Cozzens, Elizabeth (Davis) - Biography

Life Story of Elizabeth Couzzens Davis – 1849 – 1905

 

Told by her Daughter Emily Elizabeth Davis Schettler, 1955

Biography of Elizabeth Couzzens Davis

 

Elizabeth Couzzens was born March 24, 1849 and died October 24, 1905 at Ogden City, Utah. She was born at Freystrop home, Pembrokeshire , South Wales. Her father Moses Couzzens was born in 1812 (August 18) at Freystrop and died in 1871 at the same place. Her mother Emily Miles was born in 1815 at Freystrop and died at the same place January 13, 1857. Emily Miles Couzzens was burried at at Sardis Chapel which is a short distance from Freystrop, where her husband was later burried by her side.

Elizabeth’s ancestors went from Normandy, France to the British Isles at the time the Normans conquered England under William the Conqueror and though they lived in Wales they, as near as possible, remained Norman English in custom and thought.

The name Freystrop came from the word Freya’s Throp which is Scandinavian.

The old home at Freystrop in 1855 still stands on the top of the hill at Upper Freystrop. It is a two story stone house with a slated roof. It was built in old English manor style having narrow central portion with wings on either side forming a quadrangle or courtyard which at one time was covered with myrtle and shrubs. Leading up from the hedge gate to the oak door were shells and flowers. Covering the stone walls was ivy.

Elizabeth’s father Moses Couzzens was a squire but I don’t know how he became one, but he was a gracious, kind, and brave man and much respected. Emily Miles Couzzens, mother of Elizabeth, was noted for her beauty and intelligence. She was known thoughout Pembrokeshire for her financial ability. If she had lived everything in the family would of course been different.

Elizabeth’s early home life was well fitted for a remarkable family ambition for education. They received their schooling at Haverfordwest. The girls were tutored by the two Miss Ribbons who were real ladies.

In Elizabeth’s home was great love and care. Her parents had eight children born to them namely - Martha, Rebecca, George, Letitia, Elizabeth, Mary Ann and Emily and the little baby born when her mother died in childbirth in 1857.

Elizabeth was seven years old when her mother died and all her life she felt the pain and horror of that time. The one part of it all that seemed the most unjust was the pronouncement of the pastor who was too late to bless the little infant while she was still alive with her mother. He said the baby was doomed to oblivion because she died without the priestly blessing. This preyed on Elizabeth’s mind because she had a thoughtful and open mind.

A dark shadow fell on the domestic life of Moses Couzzens. After his wife was laid away in the chapel he took his lovely children home and gathered them in his arms and blest them and gave them food and wiped their tears away. They were the future of his dark life ahead. A light in his path.

When Emily became the wife of Moses Couzzens a man servant of her family left with her to attend to her in her new home. I still have a photograph of him. He was a kind and faithful person and remained to look after the wants of his mistress’ children at the old Freystrop home. The whole family loved him and called him dear names, but Elizabeth clung to her sister Rebecca who resembled her mother who had the lithe figure , deep blue eyes and dark hair. Elizabeth slept in the same room with Rebecca and talked to her about everything that came to her mind and mourned with her about their sister Martha who was now in the far off land Utah, Mormon land.

Elizabeth was living in the past. Her mind was always reverting back to the days when their mother took them boating and visiting friends like dear Aunty Bowen and Uncle Philip, the pastor or Uncle Peter and many others. There were deeper impressions mad on her mind than might have been under ordinary circumstances and the force of these sensations seem to hold her back but though she did not know it they were driving her on and forward. She was growing fast. At fourteen she was five feet seven inches tall and attending the Miss Ribbon’s School at Haverfordwest which is about 2 ½ miles from Freystrop. Often the girls walked to school and enjoyed the scenery.

Freystrop is a parish in the union of Haverfordwest, hundred of Rhos, county of Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It is about two and one half miles south by east from Haverfordwest on the road by Pembroke Ferry to Pembroke. It is divided in to Higher and Lower Freystrop. Within the limits of this parish is situated Clariston, an elegant modernized mansion the seat of George Clayton Roch, Esq. which was originally the residence of the family of Powel and came by marriage to the ancestors of the present proprietors, Sir Herbert Parkington and Sir R.B.P. Phillips Bart were other neighbors of the Couzzens family so the children had the advantage of fine companionship in school and in church.

I don’t know the date but Moses Couzzens married to Miss Young and again things in the family became more complicated. __ father Couzzens always remained closer to his children than to any others, but the new step mother was not interested in Moses’ children and she tried to make mischief between them by putting things that happened in an untrue light. All this turned the thoughts of the children to other sources and to the past and the loss of their mother.

Elizabeth over and over asked why her mother had gone away and always the answer was – “It was an act of Providence” which didn’t satisfy Elizabeth at all. She wanted a reason she could understand and there were some facts namely – In the first place the doctor was unaware of the physical condition secondly he had not studied the background of the case and, thirdly Mother Emily had been worrying about her daughter Martha until she was worn out.

When Martha was fifteen years old she became much in love with her cousin John who was nineteen. The parents were upset. They thought it was wrong for relations to marry. They arranged for Martha to go away to school and tried other things to change Martha’s mind but nothing seemed to help and one day in the year of our Lord 1850 Martha and John stole away to the village parson and persuaded him to marry them. To know her as I did you would never believe she would do such an unkind act to her parents. She was most kind and thoughtful of others all of her life, and loved her mother above all, except John and she wanted her mother to love John as she did and she didn’t understand the relative idea. During this year 1850 John met some Mormon missionaries who talked to John and converted him to some principles which seemed to him better than what he had known before so he joined the Mormon church and wished to come to what was called Zion, so on April 1856 he and Martha embarked for America from Liverpool, England on the ship Samuel Curling. Dan Jones an eloquent preacher was in charge of the Mormon group. They arrived at Boston, U.S.A. May 23^rd 1856.

Dan Jones wrote the following about the voyage - “I found myself mustering the passengers on board the Samuel Curling in the open sea being towed out by a steamer. For the first three days gentle breezes and tides wafted us to Cape Clear. Four days more of strong north east wind hurried us at the rate of twelve or more knots per hour to the westward, which had so flattered us with a speedy passage that it took two weeks of adverse winds to erase it from our minds. During this time the Samuel Curling though called a mammoth of her species with 2,000 tons of iron in her bowels, rocked like a crow’s nest on a lone sapling in the gale, nor paid deference to Saint more than sinner. All in turn admidst the wreck of berths wholesale, the passengers grappled to be uppermost which position was no sooner gained, than they were again reversed with beds uppermost. Of course pots, pans kettles and everything that could make a noise joined as usual in the music and the medly dance upon the deck, also where we enticed, helped, carried or hoisted all we could who were in heaps or piles on each other. All had one leg too short or too long every step, but amid such a throng ‘twas as difficult for one to fall alone as it would be for a ten pin to fall alone admidst its tottering throng and here, before they learned to walk alone, all felt the power of the adage “Once a man and twice a child.” Owing to lack of energy in some to contend with seasickness some died because of not getting fresh air. Mothers kept their babies smothered up in blankets in their arms. Owing to this the chicken-pocks broke out among the children in which the doctor of the ship and Captain Curling distinguished themselves in their treatment and few had bad effects. There was the tumult of hasty feet. The word is passed. Land, oh land! The gray of Cape Cod about twelve miles to the windward. All shouted “There it is there it is, old, young lame, maimed, __ and blind. There are houses, trees and men walking. Provisions were superior and so abundant.” M.S. Vol. XVIII

From Boston Martha and John traveled by train to Iowa City in cars not much ahead of cattle cars which had been thoroughly cleaned and furnished. After remaining three weeks in Iowa City, for the hand carts to be made the company prepared to walk across the plains. The company was offered many inducements to remain in the east but Saints were anxious to get to Zion. When the carts were in shape the company walked three hundred miles to Winter Quarters on the Missouri River. Many people made fun of the Saints pulling carts but the weather was fine and the roads were excellent and the Saints thought it a glorious way to get to Zion.

They began their next journey of one thousand miles on foot with a cart for each family. As a rule each cart carried 100 pounds of flour and when that was gone one got more from the wagons as he required. At first there was a little coffee and bacon but that was soon gone and there was no more need for frying pans. The flour was self raising and it was mixed with water and baked in little cakes and was all the Saints had to eat. After months of traveling the company was put on half rations and at one time before help came from the valley of Salt Lake the company was without flour for two days. Traveling with the carts were five mule teams to haul the tents and flour. Each person was allowed to carry 17 pounds of luggage clothing.

If any became sick and unable to walk they had to be put in their own carts and pulled. No one could ride in the wagons. Sometimes a herd of buffaloes would come in the way and the carts would stop until the animals passed. Sometimes the Indians were troublesome, but they were usually pacified, but watched. In crossing rivers the women and children were carried over the deep places and they waded the others. This company was more favoured than those who came later as they had no show of snow or rain. One buffalo was killed but he was too old for food however they used the grease from him to oil the handcarts.

Martha and John started from England with beautiful clothes and some household goods but they couldn’t bring them with the carts. These extra things were put in an empty oil tank and left at Iowa city on the camp grounds. They were promised that these precious articles would be sent on to the valley of Salt Lake the next year. These things were put into a store house and later is was reported the storehouse had been burned down. Martha and John had brought a feather bed and pillows but they slept on the ground under their tent all the way across the plains.

Once Martha became very ill and had to be put in the cart. She was a delicate little lady wearing a number on ladies shoe and walking all the days had used her up. John was a very strong man and great of mind and fine to look upon, but he was also looing worn out and Martha couldn’t watch him failing so she thought if he could have her rations and a lighter load to pull he might get to Zion. With this thought in mind she slipped off the cart and ran up a little ravine they were passing. There she lay down to die and believed that she couldn’t be found. The company had gone on for some time before John looked back. He didn’t miss such a dear little weight. He really loved to pull her in the cart and when he missed her he lost his usual equanimity and he ran back to hunt for her. The company remained with him until he found her calm and resigned to her idea.

