A history of Emma Arminta Harris Sterrett (GORTONS)

A history of

Emma Arminta Harris Sterrett

Written by herself, circa 1956

            I was born in Richmond, Utah, September 2^nd, 1872 to Alexander Harris and Harriet Ann Craner.  My father was a prosperous farmer and my mother died when I was two years old.  My father was away at the time, freighting to Montana.  There were eight children in the family, I was the seventh.  I remember we milked many cows and as the boys would come from the corral with those large buckets of milk, I would run to meet them, dip my cup in the bucket and sit down on the ground and drink all of it.  I think that is what gave me my start in life as I was always very small.

            Not long after my mother died, we moved to Mound Valley, Idaho on a farm as my father felt he couldn’t bear to live where they had been so happy together.  My older sisters, Harriet and Mattie were married and lived in Gentile Valley and the older one, Harriet Ann, took me to live with her.  She had married Ira Hogan who was bishop of the Thatcher Ward when I was growing up.  Their children seemed like my own brothers and sisters.  I enjoyed life on the farm very much and like all girls as I got older, I had young men friends and a very splendid time.  At one time when I was sixteen years old, my cousin, Mary Ann Craner, came up from Tooele, Utah and stayed for awhile.  I went back to Tooele with her and stayed for one year at my Uncle’s home.  He was George Tanner, my mother’s brother.  While there I learned dressmaking, cutting and fitting.  We had many good times.

            When I came home I went out sewing by the day, going from one place to another.  I stayed several weeks with a grand old lady and her daughter.  Her name was Sister Hoops.

            My father frequently came to the Valley and took me home to stay with him for awhile.  He died when I was 16 and I lost the best friend I had on earth.  After this my two brothers, Walter and Will, and my younger sister Gertrude and I went to live by ourselves.  We fixed living quarters in the grainary until the boys could build a house.  We had some splendid times there.  My brother Will and I went to school at the Brigham Young College at Logan for a year.  We had a delightful time there and enjoyed the school very much.  At Christmas time my brother, two cousins, their friends and I went to Gentile Valley to spend the Holidays.  We had four horses on a big wagon with four spring seats and that was a jolly trip of about seventy miles.  I was keeping company at the time with a young man named Fren Karren.  We all had a lot of fun going and coming and a nice time while there.  We all stayed with one of my sisters and went to dances and parties during the holidays.  We went back to school and remained there until spring.

            In the summer we still lived in the grainery.  It was fixed up very comfortably.  In the Fall of that year, the boys had a new, four room house built up next to the road so the four of us lived there.  At the first Christmas my brother Walt went to Soda Springs and brought his girl friend Ada Sterrett, to the Valley to spend the holidays and her brother Simeon came with them, who later became my husband.  Before he came I had invited a boy friend for the holidays from Lewiston, Utah so now I had two boys on my hands.  I just didn’t know what to do with two boy friends, however we had a glorious Christmas time.  The one from Lewiston, Hall Egbert, lost out and the one from Soda Springs became my ideal.  My brother shortly married his sister Ada and we all went to Soda Springs to the wedding.

            Soon after my boy friend Simeon went to Hams Fork, Wyoming to work and we corresponded.  Shortly after that he came down to our place and took me back with him.  We were married the next day at his father’s home in Soda Springs and then went to Wyoming to live.  It was very dreary and lonely there, no nice society at all.  It was entirely different to what I had always been used to.  No church of any kind.  We lived there for about eight months then moved back to Soda Springs.  On the 29^th of December, my first child, Ruth was born.  She was a beautiful little girl.  We lived there with his father and mother until spring came then we moved to Gentile Valley, eighteen mile southwest of Soda Springs to a little place called Cove.

            My husband had bought a house from my cousin and moved it on our land.  It contained three rooms, living room, bedroom and kitchen.  Later we built two more rooms on the back.  Before my second baby was born his father and mother had sold their home in Soda Springs and moved down to our place and lived with us the rest of their lives.  They were getting old in years.  They were grand people and I loved them as though they were my own father and mother.  My second child, Leah was born there on August 20^th, 1894.  I had a lady come and stay, a Miss McKeller, as she was a doctor and was there to help when the baby was born.  My husband was working up in the northern part of Idaho.  Leah was three months old before he could come home.  Women had a lot of hardships in those days.

            The next spring we moved to Woodall’s ranch north of Soda Springs, where my husband was taking care of the ranch and the cattle.  My third child, Josephine, was born there on the 10^th of January, 1898.  In the Spring we moved to Soda Springs and lived in Iva Judson’s old house that summer.  Simeon was still working for Woodall.  In the fall we moved back to Gentile Valley and lived with Grandpa and Grandma Sterrett.  On April 22^nd, 1900, my fourth daughter was born.  We christened her Sarah Dorleska but always called Dorothy or Dot.  Grandma Sterrett was very ill all winter and in March she passed away.  I always loved her so much.  Grandfather lived on with us.

