Elmina Austin - Daughter of Philo Wells and Elizabeth Waddoups Austin of Dayton, Franklin, Idaho, born December 15, 1904, in Dayton.

Mina is the sixth child of ten children. She had three sisters:
Martha Aseneth (1812-1935), Lela Ann (1897-1975), Lois (1900-1908)
Six Brothers:
Matthias Wells (1897-1983), Abraham Fielding (1902-1963), William Woddoups (1906-1908),
Clarence Waddoups (1908-1981), Myrthus Waddoups (1909-2004), Philo Rulon (1912-1941)

At the age of three years, Mina moved with her family to Lewiston, Idaho. While in Lewiston, the family had quite a unique experience. At this time there were eight children in the family and all were stricken with the black measles, of which two were taken in death within two weeks. The doctors said it was impossible for Mina to live. Her grandfather, William Waddoups, and Apostle Cowley were call in to administer to the family. When they blessed Mina, Apostle Cowley said to her, "Elmina, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to be made whole." From then on she began to improve and was soon well.

The family then moved to Logan, Utah where her father was county treasurer. They resided there for four years when they decided to take up a homestead in Juniper, Idaho. It was here she acquired her education and also where she met her future husband, Heber Earl Stokes.

Just before her marriage, their crops were threatened with grasshoppers and from all appearances would be totally destroyed. Her father and older brother Matt were away at the time, but her mother, being of old pioneer stock and having a great faith in God went about to invent something to rid the crops of the hoppers, which in early morning and in the afternoon hung like grapes on the heads of the wheat. They took a long canvas, partially doubled and having two long ropes on each side which they fastened to the saddle horse. On horses, Mina and her little brother rode the horses at a fast gallop up and down the wheat field bushing the pest into the fold of the canvas. It was necessary to stop occasionally and empty their load into sacks. Through their efforts the crops were saved.

Aunt Mina was a beautiful lady with dark hair. She married Earl Stokes on September 26 1923 in the Logan Temple. They continued to live in Black Pine. They had seven children:
Eldon Heber (1925), Ray Austin (1926-1927), Vera-twin (1927), Verna-twin (1927), Phyllis (1932),
Earl Dean (1936), Sherry Lynn (1944)

They ran the post office in Black Pine. Her husband served as a Bishop of the Black Pine ward for 14 years. Three years after their marriage in 1926, Earl was called to serve a mission for the Church. Because of the illness and death of a son Ray, he was unable to complete this mission.

Uncle Earl and Aunt Mina moved to Salmon in 1939 where they were engaged in ranching and dairy farming. She has been very devoted to her husband and supportive in his church callings.

She loved to work out of doors and was never idle. She loved flowers and her garden and yards were always well kept and beautiful.

Her first illness came in February of 1963 and gradually got worse until March 26th, when she had her first major operation in Salmon. Just one month from this time she had a second operation in Salt Lake City, and again on the 25th of September she underwent another major operation in Phoenix, Arizona under the direction of the National Cancer Research. She passed away in Provo, Utah, October 10th at the home of her daughter -- Verna Clark.