Welcome!

This blog is dedicated to my parents, brothers, sister, and cousins who are descendants of Johannes (John) Gutke and Johanna Mork Gutke (pictured above). I am in the process of posting everything I have, so that I can back up documents/photos and also access the info from any location. There are likely to be mistakes, so check back often and feel free to comment if you have corrections!

Sincerely,

Deniane Gutke Kartchner

Denianek@gmail.com


Frank Gutke death certificate

John Earl Gutke death certificate

 The following info is from 



Johannes GUTKE
Salt Lake City * Plat B Cemetery
Salt Lake County, Utah
Johannes Gutke was born 24 June 1816 in Sweden and died 24 October 1888 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Johannes Gutke married Johanna Fredrika Mork 31 May 1857 in Odeborg, Alvsborg, Sweden.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18
 

Johanna Fredrika Mork Gutke was born 20 January 1833 in Sweden. Johanna died 29 October 1906 in McCammon, Bannock, Idaho and was buried 1 November 1906.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 2E.

Maria Christina Gutke Wilcox was born 17 Mar 1862 in Sweden to Johannes and Johanna Fredrika Mork Gutke. Maria Christina died 29 November 1918 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Maria Christina Gutke married George E. Wilcox 11 August 1897 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 5E.

Anders Fredrik Gutke was born 8 September 1857 in Sweden to Johannes and Johanna Fredrika Mork Gutke. Anders died 17 May 1924 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah and was buried 20 May 1924. Anders Fredrik Gutke married Christina Maria Anderson 27 March 1889 in Logan, Cache, Utah.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 3 West.

Christina Maria Anderson Gutke was born 17 December 1858 in Sweden. Christina Maria died 12 August 1946 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 4 West.

Lillian Edna Gutke Renshaw was born 18 October 1883 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Anders Fredrik and Christina Maria Anderson Gutke. Lillian died 1 December 1918 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah and was buried 6 December 1918. Lillian Edna Gutke married Horace Wilford Renshaw 9 February 1904 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 2 West.

Clara Edna Renshaw was born 6 February 1908 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Horace Wilford and Lillian Edna Gutke Renshaw. Clara Edna died 2 March 1909 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah and was buried 4 March 1909.
 
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 2 West.

George Albert Gutke was born 14 March 1890 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Anders Fredrik and Christina Maria Anderson Gutke. Geroge died 14 October and was buried 18 October 1901.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 5 West.

Rhoda Ann Player Gutke was born 22 June 1874 in Terrace, Box Elder, Utah to Alfred and Temperance jane Hancock Player and died 31 December 1894. Rhoda Ann Player married Oscar Julius Gutke 8 March 1893 in Smithfield, Cache, Utah.
GRAVE LOCATION: PLAT B SECTION 2 BLOCK 18 GRAVE 3 West.
Photo contributed by volunteer Shyrlane Barker Catmull.
Contributed on 11/14/05 by Char1824 [at] aol [dot] com

Swedish terms

Swedish terms
1.      Parish Register – Cities are divided into parishes, or the geographical area around a church.  The parish clergy man was responsible for keeping records.
Register Birth- födelselängd
Christening - doplängd
Marriage - vigsellängd
Deaths - dödslängd 
Burials – begravningslängd
Communion attendance kommunionlängd
Confirmation classes (konfirmationslängd
Movement of individuals into parish inflyttningslängd 
Movement of individuals our of parish utflyttningslängd

2.      Household Examination rolls or clerical surveys (husförhörslängder) Originally set up by the clergyman when making his visitations throughout the parish to see how his parishioners were faring physically and spiritually. In cities household examination rolls were organized by blocks (kvarter) and house numbers, whereas in rural areas they were organized first by districts or wards (rotar) and then by type of residence; for example, village (by), estate (herrgård), farm (gård) or croft (torp) within the ward (rote).


This photo came from the Gutke/Monson files. I have absolutely no idea who this is.

