Fern was born in Centerfield to Morris Elonzo and Melissa Nay. She was raised in Centerfield. where she completed her schooling through the 8th grade. As a young girl Fern went to Silver City one summer with Pearl Metcalf to help cook for the men working on the railroad. She also worked in a boarding house at Gold Springs by Modeena. Her main duties there was cooking for the boarders.
Fern was a teenager when her father met his death by a gun shot. She left school and worked on the farm as if she was a boy. With the help of a hired farmer she finished the spring work before going to Gold Springs to work. She spent the next few years working away from home but always returned to assist with the planting and harvesting of the crops. She also helped take the cattle by horseback to the canyons in the spring and get them from the mountains in the fall. Ferns natural ability with horses and the training she received from her father made it possible for her to be known in the valley as one of the very best horse women. She always traveled in the best buggies - with the best horses.
At eighteen Fern married Thomas Neilson in Ely, Nevada. They had two girls - Maude and Mary. Mary was only three weeks old when Tommy went away to work and never returned. She then moved with her two girls back to live with her mother.
December 1917 Fern and Arnold were married and soon there were two more children added to the family. It was hard when Mary passed away at age 8 from diabeties.
The farm in Axtell was home for over 22 years. Many fun, exciting and hard years were spent here. But always horses was a part of Fern's life.
Fern served as a Relief Society Counselor and also as a Relief Society Teacher. She moved from the farm in Axtel when Arnold passed away to live the rest of her life in Centerfield. Though her house was small her heart was still as large as ever and everyone was welcome in her home. There was a 'sheep camp' in the back yard just waiting to be used. When it was cold weather there were many levi quilts for the bed and you never noticed how cold it was---until you climbed out of bed on those frosty mornings.
Fern was a jolly person who liked people and fun, and was eager and ready to participate in all the activities of the times. She was a large boned woman with a huge, jolly laugh to match her stature.
At the end of her life Fern started having problems with her memory. She couldn't live alone so for several years she would spend a month or two with each of her children--which didn't help with her memory problem at all. Then Maude retired and moved to Centerfield to take care of her in her own home.
Fern never tired of being in the mountains. It didn't matter the season or the reason for the trip. Though she couldn't ride horses any more she had her memories of the times spent there during her life.
Fern was a teenager when her father met his death by a gun shot. She left school and worked on the farm as if she was a boy. With the help of a hired farmer she finished the spring work before going to Gold Springs to work. She spent the next few years working away from home but always returned to assist with the planting and harvesting of the crops. She also helped take the cattle by horseback to the canyons in the spring and get them from the mountains in the fall. Ferns natural ability with horses and the training she received from her father made it possible for her to be known in the valley as one of the very best horse women. She always traveled in the best buggies - with the best horses.
At eighteen Fern married Thomas Neilson in Ely, Nevada. They had two girls - Maude and Mary. Mary was only three weeks old when Tommy went away to work and never returned. She then moved with her two girls back to live with her mother.
December 1917 Fern and Arnold were married and soon there were two more children added to the family. It was hard when Mary passed away at age 8 from diabeties.
The farm in Axtell was home for over 22 years. Many fun, exciting and hard years were spent here. But always horses was a part of Fern's life.
Fern served as a Relief Society Counselor and also as a Relief Society Teacher. She moved from the farm in Axtel when Arnold passed away to live the rest of her life in Centerfield. Though her house was small her heart was still as large as ever and everyone was welcome in her home. There was a 'sheep camp' in the back yard just waiting to be used. When it was cold weather there were many levi quilts for the bed and you never noticed how cold it was---until you climbed out of bed on those frosty mornings.
Fern was a jolly person who liked people and fun, and was eager and ready to participate in all the activities of the times. She was a large boned woman with a huge, jolly laugh to match her stature.
At the end of her life Fern started having problems with her memory. She couldn't live alone so for several years she would spend a month or two with each of her children--which didn't help with her memory problem at all. Then Maude retired and moved to Centerfield to take care of her in her own home.
Fern never tired of being in the mountains. It didn't matter the season or the reason for the trip. Though she couldn't ride horses any more she had her memories of the times spent there during her life.
