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

Janett in front of the garage "downstairs" in Harmony Hills

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.

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.

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.

Ancestory.com, World Vital Records and many others

There are many web sites that help in researching our genealogy. I "Googled" L Movell Day the following is what I came up with. This gives me several clues; one, that he was living in Hayward in 1946, and  second, that he was a carpenter. More and more books, newspapers, documents, census records etc are being digitized and are searchable, making it much easier in researching.

The Day family around the same time as the above newspaper listing.
Larry isn't in this picture so, it must have been earlier.

Sanford Family- Helen Sanford Day's family

These two pictures come from a page from my journal I started in Mia-Maids (YW) Mutual. My Great Grandmother Mary Ellen Mendenhall Sanford (1871-1963) came to visit at Grandmother and Grandfather's home in Harmony Hills while my family was living there. The bottom picture is of Jessie (1897-1966), Helen's older sister and Mary Ellen holding Bradley "Brad" Sanford Ackerman (1956).

 I have only a few memories of my Great-Grandmother; I knew to be very quiet when she was visiting, she said many times- DON'T SLAM THE DOOR. Grandma had a wooden screen door with a spring. It slammed very easily. This is not a bad memory, just a silly memory of her, I also remember her being kind to us children, and that she also had very long hair pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. I am sure there are more memories but not at this moment. 

I knew that my grandmother knitted, crocheted, and tatted. She had learned from from her mother! I used to sit and watch her crochet. She would sit on a hard backed chair against the wall and would crochet for what seemed like hours without looking down at what she was doing. (she probably could not see very well) At least this is what is always seemed like to me. She used very fine thread to tat and crochet, like sewing thread! She made many wonderful, beautiful doilies and hankies from her handy work.

Not a lot of memories as I said. I was eleven years old when she died at the age of 93, two years after this picture was taken. Since she lived in Springville Utah and we lived in San Jose California we didn't see her very often at all. I think she was a nice looking lady in her advancing years.

Susan Caroline "Carrie" Sanford Jolly (1908-2000), Mary Ellen Mendenhall Sanford &
Jessie Sanford Wickman (1897-1966) I beleive this would be at her 90th birthday party, see above article

I need to thank Lisa Hansen Fields for some of the pictures that I use from her collection that she has shared with me! This blog is all about sharing pictures and information! That is what Family History is all about- Sharing so Family can learn about Family!!

This is Ira Sanford Jr (1828-1878) and Susan Lucina Clark (1831-1907) Mary Ellen Mendenhall's in-laws

I hope if you have further information on this family you will feel free to add a post!

Wiki, forums topic of Aug. 14 PAF meeting | Mormon Times

Wiki, forums topic of Aug. 14 PAF meeting | Mormon Times

From That Generation to The Next- Each Has A Story To Tell

             The series “Who  Do You Think You Are?”, which  aired on NBC this spring, was an invitation to many to seek out and find who you are. I enjoyed the series.

             There is so much to choose from as far as research information out there. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is just one way of lighting the fire or giving us the spark to help get us interested in our ancestors. One line from the show which featured Spike Lee, when he was asked “do you know who you are?” he responded; “I have always known who I am. Now I know more”. Each of us, from the Day branch  of this “family tree” can know more about who we are by looking a little deeper into our genealogy.  Careful genealogy has been kept for literally centuries, and further. What a blessing. Finding who our ancestors are has  been made fairly easy to research because of the work already done. Not simple but easier than some other family lines are to research.

The inside first page of book

Larry sent me a PDF of the book he discovered.

A valuable find! (above is pictured the inside cover) Books Google.com  has scanned thousands of books that are no longer in print or the copyright has expired. This can and should be, used to our advantage in researching genealogy. http://books.google.com/googlebooks/about.html 

Back to Robert Day of Hartford, born 1604 or 1605 there are now at least 10 generations of Americans  (at least in my data base) from this man who came to America in 1634 from Ipswich England. Wow, that makes us pretty true blue, Yankee Doodle Dandies in my book!

Besides the wonderful genealogy this book holds, are other very interesting pages. My very favorite is Robert’s first son, Thomas’ last will and testament. He must have taken the “testament” part to heart because he bears his testimony of the Godhead and his knowledge of Jesus Christ, repentance, redemption, and resurrection. Very powerful! I read it through several times soaking it in. Thomas, is the older brother of John from who’s “branch” we hail. John’s testimony is not near as powerful. But just the same we are given some insight to the way these men were raised as good Christian people. They came to the Americas to escape religious persecution. What a leap of faith! 

