My History by Mary Speirs Stephens
I was born in Bennington, Idaho, on the 28th of February, 1886 in a log house close to where the school stands today. My parents were William Harrison and Mary Jane Walters Speirs. I was the sixth child and first daughter born, being followed by two more brothers and two sisters. My older brothers were Isaac, William, George, Charles, Thomas, and my younger brothers and sisters were Lorenzo, Janet, Alvin, and Lillias.
My parents were farmers and had moved from Tooele, Utah to Bennington where they homesteaded some land. With so many brothers, I did not have to help with the farm work, but I do remember of helping to pull weeks in the garden. We always had a big garden to feed our large family. I remember of washing and drying many dishes.
Our neighbors were the Weavers. There were Julie, Janice, Miles, Frank and Jasper. Also Horace. I remember him especially well because he led the singing in Sunday School.
My mother was a good seamstress. She had worked in a shirt factory in England before coming to America. She taught me how to sew and I have sewed from the time I was a small child until my eyes wouldn't let me see. My mother made all the shirts for my brothers and she would hire a lady to help her. Her name was Charlotte Lindsay. She had a daughter about my age and, when she would come to our house to help my mother, she would tell me what big ugly hands I had and that it was too bad I didn't have pretty little hands like her daughter. So I grew up thinking I had big ugly hands, and my hands were not big at all. How cruel to tell a child something so unkind. My mother would make my dresses but I didn't ever think they were pretty. It wasn't until I got big enough to make myself a dress that I felt I had a dress that was beautiful and that I looked good in.
I didn't start school until I was about eight years old. I remember the school -- two rooms with a stove in the middle of the room. My first teach was named Nellie Osmond. I remember she said she came from Bloomington. We walked to school when the weather was good, but in the winter we would take the team and sleigh. One of my older brothers would drive the team.
When Christmas time came, I don't remember of putting up a Christmas tree, but I do remember of always hanging up my stocking. I remember I always got a doll, but she was never dressed pretty so I would sew her clothes that made her look beautiful.
I remember one Christmas especially. Some of my bigger brothers hung up their stockings and on Christmas morning they found a stock of wood in them.
My mother was a very good cook and was especially good bread maker. Everyone raved about her beautiful bread. My children always said, "Grandma's bread tastes like cake." I remember one time my mother told me to mix the bread, and I did not want to. I hated putting my hands in the sticky dough so I told her I wouldn't do it. My father heard me sass my mother, and he went outside to the currant bush and broke four willows and came back and whipped me across the legs. Oh, how that did hurt, and I have never forgotten it to this day, and it still hurts. My father was a very strict man, and always his children obeyed.
My father was a carpenter and made many things for the family as well as for other people.
We had a big water ditch out in the front of our house where we got some of our water, but we also had a pump, which supplied us with water. I pumped many buckets of water, and it was hard work. I remember the pump always had a squeak.
When Sunday came we all got ready and went to Sunday School. My father was assistant Sunday School Superintendent so we never missed. We all went in the wagon as my father did not have a buggy. My mother never went. She would see that we all got ready and then she would get the house cleaned up and fix our dinner.
There was no store in Bennington so all trading was done in Montpelier. There was a general store by the name of Burgoyne's and that's where most of the shopping was done. My father did all the buying of the things the family needed -- food, clothing, and etc. I don't remember of my mother ever doing any shopping.
The winter nights were used for homework. Mother was always very insistent that we all got our homework done so if any of us were dumb, it wasn't her fault.
For entertainment we would have children's dances every two weeks, and I liked to go dance with the bigger boys. We would pop popcorn and make homemade ice cream. We would get the ice at the river. Something that was always fun was running along the side of the sleigh and jumping on the runners.
I remember of going to Montpelier once to see a parade on the Fourth of July, and there was a snake charmer there. I can see him now with those snakes crawling all over him.
I don't know why but every time any of the children got sick than my father would get sick also. Maybe he just wanted sympathy.
I used to tease my younger sister Jenny, a lot. I would take things away from her and then she would holler.
