A Day in Moccasin with the Cousins 2003

February 28, 2003
     I have spent several days as a guest of the Hughs in their condo in St. George. We planned a cousins gathering in Moccasin. Calls were made to Guenivere, Eva, Georgia Lou and VeRene. We spent the evening making salads. Next morning, Jerry met us at the condo. We arrive in Hurricane and pick up Guenivere. Guenivere still clerks at the little store where she has worked forever.  She tells us again that the store is closing and that she won't be working much longer.  I remember that's what she told us a number of years back. 

Shirley, Ed, Guenivere in the green van    

 We pick up Eva at the Dairy-Store in Colorado City, or is it Hilldale? Half of the day's fun is the conversation in the van. We're deeply appreciative of DeRay. He generously gives as much of his talents and means to Jeanette's family as he does his own; and always does so cheerfully.

Bill & Georgia Lou visiting with Osa.

(Guenivere, Osa, and Georgia Lou have all died since 2003)

     Georgia Lou and Bill greet us at the "Big House". Bill never stops working all of the time we are there. It was a rather nice day, but the booming fire in both fireplaces and the cookstove felt good and reminded us of what it would have been like when the Heaton family lived and grew up there. VeRene and Osa soon came. The surprise was when Mack and Peggy walked in. Mack's new wife, Peggy, is a renowned Arizona artist. Her work is professional, beautiful; excellent, spiritual. She has a wonderful sketch of President Kimball surrounded by Navajo children. I thought how appropriate and how pleased Grandma Heaton would be to have Peggy's art shown in her parlor. Grandma Heaton's greatest concern in raising her family on a ranch was their limited cultural advantage. She tried to build up a good home library with church periodicals and the classics for her children to read.
     We walked up the steep stairs to the girls' and the boys' rooms. As we stepped into the girls' room, the window looked out onto the school playground. It seemed we were almost on top of the school grounds. The thought hit me that Grandmother Heaton not only closely supervised her brood when they were at home, but she had a good view of the playground and could monitor their social activities on the playground. She must have stood and watched the children at play many times. I think it was Beth that told us that some classes would be held at Grandma Heaton's.

This is the picture we took a picture of when we were in Moccasin on July 7, 2016.

I posted it on my blog on our Heritage Tour.

Eva Johnson, who with her husband who was at the time serving in the bishopric in the Moccasin Ward, joined the Polygamous in Short Creek; VeRene Tait, Guenivere White, Osa Figgins, Georgia Lou Schmutz. Back: Shirley Hart, Jerry Esplin, Jeanette Hugh, Peggy & Mack Esplin,

     Jeanette and Ed eat their lunch in the north room where she said our mother was born, which also had a fire in the fireplace. As we visited near the warm fire downstairs, the three sisters Guenivere, Eva, and Osa sat on a bench pushed against the east wall in the parlor. This is a complicated story and rather hard to lead into. Osa by nature is much like Aunt May. She doesn't measure her words or think ahead of what she is going to say. She began by telling an experience her Ward had of preparing a meal for a group from Colorado City after a funeral in Fredonia. With Eva right next to her, her explosive comment was, that the "polygs" were nicer than real people. Not sure she had put her point across, she repeated it again. VeRene said, "Osa!" She never retracted, a litle flustered, but reaffirmed that it was a great experience to prepare a meal for the "polygs" and that they were nicer than real people. Our cultural awareness experience for the day. Eva didn't seem to take offense. I told Jeanette that Eva knows Osa. Eva had previously told me how mean she and Joyce (a younger sister) were to Osa when they were kids. They wouldn't play with her because she had spots on her face and arms (freckles). The conversation continued on, memories related and incidents remembered.

Mack and Peggy Esplin, Guenivere White, VeRene Tait, Jerry Esplin, Shirley Hart

Mack and VeRene are our double-first cousins.

Our mothers were sisters and our dads were brothers.