This book is not, on the whole a “good read” but interesting just the same, especially when you come upon a few pages with ancestor's own words, it is a list of  descendants   for the most part.

Another book which is helpful in research is; British origins of American colonists, 1629-1775 by William Dollarhide. It gives a list of where ships that came to America landed. Such as; we know that Robert Day came from Ipswich, England. Ships coming from that area in England landed in the Boston harbor. Giving us better conclusion that indeed the Robert Day family did live in Hartford Connecticut.

These books are just a few of many that help in our quest to know who we are and where we are from. Maybe we are a speck in the whole picture in terms of this one family, not to mention the entire family of man, but, in researching our family lines we can identify ourselves with more conclusion. 

By the way I do like Who do You Think You Are on NBC television but, I think I enjoy the BYUtv series the Generation Project even more. You can watch the entire program on the following link, http://www.byutv.org/thegenerationsproject/Episodes/

Questions and Answers about the Day Family

When the Newsletter was sent out a few months ago, Larry and I got several great responses. I also received some questions about the Day Family. 
It was planned to answer questions as they arose. Family members sometimes forget that new-comers, meaning those marrying into the family, and the "next" generation just don't think to ask about those in the past, so they never learn. So, here are the first couple of questions;

     Question #1- What does the "L" stand for in L Movell's name?
I am going out on a limb answering this one myself. It was very popular during this day when he was born, to add an initial to a name instead of a full name. So his full name is L Movell; no period after the L and not quotation marks.


   Question #2- Which twin is older, Connie or Corinne?

Connie & Corinne (in that order) 

seniors in High School

It has been a long time since I was told by how many minutes my mother, Connie is older than Corinne. I think it was about 20 minutes. Helen and Movell did not know there were twins coming. This was a total surprise to give birth to twins! No fancy gadgets to detect such things in 1931. This family of 3 turn to 5 in 14 months! And to top that off, during the depression years!!

4 Generations of L Movell & Helen Sanford Day

 The following is a short history I acquired many years ago. I will add things like this from time to time. 

Elmira Bulkley Day

(Compiled and arranged by Pearl C. Day. From incidents, stories, and histories gathered at reunions 1940-1950).

E

lmira Bulkley Day, born 30 January 1820, Ruthalnd Village, Tioga Co, New York, the daughter of Noah Bulkley and Anna Newman. She received very little schooling. When she was 16 years old she was baptized into the Mormon Church. At 18 she met Abraham Day, and they were married in Pennsylvania on 16 June 1838. He had joined the Mormon Church that month in Tioga Co., New York. They soon moved to Pike Co., Illinois, and then to Berry, Ill. Where their first child, a son was born on 7 September 1839. He was blessed and named Joseph Smith Day by Hyrum Smith, the brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The next three children were girls; Matilda Ann, Born 27 October 1840; Harriet Hane, born 17 February 1842; and Amelia, born 4 August 1844. All three died in infancy and as little children. The fifth Child, Elmira Jennette was 7 April 1846, in Berry, Ill. The family then moved down the river a short way below Nauvoo to Montrose, Iowa. Here Grandma Elmira had nursing ability tested to full strength. Abraham fell ill and for some fifty odd hours lay in a state of coma. He was healed by the power of the Lord through the administration by Joseph Smith who visited them.

            When the Saints were driven out of Nauvoo, Abraham was made Captain of 

one company. He took Elmira, their two children, and her father and mother, all in a homemade wagon, and started their trek west. When at camp Council Bluffs, Iowa the government called the young men into service (Mormon Battalion) to go to Mexico to war. Abraham was one of the first to go, leaving Grandmother with an eight year old son, a daughter not quite a year old, an elderly mother and father, who was a one armed man. They did not know if they would ever meet again in this life. But President Brigham Young promised them that if they would keep the commandments of the Lord that they would be all right. And through her faith she carried on. Soon she found there was another baby on the way. Grandmother was very handy around the sick so she had plenty of work, and accepted anything to use, to eat or wear as pay. She was given some logs and lumber, and the logs were soon assembled to form a small cabin and the boards of the floor she nailed down herself. Later, she received a wiener pig and some corn as pay.

