I was born 15 March 1890 at Springville, Utah, the daughter of Joel Ricks Jr. and Susette Cardon.  My father Joel Ricks was born in Farmington, Utah 21 July 1858, the son of Joel Ricks Sr. and Sarah Beriah Fiske Allen.  My mother Susette Cardon was born in Logan, Cache, Utah, the daughter of John Paul Cardon and Susannah Goudin.  She was born 23 June 1861.

I was blessed and given a name on my eighth day by an uncle, Nathan Ricks, at Springville, Utah.  Later I was blessed by Franklin Merrill, Dec. 3, 1891 in Logan, Utah.  My father was the agent at the railroad station there at that time.

As I remember, I was always a healthy and strong child for my age.  I was the fourth child of nine in the family.

We moved around from place to place wherever my father was stationed.  As the children grew older, Mother always took us back to Logan for the school terms.  Our home was on the corner of 2nd East and 2nd South in Logan.  It was the first house built on the Logan Island, and we lived there for many years.

At one time while living in Salina, Utah, I had a narrow escape from drowning.  As I was walking along in the yard of my Uncle Johnny Cardon’s, I was looking up watching some birds flying over and stepped into an open cistern that was filled for culinary purposes.  I had the presence of mind to throw out my arms as I fell, and so caught myself on the narrow frame opening of the well.  I screamed for help, and a lady rescued me.  I was only four years old at the time.

When I was five years old, I went with a cousin, for company, to Castle Gate, Utah.  This was Ella Ricks.  She was keeping house for my father during the winter months.  My mother was staying in Logan with the older children for school.  This was after Christmas of 1895.  Later the rest of the family came down to Castle Gate.

While in this coal mining town, I remember several exciting events happening.  Whenever we had cloud bursts, the Price river would rise very rapidly and many times the water would splash into our kitchen door.  We lived in the depot........

I also remember a robbery that took place there.  The train came in about noon and brought the money to pay the miners.  My father had to receive it, then turn it over to the paymaster and his helpers, after having signed for it.  This had been taken care of and he telegraphed to Helper, Utah that the train had left, then came in to dinner.  We heard a great noise outside.  People screaming and yelling, calling "Stop thief" and "murderers".  Father dashed outside and the two men had been robbed of all the gold and silver and the robbers got away with most of the cash.  As father tried to telegraph again, the wires were cut so a switch engine standing in the yard was commissioned for the trip on down the canyon.  The robbers were never caught but one sack of money was found that they had dropped.

We moved back to Logan in the fall of 1895 where I started school at the old Woodruff school located on 1st West and 1st South streets in Logan.  I went until I graduated from the eighth grade in the spring of 1905.

I attended school in Salina and Castle Gate for short periods also.  Some of my teachers were Eva Jones, Caroline Larson, Miss Millie Howell, Mr. W. H. Apperley, Ira Cole, Miss Agnes Cassidy and a Miss Peterson.

I was baptized in the Logan Temple on Sept. 6, 1898 by Lawrence Peterson and confirmed by Joseph E. Cowley the same day.  At this time I had an experience that has meant so much to me all my life.  I was very frightened and was afraid to be baptized.  I told my mother of this fear, and she told me to pray and ask the Lord to take away this fear.  I did as she told me.  Almost immediately the fear left me, and I stood up to watch the next child go through the ceremony.  When my turn came, I never faltered.  After this I went to the temple really often and did baptisms for the dead.  I never kept track of how many, it was in the hundreds.  I always loved the women that officiated there.

Another experience I had when I was about 12 years of age has always lingered with me.  I attended a Primary conference in the old 1st Ward and heard President Mary B. Lindford report.  She said they needed more help and were short of a secretary and teacher.  I told my mother of this, and she said I had been prompted and should go to Primary.  I did as mother said, and Sister Lindford asked me to be secretary.  I acted in this capacity for a few years then as a teacher until I was married and moved out of the ward.

I attended the Brigham Young College in the school year of 1905-6.

