Conversion of Andrew King Sr. (1829-1910) and Eliza Buckley Lewis (1832-1929)

Have you ever been ridiculed or pressured about your belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?  If so, read this story and see if you stand strong and firm in your belief what can happen.  You never know who or how you may be influencing your friends and/or family members around you.

The following story was written by Venetta King Gilgen, his granddaughter.  

Andrew King Sr.

"Andrew had a chum, Hugh Adams, who joined the LDS church.  Andrew thought he was crazy and often told him so, and told him the wild tales circulating around about that group, but Hugh had a testimony and didn't pay any attention  to his pleadings to leave the church."  

"One season these two friends went to England to work in a coal mine.  One evening they went for a walk together.  Andrew began again to try to persuade him (as he thought) misguided friend."

"Hugh was given a vision and the power to prophesy.  He stood still and raised his arm saying, "Don't make fun of my church any more, for I now prophesy to you, under Divine Inspiration that you will yet be one of the greatest advocates of Mormonism that this country will ever see."

"Andrew investigated, was convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel, was baptized in 1850, and from that time until his death he labored hard to build up the church and kingdom of God."

"He was president of the CowdenBeath branch for twenty years, which office he held until he came to America."

"He was baptized a second time on June 11, 1885.  He was a gifted speaker and could hold an audience spellbound because of his great knowledge of the gospel and of the scriptures.  Prayer and religious devotion were part of his every day living.  This habit he learned from his parents, who were Baptist.  They believed in Bible reading in the home."  

Andrew was about 21 years old when he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

I tried to find out when Eliza Buckley Lewis was baptized and joined the church but what I found is the following excerpt from her life story written by Venetta Gilgen so not sure which date might be wrong but needless to say, she did join the church by missionaries contacting her too.  The following is from her life story.

Eliza Buckley Lewis

"Eliza couldn't remember the year she joined the church, but said that Jessie was a wee lass when the missionaries first brought the gospel to them.  She did much to help her husband when he later was called to preside over the branch where they lived."

"One day, shortly after the family had accepted the gospel the minister came to talk with her.  He told her what a terrible mistake they had made and that they were surely going Hell.  She gave him a very clever answer, which hasn't been recorded.  She talked to him for some time about the church, asking him many questions which he couldn't answer.  He was ready to leave before she was ready to stop talking.  As he backed away she followed him, bearing her testimony to him."

If the Jessie she referred to, is her child Janet, who was born in 1853, then they would have had to be baptized sometime after 1850 as recorded in Andrew's story.  Because this information confused me, I looked up on family search for baptism dates for Andrew King Sr. and Eliza Buckley Lewis.   This is what I found. 

• Andrew King Sr. was baptized on 8 June 1855
• Eliza Buckley Lewis was baptized on 11 November 1855

So I believe the baptism date recorded in Andrew's story of 1850 is probably wrong and they both were baptized and converted to the gospel after they were married and that the Jessie she was referring to was her daughter, Janet, whom they called Jessie.  I think this information is more correct and the story about Andrew's friend is still true just the baptism date was later.  They stayed friends throughout their life and it appears that Hugh also emigrated to America living in Logan where the King's lived.  He is mentioned in Andrew's life story at gatherings.  

 Andrew married Eliza Buckley Lewis (b. 23 August 1832, Musselburgh, Inveresk, Midlothian, Scotland; d. 3 August 1929, Logan, Cache, Utah) on 19 May 1951 in Inveresk with Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.  

People in story

• Andrew King Sr. b. 1 June 1829, Craghall, Inveresk, Midlothian, Scotland; d. 8 July 1910, Logan, Cache, Utah
• Eliza Buckley Lewis King b. 23 August 1832, Musselburgh, Inveresk, Midlothian, Scotland; d. 3 August 1929, Logan, Cache, Utah

Conversion of Jons (1802-1863) and Ingar (1813-1895) Nilsson to the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1853

Have you wondered who was the first in our family lines to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?  I found this story about my great great grandparents in Sweden and their conversion to the gospel.   I am grateful to my ancestors for taking this important step so that I had the privilege of being born into the church.  They went through so much to accept this new religion but they were able to see the truth when it was delivered to them. 

When you read these stories, put yourself in their shoes. What would you have done?  Would you be able to give up family, friends, and home to accept this wonderful gospel? 

Think of the sacrifices you feel you are making, if any, for the gospel and remember our ancestors have shown us the way.  May you enjoy learning about their conversion story as brief and simple as it may be.  I am grateful that their conversion story was preserved for you and me. 

Conversion of Jons Nilsson and Ingar Jonsdotter as told by their son, Carl Magnus Nilsson

Story taken from the Autobiography of Carl Magnus Nelson written in his own handwriting and compiled by his granddaughter, LaRene Mary Jenson Braegger;

"I (Carl Magnus Nelson) was born October 17, 1852, in Helsingborg, Sweden, of good and Christian parents.  In the latter part of the year 1852, a missionary of the Latter-Day Saints came to Helsingborg.

"There being a group of women, some was dissatisfied with the Lutheran religion, had come together and studied the Bible.  The lady that took the lead they called "Milke Ingri".  The missionary was introduced to the group and delivered his message.  After which the leading lady said, "I am done now, here is what we have been waiting for."