            From the time I was married I always had some position in the church, Sunday School teacher most of the time.  Also on the Stake Board of the MIA.  In Cove I was President of the Primary until we moved from there.

            Just before my fifth daughter was born, my husband was called on a Mission to the Central States.  He left on March 7, 1902.  My baby was three weeks old.  Can I ever forget as the door of our home closed upon him and I was left with five little girls for twenty seven months, which was the duration of his mission.  The only support we had at the time was from Grandpa Sterrett.  He carried the mail to Thatcher and back every day, a distance of sixteen miles.  For the labor he received $20 a month.  We had a little post office at Cove and made about $8 a month from that.

            We had a few cows and would sell one of them occasionally and send the money to my husband.  My brother, Alex Harris, came to our rescue.  He would get up a dance and the neighbors would pay as high as $7 for a ticket because it was for a missionary.  At other times he would auction off one of his big steers and raise money for him.  While he was gone, we were quarantined for diphtheria.  My brother took all the children but the two that had been exposed, post office and all to his place and kept them until we were out of quarantine.

            I was nearly frantic when they nailed the red quarantine flag on our gate.  I had gone out to Henry, Idaho, visiting my brother Will Harris and his family and they had diphtheria while I was there.  The Doctor let me come home but their little girl Mattie died from it and my husband was so far away.  Grandpa, who was Patriarch of Bannock Stake, gave me great comfort.  He came in the house and said, “Minnie, you don’t need to cry, it has just been made known to me that your children won’t have diphtheria.”  That was certainly an answer to prayer for not one of them took it.  We also had measles and small-pox while father was away.

            One year after his return from his mission our first boy was born, William Alton, on 24 Mar 1905.  The next year we moved to Ten Mile, now known as Ivans.  I was President of the Primary all the time we lived there, about four years.  At that time my husband became interested in politics and was appointed deputy sheriff of Bannock County under Sheriff John Ellis.  That necessitated our moving to Pocatello, Idaho in December 1908.  I was very much opposed to going for my oldest children were in adolescence and I didn’t like the environment for them in a city.  We lived in Pocatello two years.  Our son Stanford was born there on my birthday, September 2, 1909.

            We attended church in the Second Ward.  They were just organizing the Second Ward at that time.  On our first time present I was sustained as the President of the Primary.  This may seem strange but Brother Hendriks, Bishop of the Pocatello First Ward had been in Ivans and knew I was President there.  As I knew no one, the Bishop had to choose my help.  We had a wonderful organization with eighty children enrolled.  I held this position until we moved back to Soda Springs in the fall of 1911, after John Ellis’ term as sheriff expired.  We had been in Soda only a short time when they asked me to be President of the Primary there.  My last child, Clifton Alexander was born in Soda Springs, June 1^st, 1912.  In 1915 we filed on a homestead in Ninety Percent Canyon near by.  We all enjoyed it out there very much.  We always went down to the Idaho Ranch during the winters as Simeon worked there as foremen of the ranch.  We did this for a number of winters until we had proved up on the homestead and then moved back to Soda Springs.  We built a large home there.  I was President of the Primary for a time then was chosen as Counselor in the MIA under Iona Meyers.  In 1918 I was released from the MIA and sustained as President of the Relief Society.  I had some very faithful counselors and we had a splendid organization.  While in Soda at this time, Leah, my second daughter was married to Chris Woodall and moved to Lamoile, Nevada.  Ruth had been married for some time and moved away.  Josephine, our third daughter married William Davis and moved to Shoshone Idaho.  Dorothy was also married there to Rees D. Gorton and lived at the old Gorton home.  Neta was also married to John Horsley.  When we moved to Conda they lived in our house for a while then moved to Salt Lake City.  They were not compatible and in a couple of years separated and got a divorce.  Later Neta married Dr. E. W. Browning.

            About this time the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., of Butte and Anaconda, Montana developed the Phosphate mines eight miles north of Soda Springs where they built a little company town called Conda.  Father, along with many others secured work there and we, with our three boys, moved there to live.  It was a very nice little town, with homes built close together, lawns and shrubs soon were growing and we raised lots of flowers.  It was located on a little flat with beautiful hills surrounding it.  Soon an LDS ward was organized and I was sustained President of the Relief Society, with Ellen Giles and Ruby Lemmon as my counselors.  Many important things happened in my life at Conda, for we lived there for twenty one years.  One of such was that while here my husband had the opportunity of filling another mission for the church.  A special call was sent out from the church for experienced short term missionaries and my husband was one of those called.  He was given a leave of absence from his work and the Mine Superintendent said he could have his same job back when he returned.  I have always respected Mr. Newman for this.

