It's hard to believe all of the changes that took place in a person’s life when they were born in 1897 and lived 90 years. Before my mother, Nora Velma Tidwell Brotherson (Velma), died shortly after her 90th birthday, she could vividly recall the changes she had experienced in her life.
These were hard for me to believe. To mention a few: airline jets, spaceships, radio, television, and computers. As a young girl growing up in Mt. Pleasant in the early 1900’s, did she even dream of such wonders?
Velma was born on March 31, 1897. She was the fifth of nine children born to Jonathan Harvey Tidwell (Harv) and Antomina Oman Tidwell (Mina). Her first home was a log cabin at “The Bottoms” (a settlement along the Sanpitch River between Mt. Pleasant and Moroni).
Her father farmed forty acres of land there. Her memories of the Bottoms were the meadowlarks, the spring where they got their water, and the good bull berries that her mother used to make jam and dumplings.
After the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, she liked to go with her father to the Bottoms to haul hay and take care of the land.
Her first home in Mt. Pleasant was a two-room log house one block west of the highway and a block north of the ballpark. As a child, she would herd cows outside the park and loved to run the fences around the park.
At home, her job was picking potatoes, tromping hay, and carrying water. Velma would go with her father to the old Zabriskie farm all day and tromp hay. forty acres of land there. Her memories of the Bottoms were the meadowlarks, the spring where they got their water, and the good bull berries that her mother used to make jam and dumplings. After the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, she liked to go with her father to the Bottoms to haul hay and take care of the land. Her first home in Mt. Pleasant was a two-room log house one block west of the highway and a block north of the ballpark. As a child, she would herd cows outside the park and loved to run the fences around the park. At home, her job was picking potatoes, tromp hay, and carrying water. Velma would go with her father to the old Zabriskie farm all day and tromp hay. When we got back, you couldn't tell who we were.
Life is not easy, and Velma had her share of struggles and hardships, but she had developed many character qualities that made her a survivor. She attributed some of these to her parents and her pioneer heritage. She always spoke of her parents and grandparents with honor and respect. Her father, Jonathan Harvey Tidwell, was a farmer. He had to sacrifice and work very hard for his family. Her mother, Antomina Oman Tidwell, sold eggs for $.15 a dozen, butter for $.15 a pound and chickens for $.30 a piece to the Old Oman Hotel in Mt. Pleasant.
Antonina was a very good seamstress. She sewed all her children's clothes, sewed for other people, and made beautiful quilts.
Her grandfather, James Harvey Tidwell, eldest son of John and James Smith Tidwell, was a very young man who crossed the plains, driving a team of oxen for a widow and her family. He also assisted other pioneers to reach the Salt Lake Valley. He came to Utah in 1851. He came to Mt. Pleasant in June of 1859 and helped settle that community.
Her grandfather, Aaron Gustave Oman, came from Sweden and arrived in Mt. Pleasant in October 1861. He was a drummer in the first big brass band in Mt. Pleasant, the John Hasler Band. He was also a sawyer in charge of the phases of construction of the Manti Temple, and he devoted much time and effort to this position.
Velma's children and grandchildren always enjoyed her stories of growing up in Mt. Pleasant.
Velma Tidwell Brotherson died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July18, 1987, and is buried in
~Taken from the personal history of Velma Tidwell Brotherson
Family History of Gordon and Sharon Stauffer" - Written by Sharon 1978
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| Sharon Brotherson Stauffer |
I was born in Mt. Pleasant, Utah February 9, 1928. My parents were Nora Velma Tidwell Brotherson and Vernon Hamlet Brotherson. My childhood was spent in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Here I attended the Hamilton Grade School and North Sanpete Junior High. My mother, my two sisters, and I moved to Salt Lake the summer of 1942. We lived in an apartment on Second East between Second and Third South. I attended Horace Mann Junior High and worked at Holy Cross Hospital. We later moved to a duplex at 758 Browning Avenue and I attended South High School. We then moved to 1453 South Seventh East in 1945 and after graduation from South High School I went to work at the Telephone Company in the accounting department.
On May 17, 1957 I was married to Gordon Ray Stauffer in the Salt Lake Temple. Our first home was at 13th South Ninth East. We moved into our home at 3611 Carolyn Street in October of 1957 and have lived here for twenty years.
Gordon has worked as a plasterer for over thirty years and has worked on many commercial buildings, schools, and temples in Utah and surrounding states. He recently worked eight months on the remodeling of the St. George Temple. He personally did a lot of the ornamental plastering and finish plastering on the inside and outside stucco on this temple. He is now working on the remodeling of the Logan Temple. He is doing the ornamental and finish work in the sealing rooms, celestial room, and other areas throughout the temple.
Our family has been blessed with five children.
We have lived in the Grant 12th Ward, Grant Stake for twenty years and enjoyed the many activities and positions we have held in this ward. Gordon has served as Elders Quorum President, 1st and 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric, Adult Aaronic Leader, and Scout Master.
I have served many years as teacher, coordinator, and chorister in Sunday School and Primary. I have sung in the ward choir for many years.
The activities I remember the most are the camping and vacation trips we have shared together. The fall season is eagerly awaited as the boys are all enthusiastic duck hunters, especially Kyle. Other sports they participate in are wrestling, tennis, and church baseball and basketball. Russell's favorite sport is skiing. Nora and Kathleen each are studying dancing and gymnastics.
A choice blessing came to our family on July 9, 1977. Our son, Clinton, left to serve as a missionary in the Texas Dallas Mission and is now serving in Eastland, Texas which is in the Fort Worth area.
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