     We left for home extremely grateful for Georgia Lou and Bill's generosity in making us feel so welcome. Georgia Lou said, "We're restoring the home and have dedicated it as a gathering place for all the descendants of Jonathan Heaton: a place of peace, tranquility and love. We have a memory path and the grounds are set up to accommodate large gatherings during the summer months." After our gathering, Eva said to Jeanette, "I sure do appreciate you. This day will always be a precious memory to me. I want a picture of this group. They are so dear to me." All my love, Shirley
Dear Shirley,
     Words cannot say how much I enjoyed the day in Moccasin and traveling with Jeanette, DeRay and Ed, you and Jerry. And Jeanette's boy is such a delightful young man. And thank you so very much for the picture of your mom. Wow, that brought lots of wonderful memories. Guenivere.
(Guenivere has a different mother than Eva and Osa. Her mother died after her brother was born. Grandma tended the three kids: Carol, Guenivere, and LaVar while their dad went on a mission to England, where he served with President McKay. He named his youngest son, McKay. When Aunt May joined the church her parents kicked her out of the house. She left with only the coat on her back. Somehow she got to Canada and passed illegally into the United States. She never got her citizenship; never voted. But she was a faithful member of the church. Last year when they had a huge Jonathan Heaton Family Reunion, cousins from England came over; still not members of the church. They went to see Eva in Short Creek the next day. How they got to see her, we'll never know. Since their troubles and Warren Jeff's imprisonment, no one else has been allowed to see or talk to her.)

My write-up of this eventful day:
     "In the past, feasting was a way to bind the community closer together.  The same is true today.  Whether they are cultural gatherings, times of group worship, or even special dinners with friends, we all need moments where we come together and reaffirm the importance of our group."—Deng Ming-Dao

To those of us who were privileged to go, the day in Moccasin was a time to reaffirm the importance of our group.  With the roaring fires and the restoration, Grandma Heaton’s home truly is a place of peace and pondering; a gathering place to remember our heritage and our birthright.  For those with us (Guenivere, Eva, Osa, Georgia Lou) who were raised in Moccasin and remember Grandma Heaton, feelings were probably even more poignant, although I’m sure we all agree that Mama did a pretty thorough job of indoctrinating us about the magic of Moccasin.  We always felt we were walking on sacred ground and knew it was a privilege to be there.

Guenivere told a little story about when she was a child walking towards Grandma's house.  Inside she saw a woman she thought was Aunt Amy (Mama).  "I got so excited I got goose bumps.  I can still remember how thrilled I was that I was going to be able to see her.”  It turned out to be Winona. 

Shirley and I have talked about how the nieces loved Mama.  When we saw LaVerna in the rest home in Kanab a year or two ago, she was ecstatic to see Shirley.  “I never thought I’d see Aunt Amy again in this life time.  I am so thrilled.”

Remember in a letter Mama wrote to Daddy dated December 30, 1926, she said: “I went home Friday afternoon to spend Christmas with the folks, guess it did seem kinda' good to be there.  All the kiddies were tickled pink cause Aunt Amy had come home and they sure showed me a royal time.  Old Santa brot me the most presents.  I decided right then and there that I'd sure been a good girl, and minded my papa and mamma every time they had ask me to do anything. , ,”

     Jennie’s daughter, Marilyn, brought a copy of Jennie & Ren’s story.  I told her how her mother had identified every single person in the eminent Jonathan Heaton family photo taken at Moccasin on January 1, 1906.  Then all the cousins wanted a copy.  I had everyone’s address except Eva’s.  “If you’ll give me your address, I’ll send you one,” I told her.  She hesitated.  Didn’t seem to want to do it.  So I let it go.  After we made copies of the photos we took that day at Moccasin, Eva looked so good in every one that I definitely decided I wanted to send her copies.  I called her on the phone and she gave me her address.  “How should I write your name?” I asked.  She stuttered a little so I said, “Should I just say ‘Grandmother Eva’?”  “That would be wonderful,” she glowed.

We were waiting at the dairy store for them to bring the molasses we wanted to buy.  They said it would be 15 minutes but it was quite a bit longer.  Shirley, Eva and Guenivere were visiting in the van, the rest of us were hanging out in the store.  A group of school children came in, all with folded arms, in single file.  “Did you notice,” Jerry asked, “how every little girl was served before a single boy stood up on the bench to choose the flavor of his ice cream cone?”  They had beautiful complexions; clean and neat; mannerly. 

They have recently gone into the chicken business and Eva had (almost) showed us the Brooder building (we passed it before she pointed it out).  In the store were pictures of the eggs hatching, the new little chicks in different phases of growth.  The one with the baby chicks was entitled, “The Short Creek Chicks.”  I didn’t dare say Short Creek when I called Eva on Sunday evening to invite her to go with us to Moccasin.  “How far is it from where you live to Moccasin?” I asked, beating around the bush, not daring say Colorado City or Hilldale either for fear I would say the wrong one and offend her.  
“Short Creek Chicks!”   Don’t you love it?

