Written by himself
Beginning my Story -
I was born in Santa Clara, Washington County, Utah, the 24 of Feb. 1894. My parents were Herman and Selina Gubler. My Father came from the old country when he was about six years of age. I remember of him telling of the hardships they encountered, of how they went hungry and how they lived on pig weeds and how they used to walk up to three miles to gather them. They couldn't have what bread they wanted to eat. My father was born 11 December, 1856 in Mullheim, Thurgau, Switzerland and he died 7 March 1941 at Ivins, Washington County, Utah. My mother was born in Santa Clara, Utah the 11 June 1862 and died 26 October 1929 in Santa Clara, Washington, Utah.
 | ||
| Sarah and Edmund Gubler, Mata and Jetta at a family reunion | . |
Dad and Mom were a nice couple. Dad lived to be 85 years old and Mom to be passed sixty. They had many trials. At one time their home was burned down. They had much pleasure and sorrow in raising their eleven children. I well remember, mother had much trouble with her health in her latter years. My Dad farmed and raised cattle and horses. Dad had ranches and farmed in Santa Clara. I bought his ranch and farm in Santa Clara.
About as far back as I can remember was when I was about five or six years of age and I was playing with my sister Eunice. We were chasing each other around my Mother who was sitting in the rocking chair and I stumbled over her legs and broke my right arm.
I was baptized at the age of 8 years by my Father on the 2 Mar. 1902. It was just in front of the church house in the vineyard ditch and there was ice on the water. Milo Ence was baptized the same time as I was by my Father. I started school when I was six years old. As near as I can remember my teachers were Edna Cragion, Ella Stucki who married Joseph Wittwer, my brother John taught me, then Martin McAllister. I believe Aunt Mini taught me, then Charles Hafen, Arthur Hafen, and I graduated when Guy Hafen was my teacher.
My father owned a farm and ranch up to the Pine Valley Mountain, and also a farm in Santa Clara. In the summertime we moved all our belongings up to the Ranch and lived there until fall and we would then move back to Santa Clara for the winter. My father always had two teams of horses around and we most always milked two cows. As soon as I was old enough to milk that was my steady job. I well remember one time when I was about ten years of age and I was taking the cows to the pasture. I was riding a bronco and we came to the creek which had a large stream of water. The horse I was riding got scarred and ran into a barbed wire fence and sure did cut my left leg just below the knee. It sure did bleed and scare me. I could still walk down to the creek where my brother John came to meet me and took me home. I wasn't able to walk for two or three months and was taken over to St. George to the doctor every day for quite some time.
As we all grew up each one of us boys owned a horse. The first horse I had I earned by grubbing sage brush. I called her Dolly and she was sure a nice little filley. I kept her for a few years when finally on a round up over in the Summit Mountains she got pushed over a ledge and broke her back. I had Ernest Hafen kill her for me because I just couldn't.
When I was twelve years of age I was made a deacon and was ordained by E. R. Frei Sr. the 7 of Feb. 1906. Then a little later I was made a teacher b y John G. Hafen the 31 of Jan. 1910.
About this time I began to get a few calves and I was anxious to get a start in the cattle business. We ran our cattle up to the ranch in the summertime. Each one of (us) boys got a start of cattle at our Pine Valley Ranch. We grew potatoes, corn and grain there and finally my Father bought a second hand thresher and he also got a machine to cut the grain. Each fall we would have to move all the stock, pigs, and chickens back to Santa Clara for the winter because there was too much snow to stay at the ranch in the winter.
At this time I was old enough to become a priest and was ordained by John S. Stucki 13 Nov 1911.
At this age I began to think a little about the girls. Some of them I used to run around with were Emma Reber, who has been dead for a long time. Her mother was sister Mary F. Reber who is also dead. I used to sport with lots of the girls and we had a lot of good times at the dances. About this time I began to sport Momma and some times we would walk from St. George after the dance. I guess the reason we had to walk was because we got left. We never had cars to ride in those days. Most of the time we had to go by way of team and wagon. I remember I finally managed to get a team and buggy. I had a little horse I bought from Uncle Henry and Dad had a horse by the name of Hatch which he finally gave me. They sure made a nice little team and I was really proud of them. Finally Momma and I got to going steady, and about this time I was made an Elder by John Hafen the 19 of October 1914.