"My mother was one of the women and in time was converted and together with my father was baptized early in 1853.  But the missionary had not the authority to lay hands on for the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so they had to wait until June 1853 when the first conference was organized in Sweden.  They traveled all day from Helsingborg to Lund and the meeting was held in Carl Capson's barn in the night."

"They (my parents) pushed me in a baby wagon.  The meeting was held in the dark and without singing because of the mob.  My parents were anointed into the church and I was blessed as a baby - 8 months old."

"My parents were forced to leave their native land because of persecution.  They crossed over to Copenhagen where the family was raised."

This story touched me.  In 1853 his father, Jons Nilsson,  would have been approximately 51 years of age, and his mother Ingar Jonsdotter was approximately 40 years of age.  They would have already buried two children leaving them with four living children, Anna Sofia Nilsdotter age 11; Johanna Augusta Nilsdotter age 7, Frans Ludvig Nilsson age 4 and my great grandfather, Carl Magnus Nilsson, a few months old.  

Can you imagine uprooting your family because of persecution, walking approximately 35 miles in a day pushing or pulling a baby in a baby wagon with three other children in tow in order to attend a meeting and be confirmed to the gospel?  That would be like walking from Cedar City, Utah, to Parowan, Utah and back to Cedar City, Utah, just to go one way.  Then to return home you would do that same distance again.  That is a long ways to walk.  I don't even make an effort to get out and walk a couple of miles a day.  I never walk to church, which is only a few blocks away.  I take my car wherever I want to go.  I would say I am pretty spoiled.   They were special people to recognize the truth when they saw it and not turn away from it.  

They also had one more child born in Kobenhavnm, Denmark to them in 1855 after joining the church, Julius Nilsson.

Information relating to the people in the story.  

• Jons Nilsson (father in the story) b. 28 November 1802, Faltabacken, Helsingborg, Malmohus, Sweden; d. 25 November 1863, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavn, Denmark 
• Ingar Jonsdotter Nilsson (mother in story) b. 10 February 1813, Filborna, Helsingborg, Malmohus, Sweden; d. 17 January 1895, Logan, Cache, Utah
• Carl Magnus Nilsson (son, who told story in his autobiography) b. 17 October 1852, Helsingborg, Malmohus, Sweden; d. 19 March 1941, North Logan, Cache, Utah

After coming to America, the spelling of their last name was apparently changed to Nelson.

Fun times at Grandpa and Grandma Hayes's House

I always loved being around my grandparents.  They were the best and I always felt loved.  My children loved going to Grandpa and Grandma's House in Glendale, Idaho, when they were young and so I have written a few of the memories of my children being up there.   What are your memories of time spent with your grandparents?   I hope they make you smile.

Horse Ride

My father had a couple of horses.  One time when we were visiting them, my dad, Robert Eskelson Hayes, decided to give the kids a ride on the horse.  He put all three of them on the horse's back without a saddle and told them to hold on to each other as he walked Big Mama around the yard.

Grandpa Hayes (Robert Eskelson Hayes) with Bryan, Christie and Scott Paxton on Big Mama at his home in Glendale, Idaho.

They were having such a good time as grandpa was leading the horse around until one of them leaned over, I assume to look at the ground better.  Because they were all holding on to each other, they started to fall sideways off the horse.  The horse stopped and grandpa tried with all his might to catch them.   They fell on the ground as the horse stood still and none of them got hurt.  I guess they got a good look at the ground.  This is a memory that they have laughed about through the years.  Good thing Grandpa's house was a good horse.

Wagon Rides

Bryan loved riding a little tractor that Grandpa and Grandma had.  He loved to give Christie rides in the wagon behind the tractor.  I remember a time after Bryan was married that he wanted to have a tractor and live out in the country.  I wonder if his love for a tractor started here.  They did have lots of fun.

Fishing at Grandpa and Grandma's

One time we left the kids with grandpa and grandma while we went to Yellowstone Park with my brother, Bob, and his wife, Joene Johnson.  Grandpa and Grandma's property touched on the banks of Glendale Reservoir and so they built a dock to use for fishing or boating.   In the evenings they would go down to fish off the dock for trout.  

So this one night when they were tending the kids, they took the three kids, Bryan, Christie, and Scott down to the dock to fish.  Grandma sat Scott on a chair and told him to sit still while they were fishing.

Apparently Scott wanted to look in the water and so he leaned over and fell in the reservoir.  (Maybe it was Scott that leaned over on the horse too.  Ha ha).  

Grandpa Hayes was getting ready to jump in to get him when Grandma said, "Wait, he will come right back up."

Scott came right back up and Grandpa grabbed him and pulled him out.  Grandma hugged him and took him up to the house to get out of his wet clothes and get him all cleaned up.  

Scott says he remembers this and says he remembers the big whales or fish under the dock.  (There were big styrofoam columns that helped hold up the dock.)   He loves the water to this day.  If there is water, he will find a way to play in it.  

I think the kids first fish were caught at Grandpa and Grandma's house. It was a fun experience whenever we went to visit in the summer.  This is Bryan holding his fish he caught at Grandpa and Grandma Hayes's house.   He has a pretty big grin.

