Transcribed from Jeanann’s History Book

The Story of the Family of

Thomas William Harris

And

Elizabeth Ann Evans

And their children

LaVern, Melvin, Ivan, Wit, Ira, Harold, Annie and Roy

This is the story of our Grandfather Harris, Thomas William and his wife Elizabeth Ann Evans Harris.

Thomas William Harris, born in Kaysville, Utah on August 10, 1868. Died September 11, 1941. According to Uncle Jo Harris our grandfather was a great sport in his youth. And this is verified by the many stories dad used to tell us of the times he played baseball, and how he would sacrifice much to be in a game. He was always catcher on the team, and as they played without gloves in those days, it resulted in his fingers being very misshapen, that is the top joints being enlarged and a rather stubby set of fingers was the price he paid. He was a strong man and used to show off by doing many stunts. I remember someone saying that he could pick up one hundred pounds of wheat in a sack and put it down with his teeth. There were no trucks in those days and he had to do everything with horses or oxen. He was a fellow who liked to be able to do things a little better or that was harder to do than other fellows. He liked to be the boss and I (Uncle Jo) recall one time when he had been working with a team of horses he said, “Jo, you go tend to the horses, I want to practice throwing the ball”. (A thing he did often.) He would try to throw a baseball hard enough to break a board one inch thick. This time I told him that I would not do it, and he said that I would, but I did not do it and so he carried me by force to where the team was standing and took my hand in his and unhitched the team then, tied the hitch strap around me and made me water the horses. And another time he made me fight my boyfriend, but this time is wasn’t so good for him, as I told father about it and Will got a good bit of trouble come his way—well believe me he was cured—Now said Uncle Jo, “I am not saying that I wasn’t lazy, but I couldn’t see why I should tend to his horses after he used them!!!” I saw him hit a weight on a scale higher than any man there. He was also one of the fastest hay pitchers around. He went to Canada and fell in love with the country, its many hills and roving plains. Pages could be written about the games he played and the times he saved the day for his team, but that must be left, suffice it to say, that this keen love of sports was passed on to his sons in later years. For instance, one time when we lived in Taber and Dad and the older boys wanted to see a fight in Lethbridge and since there wasn’t a train at a convenient hour, they boarded a freight and nearly got locked in the box card before they arrived in the station in Lethbridge, but escaped by jumping out while the train was still moving and just pulling in at the depot. Fun? I think not, but the boys say that their “Dad” was the greatest sport—oh, to be a boy!

(This part by Aunt LaVern)There were only a few things I remember Mother telling about her early childhood, but she did mention a beautiful doll she had and how she guarded it to keep it from being harmed. The doll was of wax and she kept it under her mother’s bed. One day they had company and a vixen-minded child of her age crept under the bed, took the doll out of the box and bit the nose off. Mother said that her heart was broken as dolls were not easy to come by in those days. Mother told me of one time she was with an expectant woman and although she herself was only sixteen years of age, when the baby came without a doctor or anyone else being present she had the full responsibility and what a nerve-shattering experience it was. But it only proved that she was always master of any situation and exhibited great courage in the face of danger. She was of a rather retiring nature and allowed others to take the limelight and the applause while she worked silently behind the scenes, silently but effectively. Another humorous incident occurred while she was a young lady. It was the fashion to wear “bangs” which Mother detested, but one day about six of the girls were going to have their picture taken in a group and they had to take mother down and cut her some bangs, so she would be like the others. She protested mightily and the picture, which we still have showed she wasn’t too happy.

Apparently Mother and Dad had a rather romantic life, of which they told us very little, but in later years we learned that Dad asked for Mother’s hand and Grandpa Evans refused to let him take his daughter, and it came to the point where he challenged Dad to a fight. Reluctantly, but with love burning in his heart, and a determination to take for his wife the girl he loved, Dad fought with Grandpa and proved to Grandpa Evans satisfaction that he was the better man. So he was given the right to marry “LIDE” and they lived a full and happy married life. Grandpa Evans was a stern character in his own right, was a sheriff in the county for many years, and had to have things his own way unless someone proved he was wrong. But, he was a loveable person.

