By Maude Simmons Bate
I was born August 2, 1882 in a little dirt roof and floor hut of Georger Price Place in Charleston, Utah. I was the 5th child of the family. We moved from that place to a little home father built in the same town. The first I remember of my baby life was the birth of my half sister. I just remember going into the bed room and climbing on a chair and pulling the sheet off a very white face and screaming. Father came running in a took me in his arms and I will never forget the sight of that face. They say I was two years old at the time.
I must of had a wonderful father for in my baby days I remember sitting on his lap while he sang to me and rocked in the old rocking chair. He must have taught me many songs for every where I went, I sang. I remember going walking with father and mother down to my Aunt Mary's on Sunday. I must have been very small for I remember when we were coming how tired I got and father would pick me up and put me on his back. How good that seemed. Sometimes I would doze off when father would say now you can walk a ways.
The next I remember is the joy of going to fast meeting with my father. We then had them on thursday afternoon. Father was a farmer and a very hard worker but he always stopped to go to fast meeting and he allowed me to go with him. I was very proud of those days to walk with him with my hand in his and sitting close to him and cuddle up close to him and listen to the singing and praying.
Then came the Primary days. I remember being dressed up in my stiff starched dress and whirling around showing them. We would call for the children along the way. Sometimes it would rain then mother would put her parasol up but she would tell us to run between the drops of rain. What fun that was.
Primary then was just programs and I remember they would stand me on a chair and I would sing the songs being a loud singer I would or thought I was leading the singing. I remember admiring the flowers as we passed by.
I remember going to school on Friday afternoons. I wasn't old enough to go to school but they would have programs on fridays. They would stand me on a chair and my brother John would sing a song. I know a lot of songs. I don't remember learning them but I guess I learned them from by father sitting on his lap in the evening. My own trouble in my younger days was thinking there was always something the matter with me. I was born left handed and they would either tie my hand behind me or wrap it up in a sling to keep me from using my left hand which was a very wrong thing to do as I could see later it made me self conscious and gave me an inferior feeling but in my baby days I thought I was sick. I remember when I was getting ready to go to school we would be seven or eight years old before we went. We were made to understand we were to read our first reader through. I did but I couldn't read a word but I memorized it through. We learned the alphabet frontwards and backwards. My first remembrance of school was of the teacher coming up behind me and taking the pencil out of my left hand and putting it in my right hand. I wouldn't play ball although I could run fast and bat good but everyone would laugh and call me southpaw. So I wouldn't play ball. I missed the fun of school days. I could see later it was very wrong to start a child that way. (Don't do it.)
Mother was a wonderful mother, good and kind, but she wasn't a loving woman. We would climb up on father's knee and kiss him but not mother. But I could see later I missed mother's affection. I remember singing on father's lap and then he would sing and rock me to sleep and then mother would carry me to bed.
I would arouse enough to feel the kiss she would place on my cheek. I got so I would deliberately pretend to fall asleep just to get the kiss I knew she would give me. I remember making a great fuss of father's hair and whiskers and when mother would trim his beard if she cut it too short I would cry about it. I loved that beard.
I remember later when father met with an accident going from the canyon the load of wood slipped down on the horses and father fell in between them and the wagon ran over his back. We all prayed for him so faithfully that he couldn't die we thought our faith was so strong. I can't remember much worth mentioning until I became quite a lady.
I remember being quite a giggler as a child and I can see now the eyes of my mother when we girls would be too noisy in meetings.
