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Life Sketch of Frances Eva Curtis Harward
by Elmira Harward Lewis
My mother, Frances Eva Curtis, was born on the 17th of February, 1869, at Springville, Utah, where the Floral House now stands on Main Street and 3rd South. She was the seventh child of John White Curtis and Matilda Miner, who had a family of 14 children, six sons and eight daughters. She was a beautiful brown-eyed child, with much vitality and energy that often led her into the fields and the great outdoors. This was a characteristic that grew and developed and stayed with her throughout her later life, as we shall see how in her womanhood. This adeptness for outdoor life became a great beneficiary as well as preserving her health.
It was in the combing and braiding of her long, fine dark brown tresses that she first learned to run to her Aunt Almira, her father’s first wife, with her childish troubles. Kneeling at Aunt Almira’s knee, she would have the snarls carefully untangled, combed and braided into two neat braids and tied at either side of her head.
The molasses mill was only a few blocks east, and Eva, with the other children, would make their daily trips to get the sugar cane, which served as today’s all day suckers do. The children loved the taste of the sickeningly sweet juice. Often they could take home a bucket of the skimmings from which their mother made them molasses candy.
The grand hidden mysteries contained in books appealed to Eva at a very tender age. Anxious to learn to read by herself, she would kneel for long periods of time at her first teacher’s knee (Mary Whiting), until soon she mastered the technique of reading. This trait expanded in leaps and bounds, so that while very young, she became an expert reader. While only a child, she would get the book of Mormon and steal out by herself where she could read for hours undisturbed.
In 1876, Eva’s mother with her children moved to Willow Bend, Sevier County, now known as Aurora. Her father and his first wife had gone ahead the year before. Perhaps you might think the new home would be nicer than the four room adobe house they were leaving, but no, it consisted of four posts set in the ground and woven around with willows. It had two rooms, but all the cooking had to be done outside on a campfire. The old home in Springville was not sold for several years, and happy indeed was Eva, when it was her happy lot to go back to it a good many summers with Aunt Almira and stay while they picked and dried the fruit for winter use. A great sorrow came to the family in 1884 when the first wife died. She was a mild, sweet woman and was loved by all who knew her, especially the children.
Summer was a busy time, but also a happy time, as it brought the berrying trips that the children enjoyed so much. First along in June and July came the bullberries that grew down in the river bottoms. The whole family would turn out equipped with tubs, buckets, and the canvas wagon cover. Spreading the cover out under the tall bushes and pulling limbs down over it, then with a gentle tap, tap, tap of their clubs, the limb was soon stripped of its small bright red sour berries. The berries were sorted from the leaves and little sticks and emptied into the buckets and tubs and then they were ready for another limb until the desired supply was gathered. These were washed and dried in the sun and packed up ready for winter use, and did Eva with all the others enjoy these puckering little berries. The next berrying task would even be more fun, for now they had to go to the mountains in the covered wagon and stay two or three days while they gathered service berries and choke cherries. The last of the berrying would be finished with the gathering of ground cherries, which were ready late in the fall after the vines and pods had turned yellow. Now it was easy to snap the pod and find the yellowish ground cherry that was made into delicious preserves by boiling them down in molasses, because it was cheaper and easier to get than sugar. The vines grew about a foot tall and were found all over the edges of the farm.
But now another outdoor task was awaiting the children and their mothers. As soon as the grain was harvested, Eva helped her mother gather straws from which straw hats were made. This was the most tedious task of all for these straws all had to be a certain width and length. Sometimes when the harvest was poor after the grain had been harvested, the women and children would have to go out gleaning. This also was slow tedious work, for it was a regulation made by Brigham Young that the gleaners were to each glean a bushel of grain a day. This demanded that they pick 60 handfuls with 60 grain heads in each handful. This amount measured to a full bushel of grain, and was a day’s work.
At last happy school days were here again. Eva began her studies again with Mary Cobly as her teacher, holding the class right in her home. The seats were made of log and they had no backs. But soon a schoolhouse was built in the little village; then the teachers were Maggie Keeler, Clarissa Curtis Cook (Eva’s aunt) and Newman Van Luvan. It was Mr. Van Luvan who named the little place Aurora, taking the name from the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, these lights having been seen from here several times. Several years later, the schools were graded, then with a girlfriend, Sarah Broadhead, Eva went one year to the Salina School. She did not complete the second year, as high water took the bridge from the Sevier River, which was very treacherous in high water time.
Even though they were out in a lonely wilderness the people in this little town had their amusements. Accompanied by a violin or an accordion, both old and young would get out and shake a light fantastic toe to the rhythm of the old-fashioned quadrille, minuet, or waltz. There were joy rides too, in a sleigh when snow was deep enough, but more often, the crowd would go by wagon to each other’s homes to a candy pull or a corn popping. Eva was a good dancer and always enjoyed dancing up to about middle age.
At fifteen years of age, she was chosen as assistant to Newman Van Luvan in teaching a Bible class in Sunday School. This class was a mixed group of old and young people. Even at this age, she was well read. One day an older member of the class thought he would get her stumped by asking her questions. To the questioners surprise, he couldn’t’ corner her. The incident furnished some amusement to her co-worker, Mr. Van Luvan, “Ho, Ho,” laughed he in his big bass voice. “You’ll have to get a harder one than that for her.” She has never ceased to love her Sunday School; even now at 70 years of age, she is never absent when it is possible to be there. At the age of 15 years, she was also put in as Secretary to the M.I.A. Here her courtship began with Ozias S. Harward, the young man who sat at the other end of the table acting as the secretary of the Y.M.M.I.A. They were to be wed in the St. George Temple. This meant a long trip in a covered wagon, their only means of transportation. With the wagon loaded with flour to sell on their way for their needed money, the journey began. At this time, there was no cash sale in Sevier County, for all trade was just in produce exchange.