Beatrice GUTKE history in progress


Beatrice Lenora Oleson
Born: 8 Jun 1909
Died: 13 August 1927

Beatrice Lenora Oleson was born 8 Jun 1909 in Midvale, Utah.
Her parents were Emil and Anna Oleson.  Emil was born in Union, Utah, and “Annie” was born in Sweden. It appears that Annie’s maiden name was also Oleson.[1] Neither record of Beatrice’s parents is found online (at the state archives 1904-1956).  They just aren’t there yet or they died later.
She married Clyde Fredrick Gutke on 13 August 1927, Midvale, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.[2]
Her parents were involved with the IOOF in Salt Lake City.[3] Clyde was also involved at the time. The internet says that it was primarily an organization for non-Mormons, so Emil and Anna might have been Protestant? This means Beatrice was probably also involved with the fraternity.[4]
They were members of Lodge 33 (of Midvale).  The I.O.O.F News as reported in the  _____ said that on Thursday, January 21, ____, E. Olson was installed as the Noble Grand and C Gutke as the Vice Grand. F.N. Swensen was the Secretary and F. Wright the Treasurer. 
This particular news brief also talked about a meeting at the IOOF Temple in Salt Lake the previous Monday where some 300 members were present to hear Grand Sire Powely (who resides in Ontario, Canada)’s comments about economic conditions.
Beatrice died 13 February 1929. The cause of death was tubercular meningitis.  The attending doctor, (I can’t read his signature? Claude D. Ihield?) had been attending her since January 15, 1929, so she had been really sick for about four weeks.
She was 19 years old (8 mos, 5 days). They were living at 1456 South State Street in Salt Lake City. They had been married for a year and a half.[5]

Beatrice was baptized on 6 Feb 1932 in Salt Lake.  Andrew F. Gutke and Ruth Judd are listed as the relatives/proxies.
She was endowed on 18 February 1932 in Salt Lake.  The relative/proxy is Andrew F. Gutke, Laura M.J. Gutke.  That means her mother-in-law did her work.
Sealed to parents EMIL ARTHUR OLESON and ANNA MARIA OLSSON on 3 April 1979.
She was sealed to Clyde Fredrick Gutke on 5 Jun 2004 in the Provo temple. Dennis and Lurlene Gutke did this work.[6]



[1] Beatrice Gutke’s death certificate, retrieved online from _____________.
[2] Familysearch.org (IGI)
[3] The May 17, 1939 Ogden Standard Examiner talks about Anna Oleson.  This is from the search engine (I need to research further): Ogden Standard-Examiner: Wednesday, May 17, 1939
“…of Levity With Utah Odd Fellows and Rebekahs meeting here in their annual ... Miss Lulu Cloudman Ogden chaplain Mrs Anna Oleson Salt Lake City inside ...”
[4] ODD FELLOWS HALL (1891)
The International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) was one of the many secret fraternal organizations popular in 19th-century America. These organizations engaged in a variety of social and charitable activities. They also offered "fraternal insurance" programs to assist members and their families in case of an illness or death.
It is no accident that the Utah Odd Fellows decided to build their hall here. Like most 19th-century fraternal organizations, the Odd Fellows excluded Mormons and Catholics from membership. The largely Protestant and Jewish members of the Utah Odd Fellows felt most comfortable in the emerging non-Mormon enclave at the south end of downtown.
The Odd Fellows Hall is one of the best examples of Richardsonian Romanesque commercial architecture remaining in Utah. A variety of brick patterns give the façade a textured appearance. Look for the inscriptions "IOOF" and "1891" in the elevated center portion of the parapet. Also note the carving of the all-seeing eye, an Odd Fellows symbol, above the main entry.


[5] State of Utah-Death Certificate.
[6] Knowledge of Deniane Kartchner from Dennis and Lurlene.
I don’t know why I saved this link: http://www.archive.org/stream/utahgazetteer18900stenrich

1900 Census - Olsen family

It's been awhile, and I'm going to have to research this again, but I think I was trying to link this Olson family with Emil Arthur Oleson, Beatrice's father. 



The following is a paper written, as Dennis notes, "by Gladys Gutke to bail me out of an English assignment." Okay, so Dad could have written his own assignment because he is a very good writer himself. But in this case, I am really glad that Grandma wrote it, because I am pretty sure that it is describing her mom, Betsey Monson (Kjersti Elizabeth Gealta Monson), and her sister, Viola Monson. It gives us a little insight into who they were in older years. Bob, I'm sure, is Robert C. Gutke, Glady's oldest son and Betsey's grandson.




