Alberta Marie Larsen Jacobs

taken from familysearch.org

Contributed By Karen Shelley Hacking · 22 August 2014 · 0 Comments

Alberta Maria Larsen Compiled by Karen Fern Jacobs Shelley Hacking June 2012 Alberta Maria Larsen was born 18 Oct 1882, in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Her parents were Bishop James Larsen, prominent sheep raiser and wool grower, and Eliza Maria Tidwell Larsen. She was the oldest child in the family. Her sisters were Edith, Ila, and Helen. She also had a brother, who was stillborn. She was the Apple of Her Father’s Eye. They had a very close relationship throughout their whole life. They were indeed kindred spirits. But she also loved her mother and her mother loved her right back! They had a farm in the Bottoms, which was by the Sanpitch River, and between Mt. Pleasant, Utah and Moroni, Utah. Her father James was the Presiding Elder of their branch. When she was two years old, she would stand between her father’s legs, as he presided in the little log school house, used as a church and recited this poem. I love my papa that I do, And mamma says she loves him too. And both of them love me I know, A thousand ways “they” love they show. Her sister Edith was also born on the farm too on 31 Mar 1885. James was happy during this time, with his two little girls and his young wife, struggling to get a start in the world. In 1887, James left on a two year mission to Georgia, Alabama and Florida. He didn’t have an easy time on his mission, but this didn’t deter his testimony of the gospel, because he loved the Lord with all his heart and always wanted to serve Him to the best of his ability. Grandpa Larsen was definitely one of those who had light coming out of him. He possessed an inner strength and spirit that never became dim, but constantly glowed within him and lifted others up in their hour of doubt or tribulation! James and Eliza moved to a house that had been abandoned, but they fixed it up very cozy and nice. It was near the center of town. That is where Ila Fern was born on 18 April1893. When Ila grew up and got married, she and her husband Andy Andersen ran the farm in the Bottoms. In 1897, the family moved into a new, red, brick home, which stands on State Street in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. The date 1897 is written on the front of the house. Her youngest sister Helen Annie was born in this house on the 20 April 1900. Alberta {Berti}, as she was known, went to Public School in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, but there was so high school there, so she then went to college at the Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah, when she was only 16 years old. She was up every day at four or five o’clock to study. She enjoyed her time there. She attended the A. C. for two years and then she was a certified teacher. She graduated with the Class of 1902. She went to the Brigham Young University and studied art and writing classes there. She also attended various summer schools and extension courses in Chicago, Illinois and San Francisco, California. She studied child psychology in these courses. She was very intelligent and she enjoyed studying and learning new concepts. When she was a teenager, some of her friends were wearing dresses that were low in the back and quite low in the front. Her father was a Bishop at the time and he made it clear that such styles were not for good girls. All his girls had pretty dresses that were lovely and modest. She and her friends had a zest for living and they were always planning some fun. They’d gather in the beautiful Larsen Parlor, girls and boys alike, and they’d sing with the piano, talk and laugh together. Berti had pretty blond hair with a touch of red in it. She taught Third Grade in Mt. Pleasant for two or three years. Earnest Winkler was the foreman and sheepherder for her father James. They dated and her parents thought that she might marry him. He was quite a good looking guy, but that was not the case. He was busy herding the sheep most of the time, when along came a soft spoken, polished, courteous, well dressed Drummer from Ogden, Utah named Henry Chariton Jacobs Jr.. He was handsome too. A Drummer was a salesman who took orders from the store owners. Then he took the orders for the merchandise back to Salt Lake City, so that they could be filled and delivered. Berti realized that he was quite a “Catch”! They courted whenever he was in Mt. Pleasant and they enjoyed each other’s company. They continued courting and he visited often in the parlor of her home, but he never ate a meal there until they were married. They also went to a few dances. T hey married in the Salt Lake Temple on 17 Dec 1902. They had a lovely, big reception at Berti’s home. Eliza, or Lide, as she was called, made such delicious food for the guests to enjoy. It was the social event of the season! Zeb, Chariton, or Shall’s, brother wanted the newlyweds to move up to Magrath, Alberta, Canada. The church wanted to colonize the area. There was also a canal project that was in the works being done by the church. Zeb wanted Shall to come up and farm, and so he did move up, but Berti had to stay and finish teaching until the end of the school year. In a letter to Berti from Shall dated January 8, 1903, he addressed it –My Own Dear Wife: How does that look to you? A little strange, but nevertheless true thank goodness. Zeb and Shall tried to build them a house, but it didn’t turn out very well. It was very cold and windy there and the wind would blow right through the house. The dishrags would freeze! I think that Shall farmed for a year or so, but then there was a big freeze and everyone lost everything. Then he got a job in the Raymond Merc. owned by Mr. Allen, when they moved to Raymond, Alberta, Canada. Mr. Allen was President Benson’s son in law. When he would walk to work, he’d wrap newspapers all around him, and then he’d wear a big bearskin coat, gloves, and a scarf all around his head, so only his eyes would show. It was so very cold! Berti had to make up her mind that she was going to like Canada. Dot remembers that Berti, or Nana as she was called, made her home very attractive, cozy and liveable wherever she was. At one time they stayed with Zina Card and Senator Smoot there in Canada. While they lived there Shall was a Councilor in the Bishopric and Berti was President of almost all the organizations. Aunt Dot said that at first they couldn’t have a baby, so they had a temple blessing and