Gladys Williams Bradfield

Not every girl is fortunate enough to be born on her mother’s birthday, but I am proud to say that I was. My Mother received some birthday present that twenty-fifth day of October 1908. Mother was just thirty-five years old on that day. She was born in the year 1873, in Sirhowy, Glamorganshire, Wales. She came to this country with her parents when she was five years old, leaving there on her birthday. I was born in the little town of Cleveland, Emery County, Utah, located in the Southeastern part of the State. Mother says it was a lovely sun shiny day in Indian Summer.

My Mother’s full name is Gwendoline Williams Williams. My Father’s name in Harry Morgan Williams. They were married in Scofield, Utah on the twenty-forth day of December, in the year 1889.

My first home was just a wee bit of a house, built of logs. I refer to it as an exact copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Cabin. But my first recollection of it was that it was my home. My name was given to me in due respect to friends of my mother and father. My first name, Gladys was given to me because my father once knew a woman by that name - Gladys Street. He must have liked her to bestow upon his ninth child that name. My second name was given to me as a special favor for a friend of Mother’s - Vilate Richards. She came to see mother soon after I was born and promised me a dress and bonnet to match if Mother would name me for her. Of course I got my present.

I was blessed in Cleveland Ward, on the seventh day of February 1909, by Lars P. Oveson. He has a birthday the same day as I do. He was bishop of Cleveland Ward at that time.

Some of my first memories are real joy to me and others are very scary and embarrassing. When I was about three years old I was playing in a new potato cellar my Dad had just got through digging. My little imaginary friend Vilate - my second name - was playing with me. We had some pretty shiny onyx that my Dad had given me. We had been hiding them in the sand. When I found the largest of the onyx I put it in my mouth so Vilate couldn’t find it. Upon inhaling my breath it lodged in my throat. The next thing I knew my Mother and Dad were shaking me by the heels to bring the marble up. When they got after me for putting the marble in my mouth I said "It wasn’t my fault. I was hiding it from Vilate."

When I was three and a half years old my brother Harvey was born. When I first saw him I thought he was the ugliest baby in the world. His head was bald, and he did an awful lot of crying. I simply couldn’t get used to him.

When I was four years old I had the smallpox. I used to tell my older sisters the reason my pox didn’t itch was because I didn’t scratch them. I got by with just one tiny pox mark.

When I was five years old Mother and Dad took me and my brother Harvey up to Hiawatha to visit our older sister Janet. I don’t remember going or being there, but on the way home our horses ran away and tipped our buggy over. My dad was thrown about then feet away from the buggy and I was caught under the seat. When they got me out I had my collar bone thrown out of place and had several cuts and bruises on my arms and face. I was taken to Dr. Doud and had everything fixed up. I then stayed with Janet until I was well. I remember when the doctor took the tape off my arm and body how it hurt, and he told me if I wouldn’t cry he would give me a quarter. It was hard not to cry, but I got the quarter.

When I was six years old I started school. My first teacher was name Irma Anderson. I always thought she was so beautiful. One time she had a surprise for us, and gave each of the girls a doll with curls, and she gave the boys a rubber ball. One day in school at recess, I fell in the canal and got wet from toes to head. Some of the other kids took me to the teacher and she undressed me and put my clothes around the stove to get dry. I felt quite embarrassed sitting in front of the whole class in just my petticoat. I also remember going home at recess thinking it was noon. One girl asked me if I would play with her and I said, "No I’m going home to get my dinner." Her name was Alvilda Nielson. When my sister Mary came home at noon she took me back with her to school and told the teacher I got mixed up.

The day I was six I had my first birthday party. I got a lot of presents. I still have a glass fruit dish that Fielding Jensen gave me. One girl, Lola Tucker gave me a post card.

My first real girl friend was Joseph Nelson. We had lot of fun together. But my best chum was my brother Harvey. We were always together.

I don’t remember very much about the second grade, except my teacher’s name was Catherine Thompson. I do remember she had two pets in class. They were Dean Oveson and Trix Cowley. Genieve Jorgensen was my teacher in the third grade. I surely did like her. I have a picture of her and all the third grade class, with Irene Day too. Miss Jorgensen married the Dalton who became President of the South African Mission.

My fourth grade teacher was Levi Mortensen. I never did like him for some reason or another. It was while in the fourth grade that I had pneumonia and nearly died. I was out of school a month, and when school closed that year I didn’t get promoted. It nearly broke my heart to know now that I wouldn’t be with all my friends in the fifth grade.

I was not quite over the pneumonia when my grandfather (Thomas Reese Williams - mother’s father) died. Mother left me with grandma (Janet Morgan Williams, father’s mother) while she went to Salt Lake to the funeral. When she came back she brought me a couple of wax dolls, and a little cup that had a verse on it which read, "for a good child." At the time of this writing I still have the cup.

