Life History of MARTHA ANN BENSON JENKINS

(This sketch was written by Mrs. Jenkins herself. It was found after


her death on the back of an envelop and some papers in a purse.)

I was born in Lehi, Utah, 29 November 1857. When I was ten years
old, I went to Clarkston with my parents (August 1868). We settled
in Clarkston and lived there until the fall of 1869.
Clarkston was in a fort because the indians were so bad when the
valley was first settled. The winters were hard and the snow would
drift until you could not see the fences. When Newton was first
surveyed, my Great Grandmother came, with her father and with a lot
of others and settled. We did not stay here the first winter. We
would come down and visit some that did. They lived in shanties and
lots of them slept in wagon boxes.
We moved to Newton the next summer. We lived in a one room log
house. We had hard times, but we also had good times. They had
dances and meetings in private homes. We would dance until 10
o'clock then they would have a short inter-mission for a half hour
and then we would have a picnic lunch, then we would have songs and
dance again until nearly day light. The young folks had good times,
they had parties at the homes of their friends and other enjoyment,
such as molasses candy pullings, had dances in the little old school
house, go sleigh riding and so on. We had a bowery built where we
used to go to meeting on the Sabbath. We used to have to work in the


gardens, also had to spin the yarn and knit our own stockings. There


were no wells, so we had to carry our water from the slew or haul it
in barrels to wash and for all house hold purposes.
When I was about 15, I was hired to work for Ben Hamptons at
Hampton's bridge in Collingston, Utah, they kept a large hotel there.
I worked out and earned my own clothes after I was 11 years old.
Father had a big family and I was older than the boys, so I had to
help father when he cradled his grain and raked it into bundles to be


bound. Women used to help in the field in those days.
When I was 18 years old, I was married in the Endowment House to
Moroni Jenkins. The second summer we lived in Salt Lake. Moroni was


called to work on the temple for the Newton Ward. We did not
receive any money for pay. I took in a couple of boarders and that
helped out. Moroni's health was not very good, so we quit and went
back to Newton.
Moroni used to work on the railroad and did quite a lot of
freighting.
When Pearl was two years old, we went ot Montana where Moroni had a
railroad contract. My sister, Lizzie, and I cooked for the men. We
went up as far as Missoula. In December, Lizzie and I came home, but


the outfits went on to Canada. After Moroni came home, he did not go


away to work much after that. He worked around home on the threshing
machine. His health became worse the last year of his life, and he
died on 17 May 1887.
Mattie was born 3 August 1887, after his death. I had child bed
fever when Mattie was born and was very sick. My brother, John,
stayed with me that winter. We did not have coal to burn, so John
would go out and dig out stumps. The snow was so deep that it was
hard to get wood. This was a very hard winter for me.
I was left a widow, with six children to support, at the age of 28
years. The oldest, Moroni, was just 9 1/2 years old. Poverty and
sickness are two weary things. I prayed that the Lord would spare my


children and he heard my prayers many times, I know.
I took in washing and went out to wash to support my family. I
washed every day of the week except Saturdays and Sundays, until the
boys got so they would not let me go any more. I carded and spun
yarn to knit their stockings. I wove the cloth for their under
clothing, also for blankets. I never had many comforts for my
children, but I always tried to make them as comfortable as I could.


I had good children, they never went away unless I was willing. When


I think now of what I had to go through, I don't see how I did get
along. When Henry and Moroni were just very young men, they went to
the canyon and got out logs for the lumber home for me and built it.
One summer I went to the big meadows with Annie Jenkins. We milked
cows and made cheese. I was to get half the cheese for pay.
In the fall Pearl got typhoid fever and was very bad, but the Lord
heard my prayers and saved him.

(The following is added by Cora Blotter and Orpha Fabricious)
Grandmother Jenkins cared for Hattie from the time she was two weeks
old. She lived alone for many years after Hattie married and moved
away. She had a cataract on her eye and lost sight in one eye, but
had an operation and had it removed. Later, her other eye got bad
but she could still care for herself and home.
She was the first President of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement
Asociation in Newton. She also sat up night after night helping with


the sick of the ward, even though she had worked hard all day and was


obliged to leave her children alone. At one time she was set apart
to help lay away the dead, and this she did for years.
As a hobby, we all know that she has thoroughly enjoyed handywork of
all kinds and we are familiar with the beautiful crocheting,
embroidery and the many lovely quilts she has made.
Grandmother Jenkins died when she had her thrid stroke, 8 July 1942,
at the age of 84 years.