1894

During the winter of 1893 and 1894 Ozro hauled out Lumber from up Berch Creek to add 4 new rooms on our log house. We were now 9 in family and crowded in 2 rooms. In the early Spring of 1894 Ozro hired brother Casperson (a Carpenter) to build the rooms and he started work before the frost was out of the ground.

He worked steady and hired help so by the 1st of May 1894 we moved in the new rooms, the two rooms downstairs, closet and stair way was finished. The two upstairs rooms had the windows in a partition and the floor down and did very well for the larger children's bed rooms and we concluded to leave it that way untill we were able to finish them off. We were now quite comfortable.

On June 1st we were again blessed with a dear baby girl, nice lbs. She seemed so sweet and patientful. On her 8th day her pap blessed her and named her Jennie. She was born 10 minutes to 9 A.M. It was a beautiful sun shiny morning. Sister Mary S. Smith nursed me and cared for baby. Also did house work with Ruth A's help. I did not seem to get strong quite as soon as usual but nothing serious was the matter and in time I thought I was pretty strong, but one Sun. afternoon when baby was 5 weeks old I very suddenly started with a spell of Siatica in my left hip it pained very severe while it lasted, but it wasn't long from that time on, untill it hurt me every once in a while and has time went on it some times pained hard for 9 hours at a time. As time went on I could see my health was not the same as before my last confinment. [fn44]

During the fall of 1894 Ozro ran for assessor of Oneida Co. He was elected and served two years giving good satisfaction. As Ozro needed to be away so much and his Office being in Malad he could not run the farm. He hired a man Hyrum Tippets to work on the farm and gave him his wife and baby a room in our house. They proved to be very good neighbors. Ozro made improvments on the farm and bought things to fix up and furnish the house and made us quite comfortable.

Ozro tryed to take me on trips as often as he could. We continued to attend to our church duties and attend to our prayers, school, our children and do the best we could. I am writing from memory as I had not been writing in my journal for some time.

1895

In the summer and fall of 1895 and winter of 1896 we had sore eyes in the family. Hyrum E. Crockett came from Ariz. to visit us and worked on our farm. He caught sore eyes in Ariz. and they were sore when he came to us, so Ozro, George R, Mabel, and Jennie all caught sore eyes from Hyrum. I doctered them the best I could. It was awful hard on Ozro working on his books and getting the years work of the Assessing and colecting all settled up and then he and Hyrum went to Ogden and had their eyes treated by Dr. Brick.

1896

Went Jan. 1896. Ozro returned some time in Feb. with his eyes improving fast. He continued to Docter them for some time and was able to attend to his Office work.

In 1895 Ozro went in to the sheep business with H.S. Geddis. The sheep was at our place on the farm most of the winter and spring. About the 1st of April 1896 Ozro's mother came to us by train to stay a while with us. Sister Mary was also with us.

On the 12 of April 1896 another sweet baby girl came to gladen our home born at 5 A.M. She weighed 11 1/2 lbs. We had her blessed and named at the proper time. We named her Lucile. I was very sick and was not able to get out of bed untill baby was 15 days old and then could only stay up one hour. I was a long while getting my strength back, but at last was able to again take up my work. I was very greatful to my Heavenly Father for the great blessings he had given us. We were very greatful for our nice family. Ozro's mother nursed me as long as she was able to stay with us. Sister Mary did the house work. Ruth A. was attending school and helped at home a lot too.

During the summer Ozro took off on some nice trips. We took baby Lucile. We went with the choir to Thatcher Gentile Valley to Conference and also Ozro took baby and me on a trip to Malad where he had some work to do in the Office. He left me to visit at Mrs. Jones where he boarded when he was in Malad. We had a lovily trip.

In the fall of 1896 Ozro started building again, finishing off the upstairs rooms and making two more above the log rooms, and finishing the log part off. His father and brother Hyrum were engaged to do the carpenter work. Susie Facer (Hyrum's sweet heart) came up from Logan (her home) and helped me with my house work. I surly enjoyed her stay with us. The oldest children were all a going to school. Ozro's father and Hyrum boarded with us. The house was finished up before winter set in and we had an .... family and for ... we were certainly comfortable.

