Howard Orson Spencer Family Biographies & Stories
Howard Orson Spencer
by Elda Mortenson
Not much has been written concerning Uncle Howard Orson Spencer. I have always carried with me such fond memories of him, and such deep love and respect, that I should like to add a bit about him. I remember him as a rugged individual, tall, gaunt of frame, pleasant of face. A kindly man, quiet and unassuming, he was a man of understanding, and possessing great qualities of leadership. He seemed to impart to others his enjoyment of work. He was of sturdy pioneer stock, honest and sincere in his beliefs.
One of my favorite stories when I was a child was the one told me about Uncle Howard’s experience on one of his ocean voyages, when a great storm came up and the ship, together with all of the lives aboard, were threatened. Knowing of the “strange” power that seemed to accompany the Mormon Missionaries, he was beseeched to “do something!” He went quietly to the brow of the ship, and
exercising his priesthood, quietly commanded the storm to cease. He at once began to fear lest he had assumed too much authority, but his fear was soon gone, for the storm ceased and the ocean became calm.
Brother Frank Young, who lived in Orderville and worked with Uncle Howard in the days of the Order, related to me a story (which was corroborated by my mother) of how at one time, when the U.S. Army was in Utah, a troop went on a raiding party, and in the fracus Howard O. Spencer was injured and beaten and left for dead. He was rescued and taken to physicians who placed a gold plate
(or steel) beneath the crushed skull to protect the brain, and he recovered. (I hope I have remembered this correctly.) Brother Young, in speaking of him said, “He was a fine man. He did more for me than anyone. He had enough confidence in me to call me to work with the Young Men. He took me with him on the round-up, and made me take my turn at praying. He knew what I needed to do, and saw that I did it. I sure loved that man.” And then he related other incidents about the “Order.”
With his hearing becoming seriously affected from the head injury, Uncle Howard became very reticent and quiet. This handicap sometimes resulted in humorous situations, which he himself enjoyed immensely, because – he would say – the joke was on him.
I recall how he was known as a man of few words. This was especially noted in his praying. No one ever made fun of him, for they all admired him so much. He usually sat next to the pulpit in meetings so he could hear all of the sermons from the brethren. One day he heartily concurred in the remarks of Elder George Albert Smith concerning unnecessarily long and tiring prayers. Uncle Howard was called on to dismiss the meeting, and as near as I can remember it, these were his words: “O Lord,-- take us now, and make something of us if you can, Amen.” Brother Smith jumped up and grabbed his hand and shook it, and throwing his other arm across Uncle Howard’s shoulders, turned and said to the audience “Now THAT’S the kind of prayer I like to hear!” Truly Uncle Howard
possessed the courage to form his own convictions, and then to follow them with appropriate action.
by Elda Mortenson
Not much has been written concerning Uncle Howard Orson Spencer. I have always carried with me such fond memories of him, and such deep love and respect, that I should like to add a bit about him. I remember him as a rugged individual, tall, gaunt of frame, pleasant of face. A kindly man, quiet and unassuming, he was a man of understanding, and possessing great qualities of leadership. He seemed to impart to others his enjoyment of work. He was of sturdy pioneer stock, honest and sincere in his beliefs.
One of my favorite stories when I was a child was the one told me about Uncle Howard’s experience on one of his ocean voyages, when a great storm came up and the ship, together with all of the lives aboard, were threatened. Knowing of the “strange” power that seemed to accompany the Mormon Missionaries, he was beseeched to “do something!” He went quietly to the brow of the ship, and
exercising his priesthood, quietly commanded the storm to cease. He at once began to fear lest he had assumed too much authority, but his fear was soon gone, for the storm ceased and the ocean became calm.
Brother Frank Young, who lived in Orderville and worked with Uncle Howard in the days of the Order, related to me a story (which was corroborated by my mother) of how at one time, when the U.S. Army was in Utah, a troop went on a raiding party, and in the fracus Howard O. Spencer was injured and beaten and left for dead. He was rescued and taken to physicians who placed a gold plate
(or steel) beneath the crushed skull to protect the brain, and he recovered. (I hope I have remembered this correctly.) Brother Young, in speaking of him said, “He was a fine man. He did more for me than anyone. He had enough confidence in me to call me to work with the Young Men. He took me with him on the round-up, and made me take my turn at praying. He knew what I needed to do, and saw that I did it. I sure loved that man.” And then he related other incidents about the “Order.”
With his hearing becoming seriously affected from the head injury, Uncle Howard became very reticent and quiet. This handicap sometimes resulted in humorous situations, which he himself enjoyed immensely, because – he would say – the joke was on him.
I recall how he was known as a man of few words. This was especially noted in his praying. No one ever made fun of him, for they all admired him so much. He usually sat next to the pulpit in meetings so he could hear all of the sermons from the brethren. One day he heartily concurred in the remarks of Elder George Albert Smith concerning unnecessarily long and tiring prayers. Uncle Howard was called on to dismiss the meeting, and as near as I can remember it, these were his words: “O Lord,-- take us now, and make something of us if you can, Amen.” Brother Smith jumped up and grabbed his hand and shook it, and throwing his other arm across Uncle Howard’s shoulders, turned and said to the audience “Now THAT’S the kind of prayer I like to hear!” Truly Uncle Howard
possessed the courage to form his own convictions, and then to follow them with appropriate action.
My Father-Howard Orson Spencer
by Verda S. Adams, his daughter
My father was an adventuresome person who never feared anything. He was sent to Long Valley – now called Orderville – to settle it, and was the first Bishop of Orderville, and started the United Order. He was well known and won friends everywhere. He especially paid attention to children, - he always had a crowd of kids following him. He played with them and they liked attention. Being free hearted with all people and sharing what he had made his life pleasant. He never envied anyone of what they had. He lived his religion and had lots of faith and a wonderful power of healing the sick.
One of his special traits was honesty. He would rather lose everything than to gain dishonesty in his everyday dealings. Anyone that knew him couldn’t say that he was out for what he could get of the other fellow.
When he was home he always went to bed at 9:00 p.m. – up at early dawn ready to start the day. He liked to set around the fireplace at evening and tell us children of his early experience in the Indian Black Hawk ward and Civil War, also a night watchman at Z.C.M.I. in Salt Lake City.
If ever anyone had a testimony of the gospel instilled in them it was he and his (father’s) family, that were left motherless outside of Nauvoo, as they were preparing to come west with the Saints. They depended on the Lord and also served him in every way possible. Father walked across the plains as a boy 10 years old, and helped pull a hand cart. His family were kept together after the death of their mother, and with good friends’ help, made the trip to Utah.
My father married three wives: Louise Cross, Persis Brown and Asenath Emeline Carling. He obeyed the counsel of the Church, which at that time (advocated) the practice of polygamy…One of his favorite songs was “O Jesus the Giver of All we Enjoy.”
by Verda S. Adams, his daughter
My father was an adventuresome person who never feared anything. He was sent to Long Valley – now called Orderville – to settle it, and was the first Bishop of Orderville, and started the United Order. He was well known and won friends everywhere. He especially paid attention to children, - he always had a crowd of kids following him. He played with them and they liked attention. Being free hearted with all people and sharing what he had made his life pleasant. He never envied anyone of what they had. He lived his religion and had lots of faith and a wonderful power of healing the sick.
One of his special traits was honesty. He would rather lose everything than to gain dishonesty in his everyday dealings. Anyone that knew him couldn’t say that he was out for what he could get of the other fellow.
When he was home he always went to bed at 9:00 p.m. – up at early dawn ready to start the day. He liked to set around the fireplace at evening and tell us children of his early experience in the Indian Black Hawk ward and Civil War, also a night watchman at Z.C.M.I. in Salt Lake City.
If ever anyone had a testimony of the gospel instilled in them it was he and his (father’s) family, that were left motherless outside of Nauvoo, as they were preparing to come west with the Saints. They depended on the Lord and also served him in every way possible. Father walked across the plains as a boy 10 years old, and helped pull a hand cart. His family were kept together after the death of their mother, and with good friends’ help, made the trip to Utah.
My father married three wives: Louise Cross, Persis Brown and Asenath Emeline Carling. He obeyed the counsel of the Church, which at that time (advocated) the practice of polygamy…One of his favorite songs was “O Jesus the Giver of All we Enjoy.”
"The Spencer Pike Affair"-This is the court proceedings of the trial of Howard Orson Spencer, accused of killing a soldier, Pike. Howard Orson Spencer had his skull crushed and was left for dead. He was never the same afterwards. He was found not guilty.
Asenath Emeline Carling
by her daughter Ruby S. Swapp
My mother was a lady, real brilliant and active in her life. She was blessed with many talents and used them all as chance came her way. She was a real motherly, loving, carefree acting mother. How I can well remember how she suffered the hardships of life, that we children might rejoice with her and have what she could give us to rejoice over. Whenever anything went wrong she always had a song on her sweet lips to comfort us.
I never remember a Christmas passing by but what mother always would buy a big china dollhead and make its body to fit the head, and clothe it up like a real baby for us bigger girls. And when means were short she would buy us smaller girls each a 10-cent alphabet doll, dark headed ones for the dark headed girls and light ones for us light headed ones.
She always had her little ones around and on her knee at evening, singing sweet lullabies to them. She dearly loved her babies. We then couldn’t see anything in life but fun and mirth, under eight years of age, --but from then on we had to wash, iron and help care for the smaller ones as the older ones married off young, along eighteen or nineteen years old. Mother taught us how to sew and quilt real young. When I was ten years old I thought I was doing something big when I lived on the ranch in the summers with our family. Once I wanted to go down home in Orderville real bad and mother had just started her quilt piecing, and she said I could not go until I pieced a quilt top. So I got up early one morning and pieced a nine-patch set of blocks, and she kept and gave it to me when I was married. Then we sisters—Leone, the youngest was four years old, --put on our new dresses and walked twelve miles down from our ranch to Orderville. We caught a ride just below David Foote’s ranch, a short way below Glendale, and rode the rest of the way down to Orderville. We were surely happy when we arrived at our destination.
My mother would work along in the workshop with her father while he scrolled out fancy woodwork for tops of buildings, and furniture, and for other purposes. Mother would paint the chairs he would make, -- and picture frames, tables, and other articles. She took lots of pride making articles for her whole family to wear. She used to make shirts for the men, shirts and pants for the boys, and all the dresses we girls had to wear. She could do any kind of fancy work and need work. I well remember the last grey woolen dresses she made for my sister Linda and I out of the last piece of woolen goods woven in the old factory building just in the field below Hidden Lake.
Mother used to tell us children how the marshals would hunt father and other Polygamists whenever they made their trips down through the country for that purpose. One happened to be father’s friend and would send word ahead to say he was coming, and father knew what he meant. She told us how she and father would take their children with them and flee for their lives where they could hide up somewhere. They would often go up where Aunt Ellen lived at Hidden Lake. At that time there were two large two-story buildings side by side on the north side of the lane up against the sidehill and one just across the door yard from the one on the hill point.
Mother was always humble and contented with her home and what little furniture she had, but always made things appear tidy and neat. She had such a struggle for material things of life but managed to always find something to put in our little hungry mouths. She would bottle her fruit, make preserves and pickle her Isabella grapes, and also dry them for us children to nibble at. She always raised a ….(good) garden. She planted berry bushes around the lot near the fence where they wouldn’t be in the way of the garden. She kept a milk cow and a flock of chickens, and sometimes a pig for family use…
When she was a young girl in school she won the prize for learning the most times tables of any in her class. This was in Fillmore, Millard County, Utah.