I guess I had to work hard as a child. I remember being glad when Dad prayed so I could rest a little
The next I remember was when I was in the Doctrine class in Sunday School. I was then about 17 years old when my best friend Josie Murdock made up our minds that we were going to seek for a testimony of our own. I started keeping company with John Bate about that time, but though I prayed continually I did not receive a testimony to my satisfaction until I had my 2nd baby. He was nine months old when I took down with Typhoid Fever. I had lived on the faith of John's father knowing he had the gift of healing when I took sick. I wanted him so bad but he had been dead a few months before. I took down with a terrible headache so terrible I had never known before. There was nothing they could get to ease the pain. All I could think of was if only Brother Bate was there and while I was suffering so terrible John and his brother Arthur came to administer to me. I remember them telling me what they were going to do but I didn't notice much but when they started I was struck with a feeling that something was different. I listened and recognized Grandpa Bates' voice. I looked up and saw Brother Bate hovering right over the top of the boys, John and Arthur. I could see him plain, he was in his robes and his hands covered the others hands and he promised me that the pain would go and I would rest in peace and at once it did and the rest of my sickness was spent without pain from then on. But I was very sick and the doctors said he could do nothing for me. I was blind and dumb I could not see or talk so I lay there day after day not knowing anyone only at times when they would wake me up. I could hear but I would go right back into unconsciousness one day when John and Arthur came to administer to me I was struck with the desire to speak to my family. I didn't care about dying but I wanted to know if I was going to and I asked the Lord if I was going to die please let me speak to my family. I fell asleep and dreamed my guardian angel told me he would take me to a place where it would be made known I should live or die. So we went to aline that was divided line between heaven and earth. I looked across to a beautiful place. I saw a band coming across a beautiful place. There seemed to be hundreds of men in this band and as they came nearer I notice one thing very unusual there were three in a row instead of two as I had known the usual was as they came closer. I could see Grandpa Bate int he first row the middle one I couldn't mistake him with his long fingers playing his violin in such wonderful soft music and my guide sid if they came and stand in front of you and play, you will know your time has come. But if they pass by without noticing you, you will not go and they came up but passed right by not even looking up and I awoke up with a start satisfied that I would get well.
I lay and wondered about that for a long time but I was consoled greatly about and I slept how long I don't know but as the days went on I knew the family was greatly worried and didn't expect me to live and how was I going to let them know I tried to tell them what I had seen but I couldn't make them understand I couldn't talk. I couldn't use my arms they would put a pencil and paper in front of me but I didn't have any use of my hands. I lay and pondered how I was going to let them know all the time praying to the Lord to let them know I wasn't going to die. I lay altogether like that for about three weeks, praying all my awakening hours. I rested and slept most of the time having no pain at all.
Then one day Brother Warren Webster came to my husband and asked him if anything was the matter. He said that he was going into town the other day and a voice told him to go around that way and stop to Bates. He said it was so strong he could go no other way. My husband said "yes" there was, that I was very ill and he sid well that explains it. I came to give her a blessing. Now my husband was a little worried because he knew that I was a little rascal about a man using tobacco administering but he sid he would awaken me. I remember him taking my hand and I heard every word he said. He told me my time wasn't here and that I had a wonderful mission to fulfill and I would get better then I knew that all my family needed to insure them. I knew but they didn't. I commenced to get well and in a day or two I received my speech and sight back and was up and around in a week. Never the less I still prayed for a special favor. I wanted so bad to hear the gift of tongues, so I went to Utah from Idaho where I was when I had my first testimony.
