Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 8

Henry would pick out different things in each child that pleased him. That became the thing that he would center in to show that particular person some attention. Marilyn had snow-white hair and he would call her the "little Swede." Keith was a premature baby and did not do well at first. Henry said to put him out in the dirt and sunlight. He got quite brown. For many years, he was called "Brownie." Gam was called "Dynamite."

Henry loved to swim and play in the water. He insisted that the kids learn how to swim. The Municipal Warm Springs was his favorite spot to go. At Beck Hot Springs, there was an odor and taste to the water so it was not as good of a place to go. Back then, the hot springs would be used as a folk lore to cure all ills.

Keith with his niece Ann

Henry was good at swimming under the water. Henry taught Ernie to do it about as long as he did. However, as soon as Ernie got to the top of the water, he needed his father because he was not as good there.

Ernie was fearless in the water even though he could not swim on top. Ernie remembers going off the diving board or whatever was there right into the water. He knew that his father was there ready to catch him. Henry would catch his son, take him to shore and it would start all over again.

Marilyn

Jeans’s earliest memory of her father, is sitting on his shoulder watching the parade of soldiers coming home from World War I. She was about three years old at the time. Henry liked being with his family. He loved baseball. He would play baseball with his children.

The family would get in the old 1918 Dodge touring car and go on trips. They would go to Utah Lake, Geneva, and Saratoga, up in the canyons, camp, eat, and swim. He liked to take the kids camping.

He was always concerned for each child. He and his wife would forego their pleasure and comfort many times so the children would have the things that they needed either physically or emotionally. He would always bring home a gift for the sick child. For instance, when John (almost six years old) broke his arm by going down a slide, Henry brought him a small ball. The children loved having this type of special attention paid to them. He was always thoughtful of his children.

One night Norinne was sleep walking and walked out the second story of their home through a window. Jean heard her crying and asked someone to go check on her. Jean realized that the crying was coming from outside and so she went and found her daughter who was muddy. Norinne remembers nothing about going out the window. She does remember being in her parent's bed. Norinne was not hurt. Someone got hold of Henry and he came home to make sure that she was all right.

When the Wessman family lived on Roosevelt Ave. in Salt Lake City, there was a hot water boiler in the basement that would heat up the home. Henry would go down and build a fire in the furnace with coal. It would take about an hour to heat up the house if the fire was started from scratch. However, if the heat had been kept going, it would not take that long.

Henry was a good father but he worked long hours. The family did not see a lot of him because he would work night and day. When he was home, he spent quality time with his family. He enjoyed playing with his children. He would play marbles with the boys. He would play jacks and jump rope with the girls. He would also play jump the rope. He never raised his voice. He never hit anyone. He would sometimes help Harry to move faster by putting his foot on his behind. When Henry said, “quit,” everyone did. We were in the habit of doing what we were told. He thought that girls did not do heavy housework. The boys did the heavy cleaning of the inside woodwork.

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There was an empty field across from their home 36th and Jefferson in Ogden, Utah. This is where Henry made a make-shift golf course. He had two golf clubs and so they had their own little golf club. In addition, while living in Ogden, there were little foothills (36th and Harrison) that Henry taught his children to ski on. Now it is a residential area.

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 7

Henry had a very kind heart. There were a couple of times that he sobered some men up (at separate times) so that they could work for him. One man's name was Charley and had a family of seven children. Henry knew him previously and he was one of the men that he tried to help get on his own feet. He had helped many people in several ways.

Henry was very friendly. He was very pleasant and loved to talk. As a result, he could make friends easily. At work, he would talk and work at the same time. He had an old friend by the name of Ivan Dahlquist that he used to play duets with when he was in his middle teens. They spent a lot of time together. When Henry and Jean would play duets that he and Ivan had played, he would say something to the effect of "That's not how Ivan did it." Jean would respond, "Well, you practiced more than I did." He worked with Willard Brann at The Ogden Standard. It was a short friendship due to Henry's death but it was a good friendship. Lou Galiazi worked with Henry in Provo and they were friends for years.

Henry Adams was also a good friend of Henry Wessman's. When both the Henrys would be working, it was not uncommon for one to start singing. The other would join in. The duet sounded very good. They would also talk about old memories and acquaintances that they had known before.

He also had a kind heart for animals. The family was taught to love animals and care for them. They always had a cat or dog around. Of course, it was a heart breaker when one of them died.

While living on 36th and Jefferson in Burch Creek, Henry found a Civil War saber somewhere. He used to get a kick out of taking his saber and trimming down a great big patch of cattails that were on the street corner. He would do this every once in awhile and enjoyed himself.

One time, the family was going from Ogden to Salt Lake but when they got to about Kaysville, they ran into a sticky situation. There was a herd of cows on the road and Henry was going slowly through them. A bull decided that he did not like that. He was very angry. He charged the truck and hooked the fender with his horns. Needless to say, there was a hole made. Henry just waited patiently while the bull got loose and then he continued on as if it was a fact of life.

Another time while in the Model-T Ford going from Provo to Salt Lake to see Elizabeth Hayward (Jean's mother), they were by Lehi, Utah, when a pig ran into the car. It ended up slipping on the ice on its backside squealing all the way. After the wild ride, the pig casually wandered off.

All of the children had the middle name of Hayward. This was Jean's maiden name. Many of the children's first names were names that were in the family somewhere. Some of the other children names were given because the parents liked them.