She always made and kept lots of friends.
by her daughter Ruby S. Swapp
My mother was a lady, real brilliant and active in her life. She was blessed with many talents and used them all as chance came her way. She was a real motherly, loving, carefree acting mother. How I can well remember how she suffered the hardships of life, that we children might rejoice with her and have what she could give us to rejoice over. Whenever anything went wrong she always had a song on her sweet lips to comfort us.
I never remember a Christmas passing by but what mother always would buy a big china dollhead and make its body to fit the head, and clothe it up like a real baby for us bigger girls. And when means were short she would buy us smaller girls each a 10-cent alphabet doll, dark headed ones for the dark headed girls and light ones for us light headed ones.
She always had her little ones around and on her knee at evening, singing sweet lullabies to them. She dearly loved her babies. We then couldn’t see anything in life but fun and mirth, under eight years of age, --but from then on we had to wash, iron and help care for the smaller ones as the older ones married off young, along eighteen or nineteen years old. Mother taught us how to sew and quilt real young. When I was ten years old I thought I was doing something big when I lived on the ranch in the summers with our family. Once I wanted to go down home in Orderville real bad and mother had just started her quilt piecing, and she said I could not go until I pieced a quilt top. So I got up early one morning and pieced a nine-patch set of blocks, and she kept and gave it to me when I was married. Then we sisters—Leone, the youngest was four years old, --put on our new dresses and walked twelve miles down from our ranch to Orderville. We caught a ride just below David Foote’s ranch, a short way below Glendale, and rode the rest of the way down to Orderville. We were surely happy when we arrived at our destination.
My mother would work along in the workshop with her father while he scrolled out fancy woodwork for tops of buildings, and furniture, and for other purposes. Mother would paint the chairs he would make, -- and picture frames, tables, and other articles. She took lots of pride making articles for her whole family to wear. She used to make shirts for the men, shirts and pants for the boys, and all the dresses we girls had to wear. She could do any kind of fancy work and need work. I well remember the last grey woolen dresses she made for my sister Linda and I out of the last piece of woolen goods woven in the old factory building just in the field below Hidden Lake.
Mother used to tell us children how the marshals would hunt father and other Polygamists whenever they made their trips down through the country for that purpose. One happened to be father’s friend and would send word ahead to say he was coming, and father knew what he meant. She told us how she and father would take their children with them and flee for their lives where they could hide up somewhere. They would often go up where Aunt Ellen lived at Hidden Lake. At that time there were two large two-story buildings side by side on the north side of the lane up against the sidehill and one just across the door yard from the one on the hill point.
Mother was always humble and contented with her home and what little furniture she had, but always made things appear tidy and neat. She had such a struggle for material things of life but managed to always find something to put in our little hungry mouths. She would bottle her fruit, make preserves and pickle her Isabella grapes, and also dry them for us children to nibble at. She always raised a ….(good) garden. She planted berry bushes around the lot near the fence where they wouldn’t be in the way of the garden. She kept a milk cow and a flock of chickens, and sometimes a pig for family use…
When she was a young girl in school she won the prize for learning the most times tables of any in her class. This was in Fillmore, Millard County, Utah.
She always made and kept lots of friends.
Memories of my Mother-Asenath Emeline Carling
by Verda S. Adams, her daughter
Purity… Sacrifice… Service… come to my mind when I think of my mother, for she was a pure virtuous woman. No foul words or dirty jokes were told. She was an example to all and her deeds unnumbered. Her life was a sacrifice for her family—she put aside her wants and desires for her personal self, and service was her constant goal throughout her years.
She gave birth to 17 children --ten of us lived to raise families.
She was gifted with talents and could do almost any hand work, or fancy work, such as netting, knitting, crocheting, embroidery. She could make hats, sew dresses, do Berlin work, and her quilting stitches were about as fine as machine quilting. She played the organ and accordion, -- she had an alto voice so unusual, -- she also sang in the choir as a girl. These articles I do remember helping her make on the ranch, in the summer: soap, cheese, potato starch, butter, quilts, and rugs. She had an influence for good on anyone around her, -- always cheerful and ready to make the best of life as it came.
We always had good music in our home, and singing; and best of all, Howard played the violin, and to this day I have never heard anything to equal it.
Mother’s ideals were high and her desire was that her family would hold high ideals and work for them. Family prayers were regular, and the blessing on the food. Our meetings were attended regularly. Anointing with oil and prayer was our power of healing. Herbs were our drugs to use for medicine. Common foods and lots of hard work kept us useful.
Mother was especially good to the ones who were in need of friends. I used to think it was funny, she had some real odd friends coming to see her, but she felt they needed a friend and gave them her moral support.
Most of my girlhood days mother wasn’t well, and there was no doctor to help the people, except just before she died. I was always with her, only I went to St. George to school for about three months. When she wrote she wasn’t very well I went home, and again I left when I was married. That time I was gone about three months, then we came back to Orderville and lived with her until she was buried.
Father had died in 1917, and this left mother very lonely. Mother wasn’t known very well, but every one knew“Brother Spencer” for he had worked in the public; but her time was spent with her babies, and the public hardly knew she existed. Its women like her that makes a better world.
by Verda S. Adams, her daughter
Purity… Sacrifice… Service… come to my mind when I think of my mother, for she was a pure virtuous woman. No foul words or dirty jokes were told. She was an example to all and her deeds unnumbered. Her life was a sacrifice for her family—she put aside her wants and desires for her personal self, and service was her constant goal throughout her years.
She gave birth to 17 children --ten of us lived to raise families.
She was gifted with talents and could do almost any hand work, or fancy work, such as netting, knitting, crocheting, embroidery. She could make hats, sew dresses, do Berlin work, and her quilting stitches were about as fine as machine quilting. She played the organ and accordion, -- she had an alto voice so unusual, -- she also sang in the choir as a girl. These articles I do remember helping her make on the ranch, in the summer: soap, cheese, potato starch, butter, quilts, and rugs. She had an influence for good on anyone around her, -- always cheerful and ready to make the best of life as it came.
We always had good music in our home, and singing; and best of all, Howard played the violin, and to this day I have never heard anything to equal it.
Mother’s ideals were high and her desire was that her family would hold high ideals and work for them. Family prayers were regular, and the blessing on the food. Our meetings were attended regularly. Anointing with oil and prayer was our power of healing. Herbs were our drugs to use for medicine. Common foods and lots of hard work kept us useful.
Mother was especially good to the ones who were in need of friends. I used to think it was funny, she had some real odd friends coming to see her, but she felt they needed a friend and gave them her moral support.
Most of my girlhood days mother wasn’t well, and there was no doctor to help the people, except just before she died. I was always with her, only I went to St. George to school for about three months. When she wrote she wasn’t very well I went home, and again I left when I was married. That time I was gone about three months, then we came back to Orderville and lived with her until she was buried.
Father had died in 1917, and this left mother very lonely. Mother wasn’t known very well, but every one knew“Brother Spencer” for he had worked in the public; but her time was spent with her babies, and the public hardly knew she existed. Its women like her that makes a better world.
Asenath Emeline Carling Biographical Sketch
by her daughter Aurelia S. Petty
My mother, Asenath Emeline Carling was married to Howard Orson Spencer in the St. George Temple 1 Feb. 1877, by David H. Cannon. He, father, died 4 March 1917 at Orderville, Kane, Utah.
When mother was a grown girl, her father and mother moved their large family to Orderville and joined the United Order. My father, Howard Orson Spencer, was called to Orderville to start the United Order, and was the first Bishop or Presiding Elder there. A few years after that he married my mother, and she lived in a shanty near by the “Big House”…Father filled two missions to England. The second was after he was married in polygamy, as mother was his third wife. The Marshals, McGary and Armstrong, used to come down hunting up the polygamists, and mother had quite a large family so we had to keep hid up when the marshals came through Orderville. They traveled in a black-top buggy then. We were taught no to tell our names to strangers, and we grew up in fear of the marshals. They got several of the polygamist men and took to prison in Salt Lake, but let them go a short while later. They had Uncle Thomas Chamberlain and Uncle John Covington and several others, but I don’t remember who they were. The church authorities sent father to England on a mission about that time, and they didn’t get him.
Mother was a very faithful woman, and liked by everybody. They used to say she kept her house better than anyone in town. She was so neat and clean and did very nice sewing and fancy work. (She also loved to draw and paint. Aurelia furnished us with a watercolor which her mother painted.)
When Ivie was born, she was a still born baby, and Howard was one year and nine months old. I was seven years old then. Mother very near died with blood poison at the time and I had to see to Howard and care for him; and mother was sick for a long time after that.
When Ruby was a little girl our family took the typhoid fever. All of them had it but me; Carling and Mabel were the first ones to get it. Aunt Ellen Chamberlain used to come over every day and bathe the children or put them in packs to help break up the fever, as there weren’t any doctors them days, and they just had mid-wives. Mother was pregnant at the time and got sick through so much worrying, and lost her baby. But through her faith and prayers the children got over the typhoid, but they had a long siege of it, and Ruby was sick for such a long time.
When Leone was about 11 or 12 years, she had dropsy, and swelled up all over and was sick in bed about six months or longer, and the water began to seep through the pores of her legs, and she couldn’t lie down but had to sit up in order to breathe. Aunt Laura Porter took her home at her place and cared for her for quite a while. At last an abscess formed in one breast, and when it came to
a head and broke, water run from her body, and after it drained she began to improve. But her left lung was all shrunk away, and she had a running sore in her breast for a long time. It never seemed to heal up, and when Linda was going to St. George to get married, she took Leone to the temple with her, and she was cured and the sore healed up. I know mother’s prayers, too, had been answered in her behalf, as mother had such a lot of faith.
She was so well thought of that people called to visit with her so much, she always had so much company; but mother’s health was poor, and I being the oldest girl, it seemed I was the one she always called on to help her, and when she had company she would ask me to go fix supper for them I used to wish she never had so much company, as I had to cook supper while the other girls my age
could go places and play in the evening, while I had to stay in and help mother.
I can see now what a hard time mother had. We never had the necessities of life like others had, and Father was gone most of the time up to the farm trying to make a living for his big family, and would come down about once a week to bring provisions for us such as he could raise. His first wife, Louisa, lived on the ranch with him, as her children were grown and married and mother lived in Orderville where we children could go to school. So mother was left with us children to oversee and manage. We didn’t know so much about our father as he was gone so much. But he liked all of us very much and used to hold us and rock us and sing to us when he was home. We dearly loved our father. Carling and I went on the ranch sometimes in summertime and we used to enjoy ourselves so much there. Carling was always hunting, and would dig out chipmunks and catch them, and we used to gather herbs for mother as she always doctored with herbs. We roamed over the hills and had lots of innocent fun, and never even thought anything bad. We also gathered berries for mother. One summer mother went to the ranch with father and lived in a little old granary and a tent, with us children; and the boys, Carling and Howard, helped father on the farm. When I was about fourteen years old I went up one fall and Aunt Louisa was away, and father had me cook for the threshers, with a girl friend of mine, Julia Jorgenson, about my age. But we weren’t very good cooks.
I don’t know what my mother ever would have done if it hadn’t been for Grandpa Carling and her sisters to help her, as they always helped her all they could, and I know they will get a great reward for what they did for mother. They were better fixed than she, and had better health.
