Ezekiel & Rhoda Hopkins

Ezekiel James & Rhoda Greene Homer Hopkins

Kids: Louise, Rhonda, Robert, Mark, Elva, John

From the Life of Rhoda Greene Homer Hopkins, written by her daughter, Elva Thompson:

The struggle which Grandma Homer had in providing for her family must have given her children some most valuable experience, for Mother knew how to get by on practically nothing. She just couldn’t waste anything, especially food. The pancake syrup she made from the peelings and pits of peaches after she had canned the fruit was the most delicious treat that anyone could hope for. During the Great Depression, when people were starving or standing in Bread Lines, we didn’t suffer at all. We’d never had any money so we couldn’t lose it….

In these days of modern conscience and inflation, just one unexpected gust for dinner can cause a panic, but as we were growing up it was the usual thing for two or three of us to bring one or more friends home from school with us at nights, and they were all invited to stay and eat supper with us. Mother just put another plate on r two on the table and brought in a bench from somewhere, and the food was always so good that no one even noticed whether the plates matched or not, or whether they were sitting on the wood box or the milking stool…. I swear that if it had been necessary, Mother could have taken an old harness and cooked it into a delicious dish or meal, for she often did that with some meat that wasn’t much better than a harness.

Grandma Hopkins also had much talent in writing and poetry. Below is words that she wrote to be sung to the tune of the hymn, "Did You Think to Pray?":

Wilford & Kate Thompson

Wilford Woodruff & Kate Judd Thompson

Kids: Mary, John, Sidney, Judd, Clark, Dallas

Here's a story form Grandpa Thompson's youth in St. George:

We did not have any athletic teaching in school at all so we would make up our own athletic program. I became one of the best athletes in the school at that time. My athletica bility in racing was first champion, and in my jumping capacity I was leader. I jumped twenty-four feet, six inches in two broad jumps. I jumped in a standing high-jump four feet six inches. In the running high jump about five feet seven inches. In the running broad jump I jumped twenty-two feet six inches. In my racing ability I held the state record at one time for five years for running it in eight and four tenths seconds. Before I left St. George I outran two of the fastest men, one from the University of Utah and one from the Agricultural Colege. Ione was Millard Watson from Parowan and the other was Sherman Cooper of Washington.

A letter from President Heber J. Grant:

Selar & Florence Cheney

Selar Edward & Florence Harriet Allen Cheney

Kids: Theron, Thelma, Opal, Albert, Eva, Afton, Elmo, Marion

Grandma Florence is absolutely amazing. Thanks to her, many family history stories were written and preserved. Selar and Florence have an amazing love story that started in their youth and continued for the rest of their lives. You should read about it here. She was a gifted poet and wrote these loving words of her dear husband:

His heart was trained to honor,

His feet were trained to tread,

Wherever faith is needed.

In performing works for God.

His stern, yet bright example,

Was facing to the right;

No deviation, ever.

However, be the slight.

His priesthood was his anchor.

His faith in God, was great;

His blessings, and pronouncement,

Are mighty, to relate.

God granted this one, blessing

Though others were denied,

To sanction in the heavens,

What here, he prophesied.

His home was oft a haven,

For young, and old in need;

Though scant his welcome table

With mouths his own, to feed.

His heart was ever yearning

Some worthy thing to do,--

Some service here, to render

Before his days were through.

His love was strong, and loyal,

None to falter, nor to fail;

With all his faith possessing

While in this earthly vale.

This faith, in power possessed him,

‘Till came, his final hour;

When God required his spirit,

To expand, in heavenly power.

Florence A. Cheney 1957

Dencie & Winnifred Rawls

Dencie Bennett & Alice Winnifred Bollinger Rawls

Kids: Alice, Esther, Dencie, Virginia, Leona, Frona, James, Marie

I love the stories of Dencie & Winnie, I feel like I’m watching a movie as I learn about their adventurous lives. They didn’t join the church until they were young parents with children of their own. Grandpa Dencie was orphaned at a young age, here’s a couple stories from his youth:

During this time my Sister had moved at Washburn, a small place in the Panhandle of Texas [near Amarillo] where Mr. Bruner worked for the railroad.  So, with the help of “Aunt Fannie” as I always called my Old Black Mammie, I decided to go on a tramp.  I started out to go to my Sister’s.  I got out on the road trying to ride the freights, ran out of money and was not half way on my journey.  I met a Negro man and him and I ate parched corn until we arrived back in Temple. 

