Recollections
of my Grandparents Charles Parker Sr. and Elizabeth Ann Davis
By:
Grandson Burns V. Parker
back- Zina Ett, John Davis, Sophia, Ray Cecil, Charles, Laura Elizabeth,
middle-Charles PARKER Sr., Bruce Fayette, Elizabeth Ann DAVIS PARKER,
front- Samantha Ahlena, Esther,
This
was prepared at the request of our Aunt Sophia Parker Stapley to be
included in her autobiographical history - "Together Again".
It either reached her after the history went to press or some of the
descriptive material was a little too strong. Regardless, it is being
re-typed hopefully to give our younger relatives a sense of the
wonderful people our Grandparents were.
Grandpa[Charles Parker Sr.] was born December 30, 1853 in Centerville, Davis
County, Utah. Grandma [Elizabeth Ann Davis] was born January 8, 1859
at Old Fort Harmony, Utah. They were married March 10, 1880 in the
St. George Temple, Washington County, Utah. He passed away May 15,
1935 in Kanarraville, Utah and she passed away February 26, 1927 also
at Kanarraville, Utah. "Together Again" gives great detail
which I will leave to you to re-read. It is CHOICE!
When
this was first written in 1976 I jotted down some tid-bits of memory;
little anecdotes and reflections as they came to mind. It brought
back some very pleasant and poignant memories. Some of the detail may
have been transferred from my parents and others, but as it is
written it will sound as it came to me first hand. Recollections are
presented as topics as follows:
1.
THE BOX: Grandma had suffered with Arthritis for many years and had
been non-ambulatory for over 30 years before her death. She occupied
the center of attention in the middle of the living room in a chair
with a wooden box three sided with a top always placed over her very
tender feet. She was always so kind, cheerful and gentle. I sat on
the box looking up at her while she told the most interesting
stories. She always had a way of encouraging everyone who had
troubles and adversities with her cheerfulness and it seemed to
always pay off. I felt a great personal loss when she passed away.
Grandpa was always very kind and gentle in taking care of Grandma.
2.
THAT GLORIOUS PLACE---THE CELLAR: The cellar was a storehouse for the
summer's labors and it held a great charm for me with the good smells
and delicious tastes it contained. I remember the meats in brine; the
rock salted pork; the stored smoked meats including hams, bacon, pork
jowls and beef tongues; the pickles in bottles, brined and dilled in
casks; bottled and canned fruits and vegetables; dried fruits and
nuts; the apple bin with apples in straw or sawdust (what an aroma
and taste!); coal for the stoves; cans of sorghum and honey; and
GRAPE JUICE which was intentionally allowed to become wine; and ON
AND ON. INDEED, WHAT A LOVELY PLACE TO SETTLE DOWN WITH FOR A LONG
HARD WINTER.
3.
THE PIG KILLING: This was always enjoyed and anticipated by all the
youngsters and I think the grown-ups as well. If enough pigs were
slaughtered all of the youngsters could have a bladder to blow up and
use as a football. What Greasy Fun! The evenings were also Devine
with fresh broiled kidneys over the coals in the fireplace of the old
kitchen range. A treat to be sure! The mammoth table in the living
room kitchen was equal to the task of holding several carcasses while
being cut up. The heads furnished meat for head cheese, mince meat,
brains, tongues, jowls--you name it. Everything was used except the
squeal.
4.
THRESHING TIME: Before feeding the threshing machine, the grain had
to be cut and bundled by the combine harvester; placed in shocks in
the field to prevent rain damage or immediately hauled by team and
wagon to the grain stack. I had the distinct duty to tromp and
arrange the bundles on the wagon to prevent from sliding off during
the trip from the field to the stack. I was too young or too small to
feed the thresher from the stack. It took two men to do so and about
as many to off-carry the sacks of threshed grain, to the granary, on
their shoulders. Getting the dinners ready for all the workers was
also a formidable effort, but the great expanse of food, quantity,
variety and flavors compensated everyone for the preparation. Both
Grandparents seemed to enjoy threshing time as much as the rest of us
and Grandpa would let the grandkids play in the grain in the bins.
What fun! This privilege usually stopped when the threshers left,
however. What s great time--THRESHING TIME!
5.
FARMING AND LIVESTOCK RAISING: Grandpa realized the need of
fertilizer for better crops and if he wasn't doing other chores you
could see him loading manure with a manure fork into the low "truck
wagon" then hauling the wagon by a team of horses to the fields
or on garden plots in town before spreading it by hand. It was
smelly, but produced good gardens and crops.
Hay
hauling time gave me mixed emotions. I was normally the tromper and
in a single summer tromped over 100 loads of hay. My siblings helped
with the tromping sometimes though. I looked with envy to two of my
favorite cousins (Gordon & Foch) who seldom had to work in the
hay fields since both were victims of hay fever. I still remember how
gentle Grandpa and my father were in pitching the hay on the wagon
without covering me up. I could not say the same for Uncle Cecil. I
doubted if he really cared if he covered me up or not and he was
especially careless in pitching the thistle hay from the meadows
behind the fields. Guess he had other things on his mind THE SPORTS
OR THE NEXT HORSERACE. He has long since been forgiven though.
Grandpa gave me a load of hay one summer for my efforts and I sold it
for $8.00 which seemed like big money at the time, as I was only 10
or 12 years old. I helped weed the corn and ride a single horse
pulling the cultivator in each furrow. It being manipulated by the
one following it on foot. These were great and healthy times!
