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Show Volume XXX Issue IV The Ogden Valley News Page 9 May 1, 2023 Life History of Fergus O. Wilson and Sarah M. Mo昀昀ett: Part IV Please note that Parts I, II, and III of this history of Fergus O. Wilson and Sarah M. Mo昀昀ett appeared in the March 15, April 1, and April 15 issues of “The Ogden Valley News.” This history was graciously submitted by Nikki Wilson Wolthuis of Eden. It was in this new location (after moving up the hill after they raised the Pine View Reservoir), while digging a trench to pipe water from a spring to the house, that the trench caved in on him. It broke several ribs and, more seriously, it bruised his heart. He recovered but his health was never good after that. The doctor told Mother that it would take ten years off his life. When they moved up on the hill, Dad had such a small piece of land left (about eleven acres) he went to work away from the farm. He was a guard at the Navy Base in Clearfield and later transferred to guard the Pine view dam during the Second World War. When the war was over, he worked for the county road department. It was also here that Erma became very ill with rheumatic fever. Her heart was damaged so badly that the doctor didn’t think she would live, but she did. She was in the hospital for a time. While there, May lay on a bed next to her and gave her a blood transfusion. Finally, the doctor said they might as well take her home because all they could do was make her comfortable and Mother and Dad could do that. Erma was administered to several times. During those days and nights when someone was with her at all times, Mother received a letter from Grandpa Moffett. It read just like a blessing for Erma. Somehow, the doctor was amazed; she started getting better. She led a fairly active life for another ten years and that was all her heart could stand. Mother and Dad lost their second daughter on 14 October 1948 and laid her to rest in the Ogden City Cemetery. One winter, about 1950, Mother walked up the hill to get the evening paper. She was gone much longer than it took to walk that distance, but Dad thought she had met a neighbor and stopped to talk. Not so. As she picked up the paper, she tucked it under her right arm, slipped on some ice, and with her wrist doubled under, she fell on that arm. She didn’t know how long she lay there unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she knew she had seriously injured her wrist. She walked home and told Dad. There was nothing to do that night but endure the pain. Next morning, dad took her to Ogden to a doctor. He said her wrist was badly broken up with pulled ligaments, also, and that she may never be able to use it again. If she did regain any use, it would be stiff. He set the bones properly as far as possible, and they returned home—Mother with possibly a useless right hand. She was a determined person, however, and learned to use her left hand even to sew and embroider with it. As soon as enough of the soreness left her injured right wrist—as to be able to touch it—she spent a lot of time massaging it and trying to use it, even though it was painful. After a long period of healing, she did gradually use it and by then she could use her left hand almost as well as the right. Dad was a good swimmer and could ice skate. His oldest grandson, Bobbie, owes his life to dad jumping in the lake, clothes and all, and pulling him out of a deep hole he had fallen into. He taught the younger children these skills when they lived by the side of Pine View and had a place to swim and skate. In 1952, Dad had a severe cerebral hemorrhage. He was in bed with a severe headache and no use of his right side from early morning until evening waiting for Dr. Jay McEntire to come to the house. Dr. McEntire was the only doctor who would consider coming up to the valley and from then on, he was their family doctor. Dr. McEntire immediately said it was a stroke and Mother got Junior Wilson to come down and he and the doctor carried dad down the narrow stairs on a quilt. Dr. McEntire took him to the hospital where it was confirmed that he had had a cerebral hemorrhage. He was in the hospital quite a while but there was little to be done except relieve the pain and try to teach him to walk again. There had been some brain damage as well as the arm and leg paralysis. He returned home when he was able to help himself to a certain extent. Mother worked with him. She would walk on his right side and help him lift his leg by taking hold of his overalls. This way, he learned to walk better, and he could also talk, but he could not think the way he used to. This was sad because Dad, although a quiet man, was a deep thinker and arrived at very good answers to questions and problems. As time went on, he had additional small strokes, each one taking its toll of his abilities. Dad had always been the money manager and shopper in our home. It was amazing to see Mother step into that role with no apparent difficulty, just as if she had always done it. Mother faithfully cared for Dad. Sometimes she had to do for him as if he were a baby, such as bathing him in bed, changing the bed with him in it, feeding him, etc. Again, she didn’t complain although she needed surgery herself. After a series of lesser strokes, dad died 28 January 1955 at Edna’s home in Harrisville, where they were staying that winter. Mother moved back to Eden and kept on planting a garden, a big one, and picking berries to sell. Most of the time she would get up in the middle of the night, or whenever her water turn came, and irrigate. Bob Fuller, a neighbor, sometimes traded water turns with her if her turns were all during the night. Another neighbor, Caroline Thompson, became very ill. The doctor said they could not do anything for her, but she had to have someone with her 24 hours a day. The Thompson family contacted Mother and she went and cared for Sister Thompson. It was during this time that many of Dad’s things were stolen from the place, both in the house and in the shop. His saddle, which George Froerer and others said was a pony express saddle, disappeared as did most of his guns and shop equipment. We never had pets other than cats to catch mice. When Leon was just a