2014 FAMILY HISTORY BIRTHDAYS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

 

Douglas McLain Todd Jr                2 November 1889                        Logan Utah

Douglas was born in Logan where his father was teaching at Brigham Young College. His mother Florence Driggs, died shortly after he was born from a virus she got at his birth.  His father remarried and his stepmother abused him.  After a few years his father married a second wife just to take care of Douglas and his older sister Florence.

Douglas had many interesting jobs in his life.  At one point he was the director of Heart Mountain Japanese Center a Japanese relocation center in Wyoming during WWII.  He served as a State President in Denver CO area. Grandma Page tell the story of returning to her room after being out too late one night and as she started to undress she heard a voice from the bed say something like I would not do that if I were you, it was Elder LeGrand Richards who was the visiting Authority staying with them for Stake Conference. Grandpa Todd died weeks after Rick returned from his mission.                                                                                 Rick’s grandfather

 

 

 

Lillian Elizabeth Thurgood                         15 November 1893

This is Rick’s grandma Page.  We do not know many stories about her.  She was married to Willard James Page and they had 12 children.  Howard Page was their youngest some several years younger than the next oldest boy.  Lillian was a worrier.  Rick’s mom told me that Lillian would read the news and worry about everyone everywhere.  She looked for things to worry about.  I was also told of the hardship of their home burning down so they had to live in a barn one winter.  She lost an infant boy in those cold conditions. She died when Rick was 2.           

 

 

Vilate Ellen Douglas                      19 November 1840

Vilate was born in England in the area of Chlithero Lancashire.  She was named after Elder Heber C Kimballs wife.  Elder Kimball had baptized her father into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1842 her family immigrated to Nauvoo and on to Utah 10 years later in 1852.  She married George Romney.  She raised her family in very poor circumstances. She shared a small home with another of George’s wives and her 8 children. George served a mission which left her with 5 children.  While he was away her 2 year old son ded and 2 months later she gave birth to a black curly hair baby girl, my great grandmother. She sold small pies and sewed on socks to earn money to feed her children but they were a happy family. Late in her life George and Vilate recognized the blessings of tithing and were able to travel together spending their 60^th wedding anniversary in Hawaii.  My great grandmother said this of them. “Their trials made them humble, their riches made them charitable and their faith set them free.”                                                                                            Marilee’s Great Great Grandmother

 

 

 

 

 

Celestia Armeda Snow                  2 December 1855                                                Salt Lake City

Another of my great grandmothers Celestia was married to Brigham Morris Young.  She gave birth to 11 children and raised 9 of them losing 2 as infants. She was the daughter of Harriet Squires and Lorenzo Snow.  She was barely 20 when she married Brigham Morris young.  Brigham young performed their sealing in March 1875.  She was beautiful, popular, talented and a brown eyed, black haired “actress of note in the Brigham City Opera House”. One story noted of her was that she befriended a neighbor and invited her to RS.  This neighbor, Louisa Y Robbins later became the General Relief Society President.                                          Marilee’s Great Grandmother

 

Margaret Gray Burton                   13 Dec 1892                                            Salt Lake City

Margaret was raised in SLC in a large family with cousins all around.  The Burton family was a close family.  When she was 18 she married Douglas Todd Jr and left her city life for a small cabin in Talmage Utah.  She taught school there in a one room school house.  Margaret had some burly 8^th graders who gave trouble.  She was smaller than they but she did not let them intimidate her. When one boy put snow down a little girl’s neck Margaret picked up his cup of ice-cold water and poured it down his neck.  He did not give her trouble again.  Margaret was a wonderful seamstress and made lovely stylish dresses for her 5 daughters.  She is Grandma Elaine Page’s mother.  The Todd family moved many times. Margaret was a supporting loving wife and mother.  The gospel of Jesus Christ was taught and lived in their home.                                   Rick’s Grandmother

 

Thomas John Page                      14 Dec 1843                                            Birmingham Warwick England

Thomas write a very brief story of his life.  In it he mentions coming from England with his family across the ocean.  They later moved to Utah in 1861. They moved into an Indian lodge in Bountiful. It was their first home in Utah.  He worked on a farm with his brother.  He says the farms were infested with large black widows. In 1866 he went east and and after about 2 months returned to SLC with wagon loads of telegraph wire and poles for the Deseret Telegraph Company. He married Mary Ann Waddoups on May 11 1867 in the Endowment House.                                    Rick’s Great Grandfather