Memories of L Movell & Helen Sanford Day
Written by Janett Ackerman Call
with additions from three other family members
January 24th 2010
But Not Forgotten
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| Janett in front of the garage "downstairs" in Harmony Hills |
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Janett in front of the bedroom windows next to the garage.
The reflection is of my mother, Connie |
My earliest memory of my grandmother Day is probably about when I was 4 years old. We had lived in Hollister where Joan, Brad and I were born. I don't know all of the reasons we moved to Harmony Hills to live with Grandma and Grandpa Day but we did, Brad was a baby. I remember we spent a lot of time in the kitchen at the house but slept "downstairs" which was the garage with bedrooms attached. I remember grey curtains with large green leaves. (funny thing to remember) The walls had pine paneling. When we lived there at that time there were no rock walls or sidewalks up to the house. I believe dad helped build some of the rock walls around the roadside of the property. There was an apricot tree on the left and a almond tree on the right as one would go up the path to the back of the house. I suppose the back of the house was the front then- at least I don't remember a front door at that time. The door had a wood screen on a spring that would slam loud and we were not to let it slam! We walked right into the kitchen which always smelled of good things to eat, especially bread. There were baskets of flowers hanging from the eves outside the windows in the kitchen– I think they were fuchsia's that attracted humming birds.
I can tell now that this will be little snippets of memories- maybe a bit disjointed- but I am getting my memories in snippets- so that is how I will write!
It must have been hard having us a family of 5 move in with them, but I never got a feeling of that. Maybe that is why they moved to Alaska. Actually there was a construction boom going on so they went there to see if they could earn extra cash by this venture. They were there for about 6 months.
Grandma and mother went to the cannery in Hollister to work when the tomatoes were running. I don't know if they worked when other crops ran or not I just remember hating the smell of stewed tomatoes on them when they got home early in the morning.
To me grandma was the original conservationist. Not that she always needed to be but probably because of the way she was raised she was compelled to be because she knew it was the right thing to do. We have heard “waste not want not” she probably “coined” the phrase! She was conservative in all she did in every part of her life. I have thought about this desirable quality many times in my life and tried to emulate it. Living in Harmony Hills I think was a big contrast from living in Hayward. I don't know if grandma had gardens and trees in Hayward or not but I do know that she loved growing vegetables and fruit trees and flowers which was quite a feat in Harmony Hills because of the water situation. Because of the lack of free flowing water- by that I mean one did not leave the tap just running. The water pipe line was consonantly in repair and the spring which was the source of water for the entire community must not have flowed well when the rain didn't feed the spring. So one of the most important resources, water was to be conserved to the highest degree. There is a song about a rain barrel, well grandma had one. It was feed off the roof. It was used for watering plants and I think I remember getting my hair washed with that water. Grandma also used the used dish water to water the plants- it did not go down the drain! We kids bathed in the kitchen in a wash tub when we were too big to fit in the sink!
Wow the more I write the more I am remembering!! This is a great exercise for me.
Not only did grandma need to worry about the water– or lack of it, she also had deer to deal with—They thought grandma’s yard was a salad bar smörgåsbord style! When they were tired of moss and oak leaves they all gathered for a party at grandma’s. Grandmother as also at war with the blue jays. They came for the fruit. You might have thought there was a huge spot light beaming the way for all the wildlife straight to her yard. There were lots of different kinds of fruit trees on the property. I mentioned the apricot tree already. There was also a fig tree, plum tree, a big walnut tree down below the house and an almond tree that dad grafted and also dad planted a persimmon tree in the front yard. Oh yes, I remember a lemon and orange tree and raspberries also. Because of all the fruit trees she canned all of that and then more. I don’t remember a breakfast without canned fruit and cooked cereal.
Grandma still was making bread on the wood burning stove when we first lived there. I think I remember hearing that she made bread and sold it for a long time. I just remember that the loaves were as good to look at as well as to eat!
Grandma used to take Joan and me to Primary in Gilroy, I don’t know why we met in Gilroy, and I don’t know why my mother didn’t take us? I remember thinking that the trip was long for some reason. I think Anne Taylor went with us also.
I have such great memories of Harmony Hills and grandma; Uncle Larry had to keep the wood for the stove stocked and a bunch of other chores. I can still hear grandma calling him to do something for her. I can’t mimic her ways but I can still hear her in my mind hollering for Uncle Larry. Laaaaarrrrrrrrrrie– sorta like that. I think she also used a silver whistle. Sound must have carried very well through that community.
