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".
