Almon Vedder Van Epps and Leona Major -- my grandparents

Life Story of Almon Vedder Van Epps 

 (Written by himself, Phoenix, Arizona, January 21, 1957)

 My story as I remember it. I am writing this little history to the best of my memory. Many things forgotten and somethings added that may not be true.

 My grandparents, and I remember them, on my Father’s side were Christiana Haverly and John Albert Van Epps, born in Glenville, New York and married there; later moving to Stephenson County in northern Illinois. Most of the trip by wagon route, settling near Lena, Illinois where several Holland settlers were living. They located about 2 ½ miles NE of Lena, bought a quarter section of farming land in Waddams Township. Their first home was made of logs cut from trees on the surrounding land. It was built about 100 feet from a large ever flowing spring of pure water. The land was fertile, producing well of all kinds of wild deciduous fruits, grains and grasses. They prospered and fitted in well with the older residents. Here their family of three sons and one daughter were born. The daughter’s name was Christiana, she died in her second year. The boys, as they came along were named Albert, James and my father-Christian Haverly. The sons all grew up and lived in this locality. Their parents lived to a good old age and died on the homestead, in a very nice house that was built on the spot where the log cabin was. They were buried in the Manny Cemetery, about 2 miles from the home on the road to the small-town McConnell or Bob Town as it was known, on the banks of the Pecatonica River. Their sons grew up on the homestead, attending school at the Van Eps Grade School about ¾ mile from their home. Their father was one of the School Board Members and was their teacher for several years. They only held school a few months each year. The school was later named the Manny District School, as one of the Board Members Pels Manny started teaching. It was later nicknamed the Gooseneck School by a teacher named John Soliday. Albert, the oldest son enlisted in the Civil War and was discharged when the War was over. He married Ruth Sisson, a neighbor girl. James, the second son married a girl named Hettie French. They went to Moreland Iowa, near Fort Dodge. He owned a big cattle ranch and a grocery store at Moreland for years. My father, Christian Haverly, married a local girl named Mary Carter, living in Wards Grove about 15 miles from his home. They were married in her home in Wards Grove, later lived in Lena where my father was employed. I have heard that they moved to Des Plains, north of Chicago, where they lived for several years(?) later moving back to Lena, living on the Rishel Farm a couple of miles north of Lena, then bought the David DeGraffe farm, 160 acres, a couple of miles SE of Lena, in the Pleasant Hill School District and about 12 mile from our home. I remember my first day in this school. When my father’s parents estate was settled, my father bought the farm of 120 acres, then as 40 acres had been sold to Joshua Sisson before their deaths. My parents sold their farm to George Holmes and moved to the old Van Epps homestead about ¾ miles from our home. I was about 16 years old. I had 2 brothers and 4 sisters, as they came along, Marie - who died in infancy, Alice Francisca, Katherine or Kitty, Thomas Carter, Almon Vedder (that’s me), John Albert and Clara Leora. My Grandparents on my mothers side were Polly Giddings and Thomas B. Carter and as far as I know, as the story goes, were born, grew up and married in Ireland. They came to North America on their honeymoon (being from Ireland and coming to America on their honeymoon seems to be a false tradition that was handed down [Leone’s comment]) and liked the country and decided to settle and make their home in Virginia, where they lived ad raised their family of one son and 3 daughters until after the Civil War, moving North to Stephenson County, Illinois, locating near Lena called Wards Grove. The names of the children as they came along, were Nelson, Clara, Nancy and my mother Mary or Marie. They lived in this location until their deaths and were buried in the Lena Cemetery in a lot enclosed by a high artistic iron fence, to the right as you enter the cemetery. My grandfather was never in sympathy with the south, and as the story goes, he was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln and to prove his loyalty to the North, he built a large hospital in (??) for the Civil War disabled veterans. They must have been quite wealthy, as the family had a large plantation and owned negro slaves. They left them in the south when they moved north. My mother was a school teacher in the local school for a few years. THIS IS MY LIFE: I was born October 16, 1879 and was raised, went to school and Sunday School near Lena Illinois. My parents were Methodists. My mother was one of the faithful, and many a meal was given to the preachers. I enjoyed a natural life, our home and family. My school days ended when I finished the 8th grade at