Mom's Story -- The Smith Memorial Home

The Smith Memorial Home

The Daughters of the Pioneers of which I was President, needed money so I conceived the idea of having a Pioneer House Tour, as many of the old pioneer homes in town held great fascination to our new townspeople.  Ida Hendricksen and I took the Smith home and fixed it up as best we could for the tour.  We made about $200 off the event, but more than the money, I had an idea rooted in my mind for restoration of that home.  The Smith family needed some ideas for caring for the house as it was very run down and that appealed to them, so Aunt Myrtle appointed me chairman for the restoration with their blessings.

How can I describe the challenges –from the shingling of the roof with a 72 year old man as the chief and only laborer, to furnishing ten rooms with pioneer furniture, which had all been refinished?  A year later, after many many discouraging events, each, which looked like it, would cause the failure of the project, the home was dedicated and the deed turned over to the Daughters of Pioneers.  The total cost was a little over $4000 but the cost in my time and effort could never be figured.  Much of the time I worked doggedly alone trying to bring a dream to fruition.  That was July 1962. 

On April 6, 1963 the National President of DUP, Kate B. Carter, invited me to tell about the restoration of the home at their National Convention in Salt Lake City at Hotel Utah. 

It was an exciting moment in my life.  The Smith Memorial Home has been so dear to my heart because so much of my energies were put into it.  I feel it has served a need in Snowflake to retain the uniqueness of the town and hold to the beauty of the historical heritage that is our.  Two years later I ramrodded a project to get the picket fence built and painted.  That was a story in itself. 

While serving as President of the Daughters of Pioneers, we lobbied to get street signs for the town using Pioneer names.  We selected names that characterized the location where pioneer families lived, for example, Stinson, Freeman, Smith, Hulet, etc.  The City purchased the plates but there was a lot of work involved in getting the names on the plates and getting them placed on the right street.  Leone and Silas Decker helped Bill and I with the project.  The Town placed the poles in cement for us and helped with the installation.  It took several months work. 

Another worthwhile project we did during this period was to write personal histories with pictures of all the pioneers who had come into Snowflake during the first ten years of its existence.  There were so few to do so much work but I particularly appreciated Sister Augusta Flake’s help with the pictures that went into the book.  That book is housed in the Snowflake Genealogical Library. 

On September 26, 1963 our little town newspaper, the Snowflake Herald, began its subscription again in Snowflake after lying dormant for many years.  J. Morris Richards, the editor and a long-time friend, came and asked me if I’d write for it.  What a challenge that was.  Every Monday I spent pounding the typewriter or hanging on the phone for bits of news. 

I wrote about seventy-five percent of the news that appeared in the paper, and some weeks I just didn't know what I would do for something to write about.  It was hard and the deadlines were nerve racking.  For six years until 1969, I struggled getting the newspaper out each week.  Whenever I couldn’t be at home on Monday, I usually planned ahead for it and had it sent in early.  I wrote many biographies of townspeople to help fill the pages. 

Mom's Story -- Church Callings and Community Service

Church Callings and Community Service

            November 24, 1961, Bill was released as Bishop after nine and a half years.  It was with mixed feelings that Saturday morning that we realized his service as Bishop was over.  He had served so well. Quietly he had done the Lord’s work as he saw it, never sparing himself of details and drudgery.  He had worked for and established a cannery, and for many years it operated well --helping people get needed supplies at a nominal cost; he had personally kept the little cold swimming pool open for the children each summer, cleaning it and maintaining it when there was on one else to do it.  These were only a few of the many things he did.  Many times he and I helped Dr. Heywood weed and clean the Church yard.  During his time as a Bishop, we learned to love the dear people of Snowflake.  It was a blessed opportunity for not only Bill but for our family to serve.  