Dick worked quite a bit with him. He got along with his father quite well. He taught Dick many things. He was always finding a job for Harry and Dick to do. He would pay them even though it was not very much. Still, they still got a little something.

Henry and Jean gave Merle (who had congenital hypothyroidism) a lot of attention. She was a very simple person with the mentality of a six or seven year old or something like that. However, she could do so many things around the house such as iron, sweep, dishes, make beds, etc. It could be difficult at times for the family because her needs were so different but she was still loved very much. There were no hard feelings about Merle and her handicap. Whenever the extended family came, Merle was accepted by them also. They always gave her hugs and kisses.

Henry was a good auto mechanic and did the repairs on his own vehicles. He taught the boys to do the same. Back in those days, one had to know who to fix cars because they were always breaking. On the family's 1926 model Dodges, they were always fixing bearings, repair this and that. One morning when John went to go to high school, the car blew a rod. It about broke his heart but he got to school anyway.

Henry taught the boys to drive. John was the last one to be taught how to drive by Henry long before he was really old enough to drive. He taught all the older boys how to drive pretty early on as well.

To be continued...

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 6

Henry always wanted a business of his own. That was another reason that he moved out to Mammoth. His quality of work was excellent but he made more money working at the newspapers in Salt Lake, Kaysville, and Davis County such as the Tribune, Telegram and the Standard Examiner in Ogden.

While in Ogden, Henry went up to Malad, Idaho, and bought a used typesetter so he could set up shop. His business was in a one-room basement of a rented building. The address was 2445 Grant Ave. He would repair and adjust the machine. If by chance, he could not repair the machine, a traveling technician would help him. Henry got the machine into good operating condition. He set type for different printing companies in town. There would be printing to be done for advertising, legal reports, school newspapers, etc. Back then, Xerox machines did not exist. He eventually turned the business over to Harry.

John and Paul also worked for their dad while in Ogden. They would deliver galleys (that held the type) and type in a wagon that resembled a small Mormon handcart. It was a wood box with steel wheels. The boys pulled that wagon through Ogden, Utah. The type that was picked up from the different businesses would be melted down (at least 500 degrees), recast and cooled over night. At different times, one would think it was cool and would be burned. However, it was nothing too serious.

However, one day John and Harry were working when they heard a "bang." Somehow moisture had gotten into the mold and when Dick poured the hot metal in, the high pressure of the steam caused an explosion. Dick was injured on the eyelid. He had a big scab. It eventually left a scar but his eyesight was not affected.

He tried to start his own business but finances were tough. It disintegrated because there was not enough advertising support. The Ogden Examiner had been there for years and they had the corner on the market. Henry also started to get sick and he then died.

The family moved around a lot as he pursued his career. There were lean times but the family always had something to eat. They would buy things when they could and store it. For instance, Henry would buy ten sacks of flour and store it for when it was needed. There was not much bakery bread back then.

Henry also wanted the very best for his children. He wanted them to be successful in life in whatever they wanted to do. However, he tried to guide their decisions when he thought it needed guiding. Jean (daughter) loved to dance and was good at it. She wanted to go into dancing as a career. Her father did not think it was a positive career choice. He thought it was better to get some training that could be more successful. Jean followed her father's advice (even though it was a hard decision to make) and went into the clerical field.

Ernie remembers his father being around on weekends but not too much during the week because he would be working double shifts. Sometimes he would work night shift and other times, he would work swing shift. When he was home though, he spent quality times with his family.

At times, after work, he and his friends would play cards for candy bars. He used to give some to his children, then go to Birch Creek Elementary School, and pass out more candy bars. They certainly knew "Mr. Wessman."

He would always bring home gumballs from the gumball machine. In those days, paper bands were around the 1-cent gumballs. If a certain number was on the paper, then it meant that something was won.

Photo of the linotype machine is from www.flickr.com/photos/emmajane/508470972/.

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 5

After they got that radio, they got a radio called the "Baby Grand." All the neighbors would come in and listen to "Amos and Andy" and the other radio programs of the day. Not many people had a radio those days. Therefore, it was quite the novelty. The favorite family programs were Amos and Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly and the Great Gildersleeve. Henry especially liked these programs very much. They made him laugh. He loved listening to the World Series in baseball over the radio. He had his favorite teams but he liked the game in general. Merle would often listen with him. She had her favorite baseball players that she liked.

Henry liked the classics, folk songs, and some popular songs of those times. World War I songs were the songs of the day. There were such titles such as "Long, Long, Trail," and "Mighty Like a Rose." They would also play songs such as" Poet and Peasant Overture," "Sonny Boy" and "Invitation to the Dance." Jean would usually start playing first. Liz remembers waking up to duets on the piano.

Henry was a very bright man who had more of a natural talent for music than his wife did but she had more formal training. He was more self-taught. He used to enjoy singing in the ward choir from time to time when he could. He loved it. Henry and Hazel would play together every so often in church while they lived in Mammoth, Utah.

Henry was a very capable and intelligent person. He was self-taught. He did not have much of a chance in getting an education. He had to work to help his mother.

He was one of the best linotype operators in the whole area. Whenever he would set type, he would proofread as he went. He did not have any grammatical errors or spelling errors. This is where he spent most of his time.

When he worked for "The Ogden Standard," he was the fastest typesetter. At first, the policy was that the more one could set type, the more one would be paid. Being the fastest, he would bring home about $65.00 a week. However, the company changed to paying employees on the straight time schedule. Henry brought home $60.00 a week. That meant a tighter family budget.