Gladys Monson Baptism/Confirmation Certificate


I found this in Gladys' things. I haven't put an exact date to it yet.
This talk was given by me, Deniane Gutke, at Grandma’s funeral.

   Gladys Ann Monson Gutke was born on July 6th, 1913 in Sandy, Utah.  She was the 6th child of Jacob and Elizabeth Monson, whose families had both come from Sweden.  Grandma had one older brother, four older sisters, and one younger brother.  Grandma was especially close to Uncle Harold, who is just two years younger than she was.  When I visited with Grandma about her recollections growing up, she remembered that when they were younger she and Uncle Harold sat out in the great big sand pile in the back yard of their home in Sandy, playing with little cars and little jars and bottles that their grandma had given them, and what a fun time that was, just the two of them.          
          When Grandma was two, her father died.  Her mom struggled to keep them fed and clothed, and when Grandma was six they moved to Salt Lake City.  Over the years they lived in different houses, but Grandma's memories were happy.  They put on plays, rollerskated, played games, and babysat.  Grandma remembers how thrilled she was when for Christmas she received a little doll and Uncle Harold a krroom board. 
          When Grandma was ten years old they moved down to West Temple where she continued to participate in drama and to gain new friends.  She remembers her teachers well and enjoyed math and music.  Grandma spent the summers with her sister Norma who lived in West Jordan.  Norma and her husband Leonard had a dry farm, and every Saturday night they'd go over to Midvale to shop for groceries, have some dinner, and go to a movie.
          In Junior High Grandma took Latin and Spanish and started to play tennis.  In highschool she was a straight "A" student, played tennis, and participated in more plays.  She graduated from West High School as the valedictorian.  Grandma intended to go on to college, but her mother was still struggling and Grandma got a chance to be a highly paid dental assistant, so she did that instead. 
          When Grandma was 19 she met grandpa on a double date.  He was working for the railroad and was making good money, and Grandma said that she liked his car, nice clothes, and good looks.  But it took more than that to convince her to marry him!  They built on their relationship for two years before they got married.   Grandpa helped her through some pretty hard times, including the loss of her sister Alice in a car accident.
          After Grandma and Grandpa were married they moved to a duplex and fixed it up as a lovely first home.  Grandpa would come home from work, they'd have dinner, and then play tennis until the lights were turned out. They spent time with friends and had lots of fun. 
          About five years after they were married they had Uncle Bob, and in the meantime built their house in Holladay.  Then they had three other boys:  Kent, Jerry, and Dennis.  Grandpa worked at different jobs and so did Grandma to provide for their kids.  Over the years grandma worked as a secretary for several companies and served in many capacities in the church.  She wanted to return to school but never did. 
          In 1980 Grandpa died, and Grandma took care of herself and loved ones for almost 15 years after that.  She experienced many health problems but always seemed to bounce back until this last year, when she steadily declined.   She died peacefully in Blanding, Utah
          I have a copy of Grandma's yearbook from West High School.  One autograph written to her says,
          Gladys:
          "When others are counting their blessings
          I find that I am among the few
          Who are richer far by millions
          For I'm thankful for just knowing you."
          I would just like to spend a few minutes and share why I am thankful for having known my Grandma.
          Grandma was a wonderful cook.  She liked to collect and try different recipes.  We remember her banana cream pies, her tender, juicy roasts, fluffy mashed potatoes and steamy, buttery carrots.  I have never found a person who could make Bisquick pancake mix taste so delicious. 
          Grandma was always concerned with her appearance and looking nice, and she kept the girls at the trade school in Holladay practiced and ready to go with their cutting and hair coloring. Grandma could pay a sincere compliment; she also knew how to complain!
          Grandma was very creative.  She liked to make up fill-in-the-word games for wedding and baby showers, she liked to collect and write humorous poetry.  She enjoyed cross word puzzles and other mind bogglers. She has always enjoyed drama. 
          Grandma related well to the youth.  She served in her ward and stake young women's presidencies at a very young age, and also as a sunday school and primary teacher.  She involved the children in those things she loved and was effecient and helpful.  She loved for youth to visit her. Even two weeks ago in her weakened state, she cooed to my 5 month old son and talked with my 2 year old daughter.
          Grandma was very knowledgeable.  She liked to watch the news and read the newspaper to find out what was going on in the world.   She liked to discuss things with people and to express her opinion.  She loved to watch the tennis matches.
          Grandma loved games . . . however, she didn't care for the game Yahtzee very well because she "never had good luck."  All the same, she played with us grandchildren often. 
          We loved to listen to Grandma's laugh.  She had a pleasant, jovial laugh which made you want to laugh along with her.  She often could find the humor in a situation, even when times were tough. 
          Change was one thing that was hard for Grandma, especially as she got older.  But to her credit my sister-in-law told me that just a while ago she watched her learn to make Navajo fry bread with a smile on her face, and bite into mutton with gusto.  
          Grandma loved to eat in nice restaurants and to take rides to visit and enjoy scenery.   She enjoyed taking trips. She liked to visit with people and especially liked it when people visited her.
          Grandma valued education.  She has always encouraged us grandchildren to go on to college and get an education. 
          Grandma knew how to save and manage money and she used her resources to help other people. 