Martha and John came to Salt Lake City October 2, 1856 tired but happy after their great journey over sea and land. Walking 1300 hundred miles over plains and mountain was great experience and the best way for close observation. After arriving in Utah John and Martha lived in Davis County for a while and then move to Hyrum, Cache valley where they remained until 1863 when they were called by Brigham Young to help colonize Bear Lake valley under the leadership of Apostle Charles C. Rich. They spent the first winter (1863-64) with the original thirteen families at Paris, Idaho (at that time Paris was in Utah) living in hastily built log cabins. Some lived in dugouts with dirt roofs and hang spread on the ground for floors. It was a mild winter and animal wintered well on the bottoms with very little hay.

The first need of the families was lumber for furniture, doors, and window frames and a meeting house. John Couzzens, William Severn, and Sidney Savage sawed the first lumber in the valley and other points. They used a whipsaw.

John Couzzens with a small group crossed Bear River to the east side of the valley and found a new location on what was then called Clover Creek and established a new settlement. John was set apart to preside over the new community, a position he held for ten years. During the years John built and operated a ferry across Bear River. Clover Creek is now known a Montpelier in direct communication with the mother settlement of Pais where Apostle Rich took up residence in the spring of 1864. The settlers ground wheat and made meal. I should say John did it for himself and others using a coffee mill, until flour could be obtained from Cache Valley. Later a grist mill was established.

In 1869 he engaged in freighting between Montpelier and Evanston, Wyoming the nearest railroad center. He later carried mail from Montpelier to Soda Springs using ponies and toboggan by means of which he was often able to travel on top of the crusted snow and ice. During the time of his leadership the township of Montpelier was laid out, ditches made, fields fenced and cultivated, roads and bridges built.

In the spring of 1882 the Oregon Short Line Railroad began construction work in Idaho and John and Joseph M. Phelps obtained a grading contract from which they made considerable money. Meanwhile John had also acquired to farms, some hay land and livestock and began operating a thriving butcher business. In spite of hardships John and Martha prospered and were respected by white people and Indians alike because of their kindness and good works. During 1856-57 the mail service was most irregular. It took about five weeks to cross the ocean, a few days on the railroad to get from Boston to Iowa City and counting on government mail contract 78 days from Independence __ to Salt Lake City, but because of contract trouble and the severity of the winter no regular mail service was performed so for a long time, I don’t know how long Mother Couzzens didn’t hear anything about her daughter Martha, so naturally she mourned and in 1857 when her baby was born she was weak and tired. Martha’s marriage, joining the Mormon church, and go to far away Utah seemed to lead to the death of her mother and to other breaks in the family.

At the time of her mother’s death Elizabeth was seven years old and she turned to her sister Rebecca for a mother’s love which she received without reserve from day to day but young as she was she could see her beautiful sister changing and growing pale. Rebecca could not survive the sorrow of her mother’s death. She became ill and more ill and two years after her mother’s death Rebecca passed away on July 19, 1859. She was burried at Sardis Baptist Chapel and on her grave was the following inscription – “She was a flower fresh and green, soon cut down and no more seen.” Another reason for the passing of Mother Couzzens was the doctors lack of knowledge of the case.

A nurse of the Couzzens family came to Zion and she made her home in Malad City, Idaho. We called her Jane and I don’t remember her last name. She used to tell us many things about Elizabeth’s mother and father and children. The one she adored was George the only son and next to Martha. She talked about his fine figure, square shoulders, and lovely hands and feet. He had deep blue eyes and brown hair. Of course he was the pride of his sisters whom he gaurded if necessary with his life. He was always kind and polite to them and pity the man who intruded on their company.

When Martha Couzzens joined the Mormon Church she met a youth by the name of George Gibbs who lived at Haverfordwest. He won a prize from the mayor of the city for diligence and schoolarship in a school of 176 boys but after thrashing a few of them he won their respect and had no more trouble. At 15 years of age he labored among these boys and others as a Mormon missionary for two years. In 1868 he emigrated to Salt Lake City and later became private secretary to the presidents of the church until his death.

All the Couzzens family admired George Gibbs and he loved them in return but most of all he loved Elizabeth and they in their early teens pledged each other troth and Eizabeth’s father was becoming more anxious. One time when George was visiting the family at Freystrop he was taken ill and instead of being taken home to Haverfordwest he was persuaded to remain at the Couzzens hojme. He occupied a room upstairs and the girls watched over him and tripped up and down stairs for the things he needed. When he was convalescing the girls carried him down stairs to the sunlight. This sweet and kind friendship was carried on through the lives of George and the Couzzens family. George Gibbs was a true and trusted man and an intelligent and wise advisor. The conversion of John and Martha and George Gibbs led to the interest of the Couzzens girls in the Mormon church.

Uppermost in Elizabeth’s mind was the subject of babies who died before they were blessed by the parson and when the Mormon elders said that all little children went to heaven with God when they died she was converted. On January 25, 1863 Elizabeth was baptized into the Mormon Church by George F. Gibbs and confirmed by Chancy West.

Letitia Couzzens, fourth child of Emily Mills and Moses Couzzens was born July 19, 1846 at Freystrop. She was baptized into the Mormon Church May 1859. She was too young to know much about religion, but ethics and morality she and her sisters learned from birth. Both their parents lived the “Ten Commandments.”

In 1813 the Pembrokeshire hunt was established and supported by the principal gentry. The second week in November is “Hunt Week.” Hounds are out 3 days – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, on the evenings of which days a ball is held at the assembly rooms, the best ball rooms in South Wales. When Letitia was about sixteen she was introduced to society. She was about five feet six without shoes. She had an oval face, very blue eyes, fair skin and thick golden hair. She wore a blue silk dress, décolleté and was the bell of the ball. A duke fell in love with her and proposed marriage to her. I should have said it was at one of the Hunt balls when my Aunt Letitia was introduced. To really describe her you would have to see her walk, and talk and live with her.

In 1865 William D. Williams was President of the Welsh Mission. He met Letitia at a conference. The result of this meeting was marriage. They journied to Utah in 1866arriving in Great Salt Lake City September 4, 1866 in Capt. Thomas Ricks company of oxteam. Letitia was sunburned crossing the plains, but soon her skin became fair.

All these things were pressing on the minds of father Moses and is son George who were not believers in Mormonism. Some years after the sorrow, caused by the death of mother Couzzens and Rebecca, had been assuaged, the Couzzens family was very happy. Father Couzzens was a great parent and he considered every want of his precious children. He even thought it would be better to have a step mother for them, but he made a mistake when he married Miss Young. She did not belong and made trouble whenever she could but even she could not make the children unhappy. The children lived at the old home at Freystrop and she lived at some other part of the farm.

A kind and gracious man, father Couzzens saw that his girls had excellent training and schooling under the Miss Ribbons of Haverfordwest. They went twice a year to Haverfordwest to be fit and have made beautiful clothes. The girls did the choosing. They had five horses to ride. One horse Elizabeth loved with all her heart was a gray mare, the fastest horse round about the country and easy to ride.

Another delight ws the oyster women who wore short skirts, scarlet shawls, and buckled shoes. These women came twice a week to Freystrop and opened the oysters for the children to eat, and O, how Elizabeth missed the oysters when later she came to Utah.

The children had great fun visiting Aunty and Uncle Bowen. Aunty was the sister of Moses Couzzens and she was very pretty. The Bowens joined the Mormon Church and helped the children solve their problems. He even went so far that he interpreted their dreams which they confided to him. Elizabeth had two titled suitors. One was Barren Richard Barrows who in 1856 was mayor of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. Elizabeth dreamed she had two lumps at the back of her neck and she put her hands back over them and plucked them off and threw them away. The interpretation was as follows - Elizabeth you will throw you titled suitors away and believing so much in Uncle Bowen she did.

Another great pleasure was a visit with uncle Phillip Couzzens who was a genial pastor and seemed to have time to tell stories of great men and women of the Bible and other books. I think he was the pastor who married Letitia to Willam D. Williams before they sailed for Utah, the Zion of the Mormons.

There were so many interesting places to visit in Haverfordwest which was really an English city built by the Norman conquerors of most of Pembrokeshire. When the Normans acquired new territories they would build a castle and they fortified the town of Haverfordwest with a strong castle which was erected on a commanding eminence above the Western Cleddau river and surrounded by an embattled wall having 4 principal gates, 3 of which remained in nearly perfect condition till very recent period but have been subsequently removed. The castle, from the discovery at various times of foundations of buildings and portions of ruined walls appears to have occupied the whole of a rocky ridge on the northern declivity of the eminence on which the town of Haverfordwest is situated; and from its commanding site as well as from its extent and massive walls, it forms a conspicuous and imposing object, towering above all the surrounding buildings and overlooking the town. The remains consist princippally of the keep, a spacious quadrangular pile, with lofty and massive walls and which from the elegance of it pointed windows and other architectural embellishments, especially on the eastern side facing the river, appears to have comprised the chapel and the state apartments, and conveys an idea of its original grandeur and magnificence. This venerable portion of the remains has been converted into the county goal without in any degree detracting from its interest as a noble relic of ancient baronial splendor.

Haverfordwest is finely situated at one of the inland extremities of Milford Haven, upon the declivities and at the base of very steep hills round which the Western Cleddau river flows. It consists of numerous streets, some of which are regularly built and contains the town residences of many of the neighboring gentry; others are steep and narrow. The views from the higher grounds are extensive and along the summit of the castle hill is a public walk, overlooking the river and the ancient priory and commanding an extensive prospect of the surrounding country. The inhabitants are partially supplied with water from the “Fountain Head” on the road to Milford, which is brought by pipes into public conduit and also to private houses. The town enjoys the privilege of having a lord-lieutenant of the town which is possessed by no other town in Great Britain.

The climate of Haverfordwest is generally moderate, but sometimes it is very cold and damp and the inhabitants are troubled with tuberculosis as they are in other parts of the British Isles. North of Haverfordwest in the parish of Camrose are a group of raths which are nearly cubular in form and constructed on the side of the hill, one end being on the crest of the slope. They are all much alike and are primitive in type. The harbor of Milford, with its attractions of hill and dale, sea and river, its convenience of railway and steamboat, its stupendous dockyards and its haven, always gay and cheerful, with room for the whole navy of England to ride in calm and safty made Haverfordwest one of the most wonderful towns in England or anywhere. The seacoasts of this spot are grand and wild, and lined with remains of remote ages, those of the chindricepochs and monastic glories, and all these lead back to Elizabeth’s childhood and young womanhood.

