Mother's "Best" Christmas

Phil's surprise arrival home for Christmas!
That is Marlene's graduation picture above the chair.

Mother wrote of her "Best" Christmas.  Both Phil and Marlene were away from home for the first time, and mother was very lonesome for them.  Marlene was away at school in Seattle, where she had earned a scholarship, and Phil had joined the Air Force.  She heard the song "Silver Bells" and it made her cry, thinking of her children who were so far from home. 

When the family was picking out a Christmas Tree, mother thought a smaller one would do.  She wasn't expecting anyone other than us little kids.  When Christmas Eve arrived, the front door flew open and across the living room floor scooted a big duffel bag, and Phil came in after it.  He made his way home for Christmas for a wonderful surprise for us all.  On Christmas Day, Marlene called to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and it made the holiday complete for mother, who always looked on this as her Best Christmas Ever!

I remember Phil and the tree.  He was so tall, he could look down at the top of the tree.  The ornaments we had were unique I think.  We had some that looked like candles that when they warmed up, would bubble so it appeared to be a flame.  We had the large bulbs that were popular at the time, and to make them more interesting, we had some colored flame resistant material that looked like cotton balls that were placed over the light bulbs and made a soft glow.  The tree was never complete without lots of tinsel.  Mother always had a round mirror in the living room, and every year she taped a two dimensional foil ornament to it that folded out and looked like a big silver snowflake. 

Mother would bake sugar cookies that were numbered 1 - 12.  We got a cookie each day that counted down to Christmas.  They were kept on top of the freezer in the kitchen.  They were delicious! 

Mother always baked sugar cookies that counted the days until Christmas.
I'm pretty sure, there were some of those cookies and pies on the freezer
behind us.  Seated at the table from right to left is Georgia, Mary Lou
and Dean was pretty brave, sitting in daddy's chair!

Maria Goode Smith

Maria Goode Smith

Maria Goode was born 16 May 1831 to George and Selena Mary Ann Holder Goode.  She was baptized a member of the Church Latter Day Saints on 22 Aug. 1849.

She came to Utah with her sister, Sarah Goode Marshall and Sarah's six children on the Edmund Ellsworth Handcart Company in 1856.  She arrived in Salt Lake on the 26 August 1856.

She went to Fillmore, Utah, and married Jonathan Pidcock Smith in Fillmore, Utah, on 22nd of October, 1856. Married by Lewis Brunson.   In 1862 Maria repaid $20.00 to the Perpetual Immigration Fund.  In 1868 she was noted as being in the Fillmore Ward Choir.  Maria and Jonathan are on the 1870 and 1880 Federal Census living in Fillmore, Millard County, Utah.  The couple bought property in 1880 and it was sold again in 1886.   We have not been able to find an exact death date for her.

She went to Salt Lake City and took her endowments out at the Salt Lake Endowment House.

The records that contain information on early church members are kept in Special Collections at the LDS History Center in Salt Lake City Utah. You have to have Temple Recommend to view these records.

Maria Goode is listed in the Endowment Film # 183,404 in Book C. Page 44.  Her name is listed as Maria Smith.  She took her endowments out on Oct 2, 1856, on this film it shows her parents George and Selena Mary Ann Holder Goode.

This record has been verified by Delmont (Pete) Goff and Jolene Goff. On the 25 May 2011 they personally viewed the records.

The sealing of Jonathan Pidcock Smith and Maria Goode Smith is on Film #  1,149,514, page 325, Sealing,  Number 2165.  The date was 31 of August, 1858.  This sealing was performed by Amasa M. Lyman, a member of the 12 Apostles.  This sealing was done at the home of  Orson Tyler in Beaver he was the Sheriff in Beaver, Utah.  The witnesses to this sealing were A. Sullivan and J.H. Raser.

Amasa M. Lyman

The reason for the sealing being done in Beaver is because from  March 19, 1858 until August 20, 1859, there were no endowments recorded in the Salt Lake Endowment  House because there was unsettled advent in Salt Lake City with the U.S. Army being present in Salt Lake during the time that the Church was being persecuted. This note is listed on the film at the end of the film in September 1858 film number 183404

Jonathan Born on the 5 May, 1816 in Tinicum, Bucks Pennsylvania.   Died on the 9 Sept 1890, buried in Fillmore Utah, Fillmore Cemetery  Block 31, Lot 3 Grave 6, no head stone as noted on the Fillmore First Ward records.