People in above stories:

• Bryan Lee Paxton b. Sept. 16, 1976, Aberdeen, South Dakota
• Christie Lynne Paxton Perkins b. November 28, 1978, Murray, Utah d. April 26, 2018, Cedar City, Utah
• Scott Anthony Paxton b. February 12, 1980, Murray, Utah
• Robert Eskelson Hayes b. July 29, 1930, Rupert, Idaho; d.  April 22, 2013, Swan Lake, Idaho
• DeVola King Hayes b. March 21, 1930, North Logan, Utah; d. October 11, 2007, Layton, Utah

Did You Take All My Blood?

Christie Lynne Paxton Perkins born November 28, 1978 and died April 26, 2018.

When Christie was about four years old, she needed to have a hernia operation on her belly button area.  I, her mother, had to take her to Cottonwood Hospital to fill out the pre-admission papers and have her blood test and urine test run before her surgery.

After the nurse took the blood from her arm, she looked up at her and asked, "Did you take all my blood?  Is my belly button fixed now?"  Oh the innocence of youth.   Oh if it could be just that simple, it would be so nice.

ID 154492833 © Studio Grand Web | Dreamstime.com

The nurse suggested I should bring her back that night to a CottonBear Party to help familiarize her with what was going to happen when she went to the hospital for her surgery.  So I took Bryan and Christie to that party at 7 p.m.  When it was over, Bryan thought it was pretty neat.  Christie on the other hand, wasn't too excited about the whole thing.

Three days later she had her surgery.  Before her surgery, she kept complaining about a stomach ache.  The doctor checked her over but she didn't have a fever, she wasn't throwing up and she didn't have diarrhea so he decided she was just nervous.  

When they gave her some medicine in her bottom to make her sleepy, she was not happy.  She cried a lot and I tried to calm her down.  She finally went to sleep.  I loved her so much that it made me feel bad when anything hurts her.  

The doctor came in to tell me at 8:15 a.m. that everything went well and that she should be out of recovery in about 15 to 20 minutes.  She didn't get out of recovery until 9 a.m. and I was starting to worry.  

She had an IV in the hand that she sucked her thumb on.  She kept pulling at it and asking for her Popsicle because they had told her she could have one when she woke up.  About a half hour later they finally let her have a Popsicle because she wouldn't relax and go back to sleep.  After she ate her Popsicle, she fell asleep for about an hour.

When she woke up around 11 a.m., she asked for the apple juice they had promised her and she told them she wanted to go home.  She kept telling me that I could sit down.  I was standing up by her bed watching her.  She was finally released from the hospital to go home.  She was so excited and so glad they didn't take all her blood and that her belly button was fixed and it wouldn't stick out any more.  She did well recovering after her surgery.  

Person in above story

• Christie Lynne Paxton Perkins b. November 28, 1978, Murray, Utah; d. April 26, 2018, Cedar City, Utah

Our South Dakota Baby

Bryan Lee Paxton:  Sept. 16, 1976

A year after we were married, Marv got transferred to Aberdeen, South Dakota, employed as an Air Traffic Controller with the FAA.  This was our first official assignment outside of Salt Lake City.  Marv and I were excited to start this new adventure.  We had to pay our own way out there and take care of all our travel expenses.  The FAA did not help us with any expenses.   We packed up a U-Haul and left all our family behind.

We arrived the end of December 1974 to what appeared to be the coldest place on earth.  We looked all over for an apartment and finally decided on purchasing a mobile home.  Our mobile home had three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room and a place for our washer and dryer.  We had a small deck off the front door. 

I may have thought the winters were miserable but I soon found out when summer arrive there were new challenges such as humidity and tornadoes. It was very flat where we lived.  You could see for ever it seemed.   When I was pregnant with our first child, Marv purchased a window air conditioner because I was so miserable.  He installed it in the living room.  I have never been so happy for air conditioning.

One time Marv and I were at the hospital taking our classes on childbirth when a tornado was coming through the area.  They made us all go down in the basement of the hospital.  It was where all the pipes ran overhead and just cement floors.  Not a very nice place but I guess it was safe.  I was beginning to wonder why anyone would want to live in this place.   We were happy but it was just different than Utah.

I was able to get a job working full-time which helped a lot with expenses.  Because Marv's hours were shift work, he worked different days and hours.  During the time we lived here, I got pregnant with our first child.  We were both so excited.  I missed having my mom close by but I could call her on occasions and I had made friends at work and in the branch at church.  I was the happiest pregnant woman you ever met.  I was so happy about the prospect of having a child that it didn't matter how I felt because I knew it would all be worth it. 

My job insisted I quit work on my due date which was September 4.  I guess they didn't want me to go into labor at work or something.  So I was stuck at home waiting for my baby to be born.  The wait seemed like an eternity and I was wishing I was back at work.  I had a couple of friends from work that insisted on coming and sitting with me after they got off work when Marv was working at the airport at night in case I went into labor.  They even came on the weekends when Marv was working.  These friends were not members of the church but they were really good friends to me.   I had lots of contractions but nothing was hard enough to take me to the hospital.

I remember going to see my doctor for another appointment and she did something to me that she said would help the baby come.  My doctor was a lady from India and she couldn't say Vickie so she called me Wickie.  She was really nice but she believed in natural child birth.  That kind of made me nervous.  It was times like this that  I wished my mom was here.  I remember my mom called to tell me she felt she needed to tell me that if my water broke, I needed to get to the hospital.

This particular night one of my friends was bowling on a league and said,  "Come watch us bowl so you can get out of the house."  She said, "My husband's a police officer so if you go into labor he will know what to do."

