The past couple of weeks we have been reading the available life histories of our great grandparents. In honor of Mother's Day we would like to share some facts about M's great grandmother on her maternal side, Martha Laverna Williams.
Her life in a nut-shell:
She was born October 15, 1884. She grew up in Lehi, Arizona. Her talents included public speaking, dancing and genealogy. Her mother, had been pioneer, and made the trek west to Utah, and then south to Arizona. Vernie, as she was often called, also had a challenging yet fulfilling life. She married and buried 3 husbands and often had to find ways to support her family of Ethel Shill, Victoria Lucile Shill, LaVerna Cornelia Louise Shill, Robert Marion Horrell, Corabell Horrell, Keith Williams Horrell, and Darlene Horrell.
Her first husband, Victor Shill, built them a home in Lehi of which Martha writes, "We lived in at Victor's parent's house until we fixed up a little house that Victor owned. His parents were in Salt Lake City at the time. After the fixing we moved in. My dream had come true. My own home. I had dreamed of this since I was a child. It was all so wonderful. I was so very happy I had a good kind husband and my own home." (Life Story of M. LaVerna Williams Shill, Horrell, Rice). The marriage would only last two years when Victor was killed in a mining accident.
She was pregnant with twins at the time and attended the Keister Ladies Tailoring College to develop her talent of sewing. She was able to help support her family by doing tailoring for the school. Eventually, she moved her family in with her sister, Bell Kleinman where she met her future husband, Marion L. Horrell, living next store.
After they were married, they lived on South Alma School Rd. in Mesa, AZ for 11 years until the farm was repossessed in 1923. Martha shares this comment on that point in her life, "In Nov 1923, our farm and home were repossessed by the bank. It was because of a series of poor business decisions and the bottom dropping out of the cotton market. We never did recover from our losses of 1920. We had the money at one time to pay the Bank but our decision was to let it out on interest. This was a bad decision because we could not collect. The person had skipped the country. We rented a house on South Morris St and Marion went to work helping to build the Arizona Temple." A year later Marion died from a stroke, again she writes, "Again I was thrust into the big deep black hole of despair. What was I to do? How were we to manage without the tender loving care of my dear husband. Marion gave so much peace and security to us."
At this point the older daughters pitched in to help support the family and Martha continued to draw an income from her sewing skills. She worked for the T & T Gown shop in Phoenix and the Cash and Carry Cleaning shop. After three years she met and married Thomas Ira Rice - he liked to dance and so did Martha. They were married in 1929 and spent the majority of the depression years managing The Arizona Stock Farms for E. E. Quick in Arlington, AZ. They lived in Arlington for 13 years.
M's grandmother, Darlene Horrell Rice spent most of her growing up years in the tiny town of Arlington, AZ. It is about 1 hour from where we currently live. Last Sunday M went for a drive to visit the town of Arlington. It hasn't grown much in 76 years. Here are the photos she was able to snap of the town store and post office.
"When Keith was about 4 months old, April 1920, he became very ill. The nights were very cool, I had taken his bed in by the fireplace so it would be warm for him. The Dr. didn't seem to know what was wrong with him. There was no improvement. I became very discouraged. It seemed my strength and faith was at the lowest ebb. It seemed the weight of the world was resting upon my shoulders, bearing me down. The load was becoming unbearable. Everyone was asleep. I stepped through a door into the dining room and knelt by the first chair I came to. I poured out my heart to my dear Heavenly Father, who had helped me so many times before. I told Him, I loved my baby with all my heart. I wanted to keep him with me to love and care for, but if He wanted my baby, I felt that I could say as my Dear Savior said, as He hung on the cross, 'Thy will, not mine be done." I felt that I wanted His will to be done more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. Before I finished my prayer that load of worry and doubt that was weighing me down had lifted. I felt so light and free and happy, for I knew with every fiber of my being that my baby would live. I then stood by his bed, I was just bursting with song. The words that came to me to sing were, 'I Know that my Redeemer Lives' I felt like I could shot from the housetops."
"I bear testimony to anyone who reads this, every word is true. I have not exaggerated this incident in any degree. I don't have words to express just how wonderful it was to feel the Spirit of the Lord permeate my body as it did on that night. It made me Know beyond all doubt that my dear child would live, even if he had died I would have known that he would come back to life. Again, I bear testimony that I know that my Redeemer lives. He will stand at the last day with the prints of the nails in His hands to judge the living and the dead. By this same token I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the true and everlasting Gospel restored again to the earth by the power of God. It wasn't long until Keith was well and strong again."
