Horace Fullmer and Anna Christensen Book - Meikle / Proper Family ...

day it grows stronger. I do wish that some day my children mayhave one as it is one of the best things that I have, to know thatthis Church of ours is the only true church on earth.My father and oldest brother James, were killed in a snow slide inLogan Canyon on the 2nd of December 1896. I miss my Dad as it wasso hard on my Mother left with a big family.Anna describes how she met her husband Horace.When I was about seventeen my father had a sawmill in LoganCanyon. I went up there with him to cook for the men. He wasthere for the summer. This is where I got acquainted with HoraceFullmer, whom I married the 13th of May 1896. I went to thesawmill again that summer to cook and moved to Logan for thewinter the 3rd of December, 1896.One family member relates a little about when they weremarried. They had a wedding supper. One of the refreshments wasa fruit juice thickened and served with whipped cream. Probablya Danish dessert. Times have changed since then. Weddings usedto be quite a celebration, dinners, dances and everyone havingfun. Anna at one time was heard to say;You'll see the day when they'll just go by, you'll taste the cakeand stick your finger in the punch and that's all there will be toit.Anna continues her history.In February my first baby girl, ANNA ALHEDIA, was born to us onFebruary 21st 1897, in Logan. We moved to Providence the nextyear. On the 7th of June, 1 899 we had another girl, EDITH LAVERN,then the next year we moved to Idaho and got a ranch on the TetonRiver North of the highway. Our first son, HORACE PRESTON, wasborn there on the 22nd of February, 1901.Before moving to Idaho, Horace and his brother Herbert hadheard of some homestead land opening up. You had to work theland for two years and pay a fee of sixteen dollars and fiftycents to have the paperwork done, and then would be givenownership of one hundred and sixty acres. The two went to theTeton Valley the summer 1899, and worked the ground near theTeton River. The following year, 1900, they brought theirfamilies.It took about two weeks to make the journey from Providenceto Idaho. Anna's mother was sad to see them go. She helped themload their wagon with salt pork, beans, flour, potatoes, driedprunes and syrup, and watched them leave.It was not an easy trip. There were no paved roads, onlythe path other wagons had made as the made their way to new4

lands. A granddaughter related that as they traveled in theBlackfoot area, there was one stretch that was very sandy. Itwas so hard to travel through the sand they had to unhitch teamsfrom other wagons and hook them onto one wagon and pull themthrough one wagon at a time.Another story is told of an incident that occurred as theyneared the valley. They had to cross Canyon Creek and stoppedfor the night in the bottom of the canyon, near the creek. Thenext morning, as they were preparing a breakfast of side pork,some Indians stopped at their camp. It is said that they fedthem and as Anna was cleaning up she poured the grease from thefrying pan into the fire. The Indians saw what she was doing,waved their hands and shouted, told her that she would be cursedby the Gods for wasting the grease. They told her it should havebeen left for the animals.A daughter, Wanda, relates that they had to pass throughRigby on the way and they kind of wanted to stop there but therewas nothing there but water so they continued on to the TetonValley.It must have been a discouraging sight to stop at the top ofthe hill before entering the valley and see nothing but sagebrushand grass in the lowlands by the river. It is said there werequite a few Indians in the valley at that time. They would creepup and look in the window and the only way Anna could get rid ofthem was to give them some bread or something to eat.A granddaughter remembers hearing that there were only twelvefamilies in the valley when they arrived.Anna continues:I have lived in poor houses and nice ones. My first home inIdaho was a tent. I lived in it for six months then Horacebuilt a two room log house. At first it had a dirt floor, butlater he added on two more rooms and put in a wood floor. (It issaid they scrubbed the floors with lye soap and water so theywould be light). No paper on the walls and only one window in tworooms. Quite dark, but it was our home and we were happy.The closest neighbor was about three miles away. They had anoutside privy which they cleaned the same way. They had to haultheir water from the river.Family members relate their light at night was generallycandle or the old coal oil lamps. Later, when they moved toTetonia from the ranch, the "carbon lamp" became a source oflight. It was a lamp which consisted of a container where youcould add calcium carbide to water, producing acetylene, andproviding a constant supply of gas for the lamp.Her daughter, Wanda, describes life on the ranch by the river.5