Mother always wanted some instrument to play on, but we never had an organ (until many years later) but she got an accordion, and the boys had a violin and a guitar, and mother played on them. She and her sisters were such sweet singers and she sang in the choir and used to take me to choir practice with her. I used to enjoy watching them sing. Grandfather Carling had a big table in their kitchen, with an oil lamp in the center of the table, and all the folks sat around the table and put their books on it while they sang. Uncle Jesse was the choir leader. They went to Grandfather’s place to practice as his place was the center of attraction in those days. They always had music and singing of evenings, and people would father around there in the evenings in summer time to hear the girls sing and to hear their music. I always thought my grandfather’s home was like a heaven on earth. It was always so peaceable, and he kept home and garden so nice; he raised so many beautiful flowers, and fruits of different kinds, and always had some kind of a treat and a good story ready to tell people as they called to visit him. And he was always such a faithful man and taught his children to be industrious. He could do most any kind of work he undertook to do, and never had but fifteen days of schooling in his life (as I was told), and he depended upon the Lord to help him in everything he undertook to do, and taught his children to depend upon the Lord for their help too.
Mother was not well for a long, long time before she went to a doctor. There wasn’t any doctor in Orderville and later they took her to one in Panguitch. She had a swelling in her side, and the infection had eaten into her hip, and the doctor operated on her but it was too late to help her. I was in Los Angeles at that time. When they let me know I came home, and got there just before she died. My sister Verda was home and my brothers Howard and Alvin and I cared for mother before she died. I never heard mother ever say anything bad about anyone, and she was always so good natured, and everybody thought a lot of mother, and would call to see her so much. She died before Verda or Howard or Alvin were married.
Asenath Emeline Carling Spencer died 15 May 1924 in Orderville, Kane, Utah, and was buried there.
by her daughter Aurelia S. Petty
My mother, Asenath Emeline Carling was married to Howard Orson Spencer in the St. George Temple 1 Feb. 1877, by David H. Cannon. He, father, died 4 March 1917 at Orderville, Kane, Utah.
When mother was a grown girl, her father and mother moved their large family to Orderville and joined the United Order. My father, Howard Orson Spencer, was called to Orderville to start the United Order, and was the first Bishop or Presiding Elder there. A few years after that he married my mother, and she lived in a shanty near by the “Big House”…Father filled two missions to England. The second was after he was married in polygamy, as mother was his third wife. The Marshals, McGary and Armstrong, used to come down hunting up the polygamists, and mother had quite a large family so we had to keep hid up when the marshals came through Orderville. They traveled in a black-top buggy then. We were taught no to tell our names to strangers, and we grew up in fear of the marshals. They got several of the polygamist men and took to prison in Salt Lake, but let them go a short while later. They had Uncle Thomas Chamberlain and Uncle John Covington and several others, but I don’t remember who they were. The church authorities sent father to England on a mission about that time, and they didn’t get him.
Mother was a very faithful woman, and liked by everybody. They used to say she kept her house better than anyone in town. She was so neat and clean and did very nice sewing and fancy work. (She also loved to draw and paint. Aurelia furnished us with a watercolor which her mother painted.)
When Ivie was born, she was a still born baby, and Howard was one year and nine months old. I was seven years old then. Mother very near died with blood poison at the time and I had to see to Howard and care for him; and mother was sick for a long time after that.
When Ruby was a little girl our family took the typhoid fever. All of them had it but me; Carling and Mabel were the first ones to get it. Aunt Ellen Chamberlain used to come over every day and bathe the children or put them in packs to help break up the fever, as there weren’t any doctors them days, and they just had mid-wives. Mother was pregnant at the time and got sick through so much worrying, and lost her baby. But through her faith and prayers the children got over the typhoid, but they had a long siege of it, and Ruby was sick for such a long time.
When Leone was about 11 or 12 years, she had dropsy, and swelled up all over and was sick in bed about six months or longer, and the water began to seep through the pores of her legs, and she couldn’t lie down but had to sit up in order to breathe. Aunt Laura Porter took her home at her place and cared for her for quite a while. At last an abscess formed in one breast, and when it came to
a head and broke, water run from her body, and after it drained she began to improve. But her left lung was all shrunk away, and she had a running sore in her breast for a long time. It never seemed to heal up, and when Linda was going to St. George to get married, she took Leone to the temple with her, and she was cured and the sore healed up. I know mother’s prayers, too, had been answered in her behalf, as mother had such a lot of faith.
She was so well thought of that people called to visit with her so much, she always had so much company; but mother’s health was poor, and I being the oldest girl, it seemed I was the one she always called on to help her, and when she had company she would ask me to go fix supper for them I used to wish she never had so much company, as I had to cook supper while the other girls my age
could go places and play in the evening, while I had to stay in and help mother.
I can see now what a hard time mother had. We never had the necessities of life like others had, and Father was gone most of the time up to the farm trying to make a living for his big family, and would come down about once a week to bring provisions for us such as he could raise. His first wife, Louisa, lived on the ranch with him, as her children were grown and married and mother lived in Orderville where we children could go to school. So mother was left with us children to oversee and manage. We didn’t know so much about our father as he was gone so much. But he liked all of us very much and used to hold us and rock us and sing to us when he was home. We dearly loved our father. Carling and I went on the ranch sometimes in summertime and we used to enjoy ourselves so much there. Carling was always hunting, and would dig out chipmunks and catch them, and we used to gather herbs for mother as she always doctored with herbs. We roamed over the hills and had lots of innocent fun, and never even thought anything bad. We also gathered berries for mother. One summer mother went to the ranch with father and lived in a little old granary and a tent, with us children; and the boys, Carling and Howard, helped father on the farm. When I was about fourteen years old I went up one fall and Aunt Louisa was away, and father had me cook for the threshers, with a girl friend of mine, Julia Jorgenson, about my age. But we weren’t very good cooks.
I don’t know what my mother ever would have done if it hadn’t been for Grandpa Carling and her sisters to help her, as they always helped her all they could, and I know they will get a great reward for what they did for mother. They were better fixed than she, and had better health.
Mother always wanted some instrument to play on, but we never had an organ (until many years later) but she got an accordion, and the boys had a violin and a guitar, and mother played on them. She and her sisters were such sweet singers and she sang in the choir and used to take me to choir practice with her. I used to enjoy watching them sing. Grandfather Carling had a big table in their kitchen, with an oil lamp in the center of the table, and all the folks sat around the table and put their books on it while they sang. Uncle Jesse was the choir leader. They went to Grandfather’s place to practice as his place was the center of attraction in those days. They always had music and singing of evenings, and people would father around there in the evenings in summer time to hear the girls sing and to hear their music. I always thought my grandfather’s home was like a heaven on earth. It was always so peaceable, and he kept home and garden so nice; he raised so many beautiful flowers, and fruits of different kinds, and always had some kind of a treat and a good story ready to tell people as they called to visit him. And he was always such a faithful man and taught his children to be industrious. He could do most any kind of work he undertook to do, and never had but fifteen days of schooling in his life (as I was told), and he depended upon the Lord to help him in everything he undertook to do, and taught his children to depend upon the Lord for their help too.
Mother was not well for a long, long time before she went to a doctor. There wasn’t any doctor in Orderville and later they took her to one in Panguitch. She had a swelling in her side, and the infection had eaten into her hip, and the doctor operated on her but it was too late to help her. I was in Los Angeles at that time. When they let me know I came home, and got there just before she died. My sister Verda was home and my brothers Howard and Alvin and I cared for mother before she died. I never heard mother ever say anything bad about anyone, and she was always so good natured, and everybody thought a lot of mother, and would call to see her so much. She died before Verda or Howard or Alvin were married.
Asenath Emeline Carling Spencer died 15 May 1924 in Orderville, Kane, Utah, and was buried there.
"Aurelia Spencer (Stevens)"
Born Sept. 20, 1881 in Orderville, UT, was married 21 Dec. 1897 in the St. George Temple at St. George, Washington, Utah, to Charles Franklin Stevens, son of Charles Franklin Stevens, Sr., and Olive Emily DeMill. He was born 3 Dec. 1874 at Shoensburg, Washington, Utah. He died 23 April 1919 at Enoch, Iron, Utah and was buried 23 April at Cedar City, Iron, Utah. Telling of herself and her husband, Aurelia writes:
I lived in Orderville and had never been any other place farther away than Kanab before I was married. I met my husband in Orderville at school. His parents had moved to Orderville from Shoensburg. His mother was one of Oliver DeMill's daugthers. They were pioneers in early days of Dixie. We went to the St. George Temple to get married. The weather turned off extra cold and snowed on us all afternoon. We camped near the river at Hurricane before it was a town and no one lived there then. Frankin drove his father's team with a covered wagon for our transportation. His sister, Minnie, went with us when we were married. They had to haul feel in the wagon box for the horses. When the weather got so cold and windy we slept in the wagon box one night using the hay as our beds. The next day we went on to St. George and camped at Brother Bunting's home. He had married a neighbor of ours, Hester Peacock. We were very glad to find a good place to stay. They treated us so well. They worked in the temple there.
After we were married we went to Shoensburg and spent the holiday with the DeMill people. We had a good visit. They gave us a party and many nice presents. I had never seen any of Franklin's folks before except for his parents and sisters. They were very nice people. We went to Rockville to a dance one night in the wagon.
We were living with his folks in Orderville that winter. They were building a big, new house, Chriss Larson and Sammey Crawford were the carpenters. I helped cook for them while they were working. In May the Stevens family moved to the ranch on the North Fork of the Virgin River. Franklin's father owned some land there that they farmed, raising grain and potatoes. There was so much snow on the top of the mountain that they couldn't take the wagons over until June. They went to the ranch over a trail on horseback. They let me ride a gentle little horse, but in places there were springs where the trail ceased, and it was slick because of the ice in one place and my horse fell with me on the ice. In those days girls rode sideways on horses. It happened that my feet were on the side that he didn't fall on or else I would have been hurt. He flounced around awhile then made it up on his feet again. This frightened me.
My first child was born the next October. My husband and his brothers were trying to finish a job of clearing land for Jim Smith before we moved to Orderville. We thought we had two more months before the baby arrived, but she arrived one cold night without a doctor or nurse. The men and women had moved off the mountain except one, Sister Hampton. She lived over in another canyon and the roads were bad but Carlos hitched the horses to the wagon box full of beans they had yet to thrash, and as luck struck he managed to catch the horses in the pasture, and after they were hitched to the wagon he rode full speed to get that lady to come to our assistance as the baby had already arrived before he left. It seemed that they hand of the Lord was with her and she got along fine and still lives. We were very thankful for that lady's help.
I surely got tired of moving to the ranch over those rough roads every summer. We couldn't have a home as I would like to have had because we had to move so much with the little children. Later on Franklin bought an old sawmill from Ben Cameron on the Sevier River. He moved and fixed it to saw lumber onto his father's ranch. He had much good timber that he could saw, but it took a lot of hard work to make the ditches and dam. The waterwheel also took a lot of hard work. This gave power enough with which to run his sawmill. As he wasn't able to hire any help, he did most of his own cutting of the timber, logging and running the mill with our oldest son, who was just a small boy then, to help him. Later on Carlos went to Cedar City to work for John Parry and took up some landy under the "Smoot Act" as it as called then. His father and Franklin decided to go to Cedar too, and they took up some land. It had a high water right in the spring. Franklin built us a house on Cedar Bottoms, as they called it. He sawed his own lumber, made shingles and lath, and did most of the work on it with the help of his family. He was so busy that he had little time to spend in building. Carlos, his father, and Nephi also built there. They called it Stevensville. I had thirteen children and lost seven of them when they were babies because I didn't have much care and we had to work so hard.