            When he returned from his mission he acted as Bishops counselor for a time and later was called, ordained and set apart as Bishop, which position he held for eight years.  Upon his release he was made a member of the High Council and later filled a two year Stake Mission.  His health now began to fail as he had a bad heart, and Dr. Ellis Kackey of Soda Springs told him he would have to retire and move to a lower climate.  So we moved to Oakland, California where Alton and Clifton were living.  Here his health greatly improved and during the second World War, although he was quite old at this time, he secured work at the ship yards and was able to save enough to buy a home later when we moved to Ashland, Oregon.

            We were only in Oakland a few weeks before I was asked to be a visiting teacher in the Relief Society in the Elmhurst Ward.  Soon I was sustained as the Visiting Teacher Class Leader.  Every month the Relief Society did a great deal of sewing.  Because of the war we were instructed to have every sister make temple clothes for herself and husband to have ready in case of emergency.  Once a month all the sisters went to the welfare house to sew, can fruit and vegetables.  We were kept busy most of the time.  I made many friends there, one was Lavinia Jackson with whom I still correspond.

            On April 27, 1942 we celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary, and in 1945 when the war was over we moved to Ashland, Oregon, as our sons, Alton and Clifton and daughter Josephine and families had previously moved there and bought homes.  We also were able to buy the home in which we are now living.  Ashland is a pretty city.  We both have worked in the church ever since we moved here, I in the Relief Society and in the Sunday School.  My husband filled a Stake Mission since coming here and converted a number of people.  He studied the Gospel continually and was very well versed on the Gospel.  They came from all over to have him answer questions for them.  One year ago last January my husband had a stroke and on the 22^nd of May, 1956 passed away.

The story is concluded by a daughter Josephine Davis who nursed and cared for Mother the remaining years of her life, and in whose home she passed away on August 6, 1959.

            It is a humbling experience for me to finish the life story of my mother.  In the bible you read the characteristics of a good wife and mother and I always think of my mother when I read this.  It is so like her, so ambitious, energetic, faithful and pleasant.  She lived her life doing good to her family and those in need and she had many many friends.

            She was a beautiful sewer and made all our clothes.  She crocheted and knitted and gave most of it away.  In her latter years when it was difficult for her to sew or crochet she made many braided rugs which she either sold or gave away.  She was an excellent cook and an immaculate house keeper.  She was a good manager and a careful spender.  Perhaps she inherited this from her Scotch forebears.  I often said she could make a dollar go farther than I could five.  She loved the Gospel and had a good understanding of it.  She taught it to her children all her life, both by word and example.  The thing I remember about her most was her beautiful, sweet disposition.

            They lived here in Ashland during their declining years.  We had such good times, on Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years.  Wanda, Pearl and I would take turns in having the family for dinner on those holidays.  There were seventeen of us.  Our children enjoyed this for they all loved their grandparents.  My daughter Ruth and I cleaned mother’s house thoroughly once each week and then she could keep it up.  My father was seventy five years old when they came to Ashland and Mother was seventy three.  Even at that age my father was councilor in the Sunday School, a councilor in the Branch Presidency, which position he held when our new chapel was built.  He also filled a fifteen month Stake Mission after coming to Ashland.  My mother taught the Theology class in Relief Society and was a visiting teacher.

            On April 27, 1952 they celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.  I held the reception at my house.  Ninety guests called during the day and in the evening I had invited about thirty of the older people.  We had a program depicting events that had transpired during their lives.  Father was eight two and Mother eighty.  They didn’t seem nearly that old.

            In 1956 my father passed away at the age of eighty six and Mother and my brother Stan lived alone for over two years.  She would come out to our house and stay over night or for a few days about once a week.

            There is a group of elderly women in our ward who were very good to Mother.  They organized a little rook club and met in each other’s homes and played the game rook and served refreshments.  I appreciated them so much for they kept mother’s life from being so lonely.  When it was her turn to entertain I would have them come to my house so Mother wouldn’t have to do any extra work.  They were dear friends and I would like to have their names in this record.  The were Sisters Eds Lisonbee, Elizabeth Wray, Annie Jensen, Harriett Myers, Lorene Davis, Minnie Raney and Bessie Olson.

            In the summer of 1958 mother’s health failed and I brought her out to my home that fall where I could take car of her.  She was here nearly a year and bedfast the last three months.  I am so grateful I had the privilege of caring for her.  She passed away August sixth, 1959 at the age of eighty seven.

In the possession of Amy Ridge Graves, given to me by Gayla Gorton Clark (Granddaughter of Minnie) fall 2010.

Forth Worth, TX

May 7, 2011

The Start

This will be a site to post all of the Geneology work that I have done.  This will be available to anyone who is interested...family I know of, or family I don't.  Let me know if I can improve or add anything.

Thanks