We have been to the Fillmore, Utah, cemetery and Jonathan is buried in the Pioneer Section of the cemetery.  He has a grave site, but no headstone.  Maria is not buried in this grave site.  The Sexton indicated that during this period of time some families were buried one on top of another, Maria was buried  around 1880 and Jonathan on September 9, 1890.

From early records of Fillmore, names of people who deeded all their property to the church and joined the United Order are found.   Jonathan P. Smith's name is among those listed, indicating that he and Maria lived by the United Order for a time at least.   The information was taken from book entitled, "Millard Milestone" page 13. The research for Jonathan Pidcock Smith and Maria Goode has been challenging but rewarding, through lots of prayer and perseverance I feel like we are closer in solving this mystery in our family for so many years. 

The reason we put so many different documentation and various information we hope that someone out there will be able to add to the story.  One fact we know for sure is that Jonathan Pidcock Smith came from Tinicum, Bucks County, Pennsylvania and he married Maria Goode, Sarah Goode Marshall's sister . Thanks for all those who have helped solve this mystery.

 Do you think Sarah Goode Marshall Chadwick. knew Jonathan Pidcock Smith because his brother John Pearson Smith lived in Logan Utah and went to the Logan Temple where Sarah often went.?

Pete and Jolene Goff

beaverpete@q.com

 I'm so grateful to Pete and Jolene for their research and documentation of Maria Goode.  It had been recorded in error, that Maria died along the way and was buried "in the plains".   Having the record corrected with meticulous documentation as they have provided is so important in clearing up this long standing error.   I have researched as others have, reading all the diaries available that were kept of Capt. Edmund Ellsworth's Company finding no record of her death or burial.  They seemed to keep a consistent record of deaths and location of burials, none was reported for Maria Goode.  I have also seen documents of Maria's marriage to Jonathan P. Smith.  The documents identified Maria as the daughter of George and Selena Holder Goode. The only record I could find however that she did come all the way to Salt Lake, was a brief mention in a history for George T. Marshall, where its stated,  "Maria, his mother's twenty-five year old sister came from England with the family and was a great help in crossing the plains during the entire journey."
Georgia Drake

__________________________
Sources:
United States Census 1880 for Jonathan P. Smith Forest of Dean Family History Ken Wilks of LDSFamily History Center in SLC Utah
Sons of God, Gwendoyn Perkins, pp 311

Adelbert and Delilah Asay Family 1920 Census

Adelbert and Delila Asay Family
Mae (my mother) is second from left
Circa 1940.

This summer, I was reviewing genealogy documents check accuracy, and looking for anything of interest that may have been overlooked.  In doing so, I discovered a puzzlement... to me at least. The 1920 Census in which the Adelbert Asay Family appeared was in the Byron Precinct District 0012.  I had never heard of the family ever living in Byron, Wyoming until that moment.  I had heard of them living "on the bench" for a time but thought that was in the Lovell limits and just north of Lovell, not northwest. 

1920 Census Byron Precinct District 0012

I immediately sent out e-mails to my brothers and sisters and some cousins and aunts and uncles who might know more about this.  It was a fun exchange of thoughts, but two held the key to understanding.  Joye Marostica spent much time in dictating stories and histories while visiting Grandmother Asay in Lovell.  This has proven to be a very interesting writing, as well as important documentation of the family's earlier years for which I am forever grateful.  Joye responded, directing me to the section on "Their Homes" in her book "Till we Meet Again."

"Delbert and Delila's homes though often very meager were clean and pleasant, functional, and filled with His Spirit.  However, with ten children, I can not say they were quiet.  But they were a place of comfort and love; where children grew to adulthood knowing they were loved and having been taught the gospel were ready to face the world.

Their honeymoon home was her father's camp wagon.  Later they lived a short time with his parents, where their first baby was born.  Their much loved home in the mountains was next, and then a small house was started on their lot in Lovell.

Grandpa was given the chance in 1919 to lease the Hatch ranch in Byron.  This exciting opportunity, however, turned out to be disastrous. 

