Idaho Is Home
Elizabeth
shivered in the dark and pulled Nellie closer to her. They had made a
bed on top of the packed provisions in the back of the wagon. “I
guess it is a little softer than the bed of rocks under the wagon,
where Don Carlos and Deke are sleeping tonight,” she thought. Her
mind went next to her husband and his wives in Eden. Tears fell from her
eyes and onto the blanket. She wondered how many other wives
were being driven away from their families into the unknown and
alone. At least she was traveling with a wagon
train of families all headed north to Idaho. They were all kind to
her and her children. Thank goodness she had Don Carlos to help her
with the animals. What a good son he was.
They woke before
sunrise to the clatter of the pans in the camp next to them.
Elizabeth hurried to build a fire and cook the mush. Deke fed the
chickens still in their box nailed to the side of the wagon. After
morning prayer, the wagons pulled onto the trail, making a long
line headed North. About a week out on the trail they stopped to camp
for the night in Portneuf Canyon. Deke let the chickens out of their
box to scratch in the weeds and in the morning they were nowhere to
be found. Every other night they had roosted on the wagon and were
caught to go back into the box. Now they had no eggs to eat. When
they neared Robber Roost, west of Pocatello, the children were very
frightened. They had heard many stories about the robbers who were
rumored to be hiding there. When they crossed the Indian Reservation
at Fort Hall, near Blackfoot, they drove late into the night for fear
if they camped, the Indians would steal their horses.
Near Idaho Falls
they were met by Grandma Ellsworth. She told them to just follow the
river road up into Lewisville, where they were to settle. They moved
into a one room log house with a dirt floor and a dirt roof. It was
west of town close to the river. They later homesteaded this 160 acre
farm of choice land. They built a much better home here with two
large rooms.
Elizabeth was a
large strong woman and she worked hard along with her boys to clear the farm, to make it ready for cultivation. They lived a hard, but happy life and looked forward to better prospects and a brighter future.
As soon as they arrived in Idaho the boys got work digging potatoes for fiftey cents a day. They were glad for the work. The first winter they lived on potato soup. They had no meat that first winter. Don got heartburn so bad he thought he was going to die. They would have starved that first winter if it had not been for some kind friends and neighbors. Bishop Jardine and his good wife were especially good to them. One Day Sister Jardine told Deke to com over and get some milk after church. He took over a small three pint bucket, but soon she came from the kitchen with a large lard pail full of milk. When he got home he discovered that she had placed a half a pound of butter in the bottom of the pail. After the first harvest, things got a little better and they had more food to eat and better clothes. The boys made a few trips back to Utah to see their father and his families. But Elizabeth never went back to Utah. Don Carlos and Deke were always good to their mother and did all they could do to make life easier for her as she got older.
On March 4, 1891, Don Carlos married Mary Ann Gibbs and they lived in one room of their two room house for the first year. They were married for twenty-one years when Mary Ann became ill and died leaving 11 living children. Our Grandmother Lillie Isabelle was the oldest and left college to go back and help her father with the children.
As soon as they arrived in Idaho the boys got work digging potatoes for fiftey cents a day. They were glad for the work. The first winter they lived on potato soup. They had no meat that first winter. Don got heartburn so bad he thought he was going to die. They would have starved that first winter if it had not been for some kind friends and neighbors. Bishop Jardine and his good wife were especially good to them. One Day Sister Jardine told Deke to com over and get some milk after church. He took over a small three pint bucket, but soon she came from the kitchen with a large lard pail full of milk. When he got home he discovered that she had placed a half a pound of butter in the bottom of the pail. After the first harvest, things got a little better and they had more food to eat and better clothes. The boys made a few trips back to Utah to see their father and his families. But Elizabeth never went back to Utah. Don Carlos and Deke were always good to their mother and did all they could do to make life easier for her as she got older.
On March 4, 1891, Don Carlos married Mary Ann Gibbs and they lived in one room of their two room house for the first year. They were married for twenty-one years when Mary Ann became ill and died leaving 11 living children. Our Grandmother Lillie Isabelle was the oldest and left college to go back and help her father with the children.
Nellie married
John Albert Blomquist on January 26, 1895 and left home.
Deke fell in
love with a pretty girl who lived east of the school house, just
across the railroad tracks. Her folks were very active in the Church
and they didn't think Deke was religious enough, so they refused to
let her date Deke. She was devastated and everyone said she died soon
after of a broken heart. Deke never fell in love again.
Elizabeth was a
brave pioneer woman who raised her children to love the gospel. She
was admired by all her friends and neighbors for her courage. She
became ill and died on May 9, 1906, at the age of sixty-one. She was
buried in the Lewisville Cemetry.
This is the rest of Elizabeth Barnes story. Love, Jelene
