The follow
Pearl and
Parley Rosenlof
Pearl & Parley Rosenolf
A Short History of Pearl and Parley Rosenlof
The memories of Pearl Winifred Wallis Rosenlof and Parley Olaf Rosenlof are summarized below by their granddaughter, Elva Rosenlof Orton on the occasion of a family reunion held in Orem, Utah, December 22, 1992. The information came from old histories, newspaper articles, family group sheets, and written remembrances from Elva's aunts and cousins.
Pearl Winifred Wallis.
Baby Pearl was born February 16, 1886 in Mr. Pleasant, Utah. She was the eighth child of Annie Marie Barbara Palmer and John Joseph Wallis. Pearl joined a large, busy household with children of all ages.
Hannah, Elizabeth, Annie, Rebecca,Roland Robert
Her mother, Annie, had joined the Mormon Church in England when she was 21 year old. Both of Annie's parents had died when she was very young, so she worked as a maid for a wealthy family. When the missionaries came to her door, she was eager to listen to all they had to teach, accepted their message, and was baptized, as was her only brother, Robert, age 23. They worked hard and saved money for the voyage across the ocean to join other Mormons in Utah. I am sure they encountered many hardships along the way. It was not long after they arrived in Salt Lake City that Annie Marie found work in a private home, and it was there that she met John Wallis, who later became her husband. Pearl's Father John Joseph Wallis was born in London, England, in 1835. He as a tanner by trade, and although we know little of his life in England, we know that as a young man he experienced much sorrow and disappointment. His young wife, Catherine McLeannan, died leaving a heart-broken husband and two small children, Leavina and John Thomas. It was about this time he met the Mormon missionaries. What new hope and promise he felt as he learned about the Gospel and was converted. He also met and married Sarah Elisabeth Davis, and they journeyed to America. They made their home in Mt Pleasant, Utah, where he established himself as a tanner. His tanning business was not good because a central tannery had been set up in Ephraim, and he didn't want to move. He became a salesman instead. It was during this time in John's life while he was selling in Salt Lake City that he met Annie Marie. As she opened the door to that handsome, tall man, there was something electrifying that passed between them. Since polygamy was still being practiced, he returned to Mt Pleasant where he received the consent of his wife, Sarah, and the Church authorities to court and marry Annie Marie. They were married May 1, 1872. He was 37, and she was 24. About one year later, their first daughter, Hannah, was born. John's other wife, Sarah, was very jealous because she had never been able to have children and demanded that Annie give up her baby to her because she was the first wife. As a result of that bitter argument, Sarah left, never to be heard of again. Annie went on to have seven more children. Pearl was number eight. With the two-step children, there were 10 children altogether.
N Ordford Richard Sterling William Joseph Henry Louise Anelia
Pearl's Mother
When Pearl was 13 years old, in the spring of 1899, her father died. All the older children were married by then--only Louise and Pearl still lived at home. Six months later, in October of that same year, Hannah, the oldest sister, died of typhoid fever, leaving three small children: Kate 5, Virginia 4, and James 1. Hannnah's husband had gone to California to find a job, and his heart was broken. As it turned out, Grandma Annie raised her daughter's children as well as her own. Her son-in=law would visited and sent money to them from California. These little children were more like sisters and a brother to Pearl then nieces and a nephew. She loved caring for them and often sewed new dresses for the little girls.
Pearl's Life
Pearl was a tall, very beautiful young woman. She was even crowned Miss Utah. During this time of her life, she had a four and a half year courtship with Parley Rosenlof. Their friends included four other young couples that went together; Pearl and Parley were the last of the group to get married. They went to Salt Lake City by train. It was a very rainy day when they arrived with one-foot deep water at the depot. They went from there to Pearl's sisters by taxi. The next morning they went to the Salt Lake Court House for the marriage ceremony, and then to the photo shop. They spent their honeymoon night with Sister Carrie. Nine months later Pearl gave birth to their first child, a son named Harold. She had seven children in all, five boys and two girls. The last two little boys both died at eight months. Her grandchildren number 21.
