Contact Us Podcasts Store Registration Home

Hannah Elizabeth Yates Thompson

 THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HANNAH ELIZABETH YATES THOMPSON

Hannah Elizabeth Yates Thompson daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Francis Yates. Born at Scipio, Millard Co., Utah, February 1, 1865. Was the first child of my father and the fifth of my mother. Had the honor of being born in a dugout as my parents came from England in the October of 1863 and lived one year in Lehi where my father's brother William Yates lived and in the October of 1864 they removed to Scipio and it was too late in the year to get logs from the canyon to build a house so they built a dugout to live in during the winter and they were quite in style as dugouts were very fashionable in those days and it was in this humble abode that I first appeared upon this field of action and was blessed and named by my father when eight days old. My mother had the rare tact of making a home out of any surrounding. Brother George Q. Cannon and wife spent a night with my father and mother while living in this home and said years afterwards that he had never in his life spent a more comfortable night than he had spent in that dugout.

Sixteen months after my birth my sister Sarah Louisa (or Louie as we always called her) was born and from that time to the time of her marriage we were separated scarcely a day. Then came dear sweet, patient little Emily Francis (or Emmie) ten days before I was three years old and my sweet mother had three babies to care for in a new country, away from relatives and friends, and very little to do with and no help as my father, who was never very robust had to clear land and break up the soil with very crude farm implements and a yoke of young steers for a team. And he felt very thankful for these as cattle of any kind were very scarce articles. And mother with her three babies had to manufacture and make everything the family wore and most of the things she used such as tallow candles, lye from grease, wood ashes for breaking the water for washing and for making soap and a hundred and one things that we would think it impossible to do. They had never known anything about hard work before coming to America as my father had clerked in a store and mother was the only daughter in a family of boys and had never had anything harder to do than to help her mother.

Before I was six years old my brother, Thomas Jarvis (named for my father and his brother) was born and was the only brother I ever had. The next child who only lived a year and nine months and died with cholera infantum. And Emily died with Typhoid Fever in her 13th year. My mother and I had typhoid at the same time and it was feared I would die before my father returned from my sister's funeral. My sister, Louie, had walking typhoid at the same time, and would keep around all day but was delirious at night and my brother who was growing rapidly and having irregular meals during our sickness had two or three fits or convulsions from indigestion so we certainly had a time of sickness and sorrow especially after my dear mother was stricken but our lives were all spared with the exception of my sister, Emily.

I shall never forget the kindness of the people of our ward for we were never left alone night or day. I especially remember with gratitude "Aunt Emily" Thompson as everybody called her and I sometimes wonder if I would be here now if it hadn't been for her splendid nursing as she came four blocks 3 or 4 times a day to care for me. (Typist's note: I had written on my copy of this in my Book of Remembrance, "? "Aunt Emily" - Orville Browning Thompson's wife, Emily Lydia Snyder?) As soon as we were old enough to go to school we were sent to Sister Ann C. Martin's school (Typist's note: Jesse B. Martin's wife). School-marm as she was always called who was set apart by President Young for that work. She had two log rooms one of which was cleared out during the day for a school room. Our desks were made by boring holes in the log walls and driving oak sticks two or three feet long into the holes and upon these thick planks were laid for desks and we had to do as little wiggling as possible or the plank would fall and down would go our precious book and slate (that is of those who were so fortunate as to possess such articles.)

When I first started to school the advanced students had a queer mixture of books one in the class may have a Bible, one a novel, one a history and another a Mcguffys reader in fact anything containing reading. But the chart class or beginners all read from a chart on the wall containing our A-B-C's as we called them and figures. Then came the Wilson's readers and three or four scholars would use one book, the first reading a verse and passing it on down the line each one reading a verse in turn and when we were wealthy enough to have a book for two students we thought nothing could be grander, sometimes a boy and a girl had to read from the same book in class and the boys were boys then just as they are today and delighted in teasing the girls by not turning the page in time. And I remember one little girl calling out "School Ma-rm, make George Monroe turn over."

