History written by Erma Hancock - 1953 (Daughter)
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Charles Justus Dudley, son of Justus Manville and Emily Paquet Dudley was born November 22, 1869 in Spanish Fork, Utah in a log house on the street which now bears the name Second West, between First and Second South.
He was a member in a family of twelve, the father and mother and ten children. His brothers and sisters are:
Joseph Edgar
John Rilery
Andrew Delbert
Mary Jane
Emma Jean
Ascha Evaline
and three children who died in infancy
When Father was four years of age, the family moved Southwest of Spanish Fork, now Leland. They lived in a dug-out all winter. While living there he had a very sad experience. He saw a young man dragged to death by his horse, while his Mother and he stood helplessly by. This experience made such an impression upon his young mind that he has never forgotten it after eighty-two years. At the present time he is eighty-six years old.
In the spring of 1874 the Dudley family moved to Lake Shore, at that time known as "The Indian Farm." This land had just been opened to homesteading by the Government, so Grandfather got a farm in sections 9 and 10. Here they lived in a lone room loghouse with no floor and a dirt roof. Cooking was done over a fire place and greasewood was used for fuel. Grandfather built a bed in one corner and made a small bed, called a trundle bed, which in the day time was rolled under the large bed and then slid out at night for the children to sleep in.
They lived in this home for about three years then built a new adobe house. Father helped Grandfather to make the adobes. These were made from blue clay, which was hauled from West Mountain. This home is still standing on the bank of the Spanish Fork River on the P.P. Thomas Farm. It has been remodeled, but it is the original house. Leon and Joy Christmas live in this home now.
Father said when they first raised sugar cane he remembers when he was only six years old of going into the field and breaking the crus around the beets with a table fork.
The first Sunday School he attended was held in the home of Charles and Susan S. Measom.
His first school days were in a one room adobe building known as the "Old Blue Adobe School House." Much has been written about this building. It was erected in 1881 and was the first public building here. It was intended for a school house, but for several years it was used for an all purpose building, church, funerals, weddings, parties, and all business meetings were held in this building. Finally it was sold to the women or the ward and used for many years for a Relief Society Hall. It still stands. It has been sold to Grant Huff; who remodeled it, and is now a modern home, but still looked upon as "Lake Shore's Old Blue Adobe School House."
Father's first school teacher was James Higginson. Everyone attended school here even some of the parents.
His early life was spent, the major part of the time helping Grandfather. There were no near neighbors in those days, as the families lived on the various sections homesteaded and only a few families in Lake Shore at this early time, so neighbors lived miles apart. Father had no playmates except his brothers and sisters.
He was baptized in the summer of 1878 by Presiding Elder Lorenzo Argyle. His baptism took place in the Spanish Fork River.
He had to leave school in his early teens in order to take over more responsibility at home, because his mother died about this time. Father being the oldest child, most of the responsibility of caring for the younger children fell to him.
Among his friends were David Brooks and Ephraim Barney. Their main amusement was hunting ducks, geese and rabbits. They played baseball and became very efficient in the game. Horse-shoe pitching was another popular game.
At sixteen years of age he hired out to work on the first horse-power threshing machine here, driving ten head of horses. He did this for about four seasons, then went on as a feeder of the machine.
November 29, 1889 he married Lydia Jennet Lewis of Provo, Utah. They were married in Provo by William Brown. She was the daughter of William and Hannah Page Lewis, who were early Utah pioneers having come to Utah as small children. She was born in Provo, Utah March 3, 1871. She was a member in a family of nine, the parents, herself and six brothers, she being an only daughter. What a time she must have had with her six brothers. Bet she always had her own way. Her brothers were:
William
Charles
Franklin
Benjamin George,
Reuben Harvey
Alber Erastus
Harvey Earl
Mother attended Sunday School in Provo Fourth Ward in a one room building.
She attended school in a long, narrow brick room, in which all grades, first through eighth were housed. Because of ill health, she was forced to leave school while in the Fourth Grade.
Her childhood days were much the same as the other children of those days. She remembers when she was only six years old, that there was but one store on the entire main street of Provo. It was called Charles Twelve's Mercantile Store.
When seven she went to have a picture taken by Thomas Daniels, Photographer. She said even though it was only a tin-type picture, she thought it was wonderful.
Back of the Photographers and the Mercantile Store was an apple orchard, and it was here that all the celebrations were held. What good times they had!
Mother was reared in a modest little home with meager means, but in that home was love, devotion, loyalty, faith and true compansionship. Here she received good clean teachings which helped to make her the wonderful mother she is to us children. She has worked hard all her life. She has taken the sadness and trials together with the pleasure and happiness like a true soldier. I should like to relate a few experiences in her life.
One day when she was a very small girl, she and brother Charles were climbing the trees in the yard, looking for bubbles of gum that you see on fruit trees. As soon as mother would find one of these bulbbles, her brother would promptly cut it off with hatchet. Like all little girls, she soon found one that was just too pretty to cut off. She put her hand over it so Charles couldn't chop it off. However, this didn't stop him. He just counted to three and then chopped and almost cut off three fingers for her, the scars of which she has carried all her life.
In those days children had few opportunities to see a circus, carnival etc. One day a circus was coming to town. Mother wanted to go, oh, so badly, but Grandmother didn't have even one cent that particular day. So Mother went out picking ground cherries, when she had a quart picked, and shelled she set out to sell them to make what seemed to her right then, a fortune. At last she was successful, she had her dime. She was so excited about it she ran home to tell her mother. In all this excitement she put the dime in her mouth for safekeeping and swallowed it. She was a very unhappy little girl, who had to stay at home from the circus that day. Of course, Grandmother was unhappy too, for she loved her only little daughter and delighted in seeing her happy. She couldn't help a bit, but such was pioneer life.