When school started in the fall of 1918 I went in the fourth grade, but didn’t like it one bit. All the other students were near the same age as I, but I felt a little bit out of place among them. A Miss Nelson was my teacher and she gave all kinds of chances to advance.

In December 1918, my sister Mary died when the flu was so very bad. They had to close school down, so I didn’t get much learning that year. When school started again the next fall I took the fifth grade although I was scared to death I would get caught. I wouldn’t have never found out if my best girl friend hadn’t told on me. The teacher, Mr. Keith C. Walquist, questioned me and I told him how I thought I belonged in the fifth grade. He decided to give me a trial for a week and if I made good I would stay there. I worked extra hard and got "hundreds" in everything so he had me get up in front of the class one day and show me off to some of those "smart" fifth graders. I really made good in the class, and was promoted to the sixth grade with high honor. I had Moroni Oveson for my teacher in the sixth grade. He was a good scout.

In the spring of 1921, my sister Annie died, leaving her husband and four children. The youngest baby was nine months old. Shortly before Annie died she was at our house and spent the night. She was not well then and I being very young, was given the baby, Mary Elvertis, to tend. It seemed that I was the only one that could keep her quiet. She slept with me that night, and when they were ready to leave for home the next morning, my sister said to me, "You are the only one the baby seems to take to so when I die she is yours, remember." Two weeks later Annie died of pneumonia. Mother took Jack, Vernice and Elvertis to live with us. Allott went with his Dad. Vernice didn’t stay with us long. She too went with her father and was cared for by Hattie Larson, her father’s sister. Jack made him home with us for years, and I learned to love him as a brother. Finally he too went to his father. At the present wiring, Elvertis is nineteen years old. A saucy little redhead, and a sister and a daughter to our family. She still lives with Mom and Dad, and until she gets married she always will. I still claim her as my own, and she in turn claims me. A tie which will never be broken. (I hope)

When I was in the seventh grade I had three I had three teachers. One after the other. Elbert Cox was my final teacher. And I liked him real well. His worse fault was making the students memorize poems for the least wrong thing they did. I suppose he considered me one of his most mischievous, because he had me sit right in front of his desk so nothing could escape his eye. I spent much of that school year with my Grandmother Williams (Janet Morgan Williams - father’s mother) in town (Cleveland). She was not well, and someone had to stay with her.

Reuben Joseph was my teacher in the eighth grade. Bless his heart. We all had rather a crush on him. I, along with the rest of the class, was fourteen years old, and he was twenty-one. He always seemed quite ideal to me. He neither smoked or drank, nor used crude language. We had a party for him one time, his birthday was in September, so it was soon after school started in the fall. We all decided to take him something babyish, rattles, and such. There was one boy who thought himself too smart to do that, so he took him a lovely tie. We were all put out about that and told him so.

In the course of these years, I attended Primary regularly and liked it real well. I never went to Sunday School very much, the only reason I can give is I didn’t like it. I went to Mutual all the time and took part in plays that they put on.

On the third of June 1917 I was baptized by William D. Stokes. I was the only one to be baptized that Sunday, and it was in an old pollywog pond. I was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph J. Larson, the same day.

When I was fourteen years old I went to Salt Lake alone to visit my sister Myrtle. She was at the depot to meet me. That was one of my most frightening experiences. My heart seemed to be beating so fast I could hardly breath. I had a most glorious time while I was there.

I was a teacher in a bluebird class in Primary, and we had a lot of fun. We made a towel with a bluebird on one end.

After I got old enough to go out working I wasn’t home very much. I worked in Salt Lake quite a bit. My first job in Salt Lake was office work for Hinds Plumbing Co. Frank Aldous (my sister Myrtle’s husband) got the job for me. A greener kid there never was than I when I first started out. They were very patient with me though, and I got along alright. I worked there for nine months. I also did house work for different people. I worked at Woolworths for quite a while. It was while working there that I met Lurene Walton, a girl from Kaysville, Utah. She and I were the best of friends for years. I used to go up to her place and work in their cherry orchard in the summer. I also used to work for Winnie Litster Allred. I worked for her before she was married, and also afterward.

My boy friends were few. I didn’t seem to take with them. Although I did have one that I thought a lot of. His name was John C. Walker. When I met him he lived in Standardville, Utah. I met him through my sister Janet. She lived there at the time. He was really from Provo, Utah. We were friends until he made his debut in Salt Lake and that put a finishing touch to our friendship.

In 1930, I took a trip with Andy and Janet and their family to Wyoming, and it was really fun.

In 1931, I took a business course at the LDS Business College in Salt Lake City. I didn’t quite complete it, ran out of money and had to stop.

