from Uncle Lon Fullmer's brick yard. This took most of the summer. He also hauled the sand and lime from Provo. He dug a big square hole in the ground and slacked the lime to use in the mortar for laying up the brick and plastering the walls.

The home was finished in the fall of 1896, but Mother had Typhoid Fever in the summer and the doctor did not want her to move in the new home until spring, so it was march, 1897, when we moved. Mother had cut and sewed enough carpet rags so we had carpets for the bedrooms and kitchen. Father bought an ingrain carpet, a table and six chairs for the dining room. We did not use the parlor for a few years. Father also bought a new bedroom set for their bedroom. We now had a bedroom for Eddie and for my sister Ella and myself. The furniture from the old home was used in the two bedrooms and the kitchen. I was only twelve years old, but how happy I was that we had such a nice home. Father now started to go to the canyons for lumber for the new barns and sheds that were needed for the cows and horses.

Father and Mother bought a nice organ in 1893 and I took music lessons and did very well and enjoyed it very much. The organ was enjoyed by all the young folks in my crowd and the older young people who used to like to come to my Mother's home for an evening of fun, candy pulls, rag bees, and evenings of popping corn and doing many things for amusement as there was not too much of any kind of amusement then.

When I was 15 years old, I had my first church assignment. I was made secretary in the Primary when Addie Fullmer Jensen was the President. I remember to this day how happy I was to be called to this position and how proud I was to carry the books. It wasn't long after this that I was set apart as Sunday School Librarian. About 1901, I was set apart as assistant secretary in the Sunday School. John Lee was the secretary. He resigned soon after this and I was secretary for the next three years. I was also Sunday School organist and for two years was Ward organist. During this time I had graduated from the grade schools, being privileged to go one year in the new six room school house that was completed in 1899. We had graduation exercises in the meeting house. This last year of grade school was taught by Wayne E. Johnson. 

For many years we enjoyed dances in the church and then Wallace Johnson came to Mapleton and built an amusement hall. (This was later used as a store and now is owned by Vance Gividen and is a garage.) On the opening night of this amusement hall, which was to be a big dance, about half the young folks in Mapleton had the measles and of course I was one of them, so there were several dances before I was well enough to go.

As I always liked to sew, after I graduated from school, I sewed with a dressmaker, my cousin Madge Whiting, and learned the dressmaking trade. How I loved the dressmaking model, putting the whalebones on the seams and sewing on the many hooks and eyes. After that I made all my own clothes and many for my friends and I sewed with Madge for over a year as she always had more work than she could do.

I went one winter to the B.Y.A. But there was an outbreak of small Pox in the school and Father and Mother thought it was wise for me to quit school on this account. It was the first time that I had ever been away from home and I was homesick and ready to go back home anyway.

At this time all the women and girls wore long dresses and skirts reaching down to our ankles. Only our toes showed below the hem of the dress. We all wore high top button or laced shoes--mostly spring heal, that was much the same as a house shoe now.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

History of Jerald Wesley Glenn (1904-1991), Part 6: Items and Pictures of Interest

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
History of the Kimberly, Idaho Ward

Click to enlarge.







Editor's note: According to Family Search, Calvin Rolly Glenn died March 27, 2010. He would have been 102 the next October!

History of the Kimberly, Idaho Ward From 1870-1986, Compiled by J. Wesley Glenn

I was thrilled to find this history of the Kimberly ward at the end of my great-grandfather J. Wesley Glenn's autobiography. I have been looking forward to sharing it ever since I read it. Enjoy!

A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
AND OF THE KIMBERLY WARD
FROM 1870 TO 1986

Compiles [sic] by J. Wesley Glenn of the Kimberly Second Ward, February 9, 1986

The first pioneers settled in southern Idaho came from Utah in the early 1870s, perhaps some earlier, and settled on what was known as Cassia Creek. A dam was built to store water to irrigate the land. Cassia County was organized in 1879 from Oneida County.

As more people came into the area, the Cassia Stake was organized on 19 November 1887, the 32nd stake with Horten O. Haight as president.