When I was around eighteen years of age I decided to go to school over to St. George. We had a good time over to school that winter. I first stayed with Moses Andrus and his family, for part of the year, and then I moved down to Sister Bryner's place for the rest of the school year. Of course week ends we would come home. Dad needed my help to run the farm and cattle so I gave up going to school after that winter. The next winter Eliza took her second year of high school. She was staying up to Sister Brooks home. I would usually take her over Sunday evenings to St. George for her week of school. We were getting on pretty steady by this time. By the time I was twenty we were about ready to get married, so that was her last year of school. We went to Bishop E. R. Frei Sr. for our recommends and when I was nearly twenty one we got married in the St. George Temple. We had a good wedding and then a reception and dance with plenty of cake and punch for all. 
After we, (Eliza Anna Hafen and myself), got married we started a new life and worked for the future. The first year I run my father's farm in Santa Clara. The next year I helped Dad run the farm up at the Ranch and I think we planted the whole farm into beans. We tried threshing them with the threshing machine but that didn't prove successful so we had to flay them out with clubs. We really had a lot of beans and had quite a job selling them. At this time I was getting a start in the cattle business and was running my cattle up at the ranch. Father wanted to know if we wanted to buy the ranch farm so we decided to buy it.
By this time we had two very lovely children. The first one Vanola was born the 10 of August 1915, and then our only son was born the 11 of November 1917. After buying the ranch I decided to raise grain, corn and potatoes. On the 28 September 1920 our little daughter, Wilma, was born. About this time we decided we wanted a place to run our cattle in the winter so we decided to take up a homestead. We applied for it and it was granted so we made plans to build a home and move on the land, and fence the homestead. I well remember I made a trip to grass valley for the lumber in the year 1920 or 21. I got Mr. John Stalks of St. George to help me build the house. The pasture and home was located just north and west of the town of Ivins, Utah. I also owned a piece of land on the Ivins bench. I used to raise hay and grain up there and I remember my father and I working and helping build the canal. We spent one or two winters building canals.
After we got our house built we soon moved up there to live on the homestead. We quite enjoyed living there. Now Vanola was old enough to start school so I had to take her down to Ivins so she could ride down to Santa Clara with Alden Gray, who was transporting the children to school. In the evenings she would walk back up to our home.
The team of horses I owned at this time was Scott and Bolly, a very good little team. We spent the winter on the homestead then the next spring we moved up to the Ranch at the foot of the Pine Valley Mountain. After living on the homestead for five winters I proved it up and we now owned it. I had it all fenced and this is where I wintered my cattle.
In the spring of 1923 we again moved to the ranch. Our little children all got the measles. One night when Wilma was just a little girl about two and a half years of age, she became very sick with the croup, so we just didn't know what to do. We did all we could for her and decided the best thing was to take her down to the doctor in St. George. The only way we had to get her down there was with a team and buggy and we sure didn't lose any time going down.
I will never forget that ordeal, by the time we got to St. George she could hardly breathe. Dr. McGreagor cut her wind pipe so she could breathe, but all that was done didn't help her none, and she died that same night. We were staying at Arthur Hafen's home. This was one time in our lives we will never forget. Vanola and Darwin were just small children. We buried our dear little daughter in the Santa Clara cemetary. We then moved from our ranch back to Santa Clara. It was sure lonely without our dear little girl, she was so sweet. We didn't even have a picture of her but I can still see her in my mind, she was so sweet and beautiful. We cut a curl from her hair and kept it for many years.
A couple of years before I proved up on the homestead my brother Harmon wanted to come and homestead beside me, so I relinquished four of my forties so he could come and join us. Then I took up these four additional four forties up in the Snow's Canyon and I also bought two more forties from the State of Utah. That is the land which I let Shelby Frei have. As near as I remember I took five years to prove up on my grazing land. After my brother moved on his homestead I moved our house over by his so we could be together.
After a few years I still owed my father $1,000 on the ranch farm. He wanted the homestead and I let him have the original land. He kept it for just a few years, then Darwin and I bought it back from him. We kept it for sometime and finally sold it to Ernest and Jack Reber. We sold the ranch to Sherman Lamb and Shelby Frei bought Darwins and my cattle with the permit.
