Just as our Thanksgiving was different this year, so was our
Christmas. Different, but like Thanksgiving, still wonderful.
Brinton was not going to have his children on Christmas and
Presley was going to spend time Christmas day with her
father, and so he and Allison planned a Christmas Eve
celebration at their home.
Rhonda, Steve, George and I, Trey, Jenna, Montana and
Harlee, all arrived with gifts, to join Brinton, Allison,
Brexton, Nixin, and Presley.
There was an air of excitement in the air. Hugs, kisses,
and Merry Christmases were exchanged, we enjoyed a
festive supper of red velvet waffles with all the trimmings,
bacon, and hot chocolate. It was a perfect Christmas Eve
repast, refreshing and very delicious.
After we ate, gifts were exchanged and opened. It was so
much fun, and so exciting watching, the children open their
gifts. The expressions of wonder and joy on their faces,
was incredible. I think they all received just what they
wanted.
The adults, too, received some fantastic gifts, and there were
many oohs, aahs, and "this is great" resounding around the
room.
After the fun and excitement of opening gifts, it was time
for the children to make their traditional Gingerbread
Houses. It is always so much fun. It is hard to tell
what they like best, building the house or eating the candy.
Since Brinton and Allison would not have their children on
Christmas day, they were leaving at 10:45 to fly to New
York City to spend several days. They reported Christmas
Day in New York City was amazing. Allison had her "bucket
list" of things she wanted to do and it was fun to share their
excitement through pictures posted on Instagram and
Facebook, as Allison checked them off her "bucket List".
We missed having Cote with us, but Rhonda delivered our
gifts to him and watched him open them.
Christmas morning, we went to Steve and Rhonda's for our
traditional Christmas breakfast and festivities. Trey, Jenna,
Montana and Harlee, Scotty, Carri, Martin, Miller, Mallory
and Maxwell, Ryan, Julie, Crew, Cole, Cash and Gracie,
Brannon and Amanda were all there. Steve and Rhonda
had a house full of grandchildren playing and having the
time of their lives. Next Christmas, Brannon and Amanda's,
as yet unborn son, will add to the excitement.
As always, breakfast was delicious. Rhonda made baked
French Toast and Trey brought a Dutch Oven breakfast
casserole. Guests brought trimmings for the French Toast
and fruit bread. There was an assortment of beverages.
Because of an unexpected and unwelcome health crisis, I
was unable to do much for Christmas this year. Rhonda
drove me to Barnes and Noble and helped me select books
for our great grandchildren.
George made the fudge this year, and it was wonderful. I
did sit and talk him through the directions and watched
the clock as he stirred.
Craig and Tracey had a pre-Christmas trip to Miami for
their anniversary. They reported a wonderful time. We
talked to them, Hannah, Josh, Cameron, and Chasity
Christmas day. We weren't able to talk to Jared and
Christi, but we received a beautiful Christmas card
from them
We talked to Jeni and she told us about their Christmas
and Ethan and Ryann's Christmas experiences. We sure
missed sharing their excitement with them.
We talked to Justin and he reported a white Christmas in
Cedar City and some great snowboarding. He also told us
about his drive to California to spend Chrismas with his
family.
We haven't seen Miranda yet. She has been so busy with
work. She sent us a card and gift and exchanged Facebook
messages. We will see her as soon as she has a break in her
work. We have her and Ryan's fudge waiting for them.
Saturday, Paul and Joanne came to spend the day with us.
George and I fixed lunch for them and Steve and Rhonda.
They all said lunch was delicious and the three hours we
sat around the table reminiscing and talking, was really
special. They gave us a fun report on Ethan and Ryann
and their respone to the fun and excitement of Christmas.
We gave them their fudge and sent Chris, Jeni, Ethan
and Ryann's home with them. We gave Rhonda and
Joanne baggies and let them take as much of the left
over fudge as they wanted.
On Monday, December 30th, some of our family members
went to see the beauty of the thousands of Christmas lights
and images at ZooLight at the Phoenix Zoo. They have the
most amazing light display each year, and each year they
add more. Besides the Polar Slide, they installed a zip line
this year. I really missed seeing them. It is so much fun
watching the children's response to them.
The festivities are not over yet. Steve, Rhonda, George
and I recieved a Christmas present from Trey, Jenna,
Montana, Harlee and Spur, to go to their home for a
Dutch Oven Classic dinner on Thursday, January 2nd.
We love visiting their farm. It will be fun.
Trey and Jenna spent hours of their Christmas vacation
installing a new Gymnastics Bounce Floor at their gym,
Define Yourself Tumbling and Cheer. They installed 40
boards (I think that is the number) and 2,000, or more,
springs on the boards. What a task, but now the students
will have an even better bouncing and flipping, good time.
It has been a beautiful and busy Christmas season. George
and I are blessed with the most amazing, supportive, loving,
family we could have ever dreamed of having, and it just
gets better every year.
There is no one we would rather be surrounded by as we
celebrate the birth of our elder brother and Savior, Jesus
Christ, than each of you, who make our life so beautiful.
Even our little ones realize that Christmas is more than
the Christmas Tree, presents, ZooLights, and decorating
cookies and making Gingerbread Houses
G-Mama (Rhonda) asked Montana, Trey and Jenna's
little Princess who will be three in February, if she was
having fun at Christmas. She threw her arms up in
the air, way over her head, and yelled, "Yay,
Christmas, Jesus's birthday!"
Brinton and Allison's little Princess Nixin, who turned
five in Ocober, was asked by Allison, "So, do you
have a favorite Christmas you remember, or a favorite
gift you recieved?" And Nixin said, "The thing I like
most about Christmas is that it is Jesus' birthday.
Jesus was born and he destroyed all of the bad guys,
and then we all sang, "I Am A Child of God"
What would we do without our children. Yes, they
make Christmas exciting and beautiful, but as young
as they are, in their innocence, they help us remember
what the true meaning of Christmas really is.
Remember, in St. Luke 18:16, it says, But, Jesus
called them unto him and said, "Suffer little children
to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such
is the Kingdom of God."
Thank you to our family for loving us, we love you
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
We Serve Our First Thanksgiving Dinner
When I was was growing up in Panaca, Thanksgiving was
always a day filled with love and laughter, family and
friends. Mom and Dad always made sure that there was
no one in Panaca who did not have a place to go for
dinner. It was a tradition to have guests, other than
family, for dinner.
Our Thanksgiving was filled with tradition, starting the
day before when Mother would bake her pies and the
shells for the whipped cream and jelly tarts She would
have the dried corn softening in her special broth and the
lemon sauce made for her suet pudding, a favorite dessert
of family and friends.
Delores and I would dust each room in the house, giving
special attention to the piano and all of Mother's Elf
figurines and seashells.
Thanksgiving morning I would wake up to the heavenly
aromas emanating from the kitchen and the rustle and
bustle of Mother as she worked. She usually had a few
chores for Delores and I to do. When we were finished,
she would send us outside to while away the time until
we were called inside to set the tables. We waited with
unrestrained excitement for that call to come. It was so
exciting as family and friends began to arrive.
After Dad said a prayer of thanksgiving and blessed the
food, dinner was served. The menu for our Thanksgiving
dinner never changed, it was tradition. There was turkey
and dressing, ham, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy,
Mother's famous sweet potato souffle, dried corn,
reconstituted and cooked in her original cream sauce,
green beans and onions, fruit salad with pomegranates
and whipped cream, several varieties of Mother's home
canned pickles and her famous rolls served with oodles
of fresh churned butter. For dessert there was pumpkin,
apple, mincemeat and cherry pie, and all of the whipped
cream and jelly tarts the children could eat. And, of course,
Mother's famous suet pudding with lemon sauce, which
the older people, especially, looked forward to with great
anticipation.
When your mother holds the title of "Lincoln County's
Most Famous Cook", with her fame extending throughout
the State of Nevada, her Thanksgiving dinners are legendary.
I look back at this and marvel because until the early fifties,
all of this was done on a wood burning stove with no hot and
cold running water in the house. Lois Stewart Wadsworth
was truly a "miracle worker."
After dinner, Dad asked each family member and guest,
to share something they were especially grateful for.
Plates of food were then delivered to the elderly and
needy people in town. That was anorher James Allen
and Lois Stewart Wadsworth Thanksgiving Tradition.
When George and I were married in 1951 and I joined
him in California where he was in the Navy and stationed
at The Naval Training Center in San Diego, it was nearing
the Thanksgiving and Christmas season and even though I
was excited to finally be with my husband, I was very sad
at the thought of being away from Panaca and my family
for the first time at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Our first home together was not in San Diego but in
Westminster, 95 miles and an hour and a half drive from
San Diego. As I have previously written, George's
brother Jack, his wife Lee, and their two children,
Lloyd and Jackie, lived there. While we were waiting
for our name to come up for a unit in Public Quarters
near the Training Center, George wanted me to live near
them so I would not be alone as often .
On our first Thanksgiving as husband and wife, George
was able to leave the base and come to Westminster for
Thanksgiving weekend. We had dinner at Jack and Lee's.
Lee's parents, Mom and Dad Shinpaugh, her three sisters
and her brother were there. It was a lovely day and
dinner was delicious, but I was so homesick and missed
all of the tradition associated with my family.
We were living in Hillcrest, a suburb of San Diego,
on our second Thanksgiving. George was scheduled for
duty on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a
sad, lonely time for me. I spent Thanksgiving with my
friend Annabelle, whose husband, Nick, was serving in
The Personnel Division with George and was a good
friend. He also had duty that day. Annabelle and I did
not cook dinner, we ate out and I don't remember where.
Our third Thanksgiving found us living in Public Quarters
with Annabelle and Nick as our neighbors. We were excited
to plan our own Thanksgiving dinner and cook our first
turkey and dressing. Several weeks before Thanksgiving,
I frantically wrote Mom and asked her to send instructions
for cooking a turkey and her recipe for dressing.
We invited Nick, Annabelle and two other young men
who worked in The Personnel Division with Nick and
George, Danny Peruzzi, the little Italian bundle of
energy I have previously written about, and a handsome
African American boy, O.J. White. They were both
single and had no place to go for dinner unless they ate
on base. Thus, we were following Mom and Dad's
Thanksgiving Tradition of everyone having a place
to eat dinner.
The recipe and instructions for cooking the turkey and
dressing arrived along with a suet pudding and recipes
for Mother's pie crust and lemon sauce, There was also
a jar of the Pottawatomie Plum Jelly, made from the
plums on Mom's trees and used in the tarts, a small bag
of dried corn with the directions for reconstituting it,
and the recipe for the cream sauce to cook it in.
Following tradition, the night before, we made a pumpkin,
apple, mincemeat, and cherry pie, the shells for the tarts,
the lemon sauce, and started the process foe the corn.
Thanksgiving morning, carefully following Mom's
directions, George prepared the turkey while I made the
dressing. He then stuffed the turkey and got it in the oven.
He used his own recipe for the sweet potatoes.
I was a nervous wreck waiting for the turkey and dressing
to cook; would it be cooked properly, would it taste good?
The turkey and dressing were cooked to perfection. The
lemon sauce was maybe not as smooth as Mom's, but it
was delicious. The pie crust was as flaky as it should be,
the tarts were beautiful, and miracle of miracles, the corn
turned out tender and creamy.
George and I were relieved, a bit surprised, but very
proud of our endeavors, and our guests thought dinner
was perfection. They even raved about the suet pudding.
Everyone is not raised eating it like I was and do not
know how wonderful it is until they eat it for the first
time.
I was ecstatic; we observed traditions, the guests were
wonderful, and they left happy and sated
This is the story of the first turkey and Thanksgiving
dinner we prepared and served as husband and wife.
THANKSGIVING AND SUET PUDDING TRIVIA
By the mid fifties, Mom and Dad had running hot and
cold water in the house. We had bought Mother a gas stove,
not to be used in place of her beloved wood burning stove,
but in addition too. We also bought her an electric roaster
oven in which she soon delighted using to cook her turkey.
For years, Rhonda has been cooking our Thanksgiving
dinner. She and Steve are the ultimate host and hostess
for us, their children and grandchildren and other special
guests They have established Thanksgiving traditions
and it is heart warming to me that most of them are the
same as the ones I grew up with and raised our children
with. Rhonda always cooks her turkey in her electric
roaster oven and it is always delicious.
Like Britain's famous Plum or Christmas Pudding,
Suet Pudding is a steamed pudding and they are all
made with suet.
Many people do not know what suet is. It is the hard
fat taken from the loins and around the kidneys of
beef or mutton. It's melting and congelation point
is high and it has a near zero smoke point. This
makes it ideal for deep frying, pastry, shepherds
pie, and steamed puddings.
In the days of the Puritans and early Mormon Pioneers,
suet was most often what they used in their cooking and
baking.
You can find suet in many supermarkets by going direct
to the butcher and requesting it. It will be fresh when
you purchase it.
George and I learned to make suet pudding using Mom's
recipe. In our El Cajon Wards and the Descanso Branch,
we became known for making it during the Thanksgiving
and Christmas season and it was always a favorite and much
loved dessert for our family and friends, especially the
older people. We were asked one year to make it as one
of the desserts for the El Cajon Stake's Relief Society
Christmas Dinner. We served it with lemon sauce and it
was a big hit and talked about for a long time.
Mother's Christmas gift to her children when they married,
was always a suet pudding, fruit cake, pine nuts, and a jar
of Potawattomie Plum Jelly for tarts. They would arrive
wrapped in Chrismas paper in time for Thanksgiving. She
did this each year until she was no longer physically able to
do so.
The following post is the letter and instructions we received
from Mother after I frantically wrote her for help as we
prepared to cook our first Thanksgiving turkey and dinner.
I had told George we absolutely could not cook our turkey
without one of his old white t-shirts, bleached, washed and
greased with shortening, to wrap it while it cooked. I have
always thought that was the secret to Mother's perfectly
roasted turkeys.
always a day filled with love and laughter, family and
friends. Mom and Dad always made sure that there was
no one in Panaca who did not have a place to go for
dinner. It was a tradition to have guests, other than
family, for dinner.
Our Thanksgiving was filled with tradition, starting the
day before when Mother would bake her pies and the
shells for the whipped cream and jelly tarts She would
have the dried corn softening in her special broth and the
lemon sauce made for her suet pudding, a favorite dessert
of family and friends.
Delores and I would dust each room in the house, giving
special attention to the piano and all of Mother's Elf
figurines and seashells.
Thanksgiving morning I would wake up to the heavenly
aromas emanating from the kitchen and the rustle and
bustle of Mother as she worked. She usually had a few
chores for Delores and I to do. When we were finished,
she would send us outside to while away the time until
we were called inside to set the tables. We waited with
unrestrained excitement for that call to come. It was so
exciting as family and friends began to arrive.
After Dad said a prayer of thanksgiving and blessed the
food, dinner was served. The menu for our Thanksgiving
dinner never changed, it was tradition. There was turkey
and dressing, ham, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy,
Mother's famous sweet potato souffle, dried corn,
reconstituted and cooked in her original cream sauce,
green beans and onions, fruit salad with pomegranates
and whipped cream, several varieties of Mother's home
canned pickles and her famous rolls served with oodles
of fresh churned butter. For dessert there was pumpkin,
apple, mincemeat and cherry pie, and all of the whipped
cream and jelly tarts the children could eat. And, of course,
Mother's famous suet pudding with lemon sauce, which
the older people, especially, looked forward to with great
anticipation.
