ELLEN SOPHIA LUND BARTON

Arranged by Nora Lund, Assisted by Family Members

Ellen Sophia Lund was the fourth child born to Wilson and Ellen Nielson Lund. Prior to her birth which occurred June 21, 1868 the family had moved to Pine Valley, Washington County, Utah. This little town was situated well up to the foot of the Old Pine Valley Mountains which kept a watchful eye over this handful of people who were trying to wrest a living from the fertile soil and graze a few cattle on the abundant grass on the meadows and hill sides. When the object of this history was but two or three years old, she had a very close call from death. Her father had made a high chair for his smaller children. As Nellie was the youngest it was her chair. On this occasion she was trying to climb down the chair which was in front of the fire place. In doing so she lost her balance and fell into the fire. Her screams brought her mother who snatched her from the jaws of death, but not before her right side was badly burned. In due time with careful treatment of home remedies the badly seared flesh finally healed, but left such deep scars on her body that later in life, especially during her childbearing, she suffered untold agony. The adventures of Nellie’s early life took place here in this little town. The white children and Indian children sometimes played together, at least indulged in competitive games against each other. The older Indians were not so friendly and caused the white settlers much trouble. One man was shot in the back with an arrow and another man was shot in the arm with one. About 1873 or 1876 the family moved back to Shoal Creek or Hebron and lived a few more years. Two more boys were born there, Joseph and Stephen. The family were still in rather poor circumstances as their father didn’t spend much time taking care of them. Ellen was baptized June 7, 1877. Her schooling was very meager. It commenced in Pine Valley and was continued in Hebron. The first teacher taught the school in her own home so that she could care for her children. Later the teachers boarded around or were paid with whatever they could use that the parents could spare. As soon as Nellie was old enough she was taught to work and to help out with the tasks around the home. When the Public Buildings were completed and Wilson Lund’s services were no longer needed in St. George, President Young blessed him and told him to go wherever he could be happy to make his home. He decided Paragonah would be a suitable place to spend the rest of his days as the town of Hebron was being abandoned owing to insufficient water and land conditions. In about 1881 when Nellie was 13 years old, the family came to Paragonah to make their home. Her father bought a lot from Hyrum Steven. It had an adobe house on it which was later remodeled. To appease her ambitious nature as well as to help out with the living for the family and make a little money for herself Nellie would go up to the Old Co-op Ranch situated in the mountains east of Paragonah and work in the summers. She was employed by Brother Lyman of Parowan who was the manager of the Co-op dairy. She worked long hours and very hard for $1.50 per week. She helped with the making of butter and cheese. She became an expert cheese maker and when she had a home of her own, her family vowed they never tasted such good cheese as she could make. Jennie says she remembers her mother saying that when she worked on a ranch in Bear Valley she milked 16 cows night and morning and carried the milk to the house. She made very little money, but what she did make she had to turn over to her father. She left the ranch just before she was married, but she saved enough to buy her wedding dress. Nellie continued her schooling in Paragonah and later taught school there. She was always active in Church work. She was especially interested in M. I. A. work. Records show that she acted as Counselor of the Young Womans Mutual Improvement Association to Mary M. Stones during 1888 and 1890. Matilda Barton was the other counselor, and Ida Lund was secretary. In her later years Nellie was a faithful Relief Society worker in the different wards where she lived. She also taught in the Sunday School and Primary organizations. This all shows her love and devotion to her Church and her faith in God. She also did much temple work which afforded her much joy and satisfaction. In her girlhood she was courted by young Stephen Alma Barton, Al, as he was called. He was the son of Samuel and Eliza Gingell Barton sturdy pioneer folks who were some of the first settlers of Paragonah. This young couple were married in the Manti Temple by John D. T. McAllister June 26, 1889. It was a long journey to Manti in a wagon, but it was made more pleasant by the fact that another young couple, Sern Olsen and Emily Barton accompanied them. Jennie relates that when her father and mother wanted to get married, grandpa and grandma Lund objected because father was partially blind, but her love for him was so strong that this handicap made little difference to her. A few months after they were married they both were taken down with typhoid fever and went back to their separate parents. "Dad recovered sooner than Mother. They had thought Mother had lost her mind since the fever and pain had been so intense, so they made her knit a