When Eva was identified in a picture hanging in the store, it said “Grandmother Eva”.  That’s where I got the idea to ask her if it would OK to address her letter to Grandmother Eva.  I had used it when I called when they wanted to know which Eva.  Eva told me a few years ago that she had over 100 grandchildren.  It’s always her grandchildren working at the cash register; bringing the molasses in the pickup, everywhere, doing everything.  “Is that your grandchild?”  “Yes.”  Jerry was quite flabbergasted when he went upstairs to let her know we were here and she had a big stack of money in front of her; a woman of wealth and influence.  And mystery.  

Bonus: The Heaton Cousins at Carol Heaton Lamb's funeral. August 14, 2001 Orderville

 VeRene Tait, Georgia Lou Schmutz, Nan & Nard Johnson, Adeline Johnson (Owen's wife), Lucy Sorensen, Jeanette & Ed Hugh, Shirley Hart.

 Adeline Johnson, Georgia Lou Schmutz, Nan Johnson, Lucy Sorensen, LaNard Johnson, Osa Figgins, Eva Johnson, Landell Heaton, Guenivere White, McKay Heaton, Ed Hugh. Front: VeRene Tait, Jeanette Hugh, Shirley Hart

 VeRene Tait, Adeline Johnson talking to Eva w/Lucy behind.

Nan Johnson, Shirley Hart, Ed Hugh, Landell Heaton

 Lucy Sorensen, Nan Johnson, Osa Figgins

 Nard and Guenivere visiting, both raised in Moccasin.

Shirley, Ross, Mavis, Beth Sorensen and daughter Jackie.

Janice Esplin, Ed & his Aunt Lucy

At Carol's funeral, all of Mama's brothers and sisters, except two, had children there. 

Uncle Charl - Lavina

Uncle Fred - Fred E.

Aunt Esther - LaNard and Adeline, a daughter-in-law

Aunt Zidie - none

Uncle Chris - Guenivere, Eva, Osa, Landell, McKay. Derryll was probably there, I didn't see him. Carol's brothers and sisters.

Uncle Ed - Beth and Mavis

Aunt Lucy - Nan, VeRene and daughter-in-law Janice Esplin. 

Johnny furnished a salad for the luncheon.

Aunt Ella - Orval Palmer

Uncle Sterling - I didn't see Gene or Ione

Uncle Gilbert - Georgia Lou Schmutz

Mama - Shirley, Lucy, Jeanette

Of these first cousins, most of them had some of their grown children with them. Eva had three daughters: Connie, Roseann, and Maydean, her youngest.

Except for the in-laws and Orderville Esplin double-first cousins (Nan, VeRene, Shirley, Lucy, Jeanette) all of the first cousins were raised in Moccasin, Arizona.
Fifteen years later,
all of the cousins except Eva, Shirley, VeRene, Landell, McKay, and Jeanette have died. Nard died within seven months.

Orderville Folks at LaNard's Funeral, March 17, 2002:

Jeanette, Gene Russell, Sylvia, Juanita, Lasca Chamberlain, Lynn.

Gene is the husband of my deceased classmate Lorene that I dreamed about and

Lasca is her mother.
Lorene died nearly 30 years ago.

Sylvia Chamberlain, Juanita's 96-year-old mother, Juanita, Lynn, Jeanette

 United Order murals by Elbert Porter

 In foyer of church house in Orderville

Lynn, Jeanette, Jerry, Shirley

Lana & Jerry; double-first cousin Johnny & Virginia Esplin

Jerry & Lana in front of clay hills where we got our clay to make mud horses.

My favorite Orderville Folk pictures were taken when Brooke was blessed: 1972

Duff & LaVee Pugh (Brooke's grandparents), Valda Pope (Brooke great-grandmother),
Burke Sorensen, Della Pugh, DeRay Pugh, Lucy Sorensen, Les Pugh, Jeannine & Mary Lee Ramsay (cousin, friend, classmate), Amy Esplin Crofts (Brooke's grandmother),
front: Effie Sorensen, Brent Pugh, Jeanette holding Brooke, and Annie Esplin (Mama's 1st cousin, Mary Lee's mother) February 1972

DeMoin & Effie Sorensen, Burke Sorensen, DeRay holding Brooke, Duff & LaVee Pugh, Valda Pope, Brent, Della & Leslie Pugh, Mercy & Hans Chamberlain (next door neighbors).

Now I'm getting nostalgic.