Dad's homestead was about a half or three quarters of a mile fromthe Teton River. It included land on both sides. We used to haveto wade the river on horses, when we went to help harvest thegrain that was grown on the other side. Dad started out withsheep. We always had a herd of sheep. There was about 500 as Iremember. Dad had a range over on the west side where he wouldtake them in the summer and bring them back before winter andwould feed them hay. Us kids always had to help put up the hay.Family members relate they used to go watch the men shearthe sheep in the spring of the year. Preston and Sive were amongthose who helped with the shearing.Wanda continues:We had to haul our water from the river. We built a "lizard", asquare box on skids. We had a barrel on it and would pull thelizard with a horse down to the river and fill it with water. Wewould put a tub over it so the water wouldn't splash out on theway back. We would then put it near the house so mother could usethe water.We used to have a school in our house. They used the front roomand all us kids and all the neighbors had school every day. DoraLoin was the teacher. We had the Browers, Hatches, Harrops andothers.Anna further relates:Many times we didn't have much to do with, and it seemed hard butthe Lord has been good to me. One time my baby boy was very sickand the doctor said there wasn't much could be done for him.After the doctor left I went out to the hay stack and prayed tothe Lord for help. I felt so bad, I just didn't know what to do.When I came back in the house he looked at me and said Mama. Heknew me for the first time that day and he got better from thenon. The Lord has been good to me and I hope I can show him that Iam thankful for all his blessings to me. If we will do our parthe will not forget us when in need.Horace had chosen this part of the valley because it wasclose to the river. After farming the ground for several years,the farm did not produce well and Horace had to look for otherwork to support his family. It was difficult because of the veryshort growing season. The snow stayed on the ground late in thespring, and the frost came early in the fall.The family did not always have what they wanted to eat inthose early years in the valley. It has been told that the firstwinter, all they had to eat was pancakes and blackstrap molasses.Meat was very scarce. Horace used to set up snares in thewinter time to catch rabbits for meat. One day he was making the6

ounds of his snares along the banks of the Teton River. He hadmade a pair of wooden ice skates which were fastened to his feetwith some leather straps. As he was skating down the river,checking his snares he went around a bend in the river and cameupon a herd of elk bedded down. He had not been aware of elkwintering in that area and was quite surprised. He went home andsent one of his children to Breckenridges with the information.Within a few hours Horace and other families had enough meat tolast through the winter.Anna continues.We lived on the homestead for three years and in 1902, moved toMarysville to run a sawmill. I cooked for six men and I cared formy family.The saw mill was up Coleman Canyon north of the Snake River.They sold lumber for thirteen dollars a thousand board feet.In 1904 we moved hack on the ranch and lived till 1924, when webought a home in Tetonia. We lived there in the winter and on theranch in the summers. We had nine children, six girls and threeboys, all but two born on the ranch.Besides Preston, the following children were born whileliving on the ranch in Haden. SIVE WALTER, born the 31st ofMarch, 1904; JAMES DON, born the 12th of May, 1906; DORA JANE,born the 26th of June, 1908; WANDA VALARIE, born the 10th ofJuly, 1911; WILDA MARIE, born the 9th of July, 1914 and VERAIONE, born the 16th of March, 1917.Keeping the payments on the homestead was not always easy.The payments had to be made on a regular basis. Apparently someof the payments became delinquent and they were in danger oflosing the homestead. It is said that Anna traveled by train toPocatello to make the payments to save the homestead. Anna wassent because Horace, although an intelligent person, had not hadthe opportunity for an education. He did not write, and wasapprehensive to do business with those in Pocatello. It is saidthat Anna transacted most of the business for the family.Life was not easy on the ranch although Horace always foundtime to do some fishing. He loved to fish and would often takesome of the children with him. Tragedies and accidents alsooccurred. Preston jumped off the barn one time and fell on apitchfork, running it through his foot. Sive was kicked in thechest by a horse and they thought they were going to lose him.In another incident, Horace and Ern Daniels were gone toTetonia and coming back in the dark the horse Horace was riding,fell into a gravel pit and Horace broke his back. It may havebeen the horse fell on him, it is not known for sure. Hehad to stay in bed for six weeks. When he was able to get up,Wanda relates that he had to learn to walk all over again.7