In England there is a distinction made between the aristocracy of birth and the aristocracy of rank. The freedom of the borough is obtained by birth, being inherited by all the sons of a freeman, and by servitude of seven years as a resident of freeman. The right of election was formerly vested in freeholders of 40 shillings a year inhabitants paying scot tax and lot. There are also distinguishing appearances and traits of character which denote an aristocrat and the Couzzens’ were taught to believe and personify these principles.

Moses Couzzens thought Elizabeth was a choice soul it it made him glad to look upon her in her good works and unselfish acts of love toward her sisters and friends. Once it was said – “She shall spread abroad. She shall protect others as well as herself. She shall support the branches of the smaller trees around her. She shall grow and spread and endure. Religion, liberty, and love occupied all her thought. Fidelity consecrated all her attachments. Imagination exalted her soul ____ without leading her astray.” She was fearless and gentle at the same time. It is easy to lose sight of the process by which the mind exchanges one set of convictions for another and thus, the gradual process being confounded with the final result, charges of apostasy is often affixed to the reputation of men but really it is new light breaking into the mind and conscience which changes.

The Couzzens’ girls were changing their minds on religion. Perhaps some of their ideas were for the best but some were not. Elizabeth was planning to follow her sisters to Zion Utah. Letitia had been in Ogden City, Utah for a little over ayear and Elizabeth was imagining her to be a mother so she was making baby things to surprise Letitia. She was happy in the thought of being an aunt to a lovely baby boy or girl. The clothes would suit either. She kept it all a secret as the folded things and put them in her trunk for the happy day.

Mary Ann Couzzens was born in Haverfordwest July 12, 1851 and was baptized into the Mormon church in 1868. She was to Elizabeth like Ruth was to Naomi when Elizabeth decided to join the 700 British Mormon converts who were to sail on the John Bright for America, Mary Ann made up her mind to go along with her sister. The John Bright sailed from Liverpool, England June 8, 1868. The weather was cheerful and pleasant, the sun shone brightly, the sky was clear and blue, everything seems propitious, but Elizabeth and Mary Ann felt more sadness than pleasure. They were so lonesome and homesick that the ship took the place of a dungeon. Elizabeth had to hide her feelings and appear invincible which was not so hard for her because she was like that – a gentle queen. She kept Mary Ann’s faith alive. There young ladies were the concern of the passengers and they were given the best of everything. (There is a post-it note attached here saying, “pages were numbered like this when I got them!” )

The John Bright landed at Castle Gardens June 14, 1868 and Elizabeth and Mary Ann were far away from home and a dear father. It had been arranged for the Mormon passengers to go by railway from New York to the Laramie terminus in Wyoming where they arrived June 28. It was a very hot journey. Many of the people were sunstruck. One woman died of the heat at Omaha but owing to the protection of Elizabeth and Mary Ann they were kept well and ready for the wagons. The wagon train left Laramie on the 25, under the command of Chester Loveland. It consisted of 40 wagons and about 400 passengers. There were 3 deaths during the journey. They laid over some days during one of which the Indian hunt occurred, to retake the animals stampeded by the savages, the animals that were run off and the teamsters who recaptured them and killed the Indians looked as if they could endure the same again and not suffer much. This was an introduction of Elizabeth and her little innocent sister to the Wild West. The wagon train arrived in Great Salt Lake City Thursday August 12, 1868.

Elizabeth and Mary Ann went straight on to Ogden where their sister Letitia resided, and now there was another disappointment. Letitia was ill, and there was no baby.

Notwithstanding the special care Elizabeth and Mary Ann had received on every hand the journey from home to Utah had been distracting and hard to endure. If it had not been for the reports given out in 1867 about the emigration being closed on account of the seriousness of what was known as the “Black Hawk Indian War, perhaps the girls would have waited to have had a better understanding with their dear, kind father but whatever regrets haunted their minds not the matter was closed and in time everything would come out right.

There was the smell of autumn apples, the goldenglow waving in the sun, and sunflowers along the roads and Letitia had a clean comfortable home with room for all but she was ill and wise Elizabeth never showed the baby clothes she had so loveingly folded away for Letitia’s baby which Letitia always wanted and never had on account of some physical condition of her husband which for many years kept a secret by the doctor.

Owing to the graciousness of her beloved father and the provision made for her by the Utah emigration company, Elizabeth was able to bring boxes of valuable things with her to Ogden City, things such as dozens of pure linen sheets, pillow cases, table clothes, napkins, towels and fine linen by the yard and lovely handkerchiefs and yards of Dolly Varden material; also silver spoons, cutlery, knives and forks with pearl handles and steel blades. All these things brought refinement to a new country and a new home.

In compliment to the journey Elizabeth had clothes suitable for a sea voyage, some linen suits for the plains and some for the wagon train. She had planned it all according to her imagination. She had gowns for evening and suits for the streets – twenty or more. She had hats and shoes to match and a black umbrella with green jewels on the handle. Yet sweet Elizabeth was noted for seldom using a mirror. She was always in a hurry to do something and get somewhere so the clothes had to fit without any trouble and her hair and complexion didn’t need help then. She waked out like a queen, right, left in rythm and no slouch, her head erect natural and unaffected and genuine.

A few days after Elizabeth’s arrival in Utah an invitation to attend the noted Salt Lake theater was given her by the son of apostle Lorenzo Snow. I think his name was Oliver. Elizabeth dressed for the occasion. She wore a black and green small check silk dress, a black silk velvet coat or rather jacket, a black hat with a large green plume winding round the rim and falling over her shoulder. She wore black kid shoes with white tassels at the top. Of course the shoes were not much in sight because of the long dress which I think had a train. Elizabeth was amazed at everything, some were dressed well, others were even barefooted and the audience missed most of the play all because of the girl from Haverfordwest and Freystrop. Oliver was delighted and was proud of his young lady, but Elizabeth didn’t like the situation. It was all so different – new faith, new images, new maxims, new faces, many countries represented.

Now let us go back to Freystrop and commune with the father Couzzens and brother George and little Emily the baby of the family. Shakespeare best expressed the thought “Give sorrow words – the grief that does not speak, whispers the o’er fraught heart, and bids it break.” They missed the kiss in the morning and the goodnight embrace and tell-tale lines were showing father Couzzen’s brow. Elizabeth’s father was a true gentleman – kind, fair, and brave. His discipline was of the orderly kind; only once can the girls recall when his correction seemed dogmatic and that was when he forbade them to read John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” In spite of their father’s orders the curiosity of the girls led them to a neighbor who had the book and their father caught them reading it. He picked a little switch and gave Letitia a few strokes on her shoulder. She was indignant and wouldn’t speak to her father for weeks. Elizabeth felt sorry about her disobedience.

I never heard my mother or any one of her four sisters say a vulgar word or do an unseemly act in all my life. This is a credit to their environment, schooling and above all to their parents and associate in dear old Freystrop and the proud town Haverfordwest. After Elizabeth and Mary Ann left for Utah the Mormons were held responsible for their departure and Mormon missionaries were forbidden by law to proselyte in Freystrop, and those who persisted were tarred and feathered and driven out of the county round about, but Moses took no part in the violence. He believed in the right to choose.

On September 5, 1868 Elizabeth married to my father Richard Davis, who she met often while he was labouring as a Momon missionary in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, South Wales. After her marriage she went to the little city of Willard, Box Elder county, Utah to make her home. Willard at that time was nature’s garden spot, green and well kept by a few British families who loved trees, vineyards, flowers and well built homes. My father’s house was built of rock, two oblong stories, high with gabled windows and doors. It was built on the south side of one fourth of a block and enclosed on the south and the west by a rock wall about 4 feet high. At the back of the house is a two room granary for storing foods. On the east was a partition of pottawatomi plum bushes. On the north was a vineyard hiding the sheds for cows and horses. Altogether it was a nice place to live, with the mountains towering high and furnishing water for the creeks that bordered the graveled sidewalks. Part of the house and surroundings are still standing in this year 1955.

Elizabeth was educated and intelligent and the first winter in Willard she set up a school in the rock home at Willard and on December 21, 1868, the year she arrived in Utah her husband, my father made seats for the school at this home. Elizabeth also worked in the church and Bishop Cardon chose her to work in the Sunday school superintendency, a part usually taken by the men. Shortly after Elizabeth arrived in Willard November 26, 1868 she went with her husband into the Malad Valley and took up 160 acres of land and had it recorded and from now on they traveled from one place to the other. We children never knew where we would be born, but either place was always orderly but doctors were no where to be found. It was always the midwife they laugh at now.

Father and other named the place they were taking up, “Willow Springs” because of some deep sandy springs nearby. Willow Springs was a lonely spot, the nearest neighbor was almost a mile away. There were few trees, no fields of waving grain, no raging waters, just a slow uninteresting river. Sage brush bordering not too exciting mountains. Indians roaming now and then – some good some bad – most of them beggars. No wonder Elizabeth’s heart quivered when Sanpitch a notoriously bad Indian called on her one day when she was alone. She gave him what he asked for – sugar etc and told him the men were coming any minute. He believed her and went his way. Now the neighbors near Willow Springs were way above average - Mifflins, Jones, Shivers were readers of books and makers of music. Mifflins had an upright piano and their mother read in every moment of her spare time and their father had a magic lantern but all this was helpful but not satisfying to Elizabeth who spent so many silent moments weeping. It would take time to adjust herself to this new life.

I don’t know just when but within a year or two after Elizabeth left home her little sister Emily made it known to her father that she was longing to see her sisters and her father arranged to send her on to Utah with the understanding she should return to him, but such trips were so long and hard it was impossible for any of the girls to return, so Emily never saw her good father again. Emily never joined the Mormon church, but affiliated with Episcopalian church.

