Eliza Ann Westover, our mother, was born December 17, 1854, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she lived until she was eight years of age, at which time her father, Charles Westover, was called to help settle southwestern Utah. They lived first in Washington County.
Eliza attended the University of Deseret where she met L.H. Redd, Jr., who was also attending the University. They both taught school in Washington County, though not at the same school. He taught in New Harmony, and she in Pinto. They courted during their teaching year and were later married in the St. George Temple, April 10, 1878.
The young couple was among those called by the President of the church to settle southeastern Utah and to make friends with the Indians there. Accepting this call, they drove from New Harmony over the Escalante Desert to the rim of the Colorado River. Mother drove one of their teams all the way with her small baby lying either on a feather bed behind her in the covered wagon or on her lap. Instead of the two months they expected it would take, it required six long months for them to reach their destination. This was the historical "Hole-in-the-Rock" trek.
Since they had started out with only enough supplies for two months, their food had to be replenished and rationed carefully. After they left Escalante there were no roads, no stores along the way. They literally "blazed a trail" through uncharted wilderness of deep washes, canyons, and gnarled slick rock. It was a testing of their very mettle, which proved to be equal to the task.
When night came and they camped, always weary, the women in the party took over and prepared the evening meal and the beds for the night. Following supper, the couples danced quadrilles on the slick rock to the music of a fiddle and a harmonica. For a few hours they laughed, danced, and enjoyed life. They dropped into bed healthily tired and happy. When morning came, they were refreshed and ready for the grind ahead. Our mother, Marion relates, told of these wonderful evenings when all the hurt feelings and disgruntled tempers were "washed away" in fun under the stars.
Their food was limited in variety: dried fruit, honey, and flour were their staples. Said Marion: "A Mother told and retold of how she baked bread and spread it with stewed dried peaches on the thick slices, I always became very hungry. Even though I was crying, I had to have a slice of bread and peach-spread. One time as she was telling about those trying times, I asked her, ‘Mother, how did you ever stand such hardships?' I shall never forget her look of shocked surprised as she answered, ‘why those were the happiest days of my life; the men and women in that party came to genuinely love each other. We were closely welded into one big family.'"
At the journey's end they had crossed the Colorado River and finally settled on the San Juan River, calling their town "Bluff."
For a short time they lived in their wagon boxes, but soon they built a crude log fort as protection against the Indians. The houses of the fort had hard-packed dirt floors. Later the families moved into individual log cabins; Mother's consisted of two rooms at first. Many years later father built us a beautiful home of native sandstone from the cliffs nearby. Because their resources were running low, the men went to work in Colorado to earn food supplies for the new colony.
Mother had an understanding heart; she had a great capacity for fun and took a leading role in the social life of the group in Bluff. She brought cheer and happiness to her own family and helped to bring these much-needed stimulants to the village. This helped the colony to survive during those first trying years. Mother often spoke of the deep, live affection which existed among the families. The women of that small community were truly heroines. They devoted their time and talents to family and community life.
Mother was a woman of strong character and unusual courage. The first few years at Bluff were filled with uncertainty and a struggle for survival. The Indians were hostile and extremely difficult, but Mother never lost sight of the reason and purpose given by the General Authorities of the Church for "calling" the little party to settle on the San Juan, which was to establish friendly relations with the Indians. Forthright and unafraid, she showed her friendliness by feeding them. Very soon the Indians, both Navajo and Ute, discovered that Mother was indeed their friend. They were great beggars, and no Indian was ever turned away from our door hungry. They came constantly, sometimes in droves, and would sit on the porch waiting to be fed. Always food was set before them which they ate eagerly. That wasn't enough, however. They begged for food to take home with them, and Mother would at times measure out a little flour mixed with salt and baking powder to put in their sacks, sometimes a little coffee and sugar were also given.
Some of the Ute squaws were wonderful help on wash day. They were carefully trained by Mother to rub on the washboard, turn the washer, and scrub the floor. Old Sally, Jane, and Cheer (Ute squaws) became our trusted and dear friends. When they or their papooses became ill, they came to Mother, who prescribed for them and gave them medicines. Often one of us children would ride out to the Indian camp (wickiups) and engage one of the squaws to come and wash or card wool for Mother. Never were we frightened; rather it was a good pony ride and an adventure.
Mother's father had been an expert gardener, and she had learned the art from him. She managed our garden and orchard in Bluff and her produce and fruit became well known --her luscious beefsteak tomatoes, sweet corn, huge cabbages, early lettuce, radishes, green onions, new and winter potatoes, large delicious watermelons and cantaloupes; many varieties of fruits--early apples, Grimes Golden, Winter Paremaines (which were stored in the cellar for winter evenings), sweet, juicy apricots (which provided sweet pits for nuts), peaches, plums, grapes, currants, and gooseberries.
In the early spring, Father plowed the rich soil; Mother had it raked until it was smooth and level as a lawn. With stakes and twine, arrow-straight furrows were made, seeds dropped and covered. The garden was carefully cultivated, irrigated and weeded, with Mother doing a great deal of this herself.
Canning time continued throughout the summer and fall, and the kitchen was a busy, fragrant bustle of bottling, making jellies and preserves and spicy pickles for winter use. Mother was as painstaking in these activities as she was in gardening. She put up hundreds of two-quart jars of tomatoes, peaches, apricots, and currants. Because of her resourcefulness we were assured a good diet of home-grown vegetables and fruits. We had no spinach, but Mother often cooked tasty wild greens called "pigweeds." Nutrition research in recent years has shown the importance of greens and grasses in the diet for good health and good teeth. Our parents did not have refined sugar or flour; their sweetening was sorghum syrup, rich in vitamins and minerals. Mother never had a tooth decay before she was 70. It was fortunate that the necessary austerity of our parents' diet made for good health, for doctors and dentists were not available.
