A Letter from
MARY HALVERSON BOWEN
Dear Gene;
Don't get so old you can't remember who you are and we never knew why we are here, we can only guess.
Thank you for the information about Andrew Halverson and Grandpa "Boel" or "Bole", and "Lump Sugar" Grandma. I have some information on my dad. (Andrew)
"Andrew was a member of the school board in La Belle, Idaho and taught the religion class there. He was a delegate of the Sunday School before Fremont and Madison Counties were separated and was a member of the old folks committee in Mapleton. He also taught the religion class. I remember this very well as I went to Sunday School with him.
"He also helped to separate two feeder canals from the Snake River - four horses up and a fresno scraper. I am sure Harvey would know where this took place. One feeder canal came by our place when we lived in Archer. The other was south and went into the Blackfoot area.
"He also dug a lot of wells in Mapleton. I remember two - the school well and one for a widow Nelson which he didn't charge for. His helper to dig the wells was our work horse called "Frank" and a person who emptied the buckets as Frank pulled them up. Frank was a trustworthy horse when he worked with Andrew. Otherwise, he was full of vim and vigor and loved to run and play.
"He was active in a lot of pioneer things that we knew nothing about. Too bad, as it was - the changing of times - when the average person didn't have much, but had lots of hard work.
Andrew was on the jury several times which was in Provo.
One time he brought a picture of a litter of coyotes, cute little rascals. I wanted one, he said , "No, they would have to be destroyed." I asked how. Oh, they will put them in the furnace and burn them up.
The main activities were family parties on Birthdays and of course the 4th and 24th of July, when all would meet in Spanish Fork Park for a picnic. Everyone had a good time. It wasn't all work and no play at that time. Everyone had to make their own fun and they did.
I can't tell you much more about Lump Sugar Grandma, as she was called by everyone in the community. She did have a very sad and unhappy life but she was happy with who she was and the love she felt from those about her. She was indeed a great little lady. Everyone loved her, except the man she loved, Christian P. Bole.
I'm sure Harvey could tell you about how Andrew dug the wells, if not, I'll explain the best way I can. His helper was our work-horse, called "Frank" and a person who emptied the buckets as Frank pulled them up. He was a trustworthy horse when he worked with Andrew, other wise he was full of vim and vigor. He loved to run and play.
About Mary Boel, Bole or Bowl, still the same person, Aunt Myrtle said she was called "Molly" also.
Mary was a very kind and generous person. Many men, "tramps" we called them, stopped by for food and she didn't turn anyone away without food. Most of them wanted to work for a bite to eat and wanted to do that before they ate. Mary said, "No one should work on an empty stomach." She gave them all the bread and milk she had. They were always grateful and thanked her kindly. Chopping wood was the only thing I can remember they did. They sat at the kitchen table in the "shanty" or summer kitchen.
I think she was so afraid of strangers after her encounter with an Indian while living in "Scapensque" (Scarpenski). (this was the house named for wind at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon, where Jim and Myrtle were born) He was a large man who came and wanted money or food, shook her arm good and demanded something to eat. She gave him flour and cursing her he went away. So Mother wasn't to timid if she could handle someone like that.
"Mary was a sort of midwife, helping the doctor with the birth of babies in the community. She always kept a white starched apron ready. She never received any pay for this service. She would harness `Tops', the buggy horse, hitch her on the buggy and away she would go.
"I remember our Buggy horse, "Tops" and the places he took us. She was a pretty horse, kind of gentle but with a mind of her own. She had black fore-tops, mane and tail. I think she was a saddle horse that just pulled a buggy. Mother used to hitch her up to the buggy and go around Mapleton delivering babies, she didn't receive a penny for her service people were to poor. John Holly who owned a store gave her a five pound box of candy and another lady gave her a bowl that Kathy has. Tops took Mother many places, to help make quilts and help elderly people.
Tops took Mother, Father, Me and Merrill out to Magna to visit my brother Jim and his wife. It took us all day, stopped at Sandy, Utah for lunch. Tops had hay, we had cheese sandwiches and shared a bottle of rootbeer. Father put two chickens in the buggy with their legs tied together, they laid two eggs on the way. Mother made soup and dumplings with them. Stayed two nights and came back home. Tops took us all over but I was never allowed to drive her.
I remember, "We went on a picnic in a black top two seater buggy pulled by Frank and Dick up Hobble Creek Canyon and stayed all night. Aunt Mary Halvorsen and her husband Uncle Jim Peterson, Mother's brother and their daughter, Elda and her family. We slept on the ground. We had lots of good stuff to eat, everyone brought their favorite goodies. Mother and I tried to kill a water snake with sticks but he got away.
When I came home from school Andrew would be setting on the wood block, after chopping a pile of wood. He wouldn't stay in the house when Mary wasn't there.
"Andrew and Mary did a lot of visiting with the sick and always took some food for the new mother. It was always sweet soup made with tapioca, brown sugar, prunes, raisins and water. It was delicious. She often made it for us at home.
