NELLIE HAMBLIN

by Velma Jepson

[Nellie Hamblin Lee Buick, daughter of Joseph Hamblin and Mary Amelia Leavitt. Her writing did not do much in the way of complete sentence structure. It appears that Mrs. Jepson wrote as it came from the interview. Some period and other punctuation have been added, but some of it is so bad that it has been left as it was because it can't be determined what was really being said. All in all it's very informative.]

I have been told my birth was a great occasion. I was the first grandchild. Both my grandparents were there and the bishop of the ward, brother Taylor and mother's girlhood chum, Eliza Hamblin Winsor. I was such a big baby and mother was so small that it was through the power of the priesthood that was exercized that mother's and my life were spared. So I grew up depending on this priesthood many instances, when I would see my grandfather Rogers, I would feel everything would be all right.

My first home to remember was the homestead dad took up on the Cottonwood Wash. It was the one hundred and sixty acres which lay between my grandfather Rogers two places, Aunt Louisa on the west side and grandmother's on the east. As I remember there were two adobe rooms with two lumber rooms built on which a porch on the north side, where I have sat many times with my mother, looking towards my grandmother's place. I guess mama was lonesome. In the winter time pa would be gone freighting between Wilcox and Globe and that made me lonesome. Many a times I remember my mother shooting a gun and I learned afterwards that was a signal she needed help, and there was someone to our place in a little while. One time it was night. I guess the sound of the gun woke me up. When grandpa got there, a trap had just left so fast he left some of his pack or something.

Some of my earliest recollections were of my beloved grandparents, their home was about a mile from our homestead, with nothing but mesquite and chaparral between the two. On one occasion mother wanted me to run an errand to grandma's. Knowing I was afraid she dressed me like "Little Red Riding Hood" and told me to play like I was her, so with a basket on my arm and a wary eye for the wolf, I went to grandma's house.

Since I was the first grandchild, my grandparents couldn't do enough for me it seemed to me. Grandpa would take me to his blacksmith shop and set me in the doorway where I could watch him work, and maybe I just loved to be near him and watch him for all the interesting machinery he worked with. I thought he could make anything and he was always careful and cautioned me not to leave the doorway. I could stay there as long as I liked if I would stay there, and I was content to do just that rather than go play with Lillian. I guess he wanted to watch me so I wouldn't get into the fire and the machinery or his way. He seemed to love to make things and have some one to share it with. I was told that the first thing he did when they first landed was to saw of a mesquite tree waist high and nail his anvil to it. There was nothing he couldn't do. He also had a molasses mill and he would give Lillian and me a little stick with the bark peeled off so we could dip it into the foam as the molasses was being cooked in the large vats. This was one thing Lillian liked to do since she was the baby and had no one to play with. She like dolls but I had the real ones at home, just to be alone and quiet was enough. Grandfather called me his big girl, for there were few he would have around while he was working. I thought I was privileged so tried to set just as he wanted me to.

One day grandma and mother were going shopping to Safford in our new spring wagon with all the trimmings. spring seat, red paint and narrow wheels. Papa had just bought it and mother wanted to show it off so they hadn't planned on taking Lillian or me, but because Lillian threw such a tantrum the last minute they took her and left me standing feeling awful and by myself but wanting to be a big girl and not cry. Then Aunt Emma thinking they hadn't been quite fair with me gave me fifty cents, the largest fifty cent pieces I had ever saw and she said for me to go to the store and spend it on candy, which I did; candy like I'd never had before.

Lillian was born the 10th of May and I was born the 10th of March the same year. She was dimpled with blue eyes and blond hair where I was tall and dark. I would name all my blue-eyed dolls Lillian or Lily or Lyla. We were very close chums and bosom companions all through my younger life.

I attended school in Pima until I was fifteen. My sports were horseback riding [and] dancing. My most important holidays were Christmas, May Day and the 4th of July. While very young my Christmas meant a grand time at grandmother's after the home in the early morning. To play with Lillian and all the aunts and uncles. May Day meant white hats, white dresses and braiding the May pole and a big picnic lunch. The 4th meant red, white and blue cloth flags, lots of them, yards and yards of ribbon and bunting and ice cream and pink lemonade colored with red paper by the barrels with a dipper hanging on the side to help yourself.

I remember when my sister Jose was born in April 1900. I was only about six years old, but remember how very sick mama was for days. It was only when grandpa Rogers was in the house with her that she could bear the pain, or even felt like she could live, even with a doctor's help. She knew she wouldn't of lived but the power of faith her father radiated saved her life. She named the baby Josephine after him. All his family especially the girls felt the same way about him. It even made me feel better just to be in his presence. He was so tender and gentle.