We had no lessons to get at home as all we studied was reading, writing, arithmetic and spelling. Sister Martin charged a small tuition and took anything she could use in raising her family such as vegetables, butter, pork, tallow candles or even spinning, weaving or knitting. After leaving her school we were promoted to a mans school who would be hired by the term of three months but often our teachers were changed two or three times during a term. Perhaps a teacher would leave without a days warning and school would be closed weeks or months while the country was scoured to find another.

We all dressed very much alike as boys and girls, men and women as far as they could afford it. Had a new suit of homespun cloth in the Fall worn all winter and by Spring it would be thin enough for Summer wear and would last till Fall again. I shall never forget how proud my sister and I were when we were 8 or 9 years old and mother made us a dress each of blue denim and trimmed with red braid.

Then times began getting better as the train came into Salt Lake with supplies and we began using calico, lawns, flannels, delaines and challis and didn't have to run to the neighbors to borrow a shovelful of coals to start our fire if we forgot to cover the coals up with ashes at night for by this time matches were only 25 cents a box. A few years previous to this tea was five dollars a pound. Sugar a dollar for brown and $1.25 for white Calico and very thin fabric a dollar a yard and a spool of thread 25 cents when you could get them but the nearest store was in Nephi 40 miles away and wasn't much larger than a good sized packing case so they were usually out of supplies.

I heard my mother once say that she sold a water bucket full of butter worked into solid for one pound of sugar which she bought before I was born and had some of it left when my sister Emily (three year younger than I) was born as she used it only to sweeten the baby's medicine.

My sister Louie and I were baptized by John Quarrenberg into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints September 20, 1874. She being 8 years old and I 9. My father was baptized May 29, 1853, but my mother didn't accept the gospel until she was 18 or 19 years old, being the only member of her family to embrace the true gospel.

Before the organization of the Primary Association myself and sister with 8 or 9 other little girls organized a club we called the "Little Relief Society". We had a president, secretary and treasurer. I being the secretary and my sister Louie, Treasurer. My mother furnished us the books and taught us how to keep them. We held a meeting each week having a program afterwards piecing quilt blocks. When we had sufficient for a quilt we took a contribution to get sufficient calico for setting it together and lining. Some of the sisters donated wool which Ida McArthur and I carded into batts (the only carding I ever did) and we children set it together and quilted it doing every stitch from beginning to end ourselves.

Soon after, a destitute family from Sweden who lost all their belongings during transportation moved into our town and we took our highly prized quilt and presented to them and of all the presents I ever made in my life that did me the most good. The dear old lady was so grateful and we were as grateful as she. Soon afterwards the Primary Association was organized and we all became members so that ended our "Little Relief Society".

When I was 13 years old I was sent to Nephi to learn making artificial flowers to be used in millinery which I found very useful after I became a milliner.

When my sister was 14 and I 15 my father took us to Provo to attend the Brigham Young Academy and it was there that we received most of our education as we had got but little from the schools we had attended with the exception of one winter at the school of a gentleman from the East (a Mr. Thos. W. Brookbank a splended teacher) who was traveling through the country and was short of funds so took school for a year. Here I received my first knowledge of grammar and arithmetic aside from simple problems in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and I always think with gratitude of Thomas W. Brookbank.

A short time before I was twenty years old, I was married in the Endowment House Salt Lake City to Henry Thompson who had recently returned from a mission to the Southern States. We were married on Christmas Day, Bro. Franklin D. Richards performing the ceremony. The Endowment House was closed at this time but as Bro. Richard's nephew, Dr. Charles F. Wilcox, was to be married that day, Bro. Richards used it for performing the ceremony. His bride was a great friend of mine so she sent for us to come and be married at the same time. So that is how we happened to be married on Christmas Day in the Endowment House. There were married there on that day, December 25, 1884, Charles F. Wilcox and Elizabeth Stevenson Wilcox, George M. and Addie Cannon, Henry and Elizabeth Yates Thompson. Very shortly afterwards the Endowment House was torn down so I think we were the last people married there.