The first unusual incident was going up Pine Creek Hill in Clear Creek Canyon. This hill was very steep and was slick with ice. The team could only pull the wagon a short distance, and then Eva and her intended mother-in-law who accompanied them would run and put rocks under the wheels so the load would not roll back downhill. Reaching the top, they stopped for the night. It was cold and the snow was deep, but they were comfortable with the warmth from the little stove they had set up in the wagon, and were finally lulled to sleep by the constant howling of the wolves. As the team was loaded, they often traveled late into the night. One night they saw a light that didn’t seem to be far away and decided they would travel until they came to it, as they had no water. On and on they traveled until eleven o’clock, before they came to it, and Lo! It was only some campers with their campfire. This place was called Buckhorn Springs. The campers estimated the bridal party had traveled about 40 miles that day. Another experience was their starting out on a ten-mile dugway just at sunset. Not knowing the dugway would be so long and dangerous, being wide enough only in places for teams to pass each other, they had to keep going and get off the dugway to find a camping ground. The next day’s travel brought them camping ground. The next day’s travel brought them west of Touqerville in hot sand. Here they were accosted by a Mr. Nale. He told them to turn around and pull back a ways to his place and he would buy the load of flour and give them a campground for the night. Turning in the deep sand was another hard experience. While going through Washington City, another old man accosted them, saying, “By the looks of things, you are going to the Temple.” Now he was looking for someone to take his daughter and child back to Richfield. She was a polygamist wife, and the officers were after her. So, the old man said that after going through the temple, to come back to his place and a wedding supper would be waiting for them. Traveling on, they arrived at the city St. George, Utah’s “Dixie” and Eva’s first temple city. Addressing two young men passing by, Ozias said, “Boys, could you please show me to a camping ground?” This they amiably did. But Eva told Ozias they didn’t look like boys to her, but were men. Imagine the young groom’s surprise when in the temple the next day, Feb. 4, 1885, they were married by one of the boys, who proved to be none other than President McCallister, President of the Temple. Now away to the wedding supper, and what a supper it was; just the final finish of a perfect day to two happy young hearts.
Before starting on the homeward journey, they went to Springdell up the Virgin River to visit an uncle and aunt, Samuel and Ursula Gifford. While there, uncle Samuel took them to see his farm, which he had named Zion. (It is now Zion’s National Park.) Here they got several sacks of dried fruit; one was a sack of dried grapes which were the loveliest raisins. The fruit was their first wedding gift.
Preparing now to go home, they had to take down the little stove to make room for the lady and her child and their belongings, which consisted of bundles and a large tool chest that would just fit in the wagon bed. Before long, they needed the warmth of the little stove badly for just beyond Beaver, they ran into snow so deep the horses had to lunge to get through. The axletrees dragged in snow. Before reaching a camping place one horse gave out, leaving the other to pull the load alone. By permitting the horses to rest every little way, at last they came to Cove Fort. Here a spot was shoveled off for the horses to stand and a place for a campfire. The next night they arrived at Joseph city. Before the camp was even made, the wagon was surrounded with howling boys who were more ferocious than the wolves. They thirsted for fire water and realizing this outfit had been to Dixie, they supposed they would have some. In their dismay at not finding any, their howling put the wolves to shame. At the close of the next day’s travel, they came to what proved to be their “Home, Sweet Home.” They were welcomed home by a house party over at Ozias’ father’s house and completed the reception by dancing over to Ozias’ brother Will’s house. Norman McDonald with his violin furnished the music.
This first home differed from some other log houses in that it had a shingled roof and the corners of the logs were neatly sawed off, and it had two nice windows. Even though it was just one room, it was made homey and comfortable by having a little over half the floor covered with home made carpet, which was used as bedroom and living room, while the other part served for the kitchen.
Their first child, Simmons, was born here on 30 March 1886. While he was yet a baby, his parents spent one summer on Scofield Mountain working in the timber. They owned a large Newfoundland dog who was Simmons’ bodyguard. When left in his cradle to play or sleep, the dog would lay down and watch that no one came near the baby. Often, he would nudge the rockers and rock the baby to sleep.
Their second child, Blanche, was born in this little home on 22 Nov. 1887. She caught the measles, which caused her death on 20 Dec. 1887. At that time the disease went rampant, the doctors and medical science being helpless to wage any cure. Their first born, Simmons, got the dreaded diphtheria. He too died 15 April, 1889, at the age of three years. Lonely now with the loss of both children, the parents went to live with Ozias’ mother, where Frances Eva was born 22 July, 1889. They returned home as soon as the baby was old enough. Their fourth child, Harold, was born 17 Oct. 1891. He was a very intelligent child. It seemed he had an old head on young shoulders. He got Bright’s Disease and was an invalid for several years. He died 10 June, 1898, while his father was freighting to Eli, Nevada. On this trip there were several teams traveling along together. They usually traveled that way for safety against robbers. All at once, Ozias’ team stopped dead still. A peculiar feeling came over Ozias and instantly he knew his son was dead. Telling the others about it, they thought it was just because he was worried about Harold. But he disposed of his load as soon as possible and hurried back home, but his son was buried before he got back. Lula, their fifth child, was born 27 Oct. 1893. She died when eleven months old with summer complaint.
About this time, Ozias built a two-room log house framed inside and out with lumber. This house was so firm and well built that years afterward when the rooms were uncoupled and moved across the river into town, they were built onto just as they were. One room was sold to Amasa Harward, Father’s nephew, and the other to Enos Curtis, Mother’s brother. There was a nice big porch on the west and also one on the south, which had a banister around it.
They moved into the new home about 1894, and their sixth child was born 31 Jan. 1895. The next day after his birth, his father came down with pleurisy and pneumonia; immediately following, he had erysyplis. He was not out of the house for six weeks. Their niece, Elizabeth Kennedy, and her husband came and lived with them, she doing the house while her husband did the work outside. The seventh child, Elmira, was born 27 Jan. 1897. The eighth, Ozias Harvey, was born 20 Nov. 1898. The ninth, Sharlend, was born 22 Sept. 1900. James Afton was born 26 June 1902. While their home was over a mile from town, it didn’t stop this couple from keeping in their Church activities. They moved on the east side of the river into town, where Mother was called to be the President of the Aurora Ward Relief Society. Their granary, which was their first home, was moved over to the new place and still stands there in perfect condition. Mother was set apart for her new calling in the Relief Society 21 Aug. 1902, which position she held for about eight years. She was also Sunday School teacher of the 2nd Intermediate class for four years, completing the full four-year course of study of the Book of Mormon, seeing her group complete this course before she left them. On March 4, 1904, her eleventh child, Leon, was born. He was hurt at birth, leaving him sort of an invalid for life. He died 25 Apr. 1918.
