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Note: ake River on 3 Sep 1911.
As recorded by Charles Clyde Pulsipher: Before I was a year old my parents, along with an aunt Harriet May Greer and uncle William Pulsipher, moved from Arizona to Provo, Utah where we remained for several months. My brother, Lacy David Pulsipher was born in Provo but only lived a few hours.
Not being able to find work, my dad and mother, and uncle and aunt left provo for Kimberly, Idaho. My brother Gilbert Edward Pulsipher was born in Kimberly. My father and Uncle Will secured work building irrigation canals, as the US Government had just opened this Idaho area to homesteaders. My dad and uncle took up 40 acres each in Burley, Idaho. With the few dollars they has saved working on the canals they were able to buy farm implements and start clearing their 40 acre brush covered land, so crops could be planted. We lived in a tent at first but Father soon built a house that filled our needs. My sister Melba was born in Burley, Idaho
I was now 6 years old and I remember very well how anxious I was to help my father. At the age of 8, my father let me plow with the "sulky" as it was called -- just sit on the seat and raise a lever at the end of the row and the 3 horses did the rest. Raising the lever lifted the plow up and the other plow would lower into the field to start another furrow. The horses were well trained and always knew when the end of the furrow was reached. If you were slow in lifting the lever to change plows, the horses would hesitate until the blade was dropped into place. They were not used to pulling an empty plow.
I attended School at Starrs Ferry some 2 1/2 miles west and located nearer the Snake River. A one room school house with grades 1 to 8 -- with a big potbellied stove near the first and second grade rows. The winters were cold and wintry and we used our sleds to slide over the drifted snow as it would freeze hard during the night. The snake River would freeze over and I have ridden across it with my father, pulled by a team of horses. The horses had special caulks put on their shoes to keep them from slipping. To hear of the Snake River freezing over today would indeed be a miracle. Father cut ice out of the river and placed it under the straw stack where it kept nearly all summer. We always enjoyed ice cream during the summer months, when it was so very hot.
During these childhood years of 6, 7, 8, and 9, I did things that the average boy did then. One of my toys, if it could be called that, was pushing a wheel, discarded from a small wagon or something, with a stick about 3 feet in length, that had a crosspiece at the bottom. Running along pushing this wheel we would race each other -- and we got quite proficient at it. If no wheel was available, we used the metal bands that came with barrel. If I had continued this exercise, or fun as it was then, I might have become a long distance runner.
I learned some valuable lessons early in life, such as -- never disobey your parents. Mother had always told me to come straight home from school. But on one occasion I stopped on the way to play with a boy friend. As we were running and playing in his yard I slipped and fell and cut my left wrist on a piece of glass. I still have the scar. Another time I was told not to visit a neighbors old barn that seemed to have an attraction to me. I went anyway and as I walked into this barn there was a snake that started slithering away. I did not wait to see which direction it had taken, but ran home in world record time. On one occasion while on the way to school with my cousin Nina Pulsipher, walking along the railroad tracks, it was raining hard and we had the protection of a large black umbrella. The country road ran along side the tracks. But some distance away, a man in a 2 seat buggy suddenly began having trouble with his horse. He yelled at us to put down that umbrella and quit scaring his horse -- "You kids put down that d____ umbrella". So we walked the rest of the way to school in the rain. I was 6 and Nina was 7.
Another time I was helping my father load the hay from the field on the wagon. "Now fill the center of the wagon first as I throw it up", my father said. But it was late and we were tired and I couldn't understand why we had to get that load of hay; so I spread the hay around the edges and left the center open. Pretty soon my father asked if I was filling in the center -- "Oh yes", I replied. But he became suspicious and got up on the wagon and saw what I had been doing. So we were a little late that evening getting home, but we sure had a full load of hay.
Most of the farmers or homesteaders in Burley would take a half day off and play baseball on Saturdays. Sometimes the married men vs. the single men -- or they would choose up sides. All these pioneers worked hard long hours so the Saturday holiday was most welcome.
Being born of fine parents, I was always taught to attend Church and during those early days in Burley, it was quite an experience. It was hitch up the team early Sunday morning and drive 3 1/2 miles to the Ward. Priesthood and Relief Society were held first, then Sunday School, then a religion class for the young people, combined with Primary. Everyone brought their lunch and also feed for the horses. The afternoon schedule included Sacrament Meeting, choir practice and the early evening for MIA. So it was a one day worship, with all meetings held on Sunday.
I remember wearing a small strand of beads around my neck, which prompted the kids to call me a sissy. I quit wearing the beads after that. My how things have changed today. My first recollection of a Bishop Robbins, who had among other prized possessions, a fine pair of horses and a "Surrey" with the fringe around the top. Later on he decided to buy a new surrey and my father quickly approached him to buy his old one. How proud Father was when he drove the surrey home to show Mother. And how excited she was. It was like getting a Cadillac in today's world.