It started out well -- Grandma loved having an abundant supply of delicious apples and melons for her family, and the children were thrilled with all the riding horses available.

Then the winter hit...it was one of the worst on record all Grandpa's cattle froze in the fields... even Grandma's favorite cow, Snowball, perished as she huddled next to the haystack.

Horse draw school wagon, similar
to description of one used in Byron.

The covered school wagon, with seats on the side -- and a wood stove, was now unable to get out to the Asay ranch.  The children missed most of the school year, but Delila, making the best of the situation, read them Black Beauty, Tom Sawyer, and other classics belonging to the Hatches; and so the year wasn't a total academic loss.

Young Mae with puppy

In the spring a near calamity occurred to two year old Mae.  Just as company pulled into the yard she was discovered, without a stitch of clothing, standing on the roof with her toes curled over the edge.  Grandma was more frantic than embarrassed - and very carefully coaxed her back through the window.

It is hard to say whether there are more pleasant or unpleasant memories of the ranch... however Delila's journal indicates the move back to Lovell was welcomed.

She felt through this experience they had all grown in such spiritual qualities as courage, faith, and perseverance.  Ranching was difficult and humbling, but also a time for drawing close to one another and to the Lord.

In Lovell the big house was eventually completed.  Starting with only two rooms, Delbert and his sons kept adding on until a magnificent 10 room structure was created for their growing family.

The children now laugh about coming home from school and finding a door where a window had been, or two bedrooms in he place of one - changes were made as the need arose." 

As it turns out, the Hatch Ranch is located 3 1/2 miles northeast of Byron, right between Lovell and Byron.  Any references to the Asay Family living in Byron is coming from this 1920 Census record and or this story.

Uncle Cal and Aunt Colleen added interesting information when they responded.  Aunt Colleen wrote the following:  "Cal said it may have come from Church Records, when Grandpa Asay received his plot of land.  It was on the hill, on the road going to Byron from the "Y"., on the west side of the road, not far from where Grandpa Sessions' (my dad) drive-in movie place was in later years.  Cal believes that might have been in the Byron Precinct District.  We're not sure but it wouldn't be too far from the Hatch Farm (Ella Mae Alphin Hatch)  Cal says that Grandpa say's assigned plot of land, ten acres, back in the 1920's, was covered with alkali.  Grandma Asay pointed out to Cal that it was not a good piece of land.  He doesn't remember of ever doing anything with that plot."

So happy this little puzzle was found and resolved while we had those with first hand knowledge to help fill in interesting information. 

Joye wrote that her mother, Aunt Zela, said all their cows froze in that dreadful winter in Byron... they moved to Lovell and never came back.  Mother also told us of the time Aunt Mae just a toddler stood on the edge of the roof of the Hatch house they were renting in Byron with no clothes on!  Scarred them all to death! 

I have never heard any of mother's siblings telling this story on her.  I can only imagine her embarrassment if they had. 

The indexer of this census incorrectly interpreted D. (Delilah) Mae Asay's name to be "D. Mary" unfortunately an easy thing to do when extracting names.

____________________
Sources: 1920 Census Byron Precinct District 0012
Till We Meet Again, "Their Homes" pages 70-71
Family e-mail correspondence

Viola Bell Hawkins Boice - A Short Story of Our Mother's Life

Viola Bell Boice Memorial
Birth: 1873 Death 1961

 A Short Story of our Mother's Life
History 2a from Delilah Boice Asay's Book of Rememberance

Our Mother, Viola Bell Hawkins Boice, was born September 30, 1873 in Marion county, West Virginia. 

Her family was converted to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Elder B.H. Roberts on his first mission to Tennessee.

At the age of fifteen, after a year's courtship, she was married to Shade Boice in the Logan Temple.

While in Tennessee, she tells of picking wild blackberries, also of running races picking cotton with the Missionaries who stayed at their home a lot of the time.  Her Father owned a large plantation, on which he gew cotton and tobacco and had Negro slaves.

When she was a girl in Colorado, she did a lot of skating, dancing, and horseback riding.

She was the youngest of nine children.  Her Father died six months after she was married and six months later her first child was born -- a cranky spoiled little girl.  They named her Viola May.  Mother tells of having to keep the lamp burning for hours at a time to keep her quiet.