Franklin had a heart attack and died suddenly. This left me with six children to care for, and my baby was just nine months old at the time. My oldest daughter had to tend the children while I went to find work. Franklin had just mortgaged forty acres of alfalfa and I couldn't pay the mortgage because there wasn't enough income from the farm, and the high water had stopped. We had to sell the farm, but we didn't get much for it. I managed to settle with the bank and his other bills and had enough to bury him. We had to go where we could get work. Rachel's health was bad so we went to Mesa, Arizona, there she got better. Charley and Edson, my two sons went to Los Angeles to find work and then they wanted us to move to California. We moved to Harbor City. Jode Covington lived there and helped the boys to find work, and he also helped me to find work. I worked for forty cents an hour doing housework and cleaning for people there. My mother got sick, and Rachel got married, and we all moved back to Utah. And then I married J. H. Petty from Hurricane and lived there.
I worked as the first counselor in the Relief Society to Sister Grace Jepson. We had to help lay out the dead for burial, make their clothes and cover caskets. I enjoyed working in the ward. I also helped teach a Sunday School class with Brother Reusch and Sister Mary Campbell. I learned much from them.
My second husband, John Petty, died later and my children were married, and I was so lonely living by myself away from my children that I sold my home and moved to Enoch so I could be where my two daughters lived. They let me build a little home on their land. (They report she did most of it herself, --Ed.) I helped my youngest daughter care for her four children as she had to work after she and her husband divorced. They kept me company after my children were gone. Her oldest son, Ronald Adair, is filling an L.D.S. mission in Illionois now (1960)...I am so proud of all of her children because they seem as if they are my own children after staying with me while they were young.
When I was staying in Orem with my daughter Emily, her husband, Sam Hoover, was working in Provo at the Sanitarium. One day Emily went over to bring him home after work, and I had a dear relative of my husband's there, so I went to visit her. I asked the lady at the office if I could see this lady. She said, "Yes," and that they were having a dance upstairs and I could go right up there. After searching for her I finally saw her sitting on a bench so I went over and sat down by her and talked with her for quite awhile. I forgot about the nurse hunting for her. After I had talked to her I thought that my daughter would be ready to go home so I decided to leave. When I got to the door the nurse wouldn't let me go. I sat down again for awhile and tried to leave again because I knew the folks might leave me there, but she stopped me again and told me that they would soon be marching out. As they started to march out she help me back. She thought I was one of the patients there and wanted to know which ward I was on. I told her that I didn't belong to any. Just then the lady who told me to go upstairs walked up and smiled and then told the nurse that I was a visitor. The nurse let me go then. I was glad to go. I went to find my folks, and never tried to visit friends there again.
Another embarrassing experience was when I was in Los Angeles. I wanted to see my sister-in-law, Hattie Robinson. I knew she lived there, so I got the phone book and found Hattie Robinson's name and address. I boarded the street car and asked the conductor where to go to find this address. He told me. I went where he said to go, and found that it was way out in the country near some railroads, and a lot of houses. I had quite a time finding the right house number, but I finally foundd it and knocked on the door. A negro lady answered. I asked her if this was Hattie Robinson's place, she said "Yes. I am Hattie Robinson." Well, I could have sunk through the floor, but I told her that I must have the wrong number and left. After that moment I phoned before going to anyone's home to see them.
Note. Just shortly after Aurelia sent me her material, she fell and broke her hip and was still in the hospital in Cedar City in March 1960. In June 1961 I had a letter from her and she was still on her crutches, and taking medication, but was happy and felt she would be walking again. --Elda.
P.S. Aurelia passed away 21 Nov. 1963 in the hospital at Cedar City, Iron, Utah. Her last advice to her family, through her daughter Rachel, was "If I don't get to see the children, tell them to be good." What a sweet sentiment of love for her family.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Born Sept. 20, 1881 in Orderville, UT, was married 21 Dec. 1897 in the St. George Temple at St. George, Washington, Utah, to Charles Franklin Stevens, son of Charles Franklin Stevens, Sr., and Olive Emily DeMill. He was born 3 Dec. 1874 at Shoensburg, Washington, Utah. He died 23 April 1919 at Enoch, Iron, Utah and was buried 23 April at Cedar City, Iron, Utah. Telling of herself and her husband, Aurelia writes:
I lived in Orderville and had never been any other place farther away than Kanab before I was married. I met my husband in Orderville at school. His parents had moved to Orderville from Shoensburg. His mother was one of Oliver DeMill's daugthers. They were pioneers in early days of Dixie. We went to the St. George Temple to get married. The weather turned off extra cold and snowed on us all afternoon. We camped near the river at Hurricane before it was a town and no one lived there then. Frankin drove his father's team with a covered wagon for our transportation. His sister, Minnie, went with us when we were married. They had to haul feel in the wagon box for the horses. When the weather got so cold and windy we slept in the wagon box one night using the hay as our beds. The next day we went on to St. George and camped at Brother Bunting's home. He had married a neighbor of ours, Hester Peacock. We were very glad to find a good place to stay. They treated us so well. They worked in the temple there.
After we were married we went to Shoensburg and spent the holiday with the DeMill people. We had a good visit. They gave us a party and many nice presents. I had never seen any of Franklin's folks before except for his parents and sisters. They were very nice people. We went to Rockville to a dance one night in the wagon.
We were living with his folks in Orderville that winter. They were building a big, new house, Chriss Larson and Sammey Crawford were the carpenters. I helped cook for them while they were working. In May the Stevens family moved to the ranch on the North Fork of the Virgin River. Franklin's father owned some land there that they farmed, raising grain and potatoes. There was so much snow on the top of the mountain that they couldn't take the wagons over until June. They went to the ranch over a trail on horseback. They let me ride a gentle little horse, but in places there were springs where the trail ceased, and it was slick because of the ice in one place and my horse fell with me on the ice. In those days girls rode sideways on horses. It happened that my feet were on the side that he didn't fall on or else I would have been hurt. He flounced around awhile then made it up on his feet again. This frightened me.
My first child was born the next October. My husband and his brothers were trying to finish a job of clearing land for Jim Smith before we moved to Orderville. We thought we had two more months before the baby arrived, but she arrived one cold night without a doctor or nurse. The men and women had moved off the mountain except one, Sister Hampton. She lived over in another canyon and the roads were bad but Carlos hitched the horses to the wagon box full of beans they had yet to thrash, and as luck struck he managed to catch the horses in the pasture, and after they were hitched to the wagon he rode full speed to get that lady to come to our assistance as the baby had already arrived before he left. It seemed that they hand of the Lord was with her and she got along fine and still lives. We were very thankful for that lady's help.
I surely got tired of moving to the ranch over those rough roads every summer. We couldn't have a home as I would like to have had because we had to move so much with the little children. Later on Franklin bought an old sawmill from Ben Cameron on the Sevier River. He moved and fixed it to saw lumber onto his father's ranch. He had much good timber that he could saw, but it took a lot of hard work to make the ditches and dam. The waterwheel also took a lot of hard work. This gave power enough with which to run his sawmill. As he wasn't able to hire any help, he did most of his own cutting of the timber, logging and running the mill with our oldest son, who was just a small boy then, to help him. Later on Carlos went to Cedar City to work for John Parry and took up some landy under the "Smoot Act" as it as called then. His father and Franklin decided to go to Cedar too, and they took up some land. It had a high water right in the spring. Franklin built us a house on Cedar Bottoms, as they called it. He sawed his own lumber, made shingles and lath, and did most of the work on it with the help of his family. He was so busy that he had little time to spend in building. Carlos, his father, and Nephi also built there. They called it Stevensville. I had thirteen children and lost seven of them when they were babies because I didn't have much care and we had to work so hard.
Franklin had a heart attack and died suddenly. This left me with six children to care for, and my baby was just nine months old at the time. My oldest daughter had to tend the children while I went to find work. Franklin had just mortgaged forty acres of alfalfa and I couldn't pay the mortgage because there wasn't enough income from the farm, and the high water had stopped. We had to sell the farm, but we didn't get much for it. I managed to settle with the bank and his other bills and had enough to bury him. We had to go where we could get work. Rachel's health was bad so we went to Mesa, Arizona, there she got better. Charley and Edson, my two sons went to Los Angeles to find work and then they wanted us to move to California. We moved to Harbor City. Jode Covington lived there and helped the boys to find work, and he also helped me to find work. I worked for forty cents an hour doing housework and cleaning for people there. My mother got sick, and Rachel got married, and we all moved back to Utah. And then I married J. H. Petty from Hurricane and lived there.
I worked as the first counselor in the Relief Society to Sister Grace Jepson. We had to help lay out the dead for burial, make their clothes and cover caskets. I enjoyed working in the ward. I also helped teach a Sunday School class with Brother Reusch and Sister Mary Campbell. I learned much from them.
My second husband, John Petty, died later and my children were married, and I was so lonely living by myself away from my children that I sold my home and moved to Enoch so I could be where my two daughters lived. They let me build a little home on their land. (They report she did most of it herself, --Ed.) I helped my youngest daughter care for her four children as she had to work after she and her husband divorced. They kept me company after my children were gone. Her oldest son, Ronald Adair, is filling an L.D.S. mission in Illionois now (1960)...I am so proud of all of her children because they seem as if they are my own children after staying with me while they were young.
When I was staying in Orem with my daughter Emily, her husband, Sam Hoover, was working in Provo at the Sanitarium. One day Emily went over to bring him home after work, and I had a dear relative of my husband's there, so I went to visit her. I asked the lady at the office if I could see this lady. She said, "Yes," and that they were having a dance upstairs and I could go right up there. After searching for her I finally saw her sitting on a bench so I went over and sat down by her and talked with her for quite awhile. I forgot about the nurse hunting for her. After I had talked to her I thought that my daughter would be ready to go home so I decided to leave. When I got to the door the nurse wouldn't let me go. I sat down again for awhile and tried to leave again because I knew the folks might leave me there, but she stopped me again and told me that they would soon be marching out. As they started to march out she help me back. She thought I was one of the patients there and wanted to know which ward I was on. I told her that I didn't belong to any. Just then the lady who told me to go upstairs walked up and smiled and then told the nurse that I was a visitor. The nurse let me go then. I was glad to go. I went to find my folks, and never tried to visit friends there again.
Another embarrassing experience was when I was in Los Angeles. I wanted to see my sister-in-law, Hattie Robinson. I knew she lived there, so I got the phone book and found Hattie Robinson's name and address. I boarded the street car and asked the conductor where to go to find this address. He told me. I went where he said to go, and found that it was way out in the country near some railroads, and a lot of houses. I had quite a time finding the right house number, but I finally foundd it and knocked on the door. A negro lady answered. I asked her if this was Hattie Robinson's place, she said "Yes. I am Hattie Robinson." Well, I could have sunk through the floor, but I told her that I must have the wrong number and left. After that moment I phoned before going to anyone's home to see them.
Note. Just shortly after Aurelia sent me her material, she fell and broke her hip and was still in the hospital in Cedar City in March 1960. In June 1961 I had a letter from her and she was still on her crutches, and taking medication, but was happy and felt she would be walking again. --Elda.
