No Small Start: 1878

Teasdale, Utah today.

Grandma’s parents, Sylvester and Mary Coleman Williams were married in 1878 and lived in Escalante, Utah until after their first three children, Florence, Gustavus and Jane were born.

Then, hearing that there was good land to be had, they moved to Teasdale, Utah about 1882 so they could take up homestead.

Many of their extended family followed: both sets of grandparents as well as Great-Grandma’s Uncle and Aunt. These family members settled in or near Teasdale. Great-Grandpa’s homestead was about a mile and a half from the townsite.

There, five more children were born (Grandma Stringam was number five of the eight).

The first few years, the family lived the entire year in the log house they constructed on the farm, but later on Great-Grandpa Williams built a house in town and they lived there during the school months. Definitely more convenient to getting children to school.

Ten years after they moved there, Great-Grandpa died of Dropsy (Edema) of the heart.

Leaving Great-Grandma with eight children between the ages of 14 and one, a homestead that still had to be ‘proved up’ (Each homesteader had to live on the land, build a home, make improvements and farm for 5 years before they were eligible to "prove up") and medical bills of over $200.00 to be paid.

In Grandma Stringam’s words:

“My mother was a very quiet woman but she was a hard worker and a good manager. When Father died, he hadn’t proved up on the homestead.

But she took over with a will. Within ten years, she had proved up on the homestead, built a barn and granary and paid Father’s bills.

The granary which was built is still standing and usable today (1974 when this journal was written).

Mother firmly believed that an idle mind was the devil’s workshop and kept us busy, even if she had to send us to the neighbours to do so.”

The neighbours she sent them to most often were her mother (my Grandma Stringam’s Grandma Coleman) or Aunt Sarah May. Aunt Sarah May had a large family of young children, so my Grandma Stringam often helped her with the washing or with the house-cleaning or putting up fruit in the summer and early fall.

Back to Grandma Stringam:

“Mother told us never to take money for this because my aunt had a large family and not too much to do with.”

I think this world needs more women like Great-Grandma Williams.

Great-Grandma  Mary Coleman Williams