THE LIFE STORY Of JULIA ELLEN COOK BEHUNIN 1888-1971

Compiled by a daughter, Angela Woolsey, for Julia Ellen Cook Behunin's 75th Birthday Celebration held 14 July 1963 in Provo, Utah.

Julia Ellen Behunin was born July 10, 1888 in Ashley, Uintah Co., Utah, to Joseph Ridley, and Mary Ann Taylor Cook. She was the sixth child in a family of 15 born to her father and mother. Several died when they were babies. When she was four years old her parents moved from Uintah County, to Wayne County, and settled in Teasdale, Utah. They again moved out of town about three miles to farm some land. They stayed there for about seven years. Mother and her sisters and brothers had to walk to school part of the time except when it was too cold, then they rode a pony.

Mother and her sister Phoebie walked to Sunday School also. She didn't get too much schooling, as her parents were always moving and looking for a better place to live. They moved to Washington Co., and lived there only one summer, and then they moved back to Wayne County and settled or stayed in Bicknell, known then as Thurber. They moved to Washington Co. and had expected to see their life-long friends, but they too had moved away so they returned to Wayne Co. When Mother was eleven years old, her parents moved to Fruita, Wayne Co. They resided there 15 or 16 years. Mother had her friends there. She also dated a boy named Henry Pierce. It was here that she met and was courted by our father. During this time she worked for other families to help out. Sometimes her parents had to use what she earned. She only earned about 75 cents per week, as there wasn't much money in those days.

Mother married our father, Isaac Martin Behunin, May 2, 1904 in Fruita, Utah. (Julia was just 1 month shy of being 15 when they were married and had her 1st child almost 9 months later). (They were married in the old log Fruita Schoolhouse.) They had a big dinner and dance for everyone. Mother loved to dance. They moved themselves to a place that Daddy had already prepared. They lived there several years. I was born there March 31, 1905 (Angela). Seventeen months later, on September 18, 1906 a son, was born to them at Fish Creek, they named him Jessie. They then sold their share of the place to Daddy's brother, Hite Behunin, and moved to Torrey, Wayne Co., where they lived seven years. During that time, they were blessed with four more children: Matthew Erval, Rita, Otto, and Alzada. There wasn't a doctor near by in those times, so they had a mid-wife to help out. Mrs. Mary Williams from Teasdale helped when five children were born. Also Grandfather (Elijah Cutler) Behunin assisted with the birth a time or two.

Daddy raised fruit the first part of their married life, and brought it out to Sevier County to sell it in return for clothes, and other living necessities. He also hauled freight back and forth for the stores in Wayne Co. I remember well a doll he brought to me, and a red wagon for Matt.

Sorrow came in 1910 when little Jessie took sick with inflammation of the bowels. He died in two days, as there wasn't a doctor around and they couldn't get help. He was just three years old.

Mother was more religious than daddy as she had us children named and blessed, and baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Daddy didn't object but didn't take an active part in religion. Through mother's faith and teaching, Daddy was persuaded to go to the temple.

Mother has always had a great amount of faith and courage in all of her married life. When tragedies came to the home several times, she never gave up once. She always strived to live a good life and helped Daddy constantly in everything that he would undertake to do. During the early part of their married lives, Daddy had typhoid fever and was sick for nine months. Mother stayed at his side day and night, never undressing except to bathe. We, children, stayed with our grandparents while he was sick.

The family moved to Fremont, Utah. Uncle Hite Behunin lived there. He and Daddy exchanged homes, as Daddy liked his brother's home better. I was nine years old at this time, and for several winters I had rheumatic fever. With this, Mother's burdens were added upon, along with having children so fast. They didn't understand much about rheumatic fever in those days, so I was allowed to crawl around on the floor, as my feet and legs were too swollen to walk. Mother was always busy, as she had to pack water and heat it on a fire outside to wash. She scrubbed clothes on a board until they could buy a washer that had to be pushed back and forth by hand to wash. She wrung the clothes with a hand wringer.

Mother never had much social enjoyment because she went without nice things to buy for us children.

During the next 15 years of their married life, 7 more children were born to them, 5 girls and 2 boys: Mary, Joe, Leland, Ada, Lila, Iva, and Oma. During those years Mother also helped Daddy on the farm. She often led the derrick horse to unload each load of hay. She worked in a big garden, churned butter, made cheese, and raised chickens and turkeys to help out with the living. She even dried corn and peas for the winter, as there were no refrigerators or deep freezers, or cans to can vegetables. When they needed a chicken for dinner, and we kids had forgotten to close the chicken-coop door, we would have to chase the chickens down, and then mother would chop their heads off, pick, and clean them for dinner. I being the oldest was usually elected to hold the chicken's head while she chopped it off, but about the time the ax would come down, I'd let go. Then she would say, "Hold on to that head."

