Violet Arelia Harper - born August 26, 1893, in New Era, Louisiana.
Parents - William W. Harper and Mary Jane Harris.
Two sisters and seven brothers.
Father had a cotton gin on the bank of the Black River. Steam boats would come down the river, carrying freight. Closest towns were New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Father was well known by all. Once brother Mac was very ill. He was having spasms. He was about 5 years old. There wasn't any doctor close by. During this time two Mormon missionaries came by steam boat down the river. They came to our house and asked permission to administer to Mac. They gave him a blessing and the told mother to fix some broth because Mac would be hungry when he awoke. They went away for a while. Before mother had the broth ready, Mac walked and said he was hungry. After that Father invited the missionaries to stay at our house. Mormons were very unpopular then. Some men gathered a mob to run the missionaries away. They came about daylight and yelled to Dad to send the missionaries out. The mob had clubs. Dad went out on the porch and told the mob to go away. The missionaries came out on the porch and talked to the mob and after a while the mob went away. After that Mother and I was baptized. I was about 14 years old. Later Grandmother was baptized. Several families were baptized. Some were sent in from Baton Rogue, enough to hold Sunday School and Sacrament meeting. No more was baptized so decided to take the Mormons out. Members and converts came from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to what is now Marlow, Oklahoma and organized a branch. Mother, sister and I went to Oklahoma and the branch president took us in. I stayed with them and went to school. My brother Jack paid for the books and schooling. Pres. Beeler encouraged me and I led the Mormons in the community. I was called Lily. Later Father and family came. Couldn't make a living there because of dry farming and there wasn't enough rain. Pres. Beeler was sent to South Texas to organize Mormons there. Father chartered railroad cars to take belongings to Texas. I served as Mutual president there. There I met and married Jim Puckett. I was about 17 years old. We moved in with Jim's family. Jim's mother disliked Mormons and later we were advised to leave. Jim sold the crops, his horse and buggy and we went to stay with my people. There I started to work in the Church again. I taught Sunday School. Jim was baptized there. Times got so hard and most of the Mormon families decided to move again. Many came to the Gila Valley, the Reeds, Haggards, Letha, Echols, Adams, Harpers. We came to Thatcher in 1917. Lived in a big apple orchard. Went to sacrament meeting and President Kimball (Spencer's father) read our recommends, to our surprise. I worked in Primary. I had to ride a horse and I would fasten the horse away from the Church and walk the rest of the way. I also worked in Relief Society. We stayed there about four years. Moved to Star and there didn't attend Church much. I have been in so many tight places. Jim would leave me alone and I would work the farm to keep things going. I kept close to the Lord and was able to withstand my trials. We then moved to Casa Grande. Jim was to be foreman on a ranch and I cooked for the ranch hands there. Jim gambled away his money and drank heavily, finally lost his job. I had to work very hard. Jim was killed in a car accident in 1940. I went back to Thatcher. Worked as a cook at the college. Went to work at 4 o'clock in the morning. I cooked morning and noon meal for 97 people. I married Price Allen, August 1944. I served as counselor in Relief Society to Zora Belle Lee. Then was president for about 4 years. All together I worked about 11 years in the Relief Society in Miami.
Parents - William W. Harper and Mary Jane Harris.
Two sisters and seven brothers.