When Henry first started to learn the typesetting trade, it was done by placing individual type letters in a little hand holder. Than then would be slid into a galley. After that, it would be turned over to the print setter. When the typesetting machine came along, Henry operated and maintained that. He liked the typesetting machine much better.

When the family lived in Mammoth, Utah (mining town) up by Eureka for a year in 1918, Henry worked at a newspaper and print shop. He did not stay at that job because the town was going broke and everyone was heading to the valley. Dick was in the second grade. He remembers playing on the sand hills and going down to the piñon pine trees and gathering pinecones. The nuts would be taken out of the pinecones and roasted.

The children would also explore mineshafts that were in Mammoth. When it got to the point that they could not see daylight anymore, they would turn around and go back. It was dangerous. If their parents had known what they were doing, they would not have been allowed. In those days, there was no radio, television or even a telephone. At night when everyone was home, everyone would play cards. As the kids got older, they were involved in other activities.

He had a typesetting plant in which Harry and Dick used to work with their father. He would always find a job for them to do. Henry would pay them. It was not much but they got a little something. He would do the work on the newspaper. Harry and Dick learned the printing trade. They also did all the delivery, bills, clean up and melted the metal. A melting pot was used. In those days, Harry and Dick did not think it was too dangerous.

To be continued...

The photo of Eureka, Utah, is from www.flickr.com/photos/jotor/1154203540/. Photo of the piano keys from www.flickr.com/photos/mararie/3392087662/. Photo of the piñon pine from www.flickr.com/photos/razzumitos/697182524/.

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 4

The family lived in a number of homes. The first home in Ogden was on 30th and Grant Street. The smaller children attended Pingree Elementary School. Soon after moving into this house, measles spread through the family. A big quarantine sign with big black letters was nailed to the house.

The Wessman family stayed in that house for three months (spring of 1924). In the early summer of 1924, they moved to 24th and Madison. John woke up one morning and said he was not feeling very well, especially his throat… He had the mumps and the quarantine sign was hung back on their house.

Last of summer or winter of 1924, they moved one-half block from their previous address. It was on Quincy or Monroe Avenue. The smaller children attended Madison Elementary School while Harry and Dick went to Central Junior High. This was not an exactly favorable house even though it was newer. An irrigation canal ran under the house. When the cold air and wind got under the house, the floor would get sooooooooooooooo cold. It was awful. The family stayed upstairs as much as possible.

The spring of 1925, the family moved from 36th and Jefferson to another house at 3145 Adams Avenue. It was one block from their other home.

Henry was the disciplinarian. One had better behave or if Dad found out about it…

He had a short temper, very strict and one had better obey what he said. Discipline to the offending culprit usually consisted of a little boot with the side of his foot. Right in the bottom. It was not hard enough to hurt but enough to know that one had been chastised. Henry also believed that it was not acceptable to sit on the dining room table. Norinne remembers sitting on it anyway and her father nudging her gently off with his boot. Ernie said his dad never disciplined him.

The family had talent for music. Henry and Jean used to enjoy music together. He had a tenor voice that was pretty good. Especially when he sang with Jean. He learned music by studying with the Tabernacle Choir organist and other teachers. They were very enthusiastic about their playing and probably could be heard blocks away. If Henry heard a piece of music, he could play it by ear. He had perfect tone pitch. He liked to sing to his daughters the song called “Daddy's Little Girl.”

The family liked to get together to eat, play some music and sing. In the early years (1930s), Dick, John, Jean and Betty used to play music together. Dick was on the guitar or ukulele. John played the mandolin or accordion (which he got for Christmas 1930 or 1931) and Jean played a pretty mean mute and piano. She and Betty sang. The girls took piano lessons. When Norinne was younger, Henry held her up to a phone so she could sing while John played the accordion behind them. Jean had fun memories of her mother and father. There was music every night. Usually the classics were played. Her father played the popular songs of the time. Her mother and father enjoyed playing duets.

The children inherited their musical talent from their parents. In fact, some of the children had a music combo that played on the radio. In the group, were Jim Nerden, Carl Mansell, and Dick and John Wessman. Carl and Jim were singers. Jim played the harmonica. It was a 15-minute program once a week. The Wessman family did not have a radio during much of this time to listen to them. Around 1930 or 1931, they got a radio. That was a very popular thing. Elizabeth Ann Hayward gave her grandchildren their first radio. It had a battery set. It had to have wet cell batteries for it and a trickle charger. There were three dials on it that had to be tuned. It was complicated.

To be continued...

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 3

This respect for womanhood has carried on in more ways than one. Liz's son Willy asked Gam one time, "How come you treat ladies special?" Gam replied, “Because they are." The children were not allowed to sass or talk back to their mother without their father's wrath coming down on them.

Jean usually got up early in the morning (as everyone did back then). At times when her husband got off early in the morning from his night job, he would take her out for breakfast before they got the kids up. That was a benefit of having a large family. There was always someone to pitch in when necessary to help out with the daily events.

They would go out to dinner with friends or by themselves. The older kids would take care of the younger ones. They made many good friends among Henry's co-workers from the newspaper.

Henry loved to eat. He loved ice cream, candy (so did Jean), cheeses, fish, etc. One of his favorite foods was kippered salmon. It is a preserved fish that is almost like beef jerky. It would be cooked in water until it was tender. He also liked anchovies. He would open up a can and plop the anchovies in his mouth. His mother and brothers all liked it too.

