Saga of the Sanpitch Volume 13, 1981 - Sanpete County

flight. Even the solace of mourning was denied them. Everyone must leave the ship at once. Caroline and
Rasmus watched and comforted the children, while Peter had Dorothy's body removed to an undertaker's for
the night.
Being a stranger and overcome with grief, Peter was so long getting back that the station doors were
locked and his trunks and things had not been checked and taken in. Leaving the children with his friends, he
walked the platform through the long night, in a drenching rain.
Next morning Dorothy was laid to rest in a little graveyard in St. Louis.
Peter hired a horse and buggy, and took the children out to bid their mother goodbye. They
surrounded the grave and knelt down, while the grief-stricken father prayed, as only one can pray who has
found his Gethsemane.
After this last, sacred farewell, the journey across the plains was begun. The loss of their mother's help
worked many hardships upon the children. Little Hannah was ill for a long time, and as Mary held her in her
lap, upon the high spring seat, that parasol protected her little body from the scorching rays of the sun.
At last Zion was reached and a new home begun. In this home all were reared to manhood and
womanhood.
One by one they left their father's house to begin one for themselves until even Hannah had left and
had three small ones of her own to love.
But life is uncertain and soon Hannah lay on her death bed. Before going she gave her few treasures to
her little ones.
To her namesake she gave the faded parasol, saying, "Take this, and when life is hard and hope is gone,
it will be as a message of comfort from your mother."
"Oh! Mama, how sorry I am that we broke it. No wonder you cried."
"Well, perhaps it is best so. Each of you take a piece of ivory from the handle for your treasure box,
that in the uncertain future it may be an ensign of hope to you."
Source: Personal writings and journals of the deceased.
REMEMBERING
Effie O. Nielson
1530 East 3080 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
Judges' Note; This entry was not included in the judging because it does not meet the criteria of any of the
categories, However, the judges unanimously considered it worthy of publication.
When I was but a wee small tot
We had a big house with a garden plot
We had horses and pigs and chickens too
We had cows that would stand by the gate and
moo
Sometimes ole Bess would like to stray
Sometimes it was Mollie that wanted to stay
We had to get them rain or shine
Like the cows quite often we'd take our time
And dark tho it was when we got to the gate
We had to milk them no matter how late.
74
I liked this house with lilacs and trees
I even like our neighbor "Weze"
Her name was Louise but we called her that
She always had time to stand and chat.
In the summer our barn was clear full of hay
When Dad wasn't around we'd romp and play
We knew it wasn't the thing to do
It left only stems for the cows to chew.