Willard was born on 14 August 1963 (7) in Mount Pleasant, Utah. He was the third and youngest son of Margretha and Rasmus Frandsen. He was born into a polygamous home, as there were 10 children in 12 years to the two sister wives.
During these 12 years, the third wife gave birth to four children. She had six children later.
It was a busy household. Willard spent many years on the floor of the large living room and kitchen with his homemade toys. While his mother churned, sewed, baked, and ___, he loved the beehive of activity. He always dreaded the days his mother was away caring for the sick or just visiting.
His dresses were kept clean (boys wore dresses until they were six years old) and his soft white curly hair, which he wore in ringlets, was washed every Saturday night when the family bath hour arrived.
He loved to eat. He always enjoyed the crisp carrots they grew in the garden and especially the Codling and Sweet Bough apples that grew in the orchard. He was always hungry. He lived across the street from the school. Many times he would take a sandwich to eat at recess and then go home for dinner.
He loved the farm animals, especially horses. When the men rode away to fight the Indians, it was his greatest desire to get big so he could ride away on a fast horse. His father had chosen horses for this purpose.
At the early age of six years, he herded the cows in the field. He loved the cows, but his stick horse became rather boring. Catching frogs was his favorite pastime. At times, he would get so interested his cows would stray and he would be worried until he found them. He loved to catch birds. The birds would make their nests in old tree stumps. He would thrust his hand in quickly before the bird had a chance to fly out. One day a large black snake wound itself around his arm. Its ugly head was near his face. After that, he was more cautious about catching birds.
At times he would go with his father at haying time. He would help rake the hay his father had cut with the ____. All the men would set the day for haying. They would go to the open fields and cut fast for all they cut was ends. It was hard work with but little rest while the race was on. The boys enjoyed seeing their fathers cut more than their neighbors. Also enjoyed the huge lunches and jugs of homemade beer brewed especially for the occasion. Too much water made the thirsty men ill. When the new invention of unloading hay with a fork came his father would not accept it. He said that it was a sign of laziness and anyway he could pitch the hay off the load faster.
He loved the Indian stories his father would tell after a scrimmage. When they became friendly came to the homes and begged. One day his father was giving an Indian some flour and he stuck his hand in the flour and the Indian slapped him. He never forgot the result. While he was herding he often came in contact with the Indians as they crossed the fields going to town. He learned many of their customs and spoke a good deal of their language. One day he was hanging around their camp watching them prepare a meal of cricket soup. He was playing with the Indian boys when the father invited him to eat. He was afraid to say no as they were easily provoked and he didn’t want trouble. The soup went down but he didn’t want a second helping. Because of his acquaintance with the Indians, Brigham Young sent him to Indianola to get the Indians to come to Mount Pleasant to sign the peace treaty with Black Hawk. This treaty was signed in the Bishop Seeley home, now the Mount Pleasant Relic Hall.
He went to school in several different buildings in Mount Pleasant. He finished the eighth grade. One time he climbed on his father's chicken coop and found a piece of mirror in the sun and into the teacher’s eyes. He was immediately caught and given a sound whipping with a hickory stick which the teacher kept on hand for such tricks. He went to Provo where he attended the Brigham Young Academy. He was a good student and always loved to read. He often quoted from his teacher, Karl G. Maeser.
He was an active boy. He loved to play with the neighborhood children. Run Sheep Run and Kick the Can be favorite games along with Ball and Tap Cat. He loved to dance. He often paid his ticket with a post or bushel of potatoes he had earned by hard work.
It was at a dance he met Bothilda Hansen. It was no easy matter to court her as she lived three miles west of town. But loved the horseback ride, which was his only means of transportation. She would always carry her dress. She would always wear something warmer for riding and she must keep her lovely dress fresh and clean for dancing. Many nights after Choir practice he would pick her up on his horse and they would ride the long distance on one horse. She would always ride side-saddle. He loved his horses and always kept them clean and well-groomed. He felt a man was judged by the way he kept his horses. Sleigh riding was a favorite pastime. The bobsleigh was made ready with straw and quilts and hot rocks. Then it filled with young people. After a few hours of riding, the gang would go to Bothilda’s place or some other home for donuts and buttermilk or homemade beer if the girl could talk her mother into it.