the Gooseneck School, as did most of my school mates, a few favored ones went to high school in Lena, but we all grew up about the same. I worked at home when needed, and when our work was caught up, I worked for the neighbors at practically everything, helping farm, put up buildings, etc. My father gave me a colt that I trained. I always loved fine horses, and as I grew older, and started to step out, I saved my money and bought a new buggy. My mother gave me a new harness, and did I STRUT MY STUFF. I worked in a Creamery in Lena for a Mr. Root for about a year, then went to work for a Farm Implement Store, Henry Babcock Co. in Lena, and got interested in selling game and liked it. Later I got the agency for the Sharpless Hand Cream Separator. I ordered one by express to come from Sharpless, Penn. It was the first hand and small cream separator offered for sale to the farmers in that part of the state, to separate the cream from fresh milk on their farms; lots of advantages over paying to have the milk hauled to a creamery, and it made a hit. I loaded the machine in a buggy and made demonstrations to farmers, often staying overnight to show them the good features. I took lots of orders. They sold for between $60 and $80, in two sizes. I ordered from Factory via freight and on arrival delivered and set them up and got them started OK, and collected my money, always cash. I sold more than 50, and then a large Imp Co.-Bergman F Co of Freeport, Illinois got so many calls for them they took the agency away from me by ordering large quantities at a time. They wanted me to work for them. I was 21 years old then and on my own. My mother had a mortgage on a Livery Stable in Durand, Illinois and she had to take the stable and contents—horses, harnesses and buggies. So, she sent me to take charge of it, which I did, staying there about 2 years, when we sold it. I then went to Rockford, Illinois and went to work for the Rockford Street Railway, as Conductor and worked in the City until the Rockford and Janesville Electric Railway running from Janesville Wisconsin and Freeport Illinois – about 75 miles. I stayed with this job until the last of May 1907 and on Decoration Day I left Rockford for Great Falls, Montana. I arrived in Great Falls on the 3rd of June, via train, about 6am—tired, hungry and dirty. Went to the Great Falls Hotel, got a room, cleaned up, had breakfast, then got busy and landed myself a job on a big horse ranch about 14 miles NW of town, owned by Ex-Senator Gibson, who had his office in the Hotel where I stayed, (a fine fellow). I wrangled horses, and rode the fence line, as this several thousand acre ranch was entirely fenced and over 3000 horses would sometime break the fence, which had to be repaired and did I have fun roping and riding wild horses. There were two of us wranglers that worked together, myself and a fine young fellow, Chas Evans. I stayed on this ranch until it got cold, and we put all the horses in corrals for winter. The fun was over. I got my pay for the summer’s work, I was paid in gold coins - $70. I wasn’t used to Gold Coins, so it took some time to check it. I bought a new suit and went to Idaho Falls to visit my cousin, John Van Epps, who lived about 8 miles North of town. I got a job the next day with the Spaulding Buggy Co. from Gunnell Iowa as salesman and assistant Superintendent and went to Montpelier, Idaho and opened a station, as a carload of buggies had just arrived. This job gave me a fine opportunity to see the western country, as I made all deliveries and collections. The sales were made by 4 other salesmen. I went to Salt Lake City, and then to Milford Utah, as a car of buggies had arrived there. We sold the buggies and I went to Mammoth Springs, Arkansas as 2 carloads had been delivered to this place to keep us fellows busy during the winter months. The climate was fine for our work, I arrived just before Christmas. In the Spring, I went back to Modena, Utah and kept busy until that Fall, when I resigned and went to Salt Lake City, and went to work for the Utah Implement Vehicle Company as a Salesman, starting the 3rd of October 1908, I worked for this company for 16 years. I went to an LDS Church with a friend one Sunday night and met a very charming young lady named Leona Major. I fell for her and made a date, and that date is still in force. I courted her for about 2 ½ years and we were married June 21, 1911---and are still married today —April 4, 1959. Leona had written the story of our lives together. We have had nearly 50 years of a very happy and enjoyable marriage. Leona had been my one and only sweetheart all these years and she has been a wonderful pal. We have two fine sons, Kenneth and Gordon. They have good jobs, are honest and reliable, no bad habits, and both have nice wives and families and I am proud and thankful for them. June 1st, 1945, I retired after 22 years’ service with the O. S. Stapley Company of Phoenix Arizona, as a salesman, Branch Store Manager and Floor Manager. We have enjoyed every month of it and I hope we will both be blessed with good health so we can enjoy each other to the end, and if I had my life to live over, I would do the same if possible, with a few exceptions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Life of Leona Major Van Epps