          Grandma received her patriarchal blessing when she was 46 years old.  At that point, who knew that her life was just a little more than half over?  As we look back at Grandma's life, I see how many of the beautiful promises from that blessing have been fulfilled.   
          Grandma was blessed with leadership. She was blessed that because of the integrity of her heart, she would be able to fulfill her church callings and be magnified in the eyes of those whom she labored with.  I believe with all my heart that Grandma was genuine in trying to help people the way she thought was best. 
          Grandma was blessed to be able to instruct the children in her home, to explain to them the truths of the gospel, inspire them to do what is right, and cause them to have the desire to walk through the straight gate and narrow way that leads to eternal life.  I think it would be safe to say that all of us children and grandchildren knew what grandma wanted for us, and she has inspired us at some time in our lives - either directly or indirectly- by her example.
          Grandma was blessed to be an inspiration to those in less fortunate circumstances, to bless them in a material way as well as a spiritual way.  We do not realize to what extent Grandma has kept track of all the cousins and their spouses and children when they came along, and was always prompt to send them gifts and notes.  She supported several missionaries, she gave generous tithes, fast offerings and other charitable contributions, and she was always very thoughtful to return kindnesses with a thank-you, especially in the form of a card or note which is so hard for so many of us to do.  As her grandchildren we always knew we would have a nice present on our birthdays, baptisms, ordinations, weddings, etc. . . . or $20 to buy us "something we would like for ourselves."  As we have started to get married, our spouses have also received the same kindness. 

          Grandma loved us.  I feel that as Grandma looks upon our family- 16 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren with another on the way, and numerous other special people that have crossed or come into our lives - she is proud of us!  I want to pay tribute to my uncles, my aunts and cousins.  Grandma was grateful for the little things we did: for checking in on her, for sending her flowers and gifts, for visiting her in the hospital when she was sick, for the phone calls and the cards, and for expressions of love like the new pair of soft, comfortable slippers Tonya always gave her.  I especially know that Grandma appreciated the special visits she received from her sons and their families while she was in Blanding.  Grandma loved us all the same.
          I want to end this tribute to my sweet grandmother with my testimony.  I know the church is true.  One of the memories I will always cherish is my brothers, sister, sisters-in-law and husbnd, mom and dad standing around Grandma's bed last Christmas season, singing Christmas carols.  My sweet dad gave Grandma a blessing when we were finished, a blessing of comfort to a child of our Heavenly Father who was really struggling, and the spirit of family and forever ties was so strong in the room it felt like a blanket to me, wrapped around us to take away the chill of a hard life.  Many of our extended family's fond memories of Grandma center around Christmas, Christmases at home while the boys were growing up, Christmases at Grandma Monsons with the whole extended family, Christmases with our own families sharing gifts she had given.  I am so happy that I know that the bands of death were broken by Christ, and the eternal circle of life and death is part of the plan of our Heavenly Father.  Despite all the problems and set-backs she faced, especially in this past year, Grandma endured to the end. 
          Grandma's patriarchal blessing shares Heavenly Father's love for her - promising that if she would seek the Lord in prayer, no desire of her heart in righteousness would be denied her.  I feel at this time, that the prayers to be released from this mortal life were heard by our Father in Heaven.  How fitting that Grandma should be honored in life and death on today, her birthday!  It is a new beginning for her.  She will continue to grow, and we can continue to grow here. I hope that each of us will remember Grandma  . .
living, full of life, fun, ever wanting the best for us, and that we can live worthily to return and be with her.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
          

“Grandma, Where Have all the Gypsies Gone?”