On the third of June 1931, I went to the Salt Lake Temple with Mother and Dad. I had my own endowments that day, and was sealed to my parents. I was scared to death, but also very thrilled.

While I lived in Salt Lake I attended Church at the 12-13th Ward, and was a primary teacher. It was while attending MIA there that I began my Treasures of Truth. I also worked for Dr. and Mrs. A.N. Leonard, who lived on Gilmore Drive. They were sure lovely people, and I enjoyed myself while I was there.

I worked in the boarding house in Standardville. When the mine explosion took place in 1930, they came after me to help wash dishes. There were so many men there to help get the injured out of the mine. Then in 1934 they came after me to work there steady. I also worked for some people in Helper who operated a store on the road to Standardville. In the winter of 1934 I started to work for Frank Bryner and his wife in Price. I stayed with them for nine months. She was a terrible person. When I left there she stole my diary. While I was there Fran and Frank got married. (Fran is my sister)

I went to Castle Dale to work for Bill Snow in his Café. I worked for him for some time. It was while working for him that I received my call to fill a mission in Manti Temple for three months. I never in my life had anything touch me like that did. I will never forget the feeling that went through me when I first saw the Bishop and how two counselors and the Ward Clerk walk into the room. I just knew they wanted me for something. It was on the thirteenth day of October 1937, and they wanted to leave on the first of the year 1938. They told me that Vernice Eden my niece, was going with me. I got ready by the last part of December, and on the third day of January 1938 they had a farewell party for us in the Cleveland Ward. In the old meeting house, which soon after burned down. The folks in the ward voluntarily donated us twenty-four dollars between us. We left for Manti on the 4^th of January. Henry and Hattie took us over there. We arrived there about 6:00 p.m. that night. We had arranged to stay at a Sister Chatwins home. On the 5^th of January 1938 we went to the Temple and started our work, which was wonderful for us. On the 10^th of February they had me start to work in the recording office of the Temple. I surely did enjoy it.

We stayed at the Chatwins for two days, but we didn’t like it there, so we hunted for another place. We found a place at the home of Berth Colby, just what we wanted. She gave us a room upstairs that we fell in love with as soon as we saw it. We knew we would be happy there. There was a little stove in there that we called Little Willie.

Up to this date I had been looking and searching for the one and only Mr. Right. And he walked into my life about 5:00 p.m., February 6, 1938. When I saw him I thought to myself, is this him? He had come up to Manti from Sigurd, Utah, to help Boyd Colby with some work. He stayed there a few days and then went home. I tried to get him to sit by me one night when we went with Boyd to get some rocks, but he wouldn’t. He was not sure that I was not spoken for. It was not until after he left that I found out that his name was Ferris Bradfield. I guess I was too excited to catch his name when they introduced us. I didn’t see him again until the 17^th of February, when he came to the Temple. His brother Norris was going on a mission and the family came up with him to the Temple. He had spoken of the farewell dance they were having for Norris, and I guess I really did some hinting for him to come to Manti the next night to take me down to the dance in Sigurd. He and Boyd came up and took Vernice and me to the dance. We stayed with the Gurrs that night. Bertha Colby went down with us. I really had a good time at the dance. Ferris showed me a wonderful time. I didn’t realize then that he felt the same way about me as I did about him. The next day when he took me back to Manti he asked me to marry him. That was the 19^th of February, 1938. He said, "I guess I will change your name." My answer was, "Well, why don’t you." We also set the date, and were two happy people the rest of the day. We decided to get married the 3^rd of June 1938. Which didn’t give us very much time.

On the 2^nd of April, 1938 Ferris and I went home to Cleveland by bus. My folks were anxious to meet the man who had finally won my heart. He passed their judgement too, one hundred per cent. He really won them. He stayed with us for a few days then he went back home. The day he went home I went to Price to work for Don Bean family. I worked for them a month.

On the 2^nd of June, 1938, Mother and Vernice, and Brother and Sister James Jensen went with me to Manti to get married. We arrived in time to take in the evening session. And it was a thrill to be back there again. It seemed that everyone knew that I was going to be married. And they were all so glad.

The 3^rd of June came bright and clear, just a lovely day to be married. About 8:00 a.m. Ferris came, as excited as a bridegroom should be, and as handsome as ever. We all went to the Temple, and in the middle of the meeting I realized I had come without my wedding dress. I told Vernice and together we got up and left the room to go get my things. Mother and Ferris thought I had decided not to get married and just up and left without saying anything. We ran down the hill to the house and got my bag. When we came back both Mom and Ferris heaved a sign of relief. We were married by U.W. Grange at twenty minutes to 1:00 p.m. There was such a crowd to see us married that we could hardly move. All the temple workers stopped their work to come to see us married. Mom was so thrilled. We both cried. That afternoon we went to Ferris’ Uncle Joe’s place and had dinner. We then sneaked away and forgot everyone and everything. Even forgot to go back to the Temple with Mom as we had promised. One thing that I am very sorry about.

