My Mother's history
by James Horald Lee 1960
I have many times made the request of my sisters to take time to ponder and write some of the things that they remember about our precious Mother. So, at this time, I, Jim Lee, am going to put down on paper some of the things that I remember about her.She was the mother of 14 children of which 9 were girls and 5 were boys. She was a very attractive woman with big brown eyes, beautiful teeth and a generous crown of auburn colored hair. She had always had beautiful roses in her cheeks and her eyes sparkled when she laughed. I remember when we were working in the fields, beet fields, mother would always come with something tasty for us at about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. She was always concerned about her men and about her girls. Although she was the mother to and had 14 children, she was never old. Many times she would go to the dances with the girls and it was hard for her to make people believe she was their mother, not their sister.
Truly, the saying that, "there is no love, like a mother's love" was true about her. For every heartache one of the children had, she also had heartache. I remember when I lost my first love. The whole world seemed to have fallen from under me. I moped around for 3 or 4 days, and just keeping it to myself. Her heart ached for me. One night when I went to bed, she quietly came into my room and slipped in by my side. She took me into her precious arms and I cried out my sorrow on her shoulder. It sure relieved me, for I felt much better the next morning. She taught each of us how to cook and prepare a good meal, boys and girls alike, so that when the time came that we had to cook, we wouldn't just be lost.
She was a practical nurse and a good one. Three different times she brought me back from death's door with her love and care. Then when death called her and Annie Eliza Keele Lee one of us were able to do for her what she had done for us, so many times, it almost broke my heart. Then there were the heartaches during her long illness, which was caused by a miscarriage, when blood clots stopped the circulation from her legs and so her legs and feet died first, which caused her such pain that she had to be under shots almost constantly, she couldn't stand for anyone to help her change her position but me. She thought that I alone could and was able to help without hurting her. I spent many hours and days alone with her watching her die from the feet up. Her skin on her feet became transparent so that I could see the bones as if it were just plastic covering the bones. Then her legs went this same way. Finally gangrene and blood poisoning brought her relief many times I had and did cry unto the lord to take me instead of her. Little realizing that such a puny offering could not pay for such a priceless gem.
We got hold of four different doctors but none were able to cure her and to remove the clots from her legs. Then in desperation we called Dr. Green from Parowan, Utah to come. Mother had worked for him as his nurse during the terrible flu epidemic of 1918. He called her his 'old life saver'. For when a patient was that bad that he could do no more for them, he would turn them over to mother and she would bring them through almost without exception. When dad called Dr. Green and told him what had happened to mother, he dropped everything and came to delta.
We were all present when he came. Also there were 2 other doctors. When he came to her bedside, he knelt down and put his arms under her head and wept bitterly for his 'Old Life Saver'. When he examined her and tried to force the blood through the veins by massaging, but to no avail. All the while knowing that there was no hope and all the while there were tears of grief falling onto his hands. Our hearts went out to this wonderful doctor for he was a great man and a wonderful doctor. But despite all our efforts, the Lord took her home and left such a deep and empty spot in our hearts. Many times in the fields, cultivating beets, tears of memory have fallen down my face as I remembered how precious she was and I could feel her presence near as if she were trying to comfort me as she had done many times before.
Remembering back to the time when our oldest boy was killed, I had been helping them clear some ground on a new project. I had my tractor on my truck and was returning home late in the afternoon. We stopped at a farmer's house to see about buying a cow to take out to Blaine’s place. After making the arrangements to get the cow, we returned to the truck, to find a flat tire, on the back. It being almost dark, we hurriedly took off the tire and took it to a garage and had it fixed. Blaine called his wife to come, and they would go home from there while we were hurriedly putting on the tire, a pickup truck driven by a boy and accompanied by his father came along the highway and seeing us in a crouched position, thought that someone was hurt. He applied his brakes to stop. The left wheel's brake, grabbed and swung his pick up around and into us knocking us under the truck. Blaine’s head struck a bolt and knocked a hole in his head, just above his eyebrow. Me being badly hurt, my chest caved in and my lower gum almost severed, I saw his quivering body lying on the ground and felt that at that moment, I would never see him alive again. Another car came along and took him to the hospital along with me.