Elizabeth could see that Willow Springs needed live stock – cows, horses and other things in order to get any value out of the beautiful pasture land and timothy hay land; so she sold some of her clothes – one dress I recall her talking about was a blue silk dress with a train which suited her beautiful self like a baroness she might have been. She bought a cow for $70 with the dress and the cow ate poison weeds and died. She bought a fine horse and it chocked to death by pulling back on a rope that had been tied around its neck. Her husband brought some stock from Willard and having better luck with some Elizabeth traded for, they soon had a good start of cows and horses. About the center of the pasture and timothy land, west of the house spots were sloughs which were dangerous for man and beast. Sometimes cows got in these sloughs and if seen in time could be pulled out by horse power, otherwise they would sink beneath the sod. I have seen the terror in their eye when only their heads were above the soft deep mud and the relief when they were snaked out to the dry good earth.

In the tall hay grass were blue and red bells or flowers and the smell of these lovely things haunt me now and I think forever more. There were rushes in sloughs and I used to build tents out of them and I used to lie in them and read and enjoy the good earth, and Mother Elizabeth would hunt for me and find me and wonder. These wetlands, the sloughs, supported ducks and sometimes geese and father shot them, now and then, and they were delicious food. East of the house was sagebrush so tall a man could not be seen standing up and in time this brush was cleared away and the land was dry so if any thing grew on it, it would have to be irrigated, so father was called upon to survey, and ditches were dug miles long to bring water to Willow Spring and neighbors.

During the year 1869 a house was built at Willow Springs which consisted of two large, log rooms, a bed room, and kitchen and living room all in one. There was a large fireplace and a stove in the kitchen and comfort was the result. There was a heater in the bedroom. These rooms were white washed and the smell was heavenly and fresh. A cellar built of rock was attached to the house and it was so cool that butter would keep hard in the hottest weather; timber was brought from the mountains and yard and sheds were made for the animals.

At Willard sugarcane, wheat, an corn were raised and between the places there was no want. August 21, 1869 Elizabeth’s first baby, a boy, was born. They named him Moses Couzzens after or rather for her dear forsaken father. Elizabeth’s whole life was changing she knew now the very depth of love and responsibility and she sometimes stood over him her baby when he was asleep and she wondered if he was too pale and his blood vessels too blue and the mid-wife assured her he was a strong baby and that he was growing and measuring up to a perfect child. When Moses was a few weeks old her husband drove her to Willard in one day which was about 60 miles so now Willow Springs could boast of fast horses.

The parents of Albert Ernest Bowen, Apostle of the Mormon Church, lived at Henderson Creek near Samaria, Malad Valley and mother had either Agnes or Emma Bowen live with her and when Moses was about a year old Agnes was with mother and a burly Negro, a novelty in the valley, was approaching her front door. Elizabeth was really frightened and hurriedly put Agnes and little Moses out through the back window and told Agnes to cross through the fields to Mifflin’s, a neighbor, not quite a mile away. Then mother faced the negro. He wanted lodgings for the night. Mother told him she expected her husband and others and would be too crowded to take care of him and directed him to Cherry Creek two miles down the road which he took. The real truth, Mother was alone and she expected no one.

As the years went on, travel became easier. Father had witnessed in 1869 the breaking of ground at Ogden for the Utah Central railroad which Ogden with Great Salt Lake city and the Union Pacific railroad had a station at Collinston, Utah which was not far from Malad but it still was better for father to drive between his ranch and home in Willard.

In 1872 the meeting house at Willow Springs was dedicated and father and mother thought a good work had been accomplished and while Elizabeth was at Willard most of her time, she could help teach and work at Willow Springs. March 4, 1872, at Willow Springs Elizabeth’s second son was born and the midwife worried mother by holding him in the air to view his good looks and little George Miles, as they named him, took cold and didn’t recover. On March 24, mother’s birthday, George Miles died. Father drove to Willard in one day nearly 60 miles and other held the lifeless little body of her baby on her lap the whole distance. Father always had fine conveyances and so it was easier to ride with him. George Miles was buried in the Willard Cemetery and mother never quite recovered from the sorrow.

While on this trip father attended his “School of the Prophets” under the leadership of Apostle Lorenzo Snow and he and mother received comfort from their good friend. Apostle Snow lived at Brigham City, Utah seven miles north of Willard. He was almost like a relative in father’s family. Although Willow Springs seemed remote from Great Salt Lake City it was not so far all along the way folks came to visit Elizabeth. She was the fountain head for pleasant cultured association. We had a group of music lovers and father could sing inspiring songs and mother sang beautifully with her sister Letitia. Mother’s sisters visited her often.

The Fourth of July was a great day in Utah and Idaho when I was young. The people went to great trouble to build bowers for the occasion. They would go to the mountains for branches to make their bowers and lay their roofs and when they were done the sun would peep through here and there and make twinkling shadows. Then there were orators and if father was to be found he was it. Wherever he went he was called upon to speak whether it was about the Indians or the United States or salvation.

In spite of the isolation and the hardships of a new life Elizabeth was becoming more interested in the wild west of America. She was expecting another baby in this new land and of course it would be delivered at her home. Usually in winter she lived at Willard City but now she was at Willow Springs. She now knew her neighbors and most of them were from the British Isles. She had learned to enjoy the animals and birds, especially the redwing blackbirds which made music in the spring and the swallows that built such fine nests in the sheds, their flying was so swift and graceful and at night she listened to the yapping of the coyotes in the mountains. She liked the Indians who came to her door and she made friends with them. At Willard an Indian woman by the name of Jane was gracious, had a fine face, full of dignity, her hands and finger nails were like jewels and she folded her hands like a queen of the desert.

Some of the people did things mother could not understand, for instance they would go to dances and take their babies and put them to sleep on benches around the room using their coats for bedding. Mother felt sorry for those babies.

January 24, 1873 at ten minutes past three in the morning Elizabeth gave birth to her first daughter. She was named for her mother Elizabeth and grandmother Emily. My mother thought I had a much smaller waist line than the boys. I was born in a room the angels would love. The walls were white washed and smelled as fresh as the snow that covered the valley. A rag carpet covered the floor. My father bought a mahogany four poster bed in Great Salt Lake City and a table which was placed between the poster and another bed. The table was covered with a chenille cover. The cradle father bought for the occasion was the finest ever – large, high enough to be a real ornament. Mother brought two feather beds from Haverfordwest. On the windows mother hung dolly varden curtains and made a ruffled flounce of dolly varden to go round the lower part of the bed. For a canopy she hung a pute white sheet and covered the bed with a white counterpane and the air was so pure it remained white for a long time. There was a fine heater in one part of the room and the air in the room was warm and Mrs. John Gleede was there on her duty and she loved me when she saw me. I have oceans of love and grew and thrived on it. My father always treated me as an important individual.

The year 1873 brought new decisions for father and mother. Father and friends purchased a grist mill at Malad City, Father acquired more pure bred horses and things for the ranch. He had more duties to perform such as serving on the Grand jury and traveling to visit the Seventies, however he and mother decided to reside at Willard City now that the homestead law had been fulfilled at Willow Springs. Everything was in good condition and two responsible men were hired to take care of Willow Springs during the absence of its owners.

August 29, 1874 at 2 o’clock in the morning Edward Harvey was born at Willard City, Box Elder county. He was the third son of Elizabeth and came at the busiest time of the year. Fruit was hanging on the trees ready to be picked and preserved and Elizabeth was anxious to help.

Sometime after the original house was built at Willard City a part was added on the north side which made the house L shape. The original faced the south; the addition faced the west, and in the center of the street west of the house ran the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad. East and west trains passed not far from Elizabeth’s door. As the trains slowed down for the station a short way ahead, faces from the coaches peered through the train windows. Many faces showed distinction, all were interesting and eager to see new country and people. When they arrived at the station they would get out and walk up and down until the conductor called all aboard. I met many. I was hard on mothers and living so near the track; they had to keep a time table near, and listen for the train whistle, and track their children to keep off the tracks. It wasn’t easy. Often animals, especially cows walked along the track and didn’t know how to get off when the train whistled so the train cow-catcher caught them and tossed them high in the air sometimes not killing but mutilating them so they had to be killed.

One day a little girl, who lived across the track from Elizabeth, walked on to the track just as the train was coming in. Her mother saw it all but became paralyzed with fear. Mother saw the situation and ran and grabbed the child just in time to avoid a tragedy.

The building of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad was one of the greatest feats ever accomplished yet it didn’t solve the race question. The Irish men who were building toward the setting sun were hared fighters, hard drinkers, and hard workers. They fought off Indians, buffalos and other obstacles that came in their way, but when they met the equally hard working coolies from the west they treated them with disdain an sometimes they fought unto death.

To make the home more beautiful Elizabeth hired an English gardener to help her plant rose bushes and flowers in the front yard. She put pots of flowers in the deep rock windows. I remember well the cineraria and geraniums and another flower of which I have forgotten the name. The flowers hung on the stems like little baskets. People who passed stopped to view the lovely windows. I was proud of my home and the industry of my handsome parents. They seemed to me like wonders from heaven. While at Willard Elizabeth enjoyed the music of Robert Baird, Lewis Edwards and Evan Stephens. They were innately musicians and great men. Even Stephens, an immigrant from Wales lived across the street in a little rock house and he had an organ which he played and used to help in his composing. He worked at his original ideas during the day and late in to the night. Some people complained at the nightly sounds but mother encouraged Evan and helped him to organize classes so we children could get instruction. Years after Evan Stephens became the leader and instructor of the famous Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City.

When the summer of 1876 came father and mother went to Willow Springs to look after the care-takers on the place. Things were not taken care of as they should have been, and mother had to see that the house was better kept and father looked after the outside. Adjoining our place on the south was a family by the name of Hunting. Mr. Hunting came from a town south of Provo, Utah and homesteaded about the same time as father. These people were good neighbors and Elizabeth had pleasure knowing them as friends. At a short distance below their house were some springs so deep they were never able to find the bottom of them, and yet they dipped the water for drinking and house hold purposes by placing a board from the edge of spring and securing it to the first shelf of the spring. I slipped off the board one day but was able to climb back on the board because I had grabbed the board as I was falling. The water in this spring was pure and fresh. Years later we bought this land which was 160 acres.