In the year 1925 we were blessed with another daughter which we named Jewell. In the next few years we had five more daughters. We named them Cleopha, Linna, Edna, Fawn and Reta Gayle. We were very happy with our little family, and Mamma and I worked very hard to provide a good home and good food for them.
While we were on the Ranch we raised grain, corn, potatoes and also lots of apples. We also raised lots of pigs. After I got rid of the ranch property I bought a farm down in the St. George fields. I kept it for some few years and finally sold it to Guy Hafen.
This was around 1944 or 5. I had sold the Ranch property and my father wanted to sell me the black rock farm. He wasn't able to take care of it any longer and none of the other boys wanted it so I bought it from him. It was in a bad shape. The floods had washed about all the land away. I decided I could make a farm out of it by washing it all down. I had the CC boys make a levy across the bottom of the land, and I soon began washing the land down. It worked really fine and I made a nice piece of land out of it. I also owned the carbridge lots which I bought from Grandpa Hafen. I later cut it up into lots and sold it for building lots. The first one I sold was to Lavoy Mason, then I let Ballard Hafen have a lot. Kay Anderson bought one lot also and I let Jewell and Shelby have the one on the east side.
After getting the black rock farm all in shape I planted a piece of it into orchard and the rest into alfalfa and here is where we raised lots of hay and always had a large patch of tomatoes. On this black rock farm is where we raised a lot of nice fruit. While raising our family we all worked together in the fruit and hay. Our last six girls each one learned to pick fruit, hoe and raise tomatoes, corn, carrots, haul hay, drive a team and ride horses as good as any boys could do. I hauled many loads of fruit and vegetables to Panaca and Pioche, Nevada and Enterprise, (Utah) with one or two of my daughters going along each trip to help run to the houses to sell the load.
While raising our children I did much freighting an hauled wood to pay off the doctor for delivering our babies and also paying off many dentist bills with wood. After our children were pretty well grown, we had a furnace and cooling system put in our house. We have very much enjoyed our heating the home with oil and this about done away with cutting wood and hauling it. I would sure hate to go back to burning wood.
Since we installed our furnace and cooling system we have bought our fridge and deep freeze and also a new gas cook stove which we have enjoyed very much. We have had several cars and pickups. The only car we have now is our new 1959 Plymouth which we sure do enjoy. Each year, with four of our children living in California, we have to go visit them. We spent about one month with them last Christmas. Our children in California are Darwin and Ora Etta, Howard and Reta, Willis and Linna, Orman and Fawn and their families. John and Cleophia live in Hurricane, Utah and Ivin and Edna live in Enterprise, Utah. Lester and Vanola and Shelby and Jewell live here in Santa Clara.
We have quite a large posterity, with eight children living thirty six grandchildren and one great grandchild. We do enjoy all our daughters and our son. We have seven son-in-laws and one daughter-in-law of which we are proud of all of them, and we do enjoy all our grandchildren so much.
Mamma and I have been going to the temple of late and we quite enjoy going and taking part there. We only have the lot to take care of each year. We try to raise our beef each year for our meat supply.
After our family was all raised I sold my farm to Shelby and I went to Nevada to work. I spent one summer down to Mt. Charleston working for the government and then I got a job working down to Mercury, Nevada where I worked for better than two years. This is where they are making secret Atomic Tests. This was in the year of 1957 and 58. I worked just long enough to get my Social Security worked out.
On the 24 day of Feb. 1960 was my 66 birthday. My daughters gave me a party and invited my sisters and brothers and we had a good time visiting. My sister, Selina, wrote a history of my parents and grandparents and it was read to us, which we very much enjoyed, and then we gave experiences which happened when we owned the ranch at Pine Valley. We had many good times up to the ranch. We always tried to keep the Sabbath Day and not do any work for that was the way Father and Mother wanted it to be.
Now Mamma and I are enjoying life together. I still like to do a good days work, either working to clean the ditch or to help someone else. Each one of our eight children have gone to the temple to be married. Our only son went on a mission for our church, then on to college and now teaches
Agriculture in the Porterville, CA high school and college. He has also held many positions in the Church, serving as Branch President and is now a councilor in the Bishopric. Our daughters each one are working in the church holding many different positions and each one of our children are raising nice families. I have had three daughters, Jewell, Edna and Fawn who were rodeo queens for the St. George Dixie Roundup. Edna has been Rodeo Queen for four different rodeos. Reta was the Washington County Princess and also Bathing Beauty.
