School picture day - Kanarraville, Utah

Kanarraville school photo abt 1900

Laura Elizabeth PARKER (WOOD) is the young girl front row left leaning on the building. Laura was born 24 Jan 1889 one hundred and nineteen years ago. In this photo she is about 11 years old. That would date the photo at 1900.

Laura may have made her own dress if not her mother Elizabeth Ann DAVIS PARKER would have made the dress. They were both excellence seamstresses. Laura could look at a dress then make one just like it. When Laura's daughters liked a dress their friend was wearing their mother could make them one just like it. Laura did not need the pattern she could reproduce any dress she show.

In the words of Laura's daughters:
Parts of Family Journal Letter - Addressed to Kirt DeMar WOOD - Written by Iris WOOD PETERSON, 23 May 1987:

Dear brother Dee [Kirt DeMar WOOD],

[Affection]
Your feelings of Papa loving his children so very much, were indeed true, for that he did and loved Mama deeply. However she would never allow him to show it. Which mad me the opposite in my married life. Our kids remember fondly the kisses, hugs and fanny pats--very openly between Howard and myself.

[Frugal]
Mama was always frugal or should I say economical. Tried to save every penny she could. When there was a community celebration in town, Papa would slip each of us kids a dime to spend--which Mama thought was unnecessary.

I recall the only off colored remark Mama ever made. She was chewing Papa out for giving his last cent to a friend in need. Mama angrily said, Oh, Andrew, you’d give you’re a-s away .....

[Isn‘t it amazing how one breach of a parents true character has such a life long affect on a child? Iris wrote this memories when she was 72 years old. Her mother’s off color remark was made more than 56 years earlier. (Comment by Lark)]

[Loving Nurse]
But I also remember when Papa froze his ears. Mama so tenderly cared for him and treated those awful black looking ears, (which when she removed the dressings, I [Iris] fainted at the sight.)

[Seamstress]
I’m so thankful she taught me to be so economical, “no waste no want” she’d say. (Of course Howard used to grumble about my being tight.) Mama used to get remnant bundles from nail order catalogs.
When I was sixteen she had me make a dress, (my first); taught me to piece them together and cut the dress (never a pattern, mind you.) After a few tears and her supervision the finished product I was very proud to wear. Surely learned a lot. But then I must say, “Mama was the most fabulous seamstress I have ever had the privilege to know.” she could do anything.

Like the time my girl friend, Clara Spendlove purchased this expensive, slinky formal. She wanted me to have one like it; so, Mama ordered blue crepe to match, borrowed the dress to go by, (cut on the bias, so it clung to the body like a glove); by merely looking at the dress, she made mine and even nicer than the original. It was a work of art, believe me.

Then when we arrived in Salt Lake, for my senior year at South High. I didn’t have the proper clothes. Someone gave her an old coat; Mama took it apart and pieced it together--the loveliest, good looking jumper.
Her patching of clothes and darning of sox made one proud to wear [them]. There again, she taught me well; however mine do not compare to hers.

Mama was such a neat, clean housekeeper and good cook. My girl friends loved to come to our house on bake day. Her bread was “So far superior to their moms’,” they said.

[Good-Bye Papa]
Dee, you recall declining the kissing Papa Good Bye at the closing of the casket. I was not so fortunate. I do not recall who it was, but someone forced me into the room and held my head down to kiss Papa good bye, which I resented very much for I believe one should be allowed to remember them alive. (We didn‘t see Howard after death.)

[Dee was only 8 years old at the time of his father‘s death. He too resented being forced to kiss is father good bye. (Comment added by Dee‘s daughter Lark.)]

[Gratitude]
As I look back, I’m So Very Thankful for my Parents, Brothers, sister, Husband and Our Children, Grand Children and Great. I Surely have been Blessed.

With All My Love, Iris

Addition from Delna’s letter-journal (written June 1987):
[Seamstress]
{Iris was certainly right about Mama being a wonderful seamstress. She copied a dress of a friend of mine (ready made dress) and made the identical dress for me with no pattern. My friends wouldn‘t believe me a lot of the times when I would tell them my clothes were made from dresses that [Mama‘s] sisters sent. I was always so proud to wear the patches and darns she made because they were so expertly done.}

about 1952 left to right:
3. Iris WOOD PETERSON (1915-2004), Laura Elizabeth PARKER WOOD (1889-1970),
1. Delna WOOD EAGAR ALVEY (1911-2001)

[not pictured Papa - John Andrew WOOD (1883-1932)]