I was married the 11 November 1905 to Isaac Stephens in Paris, Idaho. He was also from Bennington so I had always known him. We courted about a year before we were married. We set up housekeeping in the log house on the ranch where all five of our children were born. Dr. Poyntor was our doctor and he delivered all my babies and then we would hire a midwife to come in and take care of me. I made all the baby clothes for my children.
I remember of seeing the first car that came through the valley. I was at the bottom of the Bennington hill and I saw it come up over the top of the hill. I think we had one of the first cars in the valley. It was a Studabaker.
We would take the children on short trips to the lake and to town to see parades on holidays. We had planned to take them all to Yellowstone Park the summer that Ike was killed.
I remember one time some friends of Ike's came to visit. They were from Wyoming. His name was Rob Oakey. This was the time that Lyle got his chin cut. We went to Montpelier to see a parade and celebrate the 4th of July. Lyle was playing in the buggy, and he fell out and hit his chin on the step and cut it. We had to take him to the doctor. He put five stitches in the cut. I remember when they went home. We walked out to the road with them, and I remember so plain of standing by the ditch out in front of our home. It must of run across the yard. We stood there and visited before they left for home.
On the 4th of July 1920 tragedy came into my life. Ike had gone to Pocatello to see the Jack Dempsey fight with some friends. He took our car, but he was not driving when they had an accident and Ike was killed. I was left with five children, ranging in age from thirteen to two years of age. My oldest son, Lyle, tried to carry on the farm work. I moved to Montpelier and lived in this house until I was about 92 years of age.
I worked for a Dr. McClore. He was a dentist. I did all of his laundry and sewing. The water would still be clean when I got his washing done so then I could do the family washing.
The washer I had had a handle on the side that you would move back and forth and that would shake the clothes around and get them clean. I also did a lot of sewing for people. I did alterations for the Sally Shoppe for a number of years. I went to work for the Montpelier Laundry when I was about 60 years of age. I worked there until I was in my eighties.
I also raised a granddaughter, Caroline. She was Mabel's child. Mabel was always sickly. She lived with me even after she was married. She had a bad heart and couldn't do much. She died in 1942. Mabel always called her doll Bessie Cute.
I was born in Bennington, Idaho, on the 28th of February, 1886 in a log house close to where the school stands today. My parents were William Harrison and Mary Jane Walters Speirs. I was the sixth child and first daughter born, being followed by two more brothers and two sisters. My older brothers were Isaac, William, George, Charles, Thomas, and my younger brothers and sisters were Lorenzo, Janet, Alvin, and Lillias.
My parents were farmers and had moved from Tooele, Utah to Bennington where they homesteaded some land. With so many brothers, I did not have to help with the farm work, but I do remember of helping to pull weeks in the garden. We always had a big garden to feed our large family. I remember of washing and drying many dishes.
Our neighbors were the Weavers. There were Julie, Janice, Miles, Frank and Jasper. Also Horace. I remember him especially well because he led the singing in Sunday School.
My mother was a good seamstress. She had worked in a shirt factory in England before coming to America. She taught me how to sew and I have sewed from the time I was a small child until my eyes wouldn't let me see. My mother made all the shirts for my brothers and she would hire a lady to help her. Her name was Charlotte Lindsay. She had a daughter about my age and, when she would come to our house to help my mother, she would tell me what big ugly hands I had and that it was too bad I didn't have pretty little hands like her daughter. So I grew up thinking I had big ugly hands, and my hands were not big at all. How cruel to tell a child something so unkind. My mother would make my dresses but I didn't ever think they were pretty. It wasn't until I got big enough to make myself a dress that I felt I had a dress that was beautiful and that I looked good in.
I didn't start school until I was about eight years old. I remember the school -- two rooms with a stove in the middle of the room. My first teach was named Nellie Osmond. I remember she said she came from Bloomington. We walked to school when the weather was good, but in the winter we would take the team and sleigh. One of my older brothers would drive the team.
When Christmas time came, I don't remember of putting up a Christmas tree, but I do remember of always hanging up my stocking. I remember I always got a doll, but she was never dressed pretty so I would sew her clothes that made her look beautiful.
I remember one Christmas especially. Some of my bigger brothers hung up their stockings and on Christmas morning they found a stock of wood in them.