He never gained consciousness. He lay between life and death for three days. About 2 a.m.on the 3rd day, I was lying on my bed in the hospital feeling miserable, when I felt the presence of my mother, as I had often felt before. I turned as if to see her. But I couldn't, but knew that she was there. I knew, in my heart, that she had come for my son. When the bishop came the next morning, he said, "it's all over". I said, "I know, for my mother came for him."
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What I Remember About My Mother
By Leah Birdetta Lee Mickelson
My earliest recollection of my Mother is when we were living in Lund, White Pine County, Nevada. I can remember when Daddy was freighting from Tonopah to Lund with a 4 horse outfit. After one of these trips, he brought a man home with him named Monroe. Apparently Daddy did not get another load of freight. He and Mr. Monroe had filed a claim together on a gold bearing mine. He let Mr. Monroe go back to Tonopah to finish negotiations on the claim. Mother begged Daddy not to trust Monroe, but to go with him and see about it himself, but Daddy was always trusting, being honest himself, so instructed Monroe what to do. The next Daddy heard of the mine was that Monroe had sold it for $10,000 and skipped the country.
Mama used to clean us children all up about 10 o'clock in the morning of a nice day, and pick up the baby in her arms, (Stella) and take us up to spend the day at Aunt Lou Harrison’s. While she and Aunt Lou visited, we and the Harrison children had good times together. Daddy would come after his day's work was over and carry the baby home. Sometimes Aunt Lou would bring all her kids and spend the day with us. Mama and Daddy liked to dance and attended all the dances. Sometimes they would take the kids with them and put them to sleep on the benches while they danced. We always had wonderful Christmas. One year Mama crocheted a lovely white sweater for papa of wool yarn, when it was nearly worn out, she would salvage the best parts and crocheted booties for the baby. Mama was an excellent seamstress, she made all our clothes and her own.
One incident stands out in my memory that happened while we were still living in Lund. Papa played Santa Claus to Dell Ivens family, as Mr. Ivens was at that time on a mission. Mama got Daddy all dressed up in his Santa Claus costume, complete with bells and all and sent him to the Ivens home, he peeked in the window, and sister Ivens was telling the Christmas story to her children, as she finished, Daddy jingled the bells and came close to the window. Hearing the sound of the bells, the children looked at the window, seeing Santa clause there, they scampered off to bed in a hurry.
Then sister Ivens opened the kitchen door and talked to Daddy for a moment. She told him she had explained to the children that there would be no visit from Santa this year, as Santa only visited those who could pay for the gifts, and since their Daddy was on a mission for the Lord there was no money for gifts. Papa gave them something in the way of Christmas cheer. I think Mama had baked something, either cookies or a cake and some home made candy and some toys. Sister Ivens tearfully thanked him and Mama, whom she knew had helped to plan it.
A couple of years later, when we moved six miles to Preston, sister Ivens came to our house at conference time. She wanted Mama to come and go to conference with her, Mama had a month old baby (porter)and she told sister Ivens that she could not get into her Sunday dress, as her corsets had worn out by the time the baby was born. For the benefit of those who might read this, all the women wore stout corsets in those days with steel stays in them, so sister Ivens, being a slightly thin woman, went into the bedroom, took off her corsets, let out the laces, and had Mama put them on, so she could go to conference with sister Ivens and her husband who by that time was back off his mission. (naturally Papa went to conference too.)
I remember waking up one morning while we were still living in Preston. There was a quilt fastened up to the doorway where there was no door, and I asked one of my sisters, who was also awake, why there was a quilt there. My sister Ada said she did not know. Just then papa pushed the quilt back and said, "hey you kids, get up and come and see your new baby brother".(Guy Willis). Sister Windows, the midwife who had delivered the baby, was busy getting some breakfast. Many times Mama used to walk with us children on the hills close to our home, while Daddy was working on the farm. Some times she would pack a lunch to take with us. She made the most delicious taffy candy I have ever tasted. I remember and probably you do too, Horald, watching her plump shiny arms in fascination, as she pulled the candy to the right stage to stretch out on the table and cut in pieces, then she would pick up the pieces when they were cool and place them on her big white platter (china) with the pink roses on it. Mama's friend bertha smith painted the platter when we lived across the street from her in Lund. Many is the time, Horald, when we've seen that platter heaped with popcorn balls she'd made or apples she'd polished, at Christmas time.