When your mother holds the title of "Lincoln County's
Most Famous Cook", with her fame extending throughout
the State of Nevada, her Thanksgiving dinners are legendary.
I look back at this and marvel because until the early fifties,
all of this was done on a wood burning stove with no hot and
cold running water in the house. Lois Stewart Wadsworth
was truly a "miracle worker."
After dinner, Dad asked each family member and guest,
to share something they were especially grateful for.
Plates of food were then delivered to the elderly and
needy people in town. That was anorher James Allen
and Lois Stewart Wadsworth Thanksgiving Tradition.
When George and I were married in 1951 and I joined
him in California where he was in the Navy and stationed
at The Naval Training Center in San Diego, it was nearing
the Thanksgiving and Christmas season and even though I
was excited to finally be with my husband, I was very sad
at the thought of being away from Panaca and my family
for the first time at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Our first home together was not in San Diego but in
Westminster, 95 miles and an hour and a half drive from
San Diego. As I have previously written, George's
brother Jack, his wife Lee, and their two children,
Lloyd and Jackie, lived there. While we were waiting
for our name to come up for a unit in Public Quarters
near the Training Center, George wanted me to live near
them so I would not be alone as often .
On our first Thanksgiving as husband and wife, George
was able to leave the base and come to Westminster for
Thanksgiving weekend. We had dinner at Jack and Lee's.
Lee's parents, Mom and Dad Shinpaugh, her three sisters
and her brother were there. It was a lovely day and
dinner was delicious, but I was so homesick and missed
all of the tradition associated with my family.
We were living in Hillcrest, a suburb of San Diego,
on our second Thanksgiving. George was scheduled for
duty on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a
sad, lonely time for me. I spent Thanksgiving with my
friend Annabelle, whose husband, Nick, was serving in
The Personnel Division with George and was a good
friend. He also had duty that day. Annabelle and I did
not cook dinner, we ate out and I don't remember where.
Our third Thanksgiving found us living in Public Quarters
with Annabelle and Nick as our neighbors. We were excited
to plan our own Thanksgiving dinner and cook our first
turkey and dressing. Several weeks before Thanksgiving,
I frantically wrote Mom and asked her to send instructions
for cooking a turkey and her recipe for dressing.
We invited Nick, Annabelle and two other young men
who worked in The Personnel Division with Nick and
George, Danny Peruzzi, the little Italian bundle of
energy I have previously written about, and a handsome
African American boy, O.J. White. They were both
single and had no place to go for dinner unless they ate
on base. Thus, we were following Mom and Dad's
Thanksgiving Tradition of everyone having a place
to eat dinner.
The recipe and instructions for cooking the turkey and
dressing arrived along with a suet pudding and recipes
for Mother's pie crust and lemon sauce, There was also
a jar of the Pottawatomie Plum Jelly, made from the
plums on Mom's trees and used in the tarts, a small bag
of dried corn with the directions for reconstituting it,
and the recipe for the cream sauce to cook it in.
Following tradition, the night before, we made a pumpkin,
apple, mincemeat, and cherry pie, the shells for the tarts,
the lemon sauce, and started the process foe the corn.
Thanksgiving morning, carefully following Mom's
directions, George prepared the turkey while I made the
dressing. He then stuffed the turkey and got it in the oven.
He used his own recipe for the sweet potatoes.
I was a nervous wreck waiting for the turkey and dressing
to cook; would it be cooked properly, would it taste good?
The turkey and dressing were cooked to perfection. The
lemon sauce was maybe not as smooth as Mom's, but it
was delicious. The pie crust was as flaky as it should be,
the tarts were beautiful, and miracle of miracles, the corn
turned out tender and creamy.
George and I were relieved, a bit surprised, but very
proud of our endeavors, and our guests thought dinner
was perfection. They even raved about the suet pudding.
Everyone is not raised eating it like I was and do not
know how wonderful it is until they eat it for the first
time.
I was ecstatic; we observed traditions, the guests were
wonderful, and they left happy and sated
This is the story of the first turkey and Thanksgiving
dinner we prepared and served as husband and wife.
THANKSGIVING AND SUET PUDDING TRIVIA
By the mid fifties, Mom and Dad had running hot and
cold water in the house. We had bought Mother a gas stove,
not to be used in place of her beloved wood burning stove,
but in addition too. We also bought her an electric roaster
oven in which she soon delighted using to cook her turkey.
For years, Rhonda has been cooking our Thanksgiving
dinner. She and Steve are the ultimate host and hostess
for us, their children and grandchildren and other special
guests They have established Thanksgiving traditions
and it is heart warming to me that most of them are the
same as the ones I grew up with and raised our children
with. Rhonda always cooks her turkey in her electric
roaster oven and it is always delicious.
Like Britain's famous Plum or Christmas Pudding,
Suet Pudding is a steamed pudding and they are all
made with suet.
Many people do not know what suet is. It is the hard
fat taken from the loins and around the kidneys of
beef or mutton. It's melting and congelation point
is high and it has a near zero smoke point. This
makes it ideal for deep frying, pastry, shepherds
pie, and steamed puddings.
In the days of the Puritans and early Mormon Pioneers,
suet was most often what they used in their cooking and
baking.
You can find suet in many supermarkets by going direct
to the butcher and requesting it. It will be fresh when
you purchase it.
George and I learned to make suet pudding using Mom's
recipe. In our El Cajon Wards and the Descanso Branch,
we became known for making it during the Thanksgiving
and Christmas season and it was always a favorite and much
loved dessert for our family and friends, especially the
older people. We were asked one year to make it as one
of the desserts for the El Cajon Stake's Relief Society
Christmas Dinner. We served it with lemon sauce and it
was a big hit and talked about for a long time.
Mother's Christmas gift to her children when they married,
was always a suet pudding, fruit cake, pine nuts, and a jar
of Potawattomie Plum Jelly for tarts. They would arrive
wrapped in Chrismas paper in time for Thanksgiving. She
did this each year until she was no longer physically able to
do so.
The following post is the letter and instructions we received
from Mother after I frantically wrote her for help as we
prepared to cook our first Thanksgiving turkey and dinner.
I had told George we absolutely could not cook our turkey
without one of his old white t-shirts, bleached, washed and
greased with shortening, to wrap it while it cooked. I have
always thought that was the secret to Mother's perfectly
roasted turkeys.
We Cook Our First Thanksgiving Turkey
Bless my wonderful Mother. She came through with
aplomb. The directions arrived in plenty of time.
The Suet Pudding was delicious. I could not imagine
Thanksgiving dinner without one. The lemon sauce I made
was delicious and our guests loved it and the pudding.
Thanks Mom, you helped make our day perfect!
 |
Bless my wonderful Mother. She came through with
aplomb. The directions arrived in plenty of time.
The Suet Pudding was delicious. I could not imagine
Thanksgiving dinner without one. The lemon sauce I made
was delicious and our guests loved it and the pudding.
Thanks Mom, you helped make our day perfect!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thanksgiving on the Farm
Thanksgiving this year, 2013, was different. Rhonda and
Steve had left on Thanksgiving day to go to Costa Rica.
Trey and Jenna invited us to their home for dinner.
Brinton, Allison, Brexton, and Nixin , came. We missed
Presley. She was with them at Allison's parents earlier
in the day before they took her to her father. We also
missed Cote who was uable to be with us.
Jenna's brother, aunt, cousin, her husband and children,
came. It was nice to meet them.
Dinner was wonderful. Everything was delicious,
starting with a gourmet cheese ball and a cream cheese
log with crackers, as appetizers. They served all of
the food that is traditional in our family; turkey, dressing,
ham sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean
casserole, rolls and pecan and caramel apple pie for
dessert. Jenna brewed a delicious hot pumpkin drink
drink and there was a selection of soft drinks.
Everyone but us brought something to the dinner.
When we asked Trey what he wanted us to bring,
he said, "Nothing, you get to sit back and relax
this year." I have to admit that even though I felt
lazy, it was very nice and relaxing to just enjoy the
wonderful food and good company.
It was a gentle and peaceful day on the farm and a
joy to watch the little ones playing with each other
and the animals. Montana and Harlee were so
proud to share it all with the rest of us. I was
reminded of my Thanksgivings on our farm when
Montana explained everything in great detail.
Muggles had so much fun with Spur and the children.
Nixin, especially, made sure she was well loved and
played with. I asked Brexton what his favorite
part of dinner was, and with a big grin, he replied,
"The pumpkin pie!"
Trey and Jenna played the role of host and hostess
with perfect poise and watching our great grand-
children enjoying each other's company and having
fun on the farm, gave us a very special reason to
count our many blessings on very this beautiful
Thanksgiving day.
We missed the rest of our family but knew that
wherever they were, they were enjoying Thanksgiving
surrounded by the love and laughter of family and
friends.
Thank you, Trey and Jenna for inviting us to your
beautiful home for a lovely Thanksgiving celebration.
Steve had left on Thanksgiving day to go to Costa Rica.
Trey and Jenna invited us to their home for dinner.
Brinton, Allison, Brexton, and Nixin , came. We missed
Presley. She was with them at Allison's parents earlier
in the day before they took her to her father. We also
missed Cote who was uable to be with us.
Jenna's brother, aunt, cousin, her husband and children,
came. It was nice to meet them.
Dinner was wonderful. Everything was delicious,
starting with a gourmet cheese ball and a cream cheese
log with crackers, as appetizers. They served all of
the food that is traditional in our family; turkey, dressing,
ham sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean
casserole, rolls and pecan and caramel apple pie for
dessert. Jenna brewed a delicious hot pumpkin drink
drink and there was a selection of soft drinks.
Everyone but us brought something to the dinner.
When we asked Trey what he wanted us to bring,
he said, "Nothing, you get to sit back and relax
this year." I have to admit that even though I felt
lazy, it was very nice and relaxing to just enjoy the
wonderful food and good company.
It was a gentle and peaceful day on the farm and a
joy to watch the little ones playing with each other
and the animals. Montana and Harlee were so
proud to share it all with the rest of us. I was
reminded of my Thanksgivings on our farm when
Montana explained everything in great detail.
Muggles had so much fun with Spur and the children.
Nixin, especially, made sure she was well loved and
played with. I asked Brexton what his favorite
part of dinner was, and with a big grin, he replied,
"The pumpkin pie!"
Trey and Jenna played the role of host and hostess
with perfect poise and watching our great grand-
children enjoying each other's company and having
fun on the farm, gave us a very special reason to
count our many blessings on very this beautiful
Thanksgiving day.
We missed the rest of our family but knew that
wherever they were, they were enjoying Thanksgiving
surrounded by the love and laughter of family and
friends.
Thank you, Trey and Jenna for inviting us to your
beautiful home for a lovely Thanksgiving celebration.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Helen Wadsworth O'Connor - A Cousin's Memories
My first cousin, Helen Wadsworth O"Connor died on
July 5, 2013. Leo and Pete both called me and Leo sent
me a letter and a program from her funeral.
In his letter, he remarked that her passing left him as
the oldest surviving descendant of our grandfather,
Nephi John Wadsworth and the second oldest of our
great grandfather, George Allen Wadsworth. Our cousin,
Max Wadsworth is George Allen's oldest living
descendant. Max is six months older than Leo.
His grandfather is David Thomas Wadsworth.
David Thomas is a brother to our grandfather, Nephi
John. Nephi is seven years older than David.
I will miss Helen very much. She was twelve years older
than me but from the time I was a little girl she was a
favorite cousin. She was always so loving and kind to
Delores and I. Helen's youngest brother, John, was one
of the Panaca cousins close to our age, being six months
older than Delores. Delores and I and cousins Joyce
and Janice Mathews, spent a lot of time at Helen's
home. Her parents were our beloved Uncle Lafe and
Aunt Dollie. They were so loving to all of John's cousins.
After Helen died, her daughters, Linda Lee and Tori
Klomp, asked family and friends if they had any special
memories of their mother that they would share. I was
happy to send them some thoughts and memories
of Helen.
At Christmas, Delores, Joyce, Janice, and I, would go
to Uncle Lafe and Aunt Dollie's home at first light on
Christmas morning to exchange a gift with John.
We always received a gift in return and they were exciting
gifts that were not the norm for little girls to receive.
Some of these gifts over the years, included a box of
beautiful statinary, a tin of sweet smelling talcom powder,
toilet water in beautiful bottles, a colorful scarf or lovely
handkerchiefs. We loved these gifts, they made us feel
very grown up. Aunt Dollie told us that she and Helen
would take John shopping to buy then for us.
Even after she was grown up and no longer living at home,
while going to college or working, Helen was often at her
parents home when we would visit and always made us
feel like we were very special. After I married and moved
away from Panaca and would come home to visit, Helen
was always one of the first people to greet me and give me
a hug. I will always remember her beautiful face and sweet
smile. She always treated George like he was someone
very special. In the later years when she was one of the
greeters and cashiers at the 24th of July breakfast, I
knew I was going to receive a very special welcome when
I went through the line. She would stop whatever she
was doing to give George and I a hug.
I always felt loved when I returned to Panaca. Nephi John
and Eliza Jane's family shared a close and loving bond.
Our aunts and uncles loved us and the cousins, regardless
of age or differences. It made coming 'home' a beautiful
and exciting adventure. .
As a teenager, Helen's brother, Bruce, was my hero, my
idol, my "knight in shining armour". He was almost two
years older than my brother, David and so almost four
years older than me. He was so handsome, and like Helen,
always treated me as if I was someone very special.
Helen used to tease me about having "a case" on my
cousin, and she was right.
When I was a little girl, I was in awe of my beautiful
older girl cousins. I envied them. They had so much
fun together and seemed to not only love each other as
cousins, but they were good friends.
Dad's oldest brother, Nephi John, Jr. (Jack) and his
wife Vilate Andrus, had daughters, Mary Lovina,
born December 31, 1911, and Jennie Eliza, born
February 5, 1918.
Another brother, Franklin Ernest (Frank) and his wife,
Louise Mary Aveson, had daughters, Florence Leone
(Bea), born April 27, 1917, and Frances Jo (Jo),
born December 6, 1920.
My father and mother, James Allen and Lois Stewart,
had daughters, Theresa, born October 6, 1918, and
Edna Myrtle, born April 27, 1920.
Helen's father, Milton Lafayette (Lafe) and his wife,
Minnie Adele Hollingshead (Dollie), had daughters,
Myrtle Joy, born November 26, 1917, and Helen,
born August 20, 1919.
The brothers wives seemed to always become pregnant
with a little girl at the same time and seven of these
female first cousins were very close in age to each other.
The exception to this was Uncle Jack's Mary, who was
six years older than the oldest of the other little girls.
She was given the title of "little mother" to them and
took her responsibility very seriously.
The eight beautiful little girls grew up playuing together
and sharing their life's joys and sorrows with each other.
When I was old enough to be aware of this, I was always
in awe of the close bond and special friendships they
shared.
They all lived in Panaca except for Mary and Jennie who
lived in St. George and were not always able to be with
the other cousins in Panaca. This made the time when
they were all in Panaca all the more special.