Henry had certain political ideas. In those days, there were quite a few Democrats in Utah. He was a staunch Democrat. He definitely was not a Republican. He liked to learn about what was going on in the political arena of the society. He was pro-union and was a union man himself. This was partly due to his occupation. He felt that was the way to better his life and occupation in general. This was before "the right to work" philosophy. He never ran for office but he kept up on political events and voted. He always talked about things such as who was running for president and whom he would vote for.

Henry had a great sense of humor. He was always kidding. He usually had a good joke to tell. He enjoyed telling his wife jokes because she could never figure them out very fast. It would take her awhile. She then would start to laugh. Henry thought this was funny and cute. He liked to see how long it took her to understand the joke.

He was argumentative in the sense that he had his beliefs and he would argue his point. However, it was not just to argue for arguing sake. For instance, some of the kids and Henry were watching a baseball game. The catcher cheated by holding the batter's bat with his mitt so he could not swing. Henry went right up in the air and got in the game. He was told it was none of his business and he had better get out of there. He said that it was an unfair thing to do and it should not have been done. The excuse given was that everyone did it. Henry said, "Where have you seen that done?" The noncommittal reply was "all over." That did not happen again during the rest of that game.

Henry and Jean are described as hard working trying to raise their family. They were both family oriented. They enjoyed spending time with the family tremendously and worked at having a relationship with them in one way or another. The children also enjoyed it. His daughter Jean does not recall him ever being sad.

Jean and Henry's son John at Black Rock, c. 1940

One struggle that the Wessman parents had was feeding and clothing all the children. They always had the bare minimum. The clothes would be bought from the Wright Brothers or the J.C. Penney store. The girls got dresses and lace-up shoes. It was usually overalls and a blue shirt for the boys. The bib on the overalls would protect the shirt from getting dirty so fast. They usually got tennis shoes. They cost 50 cents. The better quality shoes were 75 cents to a dollar. Many of the neighborhood kids wore the same thing. Of course, the younger children would get the hand me downs from the older kids.

To be continued...

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 2

The two oldest children, Harry and Merle

Henry loved to read, as did many of his children. He loved to read Western stories that were published weekly. He liked the Zane Grey books. Different reading material was passed from person to person. It was definitely well used by the time the last person received it. His daughter Jean remembers staying up late with her dad and both would be reading. Jean (the mother) would come and lovingly chastise them for staying up so late. Many times, the father and daughter would not talk but it was very comfortable spending time together in this way. Jean loved being around him anytime she could. He would tease but not a lot. Jean called him “Daddy.” She said, “My father was a great father.”

John learned how to read with help from his sister Jean but also by reading the newspaper as Henry read it. John would stand in front of Henry and read it upside down. Henry would lovingly tease him and say, "You must be a printer. Can you read this the right way up?" Many of the other children could read upside down and from right to left instead of left to right. Is this because the printing skill was genetically in the family?!

Henry and his family always went to church while they lived in Mammoth, Utah. They belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He went to church a lot in his early years but in his later years when he moved to the city, he had to work quite a bit and could not go as often as he liked. When it came time for his children to be blessed and given a name, the family would do it in Henry John and Elizabeth Ann Hayward's ward in Salt Lake City. Church was a big part of his life even though he was not able to participate, as he wanted to.

No one is sure how Henry and Jean met. Some suspect that it may have been at a church function. It is also possible that they met in some sort of music activity. [Another history says that it was at a dancing class.] Jean's parents did not think it was a good idea for her to get interested so they thought it would be good for her to get away for awhile. They sent her away to Germany to study music. It did not make them forget each other. She was gone for a year. Sometimes Henry did not write as often to Jean as she wanted. One time, she sent a post card saying something to the effect "Henry, why haven't you written?" They married sometime after she returned to America.

He was very devoted to his wife. Henry liked to take Jean out on dates. One activity that was enjoyable was going out with his brother Joe and his wife Anna Wessman. They would like to play cards. Henry loved to play cards. When they would get together, someone always brought candy. John made sure he was around so he could kipe a piece if the situation arose. Someone would come and stay with the kids so they could have time together.

Henry adored his wife. They were a close couple. They always seemed to have a sparkle of romance in their eyes for each other. Is that why they had 14 children? He would show his love by bringing her little special things. He would bring little seafood dishes, desserts, and nippy cheeses that he really liked to share with his spouse.

He tried very hard to take good care of her.

He taught his sons mainly through example that they should reverence womanhood. He did this in many ways. When Hazel was sick, had a baby or anything like that, a woman would come into the home and help. Many times, it meant more strain on the budget, but Henry felt that it was important for his wife to have that help.

During the times that Jean was feeling bad or her health was poor, Henry would make breakfast and lunch for the kids. This was a great support to her. When the woodwork needed cleaning, it was the boy’s job because "cleaning woodwork is not a woman's job." The girls did light work like vacuuming.

He was kind to his wife in so many ways. She knew that she was truly loved and valued by him.

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman: A Biography, Part 1

Here is another wonderful history by Toni Wyeth.

Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman was born in Göteborg, Sweden in 1885. He and his family belonged to the Lutheran Church. He was christened and given the biblical name of Emanuel. It was the custom of the church at that time. As an adult, Henry had light brown hair with a little gray. He was fair complexioned. He was in pretty good health except for ulcers. “Feeding 14 kids would give anyone ulcers.” He was a quiet and a loving family man.

