~~~~My Grandmother~~~~

Dorothy was born September 23, 1902 in Salt Lake City,Utah. the youngest and elventh child of Leonard Goodridge Hardy and Miriam Young. When Dorothy was seven years old, they moved to a farm which was located at Granite, a small farming area at the mouth of the canyon. She remembered riding hores and many family activities. There were family outings in the canyons both at Brighten and Alta. Her father was a mining eingineer and was one of the engineers who discovered the gold and silver near Alta and much of the cooper for Kennecott Company. Her oldest sister got married when Dorothy was three so she became an aunt at a very early age. She attended grade school at the country school in Granite and then graduated from high school at Jordan High School in Sandy. Her mother passed away when Dorothy was sixteen and she became very close to her older sister Georgie (Dord) . After graduation, she attended the LDS Business College and the University of Utah where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta Soroity.
After college, Dorothy entered the job market. Her first job was teaching shorthand, typing and English at the LDS Business College. She then went to work for the Norville Motor Co., a Studebaker dealer. Later She worked for the Tracy-Collins Bank and was working there when she met Nile Matthews . He had recently returned from his LDS Mission and was being shown around Salt Lake by one of his companions who took him into the bank to meet his friend, Dorothy. Dorothy and Nile dated off and on for several years, some of that time was while he was working in Montana. When Nile returned from Montana, they were married on April 19 1933, in Salt Lake City. The marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.
Dorothy and Nile had four children, Leonard Harrison (named for both his grandfathers), Dorothy Anne, Georgia Hardy, and John Robert. All of them were born in Salt Lake City, at St. Marx Hospital. While Nile attended the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in California during 1939-1940, the family lived with Dorothy's sister Georgie, who was a school teacher and owned her own home. Their father was a widower and also lived with them, but he passed away shortly after the family moved in. During this time, she worked for a department store named Auerbach's.
When the family lived in Burley, Idaho in 1941, Dorothy worked for the Bureau of Land Management. In 1944, while living in Jerome, Idaho, she joined a civic club which was organized for the purpose of promoting a better town. The experiences never left her because from then on, she was trying to help the towns she lived in. In 1946, Dorothy and Nile moved their family to Montpelier, Idaho where they purchased the FM Williams Mourtuary (819 Washington St.) ane the Williams' personal home (730 Grant St.) for the sum of $40,000. Dorothy worked with Nile in the Mourtuary as much as he needed her. She kept the books and would often drive the ambulance when he was busy. She also had to stay by the phones anytime Nile was gone. Someone had to stay near the phones and so they rarely ever lefted town at the same time.
Dorothy kept a very clean and tidy home. Nile wanted her to have the best so she had the first washing automatic machine and automatic dryer in Montpelier. Later, she also got the first dishwashing machine, and then she got the first television. At first, all you could see was snow, but they soon put a 60 foot antennae on top of the house and then they could get TV Channels out of Salt Lake City. However, there was still alot of snow. As time went on, remodeling changes where made to the house. Minor changes at first, but later went through some major changes in 1959.
Dorothy was a good seamstress and made most of her daughters clothes. When the styles changed, she would always make them the latest thing and very often they were the first to have the latest style in school. One time when Leonard was 7 or 8 years old, some one gave her a second hand suit for Leonard but it was to big. She took it apart and took all the seams in until it fit perfectly. It looked wonderful and he got to wear it for his baptismal service. Every Christmas, the girls got the latest doll with many outfits, handmade, to to with each doll. Dorothy loved Christmas and always made it very special. She could make any scraggly tree look fantasic with her ability for decorating. Very often, she put her tree up the day after Thanksgiving and usually wouldn't take it down until the week after New Year's.
Dorothy's children remember that she sang to them, sometimes accompanying herself on the piano, to wake them up in the morning and while she was doing her work around the house. Her children were in many play during their school years and she always made their custumes.
Dorothy was an active member of the Church of Latter-day Saints and held many positions. She served as the fist Relief Society President in the Montpelier 5th Ward when it was organized in 1956. She also organized the first ward library in the ward, and while serving as State Librarian, she established the first stake library. Civically she also was very active. She was the founder of the Business and Professional Women, served as President of the PTA for many years and in 1963, she was given the "Outstanding Civics Affairs Award" in the city. Dorothy was also active in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and was camp captain for many years, and then became the county president. During that time she co-authored a book called "History of the Bear Lake Pioneers" and saw that 8,000 copies printed. She also organized the first DUP Museum in Montpelier, found a building for it and then staffed it herself for many years. For seven years, she and her next door neighbor organized the cemetery records for all the cemeteies in the entire Bear Lake Valley. Dorothy passed away at Bear Lake Memorial Hospital on May 31, 1982.
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Dorothy Matthews
Dorothy Young Hardy Matthews, age 79, passed away Monday, May 31, in the Bear Lake Memorial Hospital. She was born Sept. 23, 1902,at Salt Lake City, Utah, to Leonard Goodridge and Miriam Young Hardy. She was a grand daugher of Brigham Young . She married Nile Matthews April 29, 1933,
at Murray, Utah. The marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on Oct. 14, 1935. He passed away on Oct. 12, 1981.
She was an extremely active member of the LDS Church and held many positions throughout her lifetime, including
serving as the first Relief Society President of the Montpelier 5th Ward when it was organized. She also organized the first library in the 5th ward and then while serving as Stake Librarian she set up the first Montpelier
Stake Meetinghouse Library. She also worked as a genealogical librarian for a long time when the local Branch
Genealogy Library was started in 1969.
She was also very active in civic and social affairs. She was one of the founders of the local chapter of the
Business and Professional Women's organization. She served as President of the PTA for many years. She was Camp Captain and also County President of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers for several years. During the time she was County President, she was instrumental in having a Pioneer Memorial
Monument built at the mouth of Emmigration Canyon. She founded, organized, and obtained a building for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Relic Hall Museum, which she operated for many years. She also supervised the collection of all the antiques that are on display at the museum. Along with another woman, she compiled, wrote and published the 922 page book called, "History of the Bear Lake Pioneers."
She also compiled, researched and brought up-to-date the cemetery records for all 35 cemeteries in the Bear
Lake area. This project lasted 7 years and filled 3 large loose leafs. She was the recipient of several civic awards,
including the "Outstanding Civic Affairs Award," by the Loyal Order of Moose in 1963.
In conjunction with her husband, they owned and operated the Matthews Mortuary in Montpelier since 1946. In 1970 the received an award from the Chamber of Commerce for the "Most
Significant Physical Addition to the Business Community," when they built and dedicated a new Mortuary building.
She is survived by 2 sons; Leonard H. Matthews and John R. Matthews, both of Montpelier, and 2 daughters; Mrs. D'Anne Keys and Mrs. Roger C. (Georgia) Mouritsen, both of Salt Lake City. She has 21 grandchildren and was preceded in death by 4 brothers and 5 sisters.
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Family Links or other
Son In law:
Roger Caldwell Mouritsen
Daughter In law:
Margo Lynn Matthews
Grandsons:
Richard Wayne Keys
Edward Jens Matthews
Jonathan Lee Matthews
Great Grandaughter:
Lillianna Livia Jo Matthews
Great Grandson:
Maxwell C. Matthews
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ALL VISITS ARE VERY APPRECIATED

A Big thank you to M. Richards for sponsoring my grandmothers memorial page.