Life History of ELLA PARKER BENSON by Fayone Benson Rigby, grand
daughter.
Ella Parker was born 27 October 1891 in Liberty, Bear Lake County,
Idaho. She was the first daughter born to Oscar Fritzallan Parker
and Annie Watkins.
Ella's three older brothers are Oscar Thomas, born 20 November 1885
in Liberty, Bear Lake County, Idaho, William Russell, born 23
September 1887 in Liberty, Bear Lake County, Idaho. Her younger
brothers and sisters are as follows: a set of twins were born 2
March 1894, Charles Nephi and Harvey Maroni, in Lanark, Bear Lake
County, Idaho. Joseph W., born 7 July 1895, Casper Hugh (C.H.), born


7 December 1897, Lila Ann, born 7 April 1900, Renald (Ren), born 1
June 1902, Annie Arvilla, born 12 September 1904, Carlos, born 14
October 1906, and Archie, born 20 October 1909. This gave Oscar and
Annie Parker thirteen children, three girls and ten boys.
When Ella was six years old, her parents took her along with the six
boys to the Logan Temple where they were sealed together as an
eternal family for time and all eternity. This sacred ordenance took
place in the early summer, 23 June 1897. Annie's mother, Ann
Derricott Watkins, accompanied the family to have her own temple work


done as well as help care for the children. This time of the year
the canyons are beautiful, and Cache Valley is exceptionally green
and lovely.
6 April 1900, Ella was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Bishop Austin baptized Ella in the
Liberty Creek, which was probably quite cold in the early spring.
Having nine younger brothers and sisters, Ella was a big help to her
mother. While living at home, she learned the domestic arts of
cooking, sewing, cleaning, washing, ironing, and developed a love for


children. These skills would prove envaluable through out her life.
At Christmas, the church held a party for all ward members, the
Parker family always attended. Not much was ever received from
Santa. Usually an orange was received by all the children and Ella
would save hers for days.
The Parker family raised laying chickens, selling the eggs to
neighbors. But the only time the family had eggs was on Easter then
they could eat all the eggs they wanted. They had fried chicken
every Sunday along with greens from the garden.
Ella remembered wearing flannel dresses to school. While attending
grade school, Ella had many opportunities to compete in foot races.
Ella was a very swift runner and would always win first place. This
was a sport Ella enjoyed participating in. She finished her
schooling in Bear Lake at the Fielding Academy.
Oscar Parker had the ability to doctor those who were ill. Friends,
family and neighbors came to him for help. He had many successes -
Ella would help her father with those who were ill. On one occasion
the family came down with the measles (they were exposed by Ella).
Ella doctored the whole family including her father.
Once Ellan's mother gave her the job of ironing shirts for the men
working on the threshers. Ella decided to take a short cut and iron
everything but the shirt tails. When her mother discovered the
unironed shirt tails, she scolded Ella, telling her a job worth doing


is worth doing well. A valuable lesson to learn and one Ella applied


through out her life.
During her teenage years, Ella enjoyed going with her friends to the
weekend dances. It was the custom for each girl to have a dance card


and to fill that dance card with different hyoung men's names. It
was unheard of for an unmarried couple to dance the entire evening
together without changing partners. During the winter, Ella and her
brothers traveled to and from the dances in Slieghs pulled by horses.


Heavy quilts were wrapped around them in order to keep warm during
cold evening sliegh rides.
Ella's brothers had a love for fishing and hunting and it was in her
Mother's kitchen she learned to fry rainbow trout, pheasant and roast


venision. (Ella's brothers always gave her and Emory a pan of frozen


fish whenever they visited in Newton).
Ella had a very close relationship with her father. She loved him
very much. Oscar Parker served in the bishopric at one time. He had
a strong testimony of prayer, and used the power of the Priesthood to


heal his wife and children many times. Her father was a busy man but


never too busy to play baseball, go fishing or hunting with the
children.
Ella moved to Logan, Utah to attend a sewing school, located above
Low Cost Drug Store. One evening, Mrs. Jacobsen invited Ella and a
girl friend to her home for dinner. When they arrived at the
jacobsen's two young men had also been invited to dinner. One of
these young men was Emory Benson (6'2") from Newton, Utah.
Ella went back home before the governers ball was held where Emory
was one of eight youngmen performing persission drill.
In the fall when the thresher was through in Newton, Emory went to
Bear Lake to work on the thresher and headers. Emory stopped by to
visit Ella and family, staying about a week.
During the Christmas holiday, Emory invited Ella to spend a week
visiting his family in Newton.
At the time Ella met Emory, he was living in Logan on 5th North, 3
blocks west of main street while attending Utah Agricultural College.


Emory walked 11 blocks to and from school each day.
Emory Harold Benson and Ella were married 26 May 1915 in the Logan
L.D.S. Temple by President Morgan. Ella was 24 years old when she
married. Emory is the son of John Benson and Mary Elizabeth Tempest.