Over in Sweden, Henry used to go down to the fjords to where the ships would come in. He used to explore the ships. He would go down into the hulls and see what they brought in. It was quite the adventure for that young lad. His diet consisted mainly of seafood. Henry also always loved to swim. He and his brothers (Joe and Herb) would dive off the docks. It was in the Baltic Sea that he learned how to swim as a little tyke. He was good at it.

When Henry was six or eight years old, he came over from Sweden for religious convictions. The family had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He did not know a word of English. His oldest sisters came over first with some other convert families. His father (who was a sailor) came home from sea and asked where his daughters were. Amanda told him "they were with friends." It is unknown when or what he did when he found out that they had gone to America. Amanda came over with her three sons (Herb, Henry and Joe). [Amanda came with Joe in 1893. I don’t know when Herbert and Henry came. Another source notes that they came before Amanda and Joseph. I cannot find the immigration records for the four older children.] Amanda’s husband came over when his time of military service was over for Sweden. It is unknown who the family stayed with when they first got to Utah. Henry's father got a job as a sheep man up in Kamas, Utah. That was where he was when he died.

Henry learned to spell and punctuate by reading the western novels that he used to sell. He was self-taught. He went to school but did not get very far with only three years of formal education. As soon as he learned the English language, he got a job as soon as he could find one. He learned the language pretty well and did not have too hard of a time. He could not stand it when anyone would murder the English language by saying such things such as "I done it” or "I ain't got none." He thought it was important to speak correctly.

His mother Amanda Matilda Hall Wessman, however, did have a hard time learning English. She had a thick accent that was at times hard to understand. It was obvious that she was a typical Swede. Her husband was not around and so no one can remember about his accent but he probably had one.

Henry would get angry with his mother when she tried to converse too much in Swedish with him. He could still talk and understand it but he felt that since they were in America that they should speak English. Amanda felt more comfortable speaking in her native language. Even in his later years, Henry had a slight Swedish accent.

When Amanda died February 15, 1931, her body lay in state in her home that was on Fourth Avenue and E Street. Norinne (4 1/2 years old) remembers her father lifting her up to see her.

After reaching maturity, Henry was not really tall. He was about 5'6" - 5'8" and about 135-140 pounds. He had gray eyes and wore round lens glasses that made him look European. The first thing that he did in the morning was to put on his glasses. He had to have them in order to shave, read the newspaper, etc. His sight was so poor. He was in his mid-teens when he first got glasses. He had a full head of hair. He was quite the fine-looking man.


To be continued...

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 8

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In her older years (1952-1959), Jean lived with her daughter Jean at 2505 Commonwealth Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jean would read and talk with JoAnn Shirts (granddaughter) by the hours about family history and family stories. They would read out of the book series Heart Throbs of the West. These books dealt with the pioneer history.

Jean loved her tea. She always fixed it in the morning and afternoon. Many times, she would take her tea and go sit in the sun. This was her quiet time. She loved being in the sunshine with her favorite breakfast of toast and tea. John Shirts (grandson) was quite the active lad. When he would start being active and it bothered her, she wouldn't say anything. However, she would give him that "look" that meant, "You're bothering me."

Jean had a bird that she loved. She would make sure it had fresh food and water everyday. After she started having strokes and could not do it anymore, it made her furious. The stroke affected her one side of the body. It made eating hard. Since it affected her throat, she had to have baby food or some type of liquid. It was easier to swallow. After the stroke, she could not play the piano. This made her depressed and very unhappy.

Jean was so quiet and never said much. She kept things to herself. One of her greatest strengths was that of handling loss and the problems that came her way with strength and dignity. This was due to her faith. She did her own thing basically in the sense that she was no bother to anyone. She liked being part of a family situation and did not feel as if she had to be the center of attention. She was very accepting of who you were. She did not make too many comments.

Jean had heart problems for which she took digitalis. She would say that she was having "palpitations." Due to her health problems, she had a hard time doing the everyday things such as bathing, walking etc. She would not call for help. There were many times that her son-in-law Joe picked her off the floor and put her to bed. Joe and Jean got her a little bell to ring if she needed anything. However, she refused to use it. She wanted to do it all on her own. She did not want to be a problem in anyway to anyone at anytime.

She had been sick for a while with thrombosis (blood clots) in her leg. She had even lost the feel of her leg due to that. She was on a blood thinner. It was necessary for her to go over to the hospital and have her blood tested. The doctor told her that she had to have a little wine to help strengthen her blood. She refused it even for medical purposes.

She was worried about her health but thought that generally she was all right. To some it seemed to happen so fast. The night that she died, she tried to manage on her own and Joe ended up carrying her to bed. Later on that night, Jean (daughter) thought she heard her mother call her. She listened again and heard nothing. A few minutes later, Jean went in to check on her mother. She found her sitting on the edge of the bed with her head leaning against the headboard. She had a sudden heart attack and died.

Jean was a very good mother. She was the glue that held the family together. She (along with Henry) are described as hard working while trying to raise their family. Especially with 14 kids! They worked constantly in some way to have a relationship with their children. 

A dream and goal that Jean had was that her children would be the best that they could be in all areas of their lives. She always wanted them to be happy. She was so very proud of her family.

Photo of Heart Throbs from www.amazon.com/HEART-THROBS-WEST-Treating-Definite/dp/B000M80KZA.