In the fall of 1896 Ozro received a call to go on a mission. Ozro answered he would be ready to go in the Spring of 1897 as his assessor work came to an end. Jan 1897 another letter followed telling Ozro to be ready to go to the Eastern States on the 10 of April 1897. [fn45]

1897

He started in getting ready in a great many ways, preparing to leave us comfortable. He wanted baby & I to go with him to Salt Lake City so we went. We attended conference meetings, and on the 10 April we parted at Ogden station. He to go on his mission east, and baby Lucile and I to go to our home. Parted for two long years. [fn46] I had a sad lonsome ride home. It was ... the Gospel sake. Many kind an loving letters passed between us those two years and a little over 2 months that he was absent. Also many prayers were offered for each other and our children by each of us. Our Heavenly Father blessed and protected us all and provided for our wants. [fn47]

In 1896 we had a pretty good harvest and sold small fruit. We sold $50.00 Raspberries and 75.00 Strawberries and we milked 10 or 12 cows and sold the milk to the creamery. After Ozro left we still had the cows to bring in part of our income. The fruit also brought in considerable the first year he was gone, but the 2nd year we had a great shortage of water. Garden and some trees died for want of water. We were able to send Ozro what money he needed. [fn48] Our crops in the field done fairly well. The boys worked good and brother Charley worked on our farm. The boys worked out some for wages too when not needed at home. [fn49] Ruth A. was a most wonderful help and comfort to me in caring for and helping me take care of us all and all our work. My self and nine children and we had considerable company (relatives) and fruit picking in the season of it. Some of the time my health was not good and Ruth A. had to leave school to take charge of the work at home, but she never complained just helped all she could in every way and so the children and I tryed to do our part at home and Ozro in the mission field and we were all .... [fn50]

Missing Page?

1898

[fn51]
Preston Choir Picture taken in 1897


Ruth's picture

I went with Proffessor Edwards' Choir to Salt Lake City to sing in a contest, David went also. Ruth A. took care of the family during my absence. David and I visited with relatives and friends. It was in October 1898. [fn52] The contest took place in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. There were six choirs contesting on the "Tempest," A beautiful selection. The judicater was Dr. Perry from Wales, the greatest music critic in the world. We listened to each choir sing then called on all six choirs to stand and three hundred voices sand the "Tempest" with Dr. Perry leading them. He said it was sang very well. Proffessor Edwards' Choir from Preston Idaho took the second prize. It was the first time that David had been to Salt Lake City and he was perfectly charmed with the city. Several of his boy friends went also so he had company where every he went while I attended the choir practises and sang in the contest. We returned home on our conference tickets. On the train going and coming, the members of the Choir would sing some of our songs. It was quite a jolly bunch.

I had times of severe trials and disapointments while Ozro was away and sometimes was awfully discouraged. Then I would go before my Heavenly Father and ask for help and he ever came to my rescue and I received light and comfort in the hour of need. Our children attended school in the Academy and had fairly good health. Jennies eyes grew stronger although they never were just the same as before the sore eyes were brought to us in 1895. The other children's eyes got well long since.

1899

Ozro received an honerable release from his mission when he had served 26 months and he came home on the 20 of June. We were all full of joy and happiness in the meeting. We had written all about his mother's death, funeral etc. He was filled with sorrowful feelings at the thoughts of being unable to ever see or talk to his dear mother again in this world. [fn53]

I often went to visit Ozro's mother during her sickness. "Sister Mary was her nurse. She had heart trouble and dropsy. She could not lie down, she sat in a rocking chair about seven months, she suffered much. She longed to see her dear Ozro O. again but did not want him to be called home before his mission was finished. It was a sorry home coming for him indeed. She died 1st of June 1899.

