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Show Volume XX Issue X The Ogden Valley news Page 9 June 15, 2012 From the Life of Anna Louise Wangsgard Note: This is a continuation, Part 3, of a history that ran in the May 1 and June 15, 2012 issue of “The Ogden Valley News.” The biography outlines Anna Louise’s life growing up in Ogden Valley. She was born February 29, 1880 in Huntsville, the daughter of Christen Christensen Wangsgaard and Anna Christina Gustafsson Anderson. For breakfast we sometimes had molasses stirred into bacon grease. It was stirred until it became a golden color and this we ate on bread. I always enjoyed the dried apples and dried currants cooked together. This, with a limited amount of jelly and preserves, and a few bushels of apples, was our fruit supply for the winter. My father took up a homestead of 160 acres, mostly mountainous rangeland situated a few miles southwest of Huntsville. In order to prove up on this, it was necessary to live on it part of the time for five years. A log room was built and a few acres plowed in the bottom of one of the ravines. During the summer, some of us children drove up there, usually in a twowheeled cart pulled by a horse. We milked the cows night and morning and slept in the cabin at night. It was lovely and cool up there, also very quiet for the only sounds we heard were the rustling of the leaves, the rippling of the water of the small stream, and the occasional hoot of an owl or twitter of a bird. Time passed and I was in the eighth grade at the age of twelve. Professor Mosiah Hall was the teacher. My folk thought I was rather young to finish the work at this time, so I went over the same lessons the next year, but when spring came, one case of small pox broke out and school was closed for the rest of the year. About the same thing happened the two follow- ter, I found out he had called at our Huntsville ing years, so I was sixteen before I finished the home a few years before when he was selling eighth grade in 1896. When I was thirteen, a books to earn money for college expenses. It group of girls took a five-week course in dress- was evening when he called; we were eating making from Mary Ann Geertsen. We met each supper. He told briefly of the good qualities day and I learned to draft of the Spanish American War patterns from measurements books, but my father said and sewed two dresses. For he would rather wait to buy this instruction, we paid five one when the war was findollars. ished. After the young man Professor M. M. Smart had gone, my father said, came to Huntsville when I was “That was the nicest salessixteen. He taught one year man I have ever contacted,” of High School, along with and would have called him the upper grammar grades. I back if mother hadn’t said, attended and came out vale“We don’t read the book dictorian of the class in 1897 anyway.” The next Sunday at the age of seventeen, and he sat behind the stove in represented Weber County Sunday School. Everyone High School Department. looked at him curiously as it The program was given in was unusual to have visitors the Ogden Tabernacle. This in this small town. opportunity gave me confiI taught school two years dence and helped me as much in Weber County—one in as anything to overcome my Huntsville and one in North reserved, bashful feelings, and Ogden. My third year of from that time on, I began takteaching was in the Brigham ing part in public. As young Young Training School at Charles and Louise Skidmore people, we attended dances, supLogan. (An item regarding this wedding picture 1903 pers, went sleigh riding, and, in appeared in the Deseret News, the summer, took outings to the Tuesday, 9 Sept 1902, p. 7, “Miss canyons. Matilda Petersen, who has been attending sumI attended Brigham Young College in Logan mer school at Chicago, has returned home, and finished a three-year normal course in 1900 where she will only remain a few days, as she, at the age of twenty. While attending, I took in connection with Miss Louisa Wangsgaard part in basketball, debating, and other activities. and Miss Norah McKay are engaged as teachIt was at this school I became acquainted with ers at the BY College at Logan.”) Charles H. Skidmore. When I knew him betCharles H. Skidmore made a few trips to Huntsville after we were engaged. As there was no railroad or street car service, the only way to get up there was to chance it. If no team came along, he walked through the canyon. One of those trips he walked most of the twelve miles. We were married 3 June 1903 in the Logan Temple by Apostle Marriner W. Merrill. Our first home was at 39 East 2nd South, Logan, the old Widtsoe home. Here, Leone, our first child was born 31 Jan 1904. Christmas 1904 found us spending it in Huntsville. While here, Leone developed pneumonia and after a two-weeks illness, died 7 Jan 1905. It was indeed a sad trip bringing her body back to Cache Valley and burying her in the Richmond cemetery. Demoivre Ray was born 1 Mar 1906, also at 39 East 2nd South. The mathematical students had a celebration upon learning of his birth. They jokingly named him Perihelian Demoivre and sent him a rattle a pair of crimson stockings, and other trinkets. We lived in the old Widtsoe home for about four years then built a two-story buff brick home on the corner of 1st West and 2nd