Susan Cox Wilson
Susan Cox Autobiographycompiled in 1959 and revised in 1962 School
My high school commenced at the Beaver Branch of the BYU in the fall of 1904. A.B. Anderson was the Principal and roomed with my sister Eunice who was Librarian after having been there two years. Euphrasia, my half sister two years older than me, was also there. She had taught school in Orderville the year before. Edward and Charles were there also. I cooked for them and they paid my tuition. My English teachers were Miss Aberton and R. Maeser. Alfred Durahon and Bro. Van Buren taught physical culture; Laura Adams, evolution; and Mark Cram, Art.
When Johnson’s army was stationed in Utah they built a barracks in the Beaver River Canyon which was turned into school buildings. I took the 8th grade over the 2nd year. Our class colors were blue and gold, and had a flower emblem “Evening Primrose.” Because I had high marks in reading the year before, I was released from that class; then was asked by my teacher, Charl Whitaker, to be librarian for a newly established school and town library. It was called the Karl Hopkins library, because he had established it. My main schooling had begun at seven. I always liked my teachers Hannah Hoyt, Mariah Porter, Rohamia Adair, Frank Robertson, and Cloe Palmer who were my elementary teachers. Laura Lyman, Karl Hopkins, and Charl Whitaker taught me in 7th and 8th grades; also Brother Cutler taught us some beautiful songs: “Star of the Evening,” “music in the Air,” and “Fair as the Morning.” In the seventh grade under Karl Hopkins I had to stay after school for talking and disturbing class. Our punishment was to learn the “Star Spangled Banner” before we could go home. I have always been glad I learned the words to this national song which helped me to develop patriotism and a love for my country.
While attending grade school, I played hopscotch, liners, and baseball at recess. When I was a little older in the summer I played basketball on a girls team. It was hard for me to dance and learn feet rhythm, but I liked games and make-believe play.
I had to leave school in April of my 2nd (1905-1906) year as a result of my poor health. I probably did not have enough exercise, studied too late at night (how I did love to study!), didn’t eat enough green vegetables, vitamins, minerals, or protein foods, or properly chew my food. On my way home as I was waiting to catch the mail driver in Hatchtown, my brother, Will, came along from a trip to Salt Lake Conference and took me home. I built up my health through the summer by eating foods and walking, going a little farther each day. I even got so I could climb the steep hill in back of our lot.
One winter, in my 2nd year at school, we did not go home for Christmas holidays, but those left got together on New Years Eve. We danced in the hall without any music until 12:00. Then Albert Hutchings and I rang the bell—old year out; new year in.
One time my brother Will lost his gun on Duck Creek Mountain, so he came and got all of his brothers and sisters to come and help him find it. Just as we all got stationed across a certain knoll, Delta found it.
From Physical Culture Magazine, I learned of the fasting cure for 3 days. I improved so much that I wrote about it and sent it to the magazine for which I received a year’s subscription.
I earned a $5.00 (2nd prize) on an essay on the eye from Alexander Optical Company, in my 3rd year of high school.
Until I was old enough to cook, I was baby tender at home and at my Aunt Zina Allred’s home where I learned systematic ways of doing things. I remember of tending Clarissa, not a year old at the time, and Amy, 3 years old, when my little brother Amasa died at six. As I grew older, the cooking and dishwashing was usually my job. My older sister, Eunice, took over the sewing and washing of our clothes.
My mother’s health was very poor. I think part of it was due to undernourishment. She always saw that the men folks, who were working hard, got good food, and the children, and I know she went without better foods when there was not enough.
While my brothers were janitors for school rooms, I drove the milk cows up the hill every morning, northwest of the town, to graze over the hills and then I would return them at night. Sometimes I had to hurry to get back to school on time. One time when I was late, I stayed out until recess. Phebe Covington was also late and our names got handed in with some boy sluffers.
I loved those nature walks. I learned poems and most of my reading lessons with trees and rocks for a background, and sometimes said a morning prayer.
Work experiencesI worked in many homes, I worked at Lois and Ira Heaton’s at Alton, in Kane Co. in the latter part of the summer of 1906. They had 4 children. She had a backset in confinement. The school teacher, Clara Spencer, was boarding there and helped some. Lois praised me for not being afraid to go ahead with the work without being told what to do. There was no water available except melting blocks of snow which was about 4 feet deep. Clara Spencer impressed me with a desire to want to be more cultured, especially among young people. I was 20 years old. I worked the rest of the winter and the next summer at Sytha Findley’s mother’s at Kanab. Mrs. Findley and her sister Ema Johnson paid me in advance so I could get my teeth fixed by putting in a bridge by the dentist, Dr. Brimbough.