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 7

Jean played the prelude music at her husband's funeral. They were songs that he especially enjoyed. Liebestraum was one song. The funeral was big. One of his friends from the newspaper came and gave a good talk. Harry's father-in-law, James Fowlie, supplied a car from his construction company so the family could go in it. The funeral was in Ogden but the burial was in Salt Lake.

The children did most of the housework as they did previously anyway. The older kids (as already stated) went out and tried to find a job. Harry was the only child married at the time. It was in the middle of the depression and no one had work.

Dick would sometimes haul people out to farms to harvest onions and things like that. He would get onions for his pay. He had an old truck that was hand to haul people, onions, etc. Dick also worked on what was called street gangs that shoveled snow, swept schools, shoveled coal etc. It was hard work but any job was gratefully accepted due to the poor job market. Getting a job was basically taken one month at a time. It might be quite awhile before getting another job.

At that time, city employment was such that it was very limited. It was maybe a month’s work. They would be paid in scripts (coupons). They could only buy groceries and clothing. They could be used at any store.

She belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had a strong testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and of the church. Jean always went to church. She would not let down her beliefs. She refused to even make coffee.

In their earlier years, Henry would always go to church with her and the family. However, when they moved to the city, he had to work quite a bit so he could not go as often as he wanted to. Church was a big part of both their lives. When some of her children stopped going to church, that broke her heart. She never stopped loving her children and accepted them for who they were. She loved them to the utmost.

She shared her talent of music in church. She was the church organist. She loved to go to church and play the organ. Jean played for different ward organizations while in the Parley's Stake. At first, the ward was on 21st South and 21st East. Then a new chapel was built on Stringham Avenue.

While the family lived in Mammoth, Utah (mining town) in the year of 1918, Henry and Jean would play together in church. Henry worked at a newspaper and print shop there. It did not last very long because the town was going broke and the employment possibilities were better in the cities.

Elizabeth Ann Pugsley Hayward recorded in a small notebook about her daughter:

Hazel Jean Hayward-daughter born March 30, 1884 and blessed June 5, 1887 by Bishop Kesler. She was baptized by Elder Hilton on June 6, 1895 and confirmed August 1, 1895 by Bishop Kesler. She married Henry R.E. Wessman on November 25, 1908.

To be continued...

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 6

Jean lived with her daughter Jean and Jean’s husband Joe in her later years. She loved and enjoyed having the kids and grandkids come see her. However, she did not like to stay anywhere over night. Jean was good with kids. Her great-grandson Scott (grandson of her daughter Jean) would go into her room every morning, put his little hand on her cheek, and say good morning. She could also console about any baby. She would plop the baby face down on her lap and it would settle down. She had the magic touch.

Jean and Joe Shirts and family.

Keith and Lilly did not know if their first boy was going to live week to week. Due to damage around the brain, the doctors said that Buddy would not be able to do certain things. The young lad always made liars out of them. Jean was always concerned about how her grandson was doing. She would visit them from time to time. That was quite the thing for her since she was not feeling very well herself back in those days. Buddy loved being with grandma. He would recognize her and giggle. She was very close to him and wanted to spend as much time as possible with Buddy.

Keith and Lilly Wessman and family.

She was always concerned about all of her grandchildren. She knew some of the problems that growing up entailed. She also wanted to know what was going on in their lives. As with her children, she wanted her grandchildren to be happy.

She had the knack of making people use their thinking power. She was the ultimate on making comments to make people think. She also had the ability to put things in perspective. Even though she was very quiet and did not share much personally, she knew what was going on. She also had the talent of being very organized. She liked things to be in order. Everything had its place.

Lorraine Wessman's (Paul's wife) first impression of Jean is that of being a very lovely person. Jean had gone to the movies with Paul and Lorraine before they were married.

Paul and Lorraine Wessman and family.

The family always had a house with electricity. Back then, that was not the case with many families. When television came into being, she was not too crazy about it. She thought it was a waste of time. She would rather play the piano. However, she thought it was remarkable.

Jean was very active in politics. She was Democratic. However, she was not as active like her famous political mother. Her mother was a very strong Democrat.

It was very hard when an animal (which they always had) or loved one died. Ernie remembers at the age of five when his grandfather died. It was about 1927 and the Wessman family was living on Van Buren Street in Ogden.

When her beloved Henry died, that too was very difficult. She felt overwhelmed many times. He had left Jean a little insurance money, which did help some, but times were still tough. The money lasted about two years.

She coped very well even though it was very difficult. She was heart broken and wept. Some of the children only remember the empty stillness of the house during that time. Jean (daughter) remembers going into the bathroom and crying all by herself. She does not remember anything else about that day.

Henry had a hernia that had bothered him for many years. He also suffered from ulcers later on. His wife made him eggnog to take to work hoping that it would help in someway. Henry had gotten sick with ulcer complications and so a couple of doctors were called in for consultation. The decision was made to take him to the hospital. The condition of peritonitis was too far advanced to save him. At that time, there were no antibiotics or painkillers. It was very difficult for Jean to watch her husband suffer so much in pain. He had done so much for her when her health was poor but at this point of time, she could not help him. That bothered her. She did not want him to be in pain. The death of Henry took many by surprise especially his children.

Dick had been away from home a couple of years working and he had just got home before his father died. Henry talked to Dick, Harry and Jean at the hospital. He told them that they would have to pull together and scrape together a living. He had told Jean that he could not go through this illness again. He knew that he was dying. He had been through something similar years earlier when he was 13. He almost died then with peritonitis.