In the fall of 1905 mama was digging holes for a clothes line when she hit something hard. She was very careful in digging it up and all gathered around to inspect this Indian relic; but it was sealed with baby bones in it and it wasn't long until Bert, Dolph, Jocy and I were down with typhoid. How we would cry for just a little crust of bread. It was believed anything solid would mean death. So it was only liquids we were permitted to eat and we were watched like hawks. But I could never resist hot cake from the oven (still can't) and I knew mama was making one so I watched my chance and crawled in there and scooped it up with my hands. They just knew I was going to die but started getting better even if all my hair fell out by the handsful. My long black hair was my asset for it was so thick I didn't need a "rat" under it like most of the girls my age.

When I started back to school I had to wear crochet caps to cover my bald head. I already missed so much with pa working in the mountains we had to leave before school was out and after school started. When all the parties were over with I watched kids my own age going ahead of me in school for I was slow anyway. I remember pa told me if I learned the times tables one summe rhe would give me fifty cents. I wanted that fifty cents for I remembered the other one, but Jocy and Eva would hear me practice and they told pa they got the money for they learned it first. They were always quick. They could even sing and talk before they could walk. One thing I remember about Eva is when she came down with typhoid her eyes changed from brown to blue.

I was baptized in the Gila River by W. E. McBride the 12th of May, 1903 and confirmed the next Sunday by Phil E. Merrill the 17th.

Sometime in 1906 we moved from the Cottonwood Wash to the place in town. Pa bought it from Old Man Norton. It was just south of W. T. Webbs.

I was eleven when the first real tragedy came in my life. My brother Dolph, twenty months younger than me, died. He ran away and went swimming in a reservoir in February when there was still ice on the water. He got pneumonia and kept getting worse and died on the 27th of February, 1908 in the place in town across the street from Wil Mangums place, near the church house.

Then pa got together a good team and fixed up a wagon to take us to the St. George Temple. There was Bert, age eleven, Jocy, eight, and Eva four. Mama was expecting Bertha in about eight weeks. She was always sick the nine months and how she stood that bouncing in the wagon the four weeks it took us, I don't know. All I know is I got so tired of taking care of kids, cooking and trying to take care of mama it was a nightmare. Bert was pettied and spoiled from then on the only boy. He never missed Dolph any more than I did. Ross came with us. Grandpa had got killed in 1906 and he could be a lot of help at twenty, besides he had been with us every summer for a long time. The mountains seemed to help his stomach.

Mt. Showlow pa was out looking around where his sister Emily lived at the forks of the road, they had a store. She was out riding horseback one day. The horse threw her and it was days before she was found, and getting wood when he came across some beautiful evening gowns, dresses, petticoats and all he gathered up two gunny sacks full and tied them under the back of the wagon and when we could stop long enough to wash, we would boil all the white things for hours and the colored we washed in lye water and soap and hung them in the sun all day for fear there was some germ or disease we might get. We were sure low on cash so this made the layette Bertha need and she was the best dressed baby in all the community, lovely linens, cashmere, and pongee and damash.

We had come up through St. Thomas and Black River and the seven mile canyon, through Fort Apache, Coolie, or McNary and Lakeside to Showlow, that was the way pa had come down to Pima in 1889 with the Follets, Webbs, and Lewises and the way ahead he had been over when he was twelve and lost his Pinto pony at Moencopi in 1879 almost thirty years ago.

Near Holbrook, which was then Horsehead crossing of the Little Colorado River and where Berando had a sign, "If you have the money, you can eat," then under it said "No got a money, eat anyway," anyway pa got an idea he wanted a cake, and if you ever cooked a cake in a Dutch oven you know how you have to watch it, so pa said he would cook it, then trying to get out of making it I told him I needed somethings at the store, so he gave me some money and we had chocolate cake with all the trimmings. I can still see pa with his forked stick turning the Dutch oven and heaping more coals on the top. He was a good cook, out on the campfire but the Rogers can't be beat in their cooking. I remember before we left, grandma brought over a fifty pound sack of whey cookies they were a thin butter cracker something like the ritz or smaks of today. She must of cooked for weeks.

We then went through the Little Colorado settlements. At St. Joseph is where Allen's camp was and Sunset five miles east where Lot Smith was the Georgbe Lake was at Obed and Jesse Ballenger four miles Winslow then Brigham City crossed Lee's Ferry went through Kanab and down the dugway to Hurricane and the peaches were just ripe and how the juice would run down our arms they were so juicy.

We had some nice visits with the Leavitts. One of grandma Hamblin's brothers was still alive and an old man and mama thought is a shame no one had ever wrote his history of all the work he [one line missing] for his birthday. He said that was the nicest thing anyone had done for him. He was Thomas Leavitt and he died soon after. Mama had them printed in Pima and for years we had copies around.

We were all sealed to the folks and I remember Marron's crying and saying how far mama had come and what a shame her skin was so tender because it was blistered so much. Pa had a lot of kin folks in St. George. He remembers when he went back from Kanab to be sealed to his father right after the temple was built.