little tike, Aunt Myrtle and Uncle Fred brought a puppy up to him. He was a Russian Wolfhound. Dad didn’t want him, but all the kids did, so he stayed. Because he ran through the newly planted garden, Dad called him Hitler. The next time Aunt Myrtle came up, she firmly told Dad his registered name was Duke. He eventually became a pet of everyone, although Mother was the last to let it be known. Birthdays were celebrated but, mostly, with just the family and family gifts. When Edna and Hellen were young, they each had a regular birthday party and invited school friends and relatives. For Easter, we always had hardboiled eggs to color. Then in the afternoon, we packed a lunch and with our Froerer cousins, we hiked up the mountain west of us. There was a special rock, a big flat one, not high but big overall. This was our place to eat our Easter lunch. When we were through eating, we gathered wildflowers: buttercups, curly heads, larkspurs, and star flower. We had big bouquets of them. On our way home, motorists would often ask where we got them. We told them and then probably gave them some. We still had plenty when we arrived home. For Memorial Day, we again gathered wildflowers. Most were big white and blue ones that grew in the meadows after the highwater went down. These supplemented the paper roses and mums that Mother spent many afternoons making. We always went to what we called the Little Graveyard. It was south of our farm and across the railroad tracks. It had been established during an outbreak of black smallpox. After decorating the Little Graveyard, we went to the Huntsville Cemetery where some of our relatives were buried. We spent one day earlier cleaning the graces and tidying up around them. The Fourth of July was a big holiday for us. We celebrated it up in the square in Eden. We got our summer dress for the celebration. We each got twenty-five cents to spend. There were hot dogs, ice cream, pop, and popcorn to spend it on. A baseball game, anyone could play, was the highlight of the day, with all kinds of races for the kids. Halloween was celebrated by the older kids doing mischief. The farmers in Eden never knew where they would find their wagons, buggies, or even their outdoor toilets. The usual thing was to make tic-tacs or soap the windows. Of course, there were jack-o’-lanterns for the younger children, but never commercial ones. We always made our own. Thanksgiving was a warm, happy time. We didn’t have a turkey; they cost money, and we already had chickens. We had plenty of that and such good, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin and mince pies. A few years after Dad’s death, it was again decided to raise Pine View Dam. This time 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 are willing to share. Wednesday Night Saturday Night Sunday Morning First Friday 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 8:30 a m. Fr. Joshua Marie Santos 801-399-5627 FrJoshuaS.Stambrose@gmail.com Saturday 5:30 p.m Sunday 8:00 a.m. or by appt. Saint Joseph Catholic Elementary, Middle School, and High School Providing a challenging, college-focused education in the proven tradition of Catholic schools, for the families of the Ogden Valley. We want to teach your children! For information on our program, financial assistance, tours, or application, please call 801-393-6051 or 801-394-1515. Mother was forced completely off her land. She bought a small house in Ogden and moved into it. She fixed it up and lived happily there until 1963. Sister Ellen Hogge, in the Twenty-second Ward, needed help. Mother, although in her seventy’s, lived with and helped sister Hogge. While at Sister Hogge’s, news came that her oldest daughter, Edna, had died with a cerebral hemorrhage. That was her third daughter to be called from this life. While still with Sister Hogge, she had a minor stroke and had to quit. After that, she lived with one of the family, as it was no longer safe for her to be alone. She was never a burden, though. She helped with the garden or housework, and never interfered with actions of the family she was with at the time. In 1974, she went to spend some time with Fern. She came down with the flu but refused to go to a doctor. Finally, she was so ill that Fern and Russell put her on a plane for home, hoping she would go to her doctor here. She did go, but there was not much he could do. On 6 December, we took her to the hospital in terrific pain. There, on 7 December 1974, she left this life of hard work to receive her reward as a self-sacrificing wife and mother of nine children. We don’t remember Mother and Dad as a demonstrative, loving couple. But they quietly helped each other and their family. We never hear them complain and argue. Although Dad did not go to church on a regular basis, he always saw to it that the children were encouraged and had the opportunity to go. Evalyn says when she was little, they always took their turn on a chair having their hair trimmed and then Dad inspected their fingernails. Even if they didn’t have much, they must be neat and clean. If someone had a two-and-a-half-minute talk, either Mother or Dad always helped prepare it and then dad would listen to it. They always taught the principles of religion in our home, much of which was done by example. From The Past . . . The Ogden Canyon Pipeline The above picture is of a construction crew building the Pineview Pipeline (Then known as the Canyon Pipeline) through Ogden Canyon in 1908. The 75-inch wooden pipeline was built to bring water to the valley (Ogden City). Crews had to use techniques never used before due to the angles and ridges of the mountainside. The wood was laid and coiled tight with steel rods to hold them in place. It traveled 5.3 miles and through several tunnels that had to be bored to make way for the pipe. Workers laid about 500 feet a day and the project cost nearly $400,000 to complete. The pipe layers’ biggest obstacle was crossing the mouth of the canyon, which they did by suspending a bridge and running the line over it. That system is still in use to this day. Today, the pipe has been replaced with modern, efficient piping, but the old line still remains for hikers to marvel at. 2668 Grant Avenue, Suite #104A, Ogden, UT 801-612-9299 |