(Note: the Endowment House was closed 22 Sept.1889 per PAF)

We lived with my mother for a couple of months after we were married then started an establishment of our own renting the first Summer. On the first of the next October we moved into our new home and on the first of November I looked into the eyes of my first born, a beautiful baby boy. The sweetest baby in all the world to me. We named him Henry Merwin, and I never expected to love another child as I did him. Thought it impossible but when on the 17th of April 1888, I saw my baby girl Bessie Henrietta she was so sweet and dear as the first and I found it just so with all down to the very last. Each one brought its little bundles of love with it. On March 8th, 1890, my little Vera Louise came to gladden our hearts and home for a short time for on April 1890 she was called back by pneumonia to the kind Father who gave her to us. Leland Millis was born on September 25, 1891, Gordon Francis on April 28, 1894, Sterling Daniel May 7, 1896, Shelby Yates January 1, 1898 and Ethel Irene April 9, 1904.

All the above children were born at Scipio, Millard Co., Utah but we removed to Ogden on September 21, 1904 where we lived for nearly three years and on June 3, 1906, my baby Norma Marguerite came and how glad we were that she was a little girl whom we would have to love and cherish us in our old age but our Heavenly Father willed it other wise for on November 6, 1914, after a few hours illness with pneumonia she too was called home. Being released from her frail little body and although we wll miss her little loving arms we can say with all our hearts "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord".

Not having employment for our boys during school vacations without sending our boys away from home we decided to get a farm so during the Summer of 1907 we bought a farm of 106 acres and on the 10th of August of that year removed to Plain City. We rented the home of Claude Bramwell for nearly six years but in May 1913 we moved onto our farm having during the spring built a six room cement block house and was glad to get there as my dear hard working boys had to eat a cold lunch everyday but now I can have a good warm meal at each dinner time.

When a child I wasn't particularly fond of attending meeting but when I would ask if I may stay at home and play my father would say he would much rather I would go to meeting. That was all that was needed and I went and can never be grateful enough to my parents for urging me to attend to my duties. And always attended Primary, Sunday School and the Mutual Improvement Assn. Became Secretary of Sunday School holding the office until I was married. Was president of the Young Ladies Assn. for six years only giving it up when I removed to Ogden.

While in Ogden was teacher in the religion class during the summer of 1905 but was obliged to give it up on account of ill health. After removing to Plain City was class leader in the Young Ladies Association for about 3 1/2 years and one year councelor in Primary. Then released from both and made president of the Relief Society of the Plain City Ward on November 1911, and have striven in my weak way to do my duty in these organizations to the best of my ability. Was a member of the Scipio Ward Choir from the time I was ten years old till I removed from that ward. Was a member 29 years. After removing to Plain City was called into the choir but after attending a short time found it called me away from my home and delicate child too much so I had to resign.

I helped my father (who was Supt. of the Scipio Cooperative Mercantile Institution) in the store from the time I was quite a small girl (during school vacation) until I was married and occasionally afterwards, and after Father resigned my husband was superintendant one year and I assisted him as I knew all about the business.

Then my husband being called on a mission I superintended the business for three years at the same time being a member of the school board, and chairman of the Democratic Party and Census Enumerator, and twice was one of the Judges of Election. Was a milliner for 22 years furnishing not only the town of Scipio but Oak City and Leanington and frequently Deseret, Holden and other towns in the county. Also taught school one year. Was a member of most committees for celebrations or entertainments from the time I was a small girl till the time I left Scipio. In fact have tried to live a useful life feeling that it is better to "wear out than rust out".

 

 

 

LETTERS FROM HANNAH ELIZABETH YATES

(BORN 1, FEB., 1865)

 

(no dates)

 

My Dear Mother,

We received your kind letter this morning. We were glad to

hear from you and are glad that you and Tommy were well. I am

glad that those lumps are cut out of darling Emily's throat and I

hope she will get along all right. I am glad that darling Tommy's

teeth do not ache.

You must excuse me for not writing to you yesterday but I

couldn't think of anything to say. It is noon and if I do not

hurry I will be too late for school. Me and Louie (Louisa Yates

Robinson, Hannah Elizabeth's sister) are going down to Sister

Esklund's tonight.

It has been raining here ever since yesterday morning and is

raining a little yet. Pa says it will be worth thousands of

dollars to this place.

We got a letter from Aunt Mary Ann this morning and she

thinks you are home. She says she has been so disappointed when

the train comes and it didn't bring you. I must not say any more

or I will be too late for school.

 

From your affecionate child

H. Elizabeth Yates

 

My Dear little sister Emily,

I am glad to hear those lumps are cut out of your throat and

hope you will get along alright. I hope you will enjoy yourself.