As a young man dad came to Canada and fell in love with the waving prairie grass and the beautiful blue skies and wide open range country with its great promise and said that he would return some day. There are many interesting things that could be related in connection with this first trip north, but time will not permit, however the time was not yet ripe for him to settle the north country, so he returned to Utah and a few years after he and mother were married, they moved to Syracuse (a little hamlet not far removed from Layton) and when things did not go as they expected they moved further north to a little spot west of Tremonton call Thatcher.

Up to this time they had been blessed with the following family – all boys – Melvin Evans, William Ira, Wilford Hyrum and Verle – who died when about four years old with spinal meningitis. Then Ivan Evans came along to brighten the home. The next was the first daughter whom they named Mary LaVern. She was born while Verle was sick and Mother was unable to attend his funeral. Unfortunately as there were so many boys first, the wee lass became badly spoiled and I fear to this day has never completely recovered from the effects. It was shortly after this, about two and a half years, the urge became too strong and Thomas William picked up his family and headed for Canada. Mother was practically ill from the effects of leaving the family ties in the good old U.S.A. and I think until the time of her death, she was never completely reconciled. However, they built a lovely home, planted fruit trees and bushes, shade trees and were safely installed on Canadian soil. One point of interest in those early days was a treadmill, where a huge dog moved and gave power for the washing machine-this created quite a stir in the interest of the young people, who used to come and watch this unusual activity. The town in which they settled first was Raymond, Alberta, which later became famous for the Canadian Sugar Factory amongst other things. In this new abode another boy was added to the household and he was name Harold Joseph (Jeanann speaking now. Here I think that Aunt LaVern got her information a little incorrect, because Dad’s birth certificate shows that he was born in Thatcher, Box Elder County, Utah—so she is a few years premature on the coming to Canada date—thanks) and later became known as “Babe” for his prowess as catcher on the baseball team. Then the second little girl came along and she was named Elizabeth Annie and she has never ceased to bring joy not only to the immediate family, but to all who have known her. Two years later the youngest and last son, Roy Evans, was born. He was always a tease, and had great inclinations as a fighter, taking on much larger and older boys than himself for a fight in his first year at school.

In addition to our town home we soon acquired a farm home, about six miles north of Raymond and lived there during the summer months and into the fall, until after the harvest. We even stayed there one or two winters as I remember the first Christmas there when mother gave me the choice of dolls “Santa” would bring. There were many difficult times, but through the hardship of farm life there were many happy hours and deep friendships were cemented in this family. For instance when Mother made root beer and “Annie” went down to get a drink from the keg and after having turned the spigot on couldn’t get the “beer” to stop running all over and wasted the entire mix. She then ran and hid under some heavy covers and was nearly smothered by the time the frantic family found her. But going for the cows and skating on the pond in the wintertime and many other excursions created an appreciation for the great out-of-doors.

My clearest recollections of Dad are his interests in dramatics and he certainly excelled in this line. It seems before I could scarcely read I was giving him cues for plays he was in, long after the others had gone to bed. I was definitely indoctrinated into the drama at an early age. And while he was at rehearsals I recall sitting around with Mother and Fanny Walker (dad’s cousin who had moved to Raymond from Layton, Utah, and was Secretary at the Canadian Sugar Factory office) and in the manner of all women they would laugh over past happenings, sometimes even recalling the period before mother and dad were married, and when mother would have dates with dad and leave him waiting at the well with her brothers while she dated some other charmer. I would feel so sorry for dad (in my young innocence) and would cry so hard that mother and Fanny couldn’t pacify me and when they would ask the cause I didn’t want to tell them I was listening in on their conversations as I feared they would be more discrete next time and wouldn’t confide in each other in my presence, so I’d pretend my back was aching, so they would take turns rubbing my back and continue telling each other of episodes of other days and I would continue crying every time it was mentioned that Dad was neglected as a suitor. What a vicious circle, but what fun!!!!

