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Show Pays Tribute To Ann Jane Dufson, Oak City Pioneer The following record of the life of Mrs. Ann Jane Cowley Dutson, 88, has been compiled from family with Mrs. Dutson. She died Feb. 18, 1950, and had lived in Oak City 77 years. Her story is one of cheer and courage in everyday living, and is a tribute to the pion-pioneer pion-pioneer spirit and warm heart of Mrs. Dutson. Ann Jane Dutson was born at Fillmore, Utah Dec. 7, 1861 in a little one-room adobe house with a lean-to kitchen. She was the daughter of John William and Eliz abeth Jane Cowley Dutson, who came across the plains four years before Ann Jane's birth. There was very little furniture in their home. The cooking was all done in the fire place in an iron pot called a bake kettle and an iron skillet. The cupboard was made by laying boards on wooden pegs in the wall. Their lights were with six children to care for. After Af-ter eight months in the mission field Charlie returned home because be-cause of poor health. It was a-bout a-bout this time that Ethel Barton came to teach school. She made her home with the Ropers for a number of years. Ann Jane cared for a number of children besides her own. Two motherless babies for some time, then her nephew in time of sickness. sick-ness. They moved to Fool Creek Flat to live on their farm. This mother did not find her life lonesome or dull. Her hobby was her flowers. She enjoyed working with them and watching them grow . She liked to share her treas ures and gave flowers, starts and bulbs to many callers. She liked company and enjoyed havng relatives re-latives and friends partake of her hospitality. Their lives were sadden ed by the the death of two of their children, Charlie in 1919 at the age of 29 years and Mandy in 1923 when her first child was born. In later years they moved to Lynndyl to be near their children. Charlie Roper passed away in Feb. 1942 about a year alter Ann Jane had a stroke from which she did not fully recover. She lived with her children. She did everything possible to try to regain normal health. Enjoyed Friends ... She enjoyed her friends and was not happy unless she was busy. She did beautiful work with fine thread. She crocheted edges on numerous handkerchiefs to give to relatives and friends. Her eyesight was so good she could read the paper without glasses. She liked to ride and went for a car ride the day before she became ill. She was stricken while she was crocheting on Thursday, Feb. . 16, and slept peacefully away Saturday Satur-day Feb. 18. She is survived by two sons and three daughters, Lydia Smith, Beaver; Bea-ver; Leland Roper, Oak City; Merlin Mer-lin D. Roper, and Nell Wilkie, Pro-vo Pro-vo and Effie Sheriff, Orem ; 17 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren; grandchild-ren; three brothers and one sister, Caleb Dutson, Leamington; Samuel Sam-uel C. Dutson, Roberto, Ida.; Sarah Ann Wiley, Lynndyl, and Eddy Q. Dutson, Oak City. tallow candles. The cloth for Ann Jane's dresses was woven by her mother. There was no end to the wear of their home made clothes. jVhen they became too small the mother made them into shirts for the little, brothers. Ann Jane's childrood was very happy. They had plenty of good wholesome food to eat. The children child-ren would gather in the big door yard between sun-down and dark and play games. On birthdays her father would sing negro songs, recite re-cite Irish pieces then play the violin vio-lin for the children to dance. When she was six years old she went to help Mrs. Kelly, who was in poor health. Her work was to carry in wood and chips and run errands. Mrs. Kelly gave her her first book, "A First Reader." Her mother taught her her ABC's from letters on boxes. She was taught to read from the Juvenile Instructor. Instruct-or. Goes To Oak City at 11 Years . . . When Ann Jane was eleven years of age, her father was called to Oak City to be Superintendent of the Sunday Schoo and to lead the choir. Her older sisters worked out most of the time so Ann Jane stayed at home and helped her mother with the work. She cared for the home in Oak City while her mother cooked for the boys working work-ing on their farm in Leamington in 1877. They raised wheat for flour. The wheat was cut with a cradle. The women and children gleaned what the cradle missed. The wheat was threshed first with the flail and then horses feet. One day John William loaded his wagon with women and children child-ren to help dig potatoes. He yoked his oxen to the wagon, they became be-came frightened and ran away. It was very exciting, the oxen running, run-ning, the buckets rattling, and the children clinging on. Some men came to the rescue before the wagon was .tipped over. Ann Jane went to school in various var-ious peoples homes until a little adobe school house was built. She completed the Fourth Reader. She was a child during the Indian war and knew what it was to live in fear of Indians. A Deacon At 16 Years . . . When she was sixteen years old she was made a deacon in the Oak City Relief Society. It was her duty to sweep the church and make the fires. She helped deliver the donations of the members to those in need. She enjoyed working work-ing in the church. She taught the Book of Mormon for four years in the Intermediate class of the Sunday Sun-day School. She was a councilor in the Primary association, also the YWMIA. She was a member of the ward choir. The young people went to Holden and Leamington ton dances. Their mode of transportation trans-portation was a wagon. The three spring seats were always filled to capacity. Ann Jane Dutson was married to Charlie Roper Dec. 13, 1888 in the Manti temple, by Daniel H. Wells. She went to Salt Lake City the next July to join her husband who was working on the Salt Lake tern pie. They returned to Oak City where their first child, Charlie was born. Charlie Roper and others built a saw mill in the canyon. The young wife was alone much of the time while her husband was helping help-ing operate the saw mill and farming far-ming on Fool Creek Flat. Their motto was to keep out of debt. They bought and improved their land and built a nice home without knowing the burden of debt. In 1909 the husband' was called on a mission. Ann Jane was left |