Show Echoes from the dust History of Ashley Valley KATE NIELSEN Katie more commonly known as Kate L Lavern vern Nielsen was born in Sterling Utah February 14 1889 the young youngest t child of Charles Ernst Christian and Emerett Funk Her lIer childhood days were busy but happy ones since she loved lovro the great outdoors and the home was located in a avery avery avery very picturesque setting about quarter one-quarter mile from Funks Funk's Lake which was built by her grandfather Her lIeI mother and the children did most of the farming and taking care of ot the many swarms of bees as her father was a salesman and was away so much of the time during the week She received her early education in Sterling where she was graduated from the eighth grade with the first class to complete requirements for tor graduation To further her education for a teaching certificate certificate certificate at various times she attended Snow Academy Wasatch Academy University of oC Utah University of California at Berkley and Brigham Young University mostly taking summer school courses She taught school at Spring City Winter Quarters Moab and Payson all in Utah SHE SITE WAS married August 19 1914 to Orson Christian Nielsen in the Salt Lake Temple They settled in Salina Utah but moved in the spring of 1917 to the Uintah Basin living first in Redcap then Roosevelt and Ouray Valley VaHey until July 1929 when they moved to Hollywood California Califor Califor- nia where they spent seven years and then moved back to the Uintah Basin The lived on th three twee ee different leased farms in the vicinity of Bridgeland until 1945 at which time they bought a farm about a mile south of Vernal and settled there They sp spent nt the summer of 1951 in Salt Lake City where Orson worked doing plastering on the new Veterans hospital In 1952 they sold their farm south of Vernal and bought a ahome ahome ahome home In town but spent most of their time In Ouray Valley Utah getting their desert land entry under cultivation They lived in Vernal and farmed in Ouray Valley until Orson was about 80 years of age at which time they sold their farm and resided in Vernal until a few months before Orson passed away on May 29 1974 THEY TilEY WERE blessed with nine children six daughters and three sons Maurice born May 31 1915 at Salina Orson LaMar born November 22 1916 at Salina Twila and Lila twin daughters born January 14 1918 at Emeretta Lavern born October 8 1919 at Nelden Christian born March 19 1921 at Mid- Mid view Milton Sterling born March 6 1923 at Lois Caroline born August 15 1925 at Roosevelt and Elouise Marie born July 26 1927 at Roosevelt The children have all married and are active members of the LOS Church Kate held many church positions throughout her life She served In Relief Society more than in any other organization having been president In three different wards ward and a counselor teacher visiting teacher and secretary of the Relief Society in a number of wards She also taught various Sunday School classes and served on the Uintah Stake Sunday School Board She was a member of ot the Daughters of ot Utah Pioneers and served as captain of ot her hercamp hercamp hercamp camp In Vernal at one time SIZE SHE WAS an avid reader and kept up with the events of the day She enjoyed traveling but did not have the opportunity todo to todo todo do as much as she would have liked The highlight of her life was the trip she took to Washington DC D.C. with a group of Farmers Union members on ona ona ona a guided tour She was always a good neighbor neighbor neighbor neigh neigh- bor and even though she had a large family to care for she was ready and willing to do what she could to help others in time of need Being a good nurse she came to the aid of many different neighbors and friends when hen emergencies arose and she was instrumental in saving more than one life Kate Nielsen died in her sleep at about 5 pm p.m. January 16 1977 at the Willard Nursing Home in Provo Her posterity included 42 grandchildren and 67 great great- grandchildren She was buried in the Vernal Memorial Park Cemetery at Vernal Utah January 20 |