later Aunt Dot was born and she was named Dorothy because it meant “gift from God”. Ila went to visit them in Canada when she was 12 years old, so that she could help Berti because she was expecting and she was in poor health. Ila said, “They had a little primitive house with no plumbing and not too well built. Wind blew and whistled through the cracks. No grass anywhere. They had to go miles to another town to get water to drink, to bathe in and to wash the clothes in”. They also had to tie the outhouse down with four guy wires, so that it would stay in place. Shall was working hard every day to keep the Raymond Merc going. Ila could only stay until September because of school, but the new baby girl wasn’t born until October 17, 1905. A few years later, the family was able to see their sweet granddaughter and their small grandson James, named after his grandfather. James Larsen Jacobs was born in Canada on 20 Apr 1908. I think that they lived in Canada for about five years and then they moved back to Mt. Pleasant. Shall worked for James in the Progress Mercantile, where they had the ropes from the ceiling to take care of the money. He worked there for about nine years. They lived with her parents for about one year, when they first came back to Mt. Pleasant. Henry Chariton Jacobs 111 was born 10 Oct 1912, in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. In 1916, Berti had a breast removed because of cancer. At that time Charry was only about three or four years old and he stayed with Grandma Larsen. They got quite attached to each other this time, as Berti was staying with Aunt Lutie in Salt Lake for about three months after her surgery. Lutie, or Lucy was President Heber J. Grant’s wife. She was Susie Stringham Jacobs’s sister. Briant Stringham Jacobs was born 12 Dec 1918, also in Mt. Pleasant. This was the time of the flue epidemic and much care was taken to be able to stay well. It was amazing that they all did so. Edith, Alberta’s sister died about 6 Dec 1918, of influenza. She had been married to Dr. Harold Robison and had one son named Lynn. This was a hard for Berti, as she and Deed, as she was called, were very close. Alberta was the President of the Young Women’s for about thirteen years. She also taught the Gleaners for many years, and they all loved her! She was President of the Primary too. She also taught Seminary at Wasatch Academy. Alberta sewed everything, but often she was finishing Dorothy’s dress as her date came. She made $60.00 selling Book Craft Books. She also sold Beneficial Life Insurance. One day when she was selling insurance to a farmer in the field, she went too far from the car and got lost. Charry, who wasn’t very old at the time, was in the car waiting for her and she was gone for so long, that he was worried and he prayed fervently that she’d find her way back. Berti said that she prayed too and had felt the Spirit directing her to finally find the car. She thanked Charry for his heartfelt prayer. When Shall worked in the Post Office for several years, Berti helped there too. Later they bought the Jacobs Mortuary, where Shall was the funeral Director and Charry was the Embalmer. Charry did a fine job at this. When Dorothy was ready for college, Berti moved up to Provo and rented a house, so that Dorothy could go to school. It was a boarding house and this is the way she earned money too. Berti took courses also. I think Charry was in the third grade at the time. Once she put up seven bushels of peaches at one time, with the help of a hired girl. In their home in Mt. Pleasant, Berti loved to grow flowers. She was happiest in her garden, in her big garden hat. She even had window boxes full of flowers under her windows. She’d bring many plants in the house and have them in all winter. Berti loved to have garden parties in her lovely yard. She candled eggs and made soap too. They had a big garden, brown chickens, a barn and a cow. Her children said that she was never too busy to help us. Often in the evenings the family would play and sing together. Dot would give a reading, Bri would play his violin, Charry played his saxophone, Jim would sing and Berti accompanied on the piano. Shall and Berti loved each other and there were never cross words. Shall and Berti loved to go camping and enjoy the mountains with their family in their tent. She was a member of the Library Board and helped establish the Carnegie Library in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Alberta was the Chairman of the Book Committee for years. When Berti was young she started the BRG Club and it later turned into the 20th Century Club, which was started in 1901 in Mt. Pleasant. This led to her dedicated work in The Utah State Federation of Women’s Clubs. She was a State Officer from 1924 to1940. She was first Chairman of the Fine Arts Department, then Second Vice President, First Vice President and in 1938, she was elected President. While President she traveled extensively. She visited the White House, the Congress and the Senate and she visited with The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt in Washington D. C. This was for the Board of Director’s Meeting for the General Federation held there. She also went to New York, City, San Francisco, California and other places as well. In 1938, she found that she had more cancer. I don’t know if it was stomach or ovarian. She was very sick on and off for nearly two years, loosing much weight, but always trying to do her club work, which was so important to her. Dot came up from Richfield, Utah, to help care for her and I think that Kay was there sometimes too. Kay came up on the D & R G Train. Berti was in the parlor for three months, when she was so sick. At this time, Karen was a small, sweet baby and Fern would take her up in the buggy to visit Nana or Berti almost daily. Nana surely loved the visits. Dot did a wonderful job in caring for her mother. Alberta was bright and dedicated to the church and to her family. Berta was a wonderful woman, who was talented in so many ways. She was just full of poetry and published many poems, painted landscapes, lectured, was very well read, played the piano, and was a wonderful teacher! Many have been blessed by her many talents! She died the day after her father, James, on 7 Aug 1940, in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Alberta and her father were so close in life, and it is fitting that they were close in death also. She is buried in the Cemetery there by her loving husband Shall.