There was one play in particular I recall, which was several years later but still in Raymond. It was a war play; they had tents on the stage, camp fire, a water pump where two beautiful horses were brought into drink, etc., and everyone acknowledged it was a terrific production. Several of our boys were in it. As I recall Melvin had the romantic lead and Wit had a lesser, humorous part in which he had to say to Ta-ara-ha Fisher (a neighbor girl whose Dad had served in Fiji Islands on a mission – thus the name, and she was called “Tay” for short) he had to say, “Come to your Dink-Dink”. I suppose that belongs in Wits story, but I’ll never forget his disgust when Dad said he must give that speech in the play. But it was beautiful and sad and we all cried at parts of it. The Octoroon was another play he directed that was a smashing hit – Sterlla Van Wagner played the romantic lead and I was recalling it was a hit. Another was “Brookdale Farm”. Melvin and Olga Anderson played the romatine lead and I was not quite 14, but play the younger sister who was in love with the farm helper who was played by Ira and said, “Run Ephrium, run – or the billy goat will get you”. The sad part of it was, no one told me what to wear and Dad took it for granted that I would wear necessary clothes for a farm girl, but instead I borrowed clothes from the most fashionable school teacher in town “Jolaynne David” and I must have had the audience wondering what a gangly young girly portraying a farmer’s daughter in the rough was doing in such lavish clothes. You can judge from the speech given above the caliber I portrayed. But even so Dad was pretty proud of me for being such a natural in my initial appearance. (For those interested in Dad’s productions and the smiles and chuckles vs. the tears involved, I will write elsewhere.)

While Dad was superintendent of the Sunday School he put on the most outstanding Christmas programs, had a big tree in the old school house and had presents for everyone. And in the summer time they had a big parade and he constructed a terrific-sized float and there were row on row of seats from all fours sides of the square-sized base, and it was so high they had to lift the telephone wires so the float could pass by. I had never thought of it before, but as I recall all these incidents now I can see in them the definite desire to excel. Not to surpass the efforts of others, but to do his very best and it had to be the best at any cost, as far as effort and labor were concerned. And if he couldn’t get anyone else to do it, he would do everything himself. On the above-mentioned float, he had the Sunday School children riding on the mentioned rows of seats.

And while Dad was having his fun in the various channels he chose, Mother carried on quietly at home. I recall in the very early days when we had extremely cold weather about 45-50 degrees below, and the water had to be hauled in barrels and one big barrel would be kept in the corner of the kitchen, and many times in the morning ice would have to be broken before we could get water to heat to wash in. This was a condition common to most all of the homes at that time. And we would all gather around the fire in the evenings and have fun popping corn and eating apples. I recall big parties they would have and Mother would have their friends in and cook big dinners and it seems oyster soup was always a favorite. And at Christmas times the older boys would have their girlfriends in and they would make simply loads of Christmas candy-divinity being a favorite of mine, but they made so many different kinds. I can never recall a time when our friends were not made welcome at home and as a result there was always dozens of people around. Ira had the Norton boys and there were ever so many others I can’t recall the names, but Maude Van Wagner was my pal in my girlhood days in Raymond. Mother would make my dresses like Maude’s under protest as she was a petite young thing and I was a robust lass at all times. Uncle Will Evans lived just west of us and we visited back and forth with them. The Fishers lived to the South; the Van Wagner’s on the west of Fisher’s adjoining the Evan’s lot. Across the street from them lived the Ursenbachs and west-immediately across Main street – over there lived the Nalders, just to mention a few of the old timers who were friends of Mother and Dad.

Melvin went on a mission to the Eastern States about 1912 and we were all so proud of him. I remember he was promised the piano, as he was the first one of the family who really took and interest in playing it. Amongst some of his gal friends were two very striking looking girls called the “Prerry Chickens”. However, it wasn’t too long after this that Dad and the boys investigated the Taber area and decided it would be a good place to live and although they had been farmers and machinists, engineers and what have you, painters, bricklayers and anything that was necessary in the running of a farm and building of a home they saw in this new area the need of a flour mill and Melvin was to be the “miller”. So in the year 1915 we moved to Taber. Dad had a threshing machine and mother cooked for the men and it was a grueling experience. I recall it because occasionally I supposed I should have helper her, and I’m sure she would have been better off without me as I never liked anything to do with cooking. But everyone was expected to help in some way.