I learned to whistle and Uncle Larry and I would compete to see who could whistle the longest and loudest– grandma would ask us to stop! (That would drive me crazy too) Grandma would send Joan and I to get the eggs– I don’t think that job lasted for very long– at least I don’t remember going very many times to the barn down the hill. I think it was because we would break to many by falling down– after all it was a rutty old road to the barn and we were just little girls then. We loved Trixie the milk cow. She was a Jersey if I remember right. The milk was important and being young we didn’t understand why it was important not to get Trixie running or to ride her. We would coax her up to the fence and get on her back– how we didn’t get hurt I don’t know but when grandma found out about that she quickly scolded us. I remember that grandma wrote to us in Alaska to tell us that Trixie had fallen down the hill and they had to put her down– I was very sad.
I just thought about that back screen door again; When great grandmother Sanford visited she did NOT like that door to bang and she let us kids know right quick. I loved it when great-grandmother came to visit she was very interesting to me. I knew her eye sight was poor but she would sit and tat or crochet for hours using thread– not crochet thread but sewing
thread. Her work was beautiful even for a young girl. I would bet that is who grandmother learned to crochet from. She did a lot of beautiful work also. I am fortunate enough to have some of her handy work in my home still. I was always going to have her teach me to tat but never got around to it! Isn’t it a shame that we do that all to often? Grandmother had a homey kitchen. I would like to think I remember it being yellow and red. Dad painted chickens on the walls– Maybe that is why I wanted chickens in my kitchen too.
Grandma had a great place to hang out the laundry. She would stand on the cement patio between the door to the house and the stairs down to the garage to hang the laundry out on a wire that seemed like about 200 feet, but then I was little so it may not have been near that long. But the other end was attached to a tree across the driveway with a pulley. I bet the clothes were dry in no time out there. I would watch the line of clothes get longer and longer with the sun beans coming down on them out of the trees on the hill.
My Ackerman grandparents went to New York to visit the Church history sites. They brought back some corn seed that had come down from the Smith farm. I loved to garden with grandma. So the spring before we left for Alaska she said I could plant the seed in her garden– I was delighted! We left before the corn was ripe-but she kept me informed about my Smith corn. She said it was the tallest corn she had ever seen with great big ears. She was the one gave me a love for gardening and I still love it today.
I am sure they didn't know that when they went to Alaska they would be followed by our family living there also. Dad joined Uncle Bob there 3 months before the rest of us moved to Anchorage to join them. Mom was expecting Bryan at the time dad left . We stayed behind until Bryan was born. He was 6 weeks old when the rest of the family left by plane to move there. I remember mom and grandma packing boxes of clothes and crying. This was quite an adventure for a young mother to take 4 children under 6 alone to Alaska.
We lived in Anchorage, Alaska for 21/2 years and moved back in with grandma and grandpa when we returned in October of 1960. We lived there for about 6 months before we moved to San Jose. I know the time line is a bit mixed up here. But that is the way I remember it. Sometime after we moved back to California from Alaska Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Larry went on a building mission, to Hawaii. I don’t remember very much about that except I think they must have enjoyed it very much. I do remember the Branch in Harmony Hills giving them a going away party beforehand.
Grandfather was sent on a second building mission to Ontario California, building LDS chapels there. Uncle Larry was going to school at BYU at the time. On the way to Ontario He stopped in San Jose to get Joan and me. We went by bus to visit grandma and grandpa the day school let out in June of 1964. We stayed with them for 2 fun weeks. We felt pretty grown up being able to do that at 10 and 12 years old. Our family came to pick us up at the end of our stay. This turned out to be an important visit for all of us. This would be the last time Grandma and Grandpa would see their daughter, Connie. I remember grandma crying when they said good bye to each other, and of course no one knew at that time mom would die in an auto accident just two weeks later.
My next memory of grandma was that she came to take care of us when dad married Gloria in May of 1965. I think we gave grandma a hard time during that week. But she was a good sport to be there for us.
I don’t know when they moved from Harmony Hills. I think it must have been about that same time in 1965. They moved to Oakland fairly near the Temple. I remember being very sad about that move because I loved Harmony Hills so much. They worked at the Temple for many years. Grandpa in maintenance and Grandma in the laundry.
When I was about 16 grandma called me and asked if I would like to work at the Temple with her. Of course I jumped at the offer. I don’t know why Joan didn’t come with me but 2 girls were needed. So I had my good friend Laura Bawden came with me.
We got up very early each morning and came home tired from working hard. I wondered how such an old person could work that hard. (Now I don’t think that 60’s or so being so OLD, after all that is where I will be very soon!!) But grandma and grandpa were no strangers to hard work. Our duties in the Temple laundry included sorting the clothing, and ironing. When they found out that I sewed, I made lots of little white dresses for babies that would come to be sealed to their parents.
One of the best parts of the day was prayer meeting. There was a sea of white headed people that seemed very angelic. The whole experience has always stayed with me. I am thankful that I was asked to join grandmother there.
