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Show Battlecreek DUP hears member, pioner histories at meeting The members and their guests of the Battlecreek Camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers were welcomed out to their January meeting, held in the Garden Room of the City Recreation Building, by co-captain Colleen Gardner. "Silver Threads Among the Gold" was sung, conducted by Gloria Sceley and accompanied by Maymetta Johnson, Prayer was given by Lucille Faddis and a Pledge of Allegiance was given to the flag. A history was given by Donna Erickson, who was born in Roosevelt, the second child of three born to her parents. Her father worked in the coal mines in southern Utah. They lived in a small mining town where everything belonged to the mining company. Her grandfather, uncle, or some other member of the family lived with them off and on at one time or another. The family later moved to Salt Lake City where they lived near the hospital, then moved to San Francisco where Donna and her friends had fun on the beach and played all the childhood games. Eventually the family moved again, this time to Price where she graduated from high school. She attended four years of college in Provo, then went to Salt Lake to work. She married Lloyd Erickson from Lehi. They became the parents of two children. Lloyd ! worked in Denver, Colorado for some time, then was transferred to Dallas, Texas. He retired in 1983 and the family moved back to Utah. The lesson on the Diary of Jean Rio Griffith Baker was given by Viola Cowley, who was assisted by her two daughters, Janet and Elaine, who are descendants of Jean Baker. Jean Baker was born in England to an English mother and a Scottish father, one of nine children. The family joined the church in England. Her husband died and after she was a widow for 16 months, she decided to gather with the Saints in America. On Jan. 7, 1851, they boarded a ship but remained in the harbor until Jan. 23, when the wind shifted, blowing them out into the Irish Sea, and they all got seasick. They became acquainted with the different moods of the sea -- its anger during a storm, or its beauty as the moon and stars shone down on it on a quiet, peaceful night. One of Jean's small sons became ill and died and was buried in the sea. On March 20, 1851, after two and one-half months aboard ship they landed in New Orleans. They went to St. Louis where they purchased four wagons and oxen to pull them. They reached the Rocky Mountains in August, where the scene was so beautiful with its grand mountains, streams and waterfalls. They forded one meandering stream 16 different times. On their journey they lost six different oxen through one accident or another. After living in wagons for 24 weeks, they finally reached the Salt Lake Valley. They eventually settled in Ogden on a 20 acre farm. In 1869 they left the farm and moved into the city where Jean worked as a dressmaker. Refreshments were served by hostesses Dora Christiansen, Alta Hone, Eva Proctor and Iona Weyland. |