P.S. Aurelia passed away 21 Nov. 1963 in the hospital at Cedar City, Iron, Utah. Her last advice to her family, through her daughter Rachel, was "If I don't get to see the children, tell them to be good." What a sweet sentiment of love for her family.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
"Mabel May Spencer" by Essie S. Carman
Mabel May Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 12 May 1903 in the L.D.S. temple at St. George, Washington, Utah, to Hyrum Wallace Stevens. Hyrum was the son of Ezra Williams Stevens and Edith Ann Lemmon, and was born 7 Aug. 1873 at Mt. Carmel, Kane, Utah.
Mabel May grew up in Orderville and attended school there. She was very shy and bashful, so had a hard time mixing with the young people. She worked out doing some housework, which was about all there was for a girl to do in those days. Her father, having three families and just a small farm to support them with, had only enough for the bare necessities--and sometimes not that. She said there were times that they had to do without good clothes, or have them made out of the very coarsest of material. She had even worn underclothes made of denim.
Hyrum and Mabel made their home in Mt. Carmel, and all but the last one of their eleven children were born in their home. Nine of these eleven children are still living.
Mabel, being timid and shy, was willing to let someone else assume leadership. She loved music and flowers. She loved to sing in the choir. She was chosen to represent the Mt. Carmel Ward Singing Mothers to sing with representatives from all over the Church at General Conference soon after the Singing Mothers were first organized. She had to go to Salt Lake City to practice for about four days before Conference. That was one of the big thrills in ther life. She had never thought herself good enough for anything like that. She was privileged three times during her lifetime to sing with Singing Mothers in General Conference.
Mabel's flowers brought beauty into her life. They seemed to make up for many of the things that they could not afford, for most of her married life was filled with discomforts. She always had a few potted plants even when her family were small and there really wasn't any room for them. At American Fork she had all the windows full of them, and then some. She also had lots of flowers in the garden. Flowers grew for her when they wouldn't for lots of people. The world would have been a very dreary place for her without her flowers.
Harriet Bowers, a licensed midwife, delivered most of the babies of the family. Lettie Cox, another midwife, delivered one, and the other two were delivered by MD's.
In the early years of her married life, Mabel was a counselor in Y W M I A; then she served as counselor in Relief Society for a time, and was a Relief Society Visiting teacher, as well as a teacher in Primary.
Hyrum (Hy) and Mabel moved to American Fork before any of their married children did. They procured a job for their son-in-law Chris Bowers with Walter Devey on the farm so that they could come up. Chris and Fay moved to American Fork the next April, and Howard the next August in time for school.
A Golden Wedding celebration in 1953 was a happy occasion. They spent much time in their later years doing Temple work. After Hyrum died she spent a great deal of her time at the Temple. She said if she had her way she would spend all of her time there, because it was so peaceful. I think it was because it was away from the cares of everyday life. She did quite a bit of research work too. In fact, after her death she was given an Award for Temple and Research work that she had done that year.
Mabel is remembered by all who knew her as a very sweet, kindly person, who was dearly loved by all who knew her.
(Material contributed by Fay Stevens Bowers.)
Although Hyrum Wallace Stevens was born at Mt. Carmel, his parents moved back to Shoensburg while he was a small babe, because his grandmother Durfee was ill, and would ask for him to be put on her bed. Shonesburg was on the East fork of the Virgin river, two miles above the point where the North and East Forks of the river meet.
Hyrum's mother's folks lived at Northup, just where the above forks of the river meet. These little settlements were in the Rockville and Springdale area. Hyrum's father was a farmer, so "Hy" grew up on a typical early-day ranch. There was some alfalfa raised; corn, wheat and some oats, also some sugar cane for making molasses. There were the usual cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats and "kids". When the property was sold the family moved to Mt. Carmel, staying for a short time with Elijah and Olive Thaxton, sister and brother-in-law of Hyrum's parents. Then they went to milk cows on the Robert Moncur ranch; from there to Swains Creek, on Cedar Mountain, where they worked at the sawmill. Hyrum and his brother John ran a crosscut saw and cut timber. Back to Rockville in Utah's Dixie they went in the fall for the children to go to school, and for the parents to ahve an opportunity to go to St. George for a while to do temple work. Another move to Long Valley the next spring, and the father bought a ranch several miles up the "Muddy" where they moved for the summer. In the fall to Mt. Carmel so that the kids could go to school again.
In those days they sat around long tables instead of at desks at school. The teacher also kept some hickory sticks standing in a corner. Hy did his share of teasing the little girls, and one time the teacher took after him with one of these hickory sticks. He dodged under the table, and when she would try to hit him she would hit the table legs instead. She said "come out, little doggy," but he stayed until recess. He went to school winters after the farm work was done, until he finished the eighth grade. His father thought it was more important for him to help on the farm than to get an education.
Hyrum was always a hard worker, even as a boy. His father said even when they stopped for their noon meal he never sat and rested like the other boys. He was climbing trees, and making whistles or something like that, all the time.
As with all families, there were both funny incidents and serious ones along the way. While they were on the Muddy ranch, Hyrum was raking hay and ran into a hornet's nest. He and the horse both ran through the willows to brush the hornest off. On the serious side, he and his brother Ernest were scuffling with an open knife, and it slipped and put out one of Ernest's eyes.
"Hy" herded sheep for years, and paid for the home and field that he bough after he married. He also sheared sheep for years. In those days they used had shears, but he got very good at it, and could shear as high as one hundred sheep in one day. At one time he tried "taking up" some land down to Hurricane, and worked putting in a ditch, but decided he didn't want to live there so went back to Mt. Carmel in Long Valley.
Hyrum and Mabel spent happy years in their home at American Fork, and in their later years were privileged to enjoy their family, and their temple work, as well as their home and associations. Mabel cared for her five little children while Hyrum filled a mission.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Mabel May Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 12 May 1903 in the L.D.S. temple at St. George, Washington, Utah, to Hyrum Wallace Stevens. Hyrum was the son of Ezra Williams Stevens and Edith Ann Lemmon, and was born 7 Aug. 1873 at Mt. Carmel, Kane, Utah.
Mabel May grew up in Orderville and attended school there. She was very shy and bashful, so had a hard time mixing with the young people. She worked out doing some housework, which was about all there was for a girl to do in those days. Her father, having three families and just a small farm to support them with, had only enough for the bare necessities--and sometimes not that. She said there were times that they had to do without good clothes, or have them made out of the very coarsest of material. She had even worn underclothes made of denim.
Hyrum and Mabel made their home in Mt. Carmel, and all but the last one of their eleven children were born in their home. Nine of these eleven children are still living.
Mabel, being timid and shy, was willing to let someone else assume leadership. She loved music and flowers. She loved to sing in the choir. She was chosen to represent the Mt. Carmel Ward Singing Mothers to sing with representatives from all over the Church at General Conference soon after the Singing Mothers were first organized. She had to go to Salt Lake City to practice for about four days before Conference. That was one of the big thrills in ther life. She had never thought herself good enough for anything like that. She was privileged three times during her lifetime to sing with Singing Mothers in General Conference.
Mabel's flowers brought beauty into her life. They seemed to make up for many of the things that they could not afford, for most of her married life was filled with discomforts. She always had a few potted plants even when her family were small and there really wasn't any room for them. At American Fork she had all the windows full of them, and then some. She also had lots of flowers in the garden. Flowers grew for her when they wouldn't for lots of people. The world would have been a very dreary place for her without her flowers.
Harriet Bowers, a licensed midwife, delivered most of the babies of the family. Lettie Cox, another midwife, delivered one, and the other two were delivered by MD's.
In the early years of her married life, Mabel was a counselor in Y W M I A; then she served as counselor in Relief Society for a time, and was a Relief Society Visiting teacher, as well as a teacher in Primary.
Hyrum (Hy) and Mabel moved to American Fork before any of their married children did. They procured a job for their son-in-law Chris Bowers with Walter Devey on the farm so that they could come up. Chris and Fay moved to American Fork the next April, and Howard the next August in time for school.
A Golden Wedding celebration in 1953 was a happy occasion. They spent much time in their later years doing Temple work. After Hyrum died she spent a great deal of her time at the Temple. She said if she had her way she would spend all of her time there, because it was so peaceful. I think it was because it was away from the cares of everyday life. She did quite a bit of research work too. In fact, after her death she was given an Award for Temple and Research work that she had done that year.
Mabel is remembered by all who knew her as a very sweet, kindly person, who was dearly loved by all who knew her.
(Material contributed by Fay Stevens Bowers.)
Although Hyrum Wallace Stevens was born at Mt. Carmel, his parents moved back to Shoensburg while he was a small babe, because his grandmother Durfee was ill, and would ask for him to be put on her bed. Shonesburg was on the East fork of the Virgin river, two miles above the point where the North and East Forks of the river meet.
Hyrum's mother's folks lived at Northup, just where the above forks of the river meet. These little settlements were in the Rockville and Springdale area. Hyrum's father was a farmer, so "Hy" grew up on a typical early-day ranch. There was some alfalfa raised; corn, wheat and some oats, also some sugar cane for making molasses. There were the usual cattle, horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats and "kids". When the property was sold the family moved to Mt. Carmel, staying for a short time with Elijah and Olive Thaxton, sister and brother-in-law of Hyrum's parents. Then they went to milk cows on the Robert Moncur ranch; from there to Swains Creek, on Cedar Mountain, where they worked at the sawmill. Hyrum and his brother John ran a crosscut saw and cut timber. Back to Rockville in Utah's Dixie they went in the fall for the children to go to school, and for the parents to ahve an opportunity to go to St. George for a while to do temple work. Another move to Long Valley the next spring, and the father bought a ranch several miles up the "Muddy" where they moved for the summer. In the fall to Mt. Carmel so that the kids could go to school again.
In those days they sat around long tables instead of at desks at school. The teacher also kept some hickory sticks standing in a corner. Hy did his share of teasing the little girls, and one time the teacher took after him with one of these hickory sticks. He dodged under the table, and when she would try to hit him she would hit the table legs instead. She said "come out, little doggy," but he stayed until recess. He went to school winters after the farm work was done, until he finished the eighth grade. His father thought it was more important for him to help on the farm than to get an education.
Hyrum was always a hard worker, even as a boy. His father said even when they stopped for their noon meal he never sat and rested like the other boys. He was climbing trees, and making whistles or something like that, all the time.
As with all families, there were both funny incidents and serious ones along the way. While they were on the Muddy ranch, Hyrum was raking hay and ran into a hornet's nest. He and the horse both ran through the willows to brush the hornest off. On the serious side, he and his brother Ernest were scuffling with an open knife, and it slipped and put out one of Ernest's eyes.
"Hy" herded sheep for years, and paid for the home and field that he bough after he married. He also sheared sheep for years. In those days they used had shears, but he got very good at it, and could shear as high as one hundred sheep in one day. At one time he tried "taking up" some land down to Hurricane, and worked putting in a ditch, but decided he didn't want to live there so went back to Mt. Carmel in Long Valley.
Hyrum and Mabel spent happy years in their home at American Fork, and in their later years were privileged to enjoy their family, and their temple work, as well as their home and associations. Mabel cared for her five little children while Hyrum filled a mission.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Howard Spencer
Howard Spencer, son of Howard Orson Spencer, and Asenath Emeline Carling, married Cessie Merrill Clark, a widow, 8 June 1947, bu the marriage did not work out, which proved (according to Aurelia S. Petty) a great disappointment to Howard.