When we arrived home on the farm after we were married, my family was there to greet us, and they had a lovely dinner for us on the 5^th of June. During our dinner, Ted (my sister Fran’s oldest son) took sick. He was about two and a half years old. They took him to the doctor and found that he had appendicitis and would have to be operated on. They rushed him to Salt Lake and Ferris and I went with them, from there we went to Sigurd, Utah where we were to make our home.

We started keeping house by ourselves on the 21^st of June, 1938. Our first home being a one room house belonging to Jesse Kane. We got Thad Nebeker and Ralph (Ferris’ brother) to take us to Cleveland to get my belongings. While we were there we bought an old stove from Janet, my sister. We had that same stove until 1945, and had to give it up when the whole insides fell out of it. The first year in our little home we were so happy.

On the 14^th of May, 1939, which happened to be Mother’s Day, our first (and only) baby was born. We named her Janet Gay, and she is the sweetest baby there ever was. Ferris went to Cleveland got Elvertis to come and stay with us for awhile so I wouldn’t be alone when I came home from the hospital. Doctors Leo Merrill and Noyes were my doctors, and they were surely good to me. The morning I went to the Salina Hospital, Dr. Noyes met me at the door and took me right to my room. That was about 10:30 a.m. and at 11:46 a.m. Janet Gay was born. My nurses were Faye Burtoch and Lillian. I don’t know her last name.

When Ferris came to take us home was he ever a proud daddy. He had a surprise for us. He had bought a baby buggy for Janet Gay to sleep in. She surely made good use of that buggy too.

On the 3^rd of June, 1939, one year after we were married, Janet Gay was blessed and given her name by her daddy. Carl Sevy and Ralph assisted. A few days after that Ferris’ parents, sister Beth and brother Ralph moved to Cedar City, Utah, and we moved up into their house, which was to become our second home for over a year and half. Ferris sister Velma stayed behind.

When Janet Gay was six weeks old Boyd Colby took me, Janet Gay and Elvertis over to the Farm in Cleveland, so everyone could see my baby. Ferris stayed home, He was working for Johnny McMillan at that time. Velma was with him. As yet she hadn’t gone to Cedar to be with the family. We stayed on the farm for a few weeks and then took a bus back to Sigurd.

My home life in Sigurd was happy, but we surely had a hard time. Ferris was working for Johnny McMillan for $2.50 a day and lot of times he had to wait and then almost coax for his money. Sometimes I marvel at how we existed. But we did, and even bought our little old Ford. Then sometimes we could NOT run it, because we didn’t have the money to buy gas. I remember one time, the spring after we got the Ford, it was Easter Sunday and everyone in town went away for Easter. We couldn’t go because John Mac wouldn’t pay Ferris. So after Church we put Janet Gay in the buggy and walked up the canyon to the Sigurd water tank. We wore the rubber right off the wheels of the buggy. She just loved to ride in her buggy, the more rough the road the better she liked it.

I didn’t feel so well when we lived in Sigurd, after Janet Gay was born. I was awfully lonesome. The people of Sigurd were never very friendly with me. Maybe it was my fault, I don’t know, but it wasn’t good. We always went to Church but I never held an office after Janet Gay was born. Before, I was a Primary teacher, and worked in the Genealogy Committee.

We went to the farm in Cleveland in November 1939 and stayed until February 1940. The folks were so good to us, but we felt we were imposing on them son on the 14^th of February, 1940 we decided we had better go back to our home in Sigurd. Even though we knew Ferris would not be able to work for another month. On our way home that day we almost had an accident. After we had left Soldiers Summit the roads were so slick, and the snow was so deep that traffic was terrible. We rounded a turn and there was a couple of cars banged head on into each other. Ferris drove the Ford into the snow bank so he wouldn’t run into them. He then got out and went to see if he could help. Pretty soon another car came around the turn and smacked into the first two. By this time I was getting pretty scared. I called to Ferris and asked him to get us out of the bank and on our way. About four men and Ferris picked up the little Ford and put it back on the road and we went down the road a ways and then Ferris stopped and went back to see if he could help. When he got there, right where we had been in the snow bank was another car, so if we hadn’t moved we would have been smashed. Was I ever glad that we had got out of there. We then drove on to Sigurd.

Those next few months in Sigurd were surely the days. We look back now and we know that it was only through the help of the Lord that we managed to get along. Mom had a premonition one day and sent us a box of things to eat. Boy were we glad. Wilford Pierce and his wife trusted us with milk and coal. The only real friends we had in Sigurd. As I said before I didn’t feel well and I guess people thought I didn’t want to be neighborly.