We came to Utah time went on and I had many testimonies during my raising my family such as when I had my nose broken. It gave me trouble for quite awhile. I was doctoring from the doctor until the doctor said I would have to be operated on. My little son Almon who had just received the Priesthood of a Deacon said, "Mamma, why are you feeling so bad?" I told about if and he said, "Mother you don't have to if we all fast tomorrow morning and have family prayer for you, your nose will be alright." It dumfounded me but we did and I never had anymore trouble. I kept my date with the doctor but he said there is nothing the matter with your nose it is well. Another wonderful thing that happened to our family. My boys both went on missions. I still had a desire to hear the Gift of Tongues. One day I was to a Testimonial meeting for Primary. Being in the Presidency when the Spirit of the testimony came upon me. I could never get up to talk without crying as I could never hold my feelings since I had the Typhoid Fever an some people had remarked about it and I had lost faith in myself. But that day the Lord promised I could but I still wouldn't get up the spirit was so strong it seemed to be bodily lifting me up to my feet but I questioned the spirit and when the meeting was over while going out, the spirit spoke to me so strong I looked around to see who was speaking. It said if you had stood up you would of talked in the Gift of Tongues. If anyone ever suffered in the spirit I did. I didn't pray anymore for that favor instead I prayed for forgiveness so I gave up the thought of ever getting that chance again. But a year from that I was prompted again I would do as I was told. But I wasn't prompted anymore about that but instead I was prompted to write a note and hand it up to the stand for my sister-in-law Edith Turner, who was very ill and was going to be operated on the next morning. The same strong feeling came over me until I could not or dare not refuse again. I took a pencil and paper out of my purse and wrote if they would please remember Edith in the last prayer she being the President of the Primary in Charleston. I went down to the main floor and handed it up thinking all the time it seemed a silly thing to do and what a silly way of speaking it but I was prompted to and just had to. Well they got it and read it to the people it didn't sound so bad so I turned around to go out a little lady dressed all in black got up and spoke in Tongues. I'll never forget the feeling it seemed everyone raised in the air as she spoke not knowing what she said it might of been in another language but no one thought of that. It was just a simple blessing to every mother there and promised everyone would go home safe and find everything all right there. That was my prayers answered but in a different circumstance than I expected.
Notes in Maude Bell Simmons Bate’s own handwriting and pieced together.
First Page is missing.
After Father, Mother, and little Rose came to Utah, Rose was ten months, they settled in Charleston. They were very poor. It had taken all their money getting here. Some of their friends were very selfish and deceiving. Father was disappointed in some– not like the Missionaries pictured them. While some were very good to them, one man Bill Bagley loaned them a cow, told them they could keep it for the milk but to give him the calves. In that way they had milk for the children. They kept the cow several years. They were very anxious to get some land. Father had a chance to homestead some land, 160 acres, but had to give $50.00 down, but couldn’t get it any where. People said the land wasn’t worth it. He had to let that slip by. He went to Bountiful and lived for awhile. John was born there. When they came back they again tried to homestead some land farther east of town, where the house now stands, but he couldn’t borrow $12.00 to bind the bargain. Uncle Geo. Smith had a sick cow, it was almost dead, he wanted some one to kill it and Father asked him to give it to him. They put it on the old Harrow and pulled it home. Then he raised it up in a sling around it’s belly, tended it and it got well and he sold it for $12.00 and put it down on the land. That is how we got our home.
Father. My parents came from Sussex, England, both of them converted by Mormon Missionaries in England, Don’t know when they came to Utah, would have to get records[1], but it wasn’t until about 2 years after the group of Mormons came. Father was the Mission President so was not able to come then with the rest but came a few years later.
They came on boat and train. They settled in a little town called Charleston, Utah, in Provo Valley. My Mother, Dora Turner was a Second Wife, the first wife died in England and left seven children. 3 children stayed in England and 4 came to Utah with my Father and Mother and Mother raised.
As a child I was a very happy one, but I remember one shock when I was very little, when my half sister, Lilly died, I climbed on a chair and pulled the sheet off her face, the white face frightened me so I screamed, Father ran in and grabbed me. I’ll never forget it, but I wasn’t the one to bother me long. Although I was only 2 years old, I know I can remember it and I would never look at a dead person after that until I was a grown girl. (Sister Lilly died the same night my Mother gave birth to twin girls, One twin Rae, died or was stillborn and she was buried in the arms of her sister Lilly.)
My father was a beloved father. I sat on his lap, he sang and taught me all my baby songs. I combed his hair and beard and sang with him. I sang my childhood days through.
I was born and raised in a little town of Charleston, my Bro John and I sang everywhere.
