Person:Maud Walters (1)

  Featured Page: Week of June 8, 2008

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Utah Timeline (1880,1890), Idaho Timeline (1900,1910,1920,1930,1940,1950)

History written by a Granddaughter Lavon Longmore/Hunt

Both of Maud's parents, Emily Ann and Robert, were emmigrants from England. They sailed with their parents and families when they were children and came to the United States and on to the Valley ending up in West Jordan, where they lived and grew up Eventually, Robert and Emily Ann met, fell in love and were married in the Endowment House on the 20th Dec., 1875. They also made their home in West Jordan they had 13 children.

Our grandma, Maud Mary, was their 3rd child. Grandma’s parents had a farm and owned a small grocery store. They were hard working people so grandma grew up knowing all about hard work cows, chickens, horses, and other farm animals to care for Planting, weeding, canning many fruits and vegetables, making bread, fixing many meals for many, many mouths was a daily task. Their travel was by horse and buggy. Grandma attended school in West Jordan and enjoyed going to Sunday School and Primary in the West Jordan Ward.

As Maud grew into a lovely young lady, she met George Brooks Longmore (a handsome young man.)and it happened The “Love Bug” bit and they were married, 20th Feb., 1901. They, also made West Jordan their home and started their family while living there Lester George, 1st June,1902 and Elmer Henry, 27th May, 1904.(my father)

Grandpa worked at the Smelters in Murray, Utah for a time. That same year, 1904, Grandma’s parents, Robert and Emily Ann, moved their family to Coltman, Idaho. Grandma and Grandpa followed close behind and moved to Coltman also, making their home on the same property in a house pictured in Dad’s history. (Elmer) Grandpa opened his own Black-smith shop in Coltman. While living in Coltman, 2 more children were born. Alma Robert, 8th Dec., 1808 and Luella Olive, 13th Mar.,1913.

In 1915, they moved to Thomas, Idaho, where they would call home for the rest of their lives. Grandpa opened his Black-smith shop there and gave service to many, many people over the years ahead Grandma was active in the ward in Thomas, serving in the Primary and Relief Society and also the Religion Class. One more son was born to them, Hyrum Jesse, 5 Oct., 1918 .

A great blessing was theirs on the 4th February, 1920. They took their family and were sealed together for time and for all eternity in the Logan, Utah Temple. I have many wonderful memories of that “Little Farm Home” in Thomas, Idaho. It was a little blue and white frame home, two rooms with a bed-room and an “all purpose room.” (cooking, dining, sleeping, washing, or just chatting )!

Of course, there was no running water,(that was outside at the pump). But there was a wash-stand, with a bucket of cold water for drinking or “washing up” soap and towel was there . (a dipper hung on the side of the bucket so dip in and get a drink). Other “out-side facilities were also available. Just a short walk from the house there was a nice “2-holer”, Sears Catalog and all! Some of the best meals I ever had came from that old coal-stove. Grandma was a great cook all those fresh fruits and veggies from her garden potatoes, corn, tomatoes, beans, peas,(you name it, she had it!). Breakfast was something you would never believe. Cooked oatmeal, eggs, bacon, pancakes, fried potatoes, bottled fruit. (Peaches, pears, cherries, etc) milk. ( cow-juice). The boys didn’t like That kind of milk, so our dad brought milk-bottles from Salt Lake, poured cow’s milk into bottles (with out their knowing). Then it was o.k. milk!!! Then there was the apple orchard green apples and salt (to die for!) also the rhubarb was yummy, We can’t forget the gooseberries either. In the evening if you were hungry, grandma would fix some bread and milk with a little sugar on it. When grandma‘s kids were growing up, after they would finish a meal, they would turn their plate over to the clean side and have bread (home-made, of course) and some peanut butter and jam or honey stirred together to fill up those hungry boys (good idea, so as not to dirty another plate!) In the middle of the kitchen floor was a door that could be opened up, and we could climb down into the “fruit-cellar” where grandma had rows and rows of bottled fruits and veggies we loved that. When the trap door was shut it was covered with a braided rug.

My mind is flooded with so many memories it’s hard to list them all. Feeding the chickens, gathering eggs, the ditch on irrigation day, floating in the old tub in the ditch), going in the root-cellar where they kept the potatoes, apples, etc. thru the winter,( spiders and all). Taking a trip to the country store with a few pennies or maybe a whole “nickel”, going with grandpa to bring the cows home from the pasture, watching him milk the cows (and getting that squirt ok fresh, warm cow’s milk…”yum!”), playing on the haystack (grandpa was not pleased ), making mud-pies with real eggs in grandpa’s little Copenhagen cans, and decorating them with little flowers, playing in the old cars in the field and as grandpa would testify spending time in grandpa’s black-smith shop!!! Also trips down the dusty old road to get the mail from the old mail-boxes, and riding horses at the neighbors, and don’t forget to scrape your shoes on the shoe-scraper at the front door, don’t forget the “cow-pies” Any way we had fun!!!

One special thing that happened each year just before Christmas, We would always receive a package from Idaho from Grandma and Grandpa Longmore, with a gift for each child not to be opened before Christmas it was exciting they never forgot us it was not an expensive gift, but so very special. Each person always got a little gift and a “handkerchief.” One gift I always remember was a tiny bottle shaped like a little coal-oil lamp. It had perfume in it, and I loved it and of course a handkerchief! and there was always a “Home-made fruit-cake” (which ended up each year to be my birth-day cake!) That’s what happens when your birthday is the day after Christmas. I was lucky, I guess. (I didn’t know it at the time, but now I can appreciate that wonderful fruitcake!) And I do love fruitcake today. What special memories we have today of grandma and grandpa Longmore’s home in Thomas.

A tradition that was handed down (from who knows how many generations ago) on Christmas Eve, grandma remembers that her parents would have all the children hang their stockings on a string that had been strung up across the room (for Santa to fill). In the morning Santa had put a wall-nut in the toe of each child’s sock and tied a string around the toe. The sock was filled with other things as it bulged here and there to the top of the sock the string went from the toe and was tied to each toy or item that belonged to that person, so there was no confusion as to what belonged to whom! The children must wait for all the family to gather together before seeing their Christmas presents! (I thought every one did it that way not so! So this is where it came from evidently down through the families it has come to us… It has been a fun tradition!!! Each year we all (there were 11 of us) would look forward to our trip to Thomas. Grandma would run out to greet us with open arms, and lots of hugs and kisses. We knew she loved us, And when it came time to leave again, it was so sad, once again, hugs and kisses and many tears.

Grandpa and Grandma Longmore celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Feb. of 1951 in Thomas, Idaho. As they grew older, times became hard for them to do the things they wanted or needed to do as they had health problems. (Grandma had suffered with rheumatism and arthritis for years, also she had epileptic seizures she also became a little hard-of hearing.) She developed some heart problems too. She and grandpa went to live with their daughter, Luella in Ogden, Utah where they stayed until her death 27th May, 1957. Her funeral services were held in Thomas, Idaho, and she was also buried there at the Thomas Cemetery.

Grandpa continued to live until 15th Dec., 1960 (living with different family members.) He passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah at his son Elmer’s home. He was also buried in the Thomas, Idaho Cemetery. We look forward to the day when once again we will share hugs and kisses and their love once more.