My mother was always an organist in the church. In fact she served more than 60 years as organist. Olea S. Hill was chorister at this time in Burley. She was a dear friend of our family and mother named her second daughter Olea after Sister Hill.
Now my mother's health was very poor during the last year or two in Burley. My father was faced with a hard decision -- give up his farm, which is now under cultivation, with the exception of about 5 acres. Alfalfa, sugar beets, corn, wheat, oats, potatoes -- young fruit trees -- apples, pears, cherries, and peaches were just coming into maturity. His wife's health was his major concern so he found a buyer, George J. Holyoak, and traded his 40 acres for 10 1/2 acres in Provo plus $1,000. The house in Provo was two story with plenty of room for everyone. So near the end of the year 1912, father put his wife and three children on the train for Provo, Utah. He would come later with horses and wagon, bringing all of our belongings.
After we got on the train in Burley on our way to Provo, an incident happened that I will never forget. Mother's family, the Greers and the Camps, were from the south and they were always used to having black servants. The family missed living in the South. The Greer family at one time was quite wealthy with large holdings of land and cattle in Arizona. Mother was the youngest of the family, but she was well aware of their traditions. So after we were settled on the train, mother reached into her purse and gathered up 8 cents and handed it to the porter, explaining that was all she had and apologizing for such a pittance. We were the guests of honor after that. The porter really went out of his way to see that we were comfortable. What a wonderful person this porter was. When I hear or see the actions of some of the black people today I try to look back and remember how gracious that humble black man treated a mother traveling with three children.
Charles Clyde in his later years enjoyed writing and had many articles printed in various papers. Many of which show the great amount of wisdom that he possessed.
My Most Influential Teacher Yuciapa, California
In 1941 our family was assigned to the El Sereno Ward in the Pasadena California Stake as a result of boundary changes. There we met Bishop Howard W. Hunter, who has since become a member of the Council of the Twelve. Elder Hunter has influenced my life and the lives of my family members more than any other person. As a bishop, he brought our small ward membership together in a united effort and taught us to accomplish goals that seemed beyond our reach. We worked together as a ward, we prayed together, played together, and worshipped together.
For example, Elder Hunter had us all plant family gardens. And we also planted a ward garden of beans. people in the neighborhood were amazed at the harvest we gathered. We also had many building fund projects. No great amount of money was realized, but the working together was far more beneficial than any monetary gains.
As a bishop and later stake president, he Demonstrated great compassion, consideration, empathy and love. He always practiced what he taught and never asked anyone to do something or take an assignment that he wouldn�t do himself.
He taught our family that obstacles can be overcome by obeying the principles of the gospel. Our children responded to his example and teachings. All 10 have been married in the temple and now the grandchildren are following in their footsteps.
Over the years we have kept in contact with Elder Hunter and he still teaches us by example and deed. Just a few months ago he called from his sickbed in LDS Hospital to offer words of comfort and sympathy in connection with the passing of Melba, my beloved wife. He did this even though it had been many years since we even lived in the same state.
His secretary had told him of the funeral after she saw a newspaper notice. Disregarding his own ill health, he made the effort to contact me and express his feelings for the family. That action was typical of his life ever since I have known him. It raised the feelings of love and spirituality in our family to a new high.
All of us, parents, children and grandchildren are still reaping the benefits of having had Elder Hunter in our lives. He has truly been our most influential teacher.
Another letter Charles Clyde wrote showing great love and affection to his dear wife Melba Eilleen.
The memory of our wife, mother, and grandmother will remain sweet and understanding, she always rejoiced in the successes of her grandchildren. They were always number one. And our children came first on many occasions when she should have been thinking of her condition and welfare. She was a winner, she couldn�t settle for second best. She was an inspiration to all of us.
Mother loved flowers and the beautiful things, I often took those for granted, such as kinds of birds, the different clouds in the sky, the sunsets, etc. She saw beauty in all the works of nature and loved to plant and watch things grow. Her artistic talents were a source of comfort and joy to me, she could always tell me when my sox, tie and shirt didn�t match. She was always concerned about my appearance, and wanted me to look like a prince or something. She had a special feeling for others and acted as governor to control my racing emotions, as they were often out of control. `Settle Down� she would say and take it easy.
I well remember how excited I would get playing baseball (years ago), basketball, etc. I embarrassed her. She would say, `You get too excited, calm down�. Now I am finally learning that emotions out of control can cause me to lose my concentration, and a resulting poor performance.
So we remember her for what she did so as to help us improve our lives, and reach our goals, that otherwise would have been out of reach. She always planned and scheduled her time each day so that there was very little time lost. Wasted time was lost time never to be regained.
I hope that I can put into practice the valuable ideals that made her life more meaningful. `Write it down, make a list of the things you want and need to do,� she would say. And when I didn�t follow her advice sure enough I would forget something.
Note: !BAPTIZE: Pleasant View Ward rec of mem #165(GS F6456 pt 2). Baptized by his father in the Sn
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