My father was very special to me. Mother was good and kind to us but she wasn’t a loving woman and never made a practice of making a fuss over us. I must of missed that because I remember sitting on father’s knee and him singing or me singing until I fell to sleep and when Mother would take me out of his arms to put me in bed, I remember arousing to feel a kiss on my cheek and I took advantage of that and would deliberately go to sleep, or pretend to be asleep, just to get that kiss I knew she would give before she lay me down. I remember making a fuss of father, combing his hair and whiskers which I loved to caress, and when Mother would cut his hair and trim his whiskers, I would see to it she didn’t cut his whiskers too short and I remember crying because she cut them too short some times. The first thing I remember of my school days was the teacher coming up behind me and jerking my pencil out of my left and hand and putting it in my right one.[2]
My girlhood days, although some ways we were poor, one dress for summer, one for winter was all we had, but we had all we could eat even if it was nothing but Mallassis and bread and eat your bread and smell your cheese. Charleston was my home all through until I was married, schooling and all. I only went to the Seventh Grade[3]. I had a wonderful Mother and Dad but Mother wasn’t well ever since I can remember so I had to work hard with the rest of the family and didn’t get much schooling.
I met John Bate when I was 17 years old. We went together 3½ almost 4 years. I wanted a home before we married and April 1st, 1903 we got it all paid for and everything in it. I was happy, my little home all paid for. Lillie was born May 24th, 1904, in that little house, but not long after John took a homestead farm and we sold that little place I loved. Then came another hard experience. We went to Idaho and by the time we had another house of our on, Almon was born Aug. 9, 1906 in Grant, Idaho. By the time we got on our feet, DeLoy was born June 13, 1909. By that time we were doing pretty good. John said, “Which shall we do, build a nice home here or sell out and go to Utah?” I said, “We will go to Utah, I want to raise my children in Utah I don’t like Idaho.” Although we had made many good friends, John was in almost everything in the Church. We came and we made a bad investment and was as hard up as ever[4]. But we got along and our little girl, Thelma was born Feb. 13, 1912 in Perry Utah. John’s Mother was living with us then and we made out. Made lots of friends and worked in the Church and Played in the local Shows on the stage[5]. Then on July 1st, 1917 another little girl[6] was born in Perry, Utah, then in June 10, Our boy[7] was born. Y then we were getting along better and so that’s our Journey through Life. John works as a farm helper for any folks in Idaho. In Perry, farming for a few years. He had a Harness shop and Shoe Shop for a few years then the Cannary was running and he worked in that for 28 years, we took care of the Church and School which was some of the means we sent our two boys on Missions both to Hawaii.
Lillie Married May 3, 1922
Almon “ May 28, 1930
DeLoy “ Aug. 31, 1932
Thelma “ May 28, 1930 All Temple Marriages
Ruby “ June 14, 1936
LaVerrel “ July 12, 1946
One time we got a chance to buy some cheese from a man taking census. At noon his kids said to get some bread and they would get the cheese. They bought out a whole big hunk of cheese and we had a feast. We weren’t used to having a lot of cheese. We were brought up to “Smell the cheese and eat the bread.”
I went out at 17 years with my first boy friend. He asked me to go for a walk and he took me to the Candy Kitchin. He asked me if I wanted some candy and I said yes so he said to the clerk, “How much is this candy a lb. (It was nice candy and a little expensive) and he said “How many pieces would that be for Five Cents?”[8]
John was always wanting to go on a Mission. He had a chance. They came to me and asked me before they asked him if it was alright, I can hardly forgive myself even yet, but I said “No, I believe he is needed at home with us as I have boys, one almost old enough to go.” So they never said any more about it. Then they came one day and asked the boy Almon, to go on a mission, John said we couldn’t afford it. I kept after the Bishop to renew his offer, which he did and so Almon was called to fill a mission to Hawaii. I worked as cleaning the school house, milking our cows, tending chickens, cleaning wild ducks that my husband killed for us for the family food, which was very nourishing and gave them all a strong body and plenty to eat while sending 2 boys on a mission to Hawaii of which I am very proud.