You must write to me and Lulu if you are well enough. I can't say

much more. I wouldn't have said anything this time only I thought

you would feel offended if I did not.

Will write no more at present from your affectionate sister

H. Elizabeth Yates

 

Dear little Tommy

I must say a word to you. I expect you and Frank have fine

times together. I expect you see lots of things that you would

like. Your little colt is such a pretty little thing. I can't

say any more at present.

From your affectionate sister

H. Elizabeth Yates

Give my love to all the folks, kisses to you all.

 

(Note: The above letters were all written on one page)

 

 

Scipio, May 24, 1879

 

Dear Mother:

 

It is with the greatest of pleasure that I sit down this

morning to write a few lines to you hoping to find you all well as

it leaves us at present. How is Emma? James said she was sick

all the way to York. I hope she is better now. Tommy was real

pleased with his orange that Emma sent to him. We were so pleased

when we got Lillie's likeness. She looks so cute we got it

yesterday morning. Us children have got along so well since you

went. You couldn't ask for a better boy than Tommy has been. He

hasn't asked Pa to let him stay out of school once since you

went. He says he wants to tell Ma that he hasn't stayed out of

school once while she has been away. Tell Emma that the hen had

two chicks and one of them died and tell her to write to us.

Louie would write to you but she has gone over to Sarah Ann

Robinson's to a carpet rag bee. We were both invited but I told

her if she would go I would help do the work and see to the

store. I expect she will write tomorrow.

 

I guess you heard of the two grand weddings we had here last

Sunday - James Adams and Laura and that young man and Hannah

Peck. Kiss all the little ones a hundred times for me and kiss

little Willie too. Tell Aunt Louie that I want her (if she can)

to have little Willie's portrait taken while you are there. Emma

Esklund says if little Willie was here she would kiss him pretty

near to death. It is the day Meifs Logan to have a child but it

is nearly two o'clock now and she hasn't had one yet and I don't

think she will have one today. She would have gone to Fillmore

yesterday if she hadn't been sick. Brother Smith was here last

night he came at eleven o'clock. I haven't been to school since

you went away. Give my love to all the folks and accept a good

share yourself. You must excuse my poor writing for I want to

finish it before we get so busy in the store. I will try to write

again tomorrow. I expect I have written enough for this time. No

more at present from your affectionate daughter,

Lizzie

 

Dear Little Sister Emma,

 

I thought I must write a little note to you or else you would

feel slighted. The chickens are getting along pretty well. The

hen we set on the shed has had lots of company, there was three

hens beside her on the nest they divided the eggs among them and

each had a few. Tommy and Louie send their love to you all. Your

cat hasn't got the measles. Please send me a radish in the next

letter. No more at present, from your affectionate sister,

 

Lizzie

 

P.S. I will try to write a sensible letter next time. Tommy

attends to gathering the eggs. The wind has been blowing every

day since you left, but it hasn't stormed.

 

 

LETTERS TO HANNAH ELIZABETH YATES

Scipio

August 27, 1877

My Beloved Lizzie,

 

I suppose you will think I am a long time getting ready to

write to you.

 

Yesterday week when Ma wrote to you I did not get home till

near post time. I commenced writing to you but had hardly done so

when one of the Brethren came in to see me and I could not write,

so thought I would wait till we heard from you again which we did

this morning when your letter to the children came to hand.

 

We were very glad to get a few lines from you and to know

that you are well. We think and talk about you very often and

pray our Heavenly Father to bless you with health and strength and

preserve you from all harm and danger. It is not pleasant to me

nor to your mother to have you away from us, but we want you and

all of our children to learn to be useful in this life as a life

that is not spent in usefulness is very badly misspent and will

only bring sorrow and dissatisfaction to those who take that

coarce.