Her life in a nut-shell:
She was born October 15, 1884. She grew up in Lehi, Arizona. Her talents included public speaking, dancing and genealogy. Her mother, had been pioneer, and made the trek west to Utah, and then south to Arizona. Vernie, as she was often called, also had a challenging yet fulfilling life. She married and buried 3 husbands and often had to find ways to support her family of Ethel Shill, Victoria Lucile Shill, LaVerna Cornelia Louise Shill, Robert Marion Horrell, Corabell Horrell, Keith Williams Horrell, and Darlene Horrell.
Her first husband, Victor Shill, built them a home in Lehi of which Martha writes, "We lived in at Victor's parent's house until we fixed up a little house that Victor owned. His parents were in Salt Lake City at the time. After the fixing we moved in. My dream had come true. My own home. I had dreamed of this since I was a child. It was all so wonderful. I was so very happy I had a good kind husband and my own home." (Life Story of M. LaVerna Williams Shill, Horrell, Rice). The marriage would only last two years when Victor was killed in a mining accident.
She was pregnant with twins at the time and attended the Keister Ladies Tailoring College to develop her talent of sewing. She was able to help support her family by doing tailoring for the school. Eventually, she moved her family in with her sister, Bell Kleinman where she met her future husband, Marion L. Horrell, living next store.
After they were married, they lived on South Alma School Rd. in Mesa, AZ for 11 years until the farm was repossessed in 1923. Martha shares this comment on that point in her life, "In Nov 1923, our farm and home were repossessed by the bank. It was because of a series of poor business decisions and the bottom dropping out of the cotton market. We never did recover from our losses of 1920. We had the money at one time to pay the Bank but our decision was to let it out on interest. This was a bad decision because we could not collect. The person had skipped the country. We rented a house on South Morris St and Marion went to work helping to build the Arizona Temple." A year later Marion died from a stroke, again she writes, "Again I was thrust into the big deep black hole of despair. What was I to do? How were we to manage without the tender loving care of my dear husband. Marion gave so much peace and security to us."
At this point the older daughters pitched in to help support the family and Martha continued to draw an income from her sewing skills. She worked for the T & T Gown shop in Phoenix and the Cash and Carry Cleaning shop. After three years she met and married Thomas Ira Rice - he liked to dance and so did Martha. They were married in 1929 and spent the majority of the depression years managing The Arizona Stock Farms for E. E. Quick in Arlington, AZ. They lived in Arlington for 13 years.
M's grandmother, Darlene Horrell Rice spent most of her growing up years in the tiny town of Arlington, AZ. It is about 1 hour from where we currently live. Last Sunday M went for a drive to visit the town of Arlington. It hasn't grown much in 76 years. Here are the photos she was able to snap of the town store and post office.
Spiritual experience shared by Martha Laverna Williams:
"When Keith was about 4 months old, April 1920, he became very ill. The nights were very cool, I had taken his bed in by the fireplace so it would be warm for him. The Dr. didn't seem to know what was wrong with him. There was no improvement. I became very discouraged. It seemed my strength and faith was at the lowest ebb. It seemed the weight of the world was resting upon my shoulders, bearing me down. The load was becoming unbearable. Everyone was asleep. I stepped through a door into the dining room and knelt by the first chair I came to. I poured out my heart to my dear Heavenly Father, who had helped me so many times before. I told Him, I loved my baby with all my heart. I wanted to keep him with me to love and care for, but if He wanted my baby, I felt that I could say as my Dear Savior said, as He hung on the cross, 'Thy will, not mine be done." I felt that I wanted His will to be done more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. Before I finished my prayer that load of worry and doubt that was weighing me down had lifted. I felt so light and free and happy, for I knew with every fiber of my being that my baby would live. I then stood by his bed, I was just bursting with song. The words that came to me to sing were, 'I Know that my Redeemer Lives' I felt like I could shot from the housetops."
"I bear testimony to anyone who reads this, every word is true. I have not exaggerated this incident in any degree. I don't have words to express just how wonderful it was to feel the Spirit of the Lord permeate my body as it did on that night. It made me Know beyond all doubt that my dear child would live, even if he had died I would have known that he would come back to life. Again, I bear testimony that I know that my Redeemer lives. He will stand at the last day with the prints of the nails in His hands to judge the living and the dead. By this same token I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the true and everlasting Gospel restored again to the earth by the power of God. It wasn't long until Keith was well and strong again."
2 comments:
An uplifting story. Thank you for posting it. Happy Mother's Day!
Mar - she was a survivor and faithful example of how adversity in our lives is a purifier of our hearts. Luv you. JB
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