South. Here were born three more children: Irl Stanley, 16 Nov 1907; Loraine 3 Apr 1910; and Zella 15 Jun 1912. Charles (C.H.) continued to teach at the Brigham Young College until 1 Oct 1912 when he accepted a position as Superintendent of Granite School District. DEDICATION cont. from page 1 257 of Ogden. He and his scout troop, as part of his Eagle Scout project, sprayed the weeds in front of the monument, laid two tons of road base donated by Staker-Parson, and washed the remaining plaques. But to replace the damaged ones, he would need to raise $3,000, the cost to replace them. Through 2011, he solicited funds from friends, neighbors, and members of his congregation, and was able to raise $900. The Sons of Utah Pioneers agreed to match the funds that Crookston raised, and contributed $665, and an additional $400 from personal donations from chapter members. The Stewart Education Foundation donated another $1,000 to cover the final cost of the new plaques. Andrew’s grandfather, Lynn Crookston, was the Scoutmaster of the original troop, also Troop 257, that collected the rocks used to build the monument. Members of the general public, Boy Scouts, Forest Service personnel, and family of the Native Indians who first dedicated the monument in 1984 were invited to the current unveiling. An article that ran in the Standard-Examiner on June 1 about the rededication stated that Frank Timbimboo, a member of the Shoshone tribe, helped dedicate the original monument in 1984. He has since died; his wife Helen Timbimboo, also of the Shoshone tribe, died only about two weeks ago. Blog Site a Treasure Trove of Historical Information and Photos about Ogden Linda Love didn’t know what she was start- full name if needed.) They were good to him. I ing when she first began talking with friends was wondering if that farm/ranch is still up there, she went to high school with on facebook above or the family? . . . I would like to see where he their memories of Riverdale Road. Looking for worked if it’s still around.” Can anyone sign in some additional inforand help answer Leann’s mation and a place to question? post pictures of her old Love states, “The stomping ground, withweb site has taken on in two months, Love a life of its own. You said there were almost can view old pictures 2000 people visiting the and albums from othgroup facebook page ers. Everything is there; and throwing up old pictures of Farr’s Ice pictures from the past, Cream, the old J.C. and telling about their Penney, Lagoon, everymemories of Ogden. thing. It’s amazing.” While the site was Love also emphaoriginally developed for sized that it’s not just the former students of about Ogden anymore. Bonneville High School, “We get pictures from it has expanded to an all over the area; we’d interactive site where love to have more phoyou can find numerous tos from Eden, Liberty, historical photos and and Huntsville.” information regarding You can find the just about anything to This photo from the blog site is of the Egyptian Love’s facebook do with Ogden’s or its Theater taken in 1976. It was posted by Don site by “Googleing” neighboring communi- Drake. Linda Love states that people of all ages Remembering Ogden/ ties’ history. Riverdale and Beyond. participate on the facebook group page. If you want to find Or, if you are already out about something on facebook, type in from the past, or need an old picture, post your the search line, remembering Ogden/Riverdale request, and you’ll find a host of numerous cyber and beyond. The group page will then friends willing to help you out with your request. open. You can also type in <www.facebook/ Everyone is invited to add pictures and histori- groups/262575260423506> cal information, and try to answer the questions Sign in and then scroll down through the that are posed by those writing in. For instance, various blogs and see what others remember on May 30, Leann wrote, “When my grandpa about Ogden and beyond, or open their photo PoVey was looking for work back during the albums. Then submit your photos or questions depression, he was offered work at a Bullard’s you need answered. farm/ranch up in the Huntsville area (I have For more information, you can also contact letters from him to my grandma; I could get the Linda at <ut2bc@hotmail.com> Note: this historical account was taken from the book “Wangsgaard/Wangsgard: Roots and Branches 1866-1989 by Stanley Ferrin Wangsgaard (pages 333-336). Photo by Anita Terry of Liberty. The Ogden Valley News is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna at 801-745-2688 or Jeannie at 801-745-2879 if you have material you would like to share. From The Past . . . Inspirational Thought To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955 Beverly (Hirschi) Winter and Margaret (Richardson) Winter. Photo taken at Winter’s Grove in Huntsville, 1941. Photo courtesy of Nancy Richardson. Jeffrey D. Shepherd DMD, MSD Specialist in Orthodontics shepherdorthodontics Fast Treatment Times • Children and Adults • Flexible Payment Options Call to schedule your complimentary exam today! Eden Professional Center 2580 North Highway 162, #A EDEN 801.745.2519 South Pointe Plaza 5300 South Adams Ave, #9 OGDEN 801.479.9448 Located just one block from Snowcrest Junior High Students can walk from school to appointments! shepherdorthodontics.com |