This of course was during the First World War and during the last year there was the terrible plague of the flu that hit the land. People were dropping dead almost like flies, you hated to ask about a person you hadn’t seen for a short time for fear they too had gone. Finally our own family was stricken and despite all efforts of the doctor and a loving father and mother, Melvin was called from this earthly life. It was almost more than mother could bear, as she seemed to have a special place in her heart for Melvin, presumably because he had never found a girl he loved sufficiently to marry. It was after his passing that Dad prayed for inspiration to help alleviate the suffering of the people and he was given an answer to his prayers. He and Mother went out as angels of mercy. They worked night and day – finally Mother couldn’t go as often as Dad but he spent his time unceasingly and Mother helped when she could be spared from her household duties. One thing was the mustard strip which applied to the middle of the back, a strip about two inches wide from the neck to the base of the backbone, would induce a deep sleep when left on for about twenty minutes. This is a standard thing for a very bad headache and will clear up the head in a very short time and make a person feel good as new. The treatment most effective with the flu was the onion poultice. This would and did relieve congestion of the lungs. Another was the hot water treatment. For a fever or bad cold or for aches and pains, drink sufficient warm water until it causes one to regurgitate and with the cleansing of the stomach of poisonous elements then drinking another quantity of hot drink, lemonade or such and covering up with good warm blankets the body receives a continuous cleansing through the process of perspiration and simple as it sounds this remedy brought health back to persons whom the doctor had walked out on and said they couldn’t live. Then too professional help was scarce and in many cases unavailable. It was brought to our attention and brought a thrill many times when strangers have come up to me and asked if “T.W.” was my father and upon being told that he was they would say “he saved my life” or “I owe my life to him”. And then they would tell of the treatments and the watchful care he had given them where without this care they would surely have died. This has happened not once, but many times to me and I am sure from what other members of my family have told that these cases were numerous. Surely it was an answer to prayer and so many lives were spared.

There are many incidents of service in the lives of my parents. One time stands out especially and that was when Joe and Leah Harker and one of their young children came to our place to visit in Taber. They were friends of Ira and Roxie, but stayed at our place. During their visit their young son became seriously ill and I know of night after night when his own parents became too tired to tend him and give him the care he needed and would go to sleep, Mother and Dad fought on during their own fatigue and cared for the child and nursed him back to health. They too have said to their son and others, that he owed his life to Brother and Sister Harris and it was a statement made in all sincerity, for it was true.

So among other things, my parents were: farmers, hotel operators (they operated a hotel quite successfully and I think that they might have carried on this operation in Raymond for a longer period except that I was always cutting the pies up, trying to get one straight piece to take down to the Hub store to exchanges for candy. For this the Chinese cooks refused to stay for very long periods at a time. Of course this is only a childish recollection and could be far from right.) Dad was a policeman in Raymond too, just to round out his career; play producers, as Mother was always right in there pitching, making costumes, etc., doctors, nurses, etc., etc.. In addition to all these outstanding accomplishments, Dad loved to invent things and was in fact in the process of inventing a successful beet-loader at the time of his death. He made one model but due to some technicality and lack of funds at the time and those were hard years in a financial way, it needed some added parts or changes which he couldn’t at the time produce.

Another big success in Dad’s life was the Buffalo Barbecue that he staged to raise funds for the town. He received special permission for the government to do this and the boys helped him. They dug a pit in the recreation park and let the buffalo bake all night and it was most delicious when served to the people the next day. There was no “wild” taste and it was an outstanding success. Another thing was when Dad produced “Brookdale Farm” along with many other attractions in the schoolhouse in Taber. It was a big civic holiday and Dad was in charge of entertainment. He bent an iron rod with his teeth, had various booths with diversified entertainments, but the play was the thing, for it was his pleasure to have his whole family in it, and that was one of the desires of his heart, to organize his family into a traveling troupe and produce plays throughout the country.

In addition to have his engineer’s papers, Dad could and did a lot of building in various forms, plastering, brick laying, etc. One winter he and the boys went to California and eked out an existence through their efforts. My one regret in this connection is that Mother never got to go down. So when the Church in Taber was being built Dad was, at the finish, responsible to it. He worked night and day (yes again, he was always laboring for something, and hours meant nothing to him) to have the building ready for dedication service.