The first person in the area, Mr. I. B. Perrine, who is known as the father of Twin Falls, found a way down the canyon wall on the north side of the Snake River into the Blue Lakes area. He envisioned irrigating the land and widely advertised through out the United States. He and a few others interested invested some capital in financiering the project. Work commenced on the Milner Dam and the canals early 1903 and was completed by the end of 1904. The construction of this dam is quite unique. Timbers were stood on end and team and wagons to fill both sides to the necessary strength to complete the structure hauled dirt, rocks, and gravel. This dam was inspected just a few years back and though it would be well to replace it there is no evidence of it giving way and is safe to continue to operate it, although it is now more than 80 years old. Four horses and two men operating a scraper dragging the dirt out and placing it on the bank excavated the canals. This scraper was four feet long and would hold ten cubit feet of material. The main canal leading out of Milner Dam is about 100 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and carries about 4,000 cubic feet of water passing a given point per second It could be compared to a fair sized river. This stream waters a little more than 200,000 acres or approximately 300 square miles of land. I have been told that Bishop Doyle Morrill’s great-grandfather, Laban D. Morrill, contracted to build the low line canal just south of Kimberly. Water came into the Kimberly area the spring of 1905. The first train arrived in September of 1905.

The arrival of the water and railroad brought more settlers into the area. A branch of the Church was organized as a branch of the Marion Ward of the Cassia Stake under the direction of William T. Jack, President of the Cassia Stake and Bishop Adam G. Smith of the Marion Ward. Magnas P. Swan was sustained as President, Labon D. Morrill, first counselor, Hyrum Strong second counselor, and Edward F. Cozzons, clerk. There was an enrollment of 33 persons. This is the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Sings [sic] organized in the Twin Falls area and covered the area from Murtaugh to Buhl. Meetings were held in the houses of the members until a better place could be obtained.

In the platting of the town of Kimberly each of the churches was given a lot on which to build. The Methodist and Christian churches each were given the property on which their buildings now stand across from the City Park. We, LDS, were given one-half of a city block on the edge of town located just to the south of our present building.

In the year of 1906 a school was built and then all the churches held their meetings in the school building, which was located at the intersection of Birch and Jefferson Streets where the large house now stands.

In the Spring of 1908 a 40-foot by 60 foot building was completed at the cost of 900 dollars, which was a large amount for the small group. The Church did not assist as they do now. This building was a little smaller than our present chapel. To divide into classrooms we drew curtains to make the classes. This was the standard practice in the early days. The building was dedicated and the Kimberly Ward organized the 10 May1908 by Francis M. Lyman of the Counsel of the Twelve, assisted by President Jack and Bishop Smith. Eston Briar Wilkens was sustained as Bishop with Samuel F. Strong, First Counselor, Joseph H. Sudweeks as Second Counselor, and Madison M. Fisher as Clerk. Some of the people who were in attendance which we recognize today are: The Morrills, the great grandfather of Bishop Doyle Morrill and the grandfather of Garth, the Morgans, the grandfather of E. J. Morgan, our Stake Patriarch, the Sudweeks, grandfather to Raymond Sudweeks who is now on a mission to Taiwan, the McEwen’s—Orlo’s father Orlo is not with us now but was a member of this ward for many years, in whose home the Branch was organized.


Traveling to church was not easy in the early days of the Ward. Some lived five, six and even seven miles from church. The James A. Stanger family traveled the seven miles to come to meetings. They would travel two hours to get here, attend Sunday School and Sacrament meetings then it would be two hours back home but, they came. Others traveled the four and five miles. During the period of 1908 to 1917, more families settled in the area. In the year of 1917 the automobile replaced the horse and transportation to church was much easier.

During the year of 1912 wards were organized in Twin Falls and Murtaugh, which reduced the size of Kimberly Ward to the Kimberly and Hansen area.

The Twin Falls Stake was organized 26 July 1919, the 76th stake with Lawrence G. Kirkman as President, Edward M. Guest as First Counselor and Raymond McClelland as Second Counselor. The Twin Falls Stake covered the area of the original Kimberly Ward from Murtaugh to Buhl.

Twin Falls Idaho Tabernacle/Stake House

After the death of President Joseph F. Smith, 19 November 1918, Heber J. Grant was sustained President, 23 November 1918. He was called to guide the Church during the uncertain 20’s and the depressed 30’s. His great message was to live the Word of Wisdom as the vices of tobacco and alcohol were coming into prominence. Hedid all he could to encourage the Saints to keep themselves from these vices.