My mother was a very good cook and was especially good bread maker. Everyone raved about her beautiful bread. My children always said, "Grandma's bread tastes like cake." I remember one time my mother told me to mix the bread, and I did not want to. I hated putting my hands in the sticky dough so I told her I wouldn't do it. My father heard me sass my mother, and he went outside to the currant bush and broke four willows and came back and whipped me across the legs. Oh, how that did hurt, and I have never forgotten it to this day, and it still hurts. My father was a very strict man, and always his children obeyed.
My father was a carpenter and made many things for the family as well as for other people.
We had a big water ditch out in the front of our house where we got some of our water, but we also had a pump, which supplied us with water. I pumped many buckets of water, and it was hard work. I remember the pump always had a squeak.
When Sunday came we all got ready and went to Sunday School. My father was assistant Sunday School Superintendent so we never missed. We all went in the wagon as my father did not have a buggy. My mother never went. She would see that we all got ready and then she would get the house cleaned up and fix our dinner.
There was no store in Bennington so all trading was done in Montpelier. There was a general store by the name of Burgoyne's and that's where most of the shopping was done. My father did all the buying of the things the family needed -- food, clothing, and etc. I don't remember of my mother ever doing any shopping.
The winter nights were used for homework. Mother was always very insistent that we all got our homework done so if any of us were dumb, it wasn't her fault.
For entertainment we would have children's dances every two weeks, and I liked to go dance with the bigger boys. We would pop popcorn and make homemade ice cream. We would get the ice at the river. Something that was always fun was running along the side of the sleigh and jumping on the runners.
I remember of going to Montpelier once to see a parade on the Fourth of July, and there was a snake charmer there. I can see him now with those snakes crawling all over him.
I don't know why but every time any of the children got sick than my father would get sick also. Maybe he just wanted sympathy.
I used to tease my younger sister Jenny, a lot. I would take things away from her and then she would holler.
I was married the 11 November 1905 to Isaac Stephens in Paris, Idaho. He was also from Bennington so I had always known him. We courted about a year before we were married. We set up housekeeping in the log house on the ranch where all five of our children were born. Dr. Poyntor was our doctor and he delivered all my babies and then we would hire a midwife to come in and take care of me. I made all the baby clothes for my children.
I remember of seeing the first car that came through the valley. I was at the bottom of the Bennington hill and I saw it come up over the top of the hill. I think we had one of the first cars in the valley. It was a Studabaker.
We would take the children on short trips to the lake and to town to see parades on holidays. We had planned to take them all to Yellowstone Park the summer that Ike was killed.
I remember one time some friends of Ike's came to visit. They were from Wyoming. His name was Rob Oakey. This was the time that Lyle got his chin cut. We went to Montpelier to see a parade and celebrate the 4th of July. Lyle was playing in the buggy, and he fell out and hit his chin on the step and cut it. We had to take him to the doctor. He put five stitches in the cut. I remember when they went home. We walked out to the road with them, and I remember so plain of standing by the ditch out in front of our home. It must of run across the yard. We stood there and visited before they left for home.
On the 4th of July 1920 tragedy came into my life. Ike had gone to Pocatello to see the Jack Dempsey fight with some friends. He took our car, but he was not driving when they had an accident and Ike was killed. I was left with five children, ranging in age from thirteen to two years of age. My oldest son, Lyle, tried to carry on the farm work. I moved to Montpelier and lived in this house until I was about 92 years of age.
I worked for a Dr. McClore. He was a dentist. I did all of his laundry and sewing. The water would still be clean when I got his washing done so then I could do the family washing.
The washer I had had a handle on the side that you would move back and forth and that would shake the clothes around and get them clean. I also did a lot of sewing for people. I did alterations for the Sally Shoppe for a number of years. I went to work for the Montpelier Laundry when I was about 60 years of age. I worked there until I was in my eighties.
I also raised a granddaughter, Caroline. She was Mabel's child. Mabel was always sickly. She lived with me even after she was married. She had a bad heart and couldn't do much. She died in 1942. Mabel always called her doll Bessie Cute.