August 26, 1876, at Willow Springs Elizabeth gave birth to her second daughter. It was 2 o’clock in the morning and zephyrus clouds were floating towards the east. They named the baby Mary Ann. She had blue black soft as satin hair, grey eyes and skin so white that the parting they made in her hair looked like a chalk mark, she was so different from me in looks and disposition. I had golden hair and blue brown hazel eyes. Autumn came with all its bounties and Elizabeth removed to Willard to prepare for winter duties. The creeks that ran at the outer edges of the sidewalks were running slower than in the spring and the water that ran over their pebbled beds, which most of the people drank, was contaminated with the city dirt; children ran up and down, bare footed, in the water and some people slyly swept their dirt into the creek. The creeks were the test of honor. Elizabeth caught one citizen in the early morning sweeping dirt into the creek. Of course he didn’t like her for that. Because of the unclean water and decaying fruit there were epidemics of such diseases as diphtheria. One woman noted for the cleanliness of her home lost her whole family of five in a short number of days. The city mourned and mother with them and she Elizabeth couldn’t believe it was the will of the Lord.

Elizabeth’s children remained well and she knew why. Every day she would walk a half mile to a well and draw water and carry it home for her children to drink. She also saw that the food was clean and fresh. One day as I was passing the lot where a slaughter had been done, and suddenly a little Indian boy about my age which was about seven years old came up to me and pushed me into the creek. I scrambled out of the water and grabbed the boy and doused him in the creek. An old squaw saw what I was doing. She held a sharp knife high in her hand and came toward me. Of course I ran faster than ever before and she ran after me. Thank heaven I beat her in the race home. That episode haunts me still and I am sure mother never forgot it. Because of disturbance I forgot to put the following first - At the time of the early settlers the citizens united to furnish fresh meat by slaughtering often and dividing into portions. After a slaughter, the Indians came to get the leftovers which were than a good deal. The people of Willard, Malad, Logan, Brigham City, in fact, all of the early Mormon towns and cities were essentially good and moral. They did not drink, cheat, or steal and adultery was almost unknown. They were industrious and generally law-abiding. Doors could be left unlocked, children and adults could walk the streets at all hours, unless some stranger happened to come to town, without being assaulted or robbed. The ceremony of marriage was serious and signified a real contract to be honored and divorces were uncommon. There were rough elements not dangerous in all the communities and Willard was no exception. These hoodlums disturbed the peace and at one time some of the parties could hardly be carried on in any peace. Dancing parties were one of the amusements. The parties were opened by prayer and then followed the cotillion, after dancing gayly, a sort of supper was served, after which dancing resumed, varied at intervals with song and recitations. At the closing of the entertainment there was benediction. There were very good singers at Willard and Malad, a great number of people were Welsh.

Two years passed since little Mary Ann was born and now the autumn brought another surprise to me. I was on my way home from school when the news came to me that I had a new little brother. I skipped and ran as if I had been added upon and a greater love came into my heart and being John Charles ws born September 17, 1878 at 2 o’clock P.M. at Willard City. Mrs. Drake, a nurse from Ogden City came to take care of Elizabeth, my mother. My little sister Mary Ann was taken out of mother’s room and put in a room by herself. She became very ill. Mrs. Drake was at her wits end trying to find out the trouble. Mother knew and asked Mrs. Drake to fetch Mary Ann to her. In a short time all was well for little Mary Ann. It was a good year and the people could relax and celebrate. The parties were carried on in peace owing to the control of rough elements of the neighborhood.

My father was a brave man, a peace maker but if need be, a fighter. He had been requested to take care of the disturbers of the peace and he succeeded. The parties were held upstairs and as the bullies were coming up the stairs father knocked them done one by one. From then on there was order in the hall.

Elizabeth was always trying to better her home and the community. Now at Willard, she saw an opportunity to encourage Mrs. Perry who lived across the street from us. Mrs. Perry, and English woman, had learned to treat and braid straw and form it into hats. Mother had her make hats for herself and for Mary Ann and me. Mother was artistic and helped in the trimming. The hats turned out lovely. When Sunday came mother dressed us little girls in our new dresses and to top it all was our new spring hats. We went walking up the street when suddenly we felt something like a rain. We turned around a saw some young folks in ambush. We discovered they had used large onion tops to squirt water on our new finery. Our hats were ruined because the juice from the onion tops was sort of oily and stained them. But the millinery shop was not closed up because of our trouble. We really advertised the business and more people came by to buy hats.

In the summer time mother worked diligently to make a profit out of the orchard and garden and with her savings she went to a cabinet-maker in Brigham City and had him make for her a fine secretary and some other things which added to the beauty of her living room. About this time I had the measles and I remember so well when I was convalescing mother served me weak tea in a lovely china cup. I felt so important. Mother always made us children feel as if we were of great consequence, but if we did wrong she looked at us in such a way that we felt ashamed. My aunt Letitia had the same way of discipline. I would almost rather anything than feel so rude, cheap, and common. I wanted with all my heart to be as beautiful, lady-like and superior as my mother and aunty.

Another summer came and mother had an income from her fruit and people began to envy her thrift and surroundings. It was 1879 and Christmas time. My aunties Martha and Emily came to visit us at Willard. They wore beautiful silk dresses and gold chains. Aunt Martha had a chain with gold tassels and her watch was secured in a little pocket on the bosom of her dress which thrilled me. They wore hats with long plumes. Besides many presents like strands of beads, gold earrings they brought nuts, candy, and fancy raisins. I couldn’t sleep so I did the usual thing of peeping.

Spring came and autumn and another baby for mother. Joseph was born October 27, 1880 at 10:40 P.M. at Willard City. In the winter time mother was very busy in church work. She gave talks and taught classes. One Sunday when Joseph was about two months old she was to give a talk in Sunday school. She dressed Joseph in a lovely long dress that babies wore in those days, and as she was putting on Joseph’s bonnet he became angry and he held his breath and terrified mother but she pacified her baby and kept her date. She held Joseph in her arms while she gave her talk. She looked like a Madona.

Today Elizabeth was reminded of her dear father who had died August 26, 1871 when she was having her greatest strangles to overcome nostalgia and other feelings. Emily her youngest sister had said goodby to her father with the understanding she would return to Freystrop, but for all that her father could not be consoled and he became ill with worry and didn’t want to live without his daughters.

May 11, 1876 George became very ill and died leaving no offspring so now everything was left in the hands of the stepmother. Mother had always believed that she could go back to Freystrop so she could first hand look into her father’s affairs, but now she could not hope to leave her chidren or have the means to take such a trip. We never knew just what happened but mother found out that without claimants the Court of Chancery took over some of the Couzzens estate. Father Couzzens was a loving father so much so that he died of a broken heat because he couldn’t put his spiritual life together again.

Willard City had some charm and with hard work, comfort, but there was no chance to make much progress and mother was ambitious to expand and not become stagnant. She was at her wits end as to what move to make for advancement. She once thought she would move to Ogden and establish a millinery business, but then she wondered who could look after her children when she was out of the home. After long contemplation and united thought with her husband she decided to go to Willow Springs Ranch. There was money to be made with the fine start they had in pure bred horses and fine cattle and other things. The idea of land and personal liberty took hold of mother more and more. Now she could plan the future of her children’s education in the great universities. For some reason she could unfold more freely in thought and could set a better example of more enlightened conduct in this open space. Little towns are sometimes compressed and suspicious of expansion. Mother was different and had to move on and have new ideas. Now that she had decided to live on the ranch a new house was necessary so during the summers of 1882 a house was built of logs, then chinked and plastered between the logs, then plastered smooth inside and papered. The outside was weather boarded and painted white. The roof was covered with red cedar shingles and painted sky blue. There were six rooms. The large dining room was wainscoted about three feet from the floor. They boys room was as large as two rooms and could have been partitioned off if needed. The house was cool in summer and warm in winters. There were no closets even after the pains mother had taken to show the builder where to place them. He just couldn’t find room for them and have right angles. This make it hard to take care of clothes for so many.

In due time the house was finished and furnished with carpets – some rag carpets made by and expert local Danish carpet maker and some state’s carpets made from wool with the pattern worked through on both sides. They had no carded back but were woven like very heavy cloth. When they were laid a filling of straw or corn leaves were put as a covering over the floor. This made a soft feeling under foot. The carpets were drawn taut and tacked. When the straw became old and dusty the carpets were taken up and cleaned and new straw was put down. There were nice beds and dressers in the bedrooms. The sitting room had a lovely deep rose velvet couch, mother’s fine secretary, two upholstered chairs, one a Morris chair, two wicker chairs, one was the prettiest I have ever seem. It was threaded with green grosgrain ribbon, four congress chairs, and some print pictures. Now Mother wanted a piano so father went to Ogden to purchase one. He went to the Mason and Hamlin Organ that somehow his mind became confused about his behest from mother. He paid for the organ and worried all the way home. After a few stern looks mother accepted the organ and loved it. It was a beautiful instrument an octive larger than most organs. It was finished smooth as satin and had no tawdry gingerbread. It showed the master mind of sound and beauty.

It was autumn October 18, 1882 at quarter to seven A.M. and another boy was born to Mother. He was named Richard Lestor He was a lovely baby. Mother had very pretty babies and if any of her children were not good to behold it was not the fault of their parents. These were prosperous times for mother. Horses and cattle were selling well. Freight from Malad was taken by horse team to far away Butte, Montana and other mining communities. Collinston, Utah was the nearest railroad station from Malad City and fine horses of different kinds were in demand for sport and travel and father could furnish any kind. Often his Hambletonian pure breds won on the racetracks and as trotters.

In the Willow Springs branch which included Cherry Creek and other outlying places mother became president of the Mormon Relief Society and later president of Mutual and Primary. She was appreciated.

November 28, 1888 John Smith, the head patriarch of the Mormon Church came to our home to give blessings. He was really a man of mystery to me. He could give very different pronouncements and looked inspired when he gave them.