Mama worked hard both inside the house and out. I remember one year papa was ill and could not work. It was harvest time and along with one other person that papa hired, Mama went into the field and loaded the shocks of grain. It was hard work, she used the pitch fork and finally got the crop harvested. Constant use of the fork had bruised the inside of her hand between her second and third fingers. This place on her hand gathered into what sister windows called a felon. I don't know what it is known as today, but I think it is infection from the bruise. Mama's hand and arm swelled and became inflamed, she was quite ill and lost a lot of sleep through it. She bound it up in a bread and milk poultice, this caused it to come to a head and break releasing pus and blood. After this the swelling and the infection went away. Mama always did the doctoring for the whole family and half of the neighborhood. I’ve heard her say that she never had a doctor in the house until her 12th child was born (Ida Mae). Her children were delivered with a mid-wife and papa, who was as good as any mid-wife, I know he helped me when my first child, Arthur was born, and I had a doctor in the house, too.
I remember when I had the measles, it seemed like all the children managed to get a childhood disease at about the same time, then Mama got very little sleep. I remember how Mama would come in when we were sleeping, and how she would go from bed to bed feeling our forehead or check to see if we had fever, giving this child a drink of water and that child a dose of medicine, which in many instances she had mixed herself. When the kids got the toothache, papa would get the forceps out and pull the tooth if need be, while Mama held our heads and comforted us afterwards. Mama doped our ear ache with warm olive oil. Mama never used olive oil unless it was consecrated. A he said that it has "healing power." By this time the family numbered 10. Myrtle, Ada, Jesse, Birdie, Horald, Stella, Melba, Porter Lavon, (who died later) Guy, Margaretta.
Even with this big brood of kids to look after, Mama still found time to entertain us, she took us swimming in the creek below town. She played jacks with us on the lawn, helped us make valentines, helped scoop out squash for jack-o-lanterns. She sang school songs with us and taught us some songs she had learned when she was in school. Since we had no radio or other forms of music, Mama would sing the baby as she rocked it to sleep in the evening. Sometimes Daddy would join in, they sang nicely together. Mama made a lovely soprano voice, Daddy had a nice bass voice. We as children would sit and enjoy their singing and ask them to sing certain songs that were our favorites at that time, such as "Papa Dear Papa, Come Home with me Now" "Listen to the Gypsy's Warning" and "My Beau with the Little Black Mustache". This answered our craving for music. At Thanksgiving and Christmas there were other favorite songs "Over the River and Through the Woods", Silent Night, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and several others that were in the church hymn book. I think the first time I ever heard "Silent Night" was when Mama sang it to us. It seemed like all our troubles and hurts would fly away when Mama sang to us.
Daddy decided to move the family to McGill, White Pine Co., Nevada. Where he could make a better living for us. There, our brother, Lester was born on my birthday, Dec.17, (there seems to be some question about the year) I guess it was 1913. While we were living in McGill, Mama took in washing for several of the workers, after she had ironed them, she would wrap them neatly in newspaper, tie them with twine string and label each package with the man's name, the price of the washing, and the address. Never was it over 35 or 50 cents. Mama used to walk with us down to the park below McGill, which is now the dairy and swimming pool. After a year or so we left McGill, and moved to Panaca, Lincoln County, Nevada. Daddy's youngest brother, Uncle Porter came to McGill from Panaca to help move us.