Our one great hope now is that our children, grandchildren, and all our posterity will always remain true and faithful to our great Church and religion which our parents and grandparents worked so hard to make possible for us. By doing this we will all be able to live together again in eternity and enjoy each other as our family is enjoying each other now.
Update: 1961 -
I have been a ward teacher since 1911. Some of my early teacher companions were John S. Stucki, Christian Stucki, Frederick Reber, Ernest Reber, Adolph Hafen, Harmon Hafen and others in recent years.
When I was approximately sixteen or seventeen years of age I taught a Sunday School class in the old church house. I also sang in the choir about this time when Ernest Reber was the chorister and Jennie Hug was the organist. It was after I was married that Julius Wittwer and I taught the Indians at the Indian Reservation. Around 1940, I was asked to be the sheriff of Santa Clara and street rider. I did this for many years, and I also had to be in charge of all the dances, held in Santa Clara. About 1950, I was put in President of the genealogical work with Leo F. Reber and Raymond Graff as my counselors, I worked at this for around ten years. In 1959 Mama and I were asked to teach a class in Sunday School.
At this date Match 1961, we are doing research and endowment work for the dead at the St. George temple. Our important work now is to do the work for those who never had the privilege to hear the gospel in their life.
While visiting our children at Porterville, CA 17 May 1961, I was helping our son Darwin unload some animals at the ball park, where they were preparing for the county fair. Others were doing likewise. A fellow unloaded a steer that proved to be quite wild. We happened to have our backs toward this car and the animal went on a wild chase and came toward us. He knocked me down and was on top of me pawing. By the time they frightened him away I had a gash in my head which required eight stitched and I was covered with blood and dirt. Darwin and others rushed me to the hospital where I was x-rayed. I had a badly hurt ankle and leg. I'll probably always have the scar of the steers hoof mark on my leg. I was laid up for about two months, but was real fortunate that no bones were broken.
In 1968, I was asked to work in the Sunday School superintendency, and am still in it. I was asked to work over the Junior Sunday School and I have quite enjoyed working there as two of my daughters Jewell and Vanola and a granddaughter, DeeAnn are also working in it. In 1972, I was released from the Sunday School Supertendency.
The past few years my wife and I have worked a lot in the St. George Temple. About a year ago, 1963, we were asked to work as officiators in the temple. In the summer of 1963 just after we were asked to work I had the misfortune of getting infection in one of my feet, so I was unable to work for about two or three months. Since then we are working steady and are both taking parts and are enjoying our work in the temple.
Sometimes we have to leave to go over to the temple at 6:30 a.m. It has been quite cold this winter, but we have a good car to ride in and sometime we take other people with us. It is quite different from what our parents had to go in to the temple. They went with a team and buggy, which would take them about 1 hour to get there. Now we can make it in ten or fifteen minutes so we are very much blessed.
The past 12 or 15 years I have worked checking deer out to the checking station in Santa Clara. I have enjoyed working with the Fish and Game and meeting lots of new friends.
After working down to Mercury, NV for 2 1/2 years I decided to retire at the age of 65 years. Then Mamma and I decided to spend more time working in the temple. We enjoyed our temple work for eight years then Mom became ill. We took her to the doctors in St. George but they couldn't find what her trouble was. We took her to Salt Lake and she went through a clinic and had many tests.
The doctors said she had hardening of the arteries which carry the blood to the brain. She wasn't getting enough blood to her brain and it caused her mind to not function like it should. There isn't any cure for this disease, so we brought her home to take care of her the best we could. The doctor doesn't give Mom more than two or three years to live.
After about two years Mom took very sick and we took her to the hospital where Dr. Conrad McGregor said she had very bad gall stones. He had to operate immediately and we didn't think Mom would live through this. But Mom did recover from her operation but is getting more forgetful all the time and sometimes doesn't even know her daughters. She does always know me and calls, "Pa" every time she wants something.
After Mom took down with her sickness, we had to be released as officiators at the temple. The Temple Presidency consisted of President Whipple, Andrew O. McArthur and Aaron Ashcroft and they gave us an honorable release.