At the age of 23, he married Bathilda. The date was 24 June 1886. This was a very happy relationship. She was a good housekeeper, cook, and mother. She loved to sing. She was the daughter of James Hansen. He played the violin at the dances and led the choir. They continued their love for dancing and horseback riding all through their lives. They were on the dance floor at the Church Parties, old folks parties, and masquerade balls. And would often waltz in their own home by music from the radio when they were in their early 60s.
They spent the first year of their married life in his mother’s home as the house was large and the family is mostly gone. During this yar, Willard built the one-room frame house on the Homestead farm north of town. They moved into it soon after their first child, Farrie was born.
The farm was in its primitive state. It was covered with sagebrush even higher than their heads. Much hard work was required to get the land in shape to be cultivated. The bush was grubbed and stacked in piles by hand. In the evening the piles were set on fire and burned, much to the delight of the children. Potatoes and onions were roasted. The hard work was turned into fun and frolic. Mother’s flowers made the desert farm blossom as a rose. New rooms were added to the house as the family grew larger. Eight children, to boys and six girls, were born and raised in this house, just outside the city limits.
Willard was very good and kind to his family always wanting them to have the things he had missed in life. Willard spent his summers on the farm and his winters on the desert herding sheep. He had invested his hard-earned savings in sheep and was anxious to see them thrive and produce well. This was difficult work. Horses and wagons were used to haul food and supplies. This was difficult work. Tents were used for sleeping. Most of the cooking was done in the open. Dutch ovens and open kettles were their utensils. Many nights the young wife spent in tears when a letter was received saying that he had gone to bed with his eyes full of ashes and belly full of burned bread. Then in the hard times of Pres. Cleveland and the panic of 1893, prices were low and the winter was hard. The expenses were too great. The result was the complete loss of his sheep. This was a hard blow, as he now had a family of several children to support. His wife, Bothilda, took on sewing at this time to help over the crises. She dried corn to sell and also churned butter to sell.
Cattle were his means of making a living but he also loved horses and would have a fine animal to sell. These horses always brought top prices.
He owned a hay bailer, the first in Mount Pleasant. He would bale his hay then pull the bailer near the stack. The men would pitch the hay to a table. From this he himself would feed it into the bailer in small forkfuls. A man would arrange the wire and tie it. When a certain length was reached a block of wood was placed in the bailer to separate the bales. A team was hitched to the plunger and were driven around and around to furnish the power. This was hard work for the men but they seemed to enjoy it. The said while they worked. One of us children followed the team to keep them at a regular speed. This was extremely monotonous as we followed around and around. He would move his bailer wherever hay was to be bailed. Often going to the Schofield valley where enough hay was bailed to keep him busy all fall. One time he went to Abraham Millard County. While bailing here the youngest son was born. He named him Abraham after the beautiful Abraham valley. This baby was a beautiful little fellow, so fat and healthy, but at the age of 9 months he became ill and died. This was a great sorrow to them both. Bothilda never quite got over it. She was so happy when he came to their home. She felt she couldn’t spare him.
One day we children came home from school and a large box was on the porch. We knew at a glance a piano had been in the strange box. Sure enough, when we went inside to see it, there stood a beautiful piano, the grandest sight we had ever seen so large and shiny. This piano was one of the first three in town. We were indeed proud. This replaced the organ we had used to practice on. Brother John Hastler who had sold us the piano gave lessons as a bonus. On Saturday mornings at 6 a.m. every three weeks, he would come to our home to give 5 of us children lessons. He would always have breakfast with us and then on to his next students for dinner he would go. The piano was bought on the installment plan as few things were. $500.00 was a very large sum to raise. One time he hardly knew where to get the $50 due and we were all worried about our precious piano. Then one day, he came in the house all smiling. He had found a way. The Ringling Brothers Circus was coming to town and wanted his ground for a few days. We were excited waiting and wondering what the circus was like. Finally the day arrived. We were all up at daylight and down to the depot to see the train unload. What a thrill—so many cars loaded with strange animals and beautiful floars. We hardly knew where to go to see the most. We reached home ot see the huge tents raised by the elephants. The cook tent was a buzz as the cooks prepared food for all the workmen. Finally, the 10:00 parade started.