He drove one wagonload and Daddy drove the other. I do not know how long it took us, but one night we camped in an old log camphouse a way off the road. We just got settled in there when it started to rain. Daddy had wagon covers over the wagons, and we hobbled the horses so they wouldn't stray too far from camp, the only way Mama cooked our supper was over the fire in the open fireplace. After we had all been fed and the younger children were in their beds, which Mama had made on the straw covered floor, Mama and Daddy, myrtle and Ada sang some songs to us. The one I remember as outstanding was "Jesus Lover of my Soul". It is a beautiful song at any time, but on that occasion in that lonely place, with the rain falling in the darkness, the snug little cabin, the flickering fire all contributed to make it a memorable occasion. Uncle Porter said, "my hair stood on end when they sang that song."
Just before bedtime Daddy went out to round up the horses for the night. It was still raining, thundering and lightning. Just when Daddy was wondering where the horses were, there came a flash of lightning, revealing the horses back in the trees, but more important, the lightning showed Daddy that he was about to step into a deep dry well. He told us about it when he came back into the cabin. Mama said, "the Lord is watching over us this night." We reached Panaca without harm or accident. Outstanding in my memory about our reaching Panaca, was Mama's reaction upon meeting her grown up brothers and sisters, who had been quite young when she last saw them, 8 years before.
I would like to say here, that Mama didn't cry easily but upon meeting each brothers and sisters, who had changed so much, she was overcome and cried and sobbed. Grandma Keele, Mama's mother said, "I was afraid it would be this way, Annie, you have stayed away too long." We lived with Grandpa and Grandma Lee for a while, then we moved to a house in another part of town. It was in this house we had our first Christmas tree. Mama showed us kids how to string popcorn and cranberries to decorate the tree. We had always hung up our stockings over the fireplace before. Mama made we girls lovely Christmas dresses. Mama and Daddy always managed to take us to the program on Christmas eve. Mama always made a fruitcake and plum pudding for Christmas with turkey or chicken for a nice Christmas dinner.
On the 4th of July, we had lovely white dresses she had made for us. The boys got pants which she made from Daddy's old pants or suits. (they looked nice too).
After living at Panaca approximately 2 years, we moved to Utah. Daddy had hoped to go to Uintah basin, but after we reached minersville, Daddy's relatives talked him into settling in Minersville, Beaver Co., Utah. While living in Minersville, both myrtle and Ada met and married their husbands. We remained in minersville about a year and a half, then moved 18 miles away to Adamsville, where Daddy farmed for Mr. Griffiths, Ada's father in law. Things did not turn out very good for us that year, I remember at Christmas time in order to have money to buy our gifts, Mama popped corn which Daddy had raised, and made it into snowy white balls. She and Daddy took them up to Beaver where they sold them to Mama's cousin, Lizzie Cowdel who had a store there.
In February, we moved to Parowan, Iron County, Utah. Daddy had leased a farm there belonging to Mr. John T. Mitchell. It was while we were living on this farm that our sister Ida Mae was born. The farm was 4 miles to town (Parowan) so as school time drew near, Daddy rented a house and we moved to town, where those of school age attended school. Mama took care of both Myrtle and Ada at the birth of their first babies. Mama's 13th child, Elzada, was born while we were living in Parowan. Something I forgot to mention earlier was the death of Mama's brother Jessie while we were in Preston, she had dreamed a day or two before of him, and he was climbing a flower bordered stairway into the sky. She was unable to go to his funeral, and years later when we were living in Parowan Valley she received word of the death of her sister Elzada in Alamo, Nevada. Mama was unable to go to this funeral because she was expecting our sister Ida Mae in about 6 weeks. After the crops were harvested in September, Daddy moved us up to Parowan City and rented a home there. The children of school age started to school. The house we lived in was too small, so the following spring Daddy moved the family to another house which happened to be across the street from the Mickelson, and there I met my future husband George Mickelson.
When I told Mama that George had asked me to marry him, her reply was "wait a month before giving him an answer, to make sure you are ready to settle down to a married life. At the end of a month I decided I wanted to marry him so we were married in October of that year. When my first baby was born in August, the following year, Mama had me come to her place and stay until my baby was a month old. She had a month old baby at that time (Elzada) this was Mama’s thirteenth child. A few months later Daddy moved the family to the Culver Farm in Parowan.