Father was advised by church authorities to take a second wife after they arrived in Bluff. Mother encouraged him: "Lem, you have been advised to do this and you must do it." The decision was made. Mother accompanied Father and his new bride, Aunt Lucy, to the St. George Temple where the marriage took place. (Aunt Lucy, his choice, was Lucy Zina Lyman, Daughter of Eliza Maria Partridge Smith and Apostle Amasa Mason Lyman.)
Mother was always active in church organizations. She was secretary of the Primary for many years, being set apart July 7, 1881. As President of the Bluff Relief Society (1909-1916) she especially urged the young women of the town to attend Relief Society, to study their lessons, and to prepare themselves for married life. Later she served in the presidency of the Stake Relief Society. The Stake was geographically large then, including an area into New Mexico. It took two weeks or more to make the rounds and visit all the wards.
Mother was a meticulous housekeeper, often to the annoyance and discomfort of her family.
Between the years 1879 and 1896, she had eight children: Lula, Hattie Ellen, Lemuel Hardison III, Herbert Haven, Edith, Charles, Marion, and Amy. Aunt Mary Jones and Aunt Jody (Josephine) Wood attended all the births as midwives.
We remember Mother for her efficiency and resourcefulness. We children will never forget the suspense and thrill of Christmas. Santa Claus always found us and "came down the chimney" to fill our stockings as Mother said he would--if we were good. We lived too far from the mountains to have a Christmas tree, but we didn't miss it. The house was gay with trimmings of popcorn strings and paper chains of green and red paper. Popcorn balls, homemade candy, and apples were in abundance. But the real thrill was the sight of our bulging stockings on Christmas morning.
Sears-Roebuck and Company and Montgomery Ward Company catalogs were wonderful helps to "Santa," and how splendidly Mother played that game with us. Our birthdays, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, the Twenty-fourth of July were all thrilling and memorable occasions.
She loved animals. Our milch cows--Molly, Daisy, and Old Spike--were almost household pets. But when Old Spike tossed Amy on her horns over the fence, Mother smacked her with a quirt. Old Spike never did that again, but she kept a wary eye out when Mother was around. Among other pets, she had two short-haired Maltese kittens which she cared for tenderly, keeping them as clean as her babies.
Mother's interest in education never languished. She felt keenly the importance of the educational and cultural side of life. She constantly urged Father to send the children out to school. As legislator in 1899, he had the opportunity to visit the institutions of higher learning in Utah--the University of Utah, the Agricultural College at Logan, and the Brigham Young University at Provo. He was greatly impressed, especially with the BYU, and resolved then that his children should have the opportunity of attending the universities, as is shown by the following, taken from a letter he wrote to Mother, dated February 3, 1899: "I am willing to make any reasonable sacrifice that our children may get an education and religious training at the same time." Mother never let him forget this; and as a result, all the children did go away to the universities for advanced schooling.
Father placed great confidence in Mother, and she assisted him with business and family matters. She was his "secretary" in a way, keeping track of his correspondence and important records and documents. When he was away from home for any length of time, as when he spent three months in Salt Lake City as a legislator (1899-1901), his correspondence is filled with detailed instructions to Mother for overseeing the sheep and cattle operations. She, in turn, passed on the instructions to the boys, the sheep herders, and others concerning the work that should be done.
In 1909 Mother suffered a deep and painful burn on her legs when a scalding hot water bottle broke. Dr. Harrington of Cortez, Colorado, was called to care for her on three different occasions. Gangrene set in. The doctor told the family at the time of this third visit not to send for him again as there was no hope for her recovery.
The following Saturday morning a knock came at the door. Uncle Wayne Redd came in. One of the girls said, "Why, Uncle Wayne, why are you here? I thought you would be in Moab attending Stake Conference." He answered, "I don't know why I am here. We had the horses all harnessed in Monticello and ready to go when I was prompted to turn around and come to Bluff." The family said, "Uncle Wayne, Mother is dying. Come in and see her."
Going into the east bedroom where Mother was lying in bed, we all knelt down around the bed and Uncle Wayne blessed her, promising her she would get well. Almost immediately Mother asked for food, the first in several days. Marion said, "Uncle Joe, Mother is going to live and she wants some meat." He looked at her in wonder and disbelief, but he quickly got the meat. Edith cooked it and Mother ate with great relish. After many long weeks, she was recovered.
Later, Dr. Harrington happened to be in town seeing another patient. He couldn't believe Mother was alive. He commented and told us we could quote him in the newspapers: "I have witnessed a great miracle. A higher power than medicine healed Mrs. Redd."
Later, in the minutes of Bluff Relief Society is this account: "President Eliza Ann Redd bore her testimony, saying she was healed by the power of the lord, and expressed her gratitude for the faith and prayers of the members." The whole town had been concerned, as they always were when any person was in need of help.
Mother's excellence applied also to cooking. We'll never forget the rich nutty flavor of her salt-rising bread; people still ask for her recipe. Her apple pies, her Mexican beans baked with cream, and her ice cream made with real cream and eggs were family favorites. A request from the Agricultural College at Logan once asked for her wine recipe.
Using mutton tallow the sheep herders brought in, Mother made soap in a huge, outdoor brass kettle. The soap was used for washing clothes and housecleaning. A well provided most of the water for our domestic needs. The water was hard and alkaline. Mother boiled ashes from burned cottonwood trees and put this in the water to soften it for washing and cleaning purposes.
Mother died March 17, 1938, at the age of 84, in Salt Lake City, following a long illness. Previously she had had many strokes and painful arthritis which had confined her to a wheel chair(Redd).
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San Juan High School