Father brought in lumber and material for another room and two big porches to be added to his home. His two brothers-in-law, Phillip and Exra Mason, helping him to build it. They made two thick walls and filled the space between them with sawdust. This type of walls made an airtight warm room that was easy to heat. They didn’t finish the upstairs until about 1914. Then, this room was finished for Elmira’s room; the boys’ rooms were complete when the house was bought.
Heber was born 20 Nov. 1905, 18 Dec. 1907, Thomas Rudolph was born, and Devoyal was born 25 April, 1910. The fifteenth child, Marilla, was born 9 March, 1912.
Mother has had many faith-promoting incidents in her life; some of them were direct answers to prayer. An outstanding one was while acting as Relief Society President; there came up in a lesson discussion a question as to whether the spirit remained with the spirit remained with the body before its burial, or descended to heaven to remain immediately at death, not to return to the presence of the body again. Some of the sisters got into quite deep discussion, insomuch that Mother’s mind was troubled. She prayed sincerely for enlightenment. It may have been a dream, but it was as real as life. One night she thought she passed away. She stood looking at her body. She could move and go about, yet she could see her own body lying there helpless. Soon she began to wonder why Sister Matilda Ivie, who was her first counselor in Relief Society, didn’t come and prepare her body for burial. Matilda was handy with the sick and laying out of the dead, and always took the lead in this part of the work. But, no one came. Mother walked to the stable and corrals and back to the house. Still her body was lying there. Then she awoke and pondered over the dream. She called her daughter Frances to her and told her about it. Frances began crying, thinking it meant her mother was going to die, but Mother told her no, that it was an answer to her prayer concerning the question that had troubled her. From that time, she has been convinced that the spirit loves the body and after death hovers over it and near it until it is safe in Mother Earth; then the spirit takes its flight to its Creator, to be directed to its place of abode where it will await it reuniting with the precious body on Resurrection Day.
After serving as the President of the Relief Society a few years, another ordination was conferred upon her. It was to go among her sex when desired and wash and anoint them, relieving pain and building up their faith in God. One sister who had been unsuccessful twice before in carrying her unborn child to maturity desired a blessing that this time she would be granted this right. In doing so, Mother was prompted to tell her that her desires would be granted. On leaving the sick room, the aged mother met Eva shaking her head and saying she was afraid of that promise. Mother told her not to worry, her daughter was going to get this child. In due time, she did so, and it was a testimony to her whole household.
In a patriarchal blessing given Mother by Joseph D. Smith, he said, many would come to her for comfort and the soothing balm the Gospel afforded. Her family has witnessed this many times. Ladies came to her in sadness, tears, sorrow and even anger but they always left with happy countenances, often with either a bouquet of Mother’s flowers or an armload of her precious vegetables from her garden.
As I look back and see Mother with her unusually big family to care for, together with the many other things she accomplished, it seems a marvel. Her house was kept ever spotless from upstairs to cellar. Her family’s clothing was practically all made by her hands. Her stock of bedding and quilts were always in top shape. Never can I remember her using a ragged quilt. To avoid such, she kept her pieces and at odd times worked them into some beautiful design of a block. I think this was another of her hobbies, for as long as her sight was so she could see, she delighted in piecing quilt tops. Going into her cellar, you would find shelves from ceiling to floor filled with bottled fruits, extending from the ceiling would be sacks of dried fruit, beans, etc. The old cheese vat could tell of its use once in a while, but the old up and down churn had its turn two or three times per week. It was no unusual sight to see my father weld its dasher until the bits of butter working up would let us know the butter was done and ready to be salted and worked over and over with the butter paddle and next molded into beautiful oblong pounds.
The pickle barrels, the cured meat, the old De Laval separator, which being used twice a day always meant a thorough daily cleaning for it. Going back into the kitchen, the old big cookie jar, the bread mixer, and all the other kitchen utensils bespoke the vast time it took each day to cook and feed twelve people three times daily. Some say “Blue Monday,” but just as regular as clockwork, washday rolled around—not with modern day conveniences or electric appliances and running hot water—but with two tubs, a washboard and a boiler. Then the load of washday was gradually lightened by the old oblong zinc washer to be swished back and forth by hand and finally with the sway of electrical power bringing its labor saving appliances.
For diversion from her household duties, Mother raised and cared for her chickens and eggs for the family use, as well as doing the main upkeep of the vegetable and flower gardens. It was always a delight to her to get out at sunrise and work in her garden or flowers. Often, if she didn’t feel well, she would hoe and dig around her plants for a while and soon would be feeling fine.
Nor was her family neglected in their training in education, religion and social teachings. Their greatest method of teaching was by example; our home was always supplied with the best of magazines and books. Each of her children recall their happiest days were when we would all sit around the fire listening to Mother read, or father explaining principles of the Gospel, or all of us gathering around the old organ to sing the songs of Zion. Our parents taught us to pray as soon as we could talk, and as soon as we could, we were called upon to take part in the family prayer, which we never failed to have each night and morning. The principle of tithing was taught to us and at eight years of age, we each began paying little tributes until we were earning money for ourselves, then we were taught to pay one tenth of all we earned, Father always taking the lead.
Mother was left a widow in 1917. Her baby was only five years old, and Frances was the only child married. Thus, Mother had that great responsibility alone—but each of her children in their turn was taught and advised to live so that they could enter the temple and be married for time and eternity. She has helped them all get what education they could and has been fair and square with us all. She always read the books we children brought home, even our school books, as she desired to know our book friends as well as our living friends.
