Mom Share Your Life with Me - October 31-Nov 1

Question:  Do you have a special Halloween memory?
No Answer

Question:  Tell about how you first knew my father? (Cleo Earl Cook)

Answer:  I met Cleo when I was dating his brother, Vergil.  I would be in the Cook's home for Sunday dinner.

Cleo and Vergil Cook

Agnes Christine Cook-Life Story

Life Story

Agnes Christine Cook

1905-1975

     I, Agnes Christine Cook was born 17 August 1905, at Labelle, Jefferson, Idaho. I was the daughter of James Edward Cook and Christina Magdalena Buchmiller. 

James Edward and Christina Magdalen Cook

I was blessed 15 November 1905 by my Grandfather, James Nathaniel Cook. 

James Nathaniel Cook

I was baptized 2 August 1914 by Bertie Wadsworth and confirmed 2 August 1914 by Joseph C. Arave. 

     My schooling commenced at Taylorville, Bingham, Idaho, in a little one room school known as the Washington School.  I was the oldest of my family.  My father was the only boy in a family of 7; four girls older and two younger than him.  Being his first child, I was rather favored by my Grandfather and Grandmother Cook.  They also lived across the road from us until I was about six years old.  So I spent much of my time with them.

     We moved to Taylorville in the spring of 1911, away from them for the first time in my life.  Grandfather died 30 September 1911 at Labelle.  Grandmother moved to Taylorville after his death as several of her children were there and again I spent much of my time with her.  I stayed with her and went to school my first year in 1912.  I went to the Taylor school the next year. 

     The following spring we moved to our dry farm on the foot hill just a short distance from where father had been renting an irrigated farm.  That year we had three miles to go to school, which we walked when weather permitted.  During the coldest weather the neighbors got together and took turns taking the children to school.  There were times when they couldn’t get thru the roads with a sleigh until they would break the roads open.  They used to do this by driving loose horses thru until the snow was packed enough to get the sleighs over.  So we missed a lot of school during bad weather.  The rest of the time we walked. 

     In the summer I worked out in the field most of the time with my father.  Being the oldest in the family, I worked with him on the farm much of the time until I was about fifteen.  Being the oldest in the family and not much cash, I was unable to attend much school during the farming season.  I went thru the eighth grade without being able to go to school either the first or last days of the school year.  We didn’t have school buses to take us to school.  I froze my feet and hands several times while going to school.

     While on the dry farm, I tipped over the plow, stood a two section harrow on its end and went completely under the land leveler with getting hurt.  In the summer of 1915, our house burned.  We saved only a small part of the furniture from downstairs.  Father sold the dry farm and we moved to Shelley the spring I was in the fourth grade.  I went to school in Shelley one year.  We then moved to Woodville, where I finished my schooling.

     The year I was in eighth grade I had pneumonia during the winter.  I graduated the first of May 1919.  About a week later I had typhoid fever.  When school started in September, I wasn’t able to go to high school.  I started but had to quit on account of my health. 

     While in Woodvilled, I worked as a kindergarten teacher in the Sunday School and about two years as assistant secretary and secretary of the Primary.  Then from Woodville the family moved to Ucon for one year and then to Coltman.  While in Coltman I worked as secretary of the Primary for about six years.  I did house work for several different people during that time but spent most of my time with the Leslie Jephson family. 

     While in Coltman I worked as a teacher in the Sunday School.  There I met and later married Levi Wilford Levin in the Logan Temple on the 20^th of June 1928. 

After we were married, we lived in Ucon for a short time but never left the Coltman Ward.  On 27 May 1928, I was released as secretary of the Primary and sustained as a counselor to Sister Lola Hudman in the Primary.

     We moved to Coltman in the early spring of 1929 and on 25 May 1929, my son Boyd Wilford was born in the LDS Hospital. 

     We decided to try our luck at farming, so we moved to Grant, Jefferson, Idaho, in the spring of 1930.  We farmed two summers there.  I worked one year as the Bluebird teacher in Primary and a while on the Genealogy committee. 

     On 25 January 1932, my daughter, Carol was born at Ririe, Jefferson, Idaho. 

Carol and Grandpa Cook (James Edward)

We moved back to Coltman in April 1932.  I worked as counselor in the Primay again and as Bee Keeper for seven years.  I was released as counselor in the Primary and as Bee Keeper and sustained as a counselor in the YWMIA soon after.  Both children commenced school at Coltman.   Boyd completed eighth grade there.  In 1942 I was released as counselor in the YWMIA and sustained as President. 

     In the spring of 1943, we bought our home and moved to Roberts, Jefferson, Idaho.  In August 1943, I was sustained as President of the Roberts Primary and served in that capacity a little over three years.  Then I was sustained as Zion’s Boys and Girls, first year group teacher on the Rigby Stake Board 15 September 1946, under President June Tolley. I also served under President Zelpha Lufkin and Dora Poole.  I was released 21 February 1954.  During this time the Zion’s Boys and Girls 1^st year was changed to Co-Pilots.  In 1947, I was sustained as secretary of the Roberts Relief Society, also taught Zion’s Boys and Girls 1^st year in the Roberts Ward.