I stayed several more times with them after I graduated from high school and enjoyed visiting with my grandparents. They kept a nice home and garden. I was amazed what they had accomplished in the back yard in Oakland. The house was on a steep hill. They managed to terrace the yard for gardens. I especially remember the blackberry vines they had trained on a lovely trellis, which I am sure grandpa built.
Then I moved to Logan Utah and only saw them a few more times. I called and talked with them and thought how young their voices sounded. It was always great to visit with them.
They came to Utah for some reason, probably a family reunion, when we had 3 little boys. It was in the fall and the onions had just been harvested. Again that “waste not want” came in to play. The harvester does not pick up every onion especially the small ones. When they saw the onions in the field they were shocked. They took my three boys and went and picked up onions for hours. I think they enjoyed themselves. While they were there they gave me some very good advice about how to raising children. I did not take it lightly. One of the things that they told me that even when things were tight with the household budget don’t skimp on giving the children milk! That should be a commercial! We never had a milk cow but we sure should have with all the milk my family goes through!
When Joan and Reed were married they came to visit again in Layton. Our nectarines were ripe at that time. Again they pitched in and helped pick the crop. And then they commented on how good they were. I told them that I thought that my love for having a nice yard came from her.
I only saw my grandparents one other time after that. We went to California on vacation and stopped in Modesto to see them. They feed us a good meal and we visited with them for a while. I was happy for my children to see their great grandparents again.
Last of all, but not the least, is one of my most prized possessions, that is my testimony. Grandmother didn’t give me my testimony of the gospel, but she and I had a long talk once about the church and of the gospel which I have thought about many times. At one of her very low points in life when I was about 10 years old, I came to her bedside and she made me promise that I would always stay close to the church. When you make a promise to your grandmother who you love, you do your best to keep that promise. I believe that I have kept that promise and intend to be faithful to it to my end.
I do love my grandparents and am very thankful for the heritage they left their posterity. As I learn about my ancestors I feel I owe them a great deal. Grandfather said on one occasion when I was visiting in Oakland when I asked him about genealogy and why he worked on it so hard. He said that he wanted to know his ancestors so he wouldn't’ be met by strangers when he died. (Me neither!)
Memories of Grandfather Day included here; my earliest memories of him are when we first moved to Harmony Hills. He was always stern but, I always knew that he loved me. After dinner I would sit on his lap, pull his watch out of the watch pocket and look at his watch for a while. The watch must have a story behind it, because he seemed proud of that watch. But I never knew any more about it than that. I then would run my fingers through his long hair on his arms. While he and the others; my parents, grandma, grandpa, Uncle Larry, Uncle Bob- I don’t recall Uncle Al being there.
I don’t remember Grandpa ever wearing blue jeans. He wore tan colored khaki pants, and a shirt about the same color. It was like his “work uniform” He always wore a hat when I was young and it was not a ball cap! I don’t remember him ever having dark hair- it has always been a pretty white.
He would melt metals down by the shop, funny I have no idea what he did with it; I am supposing it was welding and fabricating parts. He would always be very careful when Joan and me were around. We would pick up the tailings or the little beads of metal that would splash onto the dirt. I believe he was very industrious and willing to try his hand at many things.
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I was surprised to actually find a picture of
Grandfather on the roof |
It seemed like he was always building and adding on to the house. One day when he and others were putting on a roof to some part of the house- I think the kitchen, the weather must have been inclement. I was watching- probably in the way, he said to who ever was there: “people talk about the weather but no one can do anything about it”. It must have made an impression on me because it is certainly another strange thing to remember about him.
One time I did something naughty- don’t know what it was- I don’t think I knew at the time either. Grandpa told me to get a switch from the apricot tree. “And don’t get a little short one; I want a nice long one to use on you.” I cried all the way to the tree. I couldn’t reach a switch to pull off the tree. I think he changed his mind because I don’t remember any more than that.
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Pictured is the Harmony Hills Chapel about 1987
It is no longer a Church, it is a private residence. |
I loved to go to church in the wonderful building in Harmony Hills. I just had a flash of a memory of Grandfather in the choir seats. I don’t recall Grandmother singing but I do remember Grandfather singing in the choir.
I think the talks we had when I would spend time with them was always one of the best parts of the day except at the very end of the day when we would have family prayer together.
I know that he and grandmother helped my family through many tough times- but I only knew about their love and desire for their children and grandchildren to be happy and to do what was right. I knew that they had a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ through their example, I will remember always, their service to the church and to friends and family.
A note before I finish; L Movell Day passed away on May 28th 1990, Helen Sanford Day passed away July 8th 1990 they were both 84 years of age. Grandfather's death is the wedding anniversary date of my father and his second wife Gloria. Grandmother's death was 26 years to the day of my mother's death, and the birth of my first granddaughter. I have a "thing" with coincidental dates.