A family by the name of Hansen lived near Collinston, Utah. The mother of the family was a tall, strong handsome woman with penetrating eyes and smooth black hair. Her expression was one of intelligence and mother liked to visit with her. The Hansen family owned miles of land between Collinston and Logan and the new virgin grass amongst the oak shrubs fed the Hansen cattle. Near the home Mrs. Hansen had a cheese factory and she wished mother to inspect it Mother was enthusiastic and Mrs. Hansen gave her the cheese recipe. This gave mother a new idea and she commenced cheese making on the ranch at Willow Springs, which helped a great deal. She could trade cheese for all kinds of fruit and merchandise without any trouble. At that time mother had the finest help. One woman was so trustworthy that mother could take trips and find things, when she returned better than when she left them.

We had a work room a few paces from the main house which was connected by a board walk. It was a large white room with a floor which sloped a little so that water could drain through a hole in the wall. The floor was scrubbed with lye and then hosed off with clear water. To have a large family was considered a great blessing during pioneer days and mother counted on them one by one about every two years. It was nearing Christmas December 3, 1884 at 6 o’clock in the evening that her son Robert was born. I remember his beautiful nose and yellow curls. Mother and father had well formed noses.

Summer came again and father took Elizabeth and children to Montpelier to see Mother’s Auntie Bowen who was very ill. Father took the road from Malad to Downing, Mccammon, Lava Hot Springs and then to Montpelier to find Aunty Bowen on her death bed. Mother had known her dear Aunty when she was young and beautiful and now she was to watch while the last breath of this life was gone. Aunty’s wedding ring had almost worn away and to bind the love between them mother put her gold band on Aunty’s finger. Mother was a giver all the way along. Aunty died July 15, 1885 at ten minutes to 11 a.m. After the funeral father and mother left for home and found everything in good order.

About this time a serious thing occurred in Malad City. A widow woman of good repute who had two model boys gave birth to a baby boy. Of course the illegitimacy of the affair shocked the whole neighborhood and the widow could not explain. The father was a young man of a very respectable family. It was a predicament, a delimma, a tragedy that was to be played out. The mother of the baby was disconsolate, more because she, at heart, was pur and proud and she loved her baby. She really needed help and Elizabeth went to her and gave her counsel and comfort and told her to hold fast and have faith in the future and in time she would gain respect. Shortly the widow arose from her bed and did her duty to her family. The greatest trouble now was her boys who were hurt though and though. The oldest one was assistant to a merchant and had to face the public from day to day. He was a proud boy and sensitive and had been devoted to his mother. Now he was confused and broken in his spirit. His brother suffered in the same way. The mother and the boys were brave and worked their way through their sorrow. Sometimes the baby boy who was growing fine was called a bastard and with tears in his eyes he would go to his mother who learned how to comfort him and all things pass away the same way as the darkness of the night. The boy was loved by his playmates because he was fair and brave and he grew to be a fine man and held positions of trust in church and state. The family moved to Logan City, Utah and through her continual good works, the widow became one of the most respected of citizens - everyone who knew her loved her.

Although mother didn’t know it, state and individual conditions were beginning to affect her life and challenge all the strength within her spirit. Among the first settlers in Malad valley were Mr. and Mrs. John M. Morgans whose place adjoined ours on the north. The couple had seven children, two of which were Mrs. Howell Mifflin and Mrs. David R. Jones who had places a short distance north of the Morgan’s home. These people Elizabeth, my mother considered among her friends. They had been kind to her. Now in about 1882 or 1883 a man by the name of John Hurst purchased the Morgan’s property. He married a very pretty young woman from Cache Valley, Utah. She had even features, lovely gray eyes, fair skin and two large braids of dark hair. She had a graceful figure and easy walk. She was kind and had an innocent expression. She lived in the old Morgan log house. Her husband built a large pretentious barn where he and is bachelor brother spent a great deal of time. The bachelor brother seemed to care more for John than for himself. All of the actions of John were governed by material force to get what he wanted whether lawful or not. John went into the cattle business. At that time the ranchers drove their cattle and horses into the hills in the mild part of the years. There was plenty of tall grass in the virgin mountains then. In the spring when the cows had calves John’s cows had twins and the other ranchers cows had heavy bags of mild and seldom had calves. John had his calves quickly branded which fulfilled the law. John was six feet tall of rather large bone structure. He had high cheek bones and some what even features, light hair and eyes and could smile sweetly. He looked clean and dressed well. For general work he wore khaki and a large mustard colored hat which was quite fetching to anyone. You wouldn’t miss him in a crowd. He liked politics and had influence with people outside of the church. He had three children, a pretty little girl and two boys. The boys he taught to swear. While young the little girl died and John could often be seen in the grave yard crying over his own child’s grave. John had some of this ranch cleared of sage brush and he made quite a picture as he sat on his large sulky plow. I often wondered what he was thinking as the plow furrowed the good God given earth. Sooner of later most things succumb to human nature.

At this time mother was visited by her old friends Patriach John Smith and his nice looking wife. After the visit was over Mrs. Smith called on friends in Malad City and told them she believed mother’s maid was father’s plural wife. Soon it was all over town thus this suspicion and violation of friendship brought great trouble to Mother. From appearances things did look unusual because mother’s maid was a fine looking woman and was treated as a daughter. Her father was plaster of paris decorator for the Salt Lake City Temple and other fine buildings and was unfortunate in an accident which injured his arm so he could not work. He came to Malad and his children had to help make a living, mother took the one daughter to help her and she was efficient. The result of the suspicion was father’s arrest. He hired James H. Hawley, supposed to be the greatest lawyer in Idaho, to defend him and spending much money and time was freed of the charge. Mr. Hawley was non-Mormon but a fair and honorable man.

February 3^rd 1885 the law called “Test Oath” was embodied in the territorial law of Idaho. It was approved by governor Bunn and affirmed by the courts of Idaho. The law required that every person desiring to have his name registered as a voter must take an oath that he did not belong to an order that taught, advised or encouraged the practice of bigamy or polygamy or any other crime defined by law. This practically disfranchised the Mormons of Idaho. The test oath led to intolerable political conditions. It was almost impossible to get an unprejudiced jury when Mormons were on trial.

John Hurst at heart was in defiance of canon and civil law took advantage of conditions of the time to acquire a ditch that father and others had dug from the north of Malad to the places at Willow Springs, a distance of six or seven miles. The ditch ran thought the old Mogan place that Hurst had purchased. Hurst went to court at Blackfoot, Idaho to fight for water that came by way of the ditch. Father hired James Kimball a noted attorney of Ogden, Utah. The date of the trial was set. When court opened Kimball through some delay was a little late and the anti-Mormon feeling was so strong that the case was rushed through in favor of Hurst who was adept at taking advantage of weak spots. His own brother once said John could get away with murder which later came to pass.

All this trouble kept father from home and work and took a good deal of money. Mother was left almost alone to take care of the business of the ranch. Father borrowed $800 from Jenkin Jones at twelve percent interest giving him his not guaranteed by two of his friends David Bowen and Richard Moss. Father had been a good friend to Jenkin Jones. He paid for journey from Wales to Utah and kept him a year after he arrived. In order to get more water father bought a flowing well digger which became a boon to the ranch. Going down about seventy feet would nearly always bring water clear and beautiful. We thought there was a river running beneath our place. About a foot down from the top soil at Willow Springs was hardpan, a compound layer in soils through which it is difficult to dig so we could not grow an orchard. Mother used to get apples, peaches and other fruits brought to her from Plain City, Utah and she would trade cheese in return. We had everything to eat no matter what other troubles there were. Every autumn mother stored about twenty bushels of apples, boxes of raisins, currents and sugar so when winter came we were prepared. We had our own clean flour and cereal besides bottled and preserved fruit. She especially liked blackberries and currents.

While we lived in a secluded place we had the most select visitors from Brigham City, Ogden and Salt Lake City. These people were accomplished in one way or another and with our music teacher Edward Woozley we had fine entertainment, Father sang, my brother Moses recited and I played the organ and sang. In the evening we had raisin and currant bread and eggnog which consisted of beaten eggs, sugar, milk flavored with beer or wine. We never had bad diseases or accidents or mother could not have accomplished what she did.

It is now January 18, 1887. The weather has brought deep snow and frost but the house if warm and cozy. Mother has brought a new babay and we have named him Wilford. Mother always had a difficult time when her babies were born. For all she did she was a delicate build and very high strung but her mind was strong and she never gave way to anger or emotional excitement but was collected in pain, sorrow and disappointement.

The year went on in peace in 1887. We had fine horses to ride and drive around the country. We went to Ogden often to visit Aunts Letitia and Mary Ann. Aunt Letitia had twenty five houses rented and aunt Mary Ann had a nice home so it didn’t cost us anything to visit them. When anything entertaining such as acting or music was brought to Ogden or Salt Lake City mother made it possible for us to attend while she slaved at home. She did home work and church work.

June 19, 1887 father and mother went to Logan, Utah and had their second endowments in the Logan Temple. This is a very high honor in the Mormon Church. I don’t know what it --. Mother’s ambition for knowledge was unquenchable and Moses her son was a student who was ready for some college so in the autumn of 1889 mother saw to it that he should enter the Brigham Young College in Logan City which was best for him at that time. She found a nice private home for him to board and lodge. Spring soon came bringing its work. Moses came home and helped in every way but he continued reading the good books we had collected during the years. If he had pocket money he would give it to boys if they would do his work so he could find a place to read. When autumn came, Moses, my half brother Hyrum and myself attended the Brigham Young College. We rented the pretty white house on the campus grounds and we had a housekeeper which made everything pleasant and another year passed.

August 18, 1889 mother brought a baby we named Seymour Lawrence but, in spite of this, three of us went in in 1890 to B.Y. College and fun and parties. A new year 1890-1891 Moses was graduated from the Brigham Young College and he returned home with new ideas which he put forth to mother who was expecting a new baby in August. In spite of her condition mother listened attentively and gave consent to his proposals for she had thought about it too. Moses wanted to go to Harvard University so in June he left for Cambridge, Mass. Arriving a Cambridge he wrote me a letter and I quote some of it here.

June 21, 1891. Harvard Uni. “Some of the large cities are built up nicely. Five and six stories are the general run of business houses. There are but few 14 and 15 story buildings. Salt Lake City is prettier than an city I have seen. The people out in the country places her are very ignorant and their houses cannot compare with farm house in Utah. The educated and refined people of the East, those whom we have met are people who need credit for their industry and refinement.” Moses was a great letter writer. He wrote many pages at a time.