In 1925 and 26, Mother lived at Provo so her younger children could attend the BYU. She became attached to Provo, as many of her family had jobs there, so she moved permanently in 1927, selling her home in Aurora to the Johnson twins. In Provo, she has lived at different addresses, but most of the time she has been down on 400 South and 1st West. This Sixth Ward was a friendly ward, and Mother always seemed at home there. She is an active worker and is a Relief Society Teacher and a Daughter of the Pioneers. She holds up bravely and will not give up to any aches or pains. In the late winter of 1935, she suffered a sort of stroke, which had her down for a while. But through her faith and prayers and good care, she was soon able to be about, although it left her much weaker. Her physical condition could be better, but her mind is clear and active as ever, if not more. For now at the age of 70, she is taking up a study of more intensive research in Genealogy in the 17th Ward in Salt Lake City while she lives with two other sisters on 1st North and West Temple, close to the SLC Temple, where she goes to the temple twice a day and holds up fine.
She never tires of temple work. She puts her whole soul into the work she has at hand. But that is characteristic of her in her whole life to get the most out of whatever she sets out to do. I am reminded of how she learned music. Father and she had purchased about the first Kimball Organ in the little town. She was determined to learn to play it enough so that she could get some use out of it herself. Even with her family of small children, she succeeded so that she could accompany herself in learning songs, especially the hymns and Sunday School songs. With Professor John Hood of Richfield as her instructor, she was soon able to play easy pieces and pick out the hymns she loved to sing so well. She learned to read music much better than she could play it, as her long life of hard work had made her fingers somewhat stiff, so she couldn’t use them as fast as she desired. But this much music was not only a comfort and help to herself when learning new melodies and learning to reach the notes correctly in singing but it also enabled her to give beginners lessons to those of her family who desired to learn to play the organ. Often as her companion came home from a long day and entered his home, he would hear her clear soprano voice, usually accompanied by a beautiful alto voice, which was that of her co-worker in Relief Society, Sister Matilda Ivie, as together they practiced songs, often singing together in other organizations as well as their own Relief Society. While the melodies of such songs so characteristic of their lives as, “Have I Done Any good Today?,” “Beautiful Words of Love,” “Scatter Sunshine,” “I Have Read of a Beautiful City,” “Guide Me to Thee,” “God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform,” “Should You Feel Inclined to Censure,” “Count Your Many Blessings,” “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” “Make the World Brighter,” “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” “Do What Is Right,” “God Be With You Till We Meet Again,” “Oh, For Days of Yore,” These songs in my memory cling, for they are, “The Songs My Mother Used To Sing.”
From the time her daughter, Elmira, and family moved into Salt Lake City, and her family was all married, Eva would often come into SLC purposely to be near the Genealogical Library where she could study and work to carry on her research work. She spent hours and days in doing research and her temple work would have run into the hundreds and hundreds if records had been kept of all the names she did work for. The welfare of her dead kindred as well as that of her living have always been of deep concern to her. Anything she could think of to instill into the minds of her family and those of whom she taught and associated the necessity of doing this great work for our own salvation. Even in her old age, the meager sums of money that were hers she would spend on this great work and to help others. It was her belief that a constant chain of ancestors should be linked even back to Adam, and did all she could to show us that to do this, each of us must do our part while we sojourned here on the earth. To help her family arouse interest in their ancestors, she would purchase photos and pictures that would help to turn their minds to this great work.
The three room spacious rock house Eva’s father completed in ________. If these old walls could talk, they could tell of many happy hours to young and old around its lovely fireplace. Also, it had its share of toil and heartaches. It was here Eva’s mother had passed quietly away in her sleep with no one with her except her two-year-old grandson, Ellis Stevens, whom she was caring for while his mother worked.
This lovely little five room home was planned by Father and Mother for two years before Father’s death but because of his illness, they never got started at building it. After Father passed away, Mother was going to give up building, but her family urged her to go ahead, as that is what Father would desire her to do. Her family being smaller now, she had no use for the large two acre lot, so she sold one lot which helped to obtain money for the new home, which was built out in front of the old home, which was bisected and sold. Out to the north and west of the house still stands Eva’s first home, which is still being used as a granary, and where it has been since it was moved from the Loss Creek home in 1902.
In 1949 Elmira and her family moved back to Provo out in the Grandview area. Buying a lovely little five-room stucco house from her brother Harvey on the installment plan. This little home was very much a result of a labor of love and charity by Eva’s family. Since Elmira had been married, she and her husband had always rented homes in S.L.C. and Provo. She, desiring very much to own a home, her brothers, mainly Harvey and Tom, contributed generously in labor, low interest and general cost of this home, making it just as low a price as was possible. This was also done in part interest for Mother’s welfare, as she too greatly desired to be permanently settled in her declining years. All she desired was one room in which she could have her belongings and do just as she pleased without being disturbed. She herself also contributed $300 of her savings as well as $20 per month for her own keep. She would go as she pleased to her other children’s homes, and came back anytime, as she desired. She enjoyed this room immensely, keeping it clean all by herself up until about the last two months of her life. Tom had installed her a radio and she received great comfort from it, also from sewing and making rugs and cutting and sewing quilt pieces by hand. She did some knitting the last two years of her life, but had to quit that because her sight was so near gone. This was a great handicap to her, as she was still so active and desired to go and also to do things, but could not because of this near blindness. During this two years, she attended church often walking part way or one way – she took her trips often alone down to Sharlend’s and to Harvey’s. She would take her cane and work herself along the road. She never had any falls on these trips, except when she tried to go through the fields and would be unable to cross the irrigation ditches. After getting down in the ditch a time or two, she would always go around by the road.
To this home, in its building and finishing, most of Eva’s family contributed over a hundred hours, which totaled in money would amount to over one hundred dollars. That is the amount we figured in Harvey’s building of it – was $1 per hour, which, or course, in these days isn’t one half as much as a builder gets. Tom insists that she forget about paying him, but I’m sure if Elmira ever can, she will make it up in some way, as his and Harvey’s were the greatest contributions towards the home. Then on April 26, 1951, Mother passed away after being bedfast about two and one-half days. Her funeral was held in the Berg Mortuary, Provo, Utah, at 11 a.m. on April 30, 1951. Interment was in the Aurora Cemetery beside her husband.
by Elmira Harward Lewis
My mother, Frances Eva Curtis, was born on the 17th of February, 1869, at Springville, Utah, where the Floral House now stands on Main Street and 3rd South. She was the seventh child of John White Curtis and Matilda Miner, who had a family of 14 children, six sons and eight daughters. She was a beautiful brown-eyed child, with much vitality and energy that often led her into the fields and the great outdoors. This was a characteristic that grew and developed and stayed with her throughout her later life, as we shall see how in her womanhood. This adeptness for outdoor life became a great beneficiary as well as preserving her health.