When we got ready to go home, it was so near the time for the baby that pa sent us home on the train, but Ross went with pa. The train had to go into Los Angeles to make connections so we went out to see the ocean for the first time. Mama couldn't resist she just had to go wading all that water out there going to waste and the farms in Arizona crying for it. The ocean air and all made a different person out of her, but I was worn to a frazzle trying to keep track of the kids, one up a lamp post, one down the street, another running here and there, I don't know if I saw the ocean or not.

Pa sold his home in Pima in 1908 or 1909 and bought the Hill Place in Artesia where they had discovered artesian water, many of the wells flowed three and four feet above the pipes. The land was rich and productive and the people prospered. Pa's half sister Priscilla married Tom Alger and he was the first bishop. Their daughter Elda and I ran around together, then Harriet Russel whose mama was her counselor in Relief Society she had a daughter Alice, who could really sing but awfully large, and when ever the boys would come to get me in their buggies I wouldn't go without Alice especially Doyle Lee. I had a lot of cousins, Aunt Annie Lee's children then Aunt Clara married Frankie Lee then Mollie, Uncle Tom's girl married Will Lee, then Doyle's father, John Lee was [line missing]

The people prospered and did well, had new homes, new alfalfa fields, orchards, strawberries, vineyards and wonderful grain fields and any vegetable you wanted. Sugar cane six feet high, tomatoes like a squash, watermelons just anything you could think of, and when the new church house was dedicated in 1916 with everyone in the community present, I remember this point he praised the people for working together to build a chapel and promised them if they would live their religion, work together united, not quarrel over this water and ground, that they would become as the Lebanon of old did, that was spoken of in the Bible, and become the most beautiful city in the land, but if they didn't they would lose their water, the ground would fail to produce and go back to waste. He says we will call this the Lebanon Ward. But it wasn't many years, three or four I believe, until the people began to get greedy, digging as close to another's well as possible, maybe four in one corner just over the fence to tap the other man's well or dig a larger hole to make the water flow into their well. This went on and the crops began to fail. First one lovely big well would go dry then another until the land was a desert again even adobe houses melted away and layed waste until it was known and called "Cactus." The little and big Seneca where watercress and lillies grew was opened up and drained by an earthquake. You couldn't see the bottom of some of the cracks. Mary Hilda canyon went dry. The water went into the sand and evaporated. This was our favorite canyon to picnic with. Wild grapes grew everywhere.

When Doyle would come a courting, he would come down the lane a whistling and if I was sweeping the floor I would throw the broom a winding and take off. On this place we had a lovely well and a big pond with ducks and geese. The house faced south towards the land. We had morning glories. We also had a big orchard with apples, pears, peaches and etc., and a vineyard. Nolan was born here. Rachel Woolsey Lee was the midwife and they pulled so hard on Nolan's neck that his head flopped a few months later. I came home one day and Doyle's sister Effie had moved my things out and moved her things in. Said she was going to teach school and was going to stay there. On top of that she expected me to do her washing and ironing. While I was washing one day I slipped while I was carrying the hot water from the stove and it went down my high top shoes. It hurt so bad I went to bed and couldn't go to the big Christmas dance, and no one, I mean no one, ever missed the Christmas dance. I was feeling so bad Doyle and Effie went and my leg hurt. The baby was crying and I was just miserable. When my cousin and Doyle's cousin walked in (Wallace Lee) he brought me some refreshments. Told me all about the dance and who was there and of course he saw Doyle and Effie there. He was one of my favorite cousins and he loved to iron my stiff linen slips with all the ruffels I wore more because I was so slender even wrap a sheet around my hips to make it more round. What with one thing and another that when pa went to Pine to do some freighting I just packed my bags and went too, and I had a good time. An old batchelor by the name of Dave Fuller saw that I did. Even after Melba was born Doyle would keep coming up trying to get me to go back, and I should of never went back, for he was up in the mountains on a goat ranch and had Mexicans working for him and when it was time for the twins his brother Claud let me stay with them. He lived on the corner from the folks place. I was so miserable I couldn't lay down or sleep. I walked some [line missing].

Amorah Lee Smithson helped me this time, John Lee sent for Dr. Platt, but the horse wasn't fast enough. He was so mad he didn't register their names, but I did need help afterwards and was glad he was there.

The talk now was War with Germany. All the young men were going. Doyle went to work in Bisbee in the mines. His uncle Hiram Bigelow lived there. We stayed there until after Jess was born. His Uncle Dell was with us and said if I would name the baby after him he would do all the washing, and he did, stretched the diapers so tight they sure would dry. The doctor had a red suitcase and when the baby had red hair the children just knew the suitcase faded on him. It was here that the old horse chased Nolan around and around the tree each time he came near the house he would open his mouth to yell mama so would the horse until he got tired and went off to eat.