Howard has lived at his sister Verda's for the past few years, and she says of him: Howard is 74, his mind is very accurate, and he is still sportsman in his day--basketball playing, high jumping, pole vaulting, dancing,--and he was a perfect musician. His hearing went a few years ago, so his precious violin was laid away. He was never known to swear, or talk anything but good. He never did gossip, and was on the quiet side of life. He had his own band and orchestra for years, and taught music. He rendered his service to the public most all of his life. Educated in the Orderville District schools, he also went to Beaver to the Murdock Academy, and to the B.Y.U. at Provo. He still reads without glasses, and can talk well on any subject. He holds that independent way of his, and never bothers anyone unless it is real necessary.
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Editor's Note:
How well I remember Howdy's (we all called him Howdy) beautiful violin music. I recall how gracious he was to me when I wished to borrow one of his pieces of popular music to learn. He was so willing, -- and seemed properly enthusiastic with my speed in learning them. Some of them I now recall were "Rainbow," "Moonlight Bay," "Silver Bell," which were the very latest at that time. How proud I was when he would take out his violin and let me play along with him. He never knew how much it helped me, and how I enjoyed his music. I didn't dare say much then -- and I have never seen him since. But have always held a special place in my heart for him because he was so kind and gracious to a little girl.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Howard Spencer, son of Howard Orson Spencer, and Asenath Emeline Carling, married Cessie Merrill Clark, a widow, 8 June 1947, bu the marriage did not work out, which proved (according to Aurelia S. Petty) a great disappointment to Howard.
Howard has lived at his sister Verda's for the past few years, and she says of him: Howard is 74, his mind is very accurate, and he is still sportsman in his day--basketball playing, high jumping, pole vaulting, dancing,--and he was a perfect musician. His hearing went a few years ago, so his precious violin was laid away. He was never known to swear, or talk anything but good. He never did gossip, and was on the quiet side of life. He had his own band and orchestra for years, and taught music. He rendered his service to the public most all of his life. Educated in the Orderville District schools, he also went to Beaver to the Murdock Academy, and to the B.Y.U. at Provo. He still reads without glasses, and can talk well on any subject. He holds that independent way of his, and never bothers anyone unless it is real necessary.
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Editor's Note:
How well I remember Howdy's (we all called him Howdy) beautiful violin music. I recall how gracious he was to me when I wished to borrow one of his pieces of popular music to learn. He was so willing, -- and seemed properly enthusiastic with my speed in learning them. Some of them I now recall were "Rainbow," "Moonlight Bay," "Silver Bell," which were the very latest at that time. How proud I was when he would take out his violin and let me play along with him. He never knew how much it helped me, and how I enjoyed his music. I didn't dare say much then -- and I have never seen him since. But have always held a special place in my heart for him because he was so kind and gracious to a little girl.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Malinda "Linda" Elizabeth Spencer (Esplin)
Sketch written by a daughter, Cleone Esplin Judd (1961)
Malinda Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 1 Oct. 1913 in the L.D.S. Temple at Manti, Sanpete, Utah to Edgar Cox Esplin, son of Henry W. Esplin and Philena Cox. He was born 8 March 1887 at Orderville, Kane, Utah. He died 7 Dec. 1925 at Charleston, Kanawha, W. Va., and was buried 14 Dec. 1925 at Orderville, Kane, Utah. Linda died 16 Dec. 1933 at Kanab, Kane, Utah, and was buried at Orderville, Kane, Utah.
Their daughter Cleone E. Judd writes:
I feel that I really know very little of my mother's childhood and events of her life as she passed away when I was just a young girl, and she left no written history; however, I shall try to relate a few of the things that I remember and some that I have gleaned from those who knew her as a girl.
The Spencer family had a little white home on "Sand Street" as we always called it in Orderville, and also lived some at the Spencer Ranch in Black Rock Canyon above Glendale, Kane County, Utah. I am sure she spent a happy childhood in these homes, as the little house on Sand Street was always a "Dream Home" to me as a child, and I'm sure it was a happy home to the family there.
Malinda Elizabeth was always known to everyone as Linda or Lin. It seems she must have always been the life of the party and loved to go to places and do things. She was a natural seamstress and before her marriage, she completed a dress making course in Salt Lake City, Utah. While there at school she lived with a Smith family and about all I ever heard her mention of the family was how good they were to her and that there was a girl in the family named Cleone, so she named me, her first daughter, for Cleone Smith. Mother could style her own clothes, and didn't stop with dresses but made hapts too, and her girlhood friends have told me that she was always seen in the very latest styles. She was a very pretty woman. Her hair was dark, almost black, blue eyes and medium complexion. She was a rather large but slender build, stood about 5'7" and erect, with a well-dressed appearance always.
On Oct. 1, 1913 she married Edgar Cox Esplin who was also from Orderville...To this union was born six children, one being stillborn....When their first child, Edgar, was about six months old, Daddy was called on a two-year mission to North Carolina. Mother stayed at home (they had acquired a nice home in the north part of Orderville) and took care of their baby, spending part of her time with her parents, and with his parents. Both Daddy and Mother were hard working people and as everyone in the vicinity did, depended on a small farm, a garden, a few fruit trees, a cow, a pig, and a few occasional odd jobs for what cash was necessary, for their livelihood.
Their home in Orderville was a fairly large one and a nice one. Much of the time there were boarders along with the family, and Mother's sister, Verda, helped out with the cooking and housework nd was one of the family to all of us --- and she is still very dear and like a mother to me. Mother being a good seamstress, made all our clothing. I especially recall how she made our coats and bonnets from hand-me-downs or whatever material she had available. I know these coats were very nice, but I used to wonder what it would be like to have a coat or a dress bought from the store. She was also a good housekeeper and we were taught at a very early age to cook and help share the cleaning duties around the house.
In November, 1925, the church called for volunteers for men to go out on sic months short term missions. Daddy and Mother could not rest nor feel right until Daddy volunteered to go, as they felt he could manage it financially and they both had a great love for the gospel. And so, again Mother stayed home to care for the family while Daddy went out into tht world to proclaim this gospel that meant so much to them. I remember as (he was) ready to leave home, and we were all there to tell him goodbye, Mother said, "Even if you never come back, I'll not regret your going."
As this time we were living in the large Esplin home across the street from the Orderville chapel. This home belonged to Daddy and Mother now and we had just recently moved into it. He was sent to Charleston, West Virginia, to serve his mission, and we had several letters and little trinkets from him while he was enroute to his headquarters. Then just three weeks from the time he left, there was a telegram sent from the mission headquarters saying he had passed away, a victic of the black flu and pneumonia. This was a terrible shock to Mother, although she stood up very bravely and I remember what a great comfort it was to her when President David O. McKay, then a member of the Twelve Apostles, came home with Daddy's body and spoke in the funeral service. But the worry of the five children as well as being left along during those depression years soon left their mark on her and her health became very poor.
For a time she made the large house into apartments and we lived in part of it, and the others were rented out to school teachers. At this time Mother's brother, Howard, came to make his home with us as he had been ill and needed care. Also her brother, Alvin, lived with us much of the time, and they too, were part of the family to us. As we still owned the 'old house' as we called it, she soon sold the big house and we moved back 'home' in the north part of town. Mother continued to raise a garden, kept a cow, a pig, and with Uncle Howard helping to care for the fields, she somehow provided for the family. Also, she would canvas Orderville, Glendale, and Mt. Carmel selling hosiery, cosmetics and household supplies, thus earning a little needed cash for the family. Many times she and one or two of us older children would walk to Glendale, four miles away, or to Mt. Carmel, three miles away, in the morning and take orders for the items she sold, walk back home that evening, and in a couple weeks when the ordered goods arrived, walk to the town again to deliver them. A little later, about 1931, she converted one room of the home into a little Five and Dime Store. She was able through the help of a friend in Salt Lake City to order by mail from the Kress Store there and had a nice assortment of inexpensive jewelry, some dishes, hosiery, fancy work, and household items.
By this time her health was getting worse. She had had several operations and also had a lot of medical expense for herself and some of the children. So now she had to give up the little store. She was a very independent woman, not wanting to accept help from anyone, and still I never heard her complain about her lot.
Everyone loved Mother and her friendly, cheerful disposition. She was always ready to help anyone in need. She would give the last possession she owned if she knew of anyone who needed it. She was an ardent church worker too. For a number of years she taught the Religion Class held during the school year; she was President of the Primary for a number of years, and as long as her health permitted, she took her family to their Sunday meetings. But the worries, cares, and ill health proved more than Mother could hold up under, and in December, 1933, she became so ill that her half sister, Nabbie Mace, took her to her home in Kanab, Utah, to try and nurse her back to health. However, it seemed there was nothing more could be done for her, and on 16 December 1933 she passed away in Kanab.
------------------------------
Ruby S. Swapp says of her:
Linda was a very ambitious person. She had six children, losing her baby girl, Hilda. Her husband, Edgar Cox Esplin, went on two missions while their children were small, and Linda, determined to help out, taught dress-making. Her husband was a very good provider too. They both worked in the Church all of their married life. He went on a second mission to West Virginia, and was there two weeks when he got pneumonia and died. The church shipped his body home to Orderville for the burial. Eight years later she got sick and died in Kanab while under Dr. Norrises care, leaving her five small children. Her brother "Howdy" lived with her at the time of her death, so he assumed all the responsibility he could, and kept them all together until the girls were married. Later Edgar (believe it should be Howard) married a Japanese girl and brought her over to America and she left him cold.
Linda loved her family and tried all she could to educate them, but they were very small when she died. She raised fruit and canned it and raised her garden and flowers, too. She was a wonderful mother to her family, and always looked out for all around her that needed help of any kind, too.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Ruby Spencer
Ruby Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer, and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 16 April 1902 in the L.D.S. Temple at St. George, Washington, Utah, to George Franklin Swapp, son of William Hill Swapp and Mary Ann Spencer. He was born 2 April 1880 at Glendale, Kane, Utah. He died 28 March 1958 at Kanab, Kane, Utah.
Ruby writes:
I worked mostly at home helping mother with the children. When we moved to the ranch for the summer we would have other work to do. I loved outdoor work, and lived on the ranch until I was about seventeen, then I lived in Orderville more, and learned to mix with people more. I took part in different organizations when the chance came my way. I went to Kanab, about 1910, and went to school until January, then I became homesick, and had the flu too, so went home on the mail. After I was married to George Franklin (Frank) Swapp about two years later, we made our home in Kanab. Here we two had our family of nine children, losing three of them, and raising the other six and marrying them off.
In 1958 I lost my husband,...later married my sister Leona's husband, Eugene. He is my husband's brother, and I have been very happy ever since. I left my home empty for a while when I moved over to Eugene's place...my oldest son, Elbert, now owns my home and lives there.
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Of himself, George Franklin Swapp had written:
Our family moved to Luna Valley, Mexico in 1884. Here we resided four years, then went down on Gila River valley to run a freight line during the winter. We located in a small town between Thatcher and Pima, Arizona, called Central. The freight line ran between Globe and Wilcox, Arizona. We loaded copper bullion from Globe to Wilcox, and coke from Wilcox back to Globe. This route went through the Apache Indian Reservation. We crossed the Gila river (at that time) and the San Carlos Indian Reservation. There was no bridge so we had to pick a wide place on the river and ford the large stream, which was dangerous because of the quick sand. The water was generally deep enough to run through our wagon boxes but did not damage our loads...