After talking, the family left the room for a short while. Joe Wessman was in Salt Lake and wanted to come to Ogden to see his brother. However, he could not leave his business unattended. Therefore, Dick went to take care of the business so Joe could go. That was when Henry died a very painful death.

To be continued...

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 5

Jean’s mother Elizabeth Ann Pugsley Hayward would come and visit with Jean. There usually was a basket full of mending. She would mend stockings, overalls, skirts, etc. She would sit and visit with her daughter Jean while doing this. The kids just basically sat and listened to them talk. They would go over what was happening in their life. Elizabeth Ann was a very dignified lady from the "old school." When the kids to a little rowdy, she would put her glasses on the tip of her nose and look at them.

Elizabeth Ann Pugsley Hayward

Dick remembers his mother always being there, cleaning house, playing piano, singing and things like that. She had a sewing machine that had an electric motor on it. That was very unusual at the time. The kids would run it because they liked the noise it made. Of course, this was not done when their mother was around.

Jean fought tooth and nail about Keith going into the service during World War II. Finally, she said that he was going to be 18 on his next birthday and there was nothing she could do to stop him. She signed for him to go a month before he turned 18. She was a good letter writer to all her sons in the service even though others may or may not have been. Ernie and Keith frequently sent letters home to their mother. Getting mail to Keith was tricky because he was on the ship.

Jean kept herself busy during the war by writing letters. It wasn't only to her sons. She answered every letter that was sent to her. She also spent time with the girls that were in Salt Lake. She enjoyed that. Sometimes, she would do choir work. At times, she would be the organist in almost all the church organizations that she was involved in. She always kept busier than usual.

She was so tickled and relieved when all her seven sons came home from the war. She was very blessed as not one son was killed in action. Dick had very serious injuries. He was knocked off an engine scaffold and had several broken bones. He came home from Europe in a cast from his waist to his shoulders. Even though Dick came through it very well, Jean had her heart twisted knowing that her son was hurt like that.

She almost had a heart attack (not really) when Keith almost did not go on his mission. She had the bishopric and priesthood leaders working on him. Finally, he made the commitment to go and she was delighted. She was worried about him. She never was tough but she did keep encouraging and reminding him of what he should be doing and all that. She was always interested in how his hard work came out especially when missionary times were tough. He was in good health so she did not have to worry about that aspect. However, she did.

Jean had many priesthood blessings due to her health during her life. They were always fulfilled. One benefit that she had as a result was that all her bishops were very close to her. They watched over her very carefully. They were very concerned about her and the children. They wanted to take care of this wonderful widow and her family.

Bruce McConkie was a good friend and was also very concerned about her. He was always checking up on the Wessman family. He had a soft spot in his heart for her. Church leaders were always there for her trying to make her life easier and happier. If it was not the Bishop, it was the Stake President or the fantastic Relief Society (as Keith calls it). They took good care of the family.

A fun time (for the kids anyway) was the time that the family had to leave the house on Adams Avenue in Burch Creek and they went to the house in Salt Lake on E Street. They had to camp out in Weber Canyon for ten days. There was a lot of fishing, swimming, ball, hiking and rock throwing. After that, for a short period of time while the house deal was still being closed, the family stayed at one of Elizabeth Ann Hayward's places. It was on University Street.

Jean loved to walk. She would walk whenever she could. Many times after many of the children were gone, she would take Norinne and Marilyn with her. They would just walk or go visit someone.

To be continued...

Henry and Jean married in 1908. Records from the 1910, 1920, and 1930 U. S. Censuses show them living at different locations around Utah.

1910 U. S. Census. Henry and Jean were living at 261 West Second North in Salt Lake City. Merle was born in 1909 but is not listed. Perhaps she was in the hospital?

1920 U. S. Census. Henry and Jean were living at 1158 Roosevelt Avenue in Salt Lake City. In the ten years since the prior census, they had gone from one child to seven: Merle (10), Harry (8), Richard (7), Paul (5), Jean (3 and 10/12), John (2 and 8/12), and Elizabeth (1 and 2/12). The census notes that they owned their home and had a mortgage.

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1930 U. S. Census. Henry and Jean were living at 3602 Jefferson Avenue in Burch Creek (South Ogden), Weber County, Utah. Also at home were: Henry (18), Merle (20), Richard (17), Paul (15), Jean (14), John (12), Elizabeth (11), Phillip (10), Ernest (8), Gammon (6), Keith (4), Norinne (3), Boyd (2), and Babe (0) (Marilyn, the youngest). They were paying $20 a month in rent. Henry R. E. Wessman died two years later.

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Historical Music

For all the musicians among the descendants of Jean and Henry Wessman, you can find historical sheet music at the Johns Hopkins Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. 

It's an amazing collection, with over 29,000 pieces of popular music from 1780 to 1980, much of it available for download.

I just sight read through "Sonny Boy" and "There's A Long, Long Trail," two of the songs mentioned in the previous post about all the music in the Wessman home. Lovely pieces, both of them.

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 4

Jean loved household plants and canaries. When she would play the piano, the canaries would just sing away. Jean would sing as she worked around the house. She and Henry seemed happiest when the kids gathered around (there were always many children around) and they sang together. The popular songs of that era and the WWI songs were forever played in their home such as "Sonny Boy," "Long Long Trail," "Mighty Like A Rose” ["Mighty Lak' a Rose"]. They would also play songs such as “Poet and Peasant Overture," "Invitation to the Dance,” etc. Jean would be the one who usually started playing first.