It was in the combing and braiding of her long, fine dark brown tresses that she first learned to run to her Aunt Almira, her father’s first wife, with her childish troubles. Kneeling at Aunt Almira’s knee, she would have the snarls carefully untangled, combed and braided into two neat braids and tied at either side of her head.
The molasses mill was only a few blocks east, and Eva, with the other children, would make their daily trips to get the sugar cane, which served as today’s all day suckers do. The children loved the taste of the sickeningly sweet juice. Often they could take home a bucket of the skimmings from which their mother made them molasses candy.
The grand hidden mysteries contained in books appealed to Eva at a very tender age. Anxious to learn to read by herself, she would kneel for long periods of time at her first teacher’s knee (Mary Whiting), until soon she mastered the technique of reading. This trait expanded in leaps and bounds, so that while very young, she became an expert reader. While only a child, she would get the book of Mormon and steal out by herself where she could read for hours undisturbed.
In 1876, Eva’s mother with her children moved to Willow Bend, Sevier County, now known as Aurora. Her father and his first wife had gone ahead the year before. Perhaps you might think the new home would be nicer than the four room adobe house they were leaving, but no, it consisted of four posts set in the ground and woven around with willows. It had two rooms, but all the cooking had to be done outside on a campfire. The old home in Springville was not sold for several years, and happy indeed was Eva, when it was her happy lot to go back to it a good many summers with Aunt Almira and stay while they picked and dried the fruit for winter use. A great sorrow came to the family in 1884 when the first wife died. She was a mild, sweet woman and was loved by all who knew her, especially the children.
Summer was a busy time, but also a happy time, as it brought the berrying trips that the children enjoyed so much. First along in June and July came the bullberries that grew down in the river bottoms. The whole family would turn out equipped with tubs, buckets, and the canvas wagon cover. Spreading the cover out under the tall bushes and pulling limbs down over it, then with a gentle tap, tap, tap of their clubs, the limb was soon stripped of its small bright red sour berries. The berries were sorted from the leaves and little sticks and emptied into the buckets and tubs and then they were ready for another limb until the desired supply was gathered. These were washed and dried in the sun and packed up ready for winter use, and did Eva with all the others enjoy these puckering little berries. The next berrying task would even be more fun, for now they had to go to the mountains in the covered wagon and stay two or three days while they gathered service berries and choke cherries. The last of the berrying would be finished with the gathering of ground cherries, which were ready late in the fall after the vines and pods had turned yellow. Now it was easy to snap the pod and find the yellowish ground cherry that was made into delicious preserves by boiling them down in molasses, because it was cheaper and easier to get than sugar. The vines grew about a foot tall and were found all over the edges of the farm.
But now another outdoor task was awaiting the children and their mothers. As soon as the grain was harvested, Eva helped her mother gather straws from which straw hats were made. This was the most tedious task of all for these straws all had to be a certain width and length. Sometimes when the harvest was poor after the grain had been harvested, the women and children would have to go out gleaning. This also was slow tedious work, for it was a regulation made by Brigham Young that the gleaners were to each glean a bushel of grain a day. This demanded that they pick 60 handfuls with 60 grain heads in each handful. This amount measured to a full bushel of grain, and was a day’s work.
At last happy school days were here again. Eva began her studies again with Mary Cobly as her teacher, holding the class right in her home. The seats were made of log and they had no backs. But soon a schoolhouse was built in the little village; then the teachers were Maggie Keeler, Clarissa Curtis Cook (Eva’s aunt) and Newman Van Luvan. It was Mr. Van Luvan who named the little place Aurora, taking the name from the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, these lights having been seen from here several times. Several years later, the schools were graded, then with a girlfriend, Sarah Broadhead, Eva went one year to the Salina School. She did not complete the second year, as high water took the bridge from the Sevier River, which was very treacherous in high water time.
Even though they were out in a lonely wilderness the people in this little town had their amusements. Accompanied by a violin or an accordion, both old and young would get out and shake a light fantastic toe to the rhythm of the old-fashioned quadrille, minuet, or waltz. There were joy rides too, in a sleigh when snow was deep enough, but more often, the crowd would go by wagon to each other’s homes to a candy pull or a corn popping. Eva was a good dancer and always enjoyed dancing up to about middle age.
At fifteen years of age, she was chosen as assistant to Newman Van Luvan in teaching a Bible class in Sunday School. This class was a mixed group of old and young people. Even at this age, she was well read. One day an older member of the class thought he would get her stumped by asking her questions. To the questioners surprise, he couldn’t’ corner her. The incident furnished some amusement to her co-worker, Mr. Van Luvan, “Ho, Ho,” laughed he in his big bass voice. “You’ll have to get a harder one than that for her.” She has never ceased to love her Sunday School; even now at 70 years of age, she is never absent when it is possible to be there. At the age of 15 years, she was also put in as Secretary to the M.I.A. Here her courtship began with Ozias S. Harward, the young man who sat at the other end of the table acting as the secretary of the Y.M.M.I.A. They were to be wed in the St. George Temple. This meant a long trip in a covered wagon, their only means of transportation. With the wagon loaded with flour to sell on their way for their needed money, the journey began. At this time, there was no cash sale in Sevier County, for all trade was just in produce exchange.
