A Short History of My Life by Alice Marinda Barker Hansen

Born in Newton, Utah, 8 June 1880, I am the oldest of my mother's
family.

Things I remember as a small child are, living in Logan and sitting
in the high chair (my mother taught me to sew carpet rags in the high


chair); and standing on a table in Primary to sing a song; and seeing


a small child that had fallen into a canal, saved from drowning - an
old lady rolled her. She was blue but her life was saved.

I remember crossing Bear River in a small boat in Benson Ward with my


parents
to go from Newton to Logan. We moved to Newton and lived on the
farm, north of town. My brother, Irvin, then 2 yrs old, and I tried
to play Santa to ourselves, as we were told he wouldn't come, but we
remembered what we put in our stockings in the morning. My little
brother threw a small cup, hit me in the forehead, and I had a scar
for years. We used to walk to Newton to pick fruit - red currants -
and pull them back in a little wagon.

Aunt Hannah Jensen Barker lived in the west part of the ranch house.


She had two small boys - Henry and David. Later, mother and Aunt
Hannah went to Ogden to work, left me with my Grandmother Benson for
a few years. They cut my braids off. I tried to hide under the
table. Most of my childhood was spent at Grandmother Benson's. I
used to watch Grandfather Benson plane lumber and play with the
shavings in his carpenter shop - and how bad we felt when he was sent


to the Pen. Aunt Elmira had me on her lap in a rocking chair and was


crying. (Grandfather Benson was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment
and $100.00 fine Friday, 23 December 1887, for polygamy).

I watched grandmother card wool and spin yarn on a spinning wheel. I


slept on a trundle bed under her bed. They taught me to crochet. I
went to Charles England's school and visited their home. They lived
at Amos Clark's, across the street. Mrs. England taught me to mix
bread. They used to send me for mail to Peter Christensen's - over 4


blocks away, the last house in the west part of town - as I would
always hurry back. The Post Office was later moved to Peter Jensen's


nearby.

I was baptized when I was 8 years old, in Bear River, the same time
Aunt Alice and Uncle Neils Jacobsen were, just before they were
married. (It was the custom in those days for couples to be re-
baptized just prior to getting
married.)

I saw Grandfather Benson lying ill on his death bed and Grandmother
sewing her black dress to wear at his funeral and showing it to him.


I remember seeing Aunt Susan, father's first wife, in her casket.
Then my mother moved in the home to care for the family, which was a
very hard task. Later, Father kept a small store in the front room
and took me out of school to clerk. I left school in 5th grade. I
used to go home at recess, to wash breakfast dishes. I had a hard
childhood, as my mother raised a family of eight and I, being oldest,


had a very busy life.

When I was about 12 years old, I spent one year with Aunt Jennie
Stanford in Salt Lake. Went to school while there. My Aunt was a
second mother to me and taught me many things, which I never forgot.


I loved her dearly. Sometime later, I worked for a Mrs. Zink on South


Main and later worked for Mrs. J.L. Franken, Colonel Weber's
daughter, for $4.00 a week. I saved some money to send home to
mother. I got my first nice dress and was so happy with it. I would


always go to Aunt Jennie's on my days off. My sisters, Jennie and
Birdie, helped mother when I was away, then I went home and Birdie
went to stay with her married sisters.

I could hardly decide which of three boy friends I wanted to marry.
I finally decided on John Hansen - at the age of 22. 3 December
1902, I was married in Logan Temple. Father went through with us.
Mother had a nice reception for us.

After, we moved to Salt Lake, we lived in part of Aunt Jennie's house


while
John learned the barber trade, then worked on street cars. Zola was
born in
Salt Lake. When she was two weeks old, we moved back to Newton (she
was born 30 August 1904) and lived in the Cooley home. The first
year we lived there,
in Newton, we bought a home next to my grandmother's home. My son,
John
Morgan, was born there 12 June 1911.

After I was married, I worked in all organizations in the church, a
member of
the choir, relief society secretary, taught sunday school, mutual and


relief
society class. John's mother lived next door to us and was very good


to me -
always helping. She was a wonderful mother-in-law. Zola went to
High School
in Hyrum and married very young. After 20 years, we moved to Logan,
lived there 3 years. I was a relief society teacher there and went
out sewing and helping the sick. Then in three years we moved to
Ogden, traded our farm for a large rooming house and lost it; bought
a smaller one, moved into it in 1936. Been active in relief society
since moving into the fifth Ward, in quilt making, keeping boarders
and roomers to pay for my home. I have enjoyed good health all my
life. My husband died 10 November 1944. I am thankful I have a
comfortable home in my declining years. I am 72 years old and living


at 750 27th Street at Ogden, Utah. I am very thankful for my two
children and dear brothers and sisters.

Mother and Maggie Roskelley were very dear friends. They worked
sewing
homemade carpets together in Logan Temple. Mrs. Roskelley's little
girl, Emma, and I were the same age and we played around the font
with the six bronzed oxen in. When the thread fell down we looked
down and it seemed so deep - no water in it then. I remember sitting


on President Card's lap at lunch hour and stroking his long beard.
Uncle Steve Stanford's oldest son, Cyrus Stanford, was caretaker
around the temple grounds for years in Logan.

(Bro Card was President of the Cache Stake, and Superintendent of
construction of the Logan Temple, not Temple President. He led a
group to Canada and founded Cardston. He was the first President of
the Alberta Stake 1895-1902.)

Mother used to tell me how the indians would make a fuss over me, in
the store where she worked in Beaver Canyon, where Father was
working; and how one day I wandered away and climbed a large pile of
logs and if I hadn't had a bright red dress on, they may not have
seen or found me. I was too young to remember it.

I do remember, when living in Logan, of Father buying several pieces
of gum to take to Newton to Aunt Susan's family, and before going to
bed, I opened
every package and chewed it and put back in the paper. I sure got a
scolding. And I remember how frightened mother got one night -
sounded like a man was trying to break in the summer shanty, but it
was a horse broke the door and ate the wheat.

Father used to take us in turns to Salt Lake Conferences and would
always stay at Lovesey's, his old friends. He never missed the
conferences of L.D.S. Church. Father had poor health. He used to
drill artesian wells for people with a large derrick. He had ulcers
and lived on buttermilk for six months. He thought that cured his
bad stomach. He was a very strict father. He would come and hunt us,


if we stayed out too late. He would always bring political speakers
home, and Church speakers also, for mother to cook for. At one time,


mother had 22 people to cook for. Traveling show people always
stayed at our place. Mother had a very hard life but was always
patient and helpful to all. She used to cut out factory garments for


Aunt Rachel and Uncle Peter and Uncle Sam, and was a good step-mother


to the first family. She was so kind to everyone in need. She had a


hard life as a stepmother. I saw Mary kneel at her feet and ask
forgiveness for unkind things and asking for help when she had her
son, Ed, mother took her in and nursed her and was kind and helpful
to everyone. A better mother never lived. She had the gift of
seeing in a peep stone and could see things that happened. Father
got so angry about things she saw he threw it away, and then wished
he hadn't, as he wanted her to see where the gold strike was in the
mine he found in Clarkston mountains. She never found another she
could see in. She found lost cows and things for people in
Clarkston.