While they were living there, Mama took care of our sister Ada, from Minersville, when her son Lavon was born. While they were living there Mama received word from Panaca, Nevada, that her mother was critically ill. She made the trip to Panaca, where she nursed her mother back to health. Mama had the know-how of nursing. When the "flu" broke out in Parowan, Mama nursed many people through the danger period. Even though she herself was quite ill with it.
The following year, Daddy moved the family to Delta, Utah. Daddy leased a farm there. I had several letters from Mama, one containing the news of a new baby girl being born to her (Edessa.) When dessie was 18 months old, Mama became ill of some strange malady. All we married ones were called to her bedside the doctors didn't seem to know what Mama's trouble was. One doctor said it was bright's disease, another said it was obstruction of the blood vessels, her legs turned black and she lost the use of them and became bedfast. The pain in her legs was so bad it was the cause of her losing a great deal of weight. It was as though her legs died while she lived to experience the horrible pain. Through this ordeal, Mama retained a normal temperature. She was concerned even then with the welfare of her family, especially her 18 month old daughter Edessa. Our sister Melba was the oldest girl at home then, and you Horald, was the oldest boy still at home.
Melba did a mighty fine job of caring for the family with the help of Daddy and the 8 children still at home. Daddy sent to Parowan for Dr. Green because Mama had quite a lot of faith in him. He had been her doctor when Ida Mae was born in Parowan valley. Dr. Green was unable to prescribe for her, and later he told Daddy, " I knew as soon as I looked at your wife that she was already an angel. I would have given anything to be able to help her. " by this time Daddy had sent for Mama's mother. She helped relieve the burden of nursing and house work.
If I remember correctly, Horald, the last two weeks of her life, you were the one who was able to move her without hurting her, and this service you willingly did for her. It seemed you had a more gentle, careful way of lifting her than any of us could. By this time she had lost so much weight that you were able to lift her alone. Horald, dear, I know these are painful memories to recall, but it seems we have to relive them in writing her history. I know we all wondered at the time, how the Lord in his goodness and mercy, could possibly take Mama away from her big family. But even so, she departed this life Sept. 22, 1921. I believe the funeral was held in Sugarville, and she was buried in the Delta Cemetery. Now Horald, any of these dates which you know are wrong, please correct them, but I feel that we had an especially wonderful mother, and her spirit and teachings will remain with us always.
I hope these things I have set down here will aid you in writing Mama’s history, Horald, and may the Lord bless you in your task.
Love to you always, Your sister, Birdie.
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"MY MOTHER"
As I remember her, written Jan. 20, 1960
By her daughter Ada Edwards
My earliest recollection of my mother was when I was about 3 and a half years of age. My oldest sister Myrtle and I and my brother Jesse were standing around a chair eating hominy from saucers. All of us were babies as we were about 17 months apart. At that time, we were living at Aunt Ida Hollingshead's place, across the street from Grandma Lee's place at Panaca. I can even recall what she looked like. Very young and beautiful, as she was married at 15 years.She was fair and had warm brown eyes and light brown hair and so much in love with my dear Daddy, who is alive today at age 81, full of the best of living. Mother had many talents, being a gifted seamstress, she made many beautiful clothes both for herself and for her family. She was also an excellent cook. She could make fruit cake and pickles as I have never tasted anywhere since. I recall sneaking to the cellar where I would eat pickles from the crock as if they were candy.
She had many virtues, among them the power of discernment of being able to see things before they happened. I have often heard Daddy tell of things she seemed to foresee, and say that if he had listened to her council he would have been better off.
We lived at Panaca until after my sister Birdie was born, then went to the White River Ranch to live in White Pine County, Nevada, where my dear brother Horald James was born, as were too far away to have a doctor in attendance, my Grandmother Lee and Father were the only ones with her at the time of his birth but she was very brave and young and so got along very well.