We were in debt about $23.00 when Ozro returned home, a store bill. We still had most of our cows and a pen of nice spring calves. Our garden was a failure without water enough. The long expected Mink Creek Canal was still unfinished. We became discouraged for the first time with our farm. We also had a dry season. Ozro bought some old sheep cheap. Our share in the sheep with H.S. Geddis had all been sold and money there from used up sending to Ozro as he needed it. He went to Beaver Utah to buy there ___ sheep and visited with his missionary companion George C. Murdock, his dear friend and family. While he was at Beaver Utah, the sheep were shiped to Preston Idaho Idaho. Ozro kept and fed them hay. We raised and then he sold making enough to pay him for all his trouble through the winter of 1899. [fn54]

1900

In the spring of 1900, there was a great call to Oregon for beet growers, as a sugar factory had been built. Ozro hearing and reading of this, concluded we would go and try raising beets. So he rented his farm, sold off all our cows except one. He and H. Halverson loaded a railroad freight car with furniture and stock, cows and horses, and they and our families all went by train to Alisel, Oregon. We bought some land, build a little house on it, ploughed and put in sugar beets, thinned, hoed, cultivated them good, the children helpping, but the beets were a failure due to no water and a very dry season. Not long after, the sugar factory was taken down and moved to another place.

Thrashing grain in Preston Area with
horse powered thrasher about 1900.

Since the beet growing had not proven successful, Ozro, O. David, Edwin A., and George R. got jobs of work in the harvest fields and Ruth A. worked for farmer' wives busy with headers and threshers. On the last of Sept. 1900, we decided to return to our home in Preston, Idaho.

Ozro O. sold his house and land in Oregon, his furniture, his cow, and went by team with me and nine children back to our farm in Preston, Idaho. We had been gone six months when they returned Sept. 18 1900.

So we went gained an experience and returned to Preston Idaho Idaho a very thankful and happy bunch. On the 18 of Sept 1900 full of joy and thanksgiving for our safe arrival home with our number unbroken. We still owned our farm. Some people had rented it and were still living in part of the rooms. However there was plenty of room for us. We had not moved all our furniture.

1901

During the fall of 1900 and winter of 1900 and 1901 we lived on the farm, which is now called Sandcrest. My health was too poorly to continue attending choir practise so I resigned (I had an awful cold in my lungs which lasted 6 weeks.) from the Preston choir and the Stake Choir. I was very miserable quite a while just had to lie around most of the time and Ruth A. our dear old stand by took charge of the house work washing and etc. [fn54.1]

In the early spring of 1901 we sold our farm to Edwin Cutler and bought a house and four acres in the heart of Preston Idaho just across from the north east corner (east) of the now City Park the Willard Hobbs home. Ozro also bought a few acres of land in the 2nd ward of Preston Idaho and some in the first ward preparing to raise sugar beets. But when we bought Preston Idaho had not been divided into wards.

We liked it just fine in town, Edwin A. worked that summer for Ezra Merrill at Mink Creek and came home weekends. And part of the time he worked for Lonie Merrell, Ezra's brother at Preston Idaho.

O. David drilled in Sugar beet seed for people and our selves and afterwards worked on the Rail Road section. Ruth A. got work clerking for Larsen and Sons, Preston Idaho Idaho. Ozro had sugar beets and he and the children worked hard in them but they were not successful in raising a good crop.

Site of Preston Station

In the fall of 1901 Ozro and Edwin worked at weighing sugar beets for the Sugar factory at Preston Station. During the summer of 1901 Lillian Crockett Christensen came to our home thru my invitation. She was expecting to be confined. Her mother died in Oct. 1900 and William was living at Weston Idaho and I invited her to come to me and I would nurse here and she would be just across the road from Dr. Alen Cutler who was to be her Dr.

Soon after she came her baby was born and died an hour or so later. I layed it out and prepared it for burial and nursed Lillian through her sickness. She had taken care of her baby brother "Golden" who was born the Oct. before just before her mother's death. He died when he was about seven months old. He had a lot of nice little clothes she had made for him, and she gave me nearly all of them to lay away untill I would need them. Her husband Olif often brought foods of some kind to us when he came to visit Lillian so in many ways they returned the compliment for my taking care of Lillian. I made no charge what ever. I just wanted to help her as if she had been my own daughter. She and her husband were very greatful unto us. Lillian got along very well and she had three more children before she died. Her second child Cristle died when she was about grown. Her third child Hermoin is a young married woman. Lillian's fourth child I believe a boy died not long after she died at Weston Idaho. She is brother Alvin D. and his wife Emma H. Crockett's first child.