In the summer of 1940 we went to Cedar City to visit Ferris’ parents, and took Mom and Dad with us. It was such a nice trip. Dad was always counting the miles and wondering how much farther we had to go.

In October 1940 after Ferris was through working we went over to the farm to see the folks. Mom and Dad had moved into town now, and Harvey and Reita were living on the farm. While we were there Ferris’ Dad and Ralph came up from Cedar to see us. When they found that we weren’t home they called Cleveland and got hold of us. We told them we would come right home. We met them in Salina Canyon. That night we packed up a few things and went with them to Cedar City. We never did return to Sigurd to live. Ferris started to work in the Cedar Plaster Mill. We lived with Mother and Dad Bradfield until February 1941, then we rented a little house from Mima Hunter. One room down stairs and one room up. It wasn’t much, but I’ll tell you we loved it. We had our cow and we planted a garden, and we thought we were sitting on top of the world.

In March Janet Gay got terribly sick and we found out she had to have her tonsils out. On the 2^nd of April 1941 we took her to the doctor and had them out.

Once in awhile, my family would come to see us. Before we left Sigurd, Gwen, Theo, Fran and Frank came and stayed all night with us. It seemed so good to see them.

On the 18^th of May 1941, we had a terrible storm. Ferris had to work all night to get out an order of plaster. The wind blew so bad that night that it blew trees up by the roots. It blew our chimney down, and when I got up in the morning we couldn’t make a fire, so Janet Gay and I went to Mrs. Hunters. When Ferris came home he went to Mrs. Hunters and had breakfast. Then it started to snow. It snowed about 18 inches. It was awful. I remember when we went to Church that night we had a time getting through the snow and the fallen trees.

We belonged to the Cedar First Ward. And I always went with Janet Gay to the Junior Sunday School. Ferris was put in Second Counselor in the Sunday School Superintendency..

I kept getting thinner and thinner. I was awful nervous, and never could get enough sleep. One time young Frank Aldous (my sister Myrtle’s oldest boy) called to see us, and he told Mom afterward that I was not happy because I looked so terrible. But I was just sick, and didn’t know what was the trouble. I guess if I had gone to the doctor, I would have found out.

In July 1941 Mom and Dad came to see us with Frank and Fran, and Ted and Harvey. We had a good time and I was sure happy to see them. I guess that was about the last time I ever saw Mom up and around, because in November 1941 Fran wrote and told me Mom was awful sick, so we went to Castle Dale to see her. She and Dad had moved over with Gwen so Gwen could take care of her and so she would be close to the Doctor. She was so terribly sick. When it came time for us to go home she tried to get me to stay, but for some unknown reason I wouldn’t stay. We hadn’t been home only a couple of days when she died. It was a shock to me, because I never realized she was so bad. Ferris had tried to tell me too. We went back to Castle Dale. After Mother’s funeral, Ferris went home and Janet Gay and I stayed until just a week or so before Christmas. Then we went home by bus.

In February 1942 we moved from Mima Hunter’s house to a larger home belonging to Belle Armstrong. Now we really did think we were getting along. We bought us a second hand living room set and a second hand sewing machine, and we were able to start storing things for our future use.

Ferris was still in the Sunday School Superintendency, and I was a nursery teacher in Jr. Sunday School.

During this time I was still feeling sick. I had gone to the doctor and he said I should have a goiter operation before I would get better. I wanted to wait until Janet Gay was three years old. So on the 17^th of May 1942 I went to the hospital to have my goiter out. Before I went Ferris took me to Bishop Grimshaw and they gave me a blessing. I was operated on the 19^th of May 1942. I got along real well. Elvertis came to stay with Janet Gay while I was in the hospital. I was in the hospital for about 10 days. The day after I came home, Elvertis had to leave so I was on my own. Ferris worked every day, but would come home at noon to give me something to eat. Janet Gay stayed with her Grandma Bradfield. One day I was so hungry I thought if I could just get me a dish of peaches maybe I would feel better. I staggered to the kitchen, but there wasn’t any there. We kept our fruit upstairs in a little room, so I crawled up the steps to get my peaches. When I got up there I was so give out I had to lie down to get my strength. I got my peaches and went back down stairs, sliding one step at a time. Then when I got to the kitchen I didn’t have the strength to open the bottle. So I went back to bed hungry. I gradually got well and felt better than I had for sometime.

In the summer of 1942 Fran and Frank came down and brought Dad to see us. It was the first time I had seen Dad since Mom died.

