THINGS I REMBER ABOUT MAMA By Vera Wittwer Hardy
She was always busy sewing clothes, cutting and sewing carpet rags, making quilts, cleaning, bottling fruit and vegetables, cooking or helping the sick. I didn’t know until I married Dudley that Mama had the name of feeding the threshing crew the best of anyone in town. Grandpa Hardy told me many times that they were always glad when they got to our place because they knew they would have plenty of good food. (Grandpa Hardy owned the tresher)
She was very particular about herself and everything she did. She was quite, didn’t talk much, but was always willing to take people in and help those in need. She stayed with the sick and always helped sew the burial clothes for those that died.
When she moved to St. George her home was always open for grandchildren that wanted to go to college. Many women besides her own children waited there to have their babies. Some had them in her home.
She was very soft spoken, when she was annoyed or angry her words were, “Oh Dunder and Blitzen” which meant thunder and lightning in our language. Or she would say “oh, fiddle sticks”.
When she really got annoyed and blue and didn’t know what to do about Myrtle and I quarreling she would say, “I would like to take wings and fly away” and sometimes she would add “and never come back”.
She was always a Relief Society Visiting Teacher and she was really a good one, always seeing the needs of her people, I remember once she gave Myrtle’s and my coats away to two little girls our size. We weren’t to happy about that, but we found out later Mama had ordered us new ones.
Years later, long after Mama’s death, I became really friendly with Grandma Alice Sprague. In her younger years she was sick a lot and people had to sit with her and fan her and take care of her needs. She couldn’t say enough good about mother. She often told me how happy she was when it was Mama’s turn to come and her turn came often. She said she always knew it would be a nice quite peaceful time and her needs would be taken care of efficiently.
Mama never gossiped. Her motto Was “If you can’t say something good don’t say anything at all.” She used to say to us let your words be yea yea and nay nay.
Mother loved Christmas and until she died she managed to give her children and grandchildren some little token at Christmas time.
All of her children and grandchildren were glad when it was their turn to have her come and stay with them on special occasions.
Source:Brent Bunker