In Aug. 1901 our son Ozro David recd. a call to go on a mission to the Southern states. He was keeping coumpany with and engaged to marry Miss clara Pratt. Md on the 4th of Sept. 1901. They were married in the Logan temple and on the 2nd of Oct. David departed on his mission leaving Clara with her mother at Logan Utah.

On the 29 Sept. 1901 our tenth child and seventh daughter was born to us a sweet dark eyed baby. Our first baby for five and a half years. We were all sure tickled. Sister Mary again nursed me and took care of the baby. She had been very kind and had nursed me through 5 confinments. Ozro tryed to make up to her for her kindness in helping her. Mary and Edna done the house work and ironing, cooking etc. and we sent the washings off. Ruth A. continues to clerk in the Larsen & Sons store and helped at home mornings and nights. I got along alright and in time I was again up around with my work. Baby was cross and the most nervious child we had had and I think we spoiled her. We were so rejoiced with our new baby. [fn54.2]

She had the chicken pox the first winter of her life. caught them at Werton when I was visiting there with Lillian and we went to meeting. She must have got them in that meeting. We had a light most of the time nights untill she was two years old. She was so very nervous but we certainly took a lot of comfort with her and was so thankful we had another dear baby in the home.

We had baby blessed in fast meeting and named her Elva Crockett. The record of it is in our family Record book. When Elva was about three weeks old, the small pox was spreading all through Preston Idaho and four of Larsen and sons clerks came down with it and Ruth A. was one of them. I nursed her through the first few days when she started breaking out. She was taken to George Carvers home. He was one of the clerks who came down with small pox and it was arranged for all the clerks at Larsen & sons who had them to go to brother Carvers home. So Willard Larsen came one evening and took Ruth A. in his buggy to brother and sister George Carver's. She stayed at Mrs. Carvers about 3 weeks. Was very sick at home while I was nursing her. But after she broke out she got better and was well enough to work all the time she was at Mrs. carvers and she was kept buissy too and Ozro paid her board bill when she left them. We paid Ruth A. several visits or calls out doors in the st. while she was there.

When she left I fumegated and cleaned the house and we were quarentined three weeks then fumegated again and Dr. took the quarentine down. Ruth A. came home. Also Ozro Edwin and George came home. They had been staying with sister Mary and attending to their work. We were surly happy when we were all togeather at home again. When Ruth A. was first taken sick, I had her in the front part of our house away from every one of the family and I alone taking care of her and we never any of us there at home took it from Ruth A.

Sister Mary had sold her home south of our old farm and bought a home in town just east of our present home so Ozro and the boys were there while we were quarentined. About the same time Ruth A. had the small pox, our son David had them in the mission field in South Carolina. He was exposed to them while on the train traveling to this mission. His seat mate was Parley Donkley of Whittery Idaho also going on a mission and just before they reached Chatanooga Tenn. the mission's Headquarters, Parley broke out with small pox. When they reached Headquarters Parley was sent to the "Pest House," and David was sent to his field of labor and was instructed to report to Headquarters if he got sick. Accordingly he did send them word when he started to be sick and he became very sick and his companion left him fourth with, was frightened. When the word came to Headquarters of David's illness, Elder Parley Donkley had just got there from Pest House well and he was sent to where David was to nurse him and take care of him. Some saints kindley let them live in an old log cabin on their land among the woods which was empty. They had it cleaned out and provided with things they needed and they furnished them with food. David's worst time was also before he broke out. After words he had them light the boys cut down trees that were near the cabin for the owner and cut them up for firewood. In time when it was safe to leave they continued their missionary labors. So we see how wonderful every thing turned out all right for David by his obeying cousel of there in charge at Headquarters and sending word as soon as he got sick. Help was sent to him and every thing turned out all right for him. David did a good work while in the mission field and part of the time he was President of a conference.

On Nov. 3, 1901, Ozro O. was ordained a High Priest and set apart as a High Counselor in the Oneida Stake.

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