The Second World War was on by now, having been declared in December 1941. All the young men were being called into service. It was certain that Ferris would have to go sometime. The plaster mill was still working but their orders were coming in very slow. Ferris decided we should look for something somewhere else. He knew that if he went into the army that it would be better if Janet Gay and I were near my folks. So in November 1942 we loaded up our belongings in the mill truck and went to Castle Dale. We stored our furniture in my sister Gwen’s house and stayed with them until after Christmas. On the first of the year 1943 we rented a house from Vern Peterson in Castle Dale, and moved in on the second of January.

Ferris searched all over Carbon County to get a house to live in. He could have got work almost any place he wanted to but we couldn’t find a place in which to live. While we still stayed with Gwen and Theo, Ferris got a job, both him and Theo, working in the Castle Valley Coal Mine. It was the first time Ferris had ever been around a coal mine, let alone work in one. I thought he would last one night because he worked night shift, but he worked a month or more and it really did help us out.

During this period of time Ferris let his draft board know where he was, and he thought now that he wasn’t working that surely he would be called into the army.

In February Ferris got a job driving truck for Fred Ungritch from Castle Dale to Salt Lake. We were comfortably settled in the Peterson house and we were just waiting for something to take place. He quit his job with Ungritch and went to McKinnons Coal Mine in Huntington Canyon and got a job. He started there about the 3^rd of March, 1943, and worked there steady until March 1947. He wasn’t called into the army because he worked in the mine.

We went to Castle Dale Ward. The Bishop when we first went there was Elmer Nielson. Lots of times he never showed up to hold Sacrament meeting. It was pretty discouraging. Ferris was put in Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday School. They got a new Bishop. Eugene Johanson was his name, Stan Huntington and Glen Bott were the counselors. It sure seemed good to have Church going at full swing, and we really enjoyed it. Ferris and I started the Junior Sunday School in the Castle Dale Ward. It was tough going because we didn’t have any support. We held it in the old Relief Society Hall. At that time we used the Old Academy for the Church Building. Since then they have built a lovely building that they use for stake and ward affairs.

We decided to look around and buy us a home. We finally found one up on the Bench in Castle Dale. It belonged to Mark Jeff. We went to Sunnyside to see him and he said he would let us have it for $1,800 if we could pay $200 down. We were more than happy and finally made all the arrangements, and were ready to move into our own home. Believe me that was a joyous time. We had a lot of fixing to do, and cleaning up to do, but in October 1943 we moved in.

While we lived there we bought us a cow, pigs and chickens and raised turkeys to sell. There were fruit trees on the place, and we had our own garden. Ferris worked so hard to make things look nice.

In 1943 Ferris was made one of the seven presidents of the Seventies. When they would hold their meetings the wives of all the men would go meet in another room and sew and visit. After the meeting, we would have something to eat. It was always a feed when we went to Nelson Alger’s home. His wife was surely a cook. And she knew how Ferris liked to eat so she would always fix something extra special for him. I worked as a teaching in the Primary. I had the six year olds. I used to listen to them, and compare what they could do with what Janet Gay could do. She was only five. Both Ferris and I were put on the Genealogy Committee. We didn’t know the first thing about it, but we sure studied. It was at this time that I got started on our family research work, on both my parents.

We still had the old Ford, and it took us on many a good trip. I learned to drive it all over. We took several trips to Cedar City to see the folks, and after they moved to Logan we drove it up there many times.

All this time Janet Gay was growing like a weed. She always enjoyed going to Church, and to the Saturday night shows. She would love to ride piggyback on her dad’s back when we would come home from the shows.

In 1944 Reita’s (my brother Harvey’s wife) mother died and I went to Weston, Idaho with them. When I saw Logan, and Cache Valley I told myself that someday we would live in Logan. Little dreaming that it would come true. Ferris too, fell in love with Logan the firs time he saw it.

Dad had been living with my sister Gwen since Mom died, and he used to visit me nearly every day. In 1945 he became really ill. He had yellow jaundice so awful bad. He stayed with us for about six weeks while Gwen was in the hospital. He was so anxious to get back to Gwen and his own bed. He knew he would not live long. While he was with us he used to go out and climb into the cherry tree and eat cherries. Bless his heart he looked so pitiful, his yellow skin among the green leaves, I shall never forget. He passed away on 27^th of July 1945, and his funeral was on the 31^st.

In September 1945 Janet Gay started school. She went half a day in the afternoon. Her first teacher was Mrs. Peterson. She got along so well in school. Never missed a day until the last of school when she got sick and had to stay out.

We would take excursions to the Manti Temple. One time we went with bishop Johanson and his wife and really enjoyed ourselves. It was not the same as when I worked there though.