The first unusual incident was going up Pine Creek Hill in Clear Creek Canyon. This hill was very steep and was slick with ice. The team could only pull the wagon a short distance, and then Eva and her intended mother-in-law who accompanied them would run and put rocks under the wheels so the load would not roll back downhill. Reaching the top, they stopped for the night. It was cold and the snow was deep, but they were comfortable with the warmth from the little stove they had set up in the wagon, and were finally lulled to sleep by the constant howling of the wolves. As the team was loaded, they often traveled late into the night. One night they saw a light that didn’t seem to be far away and decided they would travel until they came to it, as they had no water. On and on they traveled until eleven o’clock, before they came to it, and Lo! It was only some campers with their campfire. This place was called Buckhorn Springs. The campers estimated the bridal party had traveled about 40 miles that day. Another experience was their starting out on a ten-mile dugway just at sunset. Not knowing the dugway would be so long and dangerous, being wide enough only in places for teams to pass each other, they had to keep going and get off the dugway to find a camping ground. The next day’s travel brought them camping ground. The next day’s travel brought them west of Touqerville in hot sand. Here they were accosted by a Mr. Nale. He told them to turn around and pull back a ways to his place and he would buy the load of flour and give them a campground for the night. Turning in the deep sand was another hard experience. While going through Washington City, another old man accosted them, saying, “By the looks of things, you are going to the Temple.” Now he was looking for someone to take his daughter and child back to Richfield. She was a polygamist wife, and the officers were after her. So, the old man said that after going through the temple, to come back to his place and a wedding supper would be waiting for them. Traveling on, they arrived at the city St. George, Utah’s “Dixie” and Eva’s first temple city. Addressing two young men passing by, Ozias said, “Boys, could you please show me to a camping ground?” This they amiably did. But Eva told Ozias they didn’t look like boys to her, but were men. Imagine the young groom’s surprise when in the temple the next day, Feb. 4, 1885, they were married by one of the boys, who proved to be none other than President McCallister, President of the Temple. Now away to the wedding supper, and what a supper it was; just the final finish of a perfect day to two happy young hearts.
Before starting on the homeward journey, they went to Springdell up the Virgin River to visit an uncle and aunt, Samuel and Ursula Gifford. While there, uncle Samuel took them to see his farm, which he had named Zion. (It is now Zion’s National Park.) Here they got several sacks of dried fruit; one was a sack of dried grapes which were the loveliest raisins. The fruit was their first wedding gift.
Preparing now to go home, they had to take down the little stove to make room for the lady and her child and their belongings, which consisted of bundles and a large tool chest that would just fit in the wagon bed. Before long, they needed the warmth of the little stove badly for just beyond Beaver, they ran into snow so deep the horses had to lunge to get through. The axletrees dragged in snow. Before reaching a camping place one horse gave out, leaving the other to pull the load alone. By permitting the horses to rest every little way, at last they came to Cove Fort. Here a spot was shoveled off for the horses to stand and a place for a campfire. The next night they arrived at Joseph city. Before the camp was even made, the wagon was surrounded with howling boys who were more ferocious than the wolves. They thirsted for fire water and realizing this outfit had been to Dixie, they supposed they would have some. In their dismay at not finding any, their howling put the wolves to shame. At the close of the next day’s travel, they came to what proved to be their “Home, Sweet Home.” They were welcomed home by a house party over at Ozias’ father’s house and completed the reception by dancing over to Ozias’ brother Will’s house. Norman McDonald with his violin furnished the music.
This first home differed from some other log houses in that it had a shingled roof and the corners of the logs were neatly sawed off, and it had two nice windows. Even though it was just one room, it was made homey and comfortable by having a little over half the floor covered with home made carpet, which was used as bedroom and living room, while the other part served for the kitchen.
Their first child, Simmons, was born here on 30 March 1886. While he was yet a baby, his parents spent one summer on Scofield Mountain working in the timber. They owned a large Newfoundland dog who was Simmons’ bodyguard. When left in his cradle to play or sleep, the dog would lay down and watch that no one came near the baby. Often, he would nudge the rockers and rock the baby to sleep.
Their second child, Blanche, was born in this little home on 22 Nov. 1887. She caught the measles, which caused her death on 20 Dec. 1887. At that time the disease went rampant, the doctors and medical science being helpless to wage any cure. Their first born, Simmons, got the dreaded diphtheria. He too died 15 April, 1889, at the age of three years. Lonely now with the loss of both children, the parents went to live with Ozias’ mother, where Frances Eva was born 22 July, 1889. They returned home as soon as the baby was old enough. Their fourth child, Harold, was born 17 Oct. 1891. He was a very intelligent child. It seemed he had an old head on young shoulders. He got Bright’s Disease and was an invalid for several years. He died 10 June, 1898, while his father was freighting to Eli, Nevada. On this trip there were several teams traveling along together. They usually traveled that way for safety against robbers. All at once, Ozias’ team stopped dead still. A peculiar feeling came over Ozias and instantly he knew his son was dead. Telling the others about it, they thought it was just because he was worried about Harold. But he disposed of his load as soon as possible and hurried back home, but his son was buried before he got back. Lula, their fifth child, was born 27 Oct. 1893. She died when eleven months old with summer complaint.
About this time, Ozias built a two-room log house framed inside and out with lumber. This house was so firm and well built that years afterward when the rooms were uncoupled and moved across the river into town, they were built onto just as they were. One room was sold to Amasa Harward, Father’s nephew, and the other to Enos Curtis, Mother’s brother. There was a nice big porch on the west and also one on the south, which had a banister around it.
They moved into the new home about 1894, and their sixth child was born 31 Jan. 1895. The next day after his birth, his father came down with pleurisy and pneumonia; immediately following, he had erysyplis. He was not out of the house for six weeks. Their niece, Elizabeth Kennedy, and her husband came and lived with them, she doing the house while her husband did the work outside. The seventh child, Elmira, was born 27 Jan. 1897. The eighth, Ozias Harvey, was born 20 Nov. 1898. The ninth, Sharlend, was born 22 Sept. 1900. James Afton was born 26 June 1902. While their home was over a mile from town, it didn’t stop this couple from keeping in their Church activities. They moved on the east side of the river into town, where Mother was called to be the President of the Aurora Ward Relief Society. Their granary, which was their first home, was moved over to the new place and still stands there in perfect condition. Mother was set apart for her new calling in the Relief Society 21 Aug. 1902, which position she held for about eight years. She was also Sunday School teacher of the 2nd Intermediate class for four years, completing the full four-year course of study of the Book of Mormon, seeing her group complete this course before she left them. On March 4, 1904, her eleventh child, Leon, was born. He was hurt at birth, leaving him sort of an invalid for life. He died 25 Apr. 1918.