Note or disclaimer: This “memory story” may be not as you remember things that happened to you or as you “know” differently. I wrote as my memory would allow. It is funny how reality or the perception of things for a child is very different from that of an older person. Remember some of the incidents I wrote about happened when I was very young. I was careful not distort the facts. I don’t want to lead anyone to the wrong conclusion! I did correct a couple of places where I was corrected in my thinking after talking to family. I was very surprised that I could remember as much as I did! I hope this will spark your thinking and bring back memories of Helen & Movell Day my grandma and grandpa.
The following are comments I received from some other posterity of Movell & Hellen:
I remember eating dinner at their home in Modesto when I was probably about 10 or 11 years old. I believe I was the only one there with them. As we finished eating dinner grandma stood up and began clearing plates. As I was still eating and not even thinking about dessert yet, she looked at grandpa and said something like "I guess he will have to stay at that table until he eats his ice cream, and he won't leave until it's gone". Without a beat grandpa said "yes he will". The way they said it, I thought I was in trouble, then I realized they were joking. For me Grandma was always quite a bit older and fairly quiet, so joking with me was great fun.
Oh, picking oranges in that backyard in Modesto......
Mowing their lawn with that old mower...some green unit that needed an oil mix...but not a two stroke engine????
Working in the garage, all those boxes and jars of nuts, bolts, washers...millions of them. My dad told me that Grandpa bought an older Model T or A from someone in Oakland. Took that car apart and kept all the little parts to use for something, mainly the engine for a spare. He said some of those nuts and bolts were from things like that.
Getting ice cream on Sunday afternoon at their home in Oakland, then going in the backyard and picking berries in their garden to put in my ice cream. I was about 8 or 9 years old...1973 or 1974, just before they moved to Modesto.
John Russell Day
This is a great idea. I would love to get a copy of all the stories etc. once you have them all.
I've attatched two pictures to go along with this little blurb.
When I was a little girl, I had the opportunity to go with mom (Lisa) and Gram (Corinne Day) to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Day almost every week--usually on sunday after church. We visited them in their home, and later in the nursing home. I loved their house. They had grape vines with green grapes growing up the side of a shed, and they had three huge cherry trees. We would pick and eat cherries to our heart's content, and fill large paper grocery bags with them. One time we took some cherries to Great Grandpa in the nursing home. Gram pitted some and fed them to her dad so he could enjoy them as well.
Emmer Fields MacKillop
I loved spending time at their house in Oakland. As long as I could
remember, the nut tray on the coffee table was a gathering place as we all
cracked nuts while Grandma scolded us for making a mess. There was always a
quiet peaceful tone to their home (another SAFE place to be). The smell of
fresh baked bread always seemed to be in the air, Grandma knew how to
cook!!!! I remember telling my friends how MY grandma was the best cook and
no one could cook any better than her, I'm sure I would have challenged
anyone who said different. I loved the Big family Thanksgivings with all the
cousins ,aunts, Uncles and anyone else that wanted to come. The Thanksgiving
at the old Hayward chapel will forever be one of my most memorable
experiences, eating until I was about sick then playing basketball with the
cousins.
In 1987 I was Boar hunting on Uncle Phil's place in Harmony Hills. Uncle
Phil was so descriptive about what a dynamic and outgoing person Grandma was
as a young bride, a side of her I never got to know. The Grandma I remember
knew how to be direct with her kids and grandkids, a great home maker who
loved to garden. I remember a couple of occasions where I stayed over with
Troy and again with Ward, goofing around in their back yard. We'd take the
pitch of their trees to make the biggest ball we could. I don't think
Grandma appreciated what we had done with the pitch stuck to us.
I have fond memories of spending time with Grandpa and Grandma when they
moved to Modesto. I still miss sitting with them for hours in their living
room talking about experiences in their lives and the goofy things happening
in my life. Grandma couldn't sit for very long, she always wanted to feed
you even when they were having meals brought in so she didn't have to cook.
Spending time with Grandpa in the Garage building cabinets. By the time
Grandpas palsy had gotten really bad I had to help him out to the garage. On
one occasion I was building a key cabinet for an apartment complex. I turned
around to get something and Grandpa decided to grab orbital sander. By the
time I realized what he was doing, he had turned it on and set it on the oak
cabinet. I was surprised when he started sanding, his hand became calm and
gave perfect motions following the grain. Grandpas muscle memory took over,
that was the last time I saw him without the shakes.
Grandma and Grandma were a great example of dedication to the Lord.
Through church service, Temple work, Genealogy, and countless church
callings they devoted their lives to building the kingdom on earth. Toward
the end of their lives, I heard them express their love for every member of
their family. I'm eternally grateful that they lived what they taught. I
hope to pass on this legacy of love to my children.
Mark A. Day
01/27/2010
April Hansen Turner also wrote something but I lost it. It was on Face Book- Sorry April.