            I had been elected to serve on the School Board for the Elementary School, and in 1961 I had completed my third term –eight years.  There were serious problems to be met  in the schools with the increase in enrollment due to the construction of the Paper Mill.  Snowflake Schools stood to gain everything as far as tax base was concerned while our neighbors Taylor, Show Low, and Heber would be strapped with increased enrollment and no industry to help share the tax burden.  So, our School Board began a series of town meetings trying to educate the public to the idea of consolidating the school district.  Hy Hendrickson was the principal of the High School and could see the vision of what needed to be done.  Through his leadership and brains we were not only able to consolidated the little schools around, but could build the new Junior High School which would accommodate 325 more students.  The bond issue cost was $350,000 and passed 197 to 95 in Snowflake and 89 to 70 in Taylor.  I worked tirelessly for the schools during those years. 

            It was the Christmas of 1961 that I opened my home for a Christmas House Tour.  It was cold and snowy, but over 150 people came and the proceeds were used to help establish the Josephine Goldwater Hospital.  Also during this time I gave a series of little afternoon receptions for the new women in town, inviting some of the ladies who were long-time residents also.  It proved to be one of the sweetest experiences of my life for I made life-long friends.  I entertained dozens of women over several months time. 

            Bill had only served a year as a High Councilman when he was called to be a councilor in the Stake Presidency.  Uncle Jess had been called to be the President of the Arizona Temple, so was to be released.  The years that followed this call are too bitter for me to recall.  The school problems had stirred up so many hard feelings in the Stake and Hy Hendricksen, who had been called as the new Stake President was unjustly blamed for many things.  Unkind rumors were spread like wild-fire.  Each rumor was added upon by the next person telling it until it was too much to bear.  The Hendricksen family had more sorrow than can be told.  There were years of unhappiness and blight as the vultures relished their tidbits of juicy gossip.  Finally after many sessions trying to work out the problems, the Stake Presidency was released and Bro. Hendricksen went to Phoenix to take another job.   Elder Spencer W. Kimball came to help resolve the problems but our enemies persisted.  President John F. Taylor was put in as the new Stake President.  Bill was released after serving a little more than two years under President Hendricksen.  I wept many bitter tears about the entire matter.  There were so many innocent people hurt.

            I was called to be the Primary President of the Snowflake Second Ward and what a great calling that was.  I served nine years in the Primary, five of which I was President.  I learned to love the children and the wonderful teachers I worked with.  There were many faith promoting incidents which I have recorded in my journal, and which told me again in no uncertain terms that the Lord loved me and answered my prayers.  Each Christmas while I was President, I made each of my teachers some Christmas gift;  can you imagine making fifty aprons at a time; however, the teachers soon got on to my little trick and the year I was released they presented me with a beautiful friendship quilt.  How they ever kept it a secret from me I’ll never know. 

New Buildings and Dark Clouds

New Buildings and Dark Clouds

Elder and Sister Rogers
New England States Mission 1953

In 1953 Mother and Dad returned from their mission in the New England States and immediately they were called as Temple Workers in Mesa.  A family building project began.  Mother and Dad built their new home in Mesa.  

Marion and Leonora Rogers' Mesa home 1956

Mayola and Red, who moved to Scottsdale from New Orleans after Red’s retirement from the Army, built a beautiful home near the Golf Course in Scottsdale.  

Red and Mayola Miltenberger

Those years while Mother and Dad and Mayola and Red lived in the Valley were choice, wonderful close years of happiness.  They enjoyed seeing our little girls grow.  Jim was always a favorite with them.  Many Thanksgivings and Easters were spent together in those two new beautiful homes.  However, Christmas was always spent in Snowflake with our dear ones coming from Mesa and Scottsdale to be with us.  What memories, with Uncle Red playing the part of Santa, Grandpa and Grandma showering their generosity on us all, and the children lapping up the love and affection given so freely by those important people in their lives.  So much could be written about the struggles to get those homes built, getting in the landscaping and all that goes along with establishing new homes.  Dad was in his glory.  He loved beautiful surroundings and the hard work to make them so was no insurmountable barrier for him.  Mayola called their home their “Enchanted Cottage” and so it was but it was soon to end. 