His back bothered him from then on. Whenever he would go out toirrigate, he would lean on the shovel and hold his hip with hisother hand.Sometime after they moved to Tetonia, Horace bought a car.One of the cars he had was an Oldsmobile. He was often seenpolishing it and always took good care of it. It is uncertainthat it was this car or another, but one day while changing atire, the jack slipped pinning his hand between the car and theground. He yelled for help and his wife Anna and daughter, Wandaheard him and went running outside to see what was wrong. Wandarelates that she and her mother were able to lift the car up farenough so that he could get his hand out.Also after moving to Tetonia, Anna got a washing machine.It was hand powered by a handle on the side that caused theagitator to move back and forth. It was still hard work to dothe washing. Sometime after that, Almedia got a gas poweredwashing machine and would go get her mothers washing and do itfor her. Anna was so grateful.Sometime after they moved to Tetonia, Horace's mother, JaneEllinor Griffiths Fullmer, came to stay with Horace and hisfamily. Her husband had died in 1919 and she took turns livingwith her children. Anna's mother, Anna Sophie Jeppsen, also usedto come and stay with them. It is reported that one time she hadboth of their mothers staying with them at the same time. I'msure that would have been an interesting experience. Anna'smother was always busy and helping with the daily tasks.While Horace's mother, Jane Ellinor , was living with thefamily, she passed away on the 16th of September 1929. Theundertaker came to the home and prepared the body in one of thebedrooms of the home. Funeral services were held in Tetonia andshe was taken to Providence, Utah where she was buried by herhusband, Almon Linus Fullmer Jr.Family members describe Jane Ellinor as an "Elegant Lady".Her hair was always well kept and beautiful, and she had the mostbeautiful gloves and silk purse with embroidery on the sides.One could not help but admire her.Anna continues:I have seen some mighty hard times since we came to Idaho, well infact, all my life as I worked all my life to make ends meet. TheLord has been great to me anyway, I hope I can live so he will bepleased with me. I have worked as a Sunday School Teacher, ReliefSociety Teacher, as a counselor with three Relief SocietyPresidents and was President for about two years. I have been aCounselor in the Primary. I have also worked in genealogy a lot.I like this part of the church best at this time.Daughter, Wanda relates that her mother didn't want to bethe Relief Society President because she hadn't been to thetemple, but they told her that if she could choose someone who8

had been to the temple as a counselor, it would be alright. Shesaid one of the projects her mother did while she was president,was to make sure that all the new babies born in their ward hadsome good clothes to wear. They had the sisters make layettes (aset of clothing for new born infants) and give them to those'having babies.Wanda also relates that sometime after she had married, hermother went out of the valley to have surgery. She related theyremoved a large growth and a breast from her mother. She neverhad any further problems with it.Wanda describes her father.He liked to fish and hunt, and would always come back with an elkor deer for the family. He liked to play baseball and especiallyhorse shoes. He and Uncle Oscar, Warren Fullmer, Ern Daniels, andRuss Rammell's dad, would always get together and pitchhorseshoes. Dad was not really active in church. He wouldn't getup and pray. He would go to sacrament meeting once in a while andalways took the family to Stake Conference up in Driggs.He was a hardworking, good, honest man. He always kept his wordand disliked it when others didn't.He could play (chord) the piano and also played a small accordion.He would play the piano and sing and the kids would sing with him.He could always tell when you were off key when you were playing.Dad didn't like us kids to work out. He wanted to make theliving for the family. He felt like people would think he wasreally poor if the kids went to work.Others have also described him.He had large bushy eyebrows and his eyes always twinkled. Healways seemed to have a fun attitude.He was always doing things with the grandchildren. One time heloaded some of them up in his car and took them out to the circus.For most, it was the first circus they had ever seen.He, with other members of his family enjoyed pickinghuckleberries. A granddaughter relates that he would sing as hepicked. One of the songs he sang was the following.The higher up the cherry treethe sweeter grows the cherries.The more you hug and kiss the girlsthe more they want to marry.9