In July of 1946 we took Janet Gay to Logan to visit with her Grandma and Grandpa. While she was there she got the measles and was really sick. On our way home we picked up Ted and Paul (my sister Fran’s two boys) in Scofield and took them home with us. Paul was just passed two years old. Ferris was taking care of Old Trigger, a young colt of Harvey’s. They went out to the orchard to catch it. Paul got too close and it kicked him in the head and scalped him. We rushed him to Dr. Turman. He had to take 18 stitches in his head. We have always felt so terrible about it. We always thought so much of Paul. He used to stay with us when he was a baby and we learned to love him so much. Ferris always calls him his boy.

In October 1946 Janet Gay had a little red spot under her eye. Dr. Turman made an appointment for me to take her to Dr. Cowan in Salt Lake City. We rode up there with Andrew and Betty Easterbrook. It proved to be a nerve close to the skin and would go away. But the doctor saw a mole on my arm and advised me to have the mole taken off. So when I went home I talked to Dr. Turman and he said he would take it off for me. It was not malignant, but it surely left a scar.

In February of 1947 Ferris had a few days off from work, so we went to Logan to see the folks. When we got back home Ferris made up his mind that he would quit the mine for good. He worked for a week or so then he never went back. He packed up his little old suit case and went to Logan. He immediately got work at Utah State Agriculture College and he never did live in Castle Dale again. Janet Gay and I stayed there alone and took care of things. We had two cows to milk and it was a job. I managed through until May then I loaded the cows in a truck of Wayman’s and he hauled them to Logan. The 1st of June we rented our home in Castle Dale and moved to Logan. We lived in the basement of Ferris’ Folks house for one year.

When we lived in the basement for that year we belonged to the Second Ward. Lynn Thompson was the Bishop. We had waited until we came to Logan for Janet Gay to be baptized because she wanted her Daddy to do it. That was about one of the first things we did after we got settled. We had to wait for our recommends to come so it wasn’t until the 2^nd of August 1947 that she was baptized. We had to take her to Smithfield Third Ward. She was confirmed the next day, Sunday, in the Second Ward also by her Daddy. We hadn’t been in the ward long when we were asked to work in the Genealogical Committee. We did a lot of work in the Ward and we had a lot of good home teachers that really worked hard.

In the summer of that first year in Logan we surely did enjoy ourselves. It was so different than anything we had ever had before. We went all over to see the sights.

I guess sit was about August when I decided to get Ferris a wristwatch for Christmas. I knew if I laid it away and paid on it each month I could get it out by then. The day I was going up town to get it out, I told Janet Gay to meet me on her way home from school. She was going to the Woodruff School then. I had just met her and we crossed the street when I stubbed my toe and fell down. I wrenched all the ligaments loose in my knee. The kids with Janet Gay tried to life me up but they couldn’t. Just then a taxi came by and the driver helped me to the cab and took me home and helped me into the house. I never did get up to get the watch out. Ferris’ sister Beth went and got it. But it really was a surprise gift for Ferris. We wrapped in pretty paper then wrapped it in more paper until it filled a large box. The look on his face was one we will always remember. My knee was so swollen and so sore that I was afraid it would never get well. I went on crutches for a long time. I thought I would never be able to do anything again. Gradually it got better. One night in the Temple when I was walking up the stairs the pain stopped altogether. The Lord sure did bless me.

In March 1948 we sold our home in Castle Dale to Mr. Jensen and got enough money to help make a down payment on a home in Logan. Then we began looking around for a home. It seemed like the Lord guided us to our present home. We looked all over for a home that would be within our budget. One day I read an ad in the paper about a little white frame home, four rooms, bath and full basement. I called about it and got the address. Mother Bradfield and I went over to look at it. We were just being let into the house by the lady who owned it when Ferris and Dad Bradfield drove by in the truck. Ferris had seen the For Sale sign in the window and had decided to stop and look at the place on his way back to the college. When he saw us go in, not knowing who it was from a distance, he thought he was too late. As he got nearer and saw it was me and his mother he felt as though we had both been guided to this house in answer to our prayers. We looked through the house together, and found it was what we wanted. It wasn’t long until all arrangements were made and we were proud owners of our cute little white frame home at 362 West 5^th North, Logan, Utah.

We couldn’t move in until June, and it took us days to move a little bit at a time. But it was fun. There were improvements on the lot. Grass in front and a driveway with grass striping. There really was a lot to do but we were able and willing. Janet Gay was nine years old, and we used to really work while Ferris was in work to make things show.

We had to put our new coal range in the basement, then we got a nice hot plate to cook on in the kitchen. We would sometime be able to buy us an electric stove. Which we did a couple of years later, also a refrigerator.