 

My Dear child I know you felt very badly disappointed when

you found I had left Salt Creek without bidding you good bye, and

no doubt Sis. Wright thought it strange that I left without seeing

her again, but Brother Ostler sent his boy over stating that he

wanted to see me and as it was then geting late and Tommy geting

sleepy I concluded I had better go at once. Before hitching up I

went into Sister Wrights house and from there down through the lot

and into the yard looking for her and again just before I started

I looked for her again but could not find her and next morning I

had to leave Salt Creek just as it was geting light in order to

get home that night and then did not get here till about 10

o'clock. I was very glad that I had come through that day for

when I came home your mother was quite poorly and next morning was

unable to get up. I hope my dear Lizzie you will not think it

unkind of me as I could not very well do other than as I did.

 

Next time you write to us commence the day before you want to

mail the letter so you will not be in a hurry and write us a good

long letter telling us all about how you are geting along, how you

get along with your flowers, if Miss Goldsborough is kind to you,

how you spend your time out of school. I hope you will not

neglect your reading and you ought if possible to do a little

ciphering or you will forget so much of your lessons, and when you

go to school again you will be so far behind your classmates. Do

you attend Sunday School and meetings? I hope you will not

neglect these things as they help us to feel and do better in our

lives. Above all things do not forget to pray to God, my child,

for we are dependant upon him for every good thing we have in this

life and for strength to prepare for a better life after this.

 

Our sunday school has not been called togather yet since you

left

 

(The rest of this letter is missing)

 

 

Scipio

Millard County

Septr 7th 1877

My dearest Little Lizzie

 

I feel you have been sadly disapointed in not getting a

letter from us sooner but we have been very busy indeed. Your Pa

had to go to Filmore last Sunday and returned Tuesday morning and

on Thursday Lydia Snow Thomsons little son died and the same day

Heber Ivie and little boy died and yesterday at 11 o'clock one of

them was buried and in the afternoon the other was buried and

after the funerals we went to see Mrs. Petersen ( 's mother)

who is very dangerously sick and we staid with her quite late so

that I could not write yesterday.

 

My Darling Child, we were so pleased to receive your nice

letter. It did me so much good to know you were getting along so

well with your learning, as Sister Wright says. I do feel proud

already. I should be glad if you could get a light pasteboard box

and make a flower to send home through the post so that we can see

how you are getting along. Mr. Brockbank inquired very kindly for

you last and seemed sorry you were out of school but I think when

you get through learning to make flowers, you will soon catch up

again in school. The School Master told me to remember him kindly

to you. I have sent some over to see how that Sister Petersen is

this morning and she too is gone. She died just afrer pa and I

had left last evening. Poor woman - she is out of suffering now

and it is well with her but her poor blind boy. Oh! how he mourns

and what will he do without his kind mother. I will have to go

soon and assist in making her clothes for the funeral. So must

say good bye. Give my kindest love to Sister Wright and Lucy and

Sarah and thank them all for their kindness to you. Louie and all

your companions send kind love to you. May God bless you and may

you have health and the Holy Spirit to guide you every day is the

desire of your loving mother.

 

E. Yates

My Beloved Child

 

I was very much pleased in reading your last letter to us.

Glad to hear that you were well and getting along so well with

your new employment. Dearest I hope you will not feel that Ma and

I are not mindful of you that we do not write to you punctually.

You know that at times we get so crowded we have no time for

writing. Ma has been off all day making grave clothes for Sister

Peterson. She is to be burried at 1/2 past four this afternoon.

My Lizzie I was very pleased to have you speak about President

Youngs death as you did. I hope you will always respect and

reverance Gods Holy Priesthood. President Young was a good kind

man but he was more than that, he was the man whome God had placed

at the head of his church upon earth and he held authority from

God our Heavenly Father. So, with all men holding the Holy

Priesthood who honor their calling, we should honor them as good

men but more especially because they represent God and his

Authority upon Earth.

 

 

(The rest of this letter is missing)

 

LETTERS FROM HANNAH ELIZABETH YATES (cont'd)

 

 

Salt Lake City

July 4, 1881

My Dear Pa and Ma,

I guess you have been expecting a letter from us for two or

three days, but I expect we have been too lazy. Susie just

dropped a card to you last night to let you know we are well. I

expect you know there is to be no celebration here today on

account of President Garfield being shot. It is a dreadful

disappointment to every one. I think that that man that shot the

President (whoever he may be) may have waited until after the 4th

if he had wanted to shoot him, but we have had a nice time

anyhow. We are going to Mary's to spend the day. Aunt Louie told

us to be there at seven o'clock this morning and now it is nearly

ten, so I can't write a very long letter this morning. Poor

little Glen has got a big boil on his nose and it makes him very

cross but all the rest of the children are well. Aunt Louie and

Tommie are well. Zellie Stephenson (one of Emily's daughters) is

staying to Aunt Louies. She is just a good companion for us.