When it came spring in 1888 we moved back to Luna, our home at that place. In 1890 we moved back to Utah. On our way we stopped at Lee's Ferry during the winter. My father got brother Warren Johnson to teach us children (with his own) that wenter while he did brother Johnson's work on the farm... In the spring we went on our journey to Utah, first to Sinkvalley, where we run a dairy that summer, then went down to Johnsons that winter (where the children) went to school, having as a teacher William Laws, a brother of Robert Laws who lived at Johnson. The next spring we went to Glendale, Kane, Utah to take care of father's mother...and the next spring we took up a ranch west of Alton which we called Mud-spring. We went to Kanab in the winter to go to attend school.
About 1915 I was hired by a company to work on a Navajo bridge down near House Rock Valley, on the approach road on the west side of the bridge, with team and scraper...also helped build the first cement bridge across the Virgin river at Mt. Carmel Junction. (Back) in 1895 I was hired to pack the U.S. Mail between Kanab and Lee's Ferry going on horseback twice a week for all one winter. One job I was hired to work on (was) the road on Buckskin Mountain from Pleasant Valley to the North Rim of Grand Canyon. We were camped on the ridge at the north end of V. T. Park during the rainy season. One day we were stopped for lunch and had our teams tied to the wagons. My wagon had a long iron reaching stick out several feet behind the wagon. I was sitting on this reach waiting for the call to lunch when a streak of lightning struck in the camp. It went through my tent to a log chain by the foot of my bed. It made quite a hole under the chain and made quite a shock, knocked me off from the seat I was sitting on, and knocked several of the horses down but did not kill any of them. I was stunned and felt queer all the rest of the day.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Ruby Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer, and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 16 April 1902 in the L.D.S. Temple at St. George, Washington, Utah, to George Franklin Swapp, son of William Hill Swapp and Mary Ann Spencer. He was born 2 April 1880 at Glendale, Kane, Utah. He died 28 March 1958 at Kanab, Kane, Utah.
Ruby writes:
I worked mostly at home helping mother with the children. When we moved to the ranch for the summer we would have other work to do. I loved outdoor work, and lived on the ranch until I was about seventeen, then I lived in Orderville more, and learned to mix with people more. I took part in different organizations when the chance came my way. I went to Kanab, about 1910, and went to school until January, then I became homesick, and had the flu too, so went home on the mail. After I was married to George Franklin (Frank) Swapp about two years later, we made our home in Kanab. Here we two had our family of nine children, losing three of them, and raising the other six and marrying them off.
In 1958 I lost my husband,...later married my sister Leona's husband, Eugene. He is my husband's brother, and I have been very happy ever since. I left my home empty for a while when I moved over to Eugene's place...my oldest son, Elbert, now owns my home and lives there.
-----------
Of himself, George Franklin Swapp had written:
Our family moved to Luna Valley, Mexico in 1884. Here we resided four years, then went down on Gila River valley to run a freight line during the winter. We located in a small town between Thatcher and Pima, Arizona, called Central. The freight line ran between Globe and Wilcox, Arizona. We loaded copper bullion from Globe to Wilcox, and coke from Wilcox back to Globe. This route went through the Apache Indian Reservation. We crossed the Gila river (at that time) and the San Carlos Indian Reservation. There was no bridge so we had to pick a wide place on the river and ford the large stream, which was dangerous because of the quick sand. The water was generally deep enough to run through our wagon boxes but did not damage our loads...
When it came spring in 1888 we moved back to Luna, our home at that place. In 1890 we moved back to Utah. On our way we stopped at Lee's Ferry during the winter. My father got brother Warren Johnson to teach us children (with his own) that wenter while he did brother Johnson's work on the farm... In the spring we went on our journey to Utah, first to Sinkvalley, where we run a dairy that summer, then went down to Johnsons that winter (where the children) went to school, having as a teacher William Laws, a brother of Robert Laws who lived at Johnson. The next spring we went to Glendale, Kane, Utah to take care of father's mother...and the next spring we took up a ranch west of Alton which we called Mud-spring. We went to Kanab in the winter to go to attend school.
About 1915 I was hired by a company to work on a Navajo bridge down near House Rock Valley, on the approach road on the west side of the bridge, with team and scraper...also helped build the first cement bridge across the Virgin river at Mt. Carmel Junction. (Back) in 1895 I was hired to pack the U.S. Mail between Kanab and Lee's Ferry going on horseback twice a week for all one winter. One job I was hired to work on (was) the road on Buckskin Mountain from Pleasant Valley to the North Rim of Grand Canyon. We were camped on the ridge at the north end of V. T. Park during the rainy season. One day we were stopped for lunch and had our teams tied to the wagons. My wagon had a long iron reaching stick out several feet behind the wagon. I was sitting on this reach waiting for the call to lunch when a streak of lightning struck in the camp. It went through my tent to a log chain by the foot of my bed. It made quite a hole under the chain and made quite a shock, knocked me off from the seat I was sitting on, and knocked several of the horses down but did not kill any of them. I was stunned and felt queer all the rest of the day.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Viola Spencer (Johnson)
Viola Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 17 Sept. 1913 at the L.D.S. Temple in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Warren Elmer Johnson, son of Warren Johnson and Samantha Nelson. He was born 27 April 1890 at Lee's Ferry, Coconino, Arizona.
Viola, in her girlhood, was her mother's standby. The oldest girls who were not married were "working out," and Leone, just younger, was ill for a number of years. Viola and Leone were cousin pals of my sister Alice and myself. Since during those years Aunt Emma was ill, the burden of the cooking and washing dishes, washing and ironing, and cleaning house fell upon Viola. It was not very often that she was free to leave, except for some school hours. I was happy for Viola when Leone was well enough and Verda old enough to take over some of her responsibilities in the home, and she found a sweetheart and was married.
The name Viola, to me, was symbolical of sunshine. She took everything with a smile. I shall never forget her cheerfulness; her beautiful blue eyes, and her rosy cheeks. I loved her dearly; and often wished I could see her again, but never had that privilege after her marriage. I regret that she has not found it possible to provide us with a sketch of her life; she has reared a large and wonderful family, I know. And with such a family around her, it is natural that she has spent her life with them and for them. ---Elda M.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Viola Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 17 Sept. 1913 at the L.D.S. Temple in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Warren Elmer Johnson, son of Warren Johnson and Samantha Nelson. He was born 27 April 1890 at Lee's Ferry, Coconino, Arizona.
Viola, in her girlhood, was her mother's standby. The oldest girls who were not married were "working out," and Leone, just younger, was ill for a number of years. Viola and Leone were cousin pals of my sister Alice and myself. Since during those years Aunt Emma was ill, the burden of the cooking and washing dishes, washing and ironing, and cleaning house fell upon Viola. It was not very often that she was free to leave, except for some school hours. I was happy for Viola when Leone was well enough and Verda old enough to take over some of her responsibilities in the home, and she found a sweetheart and was married.
The name Viola, to me, was symbolical of sunshine. She took everything with a smile. I shall never forget her cheerfulness; her beautiful blue eyes, and her rosy cheeks. I loved her dearly; and often wished I could see her again, but never had that privilege after her marriage. I regret that she has not found it possible to provide us with a sketch of her life; she has reared a large and wonderful family, I know. And with such a family around her, it is natural that she has spent her life with them and for them. ---Elda M.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Leone Spencer
Leone Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 11 July 1917 at the L.D.S. Temple at Manti, Sanpete, Utah to James Eugene Swapp, son of William Hill Swapp and Mary Ann Spencer. He was born 10 June 1892 at Alton ranch, Kane, Utah. Leone passed away 5 May 1959 at Kanab, Kane, Utah.
Leone, according to her sister Ruby, grew up with a family of ten children. Her mother, Emma (as she was always known) was very tender and loving. She managed to always have something for her children to do that they might get an education from their work. Leone was taught to do many things with her hands, such as drawing, painting, crocheting, and making her own dresses. Also she could keep house, cook, wash and iron, and such. She loved beauty.
Leone and Eugene lived in Kanab. She had nine children, with Eugene as a good provider for them. She lost three while they were yet just babies under four years old. She loved and cherished her six yet living, and married them all off. The last one married was Glen, who was married in Phoenxi, Ariz. the Saturday before Leone died, --- and she felt happy about it. She felt as though she had done all she could for her family. She left one wonderful man.
Leone made many beautiful quilts, doilies, rugs. She was a very talented person. She was one that loved to make friends, and she had many of them. A word must be said about her wonderful flouwer garden of roses, phlox, golden-glow, daisies, petunias, glads, sweet william, lilies, red-berry climbing bush, virginia creeper: also she raised different kinds of fruit: apples, peaches, apricots, pears, plums, and grapes of different kinds.
---Ruby S. (sister)
I should also like to say a word about Leone. Of all my cousins, I had a chance to know and be with Leona most of all. How we did enjoy each other! We had no secrets from each other. Although we lived on opposite sides of town, we played together very often, and slept together, and sometimes worked together. One summer mother let me go with Leone to Uncle Howard's ranch for a little visit, and on this one solitary childhood vacation I made up for all those I had never had a chance to have.--We hiked in the hills, rambled through the meadows, picked hops in Blackrock Canyon for Aunt Emma to dry to use in her yeast; we gathered eggs, hoed in the garden, and helped tromp hay (slippery wild hay) for Uncle Howard. He also let us help him shock grain, --and of all the things we did, I believe I enjoyed that most, for we not only learned how to do it, and ran races with Uncle Howard making shocks, but he was so much fun, and kept us happy from morning to night. Only the cares of rearing our families kept us from sharing our experiences after our marriages. But for many years we did exchange Christmas cards. But I made one great big error ----- I sometimes forgot and adressed them Mr. and Mrs. Frank Swapp---- I wonder if any found their way to her? I loved her dearly and fond childhood memories always include Leone.
--Editor - Elda.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Leone Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, was married 11 July 1917 at the L.D.S. Temple at Manti, Sanpete, Utah to James Eugene Swapp, son of William Hill Swapp and Mary Ann Spencer. He was born 10 June 1892 at Alton ranch, Kane, Utah. Leone passed away 5 May 1959 at Kanab, Kane, Utah.
Leone, according to her sister Ruby, grew up with a family of ten children. Her mother, Emma (as she was always known) was very tender and loving. She managed to always have something for her children to do that they might get an education from their work. Leone was taught to do many things with her hands, such as drawing, painting, crocheting, and making her own dresses. Also she could keep house, cook, wash and iron, and such. She loved beauty.
Leone and Eugene lived in Kanab. She had nine children, with Eugene as a good provider for them. She lost three while they were yet just babies under four years old. She loved and cherished her six yet living, and married them all off. The last one married was Glen, who was married in Phoenxi, Ariz. the Saturday before Leone died, --- and she felt happy about it. She felt as though she had done all she could for her family. She left one wonderful man.
Leone made many beautiful quilts, doilies, rugs. She was a very talented person. She was one that loved to make friends, and she had many of them. A word must be said about her wonderful flouwer garden of roses, phlox, golden-glow, daisies, petunias, glads, sweet william, lilies, red-berry climbing bush, virginia creeper: also she raised different kinds of fruit: apples, peaches, apricots, pears, plums, and grapes of different kinds.