The block north of the Kimberly Ward building had no houses on it. I always wondered why. There were houses on the blocks surrounding this block. The Lord must have been saving it for us (Kimberly Ward) as a building site. In the spring of 1941 James A. Henry, a produce dealer in Kimberly, told us that he thought he could purchase this block of ground for the new building. This he was able to do the summer of 1947 and the title of this land was passed to the Church by that fall. In the spring of 1948 the land was planted to beans and the money was placed in the building fund. Sugar beets were grown on this land the summer of 1949 and again the money went into the building fund. By the spring of 1950 we (Kimberly Ward) had enough to commence building and with the help of many of the ward members we were able to commence the building the spring of 1951 at a cost of $112,000. The chapel (building) was dedicated by Joseph L. Wirthlin, Presiding Bishop of the Church, the 8th of March 1951. He said in his remarks that we should prepare ourselves to stand in holy places. That our temples were holy places and that we could not all be in them so then our chapels would be holy places. But still, we could not all be in them all the time then we should make our homes holy places. We could be in our homes at all times so this should be our goal.


As the stake continued to grow, the Twin Falls Stake was divided creating the Twin Falls West Stake on the 17 August 1969, the 490th stake.

As the years went by the Kimberly Ward continued to grow so that by the end of 1972 we had outgrown this building. Kimberly Ward was divided in April 1972 creating the First and Second Wards. The northern part of Kimberly became the First Ward, the southern part of Kimberly and Hansen area became the Second Ward, with William O. Lyda as our Bishop. This created a problem of scheduling all the meetings to be held, but with the cooperation of all the Brethren, it was solved. The next seven years were continued growth for the two wards, so we were again too large for our building. On the 4th of February 1979, the First and Second Ward boundaries were realigned and the Hansen Ward was created with the Hansen school district being the Hansen Ward. The north half of Kimberly became the First Ward and the south half became the Second Ward with Richard F. Hunt as our Bishop.

The Twin Falls Stake also had grown so large that conference sessions were held one half of the Stake would meet in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The Twin Falls Stake was divided creating the Kimberly Idaho Stake the 11th of February 1979 with David L. Carter as the President. In the Stake are the wards Kimberly First and Second, Hansen, Murtaugh and TwinFalls 11th. The Twin Falls West Stake was divided in 1981 creating the Filer Idaho Stake. Thus has the Church grown in the eighty years of existence.

Now let us look back to the time when the Branch was organized in 1905 and the Ward in 1908 and try to visualize what would be eighty years hence. This, those few Saints, could not do. As I live my life again in my youth, 1985 seems so far in the future I could not realize what the growth would be. Now that we are living in 1986, the same area of the original Kimberly Ward has 24 wards and four Stakes with an enrollment of about 8,000 Saints.

As we project our thoughts into the future, do we realize what will be for us the next eighty years? As I think of the future, I can see the growth of the Church as more wards and states [sic] are organized in this area. Again, let us project our thoughts into the distant future beyond the time when we will beat our spears into pruning hooks and our swords into plowshares when we have overcome our selfishness then more wards and stakes will cover the earth. Then will be the great work of the Saints the redemption of the living and the dead. Ways will be opened whereby we will identify all of those who have lived on this earth and the necessary ordinances will be performed for them. Then will the Father’s work be completed. This is the great mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Let us put our shoulder to the wheel and do our bit to push the work along.

Jerald Wesley Glenn
9 February 1986
Kimberly, Twin Falls, Idaho




I am filled with awe as I read that last paragraph. My great-grandfather had already passed away when it was announced that a temple would be built in Twin Falls, but I suspect that he and all of those early saints who worked so hard to establish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Kimberly were watching when that announcement was made. I'm sure they were filled with joy to see that the time has come when there are not only many wards but also a temple in the area. The work of redeeming the dead is now taking place in a temple just fifteen minutes away from Kimberly.

History of Jerald Wesley Glenn (1904-1991), Part 5: Several Images

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
History of the Kimberly, Idaho Ward

Jerald Wesley Glenn's patriarchal blessing is also included in the document. If you would like to read it you should be able to request it from lds.org.

Here are images of several documents about Jerald Wesley Glenn. Click the images to enlarge.