So Marv and I went and watched them bowl for awhile and then I was feeling more contractions so we headed home.  We stopped and got a hamburger, fries and a soda.  I had been trying hard to eat healthy but now I was like I guess it doesn't matter so I am going to eat this stuff.

When we got home, Marv started watching a movie that was on TV.  About three-fourths of way through his movie, I felt this weird sensation. When I stood up, I thought, Oh no  I wet my pants. But that is not what happened, my water had broken.   I was pretty excited.  I called my friend, she told me to call the doctor so I did and of course they told us to head to the hospital now.  Marv was not too happy with me because he wanted to finish his movie but I told him, they said I needed to go to the hospital.  This was probably about 9 p.m.

So we headed to the hospital.  He wanted to run red lights but I told him don't you dare.  I want to get to the hospital not pulled over by a policeman.  We arrived and they admitted me to the hospital.

Finally after many hours of labor, it was decided that I needed some help because the baby was in trouble.  They wheeled me into an operating room and I was given some Ether in a mask on my face and then the doctor used forceps to deliver my baby.  I remember how upset I was that I couldn't delivery my baby on my own because I had been so convinced that I was suppose to do it without help.  The cord was wrapped around my baby's neck so this procedure was needed to help get my baby here safely. 

When I came out of the gas they had given me, they told me a had a beautiful healthy baby boy.  So my baby that was born 12 days after his due date arrived on September 16, 1976 at about 5 a.m.  He weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. and was 18" long.  His father, Marvin Lee Paxton and his mother, me, Vickie Lynne Hayes were the proudest parents around.  There was another Brian born at that hospital when he was in there.  Their first names were spelled different from each other.   I thought he was the most beautiful baby ever.  He had brown hair, olive skin and he appeared to be very strong and alert.  He was always trying to hold up his head.  I remember how I immediately loved this baby in my arms.  What a special gift it is that God gave me the power to be a mother.  What a blessing it was that both Bryan and I were healthy. He was a really good baby.  He wasn't a fuzzy baby and he slept through the night by the time he was 6 weeks old.  He loved to be held and loved. 

I stayed in the hospital for a few days after he was born because that is what you did back then.  My mother came to take care of me and that was so nice.  She would get up with Bryan and  bring him to me so I could nurse him and then rock, burp and cuddle him until he went back to sleep so I could get some sleep.  He was probably about a week old when we took him to a show while my Mom was staying with us.  He slept through the show and was not a problem at all.  Maybe that is why he likes movies.

We had a dog, Muffy, when he was born and she loved the new baby too.  She would sit by him and watch over him and was very gentle around him.

Bryan as a new born.

Bryan with his Daddy on the couch in our mobile home.

Grandma Hayes (DeVola King Hayes) with new born Bryan.  She flew out to South Dakota to help me with Bryan for a week.  It was so fun to have her with me.  Bryan was her first grandchild and she was a pretty happy grandma.  She sure loved her grandkids.

Bryan's first Christmas with our dog, Muffy.  She loved Bryan and was so good with him.  I felt bad when we had to give her away when we moved from South Dakota back to Utah.

Bryan's Christmas presents.

Marv, Vickie, Bryan and Muffy in front of our Christmas tree in our mobile home in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

People in above story:

• Marvin Lee Paxton (father) b. April 21, 1948, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Vickie Lynne Hayes Paxton (mother) b. December 30, 1953, American Fork, Utah
• Bryan Lee Paxton b. September 16, 1976, Aberdeen, South Dakota
• DeVola King Hayes (grandmother) b. March 21, 1930, North Logan, Utah; d. October 11, 2007, Layton, Utah

Boy or Girl?

Back in the day when I was having my children, they didn't tell you if you were going to have a girl or a boy.  It was a guessing game until they were actually born.   We had a little boy, Bryan, who was 2 years old, and I wanted a little girl but would have been happy too if Bryan had a little brother to play with.   I just wanted a healthy baby.   So all the preparations went in to welcoming this new baby to our family.  Could I possibly love this child as much as I loved Bryan?   What would he or she look like?  Would he or she be a good baby?  I had been spoiled because Bryan slept through the night by the time he was 6 weeks old.   I didn't know all babies don't do that.

My doctor, Dr. Clover, decided to schedule me to be induced because he was going to be gone for a week and he knew I was very nervous and wanted him to be there.  So I went to the hospital on or shortly after our baby's due date.   Things progressed along as they should.  At one point, they decided to give me a drug to help with the pain and shortly after they did things moved along very quickly and the baby decided it was time to come.

I was rushed into an operating room and Marv had to put on all kinds of hospital attire so he could witness the birth.   I remember hearing the doctor and nurses talking about the drug they had given me and hoped the baby would be okay.  The baby needed some help so Dr. Clover used forceps to help deliver the baby.  She was born sunny side up and was having a hard time wanting to be awake because of the drug they had given me.  It apparently went right into her system.

I was so excited to know did I have a boy or a girl.  I was told I had a beautiful little girl.  She didn't want to cry at first and so they just held her up for me to see and whisked her to a place in the operating room to work on.  I kept saying, "Is she okay?"  but no one would answer me.  They finished taking care of me and I guess they took her off to the nursery where they could take care of her because they said I would see her in a little while.