From my two older sisters, Theresa and Edna, I grew up
listening to stories of the fun they had together, the
mischief they got into and the fierce loyalties they shared.
They talked about sharing many of the "firsts" of teenage
best friends; their first date, a first kiss, and their first true
love. There were the occasional quarrels and differences
of opinion but their bond was close and love abounded.
They also told me stories of when all of them were together
at our grandparents, Nephi John and Eliza Jane's, home.
They loved the "tea parties" using their grandmother's
beautiful china cups and saucers and the delicious sugar
cookies and gingersnaps she served with their tea. They
loved playing music on the pump organ and victorola in
the parlor as they made up dances and sang, and sitting
in the window seats with one of grandmother's beautiful
afghans to read. Their favorite thing to do was sleeping
"upstairs" and sneaking out onto the balconies at night.
They loved these special times staying together in "The
Castle",
I hope you enjoy reading these experiences the cousins
shared. They are some of mine and my sister's special
memories of eight beautiful first cousins growing up
together in Panaca.
George and I treasure our last visit with Helen. It was
at my brother, Leo's, 90th birthday party in May of 2011,
held at his and Kathy's home, "the castle", which was
the home of our grandparents Nephi John and Eliza Jane
Terry Wadsworth, when these cousins were growing up.
I know Helen was glad to see us and was so sweet. I
was happy to watch her and George talking and laughing
together like the good friends they were.
We are blessed to know that "Families Are Forever".
Friday, June 21, 2013
Delores Visits Us In Hillcrest, California. . . .#15 - 1. . . .
We were very happy and contented living in our
comfortable little apartment in Hillcrest, a suburb
of San Diego. I was still enjoying my job working
for Marie Birch at her business, The Worldwide
Employment Agency, in San Diego. George had
settled comfortably into his routine and duties at
The Naval Training Center, also in San Diego.
Our life was an exciting mix of work and pleasure.
After we settled into our apartment and I found a
job, Delores and I had been eagerly planning her
trip to San Diego to spend some time with us. She
had graduated from high school and had chosen to
continue her studies at the University of Nevada in
Reno. We had planned her trip to fit into her busy
schedule.
The long anticipated day finally arrived and I couldn't
contain my joy. The first of June, 1952, we took the
bus to the railroad depot in San Diego. I was literally
jumping with excitement as Delores stepped from
the train. She was so happy she actually skipped over
to where we were waiting for her.
She loved our apartment. We got her settled in.
She and I would be sharing the bed that pulled out
from the wall and George would sleep on the couch.
It was a snug fit, but it would work just fine.
Almost immediately upon her arrival, she was welcomed
to Southern California with a bang. On one of her first
nights, we were awakened in he middle of the night to
the sound of pots and pans clattering, our bed shaking,
and drawers opening while the building shook and swayed.
(We were on the third floor). When a lamp was thrown
from the end table by George's head, Delores shot out
of bed scared to death and yelling, "What is happening?"
George and I had experienced a number of quakes living
in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, but it was a new
and terrifying experience for Delores. As she was
standing there in shock, scared out of her wits, George
calmly raised his head from his pillow and drawled, "oh,
it's just a little ole earthquake go back to sleep", at which
point he laid his head back on his pillow and slept blissfully
on while the building continued to shake and sway. It took
Delores several nights before she could go calmly to bed.
We settled into a routine and planned our activities around
it. Delores would do some sightseeing and exploring
during the day while we were at work. She learned to ride
the bus to destinations of her choice. She enjoyed walking
around Hillcrest and exploring the neighborhood near
our apartment.
Our weekends were saved for day trips to the beach, zoo,
the Amusement Park at Mission Beach, and the Scripps
Aquarium. We couldn't wait to introduce her to the
wonders of Balboa Park. She couldn't believe the
beautiful sprawling park was just a two block walk from
our apartment. She was enthralled with all it had to offer;
a Botanical Garden, museums, restaurants, the famous
water lily pond filled with beautiful Koi fish, and an
authentic International Village featuring cultures from
many countries. On weekends, there were face painters,
artists, strolling musical groups and mimes scattered
throughout the plaza and surrounding areas.
Delores loved walking through the park and over the
Laurel Street Bridge to the beautiful San Diego Zoo.
And like me, she fell in love with the zoo and all of
the exotic animals who called it their home. We went
often and I had fun introducing her to all of my animal
friends. Like the children we were at heart, we rode the
wonderful Carousel near the zoo's entrance.
She loved listening to the melodious chimes of the
majestic Carillon Clock in the California Tower. It had
been chiming every quarter hour in Balboa Park since
Christmas Day in 1946. We could hear the chimes night
and day from our apartment. I loved waking up to them
and never tired of it.
Just like George and I, Balboa Park became her favorite
place to spend time. On our first visit to the park, George
and I had found a perfect spot we claimed as our own.
It had a tree we loved and we spent hours sitting under it
enjoying a picnic lunch, reading, and playing games. If
we went to the park and someone was under "our tree",
we were instantly jealous and a bit angry. Delores fell
into our routine and loved the park as much as we did.
Often on Saturday, or Sunday afternoon, Delores and I
would fix a picnic and the three of us would head for our
spot at the park. After eating, we would spend hours
playing and enjoying each other's company. Sometimes
we were silly and laughed as we clowned around.
he first time Delores and I climbed our tree and acted
like monkeys, throwing our shoes down at George and
making monkey sounds, he watched us in disbelief and
perhaps a bit of embarrassment. How we loved those
special times. Several evenings, after George and I
got home from work, we walked through the park to
the Plaza and the Outdoor Amphitheatre and Organ
Pavilion to listen to an organ concert. What fun we
were having sharing it all with Delores. There was
another park we loved and couldn't wait to show
Delores. Persidio Park is one of the highest points
in San Diego. It is nestled among softly rolling hills
and is lush and green. It had much less foot traffic
than Balboa Park and so was quieter and more tranquil.
One memorable day we took Delores to visit the
San Diego Mormon Battalion Historic Site and to Old
Town San Diego State Historic Park. From there, at
the end of a perfect day, we went to Persidio Park to
sit and watch a beautiful Sunset.
It was so much fun to introduce Delores to authentic
Mexican and Italian food at some of our favorite
restaurants. She quickly fell in love with pizza and
tacos.
My boss, Marie, was so kind to me while Delores was
here. She often would tell me when I arrived at work,
that I could leave at noon. I would call Delores and
she would meet me there with our towels and swimsuits
and we would go to one of the beaches. She loved the
ocean and the beaches. I think we were able to take her
to all of the beaches while she was here; Ocean, Pacific,
Mission, and La Jolla, with her favorite being a ride on
the ferry to Coronado State Beach. She turned into a
regular high desert Beach Bum, and as I was already
one, I loved it..
She loved visiting The Naval Training Center. We took
her there to a movie and see where George worked. We
also took her to attend church at the LDS Branch on base.
Being a beautiful blond, she was a hit with the sailors
who were homesick for their sisters and girlfriends. She
could have had dates with many swooning sailors but her
heart belonged to her high school sweetheart, and soon
to be husband, Pete Horlacher.
On other Sundays, we attended church meetings at our
assigned branch in Hillcrest. It was held in an old historic
building which also housed the Church Distribution Center.
It was a small branch with no more than 150 members.
Most of them were older retired people and senior
missionary couples who worked at the Distribution
Center and the Church Welfare Offices. George and
I were one of just several young couples. There were
no teenagers or small children members. George and
I were never given a calling. We felt isolated and
lonely. I never felt it was an ideal situation for a new
convert to the church. George was actually happier
and more comfortable attending church on base.
Delores found the differences interesting and
enjoyed both of them.
Delores's vacation was nearing it's end. It had been a month
of good times, love, and laughter. George and Delores were
kindred spirits. They fed off each other. This little sister
of mine who seemed to be so quiet and reserved and always
a lady, was actually funny, spontaneous and quite a madcap
character when she chose to be. George had a great sense
of humor and fancied himself to be quite the comedian. In
reality he was, but I didn't always let on that I thought so
because it just added fuel to his fire. On the other hand.
Delores knew how to keep him going and became the
perfect foil for his act, Now, I was not a stick in the mud
and enjoyed a good time as much as they did, but I could
not always keep up with them, nor did I want to. Often,
when I was ready to call it a day, they were just getting
started.
I couldn't send Delores home without relating this bit of
trivia from her visit It is a perfect example of her and
George's idea of adventure. One evening Delores
disappeared into the bathroom for quite some time. When
she came out, she was dressed like a "floozy" in an outfit
made entirely of scarves with a feather boa around her neck.
I have no idea where she got it. I suppose this little
escapade had been planned in advance and she found it on
one of her shopping trips. She was painted up like
"a woman of the evening", chomping a big wad of gum
and twirling another scarf. She looked at us with a
smile and flounced out the door and down to the ground
floor to our landlord's apartment. She knocked on the
door and when they answered, still chomping her gum
and twirling the scarf, she demanded they make an
apartment available to her. She coyly batted her
ridiculously long false eyelashes (another great find
on a shopping spree), and sweetly said that "it would be
nice if she could have one by that cute sexy sailor boy,
"Georgie Wimsatt". Our landlady and her husband,
were a very strict, straight laced, puritan type of couple,
over 60. They were shocked and instructed her to
leave the building immediately and not to return.
When she came back, she was laughing uproariously.
I was astounded when she told us what she had
done, but George thought it was hilarious and gave her
"high fives".
Maybe they were having too much fun, I don't know, and
when they decided to make cinnamon rolls at 8:00 at night,
I was not a happy camper. I could not talk them out of it.
I was exhausted and uptight and went to bed. Of course,
the bed was almost in the kitchen and boy were they having
fun! I couldn't go to sleep with all of their merriment, but
I pretended I was. The kitchen was tiny and while
pretending to be asleep, I was aware they were placing
cinnamon roles to rise right by the bed. It takes awhile for
that to happen and so the merriment continued into the
wee hours of the morning. They made me a pie tin sized
cinnamon roll, frosted to perfection. They woke me
up from my "pretended" deep sleep and presented it to me
with a flourish. I was not over being a bit upset and wasn't
going to eat it, but they seemed so disappointed that I took a
bite exclaiming at how delicious it was. I was hoping
that would satisfy them and they would leave me alone,
but that one bite convinced me that they had mixed
hot red pepper with the cinnamon and sugar. What a
pair of crushed pranksters they were when I ate the whole
thing, without making a grimace or pulling a face, and
settled back into bed. I thought I had put one over on
them, but then to my chagrin, and unbeknownst to them
until days later, I was sick for the rest of the night.
Their joke had fallen flat and mine had backfired. I
did get into the spirit of it later and we all had a good
laugh. I also got to enjoy an undoctored cinnamon
roll and it was delicious.
Before Delores left, I had to do damage control with our
landlords. They had always been kind to George and I
and sincerely liked us. I couldn't let their image of
George be spoiled. Believe it or not, after being shocked
into silence, I did get a very subdued chuckle from them.
I am pretty sure they thought it was funny but didn't want
to ruin their image by outright laughing.
The few times we ran into them before Delores left, I caught
them looking at her with an expression of awe on their faces.
They probably, in their wildest imaginations, could never
picture a person doing something like that.
And so ended Delores's visit. It had been wonderful and
we were all sad when she boarded the train to go home,
but she promised to come back again. As the mighty old
engine built up steam and blew it's mournful whistle, I shed
a tear or two knowing that the next time I saw her, she would
be a bride. But I was so happy for the amazing experiences
we had shared.
In the following post are pictures from Delores's visit.
Notice that the dresses we wore to church are of a similar
style and are exactly the same length. We were wearing
our hair in the same style and with our high heels, we
could have passed for twins. It is true what people always
said, that we were very much alike in looks and style.
We had chosen those dresses at a different time in different
states. One difference is that Delores's hair had stayed much
blonder than mine.
The writing on the pictures taken in Balboa Park, is
Delores's. I loved her captions and left them on for the
post.
To Be Continued. . . . .
comfortable little apartment in Hillcrest, a suburb
of San Diego. I was still enjoying my job working
for Marie Birch at her business, The Worldwide
Employment Agency, in San Diego. George had
settled comfortably into his routine and duties at
The Naval Training Center, also in San Diego.
Our life was an exciting mix of work and pleasure.
After we settled into our apartment and I found a
job, Delores and I had been eagerly planning her
trip to San Diego to spend some time with us. She
had graduated from high school and had chosen to
continue her studies at the University of Nevada in
Reno. We had planned her trip to fit into her busy
schedule.
The long anticipated day finally arrived and I couldn't
contain my joy. The first of June, 1952, we took the
bus to the railroad depot in San Diego. I was literally
jumping with excitement as Delores stepped from
the train. She was so happy she actually skipped over
to where we were waiting for her.
She loved our apartment. We got her settled in.
She and I would be sharing the bed that pulled out
from the wall and George would sleep on the couch.
It was a snug fit, but it would work just fine.
Almost immediately upon her arrival, she was welcomed
to Southern California with a bang. On one of her first
nights, we were awakened in he middle of the night to
the sound of pots and pans clattering, our bed shaking,
and drawers opening while the building shook and swayed.
(We were on the third floor). When a lamp was thrown
from the end table by George's head, Delores shot out
of bed scared to death and yelling, "What is happening?"
George and I had experienced a number of quakes living
in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, but it was a new
and terrifying experience for Delores. As she was
standing there in shock, scared out of her wits, George
calmly raised his head from his pillow and drawled, "oh,
it's just a little ole earthquake go back to sleep", at which
point he laid his head back on his pillow and slept blissfully
on while the building continued to shake and sway. It took
Delores several nights before she could go calmly to bed.
We settled into a routine and planned our activities around
it. Delores would do some sightseeing and exploring
during the day while we were at work. She learned to ride
the bus to destinations of her choice. She enjoyed walking
around Hillcrest and exploring the neighborhood near
our apartment.
Our weekends were saved for day trips to the beach, zoo,
the Amusement Park at Mission Beach, and the Scripps
Aquarium. We couldn't wait to introduce her to the
wonders of Balboa Park. She couldn't believe the
beautiful sprawling park was just a two block walk from
our apartment. She was enthralled with all it had to offer;
a Botanical Garden, museums, restaurants, the famous
water lily pond filled with beautiful Koi fish, and an
authentic International Village featuring cultures from
many countries. On weekends, there were face painters,
artists, strolling musical groups and mimes scattered
throughout the plaza and surrounding areas.
Delores loved walking through the park and over the
Laurel Street Bridge to the beautiful San Diego Zoo.
And like me, she fell in love with the zoo and all of
the exotic animals who called it their home. We went
often and I had fun introducing her to all of my animal
friends. Like the children we were at heart, we rode the
wonderful Carousel near the zoo's entrance.
She loved listening to the melodious chimes of the
majestic Carillon Clock in the California Tower. It had
been chiming every quarter hour in Balboa Park since
Christmas Day in 1946. We could hear the chimes night
and day from our apartment. I loved waking up to them
and never tired of it.
Just like George and I, Balboa Park became her favorite
place to spend time. On our first visit to the park, George
and I had found a perfect spot we claimed as our own.