Grandpa
was a great livestockman raising fine cattle, hogs and horses, but
few sheep, however at one time he and my dad did own over 100 head of
sheep. Grandpa was insulted by the name Jersey and prided himself in
having some of the best Hereford and durham cattle in the area. I
remember his prize Hereford Bull named Riverdale who besides being a
great sire could also hold his own in a bull fight with any other
bull in town. He also had developed a dairy strain of milch cows and
he would be milking them before daylight while smoking his pipe
unless he was shucking corn by lantern light, one of his pastimes.
Grandma was no slouch when it came to raising silk worms and
chickens. I don't remember the silk worms, but remember her saying
that noise would cause the worms to spin knots in their filaments.
Regarding her chickens she was very proud of her fine minarka hens.
She was quite generous in giving me an egg or two to use as barter
for candy at the Kanarra Coop Store.
Grandpa
was a great horseman. You should have seen him ride one of his
favorite mares "OLD RUTH"; a very lively animal and he
handled her very expertly. He was a pretty accomplished veterinarian
too. I have a vivid memory when he castrated "Old Chess", a
Belgian bred station that had sired several colts. I was not much
help at my age but was a very curious onlooker. Grandpa had a special
way of trussing-up throwing and tying him up with a rope so he
couldn't move. He did it alone. I was kind of a scrub nurse getting
the materials together and heating up the searing iron. I watched
with amazement the cutting, clamping, searing the chords, and rock
salt treatment of the incision with NO STITCHES. The recovery of Old
Chess was uneventful for a 3 or 4 year old station now a gilden. He
was sold to Cox's in Hamilton Fort and was a good work horse for the
rest of his life according to Jenny Cox, Mr. Cox's daughter.
6.
GRANDPA THE GORMET: Grandpa's eating habits and style were always a
delight to me, partly maybe because he was a "South Paw".
He tried to introduce me to eating clabber (soured milk in pans or as
it is now known as yogurt), but to this day I have no culinary
interest in clabber or yogurt. He would pick up a desert spoon in his
left hand--scoop up a spoonful from the clabbered milk pan then put
about a teaspoon full of sugar then--SLURRP!-- and it was down except
for what was caught on his mustache. He would cut thin slices of
smoked ham and he would eat without further cooking--very delicious.
7.
GRANDPAS SMOKE HOUSE: I was amazed at how well he operated his smoke
house. He usually stoked the fire with wet corncobs soaked in a
bucket to make the smoke. He saved them after shucking and shelling
the corn from them. It took several days for bacons, hams, jowls, and
beef tongues to reach their epitome of flavor--very delicious. They
stored in the cellar since no refrigeration was available in those
days.
8.
FAMILY GET TO-GETHERS: I anticipated with pleasure the Summer
Vacations and family get to-gethers with the locals and the out of
town relatives. I enjoyed them very much when I was not committed to
hay hauling, weeding and cultivating. Grandpa and Grandma were
extremely good hosts for such occasions. The City Cousins got a
chance to ride the horses; and even help in the hay hauling, cow
milking and other farm chores. This made it easier for the residents.
My recollections of get to-gethers with out of town relatives at
Grandpa and Grandma's house took on three stages:
A.
GREETINGS: Handshakes, hugs and kisses!
B.
SOCIALIZING, FEASTING, FUEDING AND ARGUING: Socializing and Feasting
are self explanatory. Feuding occurred with fights among the cousins
and their parents in various combinations. Arguing usually involved
politics. Lively discussions would occur. The more heated ones would
be between Grandpa, Uncles Charlie, Cecil and Fay. Grandma & My
father were usually the arbitrators, as I remember.
C.
FAREWELL: Almost the repeat of "A"--with all the torments
of "B" having been resolved. Finally the goodbye
handshaking, hugging, kissing and this time TEARS. We locals always
looked to next year's get to-gether again usually during the July 4th
or 24th celebrations in Kanarraville.
Charles PARKER home Kanarraville, Utah, later owned by son John Davis PARKER
9.
GRANDMA'S PASSING: As I recall there was a feeling of relief when
Grandma was spared the agony of suffering and pain when she was
taken. Grandpa became very lonely staying in the big house alone. He
also began sampling some of Uncle Cecil's and Uncle Noel's labors
with the barley, yeast, malt and water--Too Much I'm convinced as it
did not enhance Grandpa as a bed partner when I would go down from
our smaller house to stay with him at night. He seemed to appreciate
my presence and the "Home Brew" smell is only a slight
unpleasant memory.
10.
PERIOD FROM GRANDMA'S PASSING TO GRANDPA'S DEATH: After Grandpa
became reconciled to Grandma's death he seemed to get hold of himself
and in my opinion lived a comparatively happy remaining life with his
chance to live with his daughters in Salt Lake City and Castle Gate
and spending the last few years in his home town, Kanarraville. I
became quite concerned with my own growing-up and had less and less
time to associate with him. A situation I now regret. I don't think I
showed him the respect I should have after he returned to live the
balance of his life with our family. He was in pain and agony, but
stood up bravely before he died. He reached a period of peace and
expired the same way. My father and I believe Van witnessed his
passing and it truly was peaceful.
In
conclusion, I as a grandson of Grandpa & Grandma Parker feel that
the camaraderie and companionship I was privileged to experience in
the brief time of 10 years with her and 18 years with him did enrich
my life of which I am so grateful for. I look back with nostalgia,
satisfaction and unfortunately with regret for not having grasped the
opportunity during the fleeting time I was with them to have enjoyed
their company more.
P.S.
I hope that the foregoing will enrich your heritage &
understanding of two of your ancestors.
Sincerely,
Burns V. Parker