Father brought in lumber and material for another room and two big porches to be added to his home. His two brothers-in-law, Phillip and Exra Mason, helping him to build it. They made two thick walls and filled the space between them with sawdust. This type of walls made an airtight warm room that was easy to heat. They didn’t finish the upstairs until about 1914. Then, this room was finished for Elmira’s room; the boys’ rooms were complete when the house was bought.
Heber was born 20 Nov. 1905, 18 Dec. 1907, Thomas Rudolph was born, and Devoyal was born 25 April, 1910. The fifteenth child, Marilla, was born 9 March, 1912.
Mother has had many faith-promoting incidents in her life; some of them were direct answers to prayer. An outstanding one was while acting as Relief Society President; there came up in a lesson discussion a question as to whether the spirit remained with the spirit remained with the body before its burial, or descended to heaven to remain immediately at death, not to return to the presence of the body again. Some of the sisters got into quite deep discussion, insomuch that Mother’s mind was troubled. She prayed sincerely for enlightenment. It may have been a dream, but it was as real as life. One night she thought she passed away. She stood looking at her body. She could move and go about, yet she could see her own body lying there helpless. Soon she began to wonder why Sister Matilda Ivie, who was her first counselor in Relief Society, didn’t come and prepare her body for burial. Matilda was handy with the sick and laying out of the dead, and always took the lead in this part of the work. But, no one came. Mother walked to the stable and corrals and back to the house. Still her body was lying there. Then she awoke and pondered over the dream. She called her daughter Frances to her and told her about it. Frances began crying, thinking it meant her mother was going to die, but Mother told her no, that it was an answer to her prayer concerning the question that had troubled her. From that time, she has been convinced that the spirit loves the body and after death hovers over it and near it until it is safe in Mother Earth; then the spirit takes its flight to its Creator, to be directed to its place of abode where it will await it reuniting with the precious body on Resurrection Day.
After serving as the President of the Relief Society a few years, another ordination was conferred upon her. It was to go among her sex when desired and wash and anoint them, relieving pain and building up their faith in God. One sister who had been unsuccessful twice before in carrying her unborn child to maturity desired a blessing that this time she would be granted this right. In doing so, Mother was prompted to tell her that her desires would be granted. On leaving the sick room, the aged mother met Eva shaking her head and saying she was afraid of that promise. Mother told her not to worry, her daughter was going to get this child. In due time, she did so, and it was a testimony to her whole household.
In a patriarchal blessing given Mother by Joseph D. Smith, he said, many would come to her for comfort and the soothing balm the Gospel afforded. Her family has witnessed this many times. Ladies came to her in sadness, tears, sorrow and even anger but they always left with happy countenances, often with either a bouquet of Mother’s flowers or an armload of her precious vegetables from her garden.
As I look back and see Mother with her unusually big family to care for, together with the many other things she accomplished, it seems a marvel. Her house was kept ever spotless from upstairs to cellar. Her family’s clothing was practically all made by her hands. Her stock of bedding and quilts were always in top shape. Never can I remember her using a ragged quilt. To avoid such, she kept her pieces and at odd times worked them into some beautiful design of a block. I think this was another of her hobbies, for as long as her sight was so she could see, she delighted in piecing quilt tops. Going into her cellar, you would find shelves from ceiling to floor filled with bottled fruits, extending from the ceiling would be sacks of dried fruit, beans, etc. The old cheese vat could tell of its use once in a while, but the old up and down churn had its turn two or three times per week. It was no unusual sight to see my father weld its dasher until the bits of butter working up would let us know the butter was done and ready to be salted and worked over and over with the butter paddle and next molded into beautiful oblong pounds.
The pickle barrels, the cured meat, the old De Laval separator, which being used twice a day always meant a thorough daily cleaning for it. Going back into the kitchen, the old big cookie jar, the bread mixer, and all the other kitchen utensils bespoke the vast time it took each day to cook and feed twelve people three times daily. Some say “Blue Monday,” but just as regular as clockwork, washday rolled around—not with modern day conveniences or electric appliances and running hot water—but with two tubs, a washboard and a boiler. Then the load of washday was gradually lightened by the old oblong zinc washer to be swished back and forth by hand and finally with the sway of electrical power bringing its labor saving appliances.
For diversion from her household duties, Mother raised and cared for her chickens and eggs for the family use, as well as doing the main upkeep of the vegetable and flower gardens. It was always a delight to her to get out at sunrise and work in her garden or flowers. Often, if she didn’t feel well, she would hoe and dig around her plants for a while and soon would be feeling fine.
Nor was her family neglected in their training in education, religion and social teachings. Their greatest method of teaching was by example; our home was always supplied with the best of magazines and books. Each of her children recall their happiest days were when we would all sit around the fire listening to Mother read, or father explaining principles of the Gospel, or all of us gathering around the old organ to sing the songs of Zion. Our parents taught us to pray as soon as we could talk, and as soon as we could, we were called upon to take part in the family prayer, which we never failed to have each night and morning. The principle of tithing was taught to us and at eight years of age, we each began paying little tributes until we were earning money for ourselves, then we were taught to pay one tenth of all we earned, Father always taking the lead.
Mother was left a widow in 1917. Her baby was only five years old, and Frances was the only child married. Thus, Mother had that great responsibility alone—but each of her children in their turn was taught and advised to live so that they could enter the temple and be married for time and eternity. She has helped them all get what education they could and has been fair and square with us all. She always read the books we children brought home, even our school books, as she desired to know our book friends as well as our living friends.
