I
was born at Lehi City, Utah on February 26, 1891. The daughter of George Henry
Smith and Mary Jane Harwood. I was one
of eleven children. They had two boys and nine girls. I spent my childhood in
Lehi, starting school at the age of six years.
We went to school in the afternoon the first year, then in the morning
until I reached the third grade. After
that I went all day.
We
had to cross the railroad to get to school and I used to run all the way until
I got across the tracks, for I was afraid the train would block the road and I
would be late for school. As long as I
went to school I was only late once and that was because a train stopped me at
the crossing and my teacher didn’t mark me late. We walked a mile and a half to
school.
We
children would go to the field with father and play while he worked. As we were
coming home father would always stop and let us pick wild flowers. We rode in the wagon to the fields and back. In the winter we used to have blizzards. And
father used to come with warn shawls and help us home.
The
first thing I remember was when my little brother was born. I was just four. I was so happy, I always loved babies so
much, and we were all so happy when a new baby came to our house. Mother had a cradle for the baby and I used
to lay on the floor and rock it with my feet.
He was sure hard to get to sleep, or it seemed so to me for I wanted to
go play. Mother would have us children
take turns getting the baby to sleep.
My
sister, Zada, and I used to play house. She was two years younger than I. We
would build our houses in the silver maple tree out by our lane. If we ever got
a nickel we would buy a yard of voile (it was 5 cents a yard) and make our
dolls dresses. We used to make our play
dishes out of apples or sugar beets. Father used to give us all the red and
yellow beets to make our dishes out of.
Uncle
Ted Smith and his family live just through the fence from us and Uncle Jim
Taylor’s family lived just on the south. They had children our ages and we had
a very happy time playing together. We
used to go to Grandmother’s for Thanksgiving.
They had English walnuts and they would always leave some on the trees
and on the ground for us children to gather.
We sure had fun hunting them and seeing who could find the most. Grandmother would always have turkey, plum
pudding, and mince pies. She was such a
good cook. Sometimes there would be snow
and we would go for a ride in the bob sleigh.
Every
summer father and mother would take us children and go to the west canyon for
ten days. They would get some of their
friends and families to go with us.
Sometimes there would be more than one hundred people in the canyon at
one time. We would have a big bonfire and all sit around it, sing songs and
telling stories. They were very happy times. I remember one time in the canyon
the older boys and girls were going to gather chokecherries. I started to go
with them. After we had gone some
distance they sent me back to camp. I
went past the camp and kept on going until I knew I was lost. Then I got
frightened and began to cry. There were
cattle around and that made me more afraid.
Soon they missed me and came to find me. When I saw father and the rest
of them coming I sure was glad. It is a
terrible feeling to be lost in the canyon.
I never left the older ones again and didn’t enjoy our trips to the
canyon too much after that.
Christmas
was a happy time at our home. Our folks
didn’t have much money and a large family. Mother used to let us pop corn and
make chains out of colored paper for the tree.
We would get red apples and shine them to hang on the tree. Father used to go to the canyon and get us a
cedar tree. We used to get one
present. Either a doll or dishes. Grandmother always gave us some little thing.
Our dolls were just little ones with a china head, hands and feet.
I
remember the last doll I had. It had hair and brown eyes and a pink dress. The neighbor boys were over to our house
playing and broke my doll. It almost broke
my heart too.
When
I was fifteen years old we moved to Blackfoot, Idaho. It was the 5th
of December 1905. My sister, just older
than I, didn’t go to school after coming to Idaho. Father was working for the
Sugar company and we didn’t have a way to go to school. There was a little
school house just across the street from our home, but they had one teacher for
all eight grades and a poor teacher at that.
We had been going to a good school and wouldn’t go to school here. I have always been sorry that I didn’t finish
my school but it was my own fault.
I
met and married Raymond Taylor on May 27, 1907 at Riverside, Idaho. He didn’t
belong to the church, but did join our church in 1918. I was very happy about it. To this union were born five children: Elmer Ray, Glen Coy, Fay Marley, Alice Marie,
and Var Max. We were very happy all our
married life. Ray was a devoted husband and father. Before our last baby was
born, we went to the Logan Temple of the 21st of July 1921 and were
married for all ETERNITY and had our children sealed to us. Then in February
1924, he took sick with appendicitis and died the 1st day of March.
Our
oldest son, Elmer, was but 15 years old and Var, our youngest, was only one
year old. We got along as best we could.
The boys ran the farm and for a few years I took school teachers in to
board. After Elmer got married, we sold
the farm and bought us a home on the Riverside town site. Ray asked me before he died to keep the
family together. I tried to do it and did until they were all married. I had many friends, mother and father,
sisters and brothers to help me. The children were good to me and helped all
they could. I was so thankful for the faith I had. To know I could go to my Heavenly Father in
prayer and He would always help me in my time of need.
Without
that faith, I don’t think I could of stood the trials I went through. I have
tried to live a clean life and hope I have never done anything that would cause
my children to be ashamed of me. I think
everyone of them are fine children. I
have the best daughter-in-laws and son-in-law in the world. I am so proud of
them and all my grandchildren. I hope
and pray that the day will come then they will all go to the temple and be
sealed for time and eternity.
Elmer,
our oldest one, married Elsie Gardner. They moved to Montana in April 1942 and
in October 1943, Elmer passed away from a heart attack. He left a wife and four children. Glen married Naomi Turpin and they have six
children. Fay married Dora Weaver and
they have four children. Alice married
Mearl Wheeler and they have four children.
Var married Nelda Hansen. They have two children. They all have their own homes, and are good
citizens, and Latter-Day Saints. This makes me very happy.
I married
Frank T Halverson, May 29, 1933. He has
been a good husband and a good father to my children. We are very happy
together. We have had many wonderful
trips and he does everything to make my life happy.
I
served as first counselor in the Primary. I was Primary President for six
years. A counselor in the Young Ladies Mutual under two presidents. First counselor in the Relief Society, and a
visiting teacher for 30 years. I also
served on the Primary Stake board.
I
had a son, step-son, and son-in-law in World War II and have two grandsons in
the air force now.
(Written in July
1952- though the editor took the liberty and adding children to Uncle Fay’s
family and Uncle Var’s- as Dennis and Robert weren’t born until later.)
Poem written by Mary Taylor Halverson
If someday, a million years for now,
Beyond the misty fields of heaven,
While walking alone,
I should hear a bird-like, high-pitched voice,
I know my heart will skip a beat.
There will be no need to turn and about
Nor guess who might be greeting me.
Life made only one such quaint sound.
That moment will revive her face and gentleness for me,
And, before I turn to see her smile,
My mind will conjure her again;
Slight and shivering, in early morning Idaho light,
Trying to say “Goodbye” without tears.
Our farewells seemed all too long.
I placed my jacket around her shoulders
And she felt me warmth. . .
We never saw each other again.
And still, so still, I hear her voice.
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