Picture on left is me, with my mother, my sister Natalie is standing in the background watching. We were probably in front of our house in Chandler, Maricopa, Arizona. I am wearing the Nielson Christening or Blessing gown. This picture was probably taken by my Uncle Joe Nielson as I found his name on the back of the photo. I thought that was cool.My dad wore this blessing gown as did other siblings of his. My uncle James Christian Nielson wore it. We have his picture of him in it.The next picture is me, when I was about seven. We were living in Idaho at this time on a farm my dad was homesteading. We went to school and church in Acequia, Minadoka, Idaho.
My dad and Mom are in the third picture. These are the two people who gave me life. Yeah, raised me up from a baby and placed my feet upon the earth. John Gilbert Nielson was born on August 28, 1915. He was born in a place called Winter Quarters, Carbon, Utah. when he was two the family moved away and lived in a place between Roosevelt and Neola, known as Cedar View or Montwell. It was while living here that he met my mother who had moved from Altonah, Duchesne, Utah where she was born on May 21, 1920. They married young and had ten children. I was number seven.
My Mom
Mazie Alexander was the 11th child of twelve born to Robert Angus and Annie Dobson
Alexander in Altonah, Duchesne Co. Utah, on May 21 1920.
Mother says she was born in a tent while her family were staying at Aunt Roxanna F. Hall, Alexander's Ranch. Uncle William Zera Alexander, her husband, passed away 2 years earlier, with the flu of 1918. She was blessed on September 5 1920 in Altonah, Duchesne, Utah. She had
dark hair and blue eyes, and her dad's loving disposition.
When mother was four years old she started a house fire. She had been watching her brother Clarence light a string on the curtain and then put it out, while her mother read a story to her. It fascinated her. Later when her parents were gone shopping in Duchesne. She lit a string but was too afraid to put it out. Aunt Verda ran to the ditch for water with the pail. She yelled to her brothers and they tried to put out the fire. The boys had to get up on the roof and pour water down the chimney.
When her mother came home she was understandably upset. My Mother remembers sitting in a high chair while her mother placed new red sandals on her feet she remembers her saying " I hadn't ought to give these to you." Later on they lost the whole house to a fire while another family was staying there. In one of these fires they lost several family pictures.
Mother was baptized in a canal in Altonah on the 14 of Oct 1928. The man that baptized Mother was a Mecham, who was a widower.
Mother remembers going to school on their horse 'Maude' who had carried every child in the family at one time to school. Maude was dark gray with white hair. She was quite old and tired of carrying all the children up to Mother, who was the eleventh of twelve. Maude would untie herself from the school hitching post where several other children also tied their horses in the morning. Then Maude would stand there until it was time for Mother to go home; as mother tried to climb upon her she would back away. Then Maude would turn her head and look at mother and when she tried again she would trot off. Her brother Clarence came after her one day because she couldn't catch the horse. She was crying her eyes out. He put her on his horse and took to the Lake Fork River where her mother was picking berries. Her dad retired the old horse after that. Maude was about twenty-eight years old. She went to a government pasture where other people also retired there horses.; eventually, the government stopped the practice.
As a young girl Mazie excelled in spelling and running. She tapped danced,and was a 4H club
member.
During her life, she had some very special faith promoting experiences. These experiences also helped to build my testimony and strengthen my faith as well. One time she stayed to play with friends, following a 4h club meeting, she climbed on 'Ponchito',( the horse that took Maude's place), and headed towards home, it was pitch black when she climbed on the horse. She had to go one direction for a block and then turn left for a time, since it was so dark, this was frightening to her so she prayed to Heavenly Father, as she rounded the next corner, she saw a light ahead of her and thinking it was a headlight from a car on a road, she pointed her horse in the direction of the light. she went straight for about three or four miles. She then went around a hill and on to her place. The light stayed in front of mother and guided her home all the way. It was still there, when she arrived at home and went to the corrals and took the bridle and the saddle off the horse. The light was still there when Mother went into the house and to bed.
Mazie suffered injuries to her back on two occasions and for most of her life had back problems and resulting pain. One time mother was with her friends, Elnora and Cecilia Thompson after a 4H club meeting, in the middle of town. Mother climbed upon a pole fence and the pole she stood upon was loose and she fell and hit the back of her head on the next pole down which knocked her out. She came to while they were dragging her through the wood pile and then she went unconscious again. When she came to the next time she was on a bed at her friend's house and her mother was ringing cold cloths out and putting them on her forehead.