     I was released as secretary of the Relief Society 5 July 1953 and sustained as first counselor.  I was released from Relief Society 8 January 1956.  In February I was sustained as Trekker teacher in the Roberts Ward also as aide in Genealogy Committee in June or July of 1956.  I was sustained a Trekker Leader in Rigby Stake. 

     Since moving to Roberts, both of my children have completed high school.  I worked in the grocery store for Rollo Dutson for three and a half years.  Carol was married to Arthur Croft Ossmen by President George Christensen in Rigby, Idaho on 24 November 1950.  On 18 February 1954 our first granddaughter, Leslie Kay Ossmen was born.  On 12 December 1955, our second granddaughter, Linda Carol Ossmen was born.  Then on 4 August 1957, our first grandson was born.  We enjoy our family and grandchildren very much.  We are now looking forward to Christmas 1957 with our family. 

     My Aunt Agnes Christine Cook Levin died 24 October 1975 in Rexburg, Madison, Idaho and was buried 27 October 1975 in the Grant Central Cemetery in Grant, Jefferson, Idaho.  She was a lovely lady and is still much missed by all who knew and loved here.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - October 29-30

Question:  Do you have a good ghost or haunted house story to relate?
No Answer

Question:  What did people do at Halloween?

Answer:  Soap windows

Mom Share Your Life with Me - October 25-28

Question:  What hobbies or collections did you have as a youth?
No answer

Question: Share a memory about being very scared.
No Answer

Question:  Tell a story about a time when you dressed up in a costume.
No Answer

Question:  Did you ever tell ghost stories?

Answer:  Many times, especially at nights to scare Inez.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - October 24

Question:  If you had a watch, tell about it.

Answer:  My first watch was given to me by Santa; then Cleo gave me one.  The one I have now Kay and Carla gave it to me when they lived in West Jordan, Utah and I was visiting them one summer.

Ethel Proctor-Life Story Part Seven

My Book of Memories

by Ethel P. Formo

1910-1978

          Dad got a job with the Utah Idaho Sugar Company so we did not stay at the farm very long.  He was sent to Blackfoot where it was much closer to his work.  He did not work in the factory itself but rather would contact the farmers and interest them in growing sugar beets.  I was in 3^rd grade now and sometimes Mom would let me go through the field (we lived in town a ways) to play with some cousins.  There were 3 girls and a boy.  Geniveve was a pretty girl and my age.  She passed away while very young and I really missed her.  Else, Elroy and ? were all so very blond it seemed strange to me.  Neither Aunt Mary nor Uncle Sam were blonde but all their kids were.

     Living not too far from Uncle Sam’s was a family named Knightons.  They had beautiful twin baby girls and I loved to be around them.  I guess both Mr. and Mrs. Knighton must have taken a liking to me for before long Mrs. Knighton asked Mom if I could come over and help her with the work and watch the babies for her.  I spent a good deal of time there.  They were very religious people and spent a lot of time on their genealogy.  That was really my first encounter with genealogy fanatics.  Of course I was not old enough to grasp the full significance of it then but I have since.  Of course I had been taught about Adam and Eve and what a tremendous effect they had upon the world but I just could not grasp how anyone could trace their genealogy clear back to Adam and Eve.  The Knightons declared up and down they had, and had charts and maps etc. to back them up.  But like I have said I was really too young to grasp it all except that they were connected with Adam and Eve.  It made a lasting impression on me.  How could anyone go back so many years and get all that kind of information—even though they had both been missionaries for the Mormon Church.  Mr. Knighton was transferred to another city and I missed the babysitting job so much.  Then we had to move to Aberdeen, Idaho, where Dad had to teach or try to get the farmer to grow beets.  We loved the house.  We called it the brown shingle house.  The siding was all shingles and there was a beautiful big lawn and lots of trees all around!  Of course no matter where we moved to, Mom had to plant her flowers and shrubs and hope we would be able to see them grow and bloom before we had to move again.

Ethel

     We had been there only a short time with Ruth got the croup real bad.  We lived just around the corner from the doctor so Mom sent me over to have him come over.  He said she would have to have some kalsomine—could I run up to the store and get some?  It was almost dark to Max and I scooted off.  Rozella always seemed to be helping Mom.  Max and I shared almost everything and became great pals.  Rozella seemed to be the homemaker.  I always turned out to be the errand boy but Max usually came along because he was a boy and could protect me.

     We made friends easily and we had lots of them.  In fact no matter where we went most everyone gathered at our place to play.