I raised 7 children by working to help, which didn’t give me much time for church, but I worked in the Primary and Relief Society President and teachers before moving to Brigham in 1957.
When John and I were engaged, John worked for my father for 4 years farming– (Father died.)
We built a little home, frame house. Was all payed for. A living room, kitchen, and Bedroom-papered and furnished- before we were married. Lived in it until Lille was 5 months old and then went to Idaho. Mother died when Lillie was 5 months.
Almon and DeLoy were born in Grant, Idaho West of Rigby in a log cabin. I had lots of clothes for 1st baby- make them the last 2 months- took care of Mother for the 1st 7 months. The log cabin- dirt roof was miserable especially at rainy times. White washing- 25 dresses and many diapers were hung on nails around the cabin. When storm came up the rain came in all over the clothes and brought the mud- often dirt got dry and solid it was a little better. When DeLoy was born they put up a parasol to keep me dry from rain drippings. In winter- sage brush to burn, and when hanging out wash above stove it would stay frozen from one week to next, but didn’t have war to worry over then.
My mother nursed me until I was 2 years old. I had all of my children in my home, with the mid wife. I fell very Ill with Tythoid Fever and was not expected to live, was spared through Faith.
Thelma, Ruby and LaVerrel were born in Perry.
DeLoy fell from a tree when he was between 14 and 15 years old. He and Harold Perry were hunting for something to do so they got a pulley and fastened it on a tree- 35 foot Poplar tree on the edge of the school grounds- with a rope tied to the top of the tree they would hold on to the pulley and slide down to the ground about to the corner of our house. One day DeLoy slipped and fell on the way down. One of the children came running and said “DeLoy is dead.” Lyle Larson brought him in and laid him on the lounge. Sent children for Dad and he administered to him and he came to. He only had a broken arm and Dad fixed the arm in splints– to be administered to was first and not Doctor.
Almon had a serious injury playing basketball- we later found he had broken his back and had to wear a back brace. But he had to get up and go to work in the Cannery. Ruby had an accident when she slammed the car door shut on her hand and cut off her big finger at the end and broke some fingers and sprained her wrist. The Doctor didn’t want to sew the finger back on but I told him he must, it would be so ugly and I had faith it would be all right. He did and the finger got along fine.
LaVerre served during the war in the Army and had many close calls especially while he was in France, but he was taken care of and he returned home safely.
This history of Our Mother is not complete, but it does help to show what a wonderful Mother and Wife she always was. I can’t help but comment at this time that her happy childhood, despite poverty and hard work, carried all through her life. Hr duty to her Husband and her Children was never shirked. She continued to sing to each of her children when they were young and when grown up. Her need for Love and affection as a child, she carried through to her children. The lack of affection she received from her Mother made her extra careful that none of her children should ever feel neglected. She showered them all equally with Love and Affection. I still remember my Mother coming in and kissing us goodnight and tucking us in. She taught us to never go to sleep without still kissing our husbands, and if a missunderstanding was between us we should never go to sleep without making up and saying we were sorry. Love– this is the one thing I keep tightly wrapped around my Mother’s memory on this Mothers Day in 1966.[9]
Maude Bell Simmons Bate passed away, quietly, at her home November 8, 1962
[1]1876
[2]Mother should have been left handed but they insisted on her being right handed and so broke her of being left handed. Later when she was 55 years old, Mother fell down the stairs at the Perry church house and broke her right wrist and at this time it came in handy for her to be able to use her left hand- for I remember that she was as good left handed as right handed.
[3]She was a very good speller
[4]This had something to do with Korth.
[5]Mother and Dad were very good actors and Dad still is, they sang and danced. Mother usually took the lead parts, they enjoyed this part very much. It sound like fun, but of course I’m sure there were ups and downs.
[6]Ruby Fay
[7]LaVerrel Wm.
[8]That cured Mother of that boy friend, as she was so sensitive to those things.
[9]These notes probably made by Aunt Thelma
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