Nellie Dora Child 11 October 1870 - 12 July 1944 by Elaine Johnson Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives Project and IDGenWeb Project Archives by Elaine Johnson on 28 November 1996. USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express written permission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist. Nellie was born in Ogden, Utah. She was one of twenty-five children born to her father but only the seventh of her mother's children. They were Warren Gould and Hannah A. Wilder Child. "To my Children and Family:" "Thinking that my family might like to have a short sketch of my life, I decided to write a few things that might be of interest, or to their children after them." ". . . My parents were faithful Latter Day Saints and to them I owe my excellent bringing up and my religious training. I was taught to be strictly honest, never to take not even a pin that belonged to someone else. I was taught when very young to pray and have faith, and many times I recall having my faith strengthened by receiving an answer to my little simple prayers." "I was raised on a farm in Riverdale, Utah, southwest of Ogden. Some of my earliest recollections were when we children would climb upon father's knee and he would tell us bear stories, and about the gnat pulling a sliver out of the grasshoppers heel, and such stories that would get us all excited and we would be sitting still and watching him closely, then all at once he would jump at us and give us a scare. We thought that was lots of fun and it seemed to be fun for him also." "I can remember sitting in my little rocker at my mother's knee having my hair combed. She would part it in the middle from the front to the nape of the neck in the back and braid it into two tight braids and then tie the ends of the braids with a nice bow of ribbon." "I was baptized 1st of June 1879 by William Stimpson and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints the same day by Richard Dye. My first position of office in the Church was that of assistant Secretary in the Primary Association of the Riverdale Ward in the Weber Stake." "I attended the District School, Jesse Penrose being my first teacher. Once I remember four of we girls being locked in the coal house with our hands tied behind us and placed one in each corner, this being punishment for whispering. This might have been fun for some but we took it very seriously. The school was then graded only by readers and famous was the boy or girl who had reached the fifth reader." "When twelve years old I became handicapped in a measure by having rhumatism, which left me with one stiff hip and hindered me from attending school for a year or more. Through fasting and prayer of the Relief Society Sisters and the administration of the Elders I became better and in one blessing I was promised that I would yet be able to dance with the young people, which I did. I have had three Patriarchal Blessings and many of the promises given therein I have realized and do appreciate." "October the 10th 1888, I was married to Joseph Henry Dye the man of my choice, we were born and raised in the same town, attended the same school. We were boy and girl friends at school and this friendship continued to grow until it resulted into a lifetime love." Nellie's new husband moved her to his homestead in the Snake River Valley of Idaho, over one hundred miles away. This was her first time away from her parents and she remembered being homesick. On New Years Day 1889, while the Dyes were out visiting, there was a total eclipse of the sun at three o'clock in the afternoon and they all stood outside and watched. Nellie's sister came for a visit in April and Joseph "consented for me to go home with her." Joseph followed about three months later and while still in Ogden she gave birth to her first child. Joseph and Nellie decided they wouldn't return with him by wagon in September because the trip would be too hard on their daughter Mary. They rode the train home. Nellie's next two children were born in their log cabin home. In the summer of 1894 they began a frame house. The next year they added an organ to their furniture so the children could have music lessons. Their farm was rented to Walter Dye while Joseph served a mission in 1899. Nellie and the children helped with the animals and she took in washing. Two of Nellie's children died in infancy. Three of her children attended the Ricks Academy and one Ricks College. One of her daughters served a mission to the Central States Mission. In July of 1909 a small pox epidemic spread through the area. Some members of the family were afflicted but none died. By early autumn Nellie and two of her daughters had typhoid fever. Nellie lay near death and her husband called in the Elders to give her a blessing. The family fasted and prayed for days asking that she not be taken from them. One evening Joseph went out into the yard and behind the haystack to kneel in prayer. He pleaded for the life of his wife. He heard a voice tell him "she will live, even seven years to do her work." "In addition to raising a large family and keeping a home I took active part in Church affairs. I worked for a number of years in each of the following positions: Sunday School Teacher, Counselor in the Y.L.M.I.A., Supervisor of Religion Class work, held in the Firth area and in the School House, in connection with the Basalt Ward, Class Teacher in Relief Society, Visiting Teacher in Relief Society, and other positions. [Also as Secretary and Second Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.] . . . When the Shelley Stake was organized I was sustained as first counselor to Mary E. Freeman in the Stake Relief Society and filled this position for a number of years." "On the 26th of February 1936, I stubbed my toe on the edge of the linoleum and fell and broke my leg near the hip and for some time was in the hospital and did not do my own work for five months. But I was again blessed in being able to get around on crutches and do my own housework. Because of my crippled condition the latter part of my life has been spent at home ex- cept on special occasions when others have helped me to get out." "Usually I am very contented at home and can pass my time away in doing home tasks, reading, especially the Church works and periodicals, and sometimes I spend my time working crossword puzzles. I began the latter when convalescing with my broken leg. I have also enjoyed doing some record work, [her own genealogical record] and making of Scrapbooks out of Christmas and other remembrance cards. I like to read the Church Section of the Deseret News. If I could get out I would try to take active part in Church work." "Today is Thanksgiving Day, November 1939. Florence and two of her children came up and had dinner with us. As we sat and talked we listened to the ticking of our old clock on the shelf. This clock was given to Joseph and me by his mother for a wedding present and has served its purpose 51 years and still keeps good time but does not strike regularly." "I hope these few pages will be of benefit and interest to my children and their children." Nellie's funeral was conducted on Monday, July 17 at 2 p.m. in the Basalt Ward Chapel. The burial took place in the Firth Cemetery half a mile north of the home where she raised her children. "BASALT, IDA.- Mrs Nellie Dora Child Dye, 73, wife of Joseph Dye died at her home here Wednesday of lingering illness." "Daughter of Warren Gould and Hannah Austin Wild Child, she was born Oct. 11, 1870, in Ogden, Utah. She was married in Oct 1888 in the Logan Temple. They came to Idaho, being among the early Upper Snake River Valley settlers." "She served as president of the Relief Society of Basalt Ward and as first counsellor 10 years, also as president of the Basalt Ward Primary." "Survivors besides her husband include six daughters; Mrs. Edward M. Webb, Pingree; Mrs. Nellie Florence Hanny, Firth; Mrs. Arden Hale, Pocatello; Mrs William Brewington, Lava Hot Springs; Mrs. Clyde Gardner, Shelley, and Mrs. Ernest Fawcell, Ashton; three sons, Joseph Alma Dye, Ithaca, N.Y.; Warren E. Dye, Firth; Pvt. Lynn Dye with U.S. armed forces, Virginia; a sister, Mrs. Julia A Dye, Firth; two brothers, Heber Child, Shelly and Henry Child, Riverdale, Utah; three half sisters, Mrs. Effie Higby and Mrs Susan Bishop, Ogden, Utah, and Sylvia West, Salt Lake, and three half brothers; John A., Clarence and Theodore Child, Ogden." ["Deseret News", 14 Jul 1944, page 16] Questions? Email to: Elaine Johnson - [elaine@ida.net]