At the age of fifteen years she was working out trying to help with the family finances. She was working for a lady doing housework and helping with the children, for this she received one dollar per week. One evening, after she had finished a long days work, she was doing some mending in her room when her employer entered and informed her that if she had any work to do for herself, she must furnish her own candle. She has been an ardent crotchetier. She has made many, many rugs, etc. and always taught her daughters to do the same. Many times I have been thankful that I have a mother who has taken the time and the patience to teach me a few of the fundamentals so necessary in homemaking.
After their marriage, November 29, 1889, Father and Mother moved to the old home in Lake Shore. Two of their children were born in this old home. Then they moved to Provo where they made their home until 1904. Father worked in Mammoth part of the time, so for several years they lived in one or the other of these two places. Most of their children were born in Provo.
In 1904 they moved back to Lake Shore and built a home. They lived in that home until 1929.
Father and Mother were good singers. Mother was the daughter of a musician. They grew up with love for music. She played the organ also. She and Father sang together on many occasions with Mother as the accompanist.
They enjoyed dancing very much. When we children were small, they would take the entire family to the dance. The mode of transportation was quite different from that of today. It was horse back, in sleighs or wagons. Nevertheless, they were very happy and enjoyed themselves very much. I think they got more out of their amusements by far than we of the present day.
During these years they saw much happiness together, but they were not without their portion of sorrow and sadness, yet they never faltered. They loved their family and their friends and felt fortunate to live in a community where everyone mingled together as one great family. The joys of one were the joys of all, and when sorrow came they sorrowed together.
Father and Mother worked very hard in their early married life and on through the years until 1929 when Father partly retired from strenuous labor which had thus far been his lot.
In 1906 Father and Byron Huff bought a steam threshing machine, which they operated together for twenty-one years. After the death of Mr. Huff, Father and sons went into partnership and continued to operate the threasher.
Father operated several different machines for people in later years. At the time of his retirement he had spent forty years in operating threshing machines of various types from the old horse power to the latest models.
Aside from farming and threshing, Father always had a fine garden. He kept bees and sold honey. Many of his customers tell him even now, that they can't buy honey today like that good honey he used to sell.
He always had time to help anyone in need of his aid. He is honest, a good Father, a helpful neighbor and a loyal friend.
I should like to insert here a small tribute I wrote for Mother and on Mother's Day. May 1950
A Tribute to My Mother
God thought to give the sweetest thing In His Almight Power To earth;
and deeply pondered what it should be.
One hour In fondest joy and love of heart out weighing every other;
He moved the gates of heaven apart and gave to earth a 'MOTHER'
To Father and Mother were born twelve children: They are:
Hannah Emily – June 3, 1890
Charles LeRoy – Dec 26, 1891
Harry LaVern – Dec 16, 1893
Ralph Manville – Feb 23, 1896
Neil Lynn – Mar 16, 1900
Myrvin Wade – Oct 4, 1900
Melba – Oct 4, 1900
Della Maud – April 18, 1903
Thelma Margaret – Dec 7, 1905
George Albert – Oct 4, 1907
Fern Marie – Dec 24, 1909
Erma Lucille – Dec 12, 1911
They have twenty-seven grandchildren, fifty-one great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
In the rearing of this large family, Father and Mother surely suffered much sorrow in the passing of several of my brothers and sisters, especially so when the influenza epidemic struck. The dread disease claimed my Brother Ralph, his wife Ellen and their baby, thus taking in death an entire family. Mother was in their home nursing them during this time. They were quarantined in, no one but Mother and the doctor were permitted to enter the home. Mother watching over them all by herself, saw all three of them pass away and their bodies carried from the home by the undertakers. Her faith and her bravery through this severe trial has always been a marvel to me, and brings to my mind these words:
God hath not promised skies always blue, Flowers strewn pathways all our lives through. God hath not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hatch promised strength for the day, Rest for the labor, light for the way. Grace for the trials, help from above, Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
I am sure these promises were all fulfilled in Mother's behalf at that time, else she could not have endured such a severe trial.
Father and Mother have gone through the sorrow of death several times. Hannah Emily, their first born died when only two months old, Ralph was twenty-three, Niel ten years old. Melba, Myrvin's twin sister died when two months of age. Della Maude was drowned in the canal, when she was three. Fern Marie died of measles and pneumonia, when seven years old. At the time of Niels death caused by Spinal Meingitis, baby Albert took the same disease which left him an invalid for the rest of his life (forty years). Mother gave him constant care, her love and companionship and never once in all those long years did she utter one complaint. She was just doing something for one of her beloved children.
To think of mother is to recall her unselfish devotion, her limitless, unfaltering love through good and ill report, never wavering, but growing stronger and stronger with the years, and to remember that she asked nothing in return for herself. She only asks for us, her children, that we be good men and women. If we fail, she does not love us less, but more, with a wonderful miraculous mother's love. She says she hasn't done much, but all I hope is that I can be one half as good a mother to my children as Mother has been to us.
Mother was a member of the Lake Shore Relief Society and when she could she took part in the Ward choir under the direction of Brother William Clayson.
At the present time she is a member of the Third Ward Relief Society and of Camp Spanish Fork Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Our family moved to Spanish Fork in 1929. They reside at 311 West 4th North.
They celebrated their sixtieth Wedding Anniversary in November 1949. They wre really thrilled to see so many of their relatives, friends and neighbors who came to wish them well.
I enjoy so much having Mother and Father here where I can visit with them and make myself better for their good advice they are still capable of giving. My hope is that we shall have our parents to love and advise us for many more years, that we may all live and just be glad.
Be Glad
For we know, not every tomorrow can be sad;
So forgetting all the sorrows we have had. Let us fold away our fears;
And put away our foolish tears, And through all coming years Just Be Glad.
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