August 3, 1891. Mother bore twin girls. One was dead born because the midwife was late in arriving. There was no good doctors in Malad. The living twin was named Letitia, the one born dead was named Martha. After this time mother was never really well. Her back pained her most of the time. She had two doctors in Malad but they were stupid an they had no modern equipment and mother was too busy to think of going to Ogden until it was too late. She would never complain and worked harder than ever to keep us children in school and other things. I went back to the Brigham Young College at Logan, Utah. The winter of 1891-1892 was bitter cold. Father was president of a scattered quorum of Seventies of the Mormon Church. He made long drives to hold services with some of his members. One trip was so cold he nearly perished and when he came home he took down with what seemed to be a bad cold. On recovering he went with mother for a sleigh ride. A hired man was the driver. There were two horses, one well trained, the other a young mare just being broken in to harness. In some way the young mare rubbed the bridle off from her head and she was free. The hired man was confused and awkward. Father seeing the situation leaped out of the sleigh to the mares head and quietly adjusted the bridle. On arriving home mother thought father looked pale so she gave him a warm drink and he became better but later he was struck with a pain in the chest. It was neuralgia of the heart from which he did not really recover although at time he seemed to be perfectly well.

As I have said before my father was among other things a turf enthusiast. He trained many pure breds for the tracks and now thought he was not strong he trained as much as ever. Father always gave me one pure bred for my own. At this time I had one I named Johnny. It was a trotter and very smart. He would do anything for me because I cured a splint on his leg. I used to rub his leg with a bone and he learned to love me for it. When others, even father, drove him he would run away with them. He was bay color and beautiful in every line and could travel like the wind. When I went away to school I gave my consent to sell him for the race track at Ogden and my heart was partly broken and I think father and mother shared my sorrow. This is not my story so I shall go on with Elizabeth’s.

During the time father was having his lawsuits and so much time was lost and money spent mother dreamed that the big tub in which she made cheese was floating on the Snake River and the water was within an inch of the top so that it looked as if it would go under but it didn’t and it gave her faith to go on and now again her cheese help to provide. One time I was taking a trip with a wealthy young man to see his folks at Ogden. Mother was out of money and I wanted a new hat so the young man and I took a cheese to a milliner in Brigham City and traded the cheese for a hat which after all his folks didn’t like so with what little money I had left from the trade of the cheese I went with the young man’s mother and bought a new hat.

During the summer of 1892 father’s weak heart made him almost an invalid. My brother Moses was at Harvard. Mother had all the responsibility of the ranch. The interest on the money had to be met, the tithing to the church she would not miss. She put up fruit for winter. Grain was ripening in the fields and she had to hire men to help. She was good at judging men and nearly always had good ones. One time she hired a perfect stranger. He was a round faced sturdy Welsh or Irish man and had traveled all over the country. He was a gifted story teller and we children learned to think of him as a necessary part of the home. He used to say, “Don’t go away and leave me alone or you won’t find me here.” One day mother took all of us children for a day’s trip and when we came home our hired man, whose name I have forgotten, was gone and we never saw him again. We all worried and missed him terribly. We had taken what he said as a joke. He was a good worker and it was hard to replace him.

The autumn came and father was almost bed-fast. On October 5, 1892 just after I bated his feet he died at Willow Springs, Oneida County, Idaho. I sat beside father while he was going through the experience of death. He had complete control of himself to the very last. There was a tear in his blue eyes and he looked at me as if I understood. He asked me to fetch all his private books and watch and the other little things to him. After looking them over he gave them to me. Among the things was a buckskin he used to cut strings from. I would hold the skin while he cut. Towards midday he became restless and I got a pale of water to bathe his feet, then I could see he should go to bed and with extra effort I helped him there and almost immediately he was gone. I laid him out kissed him and closed his eyes. He was sweet to the last. His breath was sweet and his skin clean because he never had a bad disease, just an injured heat after a busy life at home and abroad.

During the morning of father’s passing, mother and another wife of father’s came as often as possible to the bedroom but couldn’t remain long because of the rush on the place. The threshers had come to thresh the grain. This was always the most trying time of the year. The children had to be kept away from the machinery and chaff. The threshers had to be fed on time. The grain had to be put in the right bins, wheat and oats. Imagine how hard this was on dear Elizabeth whom father loved and honored. There were no undertakers in Malad so we had to do the best we could to preserve father for burial at Willard City. I went to Malad to get ice and a box in which to put him. Mother wished him to be put in the parlor. I suggested that we should raise the carpet where the box was placed because of water leakage as the ice melted, but mother wanted it left as usual. The carpet was almost ruined. When father was in the box mother and Martha looked and said he was a pure and good man.

Father was twenty-two years older than my mother but he never looked it. He was born September 8, 1826 at Cwnllwundu, Ystrad-tofody [Cynllwyn-du, Ystrad- dyfodwg] parish, Glamorganshire, South Wales. In 1847 he married Rebecca Morgan in the Episcopal Church in Wales. In 1851 their first child William was born. In 1851 father joined the Mormon Church. In 1853 father, his wife Rebecca and son William sailed from Liverpool, England to America and after a hard journey arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah October 1853. In the spring of 1854 they moved to Willard City, Utah where they built their first home. People can go astray on belief but they may be good at heart.

According to the belief of the Mormon Church its members are chosen people whose privilege is to give bodies to the greatest spirits who are waiting to receive them. Thus it was that father took the responsibility of more than one wife and had such a large family to care for. In 1863 he was sealed to Phebe Davis which act was sanctioned by Rebecca at the time.

Rebecca’s children were –

William born in 1851

Margaret “ “ 1854

Rebecca “ “ 1856

Ann Gwenllean born 1858

Richard Elias “ 1859

Mary Elizabeth ” 1861

Thomas “ 1863

David May 9, “ 1865

I haven’t the months.

Phebe’s children were –

Amelia Ann born May 18, 1864

Rachel Elizabeth born Nov 26, 1865

John Edmond born April 18, 1869

Martha and Phebe, twins born March 4, 1870

Hyrum born March 4, 1871

Evan John born Aug 10, 1873

Martha had one child, a girl born February 26, 189

Father’s funeral was to be held at Willard City. Mother prepared for the journey. She arranged for the best help to take care of things at home, a woman to look after the children too young to take with her and a woman to do the heavy work. We always had a good man for the outside work. My brother Moses remained at Harvard because of expense.

When we arrived at Willard father was so well preserved that he almost looked like life. Mother went to Ogden and purchased the finest hard wood coffin she could find and when father was put in it, dressed in his robes he looked beautiful. Seymour B. Young who was first president of Council of Seventies said it was a shame to lay him away. He looked so young. The funeral service was well carried on after which father was laid away on the Willard hillside in the Davis plot.

We returned to Willow Springs and mother was glad to find her little children well, but when she looked around she was shocked at what had gone on during her absence. The trusted help had had the best time of their lives. They had invited their friends to feasts. They had eaten all of mother’s two hundred quarts of bottled fruit and other things but what hurt most was the disappointment in human beings. The expense was bad enough. After paying the expenses of the funeral it seemed as if mother couldn’t send Moses money yet somehow she managed to barely keep him going but he became thin and anxious and the only thing that kept him from defeat was mother’s encouraging letters of hope.

While mother worked she reflected. She was young when she joined the Mormon Church and she believed if any of it was right all of it was right. It was impossible for her to understand all the complications of the way of life of the patriarchal order of plural marriage. The heartache, suspicion, and jealousy incurred by the system had never entered her mind. She didn’t realize the mutual love, union and cooperation could not exist only between one man and one woman. They twain.

Elizabeth was nicknamed the Aristocrat. Whether it was her appearance or action or spirit was helpfulness I don’t know. People would come to her for guidance and counsel and leave without embarrassment. An example – one day a mother of nine children was away from home and was given some wine. She became intoxicated and went out on the street and acted unbecomingly. Her husband and children came to mother for advice as to how to overcome what to them was shame. She told them to be quiet and carry on as usual and people would understand and forget.

When mother was president of the Cherry Creek Relief Society one of the members who took great pleasure attending meetings was crippled with arthritis and rheumatism and she became so afflicted that she couldn’t leave her home which was a farm about two miles away from the church so mother received the consent of the other members to once in a while take Relief Society to the home of the unfortunate woman.

The winter after father’s death was bitter cold and mother needed more help. One day while I was reading Richard III by Shakespeare a man came to the door and asked for work. I called mother who talked to the man a while and then hired him. He was a German who had run away from a ship where he had been put by the German Government as an apprentice so he was educated to the hilt. He was an unusual help to mother. He ran a sort of meat shop on the ranch selling cuts to city people and others. He spoke fine German and I took the opportunity to study German under him and when I went to college I got credit for my work.

The spring came and all its work. Fences always needed repairing because of stray animal from the outside and wild ones on the inside. In the days of pioneering in Idaho fences were made of poles. Think of the fencing in 360 acres with poles four or five poles high between cedar posts the length of a pole apart. Sometimes a mad bull would try to jump a fence and miss and bring down the whole fence between the posts and then before the fence could be mended cows and horses would take advantage of the opening and run over your fields and ruin them and the people who let their animals run wild didn’t care about the damage done to other people’s property.

My Aunt Letitia who now lived in Salt Lake City wished to take my little brother Joseph whom she loved dearly and put him through school. Joe lived with Aunty a while and then came home somewhat changed. I think he wanted more excitement. A friend of the family was talking mining and Joes became interested and made up his mind to go to Silver City. My mother had a horror of mining and didn’t give consent but Joe kissed mother and went. Mother could not rest so she sent my brother John who she needed at home to persuade Joe to come home. John stayed more than a year before Joe who was doing well came home, but sorrow came too. Joe had contracted miners consumption. When he seemed to be better mother sent him to the B.Y. Academy at Provo but finally he succumbed. Troubles were coming thick and fast to mother through sources she had not dreamed could bring them. Like an east wind they came to wither. One day she looked down into her hay land and saw two men surveying. She put on her summer hat and went to the men and __ her supposed to be good friend was with John Hurst trying to take some of her land. Mifflin was afraid of Hurst and no doubt was forced to do what he did, but mother was hurt to see treachery. Mother’s eys took on the glint of a lion and ordered the men off of her land. They went and never came back and she had their respect. They were ashamed of what they had done.