--an interview with Gladys Anna Monson Gutke


            This is an interview conducted on October 1, 1988, between me, Deniane Gutke (D), and my grandma, Gladys Anna Monson Gutke (G), at her home in Holliday, Utah.  I was with my boyfriend (Lorin Kartchner) and his family to pick up a brother returning from an LDS mission in Spain.  His plane was delayed, so I had the opportunity to spend the night at Grandma's and visit with her in the morning before returning to the Salt Lake Airport.

G:        Deniane has got the tape recorder on and wants me to say a few things.  I said I ought to have a script to read from!   Sometimes you have one memory that kind of stays with you over the years.  If we go back to the first thing I can remember—I wasn't very old—I remember having a little cupboard when we lived in Sandy.  I think it was on what we called a washstand—a basin where you washed your hands and things and it would have a little cupboard underneath.  I can remember going to that cupboard and getting out these red shoes—these shiny red shoes that I was so thrilled with.   There were so many people coming to the house, and I'd run out and show them these red shoes.  I was so proud of them.  Then I found out later that it was my father's funeral.  It was the viewing and people were coming to the viewing, but that didn't even register in my mind at that time.  All I was concerned with was these little red shoes.   That's my first memory and I was only two.   I have another recollection of not wanting to go into the room that we called the parlor, so that must have been where he was.  In those days they didn't keep them in the mortuary; they usually took them to the home. 

            My other early recollections aren't too many, but I remember Harold[1] and I sitting out in the great, big sand pile in the back playing with little cars and little jars and bottles that grandma had given us.  That was a fun time, just the two of us playing there.  We didn't have anyone to play with; the neighbors weren't very close to our age. 

But one other incident stands out.  There was a slag dump about a mile from our place and gypsies use to camp there.  Erma, who was a lot older than we, used to scare us about it all the time.  One day she said, "The gypsies are coming!  They're going to take us!"  She was suppose to be watching us, and she took both of us and ran out to the outside toilet—that's when we had an outside toilet—and made us stay in there until those gypsies went by.  I don't think they would have hurt us at all, but that stands out in my mind because we were so little.  I can remember her grabbing Uncle Harold by the hand and me by the other and running us out to the toilet so we wouldn't get stolen!  (laughter)  

            We moved to Salt Lake when I was six.  I do have a little recollection at school.  I was supposed to give a poem, and I can remember all the parents in this auditorium.  I was so proud of my pretty, white dress--it had a great, big pink sash --and I can just see myself walking down that aisle and up on the stage to give this poem.  I can't remember what poem it was, but it was a fun [one]. I do remember that!  Other than that I don't have any recollections of Sandy. 

However, before we moved to Salt Lake I used to go out and spend the summers with my sister Norma who was married.  She was expecting a baby and had to be very careful, so I had to rest on the bed every day with her.  I didn't like that so well.  They were thrashing and—I don't know whether you know what thrashing means, but in those days they had the thrashers come—so we'd lie on the bed and listen to that thrashing.[2] 

            But it was fun to stay there, because every Saturday night—they lived in West Jordan—they'd go over to Midvale, which was a big town in those days.  We would shop, and she'd get all of her groceries.  Then we would usually have some dinner and then go to a movie before we'd go home.  They had one of these cars that had open windows but they had some kind of shields that they would put across—I don't know what they were called, curtains or something, to keep the air out.  We'd have to get down in the bottom so we wouldn't get too cold if there was more than one of us there. Sometimes they had another niece that would come and stay.  She was about my same age.  

            We use to buy a lot of goodies that I liked to have, what we called pineapple tarts and chocolate bonbons, and bananas and oranges, a lot of things I didn't have at home.  It was fun to have all those good things to eat, too!  The only thing I didn't like was when Norma use to go out and get chickens. She would cut off the heads, and then they'd flop around, you know, without their heads.  Oh, that used to scare me!  I didn't like that very much.   Then she used to make me help her pick the feathers.  I don't know whether you've ever smelled hot water on feathers. . . .  Have you ever smelled it?

