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| 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.
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| Great-Grandma Mary Coleman Williams |
