Person:Virginia Peterson (1)

!Source of genealogy information: Leda P. Dalby's Book of Genealogy in the posession of Arthur R. Whittaker 531 North 150 West, Kaysville, Utah 84037 801 544 9466 LIFE OF VIRGINIA PETERSON DALTON written by Donald C. Whittaker - 1996 Most of the following information was obtained from Ruby Dalton Whittaker as she shared memories of her mother with her son, Donald. Virginia was a beautiful woman with dark brown hair, grey-blue eyes and rosy cheeks and a clear complexion. She was 5 ft. 5 inches tall and usually weighed 135 pounds and her measurements were about 38/24/36. All of Virginia's grandparents were born in Denmark. The Petersons were noted for their faith in God' and the Gottfredsons for their "love of learning'. These qualities were instilled in Virginia. Her parents had received their 'Second Blessing" (1905) as recorded by Virginia's hand in her Genealogical Records. Virginia was always of good cheer, being happy and contented. She was a good listener, an excellent student and loved to read good books and religious publications. She taught her children well ..... her sermons were by example rather than by exhortation. The power and effectiveness of her example were a most potent ingredient in the character building of her children. She was a master of 'quiet' discipline and generally got her own way. She was strong willed, formed her own opinions ...... but did not make anunpleasant issue of them. There was no offensive slang words or profanity in Virginia's vocabulary. Virgina always made her children's friends welcome in her home. There was always something interesting to do there. She often understood their problems better than their parents did and they came to her for teachinog counsel and advice. She taught gospel oriented classes (an early version of Seminary) in her home without monetary pay. On 26 April 1915 the L.D.S. Church advised its members to hold a regular Family HomeEvening at least once a month. Virginia felt it was important to heed this admonition, but she held her Family Home Evenings weekly. Virginia excelled in dramatic performance and often took the lead part in school performances & community activities. Due to a lack of other entertainment's a lot of community plays were presented in Circleville. There were several dance and amusement halls in Circleville. Virginia was a wise and efficient homemaker. She had the management responsibility for both the inside and outside of her home since Charles was either away with his freighting business or working from dawn to dark farming or taking care of his sheep herd. Virginia rose early to make the fires and the easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to prepare breakfast and see that her children were ready for their morning family prayer. She was an excellent cook and had a natural ability to sweeten and season 'by taste'.

Virginia is remembered for her Love, Charity, Patience, and total commitment to the restored gospel. She was deeply loved and respected by her children and husband. Her memory has had a profound influence in their lives and has influenced her numerous posterity. Her consecrated effort and faithfulness have undoubtedly assured her the rewards of Everlasting Happiness in the Celestial Kingdom. 

VIRGINIA PETERSON DALTON was born 4 February 1881 at Spring Creek, Clover Flat, Angle, Utah. She was the third child of James Ephriam and Carolyn Gottfredson Peterson. When Virginia was about 3 years old she fell into the North Fork of the Sevier River and was rescued from drowning by her older sister, Caroline Rosalia. In 1885 James Ephriam Petersono Virginia's father was called on a mission to the North Western States, leaving his pregnant wife to take care of four small children the farm and all the responsibilities of making a living and trying to support a missionary. After he had been on his mission about a year, the church authorities found him in Omaha, Nebraska to call him home to move to Circleville to become the Bishop of the Circleville Ward. Their home in Angle was moved ... log by numbered log ... to 435 North 100 East in Circleville. They later operated a store and post office from their home at 210 West Main St.

At about age 12 to 14 Virginia was a clerk in the store and post office. Everyone enjoyed her expressive, fun loving, cheerful personality. Mrs. Annie Wixom, the Piute County Clerk and a school teacher, took a liking to Virginia and hired her to do some of the writing of the records for Piute County because of her outstanding penmanship. (age 16)
Virginia also worked for Mrs. Wixom in her new home at 350 South 100 West. Virginia loved and admired this beautiful home. When Mrs. Wixom decided to sell her home in 1907, Virginia asked Charles to buy it for her. 

Charles Robert Dalton, along with everyone else, took a real liking to young Virginia, but her parents were not in favor of their marriage. Charles was 26 years old. After much persuasion they were married 4 days after her birthday, 8 February 1899, by her father, Bishop James E. Peterson. They were sealed in the Manti Temple on 6 June 1900. The trip to the Manti Temple was a ten-day trip by horse and wagon. Sarah Jane, Robert's mother went with them to help tend baby Delbert. They stayed with Sarah Anderson, Robert's sister in Ephriam. During all of Virginia's 9 pregnancies she had to contend with severe morning sickness and profuse bleeding after delivery. After Alta (stillborn) was born after Kenneth, she was advised not to have any more children. She went to Salt Lake City to have a D & C and the doctors wanted to tie her tubes, but she would not allow it. She went to the temple and had a Priesthood Health Blessing in which she was promised that she would have another child, a boy, and that he would be a leader in the church. She was not promised that she would have her health. Virginia had problems with her legs during her pregnancies and shuffled a chair from place to place at home while she rested one knee on the chair. She needed the horse and buggy to take her just a block away to the schoolhouse. She sat down to weed her garden, scooting along when she needed to move.

Virginia kept beehives to provide honey for her family. The older boys learned the bee keeping skills and took care of the beehives after Virginia's death. A great sorrow came to Virginia in 1915 when she had to tell her parents, brothers and sisters "goodbye" when they loaded their wagons and moved to Idaho. Her fear that she would never see them again came true only two years later when she died December 17, 1917 after the birth of her last child, less than two months before her 37th birthday.

1.   Karen Hansen. (1104 Milk Ranch Point

   Payson, Arizonia 85541

   520-472-9540).
2.   The Peterson Book.