Never had we seen such beautiful cages with wild animals, steam callia, clowns, and beautiful horses with lady riders. How we were thrilled when the leader would call, “Follow the parade to the showground”, and we knew that they were going to our farm. All that day we watched the circus three rings of acts, sideshows, and menagerie. We watched far into the night as they lowered the tents and led the elephants back to the train. The small town had become a large city as people came from distant towns and pitched their tents or parked their covered wagons in the streets. Her they cooked on open fires, many brought their milk cow for their fresh milk. Boxes of chickens were brought to supply meat. Baskets were baked in dutch ovens. Every street was a campground. This circus was a never-to-be-forgotten experience. They returned to our farm for three years.
One day a large iron box affair was being loaded into our home. When the men had completed the job it was the first Home Comfort Range in town. Peddlers always stayed at our farm where they could get feed and care for their horses and so the range for their company. Fruit peddlers always stayed with us. Jews came as peddlers to sell their wares. One Mr. Pink made his early visit a new folding cane part for care of the team. His yard was often filled with horses and wagons as many as 20 or 30 campfires in the evening and mornings brought the smell of bacon and coffee being prepare. He always worried about the fires and would often make a trip to the yard late at night to make sure the fires were out.
Occasionally a fruit peddler would become discouraged and ready to pull out, Will would feel sorry for him especially the young men and buy the balance of his load. Our cellar would be full of peaches, melons, or sweet potatoes, often mother would dry the peaches to keep them as her jars were already full.
His fear of fire urged him to buy hanging lamps to replace the high foot lamps on the table when the children got big enough to climb. It was a fear of starting a fire from the coal oil. The only water supply was a creek one and half blocks away. Later a well was dug and a central pump put in. But as there is little in Mount Pleasant most of the water was pumped by hand. This was a big chore for him on wash day. Filling the reservoir on the range and a large copper kettle outside.
Willard had large gallows where he would butcher for individuals and the butcher shop. Often Indians came begging. While they were tame and quiet, white people never lost their fear of them. They would camp by the Tithing Yard when the Bishop would supply them with hay and grain for their horses. The school children all loved to see them, with their bright-colored shawls and gay clothes. It was always a thrill to see a tiny papoose. Their tiny papooses were always smiling and good-natured. As a squaw came to the door begging you always felt like giving more if she had a cute little baby jogging along on her back. Two or three squaws would come together. When they would receive anything, they would immediately sit on the ground and (END OF DOC)
Bothilda Johanna Hansen Frandsen
My grandmother, Talula Johanna Nelson, told me this story about her Mother, Bothilda Johanna Hansen. Bothilda and Hannah Seeley were born the same year (1866) in Mt. Pleasant and were extremely good friends. It was a sad day for both of them when Orange Seeley and Hanna Olsson Seeley answered a call to go to Emery County to settle that country in 1879. They were all packed up and it was very early in the morning, but Orange knew how much these two friends loved one another. He stopped his team and Botilda ran out to hug her friend and say goodbye. Talula thinks that was the last time they saw each other, but I read that Hannah rode to Mt. Pleasant to see a dentist. She may or may not have visited with her friend Bothilda.
My daughter Victoria Ferris has been friends with Jenny Oaks and I have second cousins who descend from Orange Seeley and am reading the book President Oaks wrote, "Lessons Learned." My reading in this book made me think of the little story I have written here. If any of you want to see Bothilda Johanna Hansen on Family Search.
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