Two years ago I had my eye operated on for cataracts and I am going to have my other eye done soon. Since this operation, I have had good sight again and am so thankful to have had them done. Doctor Chattererly from Cedar City did the operations and I have had to wear contacts since but I have learned to put them in and take them out by myself now after my daughters did it for me for a few years. I have lost a few pair of contacts while learning to wear them but I get along real well with them now.
I spend most of my time taking care of Mom now and I enjoy it and so glad I can do it. Our daughters Jewell, Vanola, Fawn, Cleopha, and Edna each come and spend a day and night with us and help take care of Mom. When Linna and Reta and Darwin can come they too help take care of Mom. We have grown more united as a family while doing this and we all know Mom appreciates everything we can do for her.
March 1, 1978 Continuation of my Life History
It has been quite some time since I last wrote some of my history. I have been so lonesome since Mom passed away. The girls did not want me to get married again but I can hardly stand living alone. The girls wanted me to go to some of the Senior Citizen dances in St. George. I didn't think I would enjoy this but Andrew Laub and his wife, Mary Holt Laub, encouraged me to go with them to the parties. So I started attending some of their dances. I haven't danced for so many years that I thought this was going to do me up. After the dances I would have to come home and take a hot bath to help me relax so I could go to sleep. I did find I was enjoying getting out again and associating with all my friends.
I met Sarah Porter at the dances and she was very nice to me. I started sporting her and taking her to the dances. Sarah and I were married in the St. George Temple for time on 28 Dec 1976, by Pres. Grant Bowler. We had a nice dinner at the Santa Clara Chapel with all our families in attendance. Sarah raised a good family of five girls and one boy. That evening we held an open house and a lot of our friends and relatives came to wish us well.
Last summer Sarah and I went to meet most of her children. Two of them live in Boise, Idaho, one family in Monroe, one in Orderville and one in Tropic. After Sarah's husband died she had a hard time caring for her family. She worked hard and remained single for sixteen years until we married. We went together for one year and then got married. We are both happy and are getting along fine, we go to the temple quite often. We were going to the temple today but it was raining and so we stayed home. We did eight endowments the past two weeks. I keep all the names I go through for.
Since it has been raining quite a bit this spring, it has made our roadway muddy. I had some gravel put on it and it makes it a lot better to get up and down the hill. I have been cleaning up around our yard and planting flowers.
1978 - A Little More
I just wanted to add a little more of my life history. It has been a little over two years since my good wife Eliza Hafen Gubler passed away and I don't know if I ever did express my thankfulness for having such a good wife and good mother to the wonderful family she helped me raise. We did always love each other so very much. We did have a hard life and when we did get enough money to enjoy life she passed away. I don't think I ever did express my love for my parents who were so good to me and always taught me the good way to live. In all my dealings with my parents I never had any trouble of any kind.
Sarah and I are very happy and she is so good to me. She would do anything for me. We don't know how long we will be living and so I just wanted to add a few more lines. My advice is that everyone should begin their life story when they are young, because one forgets so much which has happened through the years. We have to carry on and live the best we can. This is the middle of April 1978.
On the 27th of April, one of the most terrible accidents happened to me. Sarah and I and Andrew Laub went over to St. George to a Senior Citizens party. At about 8:30 in the evening we started home. As we were coming around the black hill and by the outdoor Theater, all of a sudden we hit into a pickup driven by Howard Carter. We didn't see any taillight, signal light or headlights of a thing as it was dark. The next thing I remember we woke up in the hospital and Andrew was in the bed beside me. A.W. McGregor, the doctor there, was checking us over and started stitching up our cuts. I had x-rays and found five broken ribs, and a large cut over my eye and another gash on my forehead. My face was bruised all over, just black like a Negro. Sarah had bruises and ligaments torn loose, and Andrew had a gash on his head and cuts on his legs. It was a wonder that we weren't all killed. My car was completely demolished. We were so proud of our new car, an LTD white two-door beautiful car. I had just gotten my drivers license renewed last Sep. 1977, at the age of 83. I hit into him going about 50 miles an hour and it really hurt us all. I decided I would give up driving. (it sure has been hard for us to have to depend on others when we need to go places). My family have been really good and come whenever we call or need to go somewhere.
I was in the hospital for five days and didn't enjoy a minute of it. My head was so swollen and sore and I didn't feel like eating anything. I weighed 174 pounds before the accident and I have lost 10 pounds, weighing 164 just three weeks later. I don't know what we'll do about getting another car, I'm almost afraid to try driving again. Maybe Sarah will learn to drive and we will get another car.