When asked what they remember most about Grandmother Rosenlof, all the grandchildren answered in much the same way: She was a happy person who always hummed a tune when she was doing housework or picking berries. From her kitchen came the good smell of sugar cookies baking, Grandma always had sugar cookies around which she kept in a big roster, covered with a white dish towel. These delicious cookies were served with green Kool-Aid or homemade applesauce, and sometime some raspberries. She always had a large raspberry patch and bottled them and other fruit as well as vegetables from her garden. She also grew beautiful flowers. When the grandchildren came to visit, she would love to sit on the front porch and talk, play rummy, or other card games. Sometimes she would pay them a dime to pull dandelions out of her lawn. All the little girls loved to sit in front of the big mirror on her dresser and play with the pretty hairbrush sets, make-up, and jewelry. Grandma loved to share her picture albums and tell us about the lovely dishes and things in her china closet. Grandma always dressed up, even to go buy groceries. Grandma took great pride in the things her grandchildren did, especially when her granddaughters were in fashion shows at the high school.
In later years, Grandma and Grandpa would go to Harold and Revia's every Saturday night to watch Lawrence Walk. They also loved seeing little Dixie dance and sing "Good Night Ladies." Grandma lived to be 73 years old and died in the hospital of a heart condition. A few days before she died, she was groaning. Grandpa was holding her hand and said, "Listen to her hit those high notes." This caused her to laugh--a fitting finale to a great life.
Pearl Winifred Rosenlof hold a warm spot in each of our hearts, each for our own special reasons.
Parley Olaf Rosenlof
Parley was born September 19, 1880 in Mt Pleasant, a son of Olaf and Christian Simpson Rosenlof. He had two older sisters, Carrie, age 4 and Ella, age 2. The Rosenlof family grew in the years to come with two younger sisters, Vergie and Chrystal, and three brothers, William, Abner, and Leo. In the fourth grade he left school to help his Father run the farm. They also worked in the canyons hauling lumber and coal. Parley was 19 when his little brother Leo (age 7) died, and several years later his sister Chrystal (then 16) died.
Parley's Mother
Parley's mother was Christian Simpson Rosenlof. She was born April 17, 1858 in Lehi, Utah. She came from a family of ten children and was the eighth child born. Her father was born in Denmark and immigrated to Utah in 1854, crossing the plains in an ox train under Capt Olsen. At age 17, she married her sweetheart, Olaf (then 21 years old) in Salt Lake City (October 18, 1875). They made their home in Mt Pleasant where he was a farmer, and she was the busy mother of eight children.
Parley's Father
Parley must have learned to be a hard worker from his father, because he worked very hard, seven days a week, and he made all his children do the same. Daughter-in-law Revia wrote: When I got married to Harold, they were real good to me and treated me like one of the family. They were hard workers--same on Sunday as on Monday or any day of the week. I knew Harold had to work on Sunday or he wouldn't get his $45 a month pay. Parley was a strict father and made his children obey him. This caused many problems over the years. Grandma Pearl recalled some of Grandpa's history in a talk she gave in Sacrament meeting May 15, 1955:Before I start the theme of my talk, I would like to take you back to the year 1880 when a baby boy was born to Olaf and Christian Simpson Rosenlof. He was the first boy and the third child of a family of eight children. Mrs. Rosenlof was one of God's noble women, loved and respected by all who knew her. A good Latter-day Saint and a woman of sterling qualities. We know she reared her children in the proper way when they were small and saw to it they attended Primary, Sunday School, and Religion class.
Parley's father, Olaf Rosenlof, was born in Sweden, February 5, 1854. When he was six years old, his family came to America. They lived in Omaha, Nebraska for the first year. During that time, he had only one sibling, a bother, John. (A baby sister, Erima born at this time only lived ten months.) They moved to Mt Pleasant in 1862, where five more children were born. When he was 15 years old, he joined the brass band, and was also allotted ten acres of land. He was one of the leading farmers in the town and took a great interest in wool growing.