We then moved back to Lebanon in the old Jennings place by the Fairview schoolhouse. Here we had a cow name Minnie, which I could call anytime of the day or night, for the children especially the twins liked their bread and milk. Never knew it so much until the Rogers gave a big thanksgiving dinner and set them at the head because they were the only set. We passed them everything and they turned up their nose until in desperation I said, "What on earth do you want?" ?Bread and milk" was their answer and they still do. We also had some ducks at this place. Jess just loved them. In fact he loved them to death. I watched and he would pick one up and say, ?You cute little thing," and squeeze it until it died. Then another the two rooms in this house didn't have a door between and I asked and asked for one. Finally one day when Doyle came home I had a door. I had chopped through the adobe walls with an ax. Here too I spilt the hot beans down my arms and leg. Then Doyle filed on 160 acres [line missing]

We lived in a tent on the northwest end where a big ditch of water ran five days out of seven. We would haul our drinking water but for washing and other uses we dipped water up and let it settle. Sometimes bath[e] the kids right in the ditch. Pa also filed on 160 acres close to Safford. He was milking cows here. Aloha was born and Jocy died and was buried in Pima. Sometimes mama would come up to wash, or send the girls while we visited. More wells all the time were going dry, even had a hard time getting good drinking water. Then after the war the depression came and things went from bad to worse. Lyla was born in the Tent. Again Amorah Smithson was going to help me. So one night at the dance I told her I'll be asking you to come over right away. She laughed and said not for a long time. Can't be more than four or five. I've had experience and can't fool me. But that night she came and just couldn't believe it.

We tried building a house on the south part of the homestead. Got two lumber rooms up and before Evelyn was born handled every brick that went into the two rooms on the back. Never did get a floor in it. Will had been out to California working and sent for Mollie and Doyle to bring her, so we all went in a Model T. truck Doyle got from Ross. I was going to learn to drive it before we left; only knocked down a couple of gates. It took us a week to make the trip. The Superior Highway was the worst. We would even get out and push it up over the top. One night we stayed in Miami. Mama had a rooming house in Globe but had left before we got there. I went to see her after Jocy died in Globe. She said she couldn't go back to the Gila if I was going to California, she was going too. We moved to 1125 East Elizabeth and she lived the next street over.

Married 13 April 1912

1913 Nolan was born 11 February Hill Place.

1914 Melba born April 4 Pine.

1915 Doyle kidnapped Nellie at Pine in September.

1916 Twins born May 8.

1917 Jess born in Bisbee 26 October.

1918 Stillborn birth; Jocy died 28 November.

1919 Lyla born October 25 in a tent.

1921 Evelyn born 8 August on homestead; 180 acres; dad superintendent of Sunday School, then Nolan moved to California.

1923 Gladys born in Cudahy 5 January; Nolan took us back of the Lot.

1924 Summer in Tujunga, Sunland; Ray Crawford born August 12; Virgil born May 1925.

1925 Summer in San Diego, mumps, negro school, Jess and 5 cent lunch.

1926 Grandma came down; Nancy Viola Velma were baptized in January; Adams Ward, January 21, 1925. [as recorded]

1927 Jess baptized 3 July 1926 [as recorded]; got better out of hospital.

1927 [as recorded] summer at Dianuba picking grapes; 24 July 1927 cup for largest family.

October 23 dedicated temple at Mesa; we went on to Gila, New Mexico; lived in grandpa's old house; planted cotton. Evelyn couldn't find a faucet in ditch. Nolan found a cow's [crow's] next. Old Nig was still alive, negros gave us same warm tea, rattle snakes was Virgil's pet all over the place. Thelma stayed summer with us. Bigelows come up. Uncle Ross folks telephone; saw the northern lights; Nolan cuss[ed] operator on old fashion phone.

1928 Lyla baptized 31 March; wanted to adopt negro baby Pauline, blue eyed; stillborn baby 7 months; Aunt Kate was there. Uncle Ross buried under pine tree. Picked cotton. Mama went to Berkeley; dreamed house was on fire; came home. Mama president of Mutual. Council to Clara Ferrin R.

1929 Moved to the 3-room homestead so much warmer; planted corn. Tomatoes and watermelon; Nolan an Melba would swipe from our own field. Mama shot the gun to scare them. Had a story to tell all the school kids there.

1930 Summer went to Phoenix on East McKinley Road. Built Tempe bridge; bus drivers Pratt Tenney, Frank Jennings. Biscuits and peanut butter. Nolan made trip to Oakland. Eileen came back. Uncle Ross showed good time on mountains. Viola went to wet canyon with Lenore and to Ft. Grant. Mrs. Markivits moved back. Clara baby doll.

1931 September dad gone. Moved to Thatcher first in Daley place then Tryons. [End of History]