            Late in 1846, when the Missionary Cyrus Wheelock came from Ireland with his colony of converts, Charlotte Mellon, a girl of 14 years was among them. Bro. Wheelock brought her to Elmira to care for, and she always lived with the family from that time on.

            One 11 December 1847, a son Ezra Johanas was born. In December 1847, Abraham returned from his travels with the Mormon Battalion to his family. He found a little log cabin with a big fat hog butchered and hanging on the outside. In his own words, “that’s the grandest sight I ever saw.” He greeted his family and was so thankful to be again reunited with them. At once Abraham set about the make arrangements and preparations to take his loved ones to Salt Lake, the valley of the mountains. It took most of three years before they could get ready to leave Winter Quarters, and begin the trek. During that time the Mellon girl, “Aunt Charlotte” or later known as “Grandma Charlotte” was of great assistance when Elmira was sewing, weaving, knitting or away nursing. Two more daughters were born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Juliette on 18 Oct 1848, and Alice on 22 February 1850. When the trek west began, there was work for all. Elmira drove one team of horses and two cows on one of the three wagons the men had built. Alice, the baby had to be carried most of the way. Elmira walked many a mile to relieve the load and to allow those unable to walk a place to ride. Charlotte also drove a team some as a relief. This company of fifty arrived in Salt Lake City 20 November 1851. Grandfather was a very good captain during their journey. Grandfather married the Mellon girl in President Brigham’s Office January 1852.

            They were still living at the south of Big Cottonwood in Salt Lake when Abraham Nelson was born 14 February 1852. The two families then moved to Springville, Utah and the following children were born in Springville; Laura Ann, 6 June 1853; Ira Alfred, 14 February 1855; Edwin Summers, 25 January 1857, and Ella or Geneva who died in infancy, was born on 22 March 1859.

            In these same years Elmira delivered for Charlotte six children. They helped one another with their many duties in caring for the families and Grandma Elmira did all the weaving and sewing for both families.

            In late spring of 1861 Abraham moved Elmira and her family to Mt. Pleasant into an adobe house near his mill where Albert Arlington was born 7 Aug 1861. The next move was to a 3 room house on the farm north west of town. The roof was good old mother earth, as most houses around were so built.

            In 1872, Abraham moved Charlotte to the farm. She passed away on 27 September 1872. Her eight youngest children were taken into Elmira’s home and she reared them as she did her own. The youngest was a baby of 9 months. They moved to town for the winter, returning to the farm for the summers.

            Grandmother Elmira had always known hardships and had little means financially until they took up residence near Mt. Pleasant. Then Elmira did not have to work so hard for people outside her home. Although she was always on call if needed.

            In 1884 they moved into the little town of Lawrence and grandfather soon built a large hall, which was the community headquarters for all recreations, with a small mercantile store in connection. When they held dances or other parties’ grandfather was generally behind the counter, but for the small trade Elmira was the one to do the waiting on customers. She was the only midwife in the valley, and continued her work for and near until the last five years of her life.

            While living in Emery County, in August 1885, she drove from the farm on Huntington River to Orangeville, to be with Ira and Polly when their son Abraham “Abe” was born 18 Aug 1885. She handed the baby to Ira saying “Here is you half grown Abraham”. So he was given the name Abraham after his grandfather and his sister who was born 6 December 1887, and was named after her grandmother.

            On May 21, 1888,when the Manti Temple was dedicated, Grandfather and Grandmother, their youngest son and wife (Arlington and Emmer) Ella Edwards, Ezra and Ella Day were there and remained until July the following year working. Ira and Polly’s five oldest children were sealed to them 3 July 1889. That summer the Days moved to the mountains to run a sawmill where Elmira like the younger women had many boarders. All their children marred except Ezra who remained single. Their children, grandchildren, and the great grandchildren were always around. Finally they left the old big house where they had seen births, marriages and parties. Christmas was always a big time.

Elmira continued making her salt-rising bread and her wonderful donuts. The cookie jar was never empty. She always known as Grandma Day by her family, friends, and passersby.

            After 62 years of married life, Abraham died 28 April 1900 and she prepared him for burial, desiring to do this last thing for him herself. Now being alone she soon closed up their store, etc. and moved to Castle Dale to live with her son Edwin and family. There she seemed to be reasonably happy and was always trying to help with all household duties. She passed away 24 December 1905 at 85 years and 11 months and was laid to rest by the side of her husband in the little cemetery in Lawrence, Utah.
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