D:        When I went to that BYU Pioneer Trek we plucked a turkey, and it stinks pretty bad!  (laughter)

G:        Oh, isn't that a stinky thing.  After she'd got the big feathers off she'd make me pick what they called the pin feathers—the little feathers.  Boy, I didn't care for that.  I did like the chicken!  It tasted so much better than the chicken you get now!  When it was just freshly killed and cooked, it was very good.  Norma was a good cook.  She used to make the best sour cream cake.  I never was able to make that!  She had a lot of cream because they had cows and things, and she would make this sour cream cake.  It didn't have shortening or anything in it; it was just made with this cream.  It was really good! 

            We'd have to go up to the dry farm they called it, and take lunch to the men that were working there, so we went for little rides all the time.  I had a lot of fun out there in the summer before we moved to town. 

            I do have one other little recollection when Harold and I were little.  Mother had a buggy—we didn't have a car—pulled by a horse, and she'd make us sit way down in the bottom of the seat when we'd go somewhere.  She'd go out to see Alice or she'd go out to see Norma.  We'd have to sit down in this bottom, and I can remember one time the horse ran away!  There we were, sitting in the bottom, and Mother couldn't make that horse stop!  (chuckle)  It was just going lickety-cut!  She was yelling, "Now stay down there!  Don't get up!  Don't get up!"  She was so scared we were going to fall out of the buggy!  But I do have that recollection.  As I think back, lots of times little recollections come back.

            We moved to town when I was six.  I was in the first grade, and Harold was only four.  I remember my mother took me to school, and she showed me the way home and everything, and I got lost on that way home!  I can remember. . . . We were in this little, tiny house, and it was up on M Street.  Now, I don't know whether you're familiar. . . .

D:        No.

G:        Well, do you know where City Cemetery is?

D:        Yes, I know where that is.

G:        You go up M Street and go right into that place.  It was up almost to Second Avenue on M Street, just a little three-room place.  It had a bathroom sort-of, but it was not connected with the house.  It was out a few steps.  It didn't have a tub, but it had the toilet, and there we lived. 

But anyway, coming home from school the first day I got lost.  I thought sure I knew the way home—you'd think maybe Mother would have met me that first day, but she didn't—and I can remember crying and some woman came out.  She took me in, and I was able to tell her my name and what-not.  But of course she didn't know my telephone number or anything.  I don't even believe we had a telephone, to tell you the truth.  But she said, "Now, we'll go for a walk, and then maybe you'll recognize something."  So she took me out, and we walked.  Finally I recognized a grocery store that was on the corner where we lived, so I finally got home.  I was mighty glad to see that little, tiny house where we lived!  (laughter)  That was my introduction into school in Salt Lake City!  I don't remember too much about my first and second grades.  I didn't have anything outstanding happen, I guess!  I don't know.  But, do you remember much about your first and second grades?

D:        No.  Well, I remember a bit.  I remember that's the year I got glasses, and I hated that so bad!

G:        Did you get glasses when you were that young?

D:        Mm-huh. First grade.

G:        Oh, I thought you were a little older when you got your glasses. That is hard for a six-year old to have glasses! 

D:        Yeah, I know it's been hard for Karen.  But, she looks really good in hers!

G:        Does she wear them?

D:        Yes.  Steve gets mad at her when she doesn't  wear them, and everyone else gets mad at her when she does!  (laughter)  Not in our family, but little kids get teased a lot.

G:        Carl doesn't wear his, does he?

D:        He doesn't have to anymore. 

G:        Did his eyes get stronger?

D:        I guess! 

G:        Anyway, to get back to this poor little. . . .

D:        (laughter)

G:        I  was  always  one who  liked  to  read  and  to  act.  We had a neighborhood cast, if you'd call it that, and this woman across the street had a big, kind of barn-like thing in the back.   It had second floor, and we put on plays.  Oh, they were fun!  My mother was so good at sewing, and she'd make costumes for us.  We'd charge a penny, and they'd all come and see these plays! 

D:        Cool!

