Mother was always the first one up in the morning. She would always start the fire in the coal stove. It was the boy’s chore to see that there was plenty of coal and wood for her. She would cook cereal and often pancakes and eggs. She baked thirteen loaves of bread every other day. We girls would help make sack lunches for all those who could not come home at noon. She was well organized. Monday was wash day, she would soak the white clothes the night before, wring them into hot, soapy water in a hand powered washing machine (until the electric ones came out). She would boil the whites on the stove for twenty minutes, wring them into rinse water that had blueing in it, then wring them out and hang them up to dry. What lines we had all over the backyard!
Tuesday was ironing day. She would iron all of the men’s shirts, and we girls would iron the dresses and handkerchiefs. The rest of the week was spent baking and darning socks.
On Sundays, Father would take the older children to Sunday School and Priesthood meeting. Mother would stay home with the little ones. Our Sacrament Meetings were at 6:30 P.M., so Mother went to that and one of the older girls would stay home with the little ones. After church we would stand around the piano and sing hymns and all the popular songs.
How well I remember our Sunday dinners. It was the time we are in the front room with the best china and silverware, with thirteen at the table. Mother would prepare a huge rump roast of beef or leg of lamb, riced potatoes and gravy, vegetables, salad and lemon pie or layer cake. Her Parker House Rolls were wonderful. Monday she would make stew from the roast and on Tuesday it would be soup.
Our groceries were delivered from ZCMI once a week. We younger ones would run to the neighborhood store for yeast cakes every other day. After we bought our car, Beulah would take Mother to a store on North Temple, which was owned by her brother-in-law for her roasts. We little ones would try to go to get an all-day sucker. On Saturday, Beulah would take mother to Ephraim Creamery for gallons of milk, then to ZCMI for cinnamon rolls. That was our favorite Saturday evening meal.
During the canning season, mother would go to the Farmer’s Market and bring bushels of peaches, pears, tomatoes, apples and other vegetables. We would can 300 quarts of fruit. All of the older ones were working and Betty and Hazel were in training at the Hospital, so it was Melissa’s and my job to do most of the housework. We would do the evening dishes, harmonizing as we worked. Saturday, we would take turns doing the upstairs or downstairs. Mother taught us how to sew and cook. Our clothes were simple, a corduroy dress or sweater and skirt for school, and a nice Sunday dress. I wore long black stockings and button shoes that I buttoned with a button hook.
Mother wore long cotton dresses with a long white apron over them. We never know when she was pregnant—we didn’t know the word. I was one of the young ones, so I would be told, “We have a new baby” after the arrival. Mother had a nurse, May McFarlane, and she would stay with us for about a month. Dr. Hansen was our Doctor.
Mother loved nice hats and she would always have one nice dress to wear to church.
In the latter part of their lives, Beulah was their constant companion. She took them to church and shopping. Betty was on hand to give them any medical attention they needed. Father kept busy taking care of his apartments and watering the lawns. Mother loved her cooking and keeping the house clean. We married children loved visiting them and bringing our children into their home.
Father died peacefully in our home on November 17th, 1951 at the age of 83.
Mother passed away five years later November 25th, 1957 at the age of 84.
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