It had a tree we loved and we spent hours sitting under it
enjoying a picnic lunch, reading, and playing games. If
we went to the park and someone was under "our tree",
we were instantly jealous and a bit angry. Delores fell
into our routine and loved the park as much as we did.
Often on Saturday, or Sunday afternoon, Delores and I
would fix a picnic and the three of us would head for our
spot at the park. After eating, we would spend hours
playing and enjoying each other's company. Sometimes
we were silly and laughed as we clowned around.
he first time Delores and I climbed our tree and acted
like monkeys, throwing our shoes down at George and
making monkey sounds, he watched us in disbelief and
perhaps a bit of embarrassment. How we loved those
special times. Several evenings, after George and I
got home from work, we walked through the park to
the Plaza and the Outdoor Amphitheatre and Organ
Pavilion to listen to an organ concert. What fun we
were having sharing it all with Delores. There was
another park we loved and couldn't wait to show
Delores. Persidio Park is one of the highest points
in San Diego. It is nestled among softly rolling hills
and is lush and green. It had much less foot traffic
than Balboa Park and so was quieter and more tranquil.
One memorable day we took Delores to visit the
San Diego Mormon Battalion Historic Site and to Old
Town San Diego State Historic Park. From there, at
the end of a perfect day, we went to Persidio Park to
sit and watch a beautiful Sunset.
It was so much fun to introduce Delores to authentic
Mexican and Italian food at some of our favorite
restaurants. She quickly fell in love with pizza and
tacos.
My boss, Marie, was so kind to me while Delores was
here. She often would tell me when I arrived at work,
that I could leave at noon. I would call Delores and
she would meet me there with our towels and swimsuits
and we would go to one of the beaches. She loved the
ocean and the beaches. I think we were able to take her
to all of the beaches while she was here; Ocean, Pacific,
Mission, and La Jolla, with her favorite being a ride on
the ferry to Coronado State Beach. She turned into a
regular high desert Beach Bum, and as I was already
one, I loved it..
She loved visiting The Naval Training Center. We took
her there to a movie and see where George worked. We
also took her to attend church at the LDS Branch on base.
Being a beautiful blond, she was a hit with the sailors
who were homesick for their sisters and girlfriends. She
could have had dates with many swooning sailors but her
heart belonged to her high school sweetheart, and soon
to be husband, Pete Horlacher.
On other Sundays, we attended church meetings at our
assigned branch in Hillcrest. It was held in an old historic
building which also housed the Church Distribution Center.
It was a small branch with no more than 150 members.
Most of them were older retired people and senior
missionary couples who worked at the Distribution
Center and the Church Welfare Offices. George and
I were one of just several young couples. There were
no teenagers or small children members. George and
I were never given a calling. We felt isolated and
lonely. I never felt it was an ideal situation for a new
convert to the church. George was actually happier
and more comfortable attending church on base.
Delores found the differences interesting and
enjoyed both of them.
Delores's vacation was nearing it's end. It had been a month
of good times, love, and laughter. George and Delores were
kindred spirits. They fed off each other. This little sister
of mine who seemed to be so quiet and reserved and always
a lady, was actually funny, spontaneous and quite a madcap
character when she chose to be. George had a great sense
of humor and fancied himself to be quite the comedian. In
reality he was, but I didn't always let on that I thought so
because it just added fuel to his fire. On the other hand.
Delores knew how to keep him going and became the
perfect foil for his act, Now, I was not a stick in the mud
and enjoyed a good time as much as they did, but I could
not always keep up with them, nor did I want to. Often,
when I was ready to call it a day, they were just getting
started.
I couldn't send Delores home without relating this bit of
trivia from her visit It is a perfect example of her and
George's idea of adventure. One evening Delores
disappeared into the bathroom for quite some time. When
she came out, she was dressed like a "floozy" in an outfit
made entirely of scarves with a feather boa around her neck.
I have no idea where she got it. I suppose this little
escapade had been planned in advance and she found it on
one of her shopping trips. She was painted up like
"a woman of the evening", chomping a big wad of gum
and twirling another scarf. She looked at us with a
smile and flounced out the door and down to the ground
floor to our landlord's apartment. She knocked on the
door and when they answered, still chomping her gum
and twirling the scarf, she demanded they make an
apartment available to her. She coyly batted her
ridiculously long false eyelashes (another great find
on a shopping spree), and sweetly said that "it would be
nice if she could have one by that cute sexy sailor boy,
"Georgie Wimsatt". Our landlady and her husband,
were a very strict, straight laced, puritan type of couple,
over 60. They were shocked and instructed her to
leave the building immediately and not to return.
When she came back, she was laughing uproariously.
I was astounded when she told us what she had
done, but George thought it was hilarious and gave her
"high fives".
Maybe they were having too much fun, I don't know, and
when they decided to make cinnamon rolls at 8:00 at night,
I was not a happy camper. I could not talk them out of it.
I was exhausted and uptight and went to bed. Of course,
the bed was almost in the kitchen and boy were they having
fun! I couldn't go to sleep with all of their merriment, but
I pretended I was. The kitchen was tiny and while
pretending to be asleep, I was aware they were placing
cinnamon roles to rise right by the bed. It takes awhile for
that to happen and so the merriment continued into the
wee hours of the morning. They made me a pie tin sized
cinnamon roll, frosted to perfection. They woke me
up from my "pretended" deep sleep and presented it to me
with a flourish. I was not over being a bit upset and wasn't
going to eat it, but they seemed so disappointed that I took a
bite exclaiming at how delicious it was. I was hoping
that would satisfy them and they would leave me alone,
but that one bite convinced me that they had mixed
hot red pepper with the cinnamon and sugar. What a
pair of crushed pranksters they were when I ate the whole
thing, without making a grimace or pulling a face, and
settled back into bed. I thought I had put one over on
them, but then to my chagrin, and unbeknownst to them
until days later, I was sick for the rest of the night.
Their joke had fallen flat and mine had backfired. I
did get into the spirit of it later and we all had a good
laugh. I also got to enjoy an undoctored cinnamon
roll and it was delicious.
Before Delores left, I had to do damage control with our
landlords. They had always been kind to George and I
and sincerely liked us. I couldn't let their image of
George be spoiled. Believe it or not, after being shocked
into silence, I did get a very subdued chuckle from them.
I am pretty sure they thought it was funny but didn't want
to ruin their image by outright laughing.
The few times we ran into them before Delores left, I caught
them looking at her with an expression of awe on their faces.
They probably, in their wildest imaginations, could never
picture a person doing something like that.
And so ended Delores's visit. It had been wonderful and
we were all sad when she boarded the train to go home,
but she promised to come back again. As the mighty old
engine built up steam and blew it's mournful whistle, I shed
a tear or two knowing that the next time I saw her, she would
be a bride. But I was so happy for the amazing experiences
we had shared.
In the following post are pictures from Delores's visit.
Notice that the dresses we wore to church are of a similar
style and are exactly the same length. We were wearing
our hair in the same style and with our high heels, we
could have passed for twins. It is true what people always
said, that we were very much alike in looks and style.
We had chosen those dresses at a different time in different
states. One difference is that Delores's hair had stayed much
blonder than mine.
The writing on the pictures taken in Balboa Park, is
Delores's. I loved her captions and left them on for the
post.
To Be Continued. . . . .
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Delores Visits Us In Hillcrest, California. . . .#15 - 2. . . .
Ready for church.
A fun day at balboa park being silly and
watching sister monkeys climb "our" tree.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
A Century In Meadow Valley - Book Two - James Allen and Lois Stewart Wadsworth - # 2
Lee, a cousin from Panaca, asking me if I would write an
article about my parents for the second Meadow Valley
book. The first one was published in Panaca in 1964 to
celebrate Panaca's 100th birthday.
Panaca will be celebrating it's 150th birthday in 2014 and
the town is planning a spectacular celebration to be held in
conjunction with their famous 24th of July celebration
which recognizes the arrival of the Mormon Pioneers to the
Salt Lake Valley. This book will be an important part of the
celebration, a continuation of the story of the descendants
of the first Mormon Pioneer settlers to Meadow Valley.
The settlement was named Panaca.
It will also feature other families that have since become
an important part of Panaca's history.
The previous post is the article I wrote about my wonderful
parents, James Allen and Lois Stewart Wadsworth. James
was born in Panaca and after he and Lois were married,
this beautiful little town became their home for the rest of
their lives. All seven of their children were raised there
and loved it as dearly as their parents did.
The pictures with this post will appear in the book with
the article about them.
Following is the information on the pictures in the order
they were posted:
1 - James and Lois - taken in 1918 before James was
deployed to France during World War I.
2 - James and Lois on the way to church in the summer
of 1952. James always looked so distinguished
with his hat and cane. This is the way his children
fondly remember him.
3 - James and Lois with their children in 1961. The
picture was taken in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Back Row - Left to Right - Ina Wimsatt, Delores
Horlacher, Edna Lee, Theresa Magleby, Martha
Jacobson.
Front Row - Left to Right - David Wadsworth, Lois
Wadsworth, James Wadsworth, Leo Wadsworth.
4 - James and Lois - Family Reunion - Pine Valley,
Utah, August 1963. James and Lois loved these
reunions.
5 - James and Lois - Taken at the celebration of their
Golden 50th Wedding Anniversary held in Panaca
at "The Castle" on August 19, 1967, the home of
James Leo and Kathleen Vickers Wadsworth. This
beautiful old home was built by James's father,
Nephi John Wadsworth, for his wile Eliza Jane
Terry Wadsworth. It was completed in 1896
making it almost 118 years old.
6 - Cutting their Wedding Cake.
7 - Lois giving "her groom " a bite of their Wedding
Cake.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A Century in Meadow Valley - Book Two - James Allen and Lois Stewart Wadsworth
James Allen and Lois Stewart Wadsworth - by Ina Mae Wadsworth Wimsatt
James Allen Wadsworth was born in Panaca, Nevada, on May 8, 1887, the fourth child of the seven sons and four daughters born to Nephi John and Eliza Jane Terry Wadsworth. Nine of these children grew to maturity, the exceptions being a daughter who was stillborn and a son, Leo, who died in a hunting accident at age 16. James and several of his siblings lived their entire life in Panaca.
In his personal history, James wrote, “We were a well adjusted, very happy family. My parents were hard working, sturdy pioneers. They were the kind of people they had to be in order to brave the hardships and conquer the mountains and deserts of Nevada.”
He defined the role his parents took in raising their children in this way; “Because of the nature of my father’s work, my mother had the greater responsibility of rearing and teaching the children. Each child was given a chore to perform according to his age and ability, and mother saw that it was done. As a family, we were very close. As I now look back over my childhood, I cannot remember a serious disagreement of any importance, not even as we grew older. To us, mother was the most wonderful person in the whole world. It was a pleasure to obey her, it was never a great chore. There was never a time when my mother did not find time to take her rightful place in the church and community. Mother always kept us clean and dressed well and saw that we attended all church duties and went to school.
The work of my father was to provide a home, clothing, and food for the family. This he did. There was never a time during all the years of pioneering while raising the family, that we did not have the necessities of life; good wholesome food and substantial means to sustain us.
From the outset, he acquired land and water and farmed and raised stock quite extensively. He furnished produce for the markets in the neighboring towns of the vicinity, Pioche, Bullonville, and Delamar, some of the first great mining camps of the state. So, as we boys grew up, there was plenty of work for us on the land and with the herds. Father also had many teams and hauled freight from the railroad terminal at Milford, Utah, one hundred and ten miles from Panaca, one hundred and twenty miles to Pioche, and one hundred and fifty miles to Delamar. There was always ore to be hauled from these camps to the mills and the railroad terminal. Father took a very substantial role, I might say a leading role, in the freighting business. He had a big front yard and a large camp house and store in Panaca. As the boys of the family came along, they fit right into the pattern of the above mentioned industries. For instance, I remember very clearly of making several trips as a lad with my father and older brothers to Milford, Pioche, and Delamar. We had four, six, or eight horse, teams. Father also worked making roads, railroads, building ditches, canals, and reservoirs. The boys of the family helped with this work.”
The journey of James‘ family to Panaca began in England where his grandparents, George Allen and Elizabeth Broadbent Wadsworth, had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. On May 23, 1856, with their two sons, eight week old Nephi John and James Allen, they sailed on the ship, Horizon, to America. On July 17, 1857, in search of a better life and to escape religious persecution, they left Iowa City, Iowa with a group of Saints to cross the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah. On September 25, after two months on the vast plains, they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They were living in Toquerville, Utah, in 1867 when George moved his family to Panaca. At that time, Nephi John was eleven years old. Panaca had seen it’s first settlers in 1864, making George one of the earliest settlers of this beautiful little town.
James was proud of his pioneer heritage. He was impressed that all of his grandparents, and his father, had crossed the plains with the first Mormon Wagon Trains. He never tired of listening to the stories of their courage as they endured hardships and suffering on their journey, and yet never wavered in their pride and great faith in their religion.
Besides his father’s ancestors, James told stories about his mother’s pioneer ancestors, the Terrys and the Pulsiphers, and their part in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They worked hard and made many sacrifices to build and strengthen the church, from Nauvoo, across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley and into Southern Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.
Lois Stewart was born in Fredonia, Arizona, on October 20,1897, the second child of the five sons and two daughters born to David Brinton and Lois Crosby Stewart. All of her siblings grew to maturity except for little Levi Ray, a twin, who died from pneumonia when he was two years old.
When Lois was not quite four years of age, her family left their home in Fredonia and moved to Alamo, Nevada. Her father and two of his brothers had purchasd part of a ranch and other properties. They made the trip of almost 300 miles, by wagon and horseback, over roads that were little more than trails.
Like James, Lois was born into a family of valiant Mormon pioneers. She grew up hearing stories of their courage, sacrifice, and faith. She often said that these stories sustained her throughout the most challenging times of her life. And, there were many inspiring stories told.
Lois’ great grandfather, Jacob Hamblin, is well known in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and the great southwest. His success as peacemaker among the Indians is mentioned in numerous studies of Indian affairs pertaining to the Utah and Arizona Mormon pioneers. While doing this great work, he became known as the Buckskin Apostle. Her grandfather, Levi Stewart, was called to be the first Bishop of Kanab, Utah. She was proud of the statue of him which stands in the center of that little town. Levi’s wife, Artimacy Wilkerson Stewart, was the first midwife called and set apart by President Brigham Young when Kanab was first settled in 1870. She worked among both the white settlers and the Indians. The Indians learned to respect and trust her and the lives of many of the settlers were saved because of this.
On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1906, when Lois was nine years old, her father died of pneumonia contracted as he was attempting to return home from Caliente through a terrible snowstorm. He had promised his family he would be home for Christmas. He was the only passenger on the stage and when it stopped in Hiko, he was told that because of the adverse weather, it would not continue on. He could not find transportation to Alamo, so he walked 17 miles through a blizzard. He was critically ill when he finally arrived home. Her father’s death shaped Lois’ into the strong and valiant woman she became. Her mother had to go to work to support her family and as the oldest daughter, Lois became housekeeper, cook, and little mother to her siblings. Her brother David, was an infant of six months She carried him in a sling her mother made for her while she went about her chores. She did all of this while going to school. By the age of ten, she had become an excellent cook and housekeeper.