My History by Mary Speirs Stephens
I was born in Bennington, Idaho, on the 28th of February, 1886 in a log house close to where the school stands today. My parents were William Harrison and Mary Jane Walters Speirs. I was the sixth child and first daughter born, being followed by two more brothers and two sisters. My older brothers were Isaac, William, George, Charles, Thomas, and my younger brothers and sisters were Lorenzo, Janet, Alvin, and Lillias.
My parents were farmers and had moved from Tooele, Utah to Bennington where they homesteaded some land. With so many brothers, I did not have to help with the farm work, but I do remember of helping to pull weeks in the garden. We always had a big garden to feed our large family. I remember of washing and drying many dishes.
Our neighbors were the Weavers. There were Julie, Janice, Miles, Frank and Jasper. Also Horace. I remember him especially well because he led the singing in Sunday School.
My mother was a good seamstress. She had worked in a shirt factory in England before coming to America. She taught me how to sew and I have sewed from the time I was a small child until my eyes wouldn't let me see. My mother made all the shirts for my brothers and she would hire a lady to help her. Her name was Charlotte Lindsay. She had a daughter about my age and, when she would come to our house to help my mother, she would tell me what big ugly hands I had and that it was too bad I didn't have pretty little hands like her daughter. So I grew up thinking I had big ugly hands, and my hands were not big at all. How cruel to tell a child something so unkind. My mother would make my dresses but I didn't ever think they were pretty. It wasn't until I got big enough to make myself a dress that I felt I had a dress that was beautiful and that I looked good in.
I didn't start school until I was about eight years old. I remember the school -- two rooms with a stove in the middle of the room. My first teach was named Nellie Osmond. I remember she said she came from Bloomington. We walked to school when the weather was good, but in the winter we would take the team and sleigh. One of my older brothers would drive the team.
When Christmas time came, I don't remember of putting up a Christmas tree, but I do remember of always hanging up my stocking. I remember I always got a doll, but she was never dressed pretty so I would sew her clothes that made her look beautiful.
I remember one Christmas especially. Some of my bigger brothers hung up their stockings and on Christmas morning they found a stock of wood in them.
My mother was a very good cook and was especially good bread maker. Everyone raved about her beautiful bread. My children always said, "Grandma's bread tastes like cake." I remember one time my mother told me to mix the bread, and I did not want to. I hated putting my hands in the sticky dough so I told her I wouldn't do it. My father heard me sass my mother, and he went outside to the currant bush and broke four willows and came back and whipped me across the legs. Oh, how that did hurt, and I have never forgotten it to this day, and it still hurts. My father was a very strict man, and always his children obeyed.
My father was a carpenter and made many things for the family as well as for other people.
We had a big water ditch out in the front of our house where we got some of our water, but we also had a pump, which supplied us with water. I pumped many buckets of water, and it was hard work. I remember the pump always had a squeak.
When Sunday came we all got ready and went to Sunday School. My father was assistant Sunday School Superintendent so we never missed. We all went in the wagon as my father did not have a buggy. My mother never went. She would see that we all got ready and then she would get the house cleaned up and fix our dinner.
There was no store in Bennington so all trading was done in Montpelier. There was a general store by the name of Burgoyne's and that's where most of the shopping was done. My father did all the buying of the things the family needed -- food, clothing, and etc. I don't remember of my mother ever doing any shopping.
The winter nights were used for homework. Mother was always very insistent that we all got our homework done so if any of us were dumb, it wasn't her fault.
For entertainment we would have children's dances every two weeks, and I liked to go dance with the bigger boys. We would pop popcorn and make homemade ice cream. We would get the ice at the river. Something that was always fun was running along the side of the sleigh and jumping on the runners.
I remember of going to Montpelier once to see a parade on the Fourth of July, and there was a snake charmer there. I can see him now with those snakes crawling all over him.
I don't know why but every time any of the children got sick than my father would get sick also. Maybe he just wanted sympathy.
I used to tease my younger sister Jenny, a lot. I would take things away from her and then she would holler.