Monday the fifth day of March, 1984
I have passed my 90th birthday this past February 24. My family helped me celebrate it by having a nice chicken dinner for me at Willis and Linna's home. We enjoyed visiting and getting together.
Eliza and I have to date: nine children, fifty grandchildren and a little over one hundred great-grandchildren and we are proud of all of them. Sarah and I have been married for eight years and we are still happy. My family are all good to Sarah and me.
I have always felt like we had the only true church and that God the Father and Son, Jesus Christ did appear to Joseph Smith the Prophet and had him organize the church here upon the earth. I still do believe we have the only true church today. I have been a High Priest for many years and still am. I have tried to pay my tithing and my fast offerings and many other donations to the Church. I have been a Home Teacher for many years and never missed hardly a month from visiting my families.
We have so much to be thankful for. We are still having great grandchildren. Linda Pearl just had her first baby girl to be named Ruth Ann. Allyson had a baby boy, Michael, and Devon had a baby boy, Stephen Thomas all in the last three months.
I have always tried to be honest and kind to all. Now my only hope is that I can live to see all my loved ones grow up in the church. Sarah has been a good wife and I am happy that I can give her the things she was most in need of. We bought a new automatic washer, a new dryer and a new stove, and a new vacuum. I am glad I can give her a home. I still would like to go on living but we never know how much time is left. When I go I hope I will be with all my love ones who have passed on. I can still get around pretty good but my knees give me lots of pain and trouble. I spend most of my time in the house watching a little television or lying on the couch. I still take care of my yards watering the lawn and flowers. This past summer I bought my first gas lawn mower. I have used the old time one for many years. I still go out the back and chop weeds down and clean up around the home. I have always liked to have my yards looking nice.
Page missing - written by ?
Dad’s children and his wife, Sarah, have spent the past few weeks at his bedside night and day taking care of him and loving him.
Dad celebrated his ninety-second birthday February 24, of this year. Just a few days before his birthday Dad became sick so his birthday dinner and party were canceled. Each daughter came one day a week to be with and help Dad. As his condition became worse and he was unable to walk someone stayed night and day by his side.
The day before Easter, Dad was taken to the hospital with severe pain which the doctor said was either a rupthered bowel or a Gaul bladder attack. Dad did not enjoy being in the hospital so after three days of having tests that didn't find anything Dad was taken home by his daughters and given loving care once again. A hospital bed was obtained and a wheel-chair and a nurse came in four times a week to check his condition and give aid.
April 12, Edna was staying with Dad and his condition grew steadily worse during the day. Dad's breathing was irregular and he was in much pain. It wasn't long before Dad had a chill and his fingers and nails turned blue. The family decided to join together and start a 24-hour fast and release him to the Lord to relieve his suffering.
The next morning, Sunday morning, at 2 o'clock Dad's breathing stopped and he passed on to join with our mother. The past few days Dad had been telling us he had spent time with mom and he kept calling her many times when he was awake.
Although, it was so hard to let our Dad go, we knew our fasting and prayer had helped to releave Dad of pain and suffering. At the time of his death, Linna was on a vacation with her family in Hawaii and could not return for five days so his funeral was planned for the following Saturday, April 19.
We all loved our Dad and appreciated the heritage he gave us as his children. We know that now he is with our mother and they are rejoicing together and Wilma must be so happy to be reunited with her Dad which she wasn't permitted to spend much earth life with.
I want to tell my Dad how special he was to me during my 54 years with him. I love you Dad and am so proud to have been chosen to be your daughter. Your example, your life, your love and teachings, I will always cherish. You taught me many things, and among them is the joy of learning to work hard and take pride in all I do. If its worth doing, do it well. Dad, I know that where you are now, I want to go someday, I will try to live a better life that someday I may join you and mom and all of us can be together as a family again. Love Edna Gubler Hunt.
_______________________________________________________
Death Certificate: 27-101 age 92 Rancher/Farmer Cause of death: Cardiopulmonary Arrest, Dehydration & metabolic derangement, Acute upper respirator infection, had arthritis, L018529
Photos of Edmund and Eliza Gubler
No comments:
Post a Comment