There were difficult times and challenges for the family but Lois and her siblings always knew how much their mother loved them. She filled their home with love and found the time to play with them, read to them, teach them, show an interest in their school activities and go to church with them. Though they had suffered a great loss, they persevered, and were happy. Lois and her mother shared an incredible love. They were never happier than when they were together. After their mother died in 1936, the siblings remained a close and loving family. Lois had one sister, Theresa. They were best friends and their children were best friends. Theresa always lived in Alamo and they saw each other often. As adults, her brother Karl Crosby lived in Idaho, Vivian Henrie in California, Taylor Fay in various places in Nevada, and David Brinton Jr. in California, Alaska and Montana. After James and Lois married, they often visited them in Panaca. At one time or another, they had all said that a highlight of their life was to eat one of Lois’ “home cooked meals“, with special emphasis on her bread and pies.
James and Lois had an interesting, exciting, courtship. After receiving his diploma from college in 1914, James was hired to teach school in Alamo for two years. In his history, he wrote; “While teaching in Alamo, I found and married my sweetheart and wife, Lois Stewart. We were married on August 22, 1917, in the Salt Lake Temple. We were sealed in marriage by President Joseph F. Smith, who at that time was one of the Twelve Apostles. We had a short honeymoon in Salt Lake and then came home to Panaca.“
Lois had her own story to tell about their romance. There was no high school in Alamo and some of the children were fortunate enough to have arrangements made for them to attend the high school in Panaca. Loving school and having an intense desire to learn, Lois received permission to go back to school and repeat the eighth grade while awaiting her turn to go to high school. James was her teacher that year and Lois had been very impressed with him.
Her turn to go to Panaca finally came and she left Alamo with great anticipation and joy. She loved her school years there and took advantage of every possible opportunity to learn. One Sunday after her return to Alamo, Brother James Wadsworth was called to speak in church; the same James Wadsworth who had taught her in the eighth grade. James was a charismatic and powerful speaker. His skill had been honed by his thirty four month service as a missionary for his church to the southern states. Lois sat spellbound through the meeting and said to her mother when it was over, “I know who I am going to marry.” When her mother asked her who that might be, she replied, “Mr. Wadsworth.” Her mother replied, “Oh Loie, he is an older man. What makes you think he will even notice you?” Lois replied, “Well, I guess that will be up to me, won’t it?“ Well, notice her he did, and probably had, for several years before she set her cap for him.
When they were married, World War I was raging throughout Europe and the United States was soon involved in the fighting. Due to his bad hip, James had received a deferment but desired to serve his country. He enlisted in the army in 1918 and became part of the 91st Artillery Division, Ammunition Trains. He was sent to Fort Lewis in Washington state for his training. Lois was able to join him there. She boarded at the home of a very nice lady and when James had time off, they were able to spend some time together. After his training was completed, he was deployed to France. Lois was pregnant and upon returning home she went to Alamo to be with her mother for the birth of the baby and for the duration of James’ time in France. The baby, a girl named Theresa, was born on October 6, 1918.
James came out of the service in the spring of 1919 and immediately went to Alamo to get his wife and meet his daughter for the first time. After visiting there for a few days, they returned to Panaca. James had acquired property, but as there was no home on it, they moved in with his parents. He worked helping his father and brothers with the haying, farming, and cattle. He also worked in the N. J. Wadsworth and Son’s General Mercantile Store, Lois was busy with their little daughter and helping her mother-in-law with all of the chores pertaining to the running of a large home. She was enjoying getting acquainted with the town and it’s people.
When their second daughter, Edna Myrtle, was born on April 27, 1920, James began to look for a home for them. He planned to put a house on his lot, which was in the block between his parents and his brother Frank’s homes. He found a house for sale in Rose Valley, about 20 miles by road from Panaca. The house was cut in half and brought to Panaca on wide hay wagons. A foundation had been prepared and the house was placed on it and put back together. It was a small house but adequate for their needs.
Lois loved this little house. She was grateful, and excited, to have a home of their own. She planted a lawn and two weeping willow trees were brought from Alamo. She planted “wild” yellow rose bushes and other flowers and trees. James planted a large garden to the side and behind the house. He added a wrap around porch where family and friends gathered on nice days to sit and visit and watch the children play. The home bustled with activity and was filled with love and laughter.
On May 21, 1921, the eagerly awaited son was born. Grandmother, Eliza Jane, claimed the honor of naming him. For his first name, she chose James after his father, and for his middle name, Leo, after James’ younger brother who had been killed in a hunting accident at age sixteen. To his family, James Leo was always known as Leo. Four more children were welcomed into this happy family; Martha, David Nephi, Ina Mae, and Delores.
Quoting again from James’ history, he said, “The union with my wife is by far the greatest event in my life. There was, and is, complete love and harmony. We respect each others rights, privileges, and ambitions. We share each others love, joys, and sorrows. We were united in the teaching and rearing of our children in the church. We are united in their church and civic duties in the community, helping them in school and their other obligations in life, from childhood to manhood and womanhood. Our home and family are governed by love and understanding. Each one of our children is a different individual and has to be treated as such. No two are alike. These individual characteristics, we cultured in each child. This made for harmony and love in the family.”
They filled their home with a wide selection of books, including the great classics in literature and poetry. There were books on the history of the LDS Church and they read often from the Scriptures. James loved reading his “Westerns“. The children learned to recognize the different authors and their works. There was also fun in the reading. A favorite part of the week was when James would read the Sunday “funnies”, from the newspaper, to his children. They would eagerly gather around him as he read. It was an exciting and fun time as he brought each individual character to life.
Lois was a wonderful story teller. The children loved nestling around her on a rainy day as she transported them into another time and place. She wrote beautiful poetry and could recite the greatest and most acclaimed, as well as the fun and the frivolous. Her repertoire of poems was amazing.
James taught them how to work and appreciate the rewards that came from doing a “good job”. He instilled within them a love for their country, their church, their family, and their fellow men. He taught them to love music. He had a beautiful tenor singing voice and played the piano, organ, fiddle, cornet. harmonica, and Jews Harp. Each of their children was given an opportunity to play a musical instrument, but only if they wanted to.
Lois sewed for them; shirts and trousers for the boys, and dresses for the girls. She loved to shop for material, but being very frugal, she also used the patterned flour and cereal sacks. She didn’t need a pattern, she would see a picture in her head or in a catalog, and then she would create her masterpieces. She crafted, and sewed, animals and dolls for them. She established traditions that were carried on throughout the years.
Besides raising his family, farming, ranching and running the N. J. Wadsworth and Son’s General Mercantile store for twenty plus years, James‘ life achievements include; serving thirty five years on the Panaca Irrigation Board, CCC Superintendent, Chairman of the Lincoln County Democratic Party, two terms as Nevada State Senator and delegate for Nevada to Washington DC to work with President Roosevelt and Congress, Chairman and member with The Taylor Grazing Act for twenty five years, twenty years as President of the Lincoln County Farm Bureau, twenty plus years as president of the Meadow Valley Soil Conservation District, forty five years, off and on, as Lincoln County Brand Inspector, and twice as Justice Of The Peace. He was called to Washington DC by two Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, to receive commendations for his work with The Taylor Grazing Act and Soil Conversation. President Truman also appointed him International Director of the Four States Highway Commission.
Even with all of these responsibilities, he always took care of his wife and children. He was a loving husband and father and was never too busy to be involved in all aspects of their lives. Lois was proud of him and supported him through his long absences from home. In addition to running her household, with her children’s assistance, she did farm chores, tended a large garden, and canned fruits and vegetables. She fulfilled her church responsibilities and rendered compassionate service to her community. She especially enjoyed serving the sick and the elderly people of Panaca and the other nearby towns. She delivered babies and fulfilled a promise made to many of the older women in Panaca that she would dress them for burial.
She was also busy earning her reputation as Lincoln County’s most famous cook. Her reputation extended throughout the state. People knew when she was most likely to be making bread, pies, donuts, or cinnamon rolls. She always made 25 to 35 dozen donuts and cinnamon rolls, and 12 to 18 loaves of bread. She felt she needed to bake these large numbers as her home was always open to those who would “just happen” to drop by.
In 1949, based on her reputation as an amazing cook, Roy Cram of Cram Construction Company in Las Vegas, Nevada, received a Per diem to hire Lois to feed a crew of five surveyors working on the highways for the state of Nevada. He had the contract to construct a seven mile stretch of the highway, extending from the Y Service Station, through Panaca, to Cedar City, Utah. Lois fed the surveyors for six months from spring through the summer. Monday through Friday, they came to the house at 6:00 AM for breakfast. She packed them a lunch and they returned for dinner at 6:00 PM. She received rave reviews for these meals. It is said that Ina and Delores loved the excitement of these times but were not too thrilled at the volume of dirty dishes they found themselves doing each day.
The 1950s and 1960s had brought change and challenges for James and Lois, but also happiness, fullfillment and great joy. All of their children were married; Theresa to Frank LeGrande Magleby, Edna to Arshal A. Lee, Leo to Opal Kathleen Vickers, Martha to Lindsay Kay Jacobson, David to Charlene Ray Gardner, Ina to George Paul Wimsatt Jr. and Delores to Neil Peter Horlacher. James and Lois welcomed their children’s spouses into their family and loved them as their own, Each couple had children, giving James and Lois the grandchildren they had longed for.
A complete history could be written about James and Lois as grandparents.
They were the stereotype of the perfect grandparents. Their grandchildren adored them and lovingly called them “Granny and Granddad”. They always made sure each grandchild felt they were someone unique and very special. They were calm and patient with them, even when there were ten, twelve, or more, busy “little people” in their home at one time.
Granny sewed for them, both clothes and toys. Her home was always an open bake shop. Ask any one of them for a special memory and it would most likely be the sight of every available space in her home being covered with rising donuts. A pan full would be deep frying and she would be rolling hot ones in a cinnamon and sugar mixture in another pan. She never stopped the children, even as they were eating donuts faster than she could fry them. Also, there were the big fat cinnamon rolls, loaves of fresh baked bread, the famous breakfast milk toast eating contests and delicious tarts for Thanksgiving dinner. They loved watching her make “from scratch” egg noodles and were fascinated as she tossed them over and over to prepare them for cooking. To a granddaughter, it was an honor to sleep outside with her on a feather mattress “under the stars”. She would point out the stars and tell stories and they would count the “shooting” stars until drifting off to sleep. Like her children had been, the grandchildren were spellbound as she recited “Little Orphan Annie”, “The Spider And The Fly“, “Betty and the Bear”, and other favorite poems. Making ice cream on a hot summer day and taking turns “turning the crank” on the old freezer, was a treat.
Their Granddad was their hero. He would have a procession of grandchildren following behind him, or running ahead, as he walked from the house to the corrals. They loved to help him feed the cows and horses, and “slop” the pigs. They would feed the chickens to draw them from their nests, and then would follow his instructions to “be very careful and gentle” as they gathered the eggs for their breakfast. They loved riding on the hay wagons as a load of hay was brought from the fields, and then playing in the “hay stacks“ as it was unloaded. They helped him weed and irrigate the garden. He would have them place a particular rock in a certain spot to help the water run through the furrows “just right”, while heeding his warning of “don’t step on the dams”. It was an honor to be asked to pick tomatoes, corn and cucumbers from the garden for a delicious dinner of corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, and a juicy watermelon for dessert. They loved to go for a ride “out in the hills” or “up to the Spring”. They danced with excitement when he gave them pennies, nickels, dimes, or a quarter, so they could walk to “the store” and buy a treat. They sat enthralled as he told them stories about their “mormon pioneer” ancestors.
James and Lois worked hard to build a legacy of love and tradition to leave for their children and grandchildren. It was at their urging that the first James and Lois Wadsworth Family Reunion was held in August of 1957, in beautiful Pine Valley, Utah. At that reunion, their children hosted a special celebration for their 40th Wedding Anniversary. These reunions were held every summer in July or August. On February 11, 1963, the first issue of the James Wadsworth Tribal Gazette was published. These two wonderful traditions endured throughout the years, even after their death.
James had always had a close relationship with his siblings. He adored his sisters. Edna and Dora had died as young women and he missed them. Eliza Jane, Jenny to her family, lived in Caliente. He saw her often. She died in 1956. After their sisters died, the brothers became even closer. Nephi John, Jack to his family, and Lawrence lived in St. George, Utah, Eugene in Hurricane, Utah, Franklin, James, and Lafayette, in Panaca. They looked forward to the time they spent together and delighted in reminiscing about growing up in Panaca. Jack died in 1946, Lawrence in 1948, Frank and Gene in 1960. That left James and Lafe. As they both lived in Panaca, hardly a day passed that they did not see one another. The special bond they had shared, became even stronger. They were always there for each other, through the good times and the bad. It was a very sad time for James when Lafe died in 1962. After Lafe’s death, James lived for 21 years as the only surviving child of Nephi John and Eliza Janes’s large family. He missed his siblings and was sad and lonely without them, but always said he had wonderful memories to sustain him.
In 1964, James wrote; “Now at 77 years of age, and my health not too good, I have been compelled to give up most of my public work.” That doesn’t mean James and Lois were not still busy and enjoying life. James couldn’t give up his love for farming and cattle. He still ran a few cattle on the range and on his farm he kept a milk cow or two, a horse or two, some pigs and chickens. They still raised a huge garden and James was never happier than when he was tending it. His garden was a work of art, even in the later years when he was hoeing weeds and watering leaning first on one crutch, and then two. They harvested their garden and Lois preserved and canned their bounty. People came to Panaca for his tomatoes and corn and they were proud to furnish family and friends with the fruits of their labor.
They now had time to visit their children and grandchildren. David and his family lived in Panaca and they saw them often. Their favorite time to visit Theresa and LeGrande in Salt Lake City was in the fall when they could ride up the canyons to see the trees clothed in their brilliant colors, or sit at the kitchen table and look out the window at beautiful Mt. Olympus covered in a myriad of glowing color. They visited Pete and Delores in Reno and Las Vegas, Leo and Kathy, Edna and Arsh, and Martha and Lindsay, in Las Vegas. Martha and Lindsay also owned one of the original pioneer homes in Pine Valley, Utah. James and Lois loved the peace and tranquility they found when they visited there. James was proud of Leo’s work as an attorney for Howard Hughes. It made Las Vegas exciting.
On all of these visits with their children and grandchildren, they loved being spoiled, pampered and entertained. Lois crocheted afghans, made decorative pillows and lovely quilts. She loved making cinnamon rolls and donuts for them. Because of her long standing ritual of baking in bulk, she had a difficult time making them in smaller amounts, so for everyone‘s pleasure they were able to freeze some for future treats. James loved to watch sports on television, Basketball and bowling were his favorites.
In the 1950s, through the 1960s, they established a tradition of yearly visits with George and Ina. To escape Panaca‘s cold winters, they usually went in December, January and February. These visits took them to Garden Grove, Orange and San Diego, California. Lois loved the ocean. She and Ina spent hours walking the beaches picking up seashells and rocks. They especially loved being there to watch a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Granny searched for Sand Dollars and waded in the surf with her grandchildren. Lois and Ina played countless games of Scrabble and she taught her grandchildren to love word games. James loved going to work with George. He never tired of their rides through the cotton fields, citrus, avocado, and pecan orchards, and the vast farmlands. Granddad loved bringing home a sack of avocados, oranges, or a flat of strawberries. Often, to pass the time, he enjoyed going to the local bowling alley to watch all of the action.