A year and half later her second child was born -- a brown eyed boy.  Our Father was working at the time for President Heber J. Grant.  Brother Grant asked them to name him Heber J. after him, which they did.

Mother was blessed with thirteen children, eleven of them are still living.  She had many joys and sorrows but a loving husband that shared them with her.  Besides raising their own children, they helped in the rearing of her sister's two children, and for years she did her own washing, ironing, and sewing and also washed, ironed, and sewed for these two children and her Mother.

The family always had plenty of food and clothing but when times would get a little hard, Mother would send some of her older children out with some of her beautiful crocheted work and help add to the family income in this manner.  She was always a good housekeeper, cook and a good manager.  She was a grandma at the age of thirty-four.

At the time our Father went on a mission for the church, there were five children in the family and they lived on the ranch most of the time while he was away, with our Uncle helping out with the farm work.

Here is a little poem called "A Perfect Day", that describes a few of the things she did.

MOther on a winter's day, milked the cows and fed them hay,
Sloped the hogs, saddled the mule, and got the children oof to school.
Did a washing, mopped the floors, washed the windows, and did some chores;
Cooked a dish of home-dried fruit, pressed our brother's Sunday suit,
swept the parlor, made the beds, baked a dozen loaves of bread,
Split some firewood, and lugged in enough to fill the kitchen bin;
Cleaned the lamps and put in oil, stewed some apples she thought would spoil;
Churned the butter, baked a cake, the exclaimed, "for heaven's sake, then calves
have got of the pen", whent out and chaed them in again;
Gathered the eggs and locked the stables, back to the house and set the table,
And afterward washed up all the dishes; fet the cat and sprinkled the clothes,
Mended a basketfull of hose, then opened the organ and began to play
"When you come to the end of a perfect day".

She lost her Mother in 1925 and shortly after that, they moved to Los Angeles, Calif.  She and father took several nice trips in the last few years of his life.  Charles and May took them in their car and they turned the United States, Old Mexico and Canada.

They celebrated their Golden Wedding, 12 Oct 1938, in Griffeth Park, Los Angeles, with over sixty of their descendents present. 

The saddest thing came into her life, when we burried our Father, Although lonely for him, she found joy and happiness in being with her children and grand children.

She will be eighty years old next Sept, 30th; has at this time had thirteen children; forty-five grand children; and sixty great grand children.

Undated "History 2a"
Delilah Asay's Book of Rememberance

Rose Hills Memorial Park
Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Find A Grave # 40396762

Charles Frederick Chadwick

Charles Frederick Chadwick

A Sketch by his Daughter, May

 

Charles Frederick Chadwick was born August 6, 1860, at Franklin, Cache County, Idaho.  He was the son of Joseph and Sarah Goode Chadwick.  He moved, with his parents, and brother, Will, to Dayton, Idaho, when he was about 8 years old.

 

He attended school at Oxford, about 11 miles north of Dayton.  He stayed with his sister, Louise, while in school. As a boy, he was husky, and had good health.  His father died when he was about 16.

 

At 17 years of age, he did freighting from Corrine, Utah to Helena, Montana.  It was while freighting, that he bought 2 wool blankets for his mother.  When he was 40 years old, his mother gave him one of the blankets.  It is a relic in the family now.

 

Father had seen and admired my mother, Luna Nelson, when he attended school at Oxford and Franklin, because of her studiousness, and said he would make her his wife some day.  When the trustees at Dayton were looking for a teacher, father suggested h knew where one lived and went to Riverdale with Calvin Boice, a brother-in-law, to see her about teaching school.  Mother had not met father until then.  She went to Dayton with them, boarded at the home of Sarah Pool Callen, and commenced teaching on December 28, 1880.  Father, although older than she, went to her school.  It was there that the romance began and June 2, 1881, they were married in the Endowment House.

Luna Nelson Chadwick

 

They lived with father's mother, Sarah Chadwick, for about 4 months.  Then Father bought a house and moved to the central part of Dayton, not far from Five Mile Creek.  Their little home was made happy when their first-born, Joseph William was born, April 29, 1882.