In the fall of 1906 on Dec. 12, I went to Bingham Canyon, Utah to keep house for my father.  I stayed until 12 Apr. 1907, then went back to Logan.  I went to school two more years at B. Y. C. then attended summer school at Utah State College in the summer of 1909.  Here I met many young people from all over the valley including Heber Allen of Cove, Utah whom I later married.

We were married 29 Sept. in the Logan Temple by William Budge, the president of the temple.  At this time Heber was homesteading some property about 20 miles north and west of Preston, Idaho.  We went there to live.  We had a one-room, dirt-roofed cabin for a home.  We first belonged to the Clifton, Idaho Ward until a ward was organized and named Banida by Ezra Allen, a cousin of mine, from Bannock and Oneida counties.  The ward was organized at the home of William and Jean Randall, Oct. 3, 1910.

In the spring of 1911 the Y. L. M. I. A. was organized, and I was chosen as the first president of that organization.  This was 21 May 1911.  I was released when I left the ward for a while for the birth of my second child.

On April 13, 1913 I was chosen as 2nd councilor to Mrs. Thressia Taylor until the 9th of Jan. 1916.  On 16 April 1916 I was chosen 1st Bookkeeper and also served as an assistant to Mrs. Alma Mason.

We left Banida and moved north to Swan Lake, Idaho for a short time, then moved to Cove, Utah.  While here I was 1st Councilor to Mrs. Pearl Holiday, also 1st Councilor in the Primary to Mrs. Elsie Clark.  After a while (three years) we moved back to Swan Lake.  The family kept busy here with farming, raising a family and ranching.  We lived in Swan Lake about 20 years.

While in Swan Lake I worked in the genealogical society.  I was 2nd Councilor in the Relief Society to Mrs. Emma Petty from July 1936 to 1940.  Then as 1st Councilor until we moved to Logan in 1943.

We bought the home of Leonard Long in River Heights.  Here I served as Work Director in the Relief Society, and later was sustained as president on Oct 8, 1944.  I was released June 13, 1948.  I also served as a  visiting teacher for many years. I have been a Sunday School teacher off and on for about 30 years in the different places we have lived.  I’ve been a quilt chairman and magazine agent in the River Heights 2nd Ward.

I love to work in the temple and go when I can.  I also am interested in doing research work.

I am the mother of eleven children, all living and married at the present.  There are 33 grand children living.  Eight having passed away in infancy.  There are also 3 great-grand children.

I received my Patriarchal blessing 30 June 1913 from Joseph E. Cardon, an uncle.  My sister Zettie Fletcher died in child birth and I took her five week old baby daughter, Susette, and kept her until she was nearly two years old.  My daughter Louise was just 6 weeks older.  It was just like having twins.

I have several hobbies that I enjoy and get a great deal of pleasure doing.  I learned netting from Aunt Mary Merrill many years ago and enjoy making doilies and handkerchiefs.  I also like to piece quilts and do the quilting.  I am trying to make enough so that each grandchild can have one.  (Most of them did down to Janet, Paul’s girl.)  (If you didn’t get one you weren’t born soon enough.)

I love to travel and have taken some wonderful trips to California, one to the northwest, when Barbara lived in Seattle and  she had twin boys.  One died after a short period.  I went up to be with her as her husband, Elwood Chambers, was up in the Alaskan waters with the U. S. Navy during World War II.

In the fall of 1953 we went on a trip East.  We went on the Union Pacific "City of Portland" as far as Chicago.  We arrived in York, Pennsylvania at 6 a.m.the next day.  My daughter Louise and her family met us there.  Pennsylvania is a beautiful state, at least the part we saw of it.  While there we also visited Washington D. C. and Baltimore, Md. and many other wonderful places.  We visited Gettysburg and also the Battle Field and Cemetery.  We spent over half a day roaming around.  On our trip home we spent nine hours in Chicago so took a tour of that city.