James and Lois were overjoyed when Leo and Kathy purchased Nephi John and Eliza Jane’s house in Panaca. Leo and Kathy loved this beautiful old home. It was lovingly known as “the castle” to family. On August 19, 1967, Leo and Kathy hosted an open house there to honor James and Lois on their Golden Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. With the help of all seven of James and Lois’ children and their spouses, it was a glorious affair. Scores of family, friends and dignitaries, from Lincoln County and the state of Nevada, came to pay their respects. They received several hundred cards and personal letters came from Nevada’s Governor, Paul Laxalt, Alan Bible of the United States Senate Appropriation Committee, The Supreme Court Of Nevada, Eighth Judicial District Court of Las Vegas, and many other county, state and national, offices and people. It was a beautiful tribute honoring one of Nevada‘s popular and influential couples.
In 1974 , it became necessary for James and Lois to leave Panaca and go to Las Vegas. James had suffered a severe stroke and needed a different kind of medical care, and they had children there to help them. They realized that their life in Panaca, as they knew and loved it, was over. They missed their beloved home where they had been happy for so long, but as always, they were strong and resolute and did what had to be done.
Lois went to Edna’s to live and James entered a care center. Lois spent every day with him. She was rarely alone. Children, grandchildren, and other family and friends, often came to be with her. In 1977, James left the care center and he and Lois went to live with Pete and Delores where they were provided a home filled with loving care. They were still living there on April 16, 1983, when James passed peacefully away. His beloved wife, Lois, and other family members, were with him. He was 96 years old.
Throughout his long illness, Lois had always presented to him, a cheerful demeanor and a joyful spirit. If he had lived four more months, they would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. Lois put their love and marriage in perspective when she quoted from one of her best loved books, “The Shepherd Of The Hills”, when Sammy asked Mandy what “love” was, and she replied; “Hits just caring for somebody more’n anyone else in the whole world. No, hit ain’t all, it’s agoin’ to live with him and letting him take care of you instead of your folks And. it’s cookin’ and scrubbing for him an mending and doing chores, too, and I reckon that’s all.“ Sammy said, “No, it ain’t Mandy. It’s a heap more than that. It’s a feeding the babies and taking care of them till they are growed up big enough to care for themselves, and you are old and in the way, being glad you done married the man you did. It’s a heap more than living with a man, Mandy. It’s doing all that without ever once wishing he was somebody else.”
That sums up the “Legacy of Love” they left for their children and grandchildren.
Lois continued living with Pete and Delores where she was lovingly cared for. Her children helped in different ways and her grandchildren visited often. She enjoyed it, but missed James and was lonely without him. She died in Las Vegas on April 8, 1985. On October 20th, she would have been 88. It was a comfort to her family to know that she and her beloved James were together again. She is buried next to him in Panaca’s beautiful cemetery. There, they are surrounded by so many of those they loved, and who loved them in return.
For this article, James and Lois’s grandchildren paid tribute to their beloved “Granny and Granddad”. It is said that words can paint a beautiful picture. It is also said that an individual’s personality captures your heart and is unique to every person. James and Lois’s grandchildren lovingly chose these words to describe their Granny and Granddad.
For Granddad: charitable, stoic, forbearing, charismatic, strong, intelligent, hardworking, no-nonsense, humble, kind, faithful, smart, dependable, long suffering, listens, dedicated, gentle, honest, integrity, cowboy. World War I vet,
majestic, patriot, patriarch, enduring, patient in affliction, gentleman, served others, consistent example, teacher, patient, mentor, respectful, rancher, state senator, bookworm/Louis L’Amour, musician/harmonica/piano,
gardener, determined, trusted ambassador, stately, distinguished, admirable.
For Granny: whimsical, resourceful, perceptive, kind, selfless, caring, patient, hardworking, sensitive, hospitable, humorous, thoughtful, well read, humble, joyful, blissful, endearing, bard, slow to anger, cinnamon rolls, nursery rhymes, happy, loving, accepting, honest, tender, virtuous, moral, generous hostess, donuts, fresh bread, seamstress, treadle sewing machine, quilter, doll maker, recipes/smidgen/pinch/hand-full, nurturing, wise, witty, silly, gentle, busy, cook/baker, homemaker, creative, pioneer cook, friend, crafter.
As of today, February 8, 2013, James and Lois are survived by their son, James Leo and his wife, Kathleen, daughter, Ina Mae and her husband, George Paul Wimsatt Jr., and daughter, Delores, and her husband, Neil Peter Horlacher.
Their progeny includes:
25 grandchildren - 69 great grandchildren - 81 great great grandchildren
We know of 5 more great great grandchildren who will be born in 2013.
James Allen Wadsworth was born in Panaca, Nevada, on May 8, 1887, the fourth child of the seven sons and four daughters born to Nephi John and Eliza Jane Terry Wadsworth. Nine of these children grew to maturity, the exceptions being a daughter who was stillborn and a son, Leo, who died in a hunting accident at age 16. James and several of his siblings lived their entire life in Panaca.
In his personal history, James wrote, “We were a well adjusted, very happy family. My parents were hard working, sturdy pioneers. They were the kind of people they had to be in order to brave the hardships and conquer the mountains and deserts of Nevada.”
He defined the role his parents took in raising their children in this way; “Because of the nature of my father’s work, my mother had the greater responsibility of rearing and teaching the children. Each child was given a chore to perform according to his age and ability, and mother saw that it was done. As a family, we were very close. As I now look back over my childhood, I cannot remember a serious disagreement of any importance, not even as we grew older. To us, mother was the most wonderful person in the whole world. It was a pleasure to obey her, it was never a great chore. There was never a time when my mother did not find time to take her rightful place in the church and community. Mother always kept us clean and dressed well and saw that we attended all church duties and went to school.
The work of my father was to provide a home, clothing, and food for the family. This he did. There was never a time during all the years of pioneering while raising the family, that we did not have the necessities of life; good wholesome food and substantial means to sustain us.
From the outset, he acquired land and water and farmed and raised stock quite extensively. He furnished produce for the markets in the neighboring towns of the vicinity, Pioche, Bullonville, and Delamar, some of the first great mining camps of the state. So, as we boys grew up, there was plenty of work for us on the land and with the herds. Father also had many teams and hauled freight from the railroad terminal at Milford, Utah, one hundred and ten miles from Panaca, one hundred and twenty miles to Pioche, and one hundred and fifty miles to Delamar. There was always ore to be hauled from these camps to the mills and the railroad terminal. Father took a very substantial role, I might say a leading role, in the freighting business. He had a big front yard and a large camp house and store in Panaca. As the boys of the family came along, they fit right into the pattern of the above mentioned industries. For instance, I remember very clearly of making several trips as a lad with my father and older brothers to Milford, Pioche, and Delamar. We had four, six, or eight horse, teams. Father also worked making roads, railroads, building ditches, canals, and reservoirs. The boys of the family helped with this work.”
The journey of James‘ family to Panaca began in England where his grandparents, George Allen and Elizabeth Broadbent Wadsworth, had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. On May 23, 1856, with their two sons, eight week old Nephi John and James Allen, they sailed on the ship, Horizon, to America. On July 17, 1857, in search of a better life and to escape religious persecution, they left Iowa City, Iowa with a group of Saints to cross the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah. On September 25, after two months on the vast plains, they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They were living in Toquerville, Utah, in 1867 when George moved his family to Panaca. At that time, Nephi John was eleven years old. Panaca had seen it’s first settlers in 1864, making George one of the earliest settlers of this beautiful little town.
James was proud of his pioneer heritage. He was impressed that all of his grandparents, and his father, had crossed the plains with the first Mormon Wagon Trains. He never tired of listening to the stories of their courage as they endured hardships and suffering on their journey, and yet never wavered in their pride and great faith in their religion.
Besides his father’s ancestors, James told stories about his mother’s pioneer ancestors, the Terrys and the Pulsiphers, and their part in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They worked hard and made many sacrifices to build and strengthen the church, from Nauvoo, across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley and into Southern Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.
Lois Stewart was born in Fredonia, Arizona, on October 20,1897, the second child of the five sons and two daughters born to David Brinton and Lois Crosby Stewart. All of her siblings grew to maturity except for little Levi Ray, a twin, who died from pneumonia when he was two years old.
When Lois was not quite four years of age, her family left their home in Fredonia and moved to Alamo, Nevada. Her father and two of his brothers had purchasd part of a ranch and other properties. They made the trip of almost 300 miles, by wagon and horseback, over roads that were little more than trails.
Like James, Lois was born into a family of valiant Mormon pioneers. She grew up hearing stories of their courage, sacrifice, and faith. She often said that these stories sustained her throughout the most challenging times of her life. And, there were many inspiring stories told.
Lois’ great grandfather, Jacob Hamblin, is well known in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and the great southwest. His success as peacemaker among the Indians is mentioned in numerous studies of Indian affairs pertaining to the Utah and Arizona Mormon pioneers. While doing this great work, he became known as the Buckskin Apostle. Her grandfather, Levi Stewart, was called to be the first Bishop of Kanab, Utah. She was proud of the statue of him which stands in the center of that little town. Levi’s wife, Artimacy Wilkerson Stewart, was the first midwife called and set apart by President Brigham Young when Kanab was first settled in 1870. She worked among both the white settlers and the Indians. The Indians learned to respect and trust her and the lives of many of the settlers were saved because of this.
On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1906, when Lois was nine years old, her father died of pneumonia contracted as he was attempting to return home from Caliente through a terrible snowstorm. He had promised his family he would be home for Christmas. He was the only passenger on the stage and when it stopped in Hiko, he was told that because of the adverse weather, it would not continue on. He could not find transportation to Alamo, so he walked 17 miles through a blizzard. He was critically ill when he finally arrived home. Her father’s death shaped Lois’ into the strong and valiant woman she became. Her mother had to go to work to support her family and as the oldest daughter, Lois became housekeeper, cook, and little mother to her siblings. Her brother David, was an infant of six months She carried him in a sling her mother made for her while she went about her chores. She did all of this while going to school. By the age of ten, she had become an excellent cook and housekeeper.
There were difficult times and challenges for the family but Lois and her siblings always knew how much their mother loved them. She filled their home with love and found the time to play with them, read to them, teach them, show an interest in their school activities and go to church with them. Though they had suffered a great loss, they persevered, and were happy. Lois and her mother shared an incredible love. They were never happier than when they were together. After their mother died in 1936, the siblings remained a close and loving family. Lois had one sister, Theresa. They were best friends and their children were best friends. Theresa always lived in Alamo and they saw each other often. As adults, her brother Karl Crosby lived in Idaho, Vivian Henrie in California, Taylor Fay in various places in Nevada, and David Brinton Jr. in California, Alaska and Montana. After James and Lois married, they often visited them in Panaca. At one time or another, they had all said that a highlight of their life was to eat one of Lois’ “home cooked meals“, with special emphasis on her bread and pies.
James and Lois had an interesting, exciting, courtship. After receiving his diploma from college in 1914, James was hired to teach school in Alamo for two years. In his history, he wrote; “While teaching in Alamo, I found and married my sweetheart and wife, Lois Stewart. We were married on August 22, 1917, in the Salt Lake Temple. We were sealed in marriage by President Joseph F. Smith, who at that time was one of the Twelve Apostles. We had a short honeymoon in Salt Lake and then came home to Panaca.“
Lois had her own story to tell about their romance. There was no high school in Alamo and some of the children were fortunate enough to have arrangements made for them to attend the high school in Panaca. Loving school and having an intense desire to learn, Lois received permission to go back to school and repeat the eighth grade while awaiting her turn to go to high school. James was her teacher that year and Lois had been very impressed with him.
Her turn to go to Panaca finally came and she left Alamo with great anticipation and joy. She loved her school years there and took advantage of every possible opportunity to learn. One Sunday after her return to Alamo, Brother James Wadsworth was called to speak in church; the same James Wadsworth who had taught her in the eighth grade. James was a charismatic and powerful speaker. His skill had been honed by his thirty four month service as a missionary for his church to the southern states. Lois sat spellbound through the meeting and said to her mother when it was over, “I know who I am going to marry.” When her mother asked her who that might be, she replied, “Mr. Wadsworth.” Her mother replied, “Oh Loie, he is an older man. What makes you think he will even notice you?” Lois replied, “Well, I guess that will be up to me, won’t it?“ Well, notice her he did, and probably had, for several years before she set her cap for him.
When they were married, World War I was raging throughout Europe and the United States was soon involved in the fighting. Due to his bad hip, James had received a deferment but desired to serve his country. He enlisted in the army in 1918 and became part of the 91st Artillery Division, Ammunition Trains. He was sent to Fort Lewis in Washington state for his training. Lois was able to join him there. She boarded at the home of a very nice lady and when James had time off, they were able to spend some time together. After his training was completed, he was deployed to France. Lois was pregnant and upon returning home she went to Alamo to be with her mother for the birth of the baby and for the duration of James’ time in France. The baby, a girl named Theresa, was born on October 6, 1918.
James came out of the service in the spring of 1919 and immediately went to Alamo to get his wife and meet his daughter for the first time. After visiting there for a few days, they returned to Panaca. James had acquired property, but as there was no home on it, they moved in with his parents. He worked helping his father and brothers with the haying, farming, and cattle. He also worked in the N. J. Wadsworth and Son’s General Mercantile Store, Lois was busy with their little daughter and helping her mother-in-law with all of the chores pertaining to the running of a large home. She was enjoying getting acquainted with the town and it’s people.
When their second daughter, Edna Myrtle, was born on April 27, 1920, James began to look for a home for them. He planned to put a house on his lot, which was in the block between his parents and his brother Frank’s homes. He found a house for sale in Rose Valley, about 20 miles by road from Panaca. The house was cut in half and brought to Panaca on wide hay wagons. A foundation had been prepared and the house was placed on it and put back together. It was a small house but adequate for their needs.
Lois loved this little house. She was grateful, and excited, to have a home of their own. She planted a lawn and two weeping willow trees were brought from Alamo. She planted “wild” yellow rose bushes and other flowers and trees. James planted a large garden to the side and behind the house. He added a wrap around porch where family and friends gathered on nice days to sit and visit and watch the children play. The home bustled with activity and was filled with love and laughter.
On May 21, 1921, the eagerly awaited son was born. Grandmother, Eliza Jane, claimed the honor of naming him. For his first name, she chose James after his father, and for his middle name, Leo, after James’ younger brother who had been killed in a hunting accident at age sixteen. To his family, James Leo was always known as Leo. Four more children were welcomed into this happy family; Martha, David Nephi, Ina Mae, and Delores.
Quoting again from James’ history, he said, “The union with my wife is by far the greatest event in my life. There was, and is, complete love and harmony. We respect each others rights, privileges, and ambitions. We share each others love, joys, and sorrows. We were united in the teaching and rearing of our children in the church. We are united in their church and civic duties in the community, helping them in school and their other obligations in life, from childhood to manhood and womanhood. Our home and family are governed by love and understanding. Each one of our children is a different individual and has to be treated as such. No two are alike. These individual characteristics, we cultured in each child. This made for harmony and love in the family.”