He would never wear dirty clothes to go to town. He would alwaysput on a clean pair of blue overalls and his "Town Hat", then hewas ready. He was always clean shaven.He loved to raise a garden and kept his place fixed up so italways looked really nice.An interesting account of his garden is shared by one of Almedia'sdaughters. She relates that they used to help him plant potatoes.He would hitch a horse to a plow and make a furrow. The grandkidswould follow with a bucket of "one drop" potato seed. As soon asthey had planted the row, Horace would plow the other directionand cover up the seed. In the fall they helped dig the potatoes.He would again use the horse and plow to dig them up and the kidswould sift through the dirt and find the potatoes.Another experience remembered by the grandchildren, wasabout Christmas. It is related Horace and Anna used to have achristmas tree that reached nearly to the top of the high ceilingin their home in Tetonia. They used to decorate the tree withpopcorn, cranberries and colored paper. The special part theyremembered most was the lights on the tree. They were candlesthat clipped on the branches.Grandchildren relate:It was so beautiful with all the candles burning. We would allhold hands and sing and dance around the tree. We couldn't gofast cause we might bump into the tree and get burned and thecandles would get blown out. It was the most beautiful tree.Also remembered was the parlor or sitting room. It was avery special room and it was only on special occasions they wereallowed to go in.They remember what a good cook Anna was. It may have beenplain but was always delicious. She made such good bread, ricepuddings, molasses cookies and oatmeal cookies. She is perhapsbest remembered for her famous coffee cakes, prepared for herfamily and other visitors.Grandchildren also remember the root cellar attached to thehouse. It was a dirt cellar where they kept their milk,vegetables, fruit. They also stored the head cheese they used tomake, as well as a big barrel of pickles.Horace always enjoyed being with people, and whenever hisgood wife Anna would have to go some where, he would go downtownand spend some time with his friends.After Horace moved from the ranch, he lived the rest of hislife in Tetonia. Toward the end of his life, his health began tofail. After a while things turned for the worst and after aboutten days Horace passed away of what is believed to be cancer.Dr. Hoffman, said that his father passed away the same way and it10

was cancer. He was sixty nine years old when he passed away.I'm not sure anyone really knows how he died. It may have been aresult of his back injury in his early life. It is reported thatAnna had said "he almost came uncoupled in his back when hedied".A story is told of when he was on his death bed. When itwas near the end, he looked up and said, "Mother". It was justas if he was able to see her, and was aware that she was on theother side waiting for him.Almedia's girls relate they lived through the field justnorth of their grandfather. When he was so sick and near death,Almedia went over to her father's house. She told the kids tokeep an eye out towards his house. If they saw a white dishtowelhanging on the clothesline, they would know that he had passedaway. They kept watching and finally saw the white dishtowel,and knew that their grandfather had died.Annie concludes:Horace died in 1943, so since that time I went to the temple andwas sealed to him. I have also gone through for one hundred andsixty two names. This year, 1950, I went through for fifty. HopeI can do more this next year. This does give me a lot of joy.I have had nine children, all married. One girl died and left methree children to care for. (Lavern is the girl referred to. Herchildren were Bernice, Delbert, and Athol.) After their father,(Parley Charles Rammell) remarried, he took Bernice and Delbertand later he took Athol for one year and then I got him back. Ihad him till he left for the army and married before he got home.All three children live in Salt Lake. I have forty fivegrandchildren, and thirty two great grandchildren. We lost threegrandchildren, one great grandchild, three sons-in-laws, and onedaughter-in-law, making eight that has passed to the other side.All that has died is my husband and six of my family out of afamily of eighty six.I had my Patriarchal Blessing on the 10th of March 1947. I wastold in it that I should do all I could for my ancestors andothers that are dead, and I would be blessed. I am happy in thegospel and my testimony I have of it.I am happy and well at the age of 73. Hope I can keep that well.I have many friends, all so good to me, and I have many mightyfine children all so good to me. They all help me so much that Ilove them all. May the Lord bless them that they can all livenear to him and do what is right, is my wish at all times.Hope this can be read as I didn't get much schooling.11