Father had a cotton gin on the bank of the Black River. Steam boats would come down the river, carrying freight. Closest towns were New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Father was well known by all. Once brother Mac was very ill. He was having spasms. He was about 5 years old. There wasn't any doctor close by. During this time two Mormon missionaries came by steam boat down the river. They came to our house and asked permission to administer to Mac. They gave him a blessing and the told mother to fix some broth because Mac would be hungry when he awoke. They went away for a while. Before mother had the broth ready, Mac walked and said he was hungry. After that Father invited the missionaries to stay at our house. Mormons were very unpopular then. Some men gathered a mob to run the missionaries away. They came about daylight and yelled to Dad to send the missionaries out. The mob had clubs. Dad went out on the porch and told the mob to go away. The missionaries came out on the porch and talked to the mob and after a while the mob went away. After that Mother and I was baptized. I was about 14 years old. Later Grandmother was baptized. Several families were baptized. Some were sent in from Baton Rogue, enough to hold Sunday School and Sacrament meeting. No more was baptized so decided to take the Mormons out. Members and converts came from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to what is now Marlow, Oklahoma and organized a branch. Mother, sister and I went to Oklahoma and the branch president took us in. I stayed with them and went to school. My brother Jack paid for the books and schooling. Pres. Beeler encouraged me and I led the Mormons in the community. I was called Lily. Later Father and family came. Couldn't make a living there because of dry farming and there wasn't enough rain. Pres. Beeler was sent to South Texas to organize Mormons there. Father chartered railroad cars to take belongings to Texas. I served as Mutual president there. There I met and married Jim Puckett. I was about 17 years old. We moved in with Jim's family. Jim's mother disliked Mormons and later we were advised to leave. Jim sold the crops, his horse and buggy and we went to stay with my people. There I started to work in the Church again. I taught Sunday School. Jim was baptized there. Times got so hard and most of the Mormon families decided to move again. Many came to the Gila Valley, the Reeds, Haggards, Letha, Echols, Adams, Harpers. We came to Thatcher in 1917. Lived in a big apple orchard. Went to sacrament meeting and President Kimball (Spencer's father) read our recommends, to our surprise. I worked in Primary. I had to ride a horse and I would fasten the horse away from the Church and walk the rest of the way. I also worked in Relief Society. We stayed there about four years. Moved to Star and there didn't attend Church much. I have been in so many tight places. Jim would leave me alone and I would work the farm to keep things going. I kept close to the Lord and was able to withstand my trials. We then moved to Casa Grande. Jim was to be foreman on a ranch and I cooked for the ranch hands there. Jim gambled away his money and drank heavily, finally lost his job. I had to work very hard. Jim was killed in a car accident in 1940. I went back to Thatcher. Worked as a cook at the college. Went to work at 4 o'clock in the morning. I cooked morning and noon meal for 97 people. I married Price Allen, August 1944. I served as counselor in Relief Society to Zora Belle Lee. Then was president for about 4 years. All together I worked about 11 years in the Relief Society in Miami.
Violet Arelia Harper - born August 26, 1893, in New Era, Louisiana.
Parents - William W. Harper and Mary Jane Harris.
Two sisters and seven brothers.
Father had a cotton gin on the bank of the Black River. Steam boats would come down the river, carrying freight. Closest towns were New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Father was well known by all. Once brother Mac was very ill. He was having spasms. He was about 5 years old. There wasn't any doctor close by. During this time two Mormon missionaries came by steam boat down the river. They came to our house and asked permission to administer to Mac. They gave him a blessing and the told mother to fix some broth because Mac would be hungry when he awoke. They went away for a while. Before mother had the broth ready, Mac walked and said he was hungry. After that Father invited the missionaries to stay at our house. Mormons were very unpopular then. Some men gathered a mob to run the missionaries away. They came about daylight and yelled to Dad to send the missionaries out. The mob had clubs. Dad went out on the porch and told the mob to go away. The missionaries came out on the porch and talked to the mob and after a while the mob went away. After that Mother and I was baptized. I was about 14 years old. Later Grandmother was baptized. Several families were baptized. Some were sent in from Baton Rogue, enough to hold Sunday School and Sacrament meeting. No more was baptized so decided to take the Mormons out. Members and converts came from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to what is now Marlow, Oklahoma and organized a branch. Mother, sister and I went to Oklahoma and the branch president took us in. I stayed with them and went to school. My brother Jack paid for the books and schooling. Pres. Beeler encouraged me and I led the Mormons in the community. I was called Lily. Later Father and family came. Couldn't make a living there because of dry farming and there wasn't enough rain. Pres. Beeler was sent to South Texas to organize Mormons there. Father chartered railroad cars to take belongings to Texas. I served as Mutual president there. There I met and married Jim Puckett. I was about 17 years old. We moved in with Jim's family. Jim's mother disliked Mormons and later we were advised to leave. Jim sold the crops, his horse and buggy and we went to stay with my people. There I started to work in the Church again. I taught Sunday School. Jim was baptized there. Times got so hard and most of the Mormon families decided to move again. Many came to the Gila Valley, the Reeds, Haggards, Letha, Echols, Adams, Harpers. We came to Thatcher in 1917. Lived in a big apple orchard. Went to sacrament meeting and President Kimball (Spencer's father) read our recommends, to our surprise. I worked in Primary. I had to ride a horse and I would fasten the horse away from the Church and walk the rest of the way. I also worked in Relief Society. We stayed there about four years. Moved to Star and there didn't attend Church much. I have been in so many tight places. Jim would leave me alone and I would work the farm to keep things going. I kept close to the Lord and was able to withstand my trials. We then moved to Casa Grande. Jim was to be foreman on a ranch and I cooked for the ranch hands there. Jim gambled away his money and drank heavily, finally lost his job. I had to work very hard. Jim was killed in a car accident in 1940. I went back to Thatcher. Worked as a cook at the college. Went to work at 4 o'clock in the morning. I cooked morning and noon meal for 97 people. I married Price Allen, August 1944. I served as counselor in Relief Society to Zora Belle Lee. Then was president for about 4 years. All together I worked about 11 years in the Relief Society in Miami.