 (written by Leona Major Van Epps) I was born in Kaysville, Utah, November 30, 1885. My parents were William Duncomb Major and Virginia Faithful McMaster Major. They were the parents of eleven children: six boys and five girls. I was the youngest girl and their ninth child. The names of their children follow: Grace Millicent, William (who died when he was about one year old), Donald Henderson and Dora Elizabeth (twins), Robert Bruce, Leona, Frederick Raynaldo, and Heber Leroy. My father was a miller and owned a flour mill in Kaysville. When I was a year old, he sold his property there and moved to Bountiful, Utah, where he bought the Heber C. Kimball Mill and a nice home nearby. It was a pretty place, with the mill stream and pond, where they went boating in the summer and skating in the winter. They also cut blocks of ice from the pond, to store in sawdust for the summer. Father also ran an Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Store. The Daughters of the Utah Pioneer’s built a replica of the old mill on the site, on the road east of Bountiful. Father’s name is on it as the last miller. When I was six years old, he sold out and moved to Layton, Utah. He bought a home in West Layton, and got a job as miller with the Ellison Roller Mill Co., where he worked for several years. I started school in the 1st grade in the red brick school house in West Layton. All eight grades met in one room, with one teacher. I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was eight years old. There was only one Ward in Layton at that time up in East Layton. When I was about nine years old, they divided the Ward, the new one called the West Layton Ward. We lived in the new Ward, and we held all meetings in the School House until the new chapel could be built. David E. Layton was our Bishop and my mother was the President of the Relief Society. When I was 13 years old, we sold our home in Layton and moved to Thatcher, Arizona, by train. Uncle Charles Layton, who married Mother’s sister, Mary Ann McMaster, had moved there and built a Flour Mill and wanted Father to go there and run it for him. Dora, Bruce, Fred, Heber and I went with our parents. Brother Don was living there. My oldest sister, Grace, and her husband Tom Naylor and their 3 children were living there, having been called to help settle that country. I graduated from the 8th grade in Thatcher and was chosen to give the class essay at the graduation services. Of course, we enjoyed living in Thatcher, near Grace and Aunt Mamie, but Father didn’t like the hot climate and other things, so he sold the home he had bought there and moved back to Layton, 2 years later, where he bought another home on Gentile Street in West Layton Ward again. Mother’s health began to fail a couple of years later and she died April 18, 1904 when I was 18 years old. After Mother’s death, I had to be the housekeeper for my father and 3 brothers, Bruce, Fred and Heber, who were still at home. Never having had much responsibility, it was hard for me but I did the best I could. My sister, Hattie Harrod, who lived in Layton was a great help to me and was good to all of us. One year and three months after Mother’s death, father married a widow, Mary Ellen Finley and as he didn’t need me anymore and I wanted to get further education, I went to Salt Lake City to live. I lived with my cousin, Mame Arnold and family for 3 months and went to High School. Mother’s sister, Margaret Priestley, offered me a home with her and her husband, Uncle John. I moved in with them at 178 I Street, where I lived until I graduated from High School. It was through the generosity and kindness of Aunt Maggie and Aunt Libb Foulger, Mother’s sister, my brother Don, who lived in Salt Lake and was unmarried, and my sister Hattie that I was able to do this. I took a business course and graduated in 2 years. I had a severe illness about the time I graduated. Everyone was so kind to me, as soon as I was able to leave Aunt Maggie’s, I went to Layton, and stayed with Joe and Hattie until I was well. I wanted to go to Salt Lake to get a job and Fred was going to the University of Utah, so Don rented a small apartment, and he, Fred and I moved in Our apartment was on 7th East Between 1st and 2nd South. One of my school mates had got a job at the University of Utah and told me they were looking for a girl to work in Dr. David R. Allen’s office. I went to his office and applied for the job and got it. I worked as a stenographer and also helped run the first book store at the University, which was part of the office. I worked there for 2 years, when I got married. It was a fine place to work and I enjoyed it. I met so many nice people and made many new friends. When Brother Don married Laura Divett, I found a place to room and board with Mr. and