More needs to be said of this good man and his wife. Theywere always concerned about their children and grandchildren.The story is told of the time when Athol ran away from home whileliving with Horace and Anna. He was quite young at the time.Almedia's daughter, Edna, was sent over to stay with Anna becauseshe was so upset. Horace and Anna and Edna got in their car anddrove around to the relatives and neighbors to see if Athol wasthere. They had no success. They returned home discouraged andheartsick because they could not find him. They went to bed,with Edna sleeping in one of the other rooms. In the middle ofthe night Anna came in holding Athol in her arms and crying. Shewas so tickled to think that he would come home. He had spentpart of the night in a straw stack and when he had got wet andcold he walked home. Edna describes the event as a very touchingand tender event as she saw her grandmother with her braided hairrunning down her back with Athol in her arms, and weeping openly.It was a tender moment she will never forget.One comment by a granddaughter was that "grandma was alwaysthere when someone needed her". Several stories can be told toillustrate her caring love for her family.One incident involves the birth of three of hergrandchildren. It seems that three of her family were ready todeliver all within a very short time. It is said that she hadall three of them in beds at her place over a five week period.Sive's wife, Beatrice, Don's wife, Elva and her own daughter,Wanda, all gave birth to their children there. The babies wereEarl Ray Fullmer, Delores Fullmer and DeWayne Hansen. She hadthe three women and three babies to care for, besides all her ownpersonal responsibilities.An interesting sideline is that they used lysol water as asterilizing solution during birth.When Almedia's husband Bryant Campbell, her daughter,Valoie, and son, Garr, died, Anna was there helping andconsoling. When Garr was killed, Bob Smellie went to get Anna.Anna went over to Almedia's house and got all the kids together,got them down on their knees and prayed for Almedia. She prayed,"Please help my sweet daughter, she has had so much grief". Thechildren said it really helped her.Family members remember when Anna passed away. She tooksick and was taken to the hospital in Driggs. Children andgrandchildren came and stayed with her. One day, her daughter,Vera, and Almedia's daughter, Edna, were staying with her andlooking out the window. Anna began talking, saying, "Are yougirls in a play, there is so much confusion around". Edna feltthat she might have been seeing something or someone from theother side. Family members indicate she was sick only aboutthree days. She passed away in the hospital in Driggs on the20th of December, 1961. She had been concerned that she wasruining everybody's Christmas. Her funeral was held on December23rd.Anna gave great service in the church. Her work in12

genealogy, and going to the temple will always be remembered.When no one else was going down, she would catch the bus and rideout to Idaho Falls and spend the day at the temple. It isreported that she did the temple work for over 500 of her familyand relatives as well as others.Often times when one of the grandchildren had to give a twoand a half minute talk, they would go to Anna and she would helpthem with a story that would fit in with some gospel principle.Edna said that she was the best story teller and knew so muchabout the gospel.Shortly after her 80th birthday a tribute was written bymembers of the Relief Society in the Tetonia Ward.When her family grew up and her husband passed away, she busiedherself with her handwork. Many brides had received crocheteddoilies as a wedding gift. She has given them freely as birthdaygifts or as get well tokens. Almost every where she goes she cansee some of her work. Besides this she has crocheted an alterpiece for every temple. She even has some ready for the templesbeing built, all carefully labeled. She has also made manyguilts, rugs and other handwork. Even the what-not shelf in thecorner of her living room, she made with spools. She keeps housefor herself and even does some gardening.She has served in the Relief Society, Primary, Sunday School andGenealogical Society ever since she has been old enough to takesuch a responsibility. She is a visiting teacher in the ReliefSociety now and has not missed a month in doing her teaching for24 years.She has received many letters from the temples expressing thanksfor the contributions she has made.Both Horace and Anna are buried in the Haden Cemetery.We should all feel the rich blessings of belonging to thefamily of Horace and Anna. Their lives are an example by whichwe can pattern our own lives. As we reflect upon the hardshipsand trials they endured, perhaps we can gain strength for our owndaily challenges.This history was compiled by LaRie and Clem Thompson frominformation taken from a history of Bryant and Almedia Campbell,biographies written by Anna Christeine Fullmer for hergranddaughters, LaRie Thompson and Jarris Vandertoolen in 1951,an interview with a daughter, Wanda Hansen, and a conversationwith Delpha Armstrong. A discussion by Almedia's daughters alsoprovided some of the information. Compiled July 28, 1991.13

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Standing: Jane Ellenor Fullmer Hochstrasser, daughter of JaneEllenor Griffiths Fullmer (below)Left: Jane Ellenor Griffiths, married Almon Linus Fullmer,was the mother of Horace Walter FullmerRight: Margaret Ann Griffiths Clegg, sister to Jane EllenorGriffiths (on the left)

1 T4 R7 r.--nrwrXSons of Almon L. Fullmer and Jane E. Griffiths.mpleer,,, Horace Walter (Grandfather), Almoa, Claudia,AOMMGeorge (center front) Photo taken before 1916

Daugters of Almon L. and Jane E.FullmerMay JaneLishman HockstrasserIda AliceMerrell Hockstrasser

James Neils Christensen FamilyAnna --- Jimmy --- HannaPete -- Anna Sophia (Jeppsen) -- Media -- James Neils Christensen -- OrsonOliver --- Marie