In the summer of 1958, Opal and I went to Los Angeles.  Here we went through the L. D. S. Temple.  We took a tour of part of the city also.  We then went to Bakersfield to visit Leda and Vern Adams.  Coming back to Los Angeles we were just in time to board the bus for a trip up the coast.  We stopped in Santa Maria to visit with Bill Larson, my nephew.  He took us all over the country sight seeing.  It was wonderful.

When we made it to San Francisco,  Eunice met us and we spent a very wonderful week.  One outstanding trip was on the Bay on the "Harbor Queen."  We sat next to Gesell McKinzie, a singer, and got her autograph.  The time soon came to return home.  We came over the Donner Pass and through Nevada getting into Salt Lake City about 7 a. m. on Sunday morning.  Carma and Art met us and we went out to their home for a few hours.  In the afternoon we left for Logan on the bus reminiscing about our wonderful trip.  The next day I drove to Pocatello to take Opal home.

In 1951 I suffered a stroke while working for Karl Wood cleaning chickens.  I was confined in bed for several weeks.  I missed Preston’s high school graduation at the South Cache High School.  In May 31, 1952 I had another more severe stroke, which handicapped me greatly.  My right side was affected.  I could not speak clearly for several weeks.  I learned to walk with a leg brace but have not been able to use my left arm since.

In January of 1963 Heber and I went to San Francisco to visit with Eunice and family.  Heber had been in poor health for about three months, and we thought the rest would do him good.  However, he died there on the morning of Feb. 10, 1963 at the age of 76.  His body was returned to Utah for a funeral Feb. 14, in the River Heights ward.  He was buried in the Richmond, Utah Cemetery.

This was a very sad time for me as I was handicapped and unable to be alone.  My son, Roland, took charge of things and my home and property in Logan was sold.  I moved to Banida to live in a little home owned by Joseph A. and Goldie Christensen.  This was near Dorothy.  I was happy to still keep my own home and my belongings.  The house was comfortable and adequate for my needs.  My grandchildren would spend nights with me.  In Jan., 1964 I slipped and fell and broke my leg just below my hip.  I was in the Preston Hospital for six weeks after they operated, putting in pins to hold the bones while they healed.  I soon learned to move about and walk again with help.  I spent some time visiting members of my family.  The wheel chair was my constant companion.

In the fall of 1964 Dorothy and Cecil built a room and washroom onto their home for me.  I spent my summers with them and went to San Francisco, Salt Lake City or Grace to visit with my daughters.  I was able to get around and do some handwork or painting.  I also did a lot of needlepoint until my eyes got bad.  I painted by number and did some textile painting and reading.

I still love to travel.  In February of 1966 Eunice took me to Hawaii for a week’s tour.  It was wonderful and I saw many wonderful sights.  We flew from San Francisco on a huge jet airliner.  It took us seven hours to make the trip.  We saw Pearl Harbor, the temple and many other sights.

I am so proud of my family.  On July 16, 1966 we had a family reunion at Dawnata Hot Springs.  Seventy members of the family came, many from long distances.

In March 1967 I went to Los Angeles with Eunice and family.  We visited Disneyland, Knottsbury Farm and Marine Land.  We stayed over night with Dean and family at Lancaster, California.  I returned to Salt Lake City March 27 to visit with Carma and family.

I made a trip back to Louise’s with Carolyn, Roland’s girl, by train, one with Dorothy by plane, and later one with Opal.  I went to the Palmyra Pageant and also visited many Church History places.

(Additional comments made by Dorothy Miles, daughter.)
Her health failed gradually for about three or four years.  She was alert and interested in events.  She had several smaller strokes and these seemed to gradually weaken her.  She died 27 July 1970 at the Preston Hospital in Preston, Idaho.  Funeral services were held in Banida, Franklin, Idaho July 31, 1970.  She loved her church and always tried to do her bit to attend meetings.  She was a faithful tithe payer.  During the last few years of her life, she was unable to attend temple sessions but always had a current recommend. She left a large posterity: to date are 54 grandchildren, 57 great grandchildren and her 11 children.
 

September 1, 1999:  Converted to HTML and typos fixed by Matt Young from a document transcribed by Quinn Young.