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Ella May Ogden King

I was born 29 Sept. 1893 in Kaysville, Davis Co., Utah. I was the third child of Edward Garratt Ogden and Louisa Charlotta Johnson Ogden. When I was three years of age my family moved to Provo Bench (Lindon later known as Orem) where we lived 20 years. (Taken from her mother's autobiography)

Before moving to Provo Bench, we had other troubles too. When our third daughter, Ells was 9 months old, I went to a dentist whose office was in his home. His wife was doing some fancy needle work. I remember that she lost her needle but I did not think anymore about it. My baby was crawling and playing on the floor. She was such a bright, pretty curly-headed little girl! That night she was very sick. We took her to a doctor. He worked with her making ice packs for inflammation of the stomach. We took her home and later the doctor came to see how she was. She had had a large movement that looked like coffee grounds. He did not say anything to me but he told the neighbors that she had had an internal hemorrhage and he did not have much hope for her.

After a few days she seemed much better. Then suddenly she swelled up so I could not dress her. The doctor was much puzzled and suggested that we take her to a doctor in Salt Lake City. This was about a year after her first attack. Then she developed kidney trouble. The Salt Lake doctor made tests but could not understand why she should pass blood. Then she got better and seemed fine.

Suddenly one night her heart began making a peculiar hissing sound. I took her to a specialist. He laughed saying, "She was born with that. It may have grown worse, but there is not one thing I can do for her." In a few days it was gone and she was feeling better. our doctor said, "This is surely peculiar."

Some months passed. The children got measles. She got them and seemed to be over them with no ill effects. Then one night she went into convulsions which lasted four days and nights. It was terrible to see. We had two doctors and two nurses to attend her. They told me if I would just go out of the room she would pass away. But I couldn't stay long away from her. On the fourth night the convulsions stopped suddenly, but she was paralyzed. However I did not feel guilty that I did not stay away and let her die.

I worked with her to bring back the circulation in her body. She had to learn to walk and talk again. I knew she was saved and I was happy.

One day she was trying to get around on the floor when she screamed and said, "I hurt me." Her hip was locked. I took her to Provo to a doctor who had seen her in convulsions the year before. He gave me some medicine but she would not swallow it. He said to me, "You are paying for your determination to keep her. It will be this way all her life." In a few days the hip was better and she was trying to walk.

Sometime later she said, "I hurt my knee." The knee was set. It could not be moved and caused great pain. Then sometime later I could feel something hard which seemed to be coming down her leg. I took her to our doctor in American Fork. He said, "There is surely something in there. If you will hold her I will see if I can get it." When he made the incision she did not move but continued to play with a doll he had given her. He could not locate it, so I said, "Let me try." I found it farther down the leg and pushed it to the cut, then he got it out. It was a fine embroidery needle. The doctor said, "There is the cause of all your trouble. That needle traveled from her stomach to her brain causing convulsions, then down through her body "

(This remained a problem throughout her life. Her teachers did not understand her. The peripheral sensory nerves were dulled. She was not very sensitive to temperature. She could be in a cold room and be comfortable. Very fine coordination's of hands left much to be desires. However she still had a good mind and was a good manager) M.J.W.

Then we moved to Provo in order that my sisters and I could go to school. The flu epidemic put whole families in bed. I left school and helped with the nursing. That made an end to my formal education: just one year of College.

(In 1916 Ella's family moved to Salt Lake City so her "Papa" could do temple work which brought him great pleasure in his old age and failing health. They rented a big house across the street north from the Temple grounds, where mother took in boarders and roomers.

Ella's father met a young man at the temple, the son of his dead sister's husband. Papa brought him home to met the family and thus Ella met Henry. After a courtship of 2 months they were married in the Salt Lake City on 19 April 1919. on the third anniversary of their civil marriage they went to the Salt Lake L.D.S. Temple for a temple marriage and to have Grant Ogden sealed to them) Merriam

In 1928 my husband and family and I moved to the Eighth Ward in Salt Lake. During this time I taught Primary and was a Relief Society block teacher. I also did some genealogy and attended the temple with my husband.

In 1934, Henry and I were called on a special six months mission to the Salt Lake Temple.

In 1935 we moved to South Gate Ward, 2702 South Main St. where we bought a home. Here I was a Relief Society block teacher.

In 1939 Grant enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. This same year, Merriam, Adell and I went on a trip to Jerome, Idaho, to attend a King Reunion. Then to Seattle, Washington and Oakland, California. At Oakland a telephone call awaited us saying Henry was very ill. I returned immediately to Salt Lake City but left the girls in Oakland. They followed in a couple of weeks.

Henry had rheumatic fever and heart trouble. In due time he came home from the hospital but was unable to work. So in 1941, the doctor recommended that we move to a warmer climate, like Phoenix, Arizona. We took his advice and did move to Phoenix. Henry seemed to improve for a while but passed away 8 March 1947.

In July 1945, we had purchased a home at 301 East Flower St. at which residence I now live. My family are now all married.

1950 by Ella May Ogden King

(At the age when most grandmothers sit and reminisce about the days when they reared their children, Ella King, my mother, is in the midst of rearing another family of young children. Seven years ago it became necessary to take over the task of being both mother and grandmother to her daughter Olive's three youngest children, Madge, Gary and Mary Buchner, ages 13, 12 and 9.

She can tell you it was no small job to take upon herself this great responsibility. However, the rewards of rearing a family late in life, according to mother are many. "They keep one young and in pace with the world.") Merriam July 1965

1970. Olive is still too weak and ill to care for her children. I saw Ella last summer. She is as healthy and vigorous as I have ever seen her. She's a great lady in spite of her handicap. M.J.W.

 

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