---Ruby S. (sister)
I should also like to say a word about Leone. Of all my cousins, I had a chance to know and be with Leona most of all. How we did enjoy each other! We had no secrets from each other. Although we lived on opposite sides of town, we played together very often, and slept together, and sometimes worked together. One summer mother let me go with Leone to Uncle Howard's ranch for a little visit, and on this one solitary childhood vacation I made up for all those I had never had a chance to have.--We hiked in the hills, rambled through the meadows, picked hops in Blackrock Canyon for Aunt Emma to dry to use in her yeast; we gathered eggs, hoed in the garden, and helped tromp hay (slippery wild hay) for Uncle Howard. He also let us help him shock grain, --and of all the things we did, I believe I enjoyed that most, for we not only learned how to do it, and ran races with Uncle Howard making shocks, but he was so much fun, and kept us happy from morning to night. Only the cares of rearing our families kept us from sharing our experiences after our marriages. But for many years we did exchange Christmas cards. But I made one great big error ----- I sometimes forgot and adressed them Mr. and Mrs. Frank Swapp---- I wonder if any found their way to her? I loved her dearly and fond childhood memories always include Leone.
--Editor - Elda.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Verda Spencer
Verda Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Emeline Carling Spencer, was married to Zeno Mc. Adams 10 Oct. 1923 in the L.D.S. Temple in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. He is the son of John Quincy Adams and Emma Elizabeth Mc Allister, and was born 19 Jan. 1902 at Kanab, Kane, Utah.
Verda writes: "My childhood days were spent mostly on the farm ten miles from Orderville. Our school days were from late Oct. and Nov. to March. As soon as the land could be farmed we moved up to the farm for the summer; there our living was made for the year.
My sisters and I carried water, milked cows when we were needed, helped with the garden, and many other jobs. Mother made lots of cheese and butter for winter. We sewed carpet rangs, and pieced quilt blocks. Our pleasures on the ranch were swimming, (twice a wee), hiking, driving to see a neighbor a few miles away. Horseback riding was a common pastime, for we girls could saddle or harness up a team about as handily as our menfolks could. Sheep herds were close by so we raised "dogy" lambs, which we sold in the late fall to buy our school clothes.
I was brought up in a religious family, with parents who had high ideals and set the right examples for us children to follow. I worked in the church and attended it all my life. I have my 10-year certificate for teaching primary, and my certificate for my release for my Stake Mission -- these I prize very much. I also taught the small children in Sunday School; was a Beehive Keeper in Mutual.
I passed the nineth grade in Orderville; our class was the first to put the "V" on Chimney RIck for the Valley High School. I attended Dixie College for three months. At that time mother wasn't well, so it was my place to go home and care for her. I left one other time for three months when I went to get married, then returned and took care of mother until she died.
Sewing was my hobby; when real young I sewed doll dresses and later my own clothing, and also for some of my friends. When I frew up and went out with the boys, dancing was our main entertainment. No picture shows in the Valley or Kanab, until about the time we were married. All the young folks in our small towns would get together and go for hay-rack rides and then roast corn-on-the cob, or chickens. In winter we would go sleighriding on bob-sleds, or take the hand sleds and go out of town to the hillside and coast, then end up with a hot supper at one of the homes.
As a young woman I went out doing house work for mothers with new babies, for $4.00 per week to start with -- never over $5.00, and I would wash and iron, bake, cook meals, tend children, -- just a full-time job: -- but that was the way I earned my clothes.
After we were married, Zeno and I made our home in Kanab for about three years, but he had to be away much of the time working with the sheep, so he found a job at Bingham Canyon, where we lived for one year. We moved then to West Jordan for one year, then out to East Midvale, where we made our home for twenty-one years. Our children had their education in the grades and High School in the Jordan district.
In 1946-1947 my husband and I were called on a Stake mission in the East Jordan Stake of Zion. We served for two years, and it was the happiest time of our lives. In 1949 we moved to Provo, where Zeno was an instructor in the Vocational School. I took classes in the evenings, tailoring, typing and driving. So far we have been blessed with a wonderful family. They are living their religion and raising families of their own. We, as parents have been well paid for our time and efforts put in on our children -- it's a full-time job and what a reward we can receive if we do our part!"
Of her husband, Zeno Adams, Verda writes that he was the sixth in a family of nine children. He attended grade school in Kanab, and took one year of college at the Dixie Normal College in St. George. In his boyhood he was hired out to herd sheep and goats when he was not in school.
After moving to Bingham Canyone he was employed as a black-smith helper for the Utah Copper Company, and later learned to weld, and worked for the company for about twently-one years in all.
In 1946 Zeno was asked to go to Provo as a welding instructor at the Vocational School. In order to have a certificate to teach, he attended the University of Utah, and the B.Y.U., where he kept his credits up. He also took some work at the U.S.U. in Logan. He has an outstanding record in shop management and organization. He was vice president of the Vocational school student body in 1950-1, and student body president in 1951-2. He is active in the church. Serving the stake mission in the East Jordan Stake was an outstanding experience, being called to serve in this mission together with his wife. He was welfare director form the "Seventies" quorum in their Provo ward; his ward teaching was never put aside, and he attended the temple whenever possible. When their boys were in the scouting program, Zeno also served on the scout committee, and went with the boys often on their camping trips. On 13 Nov. 1960 he was ordained a High Priest, and is a member of the High Priests Quorum of the East Sharon Stake.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Verda Spencer, daughter of Howard Orson Spencer and Emeline Carling Spencer, was married to Zeno Mc. Adams 10 Oct. 1923 in the L.D.S. Temple in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. He is the son of John Quincy Adams and Emma Elizabeth Mc Allister, and was born 19 Jan. 1902 at Kanab, Kane, Utah.
Verda writes: "My childhood days were spent mostly on the farm ten miles from Orderville. Our school days were from late Oct. and Nov. to March. As soon as the land could be farmed we moved up to the farm for the summer; there our living was made for the year.
My sisters and I carried water, milked cows when we were needed, helped with the garden, and many other jobs. Mother made lots of cheese and butter for winter. We sewed carpet rangs, and pieced quilt blocks. Our pleasures on the ranch were swimming, (twice a wee), hiking, driving to see a neighbor a few miles away. Horseback riding was a common pastime, for we girls could saddle or harness up a team about as handily as our menfolks could. Sheep herds were close by so we raised "dogy" lambs, which we sold in the late fall to buy our school clothes.
I was brought up in a religious family, with parents who had high ideals and set the right examples for us children to follow. I worked in the church and attended it all my life. I have my 10-year certificate for teaching primary, and my certificate for my release for my Stake Mission -- these I prize very much. I also taught the small children in Sunday School; was a Beehive Keeper in Mutual.
I passed the nineth grade in Orderville; our class was the first to put the "V" on Chimney RIck for the Valley High School. I attended Dixie College for three months. At that time mother wasn't well, so it was my place to go home and care for her. I left one other time for three months when I went to get married, then returned and took care of mother until she died.
Sewing was my hobby; when real young I sewed doll dresses and later my own clothing, and also for some of my friends. When I frew up and went out with the boys, dancing was our main entertainment. No picture shows in the Valley or Kanab, until about the time we were married. All the young folks in our small towns would get together and go for hay-rack rides and then roast corn-on-the cob, or chickens. In winter we would go sleighriding on bob-sleds, or take the hand sleds and go out of town to the hillside and coast, then end up with a hot supper at one of the homes.
As a young woman I went out doing house work for mothers with new babies, for $4.00 per week to start with -- never over $5.00, and I would wash and iron, bake, cook meals, tend children, -- just a full-time job: -- but that was the way I earned my clothes.
After we were married, Zeno and I made our home in Kanab for about three years, but he had to be away much of the time working with the sheep, so he found a job at Bingham Canyon, where we lived for one year. We moved then to West Jordan for one year, then out to East Midvale, where we made our home for twenty-one years. Our children had their education in the grades and High School in the Jordan district.
In 1946-1947 my husband and I were called on a Stake mission in the East Jordan Stake of Zion. We served for two years, and it was the happiest time of our lives. In 1949 we moved to Provo, where Zeno was an instructor in the Vocational School. I took classes in the evenings, tailoring, typing and driving. So far we have been blessed with a wonderful family. They are living their religion and raising families of their own. We, as parents have been well paid for our time and efforts put in on our children -- it's a full-time job and what a reward we can receive if we do our part!"
Of her husband, Zeno Adams, Verda writes that he was the sixth in a family of nine children. He attended grade school in Kanab, and took one year of college at the Dixie Normal College in St. George. In his boyhood he was hired out to herd sheep and goats when he was not in school.
After moving to Bingham Canyone he was employed as a black-smith helper for the Utah Copper Company, and later learned to weld, and worked for the company for about twently-one years in all.
In 1946 Zeno was asked to go to Provo as a welding instructor at the Vocational School. In order to have a certificate to teach, he attended the University of Utah, and the B.Y.U., where he kept his credits up. He also took some work at the U.S.U. in Logan. He has an outstanding record in shop management and organization. He was vice president of the Vocational school student body in 1950-1, and student body president in 1951-2. He is active in the church. Serving the stake mission in the East Jordan Stake was an outstanding experience, being called to serve in this mission together with his wife. He was welfare director form the "Seventies" quorum in their Provo ward; his ward teaching was never put aside, and he attended the temple whenever possible. When their boys were in the scouting program, Zeno also served on the scout committee, and went with the boys often on their camping trips. On 13 Nov. 1960 he was ordained a High Priest, and is a member of the High Priests Quorum of the East Sharon Stake.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Alvin Heaton Spencer
Alvin Heaton Spenver, son of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, is reported to have been married to Louisa Cross, but no information as to date, etc., is given.
On 23 July 1926 he was married to Elva Fanny DeMille, daughter of Azra DeMille and Lillie Bliss. She was born 3 Jan. 1905 at Rockville, Washington, Utah.
Alvin was reared at Orderville and at the Spencer Ranch, laster known as Elk Farm. In 1938 he and Elva moved to Hinckley, in Millard County, where they lived for five years. While there he farmed, and also worked in the alfalfa feed mill in Delta. He served in the Elder's quorum presidency in Hinckley. In 1943 they moved to Cedar City, where Alvin worked at the Columbia Iron Mines. At Cedar City he was called on a Stake Mission. He passed away 17 Sept. 1951 from Sugar Diabetes, at Cedar City, where he was also buried, 21 Sept. 1951. He had four children: Iris, Theo Alvin, Gerry DeMille, and Darwin O.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
Alvin Heaton Spenver, son of Howard Orson Spencer and Asenath Emeline Carling, is reported to have been married to Louisa Cross, but no information as to date, etc., is given.
On 23 July 1926 he was married to Elva Fanny DeMille, daughter of Azra DeMille and Lillie Bliss. She was born 3 Jan. 1905 at Rockville, Washington, Utah.
Alvin was reared at Orderville and at the Spencer Ranch, laster known as Elk Farm. In 1938 he and Elva moved to Hinckley, in Millard County, where they lived for five years. While there he farmed, and also worked in the alfalfa feed mill in Delta. He served in the Elder's quorum presidency in Hinckley. In 1943 they moved to Cedar City, where Alvin worked at the Columbia Iron Mines. At Cedar City he was called on a Stake Mission. He passed away 17 Sept. 1951 from Sugar Diabetes, at Cedar City, where he was also buried, 21 Sept. 1951. He had four children: Iris, Theo Alvin, Gerry DeMille, and Darwin O.
(from the Isaac V. Carling Family History Vol. 1)
"The Orderville United Order of Zion"-This document gives the history of Orderville and the United Order. Howard Orson Spencer was the first Bishop there.