He was working in his old overalls one day when a minister from out of the city walked in and said he would like to speak to the Bishop. He nearly collapsed when Dad told him he was speaking to the Bishop, but he stopped over and they had a long interesting conversation. When it was time for the church to be dedicated people came from near and far – they held a conference there too. Mother and Dad (who was Bishop) had as many people come to stay at our house as possibly could squeeze in. There was a Bro. and Sis. Toone and a Bro. and Sis. Brown, so they assigned the former couple to one bedroom and the Browns to another, whereupon there was great consternation for it was discovered in short order that Bro. and Sis. Brown were not husband and wife, although they came from the same town, and they arrived on the same train at two o’clock in the morning. So there were many humorous happenings along the way too. Mother could cook up a meal like a dream. The visiting Apostles would often say they liked her bread as well as cake, it was so good. And Bro. Elton said she spoiled it by toasting it, it was too good to change. Her cakes and pies were outstanding, along with all other items on the menu.

I remember asking Mother one day what she would do if she had a million dollars. Always thinking what clothes I would buy, where I would go and what I would have if I were lucky enough to have a million dollars, I was more than astonished when she said that she would pay off the debts of so many people, not only her family, but her friends, she would pay for educational facilities for young people and take care of hospital bills necessary for many sick people to be made well. There were other things, but not in one item did she mention buying anything for herself. This was certainly a rebuke to a selfish daughter. One day I found some bread, newly baked, on the table and took a slice to eat. Just then Mother came in and said she was cooking that for the beet worker across the street. She performed duties like that almost every day of her life and these same foreign women walked over five miles in ten below weather to attend Mother’s funeral and pay tribute to her for her unselfish service to them.

In spite of hard times, Ivan was sent on a mission to the Central States mission and filled a successful mission and came back to be one of the best speakers in the three Stakes, an outstanding worker in the temple, and later a Bishop. And it was after Mother’s death in 1935 that Roy spent a successful mission also in the Central States, he, being the youngest, also had a special part in Mother’s heart, in fact, we would say “Mother’s Boys” for she loved them all with a devotion that would be hard to match. And little wonder for they are all very wonderful and talented men, devoted to their homes and to their church and all give unselfish service to mankind along the way – and in this they are joined wholeheartedly by their wives. Anne who married a wonderful Scotch lad – Douglas Miller by name – has proved to be another “Lide” as Mother was called, has reared a family of five boys and a lovely daughter. And so many people say, “She is truly like her Mother.” And of course this is considered the greatest tribute.

When one asks “What is Success?” and judges success by worldly wealth they would pass this humble couple by, but if one measures it by the number of friends one has made and living in compliance with the injunction of the Saviour “Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God” for their lives were dedicated to the service of their fellowmen, then I think they would pass the test with flying colors. In this regard let us consider the following lines:

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much. Who has gained the respect of intelligent men, the trust of pure women and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who has looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration, his memory a benediction.”

The poem of Temple Bailey on the Little Mother is a direct tribute to my Mother, and I wish I might have been the one to compose those lines, however, I have given it as a reading and each time I do I see my Mother as a living symbol.

In our home we were never permitted to say anything against the authorities of the Church, love was exemplified by precept and example. They both loved people and we were taught to do the same and always lend help to those in need regardless of creed or color. Father never held feelings, and although at time when people accused him wrongfully he always turned the other cheek, so to speak, and dealt to them a good turn instead of retaliating in kind. They sheltered the poor and the needy, The Indian and the white man, and gave service to all. To them both we must bow our heads in tribute and say – “If we but follow in their footsteps all the way”.

Sister Eva Bullock was mentioning only today how touched she was at the time of Father’s death to see his sons, five grown man – all standing at the bedside shedding unashamed tears, sharing their deepest emotion and bound by such close ties, proving once again the strong family connection. And I recall those same five sons being pallbearers for Mother and Dad – hold firm to the final moment in supporting the two who had proved to be so dear to them throughout their lives.

As Bishop and Patriarch, Father was always a friend to those whom he served – for the serving he did – and I have but touched a few of the many highlights in their life of service and I only hope that other members will fill in items that perhaps would put most of the things I’ve related in the shadows, however I truly believe I have related some of the great episodes in the overall picture of the lives of “Lide” and “Will”, but it is only a sketch, and I trust sometime we will be able to compile a fitting tribute to our parents who have gone before us.

This was especially written for this book by Aunt LaVern Claybon. She also donated to the publishing of pictures to be used. I wish to give her special thanks for her wonderful cooperation.

I would also like to make special note that if I can once again get to Canada in time, of if Mother and Dad would approach Aunt Minnie and get a colorful picture story for us of Grandpa Harris’ life with her, for that is important in the overall picture of his life.