Hannah Shelley Bate

(From a hand written account when Grandpa was in his eighties)

 This is John T. Bate writes a little of his Mother Hannah Shelley Bate

Hannah was the oldest girl in the family so had most of the house work to do.  All the other children in the family went to school but Hannah had to stay - never went to school.  Her folks was farmers and lived in American Fork, Utah County, Utah.  She was married to William Bate.  They lived in American Fork until years later, then moved to Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah.  Hannah was one of ten children that I remember.  They were Joseph, Steven, Sam, Jim and Dave, Hannah, Jane, Ellen, Sarah Ann. 

     Some time after they was married, William, her husband, took a sun stroke;  was in bed for a long time;  Doctor gave him up.  The Elders came again and he got well.  The Doctor said he wouldn't do a days work, but he did. 

They moved to Riverton, Utah.  Bought 20 acres from T. P. Page.  When the last payment was due and Tom Page wouldn't give them anymore time, they thought they would lose the place: only five dollars more to pay.  Mother was making a bonnet; picked up some cord board slats and five dollar gold piece dropped out.  It was given to them to save the place. 

We milked cows and churned the cream, molded it, and sold it for 12 1/2 cents a pound.  To churn, it would take sometimes over one hour in a dash churn.  The milk had to be put in open pans, put in a cellar or a cool place.  Place for the cream to rise, then taken off, put in crock -- some work.  Try it some time; to make butter for 12 1/2 cents. 

I remember when we had to haul our water 1 1/2 miles from Jordan River, cut a hole in the ice, drive our sleigh on the ice, dip the water out that came from Utah Lake.  Drink it and use it for all household use.  We would haul it in fifty gallon barrels, drive to the front door, put a barrel in the house, ice all over it.  The floor had no carpet on it.  That was our kitchen, living room, also a bed in it.  It was about 16 feet by 18 feet.  Lots of times, Father would use it for brass band practice.  About 15 to 20 pieces in it.  Where did they sit?  We had a wash hand stand, a cupboard, coal bar, kitchen stove, White sewing machine, (treadle) 1 lounge that Arthur ----8 or 9 year old Arthur.  Coal oil lamps -- don't --kids.  Would get my lessons or sleep.  We used to have breakfast before the --- got to bed but dinner at noon.  Well, we would al--- large block flips close to the door---- after family prayer every morning and evening. Plenty of coal to burn , oak, maple, and sagebrush to burn.  We had plenty to eat of what the flies left.  About every family would kill two or more large pigs both of.  Families would butcher a nice beef.  We had no refrigerators to keep the meet.  We would hang it in quarters on the north side of the house.  It would stay frozen all winter.  Beef by the quarter was only about nine to twelve cents a pound.  Plenty sagehens jack rabbits, duck, in the summer.  We would move the cooking stove out-doors in a little stove house.  Plenty of wind and rain.  It caught on fire one day on the roof.  Only mother was home.  I don't know when she did it, but she threw a large wooden bucket full of water up on it and saved the stove house and the log house and all we had.  There was a fire truck twenty miles away drawn by horses.  You may think it was easy, no T.V., radio, not even a record player, no phone, no paved or oiled roads.  The road was our walk, mud, snow or dust.  But mother had time to work for her children. 

When a horse kicked me in the head I didn't come too for two hours.  When I opened my eyes, Mother and Father was watching me.  When I cut my knee cap, who doctored it, Mother.  When I had my hip out for three weeks, who took care of me, Mother. When Ernest, my brother, was thrown off a horse he bit his tongue of except the cords; who took care of him?  Also, when he had boils and when he ran into a wire fence,,cut his face and nose, who took care of him; and many, many more things to take her time.  I don't think we can ever pay her --???? -- she had to wash in the living room on a scrub board.  We called them wash boards of course.  She would heat the water all in a large boiler on the kitchen and front room cook stove.  Wring the clothes by twisting them in her hands.  Try it some time.  No electric or gas.  We didn't have much room to play, but Ernest and I was playing blind fold.  Well he was trying to catch me, he had both arms out, so he knocked the coal oil lamp off the table on the wood floor.  It was by Mother.  She put it out with a blanket.  Then we was in the dark, got a candle.  I think we was sent to bed ??? the game ended. 

After Father died in Idaho, Arthur moved her lumber house by the side of his house.  She always wanted her own home which she did.  She liked to stay with us because we had young children.  She liked them.  She used to knit all of our good warm wool socks and mittens.  She made many, many quilts.

Her last days was in Idaho with her daughter Pearl and son Arthur.  I must mention Arthur's wife, Hattie Green Bate.  She was one of as finest women I ever knew.  She is buried by her husband in Riverton, Utah.  My Mother was the finest Mothers as ever lived.  She had ten children.  Five died young.  They are all gone now but me, John and he is living in Ogden with the finest wife and mother of earth.  We have six children, all alive.  Maude, my wife is 79 now.  I am 83 - now in 1961.