A little more family history

I wanted to have this letter ready early this week because of our trip. Otherwise, I might not have an opportunity to write a letter this week.  
So, since not much has happened this week, I decided to continue telling you about your great grandfather Clyde.  The following excerpts are from my great Aunt Clara's letters.  I now have these "Letters from Clara" in a digital format if anyone wants to read all of them.  It's probably about 20 typewritten pages.  Just let me know.

"Another episode had to do with a temporary break in Etta's and Wilford's
long romance. He came home one late afternoon and went immediately into
the big bedroom just off the farmhouse kitchen. He didn't come out to
supper.  He stayed on the bed.  I kept asking mother if he was sick.
"Heartsick!!" she finally answered. "Go in and keep him company." I
remember sitting on the bed and looking at him. What could a little kid like
me do to lighten his heart. Or say.   If we talked at all I do not remember it.
We all know, though, that that romance was mended. And they were
married and time passed, and children were born. and lives were lived. But
not exactly like in the story books, where everyone lived easily and happily
and forever after ... For when Wilford was only thirty-two and the father of
four, he was widowed by cancer. He had been married only nine years."

When Etta was dying she came back to Springville to be near Salt Lake
and better medical care. Wilford stayed in Storrs to earn a living. Etta
stayed with Jen in the old Palfreyman house. The summer before her death
I was taken to Storrs with Cornell and Blaine to care for them there and relieve the load on Jen who was going to summer school. During the summer
preceding her September death Wilford built the house on 4th East because
Etta wanted a home for her children before she died. They moved in it a
very few weeks before she passed away. The night before she died I'd been
sent to find the boys and bring them to her room. The thing I remember of
that night was that when she began slipping away, Wilford began to cry, and
she rallied again. My Mother said to him "Do not call her back.  It just .
prolongs her suffering."  She lived another twenty-five hours or so and we adults were all in the room when she passed away.  Where the children were at that moment I do not know."

I also remember that my mother insisted that I stay in the room where
Mrs. Martin was shampooing Etta's hair & getting her ready for the "laying

out."  I guess Mother thought I needed to begin to learn what death and life

were all about. It shook me.

One thing I am sure of is that Wilford built a wall around himself and
shut himself in, in many ways after that. He never really got over that death:

The older two children could understand the loss the most."                                                       

"It was an awesome responsibility to be left with four motherless children.

At twenty-nine years of age. And with no job!  Wilford had taken a leave of
absence to be with Etta those last months, to get her moved into the new
house she wished for her children ... then the Knight Coal Company was sold
to an Eastern Outfit and they brought in their own Superintendent (which
Wilford had become) and all their own management people.

Wilford was always defensive about his children. And he was always
getting his feelings hurt because he felt they weren't getting the attention of
the other members of the extended families. He'd have walked through fire
for any one or all of the six.

Etta's death was really the turning point in Wilford's life. It changed

his direction. It cost him his job in the Coal Fields and required him to reach
for something different in the way of providing for his family."

These stories make me feel closer to my grandparents (or other ancestors).  They become real when your read of what they went through.  I hope none of us have to bury our spouses prematurely.  After Thomas died I read through my grandmother Cook's poetry.  She had lost a son at the age of 12 years, my Uncle Glenn.  He died of blood poisoning.  It was almost like having a listening ear as I read through her poems and felt of her heartache and her hope.  One of her poems was called, "He left us with a Smile."  Unfortunately I have already begun packing my books and I can't find the book.  If any of my siblings wants to copy the poem for me, I could include it in my next letter.  It was really her only poem that addressed Glenn's death directly, but I could feel that many of her other poems stemmed from that great loss in her life.  

We had snow on Monday.  Sara took a very pretty picture and sent it out:

Utah is notorious for having us enjoy spring for a few days, and then throw winter back at us!

I had an opportunity to see some of you this week--Adrienne and Jieun brought their kids over for a little while on Tuesday.  Then I skated with Hyeji and Doyeon on Thursday.  Elise sent a picture of her cute sleeping  boys.

 I hope you all have a great Spring Break, (or a great week if that term doesn't apply).