After father’s passing mother had proposals of marriage and once she almost accepted but when she took everything into consideration she thought it would complicate things with the children. Jenkin Jones from whom father had borrowed $800 and after father’s death had offered to lean mother more money, if wanted, met my brother Edward on the street one day and sent word to mother that he wanted the $800 at once! This was a great surprise and shock to mother. It was also a blow to David Bowen and Richard Moss who had signed the note as security. As soon as the weather permitted mother traveled to Salt Lake City and borrowed $800 from Miller and Viele and gave as security a mortgage on 80 acres of land, and paid her husband’s note to Jenkin Jones for like amount.

About two miles north of Willow Springs lived a Mr. and Mrs. Mary Morgans, non-Mormons and no relation to the Morgan family at Willow Springs. They had a nice home and were well to do. Mrs. Morgan died a number of years later leaving a son and two daughters, all beautiful children. One girl married a man in Denver, Colorado, the other a Mr. Walker of Salt Lake City. The son, young Morg, who had been educated in Salt Lake City and the East came home to Malad to take care of the Mogan estate. Because of his appearance and behavior he was a sort of pride of the people and was marriageable. He had cattle and horses and for some reason or other he formed a partnership with John Hurst our neighbor. On invitation from Hurst he visited the Hurst home now and then. He rode a beautiful buckskin horse and with his polished brown leather boots he could be seen some distance away. One day I saw him ride up to the Hurst home and before he could dismount Hurst with a shotgun fired from the back and shot the back of Morg’s head to pieces. The young Morgan had the sympathy of all the people and his funeral was a stupendous gather of people from all walks of life. The funeral procession was about 2 miles long and every kind of conveyance to be had was there. This all happened in about 1893. Hurst was arrested and tried. Judge Powers from Salt Lake City defended Hurst. Powers worked on the emotions of the jury until they were hysterical. One old man cried like a baby. I was at the trial and hoped I would never see another such jury. Hurst was sent to prison for twenty years, but his devoted brother never stopped working for his release. He finally by going from door to door had enough people sign a petition for his brother’s freedom. After seven years Hurst was our neighbor again.

Once we had an alarming experience with John Hurst. I don’t remember the year and have no idea of the reason. My brother Edward who is nineteen months younger than myself was taking some of us on a trip to the Portneuf River country and the Lava Hot Springs. Just as we were leaving home John Hurst rode up on his horse and held a gun on Edward. In an instant Edward grabbed the gun from Hurst’s hand. Hurst without a weapon whipped his horse and rode as fast as he could go to Malad City and hid in a cellar. He was a large man. Edward was little more than a boy.

I am not sure of the year but I think it was in 1893 mother ran for County Recorder of Oneida County, Idaho. She had the voting districts back of her and it looked as if she had won but something happened that people not used to politics could not dream to be true. In a caucus meeting led by David L. Evans he so confused some of the out-of-the-way groups that they voted the wrong way which was bad for mother and grief to her friends who when they found out the truth were enraged but it was too late. There were some wily politicians in Malad and Evans was one of them.

Mother was a quick calculator. One time I was with mother was paying a bill to Evans. He was using a pencil and mother was doing it in her head. He came out wrong and she corrected the bill. I was very proud of her.

In the spring of 1894 my brother Moses returned from Harvard University, Mass. And spent the summer at Willow Springs and looking over the country of Southern Idaho. I was going to be married in the autumn but mother and my brother thought my fiancé was too worldly for me and putting things together I agreed. I was hard. In the month of September 1894, Moses took the position of professor of English, French, German and History at the Brigham Young Academy of Provo, Utah. For one year he boarded with the Gate family and in the Spring I visited him there. He had made friends and was much appreciated by his pupils and associate instructors. He knew how to inspire the young people and win the love and respect of all. In a social way he was a leader and what he thought was proper was accepted. During the school year of 1895-1896 Moses, Edward, Mary Ann, and I all lived in a rented cottage near the northern hills of Provo. We each did our special work, Moses a professor the rest of us as students at BYA. In the spring we went home to the ranch and helped. Moses made money selling school supplies.

In the fall of 1896 we went back to the Academy, but the first half of 1897 I took charge of the Training School at the Academy and so was a member of the faculty there. In a year and one half I had received sufficient credits to belong to the Ever Green Class of 1896 and to become a member of Utah State Teachers Association.

In 1897 Edward finished the Normal School and in October 2, 1897 went on a mission for the Mormon Church in Colorado. Mary Ann or Mollie finished the same year and taught one year in the family home of Willow Springs, the next year also. In 1899 she married David Hyde youngest son of Apostle Orson Hyde. In 1898 my brother John attended the B.Y.A and finished that course in 1900. June 22, 1898 Moses married May Bell Thurman brilliant daughter of Judge Samuel Thurman. My brother Moses wished to change from professor to lawyer and after putting the question up to mother she agreed to help him so she sold too many cows for her own good and paved the way for Moses and May Bell to enter Ann Arbor law institution of Michigan and Moses was graduated from Ann Arbor in the class of 1900.

In 1901 John entered Ann Arbor to study law and every day he was encouraged by the picture of Moses hanging on the wall before him. In the year 1901 mother moved to Provo and lived in the home of Professor Nelson which was large and comfortable for her family. Joseph, Robert, Wilford, and Richard attended the B.Y. Academy and Seymour and Letitia went to the district school. Mother was not well but she worked hard to take care of things. After living three years at Provo she moved back to Willow Springs. The moving had been hard on the furniture and the ranch had run down without her supervision. She lost a good deal for the sake of education.

In the spring of 1904 John returned from Ann Arbor with his degree. He was admitted to the Michigan State Bar Association, the Idaho State Bar and the Weber County Bar Association. Mother helped John to establish himself in Malad and he won cases, but he wished to settle in Ogden which he did and that is another story.

Mother became very ill in the summer of 1904 and the doctors in Malad thought she was just run down so they gave her malt beer and other bad things for what she had. She really had diabetes and I can never understand why the doctors in Malad didn’t diagnose the case. I was plain to be seen. In the fall of 1905 she moved to Ogden and the boys helped to take care of the nice home there. Seymour went to high school and Lisha to the primary school. Things were going on fine, but mother growing worse every day. She was now under the care of Doctor Edward I. Rich but she was too far gone for him to do much. She was in the LDS Salt Lake hospital for a while and I visited her every day and to her she still filled us all with hope she was always cheerful./

Again she was at her home in Ogden but she was no better. I went to Ogden and spent 4 hours washing her beautiful dark hair and one day I gave her a bath in the bathtub. She was almost a skeleton. On October 24, 1905 she sank into a coma. I sat on her bed and watched her pass beyond. Her pioneer cousin John Couzzens of Montpelier had died two days before but mother was not told of his passing, but while I sat on the bed she looked up and said - “John how did you get there?” She was laid away in beauty and all her children followed her to the cemetery at Willard City, Utah where she was burried beside her husband.

Elizabeth who was born, reared, and educated in the land of the Magna Charter had the spirit of liberty in her veins. With this spirit she sailed across the wild ocean, traveled the undulating plains, crossed rivulets, creeks, and rivers, rising higher and higher to the table lands of the great Rocky Mountains where crags, rocks, glaciers and clifts had not been disturbed for centuries. Once in a while a trail or path of buffalo and Indian helped to show the way through the land. Then there was the decent down, down into the desert valley, six thousand feet above the level of the sea.

Here Elizabeth who knew the princely city of Haverfordwest met the worthy pioneers who were also mostly of British stock. Her she shared their hardships, tears and exultation which seems at first like a contradiction of the truth.

Now all is changed. The old west with its wagon trains, its herd of buffalo and wandering bands of Indians are gone. The grass-grown trails through the hills have been eaten away. The Bear Lake we used to visit still spreads for thirty miles like billows of blue but now it is surrounded by tourist cabins and people come from far to bathe in its waters. The Lava Hot Springs where we bathed free and where Indians of warring tribes cease hostilities to plunge together in its magical waters, and freighters and pioneers following the old Oregon Trail stopped for days to recuperate – Captain Bonnerville camped there in 1833 and in 1834 N.J. Wyeth stopped there with his freight outfit. In 1871 there was no town of Blackfoot. Idaho Falls was known as Eagle Rock. The Portneuf River above the Hot Springs was full of trout and swift like the wind the Snake River Valley which was a sea of sage brush plains is now a fruitful land because of canals. Horse drawn plows and slip scrapers were seldom seen.

The old stage station sites in Utah, Idaho, and Montana are of the past. The route between Ogden, Utah and Helena, Montana were –

Utah: Ogden, Warm Springs, Willow Creek, Box Elder, Deweyville, Hampton Bridge, and Square Town.

Idaho: Malad, Devil Creek, Carpenters, Robbers Roost, Blackrock, Pocatello Creek, Rossfork, Blackfoot, Corbett Station, Cedar Point, Eagle Rock, Big Bend, Market Lake, Sand Holes, Camas, Hole in the Rock, China Point, Beaver Canyon, Pleasant Valley and Burnt Station.

Montana: Pine Butte, Spring Hill, Shallenberger, Pryne Canyon, Monida, Twin Bridges, Prickly Pear, Helena.

Elizabeth Couzzens Davis died Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock October 24, 1905 at her home in Ogden City, Utah. At her funeral were her eleven living children –

Moses C. Davis born Aug 21, 1869

George Miles born March 4, 1872, dead

Emily Elzabeth born Jan 24, 1873

Edward Harvey born Aug 29, 1874

Mary Ann born Aug 26, 1876

John Charles born Sept 17, 1878

Joseph born Oct 27, 1880

Richard Loton born Oct 19, 1882

Robert C. born Dec 3, 1884

Wilford born Jan 18, 1887

Seymour L. born Aug 18, 1889

Letitia born Aug 3, 1891

Martha, Letitia’s twin was dead born