But I had a determined mind and again started on the road.  This time I was a little more use to the ways and means of tramping, and while I never got up the courage to ask for something to eat, I never refused to eat what others were able to get.  At last on a cold night while riding the rods (The rods were iron rods running from one end of the cars to the other, underneath the cars) I arrived at a stop and being cold I strolled to the station and found I was at the end of my journey.  I asked the way to my Sister’s house and were they surprised!  

Here’s another story of when he joined the Navy. Although he was only 15 years old, he had no parents so he was allowed to sign on:

The trip to New York was my first on water and turned out to be quite an experience.  We had not been aboard ship very long when I got in with the ship’s cook.  We hit it off together pretty good.  He fed me all the cake, pie and ice cream I could hold and I washed and dried dishes.  The ship soon began to pitch and roll, gently at first, [but] as we began to hit the larger waves she began to buck. 

All of us would go up in the bow of the ship and watch the porpoises swimming.  They were large fish, up to 10 or 12 feet in length.  They would play like a bunch of kids darting here and there, first on one side and then on the other.  As I watched them I began to feel *****, kind of sick at the stomach.  The more the ship rolled, the worse I felt.  I got so sick I began to feed the fishes.

The things I had ate I heaved over the side of the ship.  Soon I was so sick I took to my bead and was there for three days.  Just to mention food to me was to start all over again.  I was so sick I wished I could die.  Then I began to feel better.  I ventured back to the cook.  He sure gave me a laugh, and a surprise.  He had fed me all that cake and pie knowing it would make me sick.  Said if I got a good spell of sea sickness the first time it would not serve me so bad any more.

Then we had a storm.  (Up to now none of the other fellows had been very sick, some had felt bad but not down like I had been.)  And now did the Old Ship really buck, but the more she rolled the better I liked it.  Not so with the rest of the boys.  Now I was up, they were down. 

Winnie and Dencie met at a country picnic when she was 17. They courted for about a year, but she never allowed him to kiss her until after they were engaged. They were married at the Belton Justice of the Peace office, accompanied by a small group of friends. 

Arvel & Charlotte Dean

Arvel William & Charlotte Clarice Stephens Dean

Kids: Stephen, Marsha, Judith

This story was shared to me by my aunt, Deanna Murphy, regarding Grandpa Dean:

He was a cowboy, living on a ranch in Wyoming. One particular day as he was walking alone along a gulch on his property he found himself suddenly sinking in quicksand. The harder he fought to get out, the more deeply he became buried. It seemed he was being pulled by an unseen force downward, and he could not escape its grasp.

He was entirely alone, unable to move, and did the only thing he knew to do. He bowed his head and began to pray. He prayed for help. He prayed that he would know how to get out, or that he would be sent help in some way.

Then he opened his eyes and began to wait in faith for the Lord to answer His prayers.

Now, in that moment, Grandpa was deep in the heart of his own property. He was entirely alone and away from anyone who could have heard his voice for miles around. It would have been futile to yell for help. He had no idea how he would get out of the quicksand he found himself in.

Yet, in his aloneness, his stuckness, the Savior did have a plan for his deliverance.

Eventually, and unexpectedly, not long after he concluded his prayer, a stranger emerged from the sagebrush. Grandpa had never seen him before—and never saw him again. He said little, but threw him a rope, and pulled him to safety. Grandpa pulled the rope off, and began to brush off the sand from his clothes, and inside his shirt, cleaning himself up.

When he turned to thank the stranger, he was gone.

Grandpa’s prayer had been answered, in a way that had touched him deeply. He always wondered who his benefactor was, and if the Savior had simply sent him an angel to help him in his time of need.