In 1925 and 26, Mother lived at Provo so her younger children could attend the BYU. She became attached to Provo, as many of her family had jobs there, so she moved permanently in 1927, selling her home in Aurora to the Johnson twins. In Provo, she has lived at different addresses, but most of the time she has been down on 400 South and 1st West. This Sixth Ward was a friendly ward, and Mother always seemed at home there. She is an active worker and is a Relief Society Teacher and a Daughter of the Pioneers. She holds up bravely and will not give up to any aches or pains. In the late winter of 1935, she suffered a sort of stroke, which had her down for a while. But through her faith and prayers and good care, she was soon able to be about, although it left her much weaker. Her physical condition could be better, but her mind is clear and active as ever, if not more. For now at the age of 70, she is taking up a study of more intensive research in Genealogy in the 17th Ward in Salt Lake City while she lives with two other sisters on 1st North and West Temple, close to the SLC Temple, where she goes to the temple twice a day and holds up fine.
She never tires of temple work. She puts her whole soul into the work she has at hand. But that is characteristic of her in her whole life to get the most out of whatever she sets out to do. I am reminded of how she learned music. Father and she had purchased about the first Kimball Organ in the little town. She was determined to learn to play it enough so that she could get some use out of it herself. Even with her family of small children, she succeeded so that she could accompany herself in learning songs, especially the hymns and Sunday School songs. With Professor John Hood of Richfield as her instructor, she was soon able to play easy pieces and pick out the hymns she loved to sing so well. She learned to read music much better than she could play it, as her long life of hard work had made her fingers somewhat stiff, so she couldn’t use them as fast as she desired. But this much music was not only a comfort and help to herself when learning new melodies and learning to reach the notes correctly in singing but it also enabled her to give beginners lessons to those of her family who desired to learn to play the organ. Often as her companion came home from a long day and entered his home, he would hear her clear soprano voice, usually accompanied by a beautiful alto voice, which was that of her co-worker in Relief Society, Sister Matilda Ivie, as together they practiced songs, often singing together in other organizations as well as their own Relief Society. While the melodies of such songs so characteristic of their lives as, “Have I Done Any good Today?,” “Beautiful Words of Love,” “Scatter Sunshine,” “I Have Read of a Beautiful City,” “Guide Me to Thee,” “God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform,” “Should You Feel Inclined to Censure,” “Count Your Many Blessings,” “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” “Make the World Brighter,” “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” “Do What Is Right,” “God Be With You Till We Meet Again,” “Oh, For Days of Yore,” These songs in my memory cling, for they are, “The Songs My Mother Used To Sing.”
From the time her daughter, Elmira, and family moved into Salt Lake City, and her family was all married, Eva would often come into SLC purposely to be near the Genealogical Library where she could study and work to carry on her research work. She spent hours and days in doing research and her temple work would have run into the hundreds and hundreds if records had been kept of all the names she did work for. The welfare of her dead kindred as well as that of her living have always been of deep concern to her. Anything she could think of to instill into the minds of her family and those of whom she taught and associated the necessity of doing this great work for our own salvation. Even in her old age, the meager sums of money that were hers she would spend on this great work and to help others. It was her belief that a constant chain of ancestors should be linked even back to Adam, and did all she could to show us that to do this, each of us must do our part while we sojourned here on the earth. To help her family arouse interest in their ancestors, she would purchase photos and pictures that would help to turn their minds to this great work.
The three room spacious rock house Eva’s father completed in ________. If these old walls could talk, they could tell of many happy hours to young and old around its lovely fireplace. Also, it had its share of toil and heartaches. It was here Eva’s mother had passed quietly away in her sleep with no one with her except her two-year-old grandson, Ellis Stevens, whom she was caring for while his mother worked.
This lovely little five room home was planned by Father and Mother for two years before Father’s death but because of his illness, they never got started at building it. After Father passed away, Mother was going to give up building, but her family urged her to go ahead, as that is what Father would desire her to do. Her family being smaller now, she had no use for the large two acre lot, so she sold one lot which helped to obtain money for the new home, which was built out in front of the old home, which was bisected and sold. Out to the north and west of the house still stands Eva’s first home, which is still being used as a granary, and where it has been since it was moved from the Loss Creek home in 1902.
In 1949 Elmira and her family moved back to Provo out in the Grandview area. Buying a lovely little five-room stucco house from her brother Harvey on the installment plan. This little home was very much a result of a labor of love and charity by Eva’s family. Since Elmira had been married, she and her husband had always rented homes in S.L.C. and Provo. She, desiring very much to own a home, her brothers, mainly Harvey and Tom, contributed generously in labor, low interest and general cost of this home, making it just as low a price as was possible. This was also done in part interest for Mother’s welfare, as she too greatly desired to be permanently settled in her declining years. All she desired was one room in which she could have her belongings and do just as she pleased without being disturbed. She herself also contributed $300 of her savings as well as $20 per month for her own keep. She would go as she pleased to her other children’s homes, and came back anytime, as she desired. She enjoyed this room immensely, keeping it clean all by herself up until about the last two months of her life. Tom had installed her a radio and she received great comfort from it, also from sewing and making rugs and cutting and sewing quilt pieces by hand. She did some knitting the last two years of her life, but had to quit that because her sight was so near gone. This was a great handicap to her, as she was still so active and desired to go and also to do things, but could not because of this near blindness. During this two years, she attended church often walking part way or one way – she took her trips often alone down to Sharlend’s and to Harvey’s. She would take her cane and work herself along the road. She never had any falls on these trips, except when she tried to go through the fields and would be unable to cross the irrigation ditches. After getting down in the ditch a time or two, she would always go around by the road.
To this home, in its building and finishing, most of Eva’s family contributed over a hundred hours, which totaled in money would amount to over one hundred dollars. That is the amount we figured in Harvey’s building of it – was $1 per hour, which, or course, in these days isn’t one half as much as a builder gets. Tom insists that she forget about paying him, but I’m sure if Elmira ever can, she will make it up in some way, as his and Harvey’s were the greatest contributions towards the home. Then on April 26, 1951, Mother passed away after being bedfast about two and one-half days. Her funeral was held in the Berg Mortuary, Provo, Utah, at 11 a.m. on April 30, 1951. Interment was in the Aurora Cemetery beside her husband.