Mrs. John Slaughter, about a block from Don’s on 5th South. Mrs. Slaughter was a Kaysville girl (Nellie Barnes) so I felt at home with them. We lived in the 9th Ward and one Sunday evening at Church, Almon Van Epps was there with a friend of mine (Alice Divett) and she introduced me to him. He called on me within a few days. We became good friends, and of course we fell in love and went together over 2 years before we married. I hesitated a long time because he was not a member of our church. He was always so good and kind to me, and he promised if he ever joined a church it would be the Mormon Church. He worked for the Utah Implement and Velicca (?) Company in Salt Lake. They sent him to work in their Branch Store in Preston, Idaho, Jan 1, 1911, after being up there sometime, he rented a nice home and furnished the living room bedroom and kitchen and planted a fine garden. We were married by Bishop Wooley of the 9th Ward, at the home of Uncle Chas & Aunt Libb Foulger, June 21, 1911. My father and Aunt Mary and several of my brothers and sisters, their wives and husbands, and other relatives were there. Aunt Libb served a lovely dinner. My cousin Donald Priestly sang several songs. Then we went to the Hotel Utah, which was a new Hotel then. Stayed there 2 days and nights, and took a train for Preston, Idaho to our new home. We stayed all summer in that house, then rented a home on Main Street where we lived all winter. In the Spring we bought a lot and built a nice little home, just off Main Street which we enjoyed very much. Van did a lot of the work and painting himself. Van got dissatisfied with his job for certain reasons and we sold out in November 1912, and moved to Salt Lake City. He got a job with the Con. Wagon and Machine Company and they moved us to Ephraim, Utah, January 1, 1913. We rented a nice home there but only stayed six months as the Utah Implement Company wanted Van To come back to Salt Lake City and work for them again. We moved back in June 1913 and rented a duplex at 374 D Street. Our first baby, Kenneth Major, was born there on April 7, 1914. Dr. Chas Douglas was the Dr. and my sister Hattie and Aunt Libb Foulger were there to help. Hattie stayed with us for 2 weeks. We were very happy with our baby. Brother Don gave him a blessing and name. We moved a couple of other places in Salt Lake and finally to 2517 Park Street in Forest Dale Ward. The last of November, 1919, Van had a very serious illness, and was taken to the LDS Hospital, where they took his tonsils out. He had inflammatory rheumatism. After three weeks we brought him home, but he was in bed quite helpless the rest of the winter. My folks were kind and did all they could to help us, and we had good neighbors and friends to cheer us and help. God was good to us. Gordon Almon was born there April 1, 1920. Sister Hattie was there to help out and also a practical nurse, and Mrs. Soren our good neighbor. Van was able to walk with crutches by then. Dr. Harding, our Dr. recommended we go to Arizona to a warm, dry climate. We sold our car and furniture, and left for Mesa, Arizona, where my brother Heber and family lived. We left Salt Lake via train May 3rd and arrived in Mesa May 5th, 1920. We stayed at Heber’s a week, then rented a place. By July 1st, Van was able to go to work. He got a job with the O.S. Stapley Company and worked there until April 1, 1921, when we left Mesa for Salt Lake City with our sons and Brother Hebe. Van seemed to be well again and his job with the Utah Implement Company was waiting for him. He had spent the winter rebuilding an old car. It took us 18 days to drive from Mesa to Salt Lake via California. We went to Long Beach to get our first view of the Pacific Ocean. The roads very bad and rough those days, not many were paved. We rented a furnished home on 9th East and some months later a house on corner of 4th Ave and J Street and enjoyed living there, just one block from Aunt Maggie Priestley’s. I loved her very much and enjoyed visiting her. She was always so good to me. That winter Van traveled a lot as Salesman for General Motors, Sampson Division and the rheumatism came back again, so he decided to go to a warmer climate before another winter came. On October 1923, we left Salt Lake for California. My brother Hebe and family had moved to Huntington Park, California and liked it, so we went there, driving October 31. We rented a small house across the street from Hebe’s and Van got a job as carpenter with the Pacific Ready-Cut Company. He was soon made a foreman. Gordon had a serious illness-for 9 weeks. We had two Doctors, one said he had intestinal Flu and the other one said pneumonia. The Lord was good to us and he lived. Van also was ill for several weeks. We had so much rain and he was out in it so much, he caught cold. When he got better, he got a job with the International Harvester Co. They sent him to Orange, California to work as salesman for the Elteste Company. We liked it there and bought a lot, and expected to build a home, but the company sent Van to