shawl. After completing the shawl she recovered her health and they were able to come together and live in Paragonah." There wasn’t much of an opportunity for young people in this little town. The ‘move to Price’ bug had bitten quite a few of the local people, so Al and Sern thought they would see what they could do in the newly settled place. They worked there all winter; for pay they took real estate. They each acquired 2 city lots. Al’s two were situated in what is now the business district of the thriving city of Price. The bank building is the portion of one of the lots. The young husband returned home because of the delicate condition of Nellie. On April 14, 1890 a fine baby boy came to bless their home. They named him Samuel Wilson.. On the 15th of July 1893 Stephen Alfred was born. Alma Ross came January 14, 1896 and Jennie Ellen, June 29, 1898. Glen Lund was born June 14, 1901, and Tessa Gay on April 7, 1905. Al was a very industrious man and worked hard to provide for his family. To accomplish this he took to the freight road along with many other Paragonah men. He would load with butter, eggs, vegetables, grain, flour, and other available commodities that could be sold for cash at the mining towns of Nevada such as Pioche and Delamar. He would drive a four horse outfit in making these trips. It would take nine days to make the round trip, five out and four back. He also had some farming land here to which he attended. As her husband was away from home so much of the time, most of the responsibilities of rearing the family were left to the mother. One incident which occurred in July 1901 saddened the Barton family very much, one which they never quite got over. This was the terrible death of eight year old Stevie. The children were playing Hide and Seek around the lot, and Stevie was in the Grainery. In one of the grain bins his father kept a derrick fork. The framework was sticking up, and the four huge tines were resting on the floor. As the boy climbed up on the frame, it tipped up and some way one tine ran up through the soft part under his chin, protruding right through the tongue and with such force that the sharp point touched the brain. The screams of the mother and the children attracted the neighbor women, Sister Robb and Sister Lamoreaux, who came running. With much difficulty they were able to extricate the little fellow from this ugly murder weapon. He was made as comfortable as possible on a cot under the apple tree, and Dr. Middleton came from Cedar City to aid in any way possible. But he never gained consciousness and bled profusely from the wound. He lived about 20 hours. A fitting funeral service was held for him in the Paragonah ward chapel, and the burial took place in the Parowan Cemetery. Some time during the years 1905 and 1906 a group of Paragonah families thought they might better their living conditions by moving to Panguitch where they secured homes and farming land, Al. and Nell Barton were among this group. They bought 160 acres of farm land. In February 1908 another baby girl was added to the family. She was called Arta. The family lived in Panguitch for a number of years. Here Nell worked in the Relief Society six years. She also served as a general nurse and mid wife to this community during this period of her life. When the boys were grown and became interested in making something for themselves, it was decided to try the mail contract business. In 1914 a bid was made and secured on the route from Lund to St. George by way of Cedar City. They also hauled passengers in the ‘Old Stanley Steamer’. This necessitated the move of the family to Cedar City where they lived for five (or eight) years. During the years of the mail contract Nell had all the responsibility of keeping the books and records. This was a job that Al and the boys could handle themselves, although they did hire a few drivers for their trucks at different times. The boys became quite efficient as mechanics. They were able to make the needed repairs on the trucks used. Ross became so apt at motor repair work that when he answered the call of his country during World War I, he was commended highly by his Commanding Officer for the speed with which he could tear down and re-assemble a part of the motor on the vehicles used in that branch of the service. After their mail contract expired the Bartons again returned to Panguitch. They decided to move north to Murray in April 1920 and really go into farming, Al, and later his son, Sam, were especially involved in this venture. Nell was always a hard working, efficient woman. She worked as long as she could possibly drag around. In her last illness she was patiently cared for by her children especially by her youngest daughter, Arta, at her home in Salt Lake City where she died January 17, 1947. A beautiful funeral service was conducted in the Grant Ward Chapel in Murray where her life was reviewed before a large crowd of relatives and friends January 20, 1947. She was laid to rest in the Murray Cemetery at the good old age of 79. In 1927 Glen’s wife died and his mother cared for his four children. This was a hard task for her because of her advanced age, but she did it 2 years. When he remarried in l929, she still kept the second girl, Iona, until her marriage.

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