So our sweet baby girl, Christie Lynne Paxton,  was born on November 28, 1978,  at the Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, Utah.   We her parents, Marvin Lee Paxton and Vickie Lynne Hayes were so excited to have a little girl because now we had a boy and a girl.   She had blonde hair and not very much of it.  She also was very pale.  She weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 21 inches long.  She was a sleepy little baby.

It was a very long time before I ever got to hold my new baby girl.  They kept telling me it would be awhile.   When I had my first baby, Bryan, I was able to hold and snuggle him from the start and he was given to me really soon after I had been put in my room for as long as I wanted him there.  This was a new experience for me not to see my baby.

When they finally brought her to me many hours after delivery, I was finally told that she had been having a hard time because of the drug they had given me and it had caused her to be sleepy.  They told me to try to nurse her but she wasn't too willing to do that either.  I totally unwrapped her to make her wake up but to no avail.

We stayed in the hospital for a few days until they thought it was safe for her to go home.  Even after we got home we had hospital nurses calling to check on her a few times a day to see if she was starting to wake up more and nursing.   After we got home, she was starting to do better every day.  Maybe that is why she hated drugs so much throughout her life.  Ha Ha!

One funny experience I had while I was in the hospital with her was that Al Hunt, a good friend of Marv's, came to the hospital with a big bouquet of roses for me.  They let him back to see me thinking he was my husband.  I was so surprised to see him.  It was a fun surprise.  Back then the only people who could come to your room was your spouse but I guess when he had the bouquet of flowers and they didn't ask if he was my husband, he didn't have to say it wasn't and got to come say hello. 

Her big brother, Bryan, was so excited to see her when she came home for the hospital.  He was a good big brother and loved her.   See how sweet he is to her.  We lived on Carl Circle in Bennion, Utah, when she was born.  I think my mother was at our home when  I went to the hospital because she would have known that I was being induced on a certain day.  Always so grateful for a mother that came to help.  I don't know what I would have done without her.   She always stayed at least a week after I had the baby to help me get some rest.

The answers to my questions at the first of this post were definitely answered.  Yes, I could love her as much as I loved Bryan.  She came with her own unique qualities but I found a mother's heart has plenty of love for all her children.  What did she look like?  Well she was very fair in her skin color like her Dad and Bryan had more of an olive tone to his skin, more like me and my side of the family.  So they were both very different but both very special and loved.  Was she a good baby?  She was pretty good and she did start sleeping through the night by the time she was 6 to 8 weeks old.  She did cry more than Bryan especially if she was hungry.  All in all she too was an easy baby to have around.

Bryan with Christie when she came home.  He sure loved his new little sister.

Mom with Christie and Bryan just home from the hospital.  Flowers are from Marv.

The above picture shows her Uncle Michael (Hayes) holding her with Bryan standing and her Great Uncle Les smiling by Bryan.  She is loved by many.

This was her blessing day.  Her dress was given to her by a lady I worked with at the attorney's office.  It was white with little pink flowers on it.  She looked so cute.

Marv, Vickie with Bryan and Christie on her blessing day at their  home in  Bennion, Utah.

Bryan and Christie with Grandpa Robert E. Hayes and Grandma DeVola King Hayes after Christie came home from hospital.  They lived in Preston, Idaho at the time.

  

Grandma Hayes (DeVola King) with Christie.  Why are you crying Christie?  You loved Grandma Hayes.  It must have been dinner time because she always got cranky around dinner time.  

Christie and Bryan with Aunt Vi (King) and Uncle Les (Nuhn).  Aunt Vi is her Grandma Hayes's Sister.  Vi raised Grandma Hayes from the age of 2 when their mother passed away so she was more like a grandma to us then an aunt.  This was right after she came home from the hospital.  They lived in Layton, Utah.

People in the above story and pictures

• Christie Lynne Paxton Perkins b. 28 November 1978, Murray, Utah; d. 26 April 2018, Cedar City, Utah
• Vickie Lynne Hayes Paxton (mother) b. 30 Dec 1953, American Fork, Utah; 
• Marvin Lee Paxton (father) b. 21 April 1948, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Bryan Lee Paxton (brother) b. 16 September 1976, Aberdeen, South Dakota
• DeVola King Hayes (grandmother) b. 21 March 1930, North Logan, Utah; d. 11 October 2007, Layton, Utah
• Robert Eskelson Hayes (grandfather) b. 29 July 1930, Rupert, Idaho; d. 22 April 2013, Swan Lake, Idaho
• Michael David Hayes (uncle) b. 15 Dec 1967, Logan, Utah
• Violet King Nuhn (great aunt) b. 15 September 1914, North Logan, Utah; d. 18 Mar 2006, Roy, Utah
• Leslie Carvel Nuhn (great uncle) b. 20 July 1920, Providence, Utah; d. 14 January 2004, Layton, Utah

.  

Scott Finally Arrives

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever deliver this child.  His original due date was January 15 and now it was February 12.   I guess he wanted to do things on his own terms and I believe he must have been busy enjoying family on the other side and learning so much and trying to teach his mother patience.  Scott has a fun loving personality and so I am guessing he was in the middle of some amazing game or activity, when they finally said, "You need to go now."