Fern was born in Centerfield to Morris Elonzo and Melissa Nay. She was raised in Centerfield. where she completed her schooling through the 8th grade. As a young girl Fern went to Silver City one summer with Pearl Metcalf to help cook for the men working on the railroad. She also worked in a boarding house at Gold Springs by Modeena. Her main duties there was cooking for the boarders.
Fern was a teenager when her father met his death by a gun shot. She left school and worked on the farm as if she was a boy. With the help of a hired farmer she finished the spring work before going to Gold Springs to work. She spent the next few years working away from home but always returned to assist with the planting and harvesting of the crops. She also helped take the cattle by horseback to the canyons in the spring and get them from the mountains in the fall. Ferns natural ability with horses and the training she received from her father made it possible for her to be known in the valley as one of the very best horse women. She always traveled in the best buggies - with the best horses.
At eighteen Fern married Thomas Neilson in Ely, Nevada. They had two girls - Maude and Mary. Mary was only three weeks old when Tommy went away to work and never returned. She then moved with her two girls back to live with her mother.
December 1917 Fern and Arnold were married and soon there were two more children added to the family. It was hard when Mary passed away at age 8 from diabeties.
The farm in Axtell was home for over 22 years. Many fun, exciting and hard years were spent here. But always horses was a part of Fern's life.
Fern served as a Relief Society Counselor and also as a Relief Society Teacher. She moved from the farm in Axtel when Arnold passed away to live the rest of her life in Centerfield. Though her house was small her heart was still as large as ever and everyone was welcome in her home. There was a 'sheep camp' in the back yard just waiting to be used. When it was cold weather there were many levi quilts for the bed and you never noticed how cold it was---until you climbed out of bed on those frosty mornings.
Fern was a jolly person who liked people and fun, and was eager and ready to participate in all the activities of the times. She was a large boned woman with a huge, jolly laugh to match her stature.
At the end of her life Fern started having problems with her memory. She couldn't live alone so for several years she would spend a month or two with each of her children--which didn't help with her memory problem at all. Then Maude retired and moved to Centerfield to take care of her in her own home.
Fern never tired of being in the mountains. It didn't matter the season or the reason for the trip. Though she couldn't ride horses any more she had her memories of the times spent there during her life.
Fern was a teenager when her father met his death by a gun shot. She left school and worked on the farm as if she was a boy. With the help of a hired farmer she finished the spring work before going to Gold Springs to work. She spent the next few years working away from home but always returned to assist with the planting and harvesting of the crops. She also helped take the cattle by horseback to the canyons in the spring and get them from the mountains in the fall. Ferns natural ability with horses and the training she received from her father made it possible for her to be known in the valley as one of the very best horse women. She always traveled in the best buggies - with the best horses.
At eighteen Fern married Thomas Neilson in Ely, Nevada. They had two girls - Maude and Mary. Mary was only three weeks old when Tommy went away to work and never returned. She then moved with her two girls back to live with her mother.
December 1917 Fern and Arnold were married and soon there were two more children added to the family. It was hard when Mary passed away at age 8 from diabeties.
The farm in Axtell was home for over 22 years. Many fun, exciting and hard years were spent here. But always horses was a part of Fern's life.
Fern served as a Relief Society Counselor and also as a Relief Society Teacher. She moved from the farm in Axtel when Arnold passed away to live the rest of her life in Centerfield. Though her house was small her heart was still as large as ever and everyone was welcome in her home. There was a 'sheep camp' in the back yard just waiting to be used. When it was cold weather there were many levi quilts for the bed and you never noticed how cold it was---until you climbed out of bed on those frosty mornings.
Fern was a jolly person who liked people and fun, and was eager and ready to participate in all the activities of the times. She was a large boned woman with a huge, jolly laugh to match her stature.
At the end of her life Fern started having problems with her memory. She couldn't live alone so for several years she would spend a month or two with each of her children--which didn't help with her memory problem at all. Then Maude retired and moved to Centerfield to take care of her in her own home.
Fern never tired of being in the mountains. It didn't matter the season or the reason for the trip. Though she couldn't ride horses any more she had her memories of the times spent there during her life.
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