 

Grandma lived about 500 yards from them.  Both families used the same corral.  They were busy improving the place by planting lawn, a nice variety of fruit trees, also trees for shade.

 

Father presided over the Mutual Improvement Association the winter of 1881.  He was president until he was called on a mission to the North Western States in 1887.  Their daughter, May, was born July 14, 1884.

 

Father was called to administer to the sick a great deal.  He was always ready to go.

 

When he went on his mission, he left mother with three babies, Joseph, myself, and Charles, who was born July 24, 1886.  We took Father to Franklin in the wagon, to catch the train for his mission.  As the freight train pulled away, father stood in the door, waving good-by.  I jumped up and down, screaming for him to come to me.

 

Mother carried the big responsibility of the home, now that Father was gone.  There were crops to manage, cows to milk, horses and pigs to care for, besides we three children and a school teacher, Miss Ida Wood, who boarded with us.  Mother was a wonderful person and did her jobs nobly and well.

Father was away 21 months, arriving home, December 19, 1888.  He farmed the next summer.  He bought some land on Birch Creek, east by Bear River and it had to be proved upon.  He moved the family there until the 1st of November, 1889.  Then we moved back with Father's mother until after George was born, November 22, 1889.

In the Spring, we all went back to Birch Creek.  Father took a contract to haul rock for the Rail Road track that was being built through Dayton.

Our new home was under construction, the land being entered under the "Timber Act".  He planted thousands of trees and made a beautiful grove.  Many fine entertainments were held there when the trees grew large enough.  Our new house consisted of three rooms.  Two more were added later.  Vera was born at the new home, September 8, 1892.

When the call was made by the church for land to be donated to help the mission cause, Father donated 20 acres of his choicest land.  A part of it was used for the Dayton cemetery.  The rest is still used for a mission farm (1958).  Later, Father gave 5 acres where a new structure is now being built for the Saints to meet.

If there was any one thing Father liked best it was buying and selling cattle.  His judgment was very good, too.  At one time, he took several car loads of cattle to Canada for sale.

After crops were harvested, the next big job was to get the winter wood.  It was eight or ten miles through the "narrows" into the mountains.  It wasn't unusual for Father to bring the winter meat home too, as deer were very plentiful.  Mother was an expert in caring for the meat.  It was delicious dried.

The long winter evenings were spent reading, knitting, and romping.  I shall always remember the many happy evenings we spent romping with father; we kids would all pile on him.  He would laugh so hard, we could get the best of him.

Father was devoted to mother and always looked after her financial affairs.

The summers were spent raising hay and grain, and the winters feeding and caring for the cattle.

Father and mother went out among the sick a great deal.  I can remember father being called out at all hours of the night to administer to the sick.

Our home was always open and a welcome given to missionaries and people travelling through the country.  The family was always taught to work and save.  Donations were always given freely.  Father served as Bishop's counselor for a long time.

Sorrow came to the family when Joseph, the oldest, died October 17, 1901.  Grandmother, father's mother, died April 23, 1904.  It was after her death that Father got the rambling fever and in the spring of 1905, came out in the Snake River Valley looking for a new location.

He liked the country, new the Minidoka Project, and moved the family out in June of 1905.  He bought a relinquishment of 40 acres in Heyburn, Idaho.  He camped by the Snake River for two weeks, then went to Albion, where he and George put hay up for a Mr. Hayden.

George and Vera went to the State Normal school at Albion.  I should have been with them but got the "marry bug", went to the Logan Temple, and was married to Charles Jones.

The folks moved back to Heyburn, February 7, 1906, on the new homestead.  The sage brush cleared off the land, a log house and barn were built, and a large orchard planted.

Father was the Superintendent of the Sunday School in Heyburn until his death.  He served as a home missionary one winter and was always interested in Church and Civic affairs.

Father was an average-sized man, with black hair, blue eyes, and weighed about 160 pounds.  He had rather a serious disposition, but could enjoy fun with the crowd.

He died, January 25, 1910, at his daughter, May's home, in Rupert, Idaho, of typhoid fever.  We took him to Dayton, Idaho for burial.


C. Frederick Chadwick Memorial
1860-1910  Dayton, Franklin, Idaho
 

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Source:  Family History Document
Ancestry.com