Elizabeth Hollist Story
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Life of Elizabeth Hollist
Life of Elizabeth Hollist StingerI was born in Lambeth, Middlesex, England on February 14, 1842. My father was Henry Hollist. He was a carpenter and followed stair building (circular stairs). My mother was Elizabeth Chandler. We were in pretty good circumstances. In 1843 we moved from London to Brighton, Sussex, England. My parents did not belong to any religion but were always seeking for what they could not find until October 1848, when my father heard of the Mormons or Latter Day Saints and he went to investigate to find out what they preached. Going to meeting on Sunday morning and taking me with him, he found two preachers and three listeners. The Elders were Charles Phelps and Joseph Silver. He was impressed with the doctrines and my mother went again in the afternoon, and they invited the Elders to our house. On the 9th of November, 1848 they were baptized; my father being the first man in that town to be baptized and just one lady before them. On the sixth of April, 1849, my father was ordained an Elder by John Banks and he went out in the country to preach every Sunday. He raised a Branch at Shoreham, six miles from Brighton. He presided there for some time until he was called to preside over the Brighton Branch, which he did for three years. He again went to preach on Sundays in the country and raised a Branch at Burgess Hill, called St. John’s Common Branch where he presided until they emmigrated. He sometimes walked long distances being often mobbed and beaten. I was baptized on May 7th, 1850, by Charles Holley and in 1857 we came to America. We crossed the Atlantic on the ship “George Washington”. Elder Parks was the President of the Company; 816 in the company, 814 landed. There was one birth and three deaths on board ship. Elder Ezra Benson came on deck and said that if the Saints would do as they are told we should anchor in twenty two days. His words came true. We sailed March 28th but on account of having measles on board, we were quarantined in Boston Harbor until April 26, 1857. We found a Branch in Boston and Elder James McCleary was president. He was called home in 1858 and my father was called to preside. I worked at housework and saved enough money to pay my fair to Omaha. We left Boston on May 2nd, 1859 and were 12 days making the trip to Florence (Nebraska). We did not have the means to go any farther so my parents moved to Omaha. Elder Horten was president of the Branch there. He emmigrated in 1860 and my father was called to preside. I again worked at housework and here met my husband John H. Stinger. We were married 1, October 1859. My husband was a cook and baker. He could not get work there so we went to Atchison, Kansas where my first child, John William was born, July 13, 1860. In October we went to Leavenworth, Kansas and then I returned to Omaha; my husband followed later and he worked in Council Bluffs until we were getting ready to come to Utah.While still in England, Brother Jacob Gates was at our house. He was released to come home as my mother was anxious to come he promised her she should cross the plains when he did. He came that year but we did not go, but his promise was fulfilled as he came to our house in Omaha in 1861. We all crossed the plains together as one family in that same year. We came in Joseph Horne’s company, my husband driving the second team. They were church teams and he paid our fare for the trip. I believe there were 59 wagons in the company and at night we formed a ring or corral. I was sick nearly all the way across, having Mountain Fever. We organized into companies of ten with a captain over each company. We arrived in Salt Lake City, September 13, 1861. The city was the prettiest place and we rejoiced to get there. We met friends and enjoyed a good dinner in one of President Young’s houses with Brother Henry Maiben, who lived there. We decided to settle in Ogden, as the teams we drove came from there. My husband worked in the canyon in the winter getting out wood and in the spring of 1862 went to work on the farm of Brother Stone.There my second child came on August 14th, 1862. We named her Jane Elizabeth. President Young then called for volunteers to go to Dixie to raise cotton and by father volunteered, but when the time came to go the Bishop of Farmington wanted him there as they needed mechanics, so we went instead. We left Ogden the latter part of October and reached Grapevine Springs in December. We traveled with oxen in all kinds of weather. Some days we could only go four or five miles. We found warm weather at the Springs.We decided to live in Toquerville. We went there on Christmas day in 1862. We had to rely on the work my husband could get as we had no team. We came with Brother William Wadley and they settled at Harrisville. My husband went to cook for the men who were making the roads. He got two dollars a day and took it in flour in $20.00 per hundred. In the spring, we got some lots and farm land and planted it in corn, cotton, and grapes. He exchanged work for team work. My baby girl died October 29th, 1863 (Jane Elizabeth). We could not raise wheat so we traded molasses for wheat with the Northern Settlement. My second son was born May 12, 1864 (Henry Hollist), and that year flour was scarce so we lived on weeds, melons and other green foods until fall. I easily learned to spin the cotton for our clothes, both warp and filling. That year I braided more than 400 yards of straw braid and made it into hats for men and women. My mother died December 12th, 1864. My husband was a priest and he was called to preside over the lesser priesthood in the ward. In the spring of 1865, several brethren decided to go up to Laverkin Creek, where it was cooler, to raise wheat and we were asked to go along to make the ditches and to watch.We planted 40 acres and we lived 10 miles from anyone from March until July. The Indians were fighting near and the Bishop called us in for safety. The Lord watched over us and we came to no harm. I was not afraid, and could spin and knit knowing we were trying to build up the Kingdom of God. After going back to settlement, I spun enough cotton, warp and filling to make my husband a shirt, picking the seeds