To hatch their chickens in those days, they had to set the hens on the eggs. Sometimes, all the laying hens wanted to set. Mother would have to find ways to "break them up", as she would say. One time she put a couple of hens under a tub with plenty of food and water for several days but she forgot to put a place for air. When she peeked under the tub to see how they were doing she found them both dead. Daddy said, "Well, better luck next time." There were always humorous times as well as sad times.

During the time when we were all small, we all got whooping cough. Joe was the baby at that time and nearly died of the disease. Mother was tried at that time, as she was again and again but she proved to be strong and faithful.

Daddy was sick much of the time. Once he got his foot crushed, and it was 17 long months before he got on his feet again. He finally had to go to Salt Lake City to have some bones removed before he got well. During this time he had a long siege of blood poisoning due to his foot. Mother and my brother Matt changed hot packs day and night for three weeks to save his leg. Here again, Mother proved to be a faithful, tireless wife and mother to us kids.

During the time we children were growing up, she had to sew everything we wore, even our underwear. I remember we girls had panties made out of flour sacks. Mother sewed carpet rags and had a rug woven for the front room. It seemed that there was never an end of work from morning until night. When Mother did have any leisure time, she read the church books to Daddy as he had less schooling than she had.

In 1935 after we older children were married and gone the folks decided to move away from Fremont to see if their luck would change. They moved to Cainsville, Wayne Co., where Daddy bought a few heads of cattle and some ground. There wasn't anything for the young children to do there, so they soon left home, some to get married and some to seek work. Mother and Daddy were left alone, and they were so lonely. Mother said that she used to cry every time she sat down to eat. They lived there for 9 years and then moved back to Torrey, where they lived for about seven years. Daddy's health was very poor there also. Mother had talked to him a lot about going to the temple so they did go and were sealed to each other in 1953. Soon after, they moved to Salina, Sevier Co., Utah, where Daddy could be close to a doctor.

Daddy's hobby was prospecting, and often Mother went into the hills with him to prospect. She was always at his side. Someone once asked her how they always got along so well, and she said, "I always try to go 50% and sometimes more."

Mother and Daddy had lived in Salina for just about two years when Daddy died. He died December 30, 1956, in Salina, Sevier Co., Utah, and was buried there. Mother was so lonely. She later went to St. George to assist her sister, Ruth, who was ill. There she met a very nice man that was working in the St. George Temple, John Farrow, whom she married and lived with for 23 months until he passed away. She lived with him at Summit, Utah, and after he was laid to rest, she returned to her home in Salina where she attended church regularly, and also Relief Society. She pays an honest tithing, and has the love of her neighbors. It doesn't matter how much she has to eat, she always says, "Would you like to come and have a bite to eat with me?"

Mother still has much ambition, as she does her own housework, likes to go out, and would like to dance yet. She belongs to the Singing Mothers. She is a block Relief Society teacher and a daughter of the Utah Pioneers. She also has a great desire to work in the temple.

During Mother's life span, she has made two trips to New York with some of the married kids, and also two trips to California. She has a lot of wit and humor, always laughing at her mistakes and the things she does. She always says, "It is better to laugh than to cry." She always wants to help others and do her share wherever she goes.

Mother will be remembered for her good work many years after she has left this earth. I, along with the rest of her family, just hope that I can be as good and kind a person as she has been all of her life. She has all of my love.

A daughter, Angela

Angela Woolsey, Julia Ellen's oldest daughter, died on January 20, 1968. After the death of her second husband, John Farrow, she spent most of her time in the company of her daughter Angela, since they lived in the same town, Salina, and were both widows. It was a great sorrow to her when her beloved daughter passed away in 1968. Julia Ellen lived for a while by herself in Salina. During the last few months of her life, it was necessary to live in a rest home in Salt Lake City where she could receive better care. She died June 19, 1971, in Salt Lake City. She was buried in Salina, Utah next to her beloved husband Martin.

The following was written by Julia Ellen Cook Behunin:

I attended school with my brother, Jim, and sister, Phoebe, in Teasdale, Utah. We lived three miles from town and had to walk most of the time. Sometimes we rode a horse to school during the coldest part of winter.

We walked to church also. I was thankful for the Lord's blessings in spite of the terrible diphtheria epidemic that took the lives of my sister Barbara, and my brothers, Joseph and David within a three-week period of time. I joined the Relief Society when I was a young girl living in Fruita, Utah. I was a visiting teacher and tried to help the poor and needy as I could. After I was married I know the Lord blessed me many times. When Mart almost died of typhoid fever, I ran to get his father, Elijah to come and bless Mart. My faith was tried again and again.

I was overjoyed to go to the temple for a special blessing, and later after Mart passed away, I worked in the St. George Temple. (1958-?)

My fondest wish is to see all my family living righteously and happily married. Mart and I traveled to the east coast with Ada and Marvin. I went again with Elzada. I have 54 grandchildren and many, great-grandchildren, whom I dearly love. I pray that all of my descendants live worthy of a place in our Father's mansions, (kingdoms) and dwell there in peace and happiness with our Lord and Father throughout eternity.

Mart and I also went to California to visit Lila and her family. (1953)