            In 1959 on the way to Wyoming to spend the summer with Louise, Dad and Mother had an automobile accident near Salina, Utah.  Dad swerved to miss a car, which had failed to stop, and which entered the highway from the Aurora cut-off road.  He lost control and landed in a ditch of water.  Mother had several broken ribs and Dad had received a bad bump on his head –nothing serious, we thought.  They were in the hospital in Salina and then spent three weeks in Provo at Roscoe’s home recuperating.  A big Joseph W. Smith family reunion was being planned in August to be held in Snowflake, so Dad and Mother flew via a private plane to Show Low to attend.  It seemed they were recuperating nicely and all was well.  Mother was very stiff and sore, but Dad seemed perfectly all right.  During the reunion Dad was the chief entertainer with readings and stories, and especially at the program where he recited all the old family favorite stories and readings then ended with his beautiful testimony.  We had over 200 people attend, and of course, I was in the big middle of all the preparations and arrangements.  Seventeen of the twenty children of Joseph W. Smith were in attendance at that wonderful reunion.  I had cooked for weeks in preparation. 

            A day or so after the big reunion I noticed Dad was looking pale and listless, but was not concerned until he started to drag his leg and his hands would not function like he wanted them to.  Dad had worked so hard helping me with the reunion I felt he was just exhausted and needed rest.  However, he worsened daily and finally was unable to move without help.  I was terribly worried and took him to Holbrook where Dr. Demarse diagnosed it as a stroke, but with reservations.  Bill was worried about the bump Dad had had in the accident, and Dr. Demarse considered his case again.  By this time Dad was completely immobilized.  So Dr. Demarse arranged for a plane and a brain specialist in Phoenix.  As the airplane door shut on Dad and Mother and I saw it take off and rise into the sky, I stood weeping and thinking that would be the last time I would ever see my father in this life.  And so it was.  Dad died on September 14, 1959 after two operations to relieve the blood clots in his brain.  I recorded in my journal:  “Dad slipped away from us after a hard struggle to live.  Mother and Mayola were by his side.  I can’t believe that wonderful, big, strong Dad of mine is gone from us.  I can’t express my loneliness.”  On September 16, with the wind blowing like only it can in Snowflake, dear Dad was laid away in the old hard rocky cemetery –so like his life.  Bill conducted the service.  It seemed that the Lord had spared Dad those six weeks after the accident just to see that Mother was taken care of and to be with us during that wonderful reunion.  Mother spent three weeks after the funeral with me and then returned to her little Cottage to start a new life alone. 

            To conquer the lonliness and give her life some purpose, Mother wrote and published a book, “Biography of Marion Rogers,” and presented it to us for Christmas in 1961.  That has been a precious treasure to our family’s storehouse of memories. 

            Our busy life continued and in December of  1959 we paid the architect for our new clinic plans.  We had such stars in our eyes.  We wanted a clinic large enough to accommodate a doctor as well as a dentist.  It was probably a mistake to build such a large building, but later it proved to be a blessing for many doctors have used the facility over the years.  Chad Willis and his sons built it for us, and even though we hadn’t planned to finish the doctor’s wing at the time, we decided it was wise to do so and have been thankful we did.  The cost was staggering in our eyes, but now the building could not be replaced for three times the amount we paid.  We slaved to keep up with our payments and our current bills, money just didn’t come in fast enough.  Bill hated the business end of dentistry.  If he could just take care of the dental part and leave the business of collecting bills to someone else he would have been happy.  He was always so honest and upright in his dealings, but many bills were never collected. 

Dr. F.W. Ericksen Dental and Medical Clinic

            In August 1960, the Grand Opening for the Southwest Paper Mill was held and ground was broken.  During this time, and in 1961, the Paper Mill was under construction with many new people in town looking for a place to stay.  As the Doctor’s wing of the clinic was vacant, I put beds and showers in it and rented it out to construction workers.  I made enough to remodel my kitchen and bathroom besides other improvements around the home.  Our place became popular with the workmen and they brought their friends begging me to put them up.  So, I opened my upstairs rooms and basement rooms.  At times I had as many as eight men living at the clinic alone besides those in the house.  They were great friends and did many things to help around the place.