Sonny Boy


Long, Long Trail


 Mighty Lak' A Rose


Poet and Peasant Overture


Invitation to the Dance

Liz remembers waking up to her parents playing duets. As the years went on, Jean would share the enjoyment of the piano with her family, friends or whoever would hear her. It was easy to enjoy listening to her. Many times, her grandkids would sit and just listen to her as her hands spread across the keys of the piano with great skill and ease.

The children remember spending evenings together. There were many enjoyable times. Distractions outside the home at that time were not as convenient or available as it is now. The family was very close. This closeness has translated itself through the years because the children get together whenever they can even though they live in different places and are involved in different activities. There is still a bond between the children.

Henry and Jean really enjoyed music together. Jean was highly trained in music to a concert level. Henry did not have any training but loved to sing together. They played duets often on the piano to such an enthusiastic level that could be heard blocks away.

The children were also musically inclined. Many enjoyable memories for Norinne were made with her mother when they would play duets together. Around 1930-31, John got an accordion for Christmas. Dick played quite well also on the guitar, ukulele and mandolin. They played quite a bit together. Keith took up the accordion and the girls took piano lessons. They were good at it. Hazel tried to teach Keith the piano, but he never took to it.

There was a musical combo that played on the radio. In this combo, were Jim Nerdon, Carl Mansell, John and Dick Wessman. Carl and Jim were both pretty good singers. Jim played the harmonica. It was a 15-minute program once a week. The Wessman family did not have a radio during much of this time to listen to them. Around 1930 or 31, they got a little radio from Jean's mother. It was their first radio and very popular. It had a battery set. It had to have wet cell batteries for it and a trickle charger. There were three dials on it that had to be tuned. It was complicated.

After that radio, they got what they called the "baby grand." The neighbors would come in and listen to Amos 'n' Andy, and the radio programs of the day. Not many people had a radio those days and so it was quite the novelty. The favorite programs were Amos 'n' Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly and The Great Gildersleeve.

Jean was practically walking on air because she was so excited to play the Tabernacle organ for a Relief Society conference on the day that Keith and Lily got married. She was so tickled.

She would go down to Salt Lake from Ogden once a week to see a friend where they would have musical discussions and practice together. She also enjoyed being in the opera club in Salt Lake. Whenever she had a few minutes to spare or wanted to enjoy herself, she would play the piano. Jean pursued music all her life until shortly before she died. When she had a stroke, she was not able to play the piano and that bothered her immensely.

Photo of the organ from www.flickr.com/photos/lljohnston/3981655849/.

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 3

Ten of the Wessman children.

Family was the first priority with Jean. She however was not a disciplinarian. She usually would start crying. It could be heard, "Don't make mom cry." Henry did more of the disciplining. The children were not allowed to sass or talk back to their mother without their father's wrath coming down on them.

She would get bent out of shape when the kids didn't do the household job that they were given. She felt that they had a job to do and they had better do it.

Family entertainment was mostly music, playing cards (Rummy, Hearts etc.), riding in the car and picnics. They would also go to resorts such as Saratoga and Warm Springs in Salt Lake to go swimming.

Life was never boring in the home with so many children. When the family lived on Adams Avenue in Ogden, they lived in a two-story house with a big attic. To get into the attic, one had to go through the trap door that leads there. Ernie was about six years old and Liz was going to help him up. She got there first and started to pull him up by holding his hands. Ernie was part way up when someone called her name. She said "What?" and at the same time let go of Ernie's hands. He fell all the way down. The next thing that he knew he was wobbling down the stairs. Jean asked, "What in the world happened to you?" Ernie replied, "Betty just dropped me out of the attic." He then keeled over and needed to be revived by his mother. The wind must have been knocked out of him.

Another time, some of her children with their friends snuck in to an irrigation pond that was called either Ellison or Beuss Pond. Liz almost drowned but someone saved her. She was scared to death and wouldn't go back in. A friend named Owen threw her back in so she would not have a fear of the water.

The whole bunch of kids made a deal that they would not tell anyone what happened. Especially to their parents. They were afraid of the repercussions if the situation was made known. Jean (the daughter) does not know who squealed but someone did. Henry and Jean found out about the incident by reading about it in the newspaper. What an interesting way to find out what happened!!!

One night, Norinne was sleep walking and walked out the second story window of their home. Jean heard her daughter crying but did not know what had happened. She had someone go check on her. Jean then realized that the crying came from outside. Norinne does not remember going out the window. She does remember being in her parent's bed and her mother was showing her the mud that was covering her nightgown. She had gotten muddy when she ran outside to get her daughter. Norinne was not hurt. Henry soon came home from work also to make sure that she was all right. Someone had told him about the incident.

Jean was scrubbing the kitchen floor in her bare feet. Keith was in the bathroom (just off of the kitchen) taking a bath. He was about seven or eight years old. She said that she just got done and needed to wash her feet so she could get her socks and shoes on. She came and sat on the edge of the tub and put her feet in the water. She slipped right into the water. It ended up that she popped Keith up in the air and he ended sitting on top of her. It was a big surprise but they laughed about it for many, many years.

Keith's first memories of his parents are of taking two cars loads full of family and friends and going up to the canyons to camp, eat, swim and play ball. On Saturdays, Jean made bread. She would also cook beans all day. After coming home from the canyons, the family would sit and eat biscuits and beans. Keith learned to love biscuits and beans from this experience. Dick loved to watch Jean cook.

To be continued...