Emory was born 1 June 1894 in Newton, Cache County, Utah.
Ella was three years older than Emory but she never seemed bothered
by this. Her advise was to marry someone younger so a woman would not


be left alone in later life.
The young couple made their home in a two room house next door to
Emory's parents home "The Benson Hotel". (Emory had this home moved
there). Emory worked on his father's farm as well as doing carpentry


work, etc.
It was in the small home one son and five daughters were born to
them. Rita, 15 August 1916, Norene, 18 May 1918, Emory Neal, 9
November 1920, Leah, 11 March 1922, Natalie, 31 December 1923, and
Gladys, 15 January 1926. All six children were born in Newton, Cache


County, Utah, USA.
The children received their education in the Cache County School
District, attending grades 1-8 at the Newton Grade School and high
school in Richmond, Cache County, Utah, North Cache High School. All


six children have been sealed to their companions and their son Neal
completed a two and one half year mission to the Spanish American
Mission for the LDS Church.
In 1916, the electric lights were hooked-up in Newton. Emory worked
in Cache Junction, Cache County, Utah, washing engines for the Union
Pacific Rail Road. His shift ran from 7 PM to 7 AM, working seven
days a week.
Emory's father, John Benson, was dieing of cancer and since Ella was
careing for him, she suggested they move into his home. Emory moved
his wife and five daughters into his parents large yellow brick home.


Neal had been living with his grandparents, John and Mary Benson,
since he was three years old, so there would be more room for his
sisters in their parents home. It was in this home, Ella spent the
remainder of her life.
Ella made all her children's clothes and quilts. Her children
remember quilting bees held in their home, and how they would crawl
underneath the quilts and listen to the ladies conversations.
Ella was active in the LDS church. At the age of 11, she served as
Primary Secretary. While living in Newton, she was epecially active
in Relief Society, serving as Secretary. She was a visiting teacher
all her married life.
She was a good wife to Emory and a good mother to her children. Ella


was a good listener and always had time to visit her neighbors,
children and grandchildren. Ella had a good attitude, and always
seemed happy.
Ella's windows were lined with flowers, red and pink geraniums, and
in the living room, a large asparagus fern, resting on a stand, hung
almost to the
floor. In her flower garden, she raised red peonies, ires, sweet
peas, pansies, and large white and lavender lilic bushes were on the
south of their home. When Ella and Emory attended the temple, Ella
would set the iron and ironing board up in her bedroom next to the
east windows. She then would open the suitcases and iron the white
clothes one after another. Then in the evening, after Emory had done


the chores, they would go to the Logan Temple for a session or two.
On wash day, the conventional washer was pulled from the north porch
into the kitchen for the weeks wash to be washed. Whites were washed


first, overalls and rugs last (using the same water for all of the
loads). The clothes would then be hung on the clothes line. The
clothes had such a good smell from being line dried in the summer sun


or on cold wintery days.
In the fall, a bushal of apples were stored in the hall where they
would keep cold and crisp for months.
Ella loved animals. There was always a cat living on the back porch.


Ella always gave food to the hobos that were passing through on the
trains. A loaf of homemade bread, a bottle of jelly, and what ever
else was on hand, such as fruit wasput in a sack for them.
My mother, Lydia Benson, was unable to cook bread for us due to hay
fever so, Grandma, Ella, cooked our bread. We children truly did
enjoy Grandms's homemade bread, maccaroni and cheese, soup, cakes,
those large sugar cookies, and chocolate chip and rasin cookies that
only Grandma could make.
Ella enjoyed traveling to visit with family members. She enjoyed
going to the family reunions held each summer, especially the one
held on her Mother's birthday at Fish Haven, Bear Lake County, Idaho.
She enjoyed the weekly shopping trips to Logan, often in the early
years of her marriage with her mother-in-law, by horse and buggy,
then in later years, with Emory by car.
All Ella's life she enjoyed good health. Then in 1963, she became a
diabetic. In 1964, she lost her sight, only being able to see light
and dark sillouites, she was 72 at this time. Ella enjoyed her night


time dreams because she could see her children's faces. Ella didn't
enjoy being blind and having to depend on her husband to cook all
their meals and clean. Her daughter, Leah, did all her loaundry.
Ella could dress herself, feed herself, curl her long hair with a
curling iron, and comb it out by herself (not a hair was ever out of
place). She listened to the Book of Mormon, various novels, and music


on records prepared for the blind. These records came through the
mail. Ella would write short letters to her daughters, a difficult
and frustrating task. However, she felt it important to correspond
weekly with her daughters who lived away from home.
Ella suffered a stroke on 23 August 1966 leaving her one side
paralized. 28 August 1966 she passed away in the Logan Hospital and
was burried in the Newton Cemetary. She was the first of her Father
and Mother's children to pass away. She left her husband, Emory, six
children and twenty-two grandchildren and 2 Great-grandchildren. One


grand daughter, Lawana Bunn, preceeded her in death. She was 74 years


old.