I was married the 11 November 1905 to Isaac Stephens in Paris, Idaho. He was also from Bennington so I had always known him. We courted about a year before we were married. We set up housekeeping in the log house on the ranch where all five of our children were born. Dr. Poyntor was our doctor and he delivered all my babies and then we would hire a midwife to come in and take care of me. I made all the baby clothes for my children.
I remember of seeing the first car that came through the valley. I was at the bottom of the Bennington hill and I saw it come up over the top of the hill. I think we had one of the first cars in the valley. It was a Studabaker.
We would take the children on short trips to the lake and to town to see parades on holidays. We had planned to take them all to Yellowstone Park the summer that Ike was killed.
I remember one time some friends of Ike's came to visit. They were from Wyoming. His name was Rob Oakey. This was the time that Lyle got his chin cut. We went to Montpelier to see a parade and celebrate the 4th of July. Lyle was playing in the buggy, and he fell out and hit his chin on the step and cut it. We had to take him to the doctor. He put five stitches in the cut. I remember when they went home. We walked out to the road with them, and I remember so plain of standing by the ditch out in front of our home. It must of run across the yard. We stood there and visited before they left for home.
On the 4th of July 1920 tragedy came into my life. Ike had gone to Pocatello to see the Jack Dempsey fight with some friends. He took our car, but he was not driving when they had an accident and Ike was killed. I was left with five children, ranging in age from thirteen to two years of age. My oldest son, Lyle, tried to carry on the farm work. I moved to Montpelier and lived in this house until I was about 92 years of age.
I worked for a Dr. McClore. He was a dentist. I did all of his laundry and sewing. The water would still be clean when I got his washing done so then I could do the family washing.
The washer I had had a handle on the side that you would move back and forth and that would shake the clothes around and get them clean. I also did a lot of sewing for people. I did alterations for the Sally Shoppe for a number of years. I went to work for the Montpelier Laundry when I was about 60 years of age. I worked there until I was in my eighties.
I also raised a granddaughter, Caroline. She was Mabel's child. Mabel was always sickly. She lived with me even after she was married. She had a bad heart and couldn't do much. She died in 1942. Mabel always called her doll Bessie Cute.
I was born in Bennington, Idaho, on the 28th of February, 1886 in a log house close to where the school stands today. My parents were William Harrison and Mary Jane Walters Speirs. I was the sixth child and first daughter born, being followed by two more brothers and two sisters. My older brothers were Isaac, William, George, Charles, Thomas, and my younger brothers and sisters were Lorenzo, Janet, Alvin, and Lillias.
My parents were farmers and had moved from Tooele, Utah to Bennington where they homesteaded some land. With so many brothers, I did not have to help with the farm work, but I do remember of helping to pull weeks in the garden. We always had a big garden to feed our large family. I remember of washing and drying many dishes.
Our neighbors were the Weavers. There were Julie, Janice, Miles, Frank and Jasper. Also Horace. I remember him especially well because he led the singing in Sunday School.
My mother was a good seamstress. She had worked in a shirt factory in England before coming to America. She taught me how to sew and I have sewed from the time I was a small child until my eyes wouldn't let me see. My mother made all the shirts for my brothers and she would hire a lady to help her. Her name was Charlotte Lindsay. She had a daughter about my age and, when she would come to our house to help my mother, she would tell me what big ugly hands I had and that it was too bad I didn't have pretty little hands like her daughter. So I grew up thinking I had big ugly hands, and my hands were not big at all. How cruel to tell a child something so unkind. My mother would make my dresses but I didn't ever think they were pretty. It wasn't until I got big enough to make myself a dress that I felt I had a dress that was beautiful and that I looked good in.
I didn't start school until I was about eight years old. I remember the school -- two rooms with a stove in the middle of the room. My first teach was named Nellie Osmond. I remember she said she came from Bloomington. We walked to school when the weather was good, but in the winter we would take the team and sleigh. One of my older brothers would drive the team.
When Christmas time came, I don't remember of putting up a Christmas tree, but I do remember of always hanging up my stocking. I remember I always got a doll, but she was never dressed pretty so I would sew her clothes that made her look beautiful.
I remember one Christmas especially. Some of my bigger brothers hung up their stockings and on Christmas morning they found a stock of wood in them.