For about a week before Scott was born I had been having dreams that he and I would die during his delivery.  It seemed that every time I would close my eyes I would have that horrible dream.  I really wanted this baby and I wanted him to be okay.  He and Christie were only 14 months apart in age but I knew there was a reason for him to come to us.

My parents were visiting me from Idaho a day or two before he was born and I told them about my dreams.  I asked my father to give me a blessing and he did.  The dreams went away and I knew he was going to be okay.  My mother had come to help with the kids because the doctor was going to induce me if I didn't have the baby in the next day or two.   But after the blessing, I started having contractions in the middle of the night and so we went to the hospital in the morning.   Do I believe in the power of priesthood blessings?  Yes, I do!

When we got to the hospital, there was a lady before me that her baby had died inside of her and she was still having to go through all the delivery process.  I felt so bad for her and at that moment, I didn't care how bad it was going to be because I knew my baby was alive inside of me.   They tried to send me home and so I had to walk the halls even though my contractions were about 3 to 5 minutes apart.  I was determined not to go home.  They finally admitted me and got hold of my doctor, Dr. Clover.  With the help of forceps he eventually was delivered.  Thank heavens for doctors and equipment to help with my delivery.

So our Scott Anthony Paxton made his grand entry into this world on February 12, 1980, at the Cottonwood Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the help of Dr. Clover.  He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz. and was 21" long.

He and I were both relatively okay.  His head was cone shaped but that would return to normal and I had a few problems because my uterus did not want to contract like it should and so I had a few bleeding problems.  But we were both alive and going to recover. 

So glad my mom was there to take care of the kids and to stay to help me when I came home from the hospital.  I don't know what I would have done without my wonderful mother.

Christie, Scott on Bryan's lap in our house in Bennion, Utah

Bryan Lee Paxton, Scott Anthony Paxton, Christie Lynne Paxton sitting on Grandma Dee's lap (DeVola King Hayes)

I remember when Vauna and Lisa came to see Scott and me in the hospital, Lisa made the comment that I didn't look like I had had the baby yet because my stomach was still huge but that was because of the problems I was having.  I felt bad but there was nothing I could do about it and she had never had a child and didn't know any better.  Eventually things returned to normal.  I know all the relatives were worried about Scott's head but I guess I just couldn't see it and didn't know why they were worried.

Grandma Paxton (Vauna Leany Paxton) with Scott

I was so excited to welcome this little baby boy into our home.  He was a good baby and very loving.   He was welcomed by a big brother, Bryan, age 3, and big sister, Christie, age 14 months.  It seemed any time I needed to feed Scott, Christie wanted to be sitting in my lap too.  Bryan was a good big brother and helped get diapers and things for me.  I was a very busy mom with three little kids at the age of 3 and under.

Christie, Bryan and Scott with my Aunt Vi King Nuhn  (whom I call Grandma) and Uncle Les Nuhn

People in story and pictures:

• Scott Anthony Paxton b. 12 February, 1980, Murray, Utah
• Christie Lynne Paxton Perkins (Sister) b. 28 November 1978, Murray, Utah; d. 26 April 2018, Cedar City, Utah
• Vickie Lynne Hayes Paxton (mother) b. 30 Dec 1953, American Fork, Utah; 
• Marvin Lee Paxton (father) b. 21 April 1948, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Bryan Lee Paxton (brother) b. 16 September 1976, Aberdeen, South Dakota
• DeVola King Hayes (grandmother) b. 21 March 1930, North Logan, Utah; d. 11 October 2007, Layton, Utah
• Robert Eskelson Hayes (grandfather) b. 29 July 1930, Rupert, Idaho; d. 22 April 2013, Swan Lake, Idaho
• Violet King Nuhn (great aunt) b. 15 September 1914, North Logan, Utah; d. 18 Mar 2006, Roy, Utah
• Leslie Carvel Nuhn (great uncle) b. 20 July 1920, Providence, Utah; d. 14 January 2004, Layton, Utah
• Vauna Mae Leany Paxton (grandmother) b. 30 May 1923, Hurricane, Utah; d. 14 December 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Childhood memories of Play, Work, and Mischief

There always seemed to be plenty of things to do growing up.  We had work to do but time to play also.  My grandmother, Sylvia Rayda Eskelson Hayes,  shared some of her memories with me.

Sylvia was born and raised in Francis, Summit County, Utah.  She was born on the 1st of July in 1901 to Melissa Orilla Fraughton Eskelson and Oscar Eskelson.  She was the twelveth child of a family of thirteen.

Her home consisted of one hundred and sixty acres of land with a small lumber home on it consisting of four rooms.  Later on another room was added on connecting a large rock cellar with the house.  The rock cellar was a lovely place to store the provisions and her father had put a cement floor in it along with shelves so they could store their flour, rice, beans, fruits, meats and sugar.  She remembered seeing large sacks of food preparatory for feeding their family through the winter.

Her parents homesteaded this land so it was their task to clear the land of rocks and sagebrush.  It took them many years to do it because the only equipment they had consisted of a wagon and a team of horses.  They worked hard to provide a nice home for their children.  In a few years they had the ground producing and they had a herd of dairy cows, which was their means of making a living.

Her parents never turned anyone away even though their home was small.  They always said, "If there was heart room, there was house room."