In the summer of 1948 we continued to back to Second Ward to Church. We had learned to like it real well and sort of hated to leave it even though we lived in another ward. One day the Relief Society visitors called to see me and invited us to come to Church. They were Dyrene Yeates and Camille Zollinger. They said the people in 17^th Ward were not stuck up. So we decided it was about time to make a change of wards. In September 1948 we began to go to the 17^th Ward. I remember once Zollingers invited us to go to the opening Mutual Social down to willow Park. Everyone was so friendly, and made us so welcome. R. Owen Yeates was Bishop and Glen Longhurst and Paul Felt were counselors. After that we went to Church in 17^th Ward all the time, and in October our recommends were read and we became members of the best ward in Cache Valley. Almost immediately Ferris was put in Chairman of the Genealogical Committee and I a visiting teacher. Then he was chosen to be Secretary in the Aaronic Priesthood and he still holds that position (1956).

I was also made secretary of the Genealogical Committee in our ward. I was also a primary teacher and have worked in Primary ever since. In 1953 I was set apart by Casper W. Merrill as a Primary Stake Board Leader of the Top-Pilot Group. I have been working in the Genealogy Department in wards and in the families since 1945. I am Secretary and Researcher for the Williams-Morgan Family, the Thomas Reese Williams Family and the John Strange Family. I really do like it.

In February 1952 I started taking care of Cary Theurer. He was five months old, and such a cute baby. Then I took Gregory Nyman in September 1952. Then in December 1952 I took Peggy Theurer. She was three months old. There was just five months difference in each of the kids. Then when Jeffery Theurer was born I took him too. That was in April 1955. I took him when he was one week old. I also had Susan Raate for about six months. She was about three months old when I took her. At the present time I still have Gregory Nyman, and he is just passed four years. I just took Mary Ann Sorenson six weeks old, daughter of Dave Sorenson.

In 1952 our little old Ford finally was given up. We sold it to Clyde Yeates for $50. I’ll tell you we sure had some good times in the little old care. Our little dog Queenie could hardly stand to see someone else drive it. After we got rid of the Ford, we used Dad Bradfield’s old Plymouth for awhile. On the 4^th of April 1953, we bought us a 1940 green Chevrolet. It really has taken us a lot of places. We went to Oregon in it in July 1953 to visit Ferris’ Uncle Fred and family. While we were there he took us on a wonderful trip into Pendleton, up to and across the Columbia River into Washington, down the Snake River, and to an old Gyp Mine where he used to work. We surely had a lovely time. Something to always remember.

I don’t get a chance very often to visit my brother and sisters. About once a year during our vacation I see them. My brother Harvey and family left the farm in about 1945, and went to work on the railroad. For awhile they lived in Cache Valley, and we used to see them real often. They now live in Wellington, Utah. Myrtle and her family live in Salt Lake City, Janet and her husband live in Cleveland. Gwen and her husband still live in Castle Dale. Fran and her family live in Scofield. Fran and I keep in close touch with letters. And she always writes such interesting letters that I can’t wait from one letter to the next. Elvertis married Sam Bryson and they are now living in El Paso, Texas. I have a lovely family, and I am proud of all of them. Especially am I proud of my own daughter, Janet Gay. She has grown up now. She has completed her grade school, Jr. High, and this year she is a Senior in high school. She just graduated from LDS Seminary. She is studying to be a secretary. During the school year of 1955-56 she was secretary to Mr. Don Bishop, Supervisor of the Seminary. She is secretary in the Jr. Sunday School in 175h Ward, and Secretary in her Jr. Gleaner Class. She started taking piano lessons when she was little, about six. She is pretty good now. She really loves music and her ear for music is very keen. She loves to learn all about movie stars too. She has a nerve allergy. When she gets nervous she breaks out in red blotches. I kept her in bed a whole week one time thinking she had measles. She always leaves little notes for me, and I sure do like them.

In June 1955 Jeanette Morgan Smith from Ohio, a cousin, came to visit us. We planned on visiting her in 1956, but Ferris had to have an operation, and we decided that came first. He spent four days in the hospital. He got along fine and he feels so much better.

In July 1955 I had singles. I was surely sick. The pain was so severe. We called the Bishop and he and Ferris administered to me. The pain stopped and I never had any more pain in my spine.

Speaking of our bishop, he surely is one swell man. In November 1954 we had a change of Bishoprics in the 17^th Ward. William A. Sorenson, we call him Tony, is our Bishop, J. LeMar Larsen and Dean Smith are the counselors. They are wonderful men. Tony lives neighbors to us.

We surely do have some lovely neighbors. Zollingers, Hawkes, Sorenson,s Garrs.

This has brought my life story about up to date. I have made many friends, and I do believe my closest friend, one whom I can talk to about anything is Camille Zollinger. We do have some good times together. But my vest best friends are my dear husband and daughter. I truly have enjoyed my life with my husband and daughter. I love them so very much, and they have been so good to me. Ferris and I have been married 18 years, the happiest years of my list. And 17 of those have been made happier by having my daughter, Janet Gay so close to me.