out by hand. My husband had to take his turn standing guard for fear of the Indians. On February 20th, 1866, my second daughter, Mary Deborah was born. That year the season was better as there were no grass-hoppers or worms to destroy our crops. In September, Bishop Willis, called us to Salt Lake to receive our endowments in the Endowment House. We visited at my father’s for a few weeks and then started back. When we got to American Fork, one of our horses died and we had to remain there. My husband got work there freighting for a merchant from there to Salt Lake City. On January 4th, 1868 Mindwell Frances was born but she did not stay long with us. She died on February 9th, 1868.That summer we planted our garden twice, and the grasshoppers destroyed it. My husband went to the railroading camps in Echo Canyon and got work. After he left, I, with the help of my eight-year-old boy replanted the garden, and raised enough potatoes, corn, and cane to make syrup for our use all winter. On December 21st, 1868, Rosanna was born. In the spring of 1869, my husband went to Ogden and went to work for Bishop West, in the Ogden House (hotel) and in the fall of that year, he built the first bake oven in Ogden and went into business for himself. On February 14, 1871, Rosanna died and on May 12th, my father followed her. Here most of our children were born; July 22nd, 1871, Lillie Adelaide was born; June 20th, 1873, Harriet Ann; October 4th, 1875, Florence; October 19th, 1877, Alice Emily. The spring of 1878, business was bad and so my husband left Ogden and followed the building of the Utah Northern Railroad. The family followed in the summer and we were again pioneers in a country belonging to the Indians. In December, my husband met with an accident which crippled him for six months, and it again fell to my lot to support my family, which I did with the help of my sons. We lived in Oneida, Idaho, which was the terminus of the U & N at that time for two and a half years. Here on April 19th, 1879, Rhoda Pearl was born. We went to Lima, Montana from there and had the dinner station for about a year and a half, then we moved back on a farm near Oneida, and stayed for five years. Here two other daughters were born, Ada Eva May, on May 25th, 1881; and Fanny Gwenlion, on June 11th, 1883.We lived in Garden Creek District of the Marsh Center Ward. I was chosen presiding teacher over the Relief Society and when the Garden Creek Ward was organized I was made President. We moved to Pocatello and were Pioneers of that town, running a restaurant and opening the first bakery every opened there. Here I was chosen secretary of the Relief Society and held it until 1892. My health being poor, we went to Salt Lake City and lived in the 13th ward for six years where I was teacher. We had misfortune and lost all the property we had so we left the city in 1898 and returned to Pocatello and again opened a bakery. I was chosen a teacher in the Society and enjoyed my labors but my health was not good there so in September of 1902, we moved to McCammon.I was secretary in the society there for some time, afterward as second counselor, when the organization was changed again, as first counselor. I am still filling that position. My husband was ward clerk and as there was no record of the ward, so with my help we have compiled a genealogical record in the ward, as correctly as we could, as the Ward was organized in 1895. I have done all the writing which numbers nearly 1000 names and I’m still doing all the recording. The crowning testimony of my life came last winter. I was dying of cancer and doctors could do nothing, but because of the great faith of the Elders and of a grandson who is on a mission, I passed through a crises which falls to the lot of but few and now the doctor says it is a remarkable case of nature curing itself, but we know it was the Lord. I feel I can not do too much for the work of the Lord. Mother(Pearl Stinger Saunders, one of her daughters told the tale).Mother did not include in the story of her life a remarkable dream which she had about two years before she died. I think it should be preserved as it has such a wonderful testimony. He had been in poor health for years but clung to life because she thought her work on earth was not done. She dreamed that as she and Father were getting into their buggy one day for a ride, President G. W. Penrose, who knew them well, entered with them and pointed the way they should go. They seemed to enter a beautiful city, the streets of which were shining and a beautiful stream of water ran at each side.The houses were white and beautiful and the trees and flowers were finer and more beautiful than any she had ever seen on earth. They stopped at a building which President Penrose entered. He came out saying, “It is all right.” A little farther on he repeated this action again, saying, “It is all right. “They drove through the city and approached a small cottage, surrounded by grass and flowers and covered with beautiful vines. This they entered and she said the carpets and furniture were more beautiful than anything she had ever seen before. She sat down in an easy chair and Pres. Penrose turned to her and said, “Sister, your work on earth is done and this place has been prepared for you to rest. There are people here to wait on you, and you have only to ask for what you want and it will be brought to you.” Then turning to Father he said, “but you, John, will have to stay on the earth a while longer.” They went out and left her there, and she awoke. She had this dream sometime in 1912, in the spring of 1914, she was stricken with pneumonia and feeling that the end was near, she had the Ward books, on which she tells of working, to her bed to finish a little work on them, so that her work would be done. She suffered about two weeks and on the 15th of April 1914, passed away to the rest she had earned. After she passed away, Father, who for fifty-four and a half years, had stood by her side, lost all interest in life and gradually declined in health and strength until two and a half years later, he passed on to meet her over there on the 29th of November 1916. Recorded by May Blundell ManderEdited by Irene Mander Horner, great granddaughter).
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