Their house was nestled among the many trees that provided shade and fruit to eat.    Oh how she loved thinking about all the years she spent romping through the green meadows picking the wild flowers.  Her father provided them with swings, merry-go-rounds and basketball standards and it seemed everything a child's heart could desire.  They had wonderful picnics on tables under the trees and her mother's flower gardens were a mass of blooms during the summer months.  They had sparkling clear water from a spring that ran through their lot which seem to beckon them to come and enjoy its hospitality.

Sylvia said, "I can still see the old cheese press father made, where they pressed hundreds of pounds of cheese and the big yellow churn that on all four legs with a huge mouth in the top that always seemed to say, "More cream, please!"  "Father would take his five gallon cans of cream and pour it into the churn, close it's big mouth and turn the wheels at the end.  Soon we would have lovely yellow butter ready for mother to press, wrap, and store in crystal clear ice for father to take to Park City and sell."

"The first and only slap I ever got from Father was when I was supposed to wash the cream separator immediately after they had separated with it but instead I had gone out to play and forgot about it.  Soon it was time to do it again.  When Father came in the milk house, there I was rushing my crazy little head off to get through before he saw me.

But no such luck, he just took one look at me and said, "Didn't you wash that this morning?"

At that I turned and said, "Well, you don't need to get frustrated, do you?"

I think it took father by surprise to think I had been sassy to him.  He just let his hand fly and slapped me on the face.  I don't know who was the most surprised, him or me or who felt the worst.  At any rate I never ventured to be impudent to father again.

Who said, "Slivers?"

As children we played great games and one of the funnest memories I have was sliding down Aunt Mira's barn onto a pile of straw.   We had worn one board slick and we called it our slickery board.  We were always speaking for the first turn because it was so much fun except for this particular day.  Because I was the youngest, they decided to let me go down first.  I sat on the wrong board and came down.   

Did you say slivers?  I had them !!!

Uncle Dan in his jovial way said, "Why girl it looks like you have been riding a porky pine."  But nothing stopped the flow of tears as mother and father dug for slivers.

Easter Eggs

"Oh Cleo, do you remember the time we used to hide eggs for Easter?  We were watching for the hens to lay so we could get them.  First, you saw an old hen go into the chicken coop.  You sat on the haystack until she came out so you could get the egg but I beat you to it.  

You started yelling, "Sylvia, that's mine, I saw that hen go in there first."

My Cat

"Cleo do you remember the time you and Bill Mitchell turpentined my cat and it ran and chased me down the path.  Father was walking toward the house and I ran and climbed up in his arms.  Father thought the cat was taking fits and he was going to take it away until you and Bill confessed to him what you had done.  For shame on two little boys!"

People in story above:

• Sylvia Rayda Eskelson Hayes b. 1 July 1901, Francis, Utah; d. 2 October 1971, American Fork, Utah
• Cleamond Eskelson (brother) b. 8 October 1898, Francis, Utah; d. 16 April 1981, Tucson, Arizona
• Oscar Eskelson (father) b. 26 April 1858, Florence, Douglas, Nebraska; d. 2 March 1935, Francis, Summit, Utah
• Melissa Orilla Fraughton Eskelson (mother) b. 18 December 1862, Heber City, Utah; d. 7 June 1913, Francis, Utah
• Uncle Dan? probably  Daniel Judd Mitchell b. 18 January 1853, Salt Lake City, Utah; d. 6 September 1932, Hayden, Uintah, Utah
• Aunt Mira probably Almyra Adelade Fraughton Mitchell b. 2 Feb 1859, Provo, Utah; d. 28 February 1920, Roosevelt, Duchesne, Utah
• Daniel Mitchell and Almyra Adelade Fraughter were married to each other and Almyra is the sister to Sylvia's mother.

Who killed the Red Rooster?

Have you ever done something wrong and tried to hide what you had done?   How did that turn out for you?    I asked my grandmother, Sylvia Rayda Eskelson Hayes, to tell me about her memories of growing up.  This one of the stories that she told me.  She was laughing when she told it to me.  Do you think you would be laughing too?   This story is about her brother, Oral.

"We had an old red rooster.  He was a vicious old fellow because he loved chasing and flying at us every chance he got.  This one day he had attacked Oral by coming at him with his wings just a flapping.

Oral was young, I think about six but he could flip his flipper as straight as an arrow.  So in haste he pulled back and let the rooster have it in the head.   Sure enough it toppled over dead.  He felt really bad because he had killed mother's rooster.  He felt sure there would be a scolding for him.

So he racked his young brain trying to find an easy way to let mother know the rooster was dead.  Finally he hit on an idea.  He rolled a big rock on the head of the rooster and came running into the house to find mother.   He told her that a big rock had fallen out of the sky right on old Reddies head, as we called him, killing him dead.

We all rushed out to see what had happened.  Sure enough there was a rock on his head.  Mother and father studied the situation over very carefully but said nothing.

In a few days, mother's chance came.  She casually talked things over with Oral.  She sat him on her lap and holding him in her arms she said, "Son, if someone were to give you a quarter, do you think you could guess how the rooster got killed?"

"Oh, yes!"  said Oral.  "I shot him with my flipper."

"How did the rock get on his head?" asked mother.

"Mama, I put it there."

Mother always had a way of getting us to tell the truth by her sweet kind way of handling situations as they arose rather than through fear.  By this method, I am sure it instilled in our young hearts such love and admiration for her.  We had no desire to tell falsehoods to keep from being punished.