They filled their home with a wide selection of books, including the great classics in literature and poetry. There were books on the history of the LDS Church and they read often from the Scriptures. James loved reading his “Westerns“. The children learned to recognize the different authors and their works. There was also fun in the reading. A favorite part of the week was when James would read the Sunday “funnies”, from the newspaper, to his children. They would eagerly gather around him as he read. It was an exciting and fun time as he brought each individual character to life.
Lois was a wonderful story teller. The children loved nestling around her on a rainy day as she transported them into another time and place. She wrote beautiful poetry and could recite the greatest and most acclaimed, as well as the fun and the frivolous. Her repertoire of poems was amazing.
James taught them how to work and appreciate the rewards that came from doing a “good job”. He instilled within them a love for their country, their church, their family, and their fellow men. He taught them to love music. He had a beautiful tenor singing voice and played the piano, organ, fiddle, cornet. harmonica, and Jews Harp. Each of their children was given an opportunity to play a musical instrument, but only if they wanted to.
Lois sewed for them; shirts and trousers for the boys, and dresses for the girls. She loved to shop for material, but being very frugal, she also used the patterned flour and cereal sacks. She didn’t need a pattern, she would see a picture in her head or in a catalog, and then she would create her masterpieces. She crafted, and sewed, animals and dolls for them. She established traditions that were carried on throughout the years.
Besides raising his family, farming, ranching and running the N. J. Wadsworth and Son’s General Mercantile store for twenty plus years, James‘ life achievements include; serving thirty five years on the Panaca Irrigation Board, CCC Superintendent, Chairman of the Lincoln County Democratic Party, two terms as Nevada State Senator and delegate for Nevada to Washington DC to work with President Roosevelt and Congress, Chairman and member with The Taylor Grazing Act for twenty five years, twenty years as President of the Lincoln County Farm Bureau, twenty plus years as president of the Meadow Valley Soil Conservation District, forty five years, off and on, as Lincoln County Brand Inspector, and twice as Justice Of The Peace. He was called to Washington DC by two Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, to receive commendations for his work with The Taylor Grazing Act and Soil Conversation. President Truman also appointed him International Director of the Four States Highway Commission.
Even with all of these responsibilities, he always took care of his wife and children. He was a loving husband and father and was never too busy to be involved in all aspects of their lives. Lois was proud of him and supported him through his long absences from home. In addition to running her household, with her children’s assistance, she did farm chores, tended a large garden, and canned fruits and vegetables. She fulfilled her church responsibilities and rendered compassionate service to her community. She especially enjoyed serving the sick and the elderly people of Panaca and the other nearby towns. She delivered babies and fulfilled a promise made to many of the older women in Panaca that she would dress them for burial.
She was also busy earning her reputation as Lincoln County’s most famous cook. Her reputation extended throughout the state. People knew when she was most likely to be making bread, pies, donuts, or cinnamon rolls. She always made 25 to 35 dozen donuts and cinnamon rolls, and 12 to 18 loaves of bread. She felt she needed to bake these large numbers as her home was always open to those who would “just happen” to drop by.
In 1949, based on her reputation as an amazing cook, Roy Cram of Cram Construction Company in Las Vegas, Nevada, received a Per diem to hire Lois to feed a crew of five surveyors working on the highways for the state of Nevada. He had the contract to construct a seven mile stretch of the highway, extending from the Y Service Station, through Panaca, to Cedar City, Utah. Lois fed the surveyors for six months from spring through the summer. Monday through Friday, they came to the house at 6:00 AM for breakfast. She packed them a lunch and they returned for dinner at 6:00 PM. She received rave reviews for these meals. It is said that Ina and Delores loved the excitement of these times but were not too thrilled at the volume of dirty dishes they found themselves doing each day.
The 1950s and 1960s had brought change and challenges for James and Lois, but also happiness, fullfillment and great joy. All of their children were married; Theresa to Frank LeGrande Magleby, Edna to Arshal A. Lee, Leo to Opal Kathleen Vickers, Martha to Lindsay Kay Jacobson, David to Charlene Ray Gardner, Ina to George Paul Wimsatt Jr. and Delores to Neil Peter Horlacher. James and Lois welcomed their children’s spouses into their family and loved them as their own, Each couple had children, giving James and Lois the grandchildren they had longed for.
A complete history could be written about James and Lois as grandparents.
They were the stereotype of the perfect grandparents. Their grandchildren adored them and lovingly called them “Granny and Granddad”. They always made sure each grandchild felt they were someone unique and very special. They were calm and patient with them, even when there were ten, twelve, or more, busy “little people” in their home at one time.
Granny sewed for them, both clothes and toys. Her home was always an open bake shop. Ask any one of them for a special memory and it would most likely be the sight of every available space in her home being covered with rising donuts. A pan full would be deep frying and she would be rolling hot ones in a cinnamon and sugar mixture in another pan. She never stopped the children, even as they were eating donuts faster than she could fry them. Also, there were the big fat cinnamon rolls, loaves of fresh baked bread, the famous breakfast milk toast eating contests and delicious tarts for Thanksgiving dinner. They loved watching her make “from scratch” egg noodles and were fascinated as she tossed them over and over to prepare them for cooking. To a granddaughter, it was an honor to sleep outside with her on a feather mattress “under the stars”. She would point out the stars and tell stories and they would count the “shooting” stars until drifting off to sleep. Like her children had been, the grandchildren were spellbound as she recited “Little Orphan Annie”, “The Spider And The Fly“, “Betty and the Bear”, and other favorite poems. Making ice cream on a hot summer day and taking turns “turning the crank” on the old freezer, was a treat.
Their Granddad was their hero. He would have a procession of grandchildren following behind him, or running ahead, as he walked from the house to the corrals. They loved to help him feed the cows and horses, and “slop” the pigs. They would feed the chickens to draw them from their nests, and then would follow his instructions to “be very careful and gentle” as they gathered the eggs for their breakfast. They loved riding on the hay wagons as a load of hay was brought from the fields, and then playing in the “hay stacks“ as it was unloaded. They helped him weed and irrigate the garden. He would have them place a particular rock in a certain spot to help the water run through the furrows “just right”, while heeding his warning of “don’t step on the dams”. It was an honor to be asked to pick tomatoes, corn and cucumbers from the garden for a delicious dinner of corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, and a juicy watermelon for dessert. They loved to go for a ride “out in the hills” or “up to the Spring”. They danced with excitement when he gave them pennies, nickels, dimes, or a quarter, so they could walk to “the store” and buy a treat. They sat enthralled as he told them stories about their “mormon pioneer” ancestors.
James and Lois worked hard to build a legacy of love and tradition to leave for their children and grandchildren. It was at their urging that the first James and Lois Wadsworth Family Reunion was held in August of 1957, in beautiful Pine Valley, Utah. At that reunion, their children hosted a special celebration for their 40th Wedding Anniversary. These reunions were held every summer in July or August. On February 11, 1963, the first issue of the James Wadsworth Tribal Gazette was published. These two wonderful traditions endured throughout the years, even after their death.
James had always had a close relationship with his siblings. He adored his sisters. Edna and Dora had died as young women and he missed them. Eliza Jane, Jenny to her family, lived in Caliente. He saw her often. She died in 1956. After their sisters died, the brothers became even closer. Nephi John, Jack to his family, and Lawrence lived in St. George, Utah, Eugene in Hurricane, Utah, Franklin, James, and Lafayette, in Panaca. They looked forward to the time they spent together and delighted in reminiscing about growing up in Panaca. Jack died in 1946, Lawrence in 1948, Frank and Gene in 1960. That left James and Lafe. As they both lived in Panaca, hardly a day passed that they did not see one another. The special bond they had shared, became even stronger. They were always there for each other, through the good times and the bad. It was a very sad time for James when Lafe died in 1962. After Lafe’s death, James lived for 21 years as the only surviving child of Nephi John and Eliza Janes’s large family. He missed his siblings and was sad and lonely without them, but always said he had wonderful memories to sustain him.
In 1964, James wrote; “Now at 77 years of age, and my health not too good, I have been compelled to give up most of my public work.” That doesn’t mean James and Lois were not still busy and enjoying life. James couldn’t give up his love for farming and cattle. He still ran a few cattle on the range and on his farm he kept a milk cow or two, a horse or two, some pigs and chickens. They still raised a huge garden and James was never happier than when he was tending it. His garden was a work of art, even in the later years when he was hoeing weeds and watering leaning first on one crutch, and then two. They harvested their garden and Lois preserved and canned their bounty. People came to Panaca for his tomatoes and corn and they were proud to furnish family and friends with the fruits of their labor.
They now had time to visit their children and grandchildren. David and his family lived in Panaca and they saw them often. Their favorite time to visit Theresa and LeGrande in Salt Lake City was in the fall when they could ride up the canyons to see the trees clothed in their brilliant colors, or sit at the kitchen table and look out the window at beautiful Mt. Olympus covered in a myriad of glowing color. They visited Pete and Delores in Reno and Las Vegas, Leo and Kathy, Edna and Arsh, and Martha and Lindsay, in Las Vegas. Martha and Lindsay also owned one of the original pioneer homes in Pine Valley, Utah. James and Lois loved the peace and tranquility they found when they visited there. James was proud of Leo’s work as an attorney for Howard Hughes. It made Las Vegas exciting.
On all of these visits with their children and grandchildren, they loved being spoiled, pampered and entertained. Lois crocheted afghans, made decorative pillows and lovely quilts. She loved making cinnamon rolls and donuts for them. Because of her long standing ritual of baking in bulk, she had a difficult time making them in smaller amounts, so for everyone‘s pleasure they were able to freeze some for future treats. James loved to watch sports on television, Basketball and bowling were his favorites.
In the 1950s, through the 1960s, they established a tradition of yearly visits with George and Ina. To escape Panaca‘s cold winters, they usually went in December, January and February. These visits took them to Garden Grove, Orange and San Diego, California. Lois loved the ocean. She and Ina spent hours walking the beaches picking up seashells and rocks. They especially loved being there to watch a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Granny searched for Sand Dollars and waded in the surf with her grandchildren. Lois and Ina played countless games of Scrabble and she taught her grandchildren to love word games. James loved going to work with George. He never tired of their rides through the cotton fields, citrus, avocado, and pecan orchards, and the vast farmlands. Granddad loved bringing home a sack of avocados, oranges, or a flat of strawberries. Often, to pass the time, he enjoyed going to the local bowling alley to watch all of the action.
James and Lois were overjoyed when Leo and Kathy purchased Nephi John and Eliza Jane’s house in Panaca. Leo and Kathy loved this beautiful old home. It was lovingly known as “the castle” to family. On August 19, 1967, Leo and Kathy hosted an open house there to honor James and Lois on their Golden Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. With the help of all seven of James and Lois’ children and their spouses, it was a glorious affair. Scores of family, friends and dignitaries, from Lincoln County and the state of Nevada, came to pay their respects. They received several hundred cards and personal letters came from Nevada’s Governor, Paul Laxalt, Alan Bible of the United States Senate Appropriation Committee, The Supreme Court Of Nevada, Eighth Judicial District Court of Las Vegas, and many other county, state and national, offices and people. It was a beautiful tribute honoring one of Nevada‘s popular and influential couples.
In 1974 , it became necessary for James and Lois to leave Panaca and go to Las Vegas. James had suffered a severe stroke and needed a different kind of medical care, and they had children there to help them. They realized that their life in Panaca, as they knew and loved it, was over. They missed their beloved home where they had been happy for so long, but as always, they were strong and resolute and did what had to be done.
Lois went to Edna’s to live and James entered a care center. Lois spent every day with him. She was rarely alone. Children, grandchildren, and other family and friends, often came to be with her. In 1977, James left the care center and he and Lois went to live with Pete and Delores where they were provided a home filled with loving care. They were still living there on April 16, 1983, when James passed peacefully away. His beloved wife, Lois, and other family members, were with him. He was 96 years old.
Throughout his long illness, Lois had always presented to him, a cheerful demeanor and a joyful spirit. If he had lived four more months, they would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. Lois put their love and marriage in perspective when she quoted from one of her best loved books, “The Shepherd Of The Hills”, when Sammy asked Mandy what “love” was, and she replied; “Hits just caring for somebody more’n anyone else in the whole world. No, hit ain’t all, it’s agoin’ to live with him and letting him take care of you instead of your folks And. it’s cookin’ and scrubbing for him an mending and doing chores, too, and I reckon that’s all.“ Sammy said, “No, it ain’t Mandy. It’s a heap more than that. It’s a feeding the babies and taking care of them till they are growed up big enough to care for themselves, and you are old and in the way, being glad you done married the man you did. It’s a heap more than living with a man, Mandy. It’s doing all that without ever once wishing he was somebody else.”
That sums up the “Legacy of Love” they left for their children and grandchildren.
Lois continued living with Pete and Delores where she was lovingly cared for. Her children helped in different ways and her grandchildren visited often. She enjoyed it, but missed James and was lonely without him. She died in Las Vegas on April 8, 1985. On October 20th, she would have been 88. It was a comfort to her family to know that she and her beloved James were together again. She is buried next to him in Panaca’s beautiful cemetery. There, they are surrounded by so many of those they loved, and who loved them in return.
For this article, James and Lois’s grandchildren paid tribute to their beloved “Granny and Granddad”. It is said that words can paint a beautiful picture. It is also said that an individual’s personality captures your heart and is unique to every person. James and Lois’s grandchildren lovingly chose these words to describe their Granny and Granddad.
For Granddad: charitable, stoic, forbearing, charismatic, strong, intelligent, hardworking, no-nonsense, humble, kind, faithful, smart, dependable, long suffering, listens, dedicated, gentle, honest, integrity, cowboy. World War I vet,
majestic, patriot, patriarch, enduring, patient in affliction, gentleman, served others, consistent example, teacher, patient, mentor, respectful, rancher, state senator, bookworm/Louis L’Amour, musician/harmonica/piano,
gardener, determined, trusted ambassador, stately, distinguished, admirable.
For Granny: whimsical, resourceful, perceptive, kind, selfless, caring, patient, hardworking, sensitive, hospitable, humorous, thoughtful, well read, humble, joyful, blissful, endearing, bard, slow to anger, cinnamon rolls, nursery rhymes, happy, loving, accepting, honest, tender, virtuous, moral, generous hostess, donuts, fresh bread, seamstress, treadle sewing machine, quilter, doll maker, recipes/smidgen/pinch/hand-full, nurturing, wise, witty, silly, gentle, busy, cook/baker, homemaker, creative, pioneer cook, friend, crafter.
As of today, February 8, 2013, James and Lois are survived by their son, James Leo and his wife, Kathleen, daughter, Ina Mae and her husband, George Paul Wimsatt Jr., and daughter, Delores, and her husband, Neil Peter Horlacher.
Their progeny includes:
25 grandchildren - 69 great grandchildren - 81 great great grandchildren
We know of 5 more great great grandchildren who will be born in 2013.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Christmas Letter 2012
Celebrating the birth of our Savior,Jesus Christ, with our
family is what makes Christmas so special. When I was
writing our 2012 Christmas letter,I wrote a special one to
our children,grandchildren and great grandchildren. I
wanted to thank them for all of the beautiful experiences
we have shared. Rhonda suggested that I should post the
letter on my blog. I thought that was a great idea and
would be the perfect place to share my tribute to our
amazing family. Thank you,family,for being the amazing,
wonderful,and beautiful people you are. Thank you for
loving us.