Fullerton, California as Manager of their Branch Store. We rented a home there on Golden Hill, and like it very much. There was a Branch of the Church in Anaheim, not far from Fullerton, which we attended and I got interested in Relief Society work. That winter, the cold and dampness of that climate, brought Van’s rheumatism back and the Doctor advised him to go back to Arizona. So, we left there (much to our regret, for we loved California) for Phoenix, Arizona, arriving there December 28, 1924. A job was waiting for Van at the O. S. Stapley Company as outside salesman of farm machinery. He worked for them for 22 years before he retired in June 1945. We bought a home on North 7th Ave, soon after we came to Phoenix. Sold it in 1927 and bought a lot and built a nice home at 14 West Windsor Ave, in 1928 (my brother Hebe helped build this house. In 1929, the Stapley Company put in a new store at Buckeye Arizona—35 miles west of Phoenix and put Van in as Manager. We rented out home and moved there. We rented a new home in Valencia, a suburb of Buckeye, where the store was located. The tenants left our home in Phoenix in June, so the boys and I moved back there while Van stayed in Buckeye and came home week ends until the next January. We didn’t like it there, so Van came back to the Phoenix Store to work. In 1931-32, Van had a long illness. On October 1st, 1932, Lorel Stapley baptized him and our sons into the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which made me very happy. In 1936, Van’s brother, Carter, came out from New York to spend the winter with us and built a house for us at 16 Windsor Avenue. When it was finished, we rented our home and moved in the new house. We moved back and forth from the 1 house to the other several times, but have lived at 16 Windsor for several years now. Kenneth and Gordon volunteered for service in World War II, and served until the War ended. Kenneth in the Air Force and Gordon in the Navy. They were both married while in service. Kenneth married Mary Andrea Schmiegelow on July 7, 1944. He played in the Air Force Band at Luke Field, 25 miles from Phoenix, the last 2 years of the War. They lived at 16 Windsor for about 2 years and we lived at 14 Windsor. Gordon married Jane Dunn, January 25, 1945 while home on a furlough. Delbert Stapley married both couples at our home. Mary and Jane are lovely girls and good wives and mothers. Mary and Kenneth have 3 children, 2 boys and one girl. Kenneth and Mary and their 3 lovely children now live at 14 Windsor, and we enjoy them (eventually they had a total of 4 children).. Gordon and Jane have 4 girls. I have always loved Relief Society work and have been active in it for years. I was the first secretary of the Phoenix 2nd Ward when it was organized and served for 4 years, until we moved to Buckeye in 1929. I was appointed Secretary to the Maricopa Stake Relief Society November 20, 1932. Elnora Shupe was President, Mabel Price- 1st Counselor, Hazel Stohl- 2nd Counselor and when the Phoenix Stake was organized the same officers were appointed. We all served until November 16, 1940, when we were released. I felt it was a great privilege to do this work for the Church and top work with these fine women. We have had some trouble, but on the whole, we have lived a happy life together. Van has been a wonderful husband and Father. We are proud of our boys and they have been good sons to us, and are fine men. We have enjoyed many nice trips together, to Lead, South Dakota to visit Van’s sister Clara Robey several times. Many trips to Utah to visit my brothers and sisters, and to California. My sister, Hattie Harrod, died in the LDS Hospital in Ogden, Utah in April 1956. She was very dear to me, and had planned on having a wonderful summer together in Layton, Utah. Van and I had made arrangements to live in a home there while the family were in Europe, so naturally I felt very bad about her death. We went up to her funeral, came back home, then returned to Layton, June 4th. We expected to have a nice summer but on June 23rd I had a mild heart attack, and was put to bed. On the evening of July 3rd, I had a severe attack, and was taken to the LDS Hospital in Ogden just after midnight July 4th, in an unconscious condition. I stayed there 16 days, then back to Layton and stayed in bed until August 17th when we left there in our car for Ephraim, Utah to Gordon’s home, where we stayed nearly 2 weeks, then came home to Phoenix in our car. I am slowly recovering. I know God has answered the many prayers offered for me, and I thank Him for all our blessings. My husband has been wonderful to me during my illness, no one could have given me better care than he has, and I do appreciate him and love him. Gordon was sustained as Bishop of the Ephraim North Ward in Ephraim, Utah on January 20th, 1956 which has made us happy. I am sure he will be a good Bishop. Delbert Stapley ordained him. I am thankful for everything, and my great desire is to do good, and be of service to others when I can. (Leona Major Van Epps, June 1957)