IDA JOHANNA LUND SMITH

Arranged by Nora Lund - Assisted by Thelma S. Melling

Ida Johanna Lund was born at St. George, Utah 18 January 1866. She was the first child born to her parents after they arrived in Dixie. The Lund family moved to Pine Valley when Ida was just a baby. She was blessed by Robert Gardner in the summer of 1866. In July 1875 she was baptized by Harrison Burgess and confirmed by William Snow. The family moved to Paragonah when Ida was 15 years old. She no doubt had some schooling here as well as in Pine Valley and Hebron. One little interesting incident in her life concerns a beloved doll with a black China head. On one occasion her parents went to Salt Lake City on a business and pleasure trip. They brought a few special things home for the children. One was a beautiful doll. Annie the older sister, had never had much of a doll in her entire life, so she wanted it, but Ida teased so hard for it she got it. She was rather sickly, so sometimes she was favored by her parents. When she became old enough and was able she worked around town some for different people. Mary Robb Prothero told me about Ida being in their crowd of girls, although she was a little older. Those making up the group were: Agnes Horsley, Jane Williamson, Margaret Ann Owens, Carline Jones, Mary Robb and Ida Lund. These six girls used to have great times together. They made it a practice of going to each others places for supper. Mary vows she has eaten many a good supper in the Lund home. She remembers listening to the interesting stories that Ida*s mother told of the hardships in the early days. One sport these girls enjoyed was to make tea and then have their fortunes told with the tea leaves left in the bottom of the cup. If they wanted to hear extra special things about their future, they would all trip over to Old Grandma Dunton’s who lived a block north of the Lunds. She was supposed to be an expert in the art; most usually though they would tell each others’ fortunes. Mary laughingly recalled how one night they were all having supper together at the Lunds’. This was after Seth Smith started coming to see Ida. Mary was telling Ida’s fortune from the tea leaves. She told her among other things that Seth would come to see her that night. Ida giggled, saying, "You are wrong on that. " Sure enough not long after there was a knock at the door, and it was young Smith having just arrived from Beaver on horse back. I tried to find out just how Seth and Ida started going together. Dave Prothero says he thought perhaps she met him as she would accompany her brother Wilts to Beaver where he received medical aid from Dr. Christenson. Thelma suggests that it could have been that the shoes for Ida and the rest of the Lund family were made by Seth’s father. Old Grandpa Smith made and sold shoes to the people all over this locality. Mary Prothero says that she just thinks Seth was like other young men. He was out hunting him a girl and found Paragonah a "green pasture". Be that as it may, the fact remains that he courted her in Paragonah quite a few years. It was a very exciting occasion when Ida was permitted to go to Salt Lake City in company with her brother Alfred. While there she had an opportunity to take chances on a punch board. Her joy knew no bounds when she won a lovely music box. This box is described as being made of mahogany or some other fine wood, highly polished. Its size is about 8 X 14. It is wound with a little key or lever and it plays eight beautiful tunes. For fear it would get broken on the journey home, Ida carried it all the long way on her lap. (Thelma has this music box. To the joy of everyone the old songs can still be heard by winding with the key. She also has the doll spoken of above, as well as her mother’s wedding dress and many other priceless keepsakes.) Mary also told of the night Ida and Seth were married. What a jolly time all the relatives and friends had together. The big front room of the Lund home was filled to capacity. Bishop William E. Jones preformed the ceremony, February 18, 1896. I would like to go back now and tell a little of Ida’s life in regard to her church activities. Her friends who are still living today (1953) say that she was always faithful in her church duties. Sunday always found her attending her meetings. She was especially active in the Mutual Improvement Association work. Records show she was president of that Organization with Matilda J. Barton and Martha Owens as her counselors. She was secretary of this organization when Mary N. Stone was president. Then again we find she was first counselor to Matilda Barton Davenport, with Sarah Hanks as the other counselor. When she married and went to Beaver to live in 1896, she was released from her position as counselor to Sister Davenport. No doubt she was just as active in the church organization over at Beaver. It was June 20, 1896 that Seth and Ida traveled to the St. George Temple and were sealed for time and eternity. This fine couple were blessed with a baby daughter, Thelma who came to them October 19 1901 at Beaver. Ida had never been too healthy and robust. Her average weight was only about 105 lbs., and she was a bit more than 5 ft. tall. However, she was a very ambitious person and worked far beyond her strength. She was affected with a heart ailment which caused her death in Beaver, Utah, June 7, 1904. Ida’s sister Annie brought little Thelma who was not yet three years old home to Paragonah to care for her. Then when Seth married the young widow Emma Josephine Robinson Jones of Paragonah. Thelma was taken back home again to live with her father and her new mother. When Emma had children of her own there was no distinction between them. If any was favored, it was Ida’s child. Thelma was cared for and loved right along with her sister Ida, who died young, and her brothers Reed and Albert. Thelma received her schooling in Beaver and graduated with the last class ever to graduate from the famous old Murdock Academy. It closed in the spring of 1922. She came to Cedar to further her education at the B. A. C. in the fall of 1922. It was here she met and married William Lapworth Melling, son of Joseph Melling and Sarah Jane Walker Melling in the St. George Temple 21 December 1927. To them have been seven children, Marie, Dee, Douglas, JoAnn, Allen, Joe, and Roma. Recently Thelma received a letter from her Aunt May Smith Branch of Price, Utah in which was a little more information concerning her mother. Mrs. Branch is a sister of Seth. It seems that Seth met Ida Lund of Paragonah while she was visiting her friend, Ninnie Farrer in Beaver. It so happened that the Farrers were neighbors of the Smiths. Seth thought Ida a very nice girl, but he wasn’t especially interested because he was keeping steady company with Jane LaFever of Panguitch. When he and this young lady quit going together, he immediately thought again of Ida Lund with serious intentions. The home that Seth brought Ida to live in at Beaver after they were married was a three-roomed log house. Seth owned two lots extending along the west side of the block. This home stood nearly in the center of his property. It was in this house that Ida’s only child was born. Plans for the big brick house on the corner were made even before Ida died; but of course, she never lived to enjoy it. However, she appreciated her comfortable home and always kept it neat and clean. May tells of living with Seth and Ida while she was attending the Murdock Academy and how she enjoyed her stay with them. There was never a more congenial couple than these two. They never spoke a cross word to each other. That certainly is a fine tribute to Ida’s agreeable disposition. May mentions how poorly Ida’s health was all this time. Another thing that would be worthy of mentioning here is in connection with the hospitable nature of Ida’s mother, Ellen Nielson Lund. May remembers going to Paragonah after Seth and Ida were married and spending two weeks at the Lund home. She never forgot how kind Sister Lund was to her and the fine young people she met and associated with.

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