     There was a small irrigation ditch which ran past our front yard and under the trees.  It was off the lawn so we made a playground where we could make roads, build farms and plant whatever a child’s mind can think of.  There were lots of logs to work with.  Each day our imaginations would cause wrecking and rebuilding plans.

     The place where we were living had a very big lawn surrounded by giant trees.  It was so cool and so much fun to play outside under those trees.  We had  great times.

     In one corner of the lawn and set quite a ways from our big house was a little two room cabin.  A little old lady 85 years old lived there—all by herself.  She was a sweet thing, most of the time, and seemed to love to have us kinds around.  But she had her days when her mind seemed to wander and she would scare the living day lights out of us—especially when she was thinking of a son who had been killed in the war.  Then she seemed to want to take her spite out on someone and it was usually Max or I.  Mom seldom let us near her alone.

     One day she asked Max and me to come in and visit her.  She made some hot chocolate for us and gave us cookies.  I loved the spoon she gave me to stir my chocolate with so she gave it to me to keep.  It had been one of her treasures and she was getting old so “please would you think of me when you use it forever and ever?”  I was thrilled beyond words as she gave me a big kiss and a hug.  The next day we found she had died in her sleep.  I still have that spoon.

     Soon after that it was the 3^rd day of May, in fact, Max, Rozella, and I were out playing in the yard.  The new little flowers were up and we were planting a little garden of our own out by the outhouse.  We say Dad come running into the yard, so naturally we felt something was wrong and we too went running into the house—except Rozella, she stayed out by the outhouse.  Dad met us in the kitchen.  We could hear Mom cry out every few minutes and we knew she was hurting.  But Dad just said, “Run out and play for awhile, you are going to have a new brother or sister as soon as the doctor can get here.  Be very quiet and don’t get hurt cause I want to be in here with Mama and can’t come out to help you.”  He patted us and away we went.  We could hear Mom cry out every once in a while and we were scared and awed.  Then Max discovered a nest of centipedes and our interest turned to keeping them away from us and trying to kill as many possible.  We had been told they were very poisonous and to be sure not to ever let one get on us.  It was scary but great fun to push them around with long sticks.  We killed very few really but we thought we were doing great. 

     Finally Dad came out, his face was flushed and he seemed to be crying as well as laughing.  “You have a new little sister.  You will have to wait a while to see her she is to new and tiny and Mama is very very tired.  Come in quietly and get washed up for supper.”  When we had the dishes done and put away Mom called out and said, “You can come in one at a time and see the new baby if your hands and face are clean!”  How we did scrub.  Such a beautiful little sister!

Inez Ludlow Proctor

Ruth Elizabeth and Inez Proctor

     It was while we were living here that my Dad gave me a great deal of responsibility.  We lived, perhaps, eight blocks from town.  Between us and town were the stockyards where they brought the cattle in to be loaded onto the train for shipment.  We were never allowed to go anywhere near there.  In fact we had heard so much about the men who there we were frightened of them and the place itself.  If we had to pass it we were always sure a big old steer would come charging out at us and our legs seemed to have twice the speed we needed.  Then we had to pass by the fair grounds and we were always afraid something or someone would be lurking in the animal pens ready to nab us.  We were never allowed to walk up town after three in the afternoon.  But with a new baby in the house, a three year old sister and a sister who ????

     How very sorry I am that this is all that this is all the history of Aunt Ethel that I have. I am sure that she did not end right in the middle of a sentence and somewhere out there there must be more.  If any of you who read this happen to know where I can get a hold of the rest of her history, please leave a comment and let me know.  

     Here is what I know of this sweet sweet lady.  When she was 19 she married Walter Formo 21 August 1930 In Salt Lake City, Utah.  

Walter Formo

Ethel and Walt Formo

Ethel and Walt Formo

     To this union was born 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters:  George William (Billy), Shelby LaRae,

Paula Leanne, and Barry Walt.  Bill passed away in 1995 and Barry in 2011.  I am not sure where the two girls are living.  

Bill, Walt, Ethel, Leanne, Shelby and Barry-1954

     Aunt Ethel passed away 18 September 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah and is buried in Tooele City Cemetery in Toole, Utah.  

     Uncle Walt remarried Mary Lucetta Chidester in 1979.  He passed away in December 1998 and is also buried in Toole, Utah.  

     

Mom Share Your Life with Me - October 21-23

Question:  Do you have a story about standing up against odds for something you really believed in?
Answer:  Didn't write anything.

Question:  What is the farthest you ever ran or walked?
Answer:  Didn't write anything.

Question:  Did you ever pick apples?
Answer:  Yes

Mom Share Your Life with Me - October 20

Question:  Share a favorite fall memory.

Answer:  When family members come and rake up the leaves and clean up my yard.  The Young Men and Young Women from my ward come and do this for me also, and Aaron Taylor and the Scouts.  Everyone has been so good to me and I sure do appreciate and love them all for helping me.