People in the above story:

• Oral James Eskelson b. 4 March 1904, Francis, Summit, Utah; d. 7 January 1989, American Fork, Utah, Utah
• Oscar Eskelson (father) b. 26 April 1858, Florence, Douglas, Nebraska; d. 2 March 1935, Francis, Summit, Utah
• Melissa Orilla Fraughton Eskelson(mother) b. 18 December 1862, Hebert City, Wasatch, Utah; d. 7 June 1913, Francis, Summit, Utah
• Sylvia Rayda Eskelson Hayes (sister, who told the story) b. 1 July 1901, Francis, Summit, Utah; d. 2 October 1971, American Fork, Utah, Utah

Andrew, Will You Go?

Have you ever been asked to do something that you did not know how it would be possible to do?  This story is about  my great grandfather, Andrew King Jr., and how he was faced with a decision he wasn't sure he could do.

Sarah Ann Jacobs and Andrew King Jr.

Andrew was a night watchman (Policeman) for Logan City.  It was his job to walk the boardwalk of the streets of the business district at night to make sure everything stayed safe.  The story goes that he was on his way to his night job when he decided to check the mailbox.  It was a snowy day and he wasn't sure anyone had checked it that day.  When he opened the mailbox, he found a white envelope with his name on it from BOX B, which meant it was from the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He wondered what was in the envelope so he hurried on until he could find a street light to read the contents of the envelope.

He was called to be a missionary to North Western States Mission.  I am sure he had many mixed feelings at this point.  He had spent his whole life preparing himself for this day.  He had a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the restored gospel.

He loved his family so much so how could he leave them for two years?  He was married with four little children, ages 11 to one less than a year old. They had had 3 children die.  It would mean there would be no income from his night watchman job and his wife would have to figure out how to support the family and send him money to support him on his mission.   How could they do this?  They had just lost a baby girl to death and his sweet wife was still grieving but she was so strong too.  He whispered, "Lord, Please, not now."

As he tucked the letter in his pocket and was contemplating all the reasons why he couldn't do this mission, he walked past the coffee shop.  His heart sunk.  He said, "I can't go.  I am not worthy."  He had no problem passing the coffee shop tonight and was grateful when the lights went off.  It was here that he had drank his first cup of coffee.   He had stopped there before heading out on his beat and he was so tired.  The waitress handed him a cup of coffee and said, "Have a cup of coffee, Andy.  It will keep you awake tonight and one cup can't hurt you."   He unwisely drank it thinking that he would never take another one but there came other nights when he was tired and soon the drug was in his system.  He had become a prisoner to it.  He remembered how hurt his beautiful wife was when she discovered he was drinking coffee.

She had reminded him that he was breaking the Word of Wisdom, which we must keep to make our bodies clean and free from injurious substances.   In return God promises us that we will run and not be weary, and walk and not faint.

He thought over this and realized that even if it wasn't hurting his body physically, it was hurting him spiritually and hurting his marriage.  He needed to stop.

When he got home from his night shift, he saw Annie, (as he called her) was awake and handed her the envelope and letter.  He said, "Here is the answer to your prayers."

Her response was, "Andrew you will go, won't you?'

He tried to tell her all the reasons he couldn't do it.  How could he leave her and the children with no income?  He had a Word of Wisdom problem, drinking coffee.  But to every excuse he said, she just came back stronger and reminded him that there isn't any problem that they couldn't solve with the help of the Lord.   This was a call from the Lord, how could he not go?

She reminded him of the many times his life had been preserved and that maybe that is why he had been preserved for this mission call.  The Lord knew he could touch many people's lives for good.  She told him she felt that he not only had a strong healthy body but also his mind was alert, he loved the gospel and that he would be an instrument in the Lord's hand to the convincing of many souls of the truthfulness of the gospel.

With a wonderful wife like Annie that trusted him and trusted in the Lord with all her heart  that she and the children would be okay and that she would find ways to support both of them while he was out serving the Lord, all of his excuses were vanishing and he knew the only way to move forward was to accept the call the Lord had extended to him at this time and trust in the Lord.

Andy met with the Bishop and told him about his problem with coffee and his worry for his family but that he trusted the Lord would help them.  He asked the Bishop to check on them too so that he could feel comfortable knowing someone was watching over them. 

The Bishop said he would keep an eye on Andy's family but he also knew how independent Annie was and that he, too, was sure they would be fine.  He told him  he felt he was worthy to go because if he said he was done drinking his coffee, that was good enough for the Bishop because he had never known him to break his word.

Andrew left for his mission in March 1898 on a train.  He was 37 years old.  He taught the gospel and helped so many people.  This mission continued to make his testimony stronger.   The Lord took care of him while he was gone from his family.

He was released to return home in December 1899.   It was a little earlier than he expected and he was sad to leave his mission but the Mission President said, "It is time for you to go home to your family.  Your wife needs you.  You have served faithfully and honorably."  He arrived home on December 24, 1899, which was a surprise for his family because they didn't know he was coming home.  It was the best Christmas gift ever.

People in above Story

• Andrew King Jr. b. 11 May 1861, Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland; d. 23 July 1956, North Logan, Cache, Utah
• Sarah Ann Jacobs King (wife) b. 31 January 1868, Logan, Cache, Utah; d. 6 July 1946, Logan, Cache, Utah