Mother was in a play when she was a young woman, in which she played the maid. The story was about a woman who had people coming to dinner. She went out and gathered mushrooms. Just to be sure they weren't poisonous toadstools she fed them to the dog. The dog seemed okay and dinner was served. The lady asked the maid later about the dog. The maid said the dog had died. The quests and lady were very upset and thought they were going to die, until they asked the maid if the dog was in pain when he died. The maid replied that the dog died instantly when the car hit him. Mother once played the part of Mary for a Christmas play also as a young woman in Mutual. Mrs. Scogings one of the leaders liked to put on plays. A Mr. John L. Parry asked mom to play Mary. My mother would ride a horse ten miles to school many a day when she lived in The cedarview area
Mother also liked to Tap dance. She learned how during a school P.E. class. One time she and another friend Vida Carruth (Clark) stayed after school to perform a tap dance for the Lion's club. After which they went to the movies. While they were at the theater watching the matinee, they were having a boxing match on the screen and her friend Vida kept screaming at the person she wanted to win which may of attracted the attention these two young men that sat behind them. The girls went outside of the theater at the end of the movie to wait for Vida's sister to pick them up. There must of been a misunderstanding, because the sister never showed up. Home was much to far to walk so the girls decided to go to the school to sleep for the night. This school was located behind where the bus garage is now located. Up on the hill past where Roosevelt Jr high in Roosevelt, Utah is today. It was red brick building.
After the movies the young men, followed the girls in a car. This frightened the girls. One of the guys said where do you live? Mother said "Right here." and walked up onto the porch of a house. Later they went to the school and slept on a couch all night. This room where they slept was over the gymnasium. They went to school the next morning. After school they rode the bus home.
Mother was about 5 feet 2 inches in height. She is a very compassionate human being. Often going without to see that her ten children had what they needed. She worked hard. She married young and had her last child at age 42. She had dark brown hair and a wonderful happy smile. She tried to make everyone feel comfortable and see that their needs were met.
Mother fell in love with dad when she was thirteen years old. The first time she remembers seeing him was when He was swinging on one of the doors of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that used to be in the Cedar View (Montwell) area. This church was about a half a mile from where you turn off the Neola Highway on to the Cedar View Road. They had dances for the people almost every Saturday night. Mama said some individuals would get drunk at the dances that they held there. The Church had a strong stand on not drinking, but there were those who didn't always adhere to this. My father's, father, Niels Nielson was called on my the local authorities of the church to keep the rough crowd out of the dances. Mother said they had benches along the sides of the Church where the dances were held for people to sit on . Mother said one time she went to sit down and found herself on the lap of an older man, who wrapped his arms around her and wouldn't let her leave at first, this was a great embarrassment to her. Eventually, this church was struck with lightning and burned to the ground. Mama felt it was because some individuals had little respect for the sanctity of the church.
This is a picture of Flora Parry and my Aunt Thora Nielson Parry, standing at the window of the church with another women. Thora is in the middle.
John Gilbert Nielson & Mazie Alexander were married on February 13th 1936 in the Salt Lake City Temple.
My mother is a woman of great faith and love, many of her ancestors were active in the early church days and had a hand in bringing this church forth out of darkness and into light. She is related to the prophet Joseph Smith, and others who served the lord during the beginning stages of the restoration
of the Gospel to the earth. Always willing to sacrifice and give to others. Her love is unconditional, all ten of her children knew they were loved. She had borne her sorrows patiently and well, she has had many trials, many disapointments and challenges. They struggled all their lives to put food on
the table and care for their offspring. Mother stayed home for most of my life, only working for a short time in Idaho at the potato factory, when we were in extreme need. I am glad that she was home for us. We had family prayer in our home, good conversations around the table,I remember picnics to
the desert when we lived in Arizona.. She loved to read and visit with family and friends. hugs and kisses were nightly fare and I love you's too. She had had out of darkness and into light. She is related to some of the Prophet Joseph Smith maternal relatives through her Gee line. Their were many faithful individuals who served the lord during the beginning stages of the restoration of the Gospel to the earth. Always willing to sacrifice and give to others.
Her love is unconditional, all ten of her children know they are loved. She had borne her sorrows patiently and well, she has had many trials, many disapointments and challenges. They struggled all their lives to put food on the table and care for their offspring. Mother stayed home for most of my
life, only working for a short time in Idaho at the potato factory, when we were in extreme need. I am glad that she was home for us. We had family prayer in our home, good conversations around the table,I remember picnics to the desert. My mother would ride a horse ten miles to school everyday when she lived in The cedarview area. She loved to read and visit with family and friends. hugs and kisses were nightly fare, at our home.
The following song is one that Robert Angus Alexander used to sing when his wife was taking care of another family, she would go into the homes of women and tend them for ten days or so after they gave birth. She would also assist the doctor at the time of birth.
Where is my Mama?
Where can she be?
I'm so awful lonesome
Lonesome as can be.
Papa is broken hearted
Mama's left us alone.
So if you see my Mama,
Tell her to please come home.
My mother also sang this little ditty.
Rheumatism, Rheumatism,
How it pains, how it pains.
Up and down the system,
Up and down the system,
When it rains, when it rains.
(This is sung to Frere Jacque.)