G:        I don't remember what plays they were, but we had a lot of fun.  Then, the avenues are steep there, and we loved to roller skate.  Boy, we could really get going!

D:        I'll bet!  (laughter)

G:        Did you ever like to roller skate?

D:        Yes.

G:        Oh, we used to go lickety-cut.  There was a neighbor that had a cement driveway, and so we'd go over there.  It went down lickety-cut, and then we'd have to turn quick to go down the sidewalk.  We really got expert at that!  We were good roller-skaters!

D:        I bet you were. You'd probably kill yourselves if you weren't!

G:        We had a lot of fun  there.  We stayed there, oh  a couple of years I guess, and then we moved over to a place on P Street.  The only thing I can remember about that was the bathroom.  It had this big tub that Mother didn't ever use!  All we had in it was dirty clothes.  I can't remember ever having a bath in it!  I don't remember whether something was wrong with it, whether it didn't work properly, or what.  I should've asked Mother about that I guess.  All I can remember is that we had this big tub, and it always had all of the dirty clothes in that we needed to wash.  Instead of a hamper, we used that for the dirty clothes.

            I did get very close with a little girl who lived next door.  For years we kind of kept in touch with one another, but now I haven't seen her for a long time.  The next place we moved to was down on Dewey Court.  I remember that really well.  We use to have so much fun!  Did you ever play "Run Sheep, Run" and "Kick the Can" and all those games?

D:        I've played "Kick the Can!"

G:        It was a court, and every time we'd gather at our place and go play "Kick the Can" and "Run Sheep, Run."  I was about eight then, I guess, and we had so much fun.  The mayor, Nelson was his name—he was the mayor of Salt Lake City at the time—lived at the top of this court.  I tended his children.  I wasn't very old, but I'd just stay with them for a little bit in the afternoon.  I thought that was wonderful to get some money like that. 

            I remember one Christmas there.  We didn't ever have very much of a Christmas because Mother was having a struggle just trying to keep us fed and clothed.  One Christmas was really wonderful.  At least we thought so.  I got a doll.  I can just see it now. . . . It was one of those with the kid bodies kind of, but the face and the hair were just beautiful.  Nowadays a doll like that would really cost a lot of money because they're antiques.  Harold got a krroom set.

D:        What is that?

G:        Well, it's a big square thing with  pockets  on  each corner and little sticks like pool sticks.  Then they had little round things--I think they still have them--these little round rings.  You'd shoot them with this stick and try and get them in the pocket.

D:        So just like a little pool table.

G:        Yeah, sort of.  A krroom board it was called, and for a long time they had them.  Whether they still do or not, I don't know.  I had one up in the attic for a long time, because I bought one for the kids when they were little.  But anyway, that was a pretty nice Christmas for us.  Now when you think of all the things you get for Christmas, it seems funny to be so thrilled with a doll and a krroom board. 

One day we were left alone for a few hours, and we loved to play on the bed.  Did you ever jump on your bed?  (chuckle)  We were told not to.  Anyway, I turned a somersault on the bed, and my feet went right through the window! 

D:        Oh, no.  (laughter)

G:        My bed was right close to the window, and SMASH!  There went the window.  Well, we knew we'd get the very dickens for that.  We thought up story after story.  What could we tell Mom, what could we tell Mom. . . . Finally we said that the ball went back there, and I went back to get it.  When I stooped over my head hit the window.  We thought, oh, that would really be a good story.  She'd be so worried about my head that she wouldn't think much about the window!  It was a long, long time afterwards before she found out it was my feet that went through the window instead of my head.  But we had a lot of fun on Dewey Court.  When I was ten years old we moved down to West Temple.  They had just built all these new homes, and the road wasn't finished or anything when we moved down there.  It was kind of a messy place.

D:        Is that the house that they have the picture of me in front of it with my dad and mom?

G:        Yes, it's where Grandma  lived, and where your Mom and Dad were when you were born.  I was in the fifth grade when I came down there and Harold was in the fourth.  But somehow or other he got held back for a half of a year. I don't know why or anything, but he was in an uneven class for a couple of years.

(Phone shrills.)

G:        Oh, there's the phone.  Let me get it.

END OF INTERVIEW


[1] Harold is Gladys’ younger brother.