They soon had to move from the ranch as the wild jackrabbits took all the grain and hay and the cattle had nothing to eat. They moved farther northward to a little town called Lund, Nevada, where we settled on a little farm and bought a house. Daddy was very young yet I remember his 25th birthday, very well. He had to leave home and go away to far off Tonopah to haul ore. Mother was left alone for long periods of time when he was away. While living at Lund, my sisters Stella and Melba were born with only a midwife in attendance. Mother and Daddy both took an active part in church work and many times took part in home theatricals.
After 3 or 4 years at Lund, Daddy decided to go to Preston, a town still farther northward. He bought a farm and we lived there for a number of years. My sister May Margaretta was born here, as also Guy Willis and Porter Lavon. He died when only a few weeks old.
During some of these years at Preston, my father became very ill with a bad hernia and as they didn't operate for it at that time, he was bedfast a lot of the time and mother had to work real hard. My dear mother scarcely took time out to have her babies at that time as my brother Jess was not old enough to do chores, she would be up and around as soon as possible.
At this time a dear sister by the name of Margaret Windows, she was a midwife, and took care of mother at childbirth, then mother in turn would take care of her, when her children were born. Our families were almost like one big happy family, often eating Thanksgiving Dinner at each other's home.
Since mother was such an excellent seamstress, the ladies would often come to mother's house and they would sew and make quilts together, often bringing their little ones with them. They would stay all day long.
It was the custom in those days to have a community Christmas tree, where one would take a gift to put under the tree for Santa to give the children. On one occasion, I remember that Santa was taking the gifts from the tree when his beard caught on fire from the lighted candles. Mother screamed and ran to him and hiding his face from the audience she pulled the burning beard from his face. I didn't know for many years that the Santa was my own dear father. Christmas was in those days, sheer magic, to we children as we never saw any toys, nor went in any stores to see anything like that before Christmas, and on finding toys in our stockings, Christmas morning, we were more than delighted. I never knew then what a sacrifice it was for mother and dad to always have a very merry Christmas for us, and sometimes they would play Santa to those less fortunate than we were.
Mother made our 4th of July dresses out of pink and blue sateen as that was the only material available at that time, but with her skill and as a fine seam-stress, she took some lace medallions out of a blouse she had and trimmed them. They were princess and I was very sure they were the prettiest dresses in town.
Mother was a good neighbor in every sense of the word, often sitting up with the sick and doing nursing to those who were ill. In recent years I visited our old town of Preston and a lady told me how mother had helped her when she lost her husband and how she had nursed a sick child.
Dad's restless nature soon had them on the move again. This time we went to McGill Nevada, a booming mining and smelting town. He worked at the mill for about 4 years. Here my brother Lester Nelson Lee was born. Aunt Margaret Windows came up from Preston to be with mother during his birth. But as she was expecting a child, she could not stay; so it fell to my lot to help nurse mother and baby brother. Mother would instruct me how to bathe the baby and take of him. He was born in December and that was Christmas. I helped take mother's place as Santa’s helper, which was a thrilling experience for me. While we lived there, mother would take in washing to help out with our large family.
Soon, however, they were called back to Panaca, to help Grandpa Lee on the farm. However this did not last long, as we had to live with grandpa. So after a couple of years, they came to Utah. Living at Minersville, his father's birthplace, for a short time. Here, I met and married Reese Griffiths, a fine violinist. Shortly after, mother and dad moved to Parowan, Iron County to live and they lived there for 4 or 5 years. Here my sisters, Ida May and Elzada were born. Dad engaged in farming while there. During 1918 a flu epidemic broke out and mother was called to nurse the sick and dying. As many of them lost their lives at that time. She was a fine, courageous woman. She took care of her large family and went nursing night and day and helping to save many lives.
After a few years there, they moved to Millard county where they lived at Sugarville. Here my youngest sister Edessa was born; making 14 children for her however mother's health started to fail and when Edessa was only 14 months old, mother got blood clots in her legs and after much suffering died, leaving her large family and ending the life of a very noble woman loved and revered by many.
Lovingly submitted by her daughter, Ada Griffiths Edwards, with love to my brother James Horald Lee
