Elizabeth Sarah Williams - Part Two

     When Grandmother attended German Ellsworth's school, he presented her with a book, "Voice of Warning," for being the best pupil in the school.  She was very gifted as an oral reader.  She always had an important part in every school play.  She was a beautiful penman.  She loved to write and would fill her notebook with beautiful writing then carefully erase it all so she could use her notebook over again.

Finally George persuaded her to keep house for him while he ran the farm.  Grandmother and George attended the Brigham Young Academy on an I.O.U.  The next summer Grandmother repaid it by working for President Cluff's second wife at Beaver, Utah.

Grandmother worked at various places.  Finally she went to Eureka, Utah to keep house for Great Grandfather Proctor after the death of his second wife.  It was here she and Grandpa Proctor met, and were married.

Grandmother was very active in the Relief Society.  From March 1911 to March 1915 she was secretary to President Pheobe Isaac.  She was Relief Society Visiting Teacher for many years.

Grandmother was blessed with a talent of doing beautiful hand work.  She was always making beautiful gifts for someone.  During World War I, Mother received a Medal of Honor for doing so much knitting for the Red Cross.  (120 pairs of stockings, 27 sweaters, and countless scarves.) 

She was blessed with a remarkable memory.  She gave many humorous readings in public.  She could read a lengthy selection over a few times and would know it verbatim.

            Eight beautiful children were born to this union: Bessie Vernal, William Thomas, Annie Caroline, George Trevor, Mary Atha, James Franklin, Alan, and Ruth Elizabeth.

           

Grandmother died 3 December 1918 at the age of 38.  Ruth was only 2 ½ weeks old.   She died from puerperal fever sometimes known as childbed fever, a bacterial infection contracted by women during childbirth or miscarriage.  Contributory causes were toxemia of pregnancy, a severe condition characterized by high blood pressure and swelling;  nephritis, an inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys and  toxic liver.

            Grandmother’s Patriarchal Blessing states: “They posterity will be very numerous; among them will be apostles and prophets, seers and revelators, and many leading women in Zion.”  What a marvelous blessing!  Which one of you will be called to fulfill that part of her blessing?  It sure gives us something to think about!  All of us should live worthy of such a calling anyway whether we are ever called to the positions or not.

            I look forward to meeting this elect lady.