My mother was a very good cook and was especially good bread maker. Everyone raved about her beautiful bread. My children always said, "Grandma's bread tastes like cake." I remember one time my mother told me to mix the bread, and I did not want to. I hated putting my hands in the sticky dough so I told her I wouldn't do it. My father heard me sass my mother, and he went outside to the currant bush and broke four willows and came back and whipped me across the legs. Oh, how that did hurt, and I have never forgotten it to this day, and it still hurts. My father was a very strict man, and always his children obeyed.
My father was a carpenter and made many things for the family as well as for other people.
We had a big water ditch out in the front of our house where we got some of our water, but we also had a pump, which supplied us with water. I pumped many buckets of water, and it was hard work. I remember the pump always had a squeak.
When Sunday came we all got ready and went to Sunday School. My father was assistant Sunday School Superintendent so we never missed. We all went in the wagon as my father did not have a buggy. My mother never went. She would see that we all got ready and then she would get the house cleaned up and fix our dinner.
There was no store in Bennington so all trading was done in Montpelier. There was a general store by the name of Burgoyne's and that's where most of the shopping was done. My father did all the buying of the things the family needed -- food, clothing, and etc. I don't remember of my mother ever doing any shopping.
The winter nights were used for homework. Mother was always very insistent that we all got our homework done so if any of us were dumb, it wasn't her fault.
For entertainment we would have children's dances every two weeks, and I liked to go dance with the bigger boys. We would pop popcorn and make homemade ice cream. We would get the ice at the river. Something that was always fun was running along the side of the sleigh and jumping on the runners.
I remember of going to Montpelier once to see a parade on the Fourth of July, and there was a snake charmer there. I can see him now with those snakes crawling all over him.
I don't know why but every time any of the children got sick than my father would get sick also. Maybe he just wanted sympathy.
I used to tease my younger sister Jenny, a lot. I would take things away from her and then she would holler.
I was married the 11 November 1905 to Isaac Stephens in Paris, Idaho. He was also from Bennington so I had always known him. We courted about a year before we were married. We set up housekeeping in the log house on the ranch where all five of our children were born. Dr. Poyntor was our doctor and he delivered all my babies and then we would hire a midwife to come in and take care of me. I made all the baby clothes for my children.
I remember of seeing the first car that came through the valley. I was at the bottom of the Bennington hill and I saw it come up over the top of the hill. I think we had one of the first cars in the valley. It was a Studabaker.
We would take the children on short trips to the lake and to town to see parades on holidays. We had planned to take them all to Yellowstone Park the summer that Ike was killed.
I remember one time some friends of Ike's came to visit. They were from Wyoming. His name was Rob Oakey. This was the time that Lyle got his chin cut. We went to Montpelier to see a parade and celebrate the 4th of July. Lyle was playing in the buggy, and he fell out and hit his chin on the step and cut it. We had to take him to the doctor. He put five stitches in the cut. I remember when they went home. We walked out to the road with them, and I remember so plain of standing by the ditch out in front of our home. It must of run across the yard. We stood there and visited before they left for home.
On the 4th of July 1920 tragedy came into my life. Ike had gone to Pocatello to see the Jack Dempsey fight with some friends. He took our car, but he was not driving when they had an accident and Ike was killed. I was left with five children, ranging in age from thirteen to two years of age. My oldest son, Lyle, tried to carry on the farm work. I moved to Montpelier and lived in this house until I was about 92 years of age.
I worked for a Dr. McClore. He was a dentist. I did all of his laundry and sewing. The water would still be clean when I got his washing done so then I could do the family washing.
The washer I had had a handle on the side that you would move back and forth and that would shake the clothes around and get them clean. I also did a lot of sewing for people. I did alterations for the Sally Shoppe for a number of years. I went to work for the Montpelier Laundry when I was about 60 years of age. I worked there until I was in my eighties.
I also raised a granddaughter, Caroline. She was Mabel's child. Mabel was always sickly. She lived with me even after she was married. She had a bad heart and couldn't do much. She died in 1942. Mabel always called her doll Bessie Cute.
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