Suzie wants me to stay here until the twenty fourth but of course

you can't spare me now. Well I guess I must close with love to

all in which Louie and Susie join. I remain your loving daughter

Lizzie

Louie will not have time to write today. L.Y.

 

 

 

Scipio, Sept. 1, 1887

My Dear Father:

I have been wanting to write to you for several days but it

has seemed almost impossible for me to do so. I wrote you last

Thursday to tell you that Ella was very sick with brain fever,

which letter I hope you received. She was very well when I wrote

you but was worse than we thought for we stayed alone with her

that night, Mother, Suzie and I, and at 4 o'clock the next morning

while mother was holding our darling Ella's hands, she passed

peacefully away without mother knowing when she went as she died

without a struggle. We were all alone and it was a terrible shock

to us. I have been quite sick ever since. Mother has been

alarmed about me thinking that I was going to be sick but I knew

it was nothing serious only the great shock and the fretting had

made me sick. We sent right to Fillmore and telegraphed for Tom

to come home as we felt we were all alone and he came home at

midnight that night. Oh if you or Henry had only been here we

would not have felt so badly but it has been a terrible blow, and

we have dreaded to write to you as we know how badly you would

feel especially as you could not be here. Lyman couldn't come as

Louie and Florence were both sick and he couldn't leave them, but

both are better now. Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Johnathan heard of

Ella's death and came over the night after she died.

 

 

Oh, Pa, our home is so lonely without Ella, we all feel

almost broken hearted. Susie is moving into Sude's place so that

she can be nearer to mother and poor mother can't stand it to stay

at home, but is going to Fillmore in a day or two to remain with

Louie a week or two, she will write to you from there.

 

Ella said, from the time she was taken sick that she was

going to die, but we didn't believe it as her nerves were so bad

that we thought that was what made her think so, but she didn't

sleep much till the last night and then she slept most of the

night and slept right off.

 

I have so much more I want to tell you about it but am too

nervous and can't tell you now. Please tell Henry about it as I

can't write to him too, and tell him if he has not left to write

immediately and let me know when he is coming home.

 

We are as well as we can be under the circumstances. Hope

you are better and believe me ever your loving daughter

 

Lizzie

 

Letter from Elizabeth Yates Thompson to Melvin Burleigh and Nellie Mead Taylor, parents of Ralph F. Taylor.

 

Plain City (Utah) Dec. 17, 1926

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Taylor:

I am sending under a separate cover the report of our last

Semi-annual Conference so that you may see what your boy is being taught, and as I know you are both broad minded and very splendid people, I believe you will read it without prejudice and I believe you will read it with a prayer in your heart to know whether it is the truth or not and I want to bear you my testimony that God our Heavenly Father has spoken to His children upon this earth again and called them all to repentance and has revealed the fulness of the Everlasting Gospel to all the world promising all who would obey it and live in accordance with its life saving principles, Eternal life in His presence.

Now if there is anything in these pages that you cannot understand and would like any explanation we would be glad to help you all we can but if you cannot see it as we do, I hope we will always be the best of friends for we are all the children of one Great Father after all and should love and help each other all we can.

Ralph, Ethel and the children are all fine now tho the children have both been very sick, but we are sure grateful for their recovery as there have been so many deaths among the children from pneumonia around here lately.

Our son, Shelby was operated on a week ago last Wednesday and just before his operation the doctor discovered that he had a very bad leak in his heart and the day after his operation he developed bronchitis and was threatened with pneumonia but that has cleared up now and he is getting along fine. The rest of us are all pretty well and sincerely hope you folks are the same.

Give our kindest regards to Fay, Winnie and Alene and wish you could all spend the holidays with us but if you can't, hope you will have the jolliest kind of a time.

Sincerely your friends,

H. B. and Elizabeth Y. Thompson

 

Copyright Statement Privacy Statement Acceptable Use Policy About Us Registration Home