Parents - William W. Harper and Mary Jane Harris.
Two sisters and seven brothers.
Father had a cotton gin on the bank of the Black River. Steam boats would come down the river, carrying freight. Closest towns were New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Father was well known by all. Once brother Mac was very ill. He was having spasms. He was about 5 years old. There wasn't any doctor close by. During this time two Mormon missionaries came by steam boat down the river. They came to our house and asked permission to administer to Mac. They gave him a blessing and the told mother to fix some broth because Mac would be hungry when he awoke. They went away for a while. Before mother had the broth ready, Mac walked and said he was hungry. After that Father invited the missionaries to stay at our house. Mormons were very unpopular then. Some men gathered a mob to run the missionaries away. They came about daylight and yelled to Dad to send the missionaries out. The mob had clubs. Dad went out on the porch and told the mob to go away. The missionaries came out on the porch and talked to the mob and after a while the mob went away. After that Mother and I was baptized. I was about 14 years old. Later Grandmother was baptized. Several families were baptized. Some were sent in from Baton Rogue, enough to hold Sunday School and Sacrament meeting. No more was baptized so decided to take the Mormons out. Members and converts came from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to what is now Marlow, Oklahoma and organized a branch. Mother, sister and I went to Oklahoma and the branch president took us in. I stayed with them and went to school. My brother Jack paid for the books and schooling. Pres. Beeler encouraged me and I led the Mormons in the community. I was called Lily. Later Father and family came. Couldn't make a living there because of dry farming and there wasn't enough rain. Pres. Beeler was sent to South Texas to organize Mormons there. Father chartered railroad cars to take belongings to Texas. I served as Mutual president there. There I met and married Jim Puckett. I was about 17 years old. We moved in with Jim's family. Jim's mother disliked Mormons and later we were advised to leave. Jim sold the crops, his horse and buggy and we went to stay with my people. There I started to work in the Church again. I taught Sunday School. Jim was baptized there. Times got so hard and most of the Mormon families decided to move again. Many came to the Gila Valley, the Reeds, Haggards, Letha, Echols, Adams, Harpers. We came to Thatcher in 1917. Lived in a big apple orchard. Went to sacrament meeting and President Kimball (Spencer's father) read our recommends, to our surprise. I worked in Primary. I had to ride a horse and I would fasten the horse away from the Church and walk the rest of the way. I also worked in Relief Society. We stayed there about four years. Moved to Star and there didn't attend Church much. I have been in so many tight places. Jim would leave me alone and I would work the farm to keep things going. I kept close to the Lord and was able to withstand my trials. We then moved to Casa Grande. Jim was to be foreman on a ranch and I cooked for the ranch hands there. Jim gambled away his money and drank heavily, finally lost his job. I had to work very hard. Jim was killed in a car accident in 1940. I went back to Thatcher. Worked as a cook at the college. Went to work at 4 o'clock in the morning. I cooked morning and noon meal for 97 people. I married Price Allen, August 1944. I served as counselor in Relief Society to Zora Belle Lee. Then was president for about 4 years. All together I worked about 11 years in the Relief Society in Miami.
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