At the age of 8, Parley was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And at the age of 12, was ordained to the office of a Deacon. From then on, he was kept busy helping his Father on the farm and also working with a team hauling lumber from the canyons over rough and dangerous roads.
He attended school [only] during the winter months, thus never getting the advantages that other children got who attended regularly. As he grew older, he had the desire to get something for himself. So with what money he had, he bought Weiner calves, and later horses. He loved to drive a good team. He also loved good music and singing, and he and his boy friends often went about town in the wee hours of the night singing at the gates of the people. And it was really nice to be awakened with the songs they sang.
As he grew older, he decided to get married, so on March 2nd, 1910, we were married in S.L.C. We have spent a good life together, and God has been kind to us. We have been blessed with 7 children, 5 boys, and 2 girls. Although we have had sorrow and troubles, we somehow pulled thru especially if we called in the Elders to pray for us. Time passes quickly and soon we find ourselves advanced in years.
About this time, Parley was asked to come out to Adult Aaronic Priesthood meetings. He quite enjoyed them and tried to catch up on the things he had missed for years. During the months he attended these meetings, the Bishop advanced him in the Priesthood to the office of a Teacher, and a Priest. Then in May of 1954 he was again advanced to the office of an Elder. With humbleness, he accepted, but knowing full well that he never could, as much as he desired, fill the requirements that he would be expected to fill.
Now the question comes up: "What has the Priesthood done for us in our home?" First, this opened the gate for us to enter the House of the Lord, there to be re-united in marriage for time and all Eternity. It has made it possible to have sealings done for those we love. And what more has it done? It has made us understand that we should keep the Word of Wisdom. Now that wasn't so hard to do. We just quit making coffee and tea. And we prayed that the Lord would help us-which I know He did. And what more has it done for us? It has made us more happy and contented than we have ever been before. It has helped us to curb our tongue when things didn't go as we thought it should.
It has helped us to have a desire to help when we were asked for donations to help our Church grow and develop. We have been happy to contribute to the building fund and to do what we can for this glorious Gospel. And now I should like to thank the Bishop and his counselors for the interest they have taken in our behalf. We wish to thank all those who offered to go with us through the Temple. And those who spoke words of kindness and love to us at that time. May we all hold fast to that which is true and uplifting, and may God bless you all I pray humbly, Amen
The grandchildren were all a little shy and scared around Grandpa because of his rigid enforcement of rules. When they got a bathroom in the house, he made the grandchildren use the out-door toilet (only if we had to do #2). The grandchildren remember that the only toilet paper was the Sears catalog. Children were not Grandpa's favorite thing to have around. They were never allowed to laugh at the dinner table; if we got the giggles we had to leave and go outside. He always rode a horse. He never owned or learned to drive a car, but he had some very nice buggies. He always wore a hat (we think it was the same hat) and bibbed overalls. He loved to take a nap after lunch (the big meal of the day) and enjoyed homemade bread soaked in milk for his evening meal. His favorite food was fried potatoes. For Christmas, he would line up all his grandchildren and give them each a silver dollar. Grandpa mellowed in his older years--even stopped working on Sunday long enough to go to Church. He loved his youngest grandchild, Dixie, as she was around his home a lot. He was even playful with her. Dixie recalls: Grandpa bought me a big green baby buggy when I was born. They always made me feel special. After Grandma died (I was 5 years old), Grandpa would come and eat dinner with us a lot. I remember his teeth didn't fit well and they made this loud clicking sound with every chew. I was 8 years old when Grandpa was killed. I've heard my Dad tell the story several times of how they were threshing grain. Grandpa was backing up and people were telling him not to get too close to the machine, but he couldn't hear them. The machine grabbed him and threw him around before they could shut it off. His arm had almost been tom off, and he died shortly thereafter on the ground that he had loved and taken such good care of all of his life. He and my Dad never got along very good, but I remember how upset my Dad was the day this happened. It shook up the whole town. Grandpa was 81 years old the day he died. He had never traveled far from Mt Pleasant, but his children and grandchildren have traveled far. We thank you Grandpa for the special memories
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