I took an examination from some teachers and passed fairly good for not having had more schooling. I wrote to Supt. Mrs. Bertleson of Piute Co. I was too late to get a job so Mrs. Bertleson asked me to work for her in the Grand Hotel in Marysvale. I went up there with my father and Aunt Tully, who were going on a trip to Idaho to visit her son Leonard. My brother Charles took them to the train in Marysvale. He then went back to care for grandmother Brown. The work was too hard for me at the hotel so they hired Flora Warmock. She was stout enough to do it all. They got me a place to work in Junction at Karl Barnsen’s home. How delighted Marie and Porter were for me to help trim the Christmas tree. Cleo Luke, a girl I had met at school was nice to me. She got me a boyfriend, Guy Price. For holidays, she fixed a special dinner. When my father stopped on his way home to do spring work so I got a chance to go to Beaver.
Eunice was still Librarian. Edward was married to Stella Belnap, but still at school studying music and getting ready to graduate. I worked 2 weeks in Prof. Alfred Durkam’s home then got a job in Dr. McGregor’s home doing house work. Euphrasia was there training to be a nurse. They gave me Friday afternoon off so I walked 2 miles to Murdock Academy and took special elocution. I went home when school was out then worked all summer to go back to school again.
During March, April, and May, while I worked in McGregor’s home in Beaver, I was asked to help in the Sunday School Kindergarten with Mary Whitehurst. The spring following, I went to school the latter semester and stayed at Sister Farley’s home, who is one of the nicest women I have ever met. I was asked to teach a class of boys, 11 to 12 years old.
The first three years off at school I was invited to sing in the school choir under Prof. Alfred and George Durham.
My sister Abbie was the primary president in Orderville. When I came home from school the first semester, she asked me to work with another teacher. I didn’t cooperate very well and suggested my younger sister Clarrissa take it. She was good at storytelling for children. She gladly accepted when the president asked her and she has most of the time since then been a primary worker, while the opportunity was lost too me. I did not realize it was a call from the Lord. Abbie cried and felt very bad for me for she thought if I hadn’t been so involved with school I could have helped her. It took deep repentance before I felt my Heavenly Father could forgive me.
My brother Charles went on a mission in 1908 to the Central States.
The third summer when I returned from school, I was chosen to serve on the 4th of July Committee. This was my first ambition to public life. I suggested we offer a prize for the best oration. I got my brother Will to give one and Hardy Carroll. The chairman got his brother Joseph to write one also. No one else seemed to want to enter, so to bring about more competition, the rest of the committee said I had better enter. I had taken some elocution which I thought might help my delivery so I tried it. Ha! Ha! The judges pronounced mine too dramatic for an oration. My brother Will got the first prize and Joseph the second.
1908 was quite a year for our family. Edward had married in January, Charles went to the mission field in April, Euphrasia and Delta married in August to Jess Dobson and James Blake. When school was out I went home with others who were going home.
In 1909 I began to be more socially inclined and was determined to get more schooling. I had earned enough money to put me through school a year by working for the summer at the Pugh’s and taking car of grandmother. She wanted me in preference to any one else and wanted me to have $4.00 a week, which was more than wages for girls at that time.
I took quite a heavy course: English, History, etc., but for lighter studies I took art and dressmaking under Miss Crosby and made a graduating dress for Clarrissa. I always tried to help out with county fairs. Sometimes some of our fruit was exhibited. I put in an Indian Story I had written at Kanab and got an honorable mention.
Emma Avery from Kanab roomed with me. Jesse Stout and Bert Fisher chopped our wood and we baked their bread. Emma’s brother Andy came for her to go home for Christmas and they invited me to go with them. Mabel Gardener, Maybel Stott, and Jess and Bert from Meadow all rode in the same buggy. We camped a Cove Fort but nearly froze, even though there was a roaring fire in the fireplace in the big room in the fort. The next morning about 9:00, seven miles from Kanosh, the buggy spring broke, but with help we arrived alright.
Andy Avery was my partner for the dances until he made up with his old girlfriend, Effie Emerson. She has been in my class at school. Milton and Moses Whitaker were nice to me. They had been to the same school and their brother Charl and Sister Clara had taught school in Orderville the year I graduated from the eighth grade. Karl Hopkins, another teacher of mine in Orderville, also lived in Kanosh. Jesse Stott took me to a few dances until spring. We corresponded the next summer. He was large, but I was older.
I took care of grandmother Brown in mother’s room all summer until January, then Amy and Clarrissa thought they could take over and let me go to school the next semester, for I thought I would like to teach school. I worked for room and board at Sister Fernley’s. I passed off a 4th grade English class and took the sewing classes and art and U.S. History class. I made a graduating dress for Clarrissa.
The next winter my younger sisters were ready to go to high school, so I stayed and took care of grandmother and gave them a little money and bought them some clothes.
When it came about Thanksgiving time I thought it was time I had a new dress. In a few days a peddler came by and I bought a dress from him.