"Mary always made her bread a night. Andrew or one of the boys would take turns turning the dough around in the bread mixer. Mary wasn't strong enough to turn the hook.
"Mary made excellent butter and sold it to a store in Springville. a lady from Salt Lake happened to stop and buy some butter and she was so satisfied with it, she wrote to Mary and had her send four pounds each week to Salt Lake. I don't remember the price. Mary was noted for her chicken soup and dumplings all over the valley. Soup and dumplings were the main course when they had a party.
"Mary loved her family and did everything she could for each one - all her family came to see her often and they loved her.
"Mary lived with Joe, her son, in the old home until he built a new one with a bathroom and a washer and dryer. She was so very happy with the new house. She died March 15th, two days before her 84th birthday."
I can't say anything about my brothers and sisters, as they are still alive. You should contact Erma for Myrtle, Wells for Jim, Raymond for Chris, Irene for Eliza and Doris for Merrill. You will find their addresses on the family sheet. I am still working on mine, I have forgotten so many things.
Thank you for the pictures. Thanks to you, Vivian and Diane for getting busy with it.
Love to All Aunt Mary
Dear Gene;
I have read and reread these many pages, it's a quite a history of our families, so glad we have that.
I hope what I have written isn't just chit chat for you. These things I remember.
"Andrew had a very good education and I can't understand why he didn't teach Mary to read and write. She didn't finish the third grade. What a trial it must have been for her not to be able to help her family with school lessons.
My writing isn't what it used to be, hope you can read and understand it.
Love you
Aunt Mary
Dear Gene;
I've been trying to remember our buggy horse, called "Tops" and the places she took us. Here are a few stories about her--short--but maybe you will be able to make a good story out of them. Tops was her name. I don't think she was a saddle horse, just pulled the buggy. Mother, Mary used to hitch her up to the buggy and go around Mapleton delivering babies, she didn't receive a penny for her services, people were to poor. One family , John Holly who owned a store in Mapleton gave her a five pound box of candy, another lady gave her a bowl which Kathy has. Ella Leo gave her the book.
When I came home from school and Pa (Andrew) was sitting on the wood pile I knew where Mother was, Pa wouldn't stay in the house if she wasn't there.
She, Tops took Mother and Father, me and Merrill over to visit my brother Jim Halverson who lived in Magna, Utah. Took us all day, stopped at Sandy, Utah for lunch, Tops had hay, we had cheese sandwiches and shared a bottle of root beer. Father put two chickens with their legs tied together and they laid two eggs on the way. Mother made soup and dumplings. We had a good day, stayed two nights and came back home.
Tops took us to Spanish Fork, Springville and Provo many times. I was never allowed to drive her. Eliza used to drive her to Spanish Fork, took me with her. Bought me a chocolate nut sunday.
FRANK and DICK STORY;
Uncle Pierre, Mother's brother lived on Provo Bench, now called Orem. Uncle Pierre rode his saddle horse down to Mapleton, to tell them, they could have all the apricots they wanted. So Frank and Dick were hitched up to the wagon and went to Provo Bench and came home with a wagon box full of apricots. Of course they were shared by everyone. Mother canned, dried and made jam enough for us for a year.
Gene, your father should remember some stories about the horses. Maybe, his youth at home was too bitter to want to remember anything.
Almost forgot about another job Frank and Dick did. We had a black top two seater buggy pulled by Frank and Dick. We went on a picnic up Hobble Creek Canyon and stayed over night. We went with Aunt Mary Halverson and her husband, Uncle Jim, Mother's brother and Elda and her family. We slept on the ground. Everyone brought their favorite goodies and good stuff.
Love to each,
Aunt Mary
Love to my Mary Hannah (Callie)
Dear Gene; This was an answer to what happened to all the family heirlooms
The spinning wheel was put in the loft of the new garage that was built for the Model T Ford, after Raymond died, don't remember what hapened to it. The organ was put in the new gainery. All the screws were taken out and it was destroyed. I also remember that after Andrew was dead, our neighbor, Dell Roundy took a lot out of the grainery, talked Joe out of a lot of tools and stuff. Our Mother, Mary was very upset about it.
I have the soap kettle, no one else wanted it at the time. When we sold our homein Lyman, Idaho and came to live with Sandra, I gave it to Monte as he had a rather rugged fireplace. That is still in the family.
No one had a place, house I mean to take these antiques, so I took many of them. Shared with brother Jim, Merrill and Irene. Some don't remember what they were. I still have a few to share with anyone, dishes and such.
These ribbons Andrew had pinned on him while helping with organizing the Old Folks Party, I will send them to you. Also Andrews name written by him. The butter wrapper Mother put on the butter she made. I just have one. And some old pictures of the place in Mapleton.
If I remember any more stories I'll send them to you.
Mary Hannah
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