Hello and Merry Christmas,with memories and a brief
look at 2012 (did I say brief?)
To our children,grandchildren, and great grandchildren;
Thank you for making 2012 such an exciting and wonderful
year for us. You are amazing! We are excited about
celebrating Christmas with you. We can't wait to share the
joy of Christmas morning with the little ones. They are what
puts the excitement and joy into Christmas. On a spiritual
note, it is a blessing for us to celebrate the birth of our Savior,
Jesus Christ, with those we love.
Excitement! On August 14th our 7th great grandchild, Harlee
Mae Colburn,was born. She is beautiful and Montana is now
an adorable big sister. Thank you,Jenna and Trey, for using
the Mae from Ina Mae as her middle name. In September, their
Daddy,Trey, became a Gilbert Police Officer. Thank you,
Trey, once again you are serving "We,The People". Thank you,
Jenna, for supporting him. Thank you both for being such
loving, kind, grandchildren and friends. The meals you
have brought to us are delicious and give George a break.
Thank you,for the amazing dinner and good time we recently
had at your home. You are great cooks and gracious host and
hostess. Thank you for sharing George's love for leather art
and learning the skill of tooling, we have had fun doing it
together. Thank you for loving the outdoors, soil, and animals
Thank you for sharing your beautiful farm with us.. Thank
you for being the "cutest couple" and fantastic parents and
for bringing Montana and Harlee to our home. Thank you,
Montana, for showing us how you dance and tumble on the mat,
what a show you put on. Thank you for being a fun,happy,
little girl and for your smiles and hugs and thank you for
building a Gingerbread House. Thank you, Harlee for
letting us cuddle and love you,for your smiles,and sharing
my name. You are a special family. We love you.
Thank you Rhonda and Steve for the wonderful Thanksgiving
we celebrated at your home. I was overwhelmed as I counted
my blessings and basked in the love of my family. Next you
host our annual Christmas breakfast. Thank you for this
tradition. The little ones love to go to G-Mama and Papa's.
Thank you for being such fun and loving grandparents.
hanks,Steve, for playing with them. Thank you, Steve,
for breakfasts and good conversation on our special days
at the Golden Corral. Thank you for being so kind to us
and for sharing my idiosyncrasies. Thank you, Rhonda,
for giving us two fantastic grandsons. Thank you, Steve
and Rhonda, for a wonderful blended family. Thank you,
Rhonda, for always being my best friend. Thank you,
for lunches at home and out, for hospital visits and errands
ran, Thank you for beach trips, hundreds of word games,
movies and popcorn. Thank you for sharing my love of
books and the animals who share our lives. Thank you
for carrying on family traditions and making it possible
for me to continue being a zoo volunteer and sharing it
with me. Thank you for service "above and beyond";
dusting Teddy Bears and dolls and for being a loving,
wonderful daughter, so many memories. We love you.
What would we do without you?
It is wonderful getting to know Brinton's beautiful girlfriend,
\Allison Taylor, and her adorable little girl,Presley. You are
both lots of fun. Thank you, Allison, for Brinton's surprise
30th birthday party and thank you for inviting us. Thank you
Brinton, for your sweet,happy spirit and for being the fantastic
father you are. What you have done for your children this last
year is amazing! They are blessed to call you Daddy! Thank
you for your unique sense of humor and years of fun and
laughter. Thanks for being a caring, loving grandson and
for all you do for us. Thank you for coming by on your
lunch hour to visit with us. Thank you for helping me
with my Kindle Fire. Thank you, Cote and Brexton,
for inviting us to your ball games. We love them and are
proud of you. Thank you Nixin, for inviting us to your
dance recitals. You look so pretty in your dance clothes
and dance beautifully. Thank you Cote, Brexton and
Nixin,for inviting us to your birthday parties. Thank you
for coming to our home to visit us and for the smiles and
hugs we get each time we see you. Thank you, Brinton,
for loving our family traditions and making sure your
children observe and love them. Thank you for helping
them build their Gingerbread Houses just as you did
when you were a child like them. We love and appreciate
all of you so much.
Thank you Rhonda for driving us to Panaca to celebrate
Leo's 92nd birthday. Thank you for helping make Mom
and Dad-Granny and Granddad's Tribute. Thank you
Paul, Ethan, Justin, Craig and Tracy for joining us there.
Thank you Ethan, for loving to take trips with your grandpa.
Thank you Paul for choosing him as your traveling buddy
and making sure he has ice cream stops. Thank you Tracy,
for letting us show you "all things Panaca". The people,
places and history of Craig's heritage,and thank you for
tolerating my endless narrative about Panaca. You
exemplified the word "patience".Thank you Craig,
for bringing her and sharing your memories of Panaca
with her. Thank you Paul, Justin, and Ethan,for letting us
play with your NASCAR race cars at Cathedral Gorge.
Justin and Ethan, "peas in a pod" in your shirts and hats.
Thank you,Justin,for being a fun and fantastic uncle.
Thank you, Craig, for sharing your world travels with us.
You are a fantastic Travel Guide and generous host.
WOW! We have visited you in California, Iowa, Florida,
Nevada, Kansas, Texas, and Puerto Rico. We tell people
we "Have Son,Will Travel". Thank you for the excitement!
Thank you for Mother's Day calls which are never missed
even if coming from China, India, or other "faraway places
with strange sounding names". Thank you for always letting
us know where you are and what you are doing. Thank you
for dding so many fun adventures to our lives and for
broadening our horizons. Thank you for introducing us
to amazing eating experiences and the culture of many
countries. Thank you for your visits and you quirky sense
of humor. Thank you for three amazing grandchildren.
Thank you for being a wonderful son, We love you.
Thank you Miranda, Hannah and Joshua for being our
youngest grandchildren and sharing your lives with us
in so many different and exciting places. We shared our
first tornado with you in Kansas. Thank you for showing
us how to fly kites in Puerto Rico. Thank you for visiting
zoos with us in Wichita, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Diego,
and Phoenix. Thank you for going beach camping with us.
Thank you for loving to play Yahtzee with me.
Thank you Tracy for loving Craig and becoming part of
our family. Thank you for being beautiful, happy, and
so much fun. Thank you for giving us three more
wonderful grandchildren to love. Thank you Jared
and your lovely wife Christy, Cameron and Chasity.
What a joy it has been to get to know you. Thanks
to all of you for loving our family and thank you
for loving Arizona, our Family Reunions and our
traditions. Thank you for sharing our love of playing
games and laughing with, and teasing, each other.
We love you.
Thank you Paul,Rhonda and Craig for a wonderful
Family Reunion. The Marriott Resort at the Buttes
in Tempe was a wonderful place to have it. What fun
for George and I to bask in our lounge chairs as we
watched everyone enjoy the beautiful pool and huge
slide. How the little ones loved that! It was a perfect
way to celebrate our 61st year of marriage. Thanks to all
of you for being there. Thank you for the fun games
played and stories shared.
Paul and Joanne, so many memories. Thank you. Thank you,
Paul for being a wonderful son. Thank you, Joanne, for
being a loving daughter-in-law and good friend. Thank you.
for giving us our first two amazing grandchildren and
always involving us in their lives. Thank you for helping us
start family traditions. Thank you Paul and Joanne for letting
Justin and Jeni stay with us often in El Cajon and Descanso.
Thank you Joanne for inviting and encouraging me to visit
England and Germany with you, for helping a dream of mine
come true and being such a fantastic travel companion. Thank
you for the love and laughter shared on that trip. Thank you
Joanne for sharing my love of collecting dolls and Thank you
Paul for sharing your bedroom with some of Joanne's Madame
Alexander Baby Dolls and trying hard to not let them disrupt
your sleep as they stare at you with unblinking eyes. Thank you
Paul and Joanne for our trips to California, for being the perfect
host and hostess, making sure we do some of our favorite
things; zoo, beach, Anthony's, Sea World, Wild Animal Park.
Thank you for introducing us to fabulous restaurants and
eating experiences. Thank you for being so kind, gracious,
and generous. Thank you for our many trips to Aha Quin on
the beautiful Colorado River, one of our favorite things to do.
Thank you for boat rides and other river adventures. Thank
you for helping us build our "Descanco Dream" house. Thank
you for being such fantastic and loving grandparents to Ethan
and Ryann..Thank you, Paul, for golf games with your Dad
and Upwords games with me. Thank you Joanne for
tolerating them, even though you do roll your eyes a lot LOL!,
Thank you, Paul,for your frequent phone calls. Paul and
Joanne,we appreciate all you do for us, we love you.
My beautiful granddaughter,Jeni, thank you for the special
friendship we have. Thank you for all we shared while you
were growing up;birthday parties in Balboa Park,a precocious
little girls love of olives,watching you cheer at ball games.
Thank you for wonderful memories of your college years;
coming to our home for a meal and loaf of warm bread, fun,
relaxation, and good conversation. Thank you for being a
loving grown up granddaughter and for all you do for us.
Thank you Chris,for loving Jeni and being a wonderful
husband and our friend. Thanks,both of you,for being
fantastic parents. Thank you,Jeni and Chris,for inviting us
to Ryann's 2nd birthday party. Thank you,Ryann, for being
so adorable when you blew out your candles and opened gifts.
Thank you,Ethan, for showing us your tricks on the Slip N'
Slide and what a great NASCAR driver you are. Chris the
car you built is fantastic. Thank you, Jeni, Ethan,and Ryann,
for staying with us when you come to Mesa. Thank you,
Ethan and Ryann, for being so much fun and for your hugs
and high fives. Thank you,Jeni,for pictures and phone calls.
Thank you for loving family traditions, for making cinnamon
rolls and Gingerbread Houses. You are a special family and
we love you very much.
Justin,our first born grandchild; Thank you for being such a
special person, and for your love for us. Thank you for inviting
us to your home in Cedar City. You have done so much to it to
make it into a warm and welcoming home. Thank you for being
so talented. Thank you for sharing the beauty of Cedar City and
the surrounding areas with walks and tours. Thank you for loving
Ani and taking such good care of her. Thank you for sending me
pine nuts. I LOVE THEM! Thank you for your phone calls.
Thank you for always making me feel so special. Thank you for
living life with enthusiasm,joy,and courage. Thank you for being
such a wonderful cook like your father and granddad and loving
doing it. Thank you for your wit and fun personality and for years
of smiles and laughter. Thank you for being a great athlete.
Remember when a baseball broke the windshield in my new
Thunderbird? You told me not to park there but I wanted to be
up close where I could watch you and all of the action. Thank
you for yours and Jeni's fabulous Gingerbread Houses
(mansions), and thank you all of these years later for still
having fun building a house with your beloved niece and nephew,
Ethan and Ryann. TRhank you for loving Panaca and Thank you for loving to come to our Family
Reunions in Arizona and especially You are loved and appreciated.
To our threes youngest grandchildren. Thank you for keeping us young in spirit and mind.
Thank you,Miranda, for being such a special person from the day you were born. Thank you for the special times we have shared through the years. Remember, "Yes Grandma, it is a very blustery day,indeed",said a tiny little girl with hands on hips on a very windy day in Las Vegas? Thank you for letting me watch you grow up. Today,thank you, for being a loving,caring granddaughter and best friend. Thank you for being my "soul mate" as we share our love for writing stories and poems, and thank you for sharing yours with me as you were growing up. Thank you, Miranda, for living with us for awhile when you were attending ASU. It was fun. Thank you for the good times we share;cooking,eating out (Tia Rosa's is a favorite),reading (especially fable and fantasy),playing games (Yahtzee and Mexican Train).Thank you, Miranda, for loving Muggles and bringing her toys. Thank you for choosing to fall in love with Ryan, a very nice young man, and thank you for including him in our family activities. Thank you for loving children and for being a wonderful Nanny to those in your care,and thank you for sharing my love for our ancestors and for our many trips to the temple. Thank you for your phone calls and visits and for being a beautiful "you".
Thank you, Hannah, for your beauty and zest for life. You have been beautiful since the day you were born. Thank you for being the precocious and mischievous little girl you were, always full of adventure. We visited you in Wichita when you had just started walking. You climbed on a bed and then onto a dresser to reach mine and your Aunt Martie's chocolate. We found you in the middle of the bed covered in chocolate. You ate it all! Thank you for always being so happy to see us whenever we were together while you were growing up. Thank you for sharing your baptism day with us in the beautiful little town of Panaca,Nevada,where my father,your great grandfather,James Allen Wadsworth,and I were baptized. Thank you, Hannah, for sharing mine and your Aunt Rhonda's love for horses and letting me tell you stories about the horses I loved as I was growing up. Thank you for the books we have read and the games we have played together. Thank you, Hannah, for sharing your Granddad's love of cooking and letting him introduce you to some of his favorite recipes and how to prepare them. Thank you for your talent for making beautiful jewelry. Thank you for loving Willow and thank you,Hannah, for being a shining ray of sunshine in our lives.
Joshua, our youngest grandchild,what can I say? We have always been so proud of you.
Thank you for bringing love and laughter into our lives. Thank you for always making us smile. Thank you, Joshua, for so many fun experiences as we have visited you in so many different places. Do you remember flying kites on a beautiful day in Old San Juan,Puerto Rico? You were so excited to show us how you could "fly your kite and make it soar" up into the beautiful blue sky. On that day, you loved showing me the huge Iguanas that ran wild in the area where we were playing. Thank you for being the most exuberant and excited tour guide wherever we visited you. Thank you, Joshua,for growing up to be such a handsome and fun young man. Thank you for loving movies and the many we have watched together. Thank you for a zillion Yahtzee games played. Remember when you rolled three Yahtzees in one game and you laughed at me when I couldn't believe it? Thank you, Joshua, for visiting us and going to the beautiful Mesa temple to do baptisms for your ancestors. It was a very special gift. Thank you for sharing it with us,we will never forget it. You are loved.
To all of our children,grandchildren, and great grandchildren, thank you for sharing Family Traditions with us,the things I love the most;your visits,beach trips,Zoo lights and zoo trips. Thank you for loving zoos like I do. We have visited them with you in California,Arizona,Kansas,Texas and Utah. Thank you for years of building Gingerbread Houses wherever you may be. Thank you for loving our Family Reunions and for the fun we have when we are together. Thank you for sharing your lives with us. We love and cherish you.
I have recorded current memories,but I need to mention sports activities you all were, and are, involved in;football,baseball,golf,wrestling,swimming,water polo,equestrian,gymnastics,cheer, skateboarding,snowboarding,knee boarding,water skiing,and soccer. Each of you has participated in one,two,or more,of them. We love the excitement. You are our pride and joy.
Now to those I share my home with; Thank you Muggles for being such a loving,funny,sassy, little presence,you make us laugh every day. Thank you,Conana, for letting me serve you for 21 years! Thank you,George,for being the most fantastic husband and friend I could ever have hoped for. I love and appreciate you more than you will ever know. Thank you for loving me,caring for me,and COOKING for me! Thank you for endless memories of dreams come true. Thank you for 61 wonderful years. Its been an amazing,fascinating, and wonderful journey, I love you.
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