Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Hazel Jean Hayward Wessman: A Biography, Part 7

Jean played the prelude music at her husband's funeral. They were songs that he especially enjoyed. Liebestraum was one song. The funeral was big. One of his friends from the newspaper came and gave a good talk. Harry's father-in-law, James Fowlie, supplied a car from his construction company so the family could go in it. The funeral was in Ogden but the burial was in Salt Lake.



The children did most of the housework as they did previously anyway. The older kids (as already stated) went out and tried to find a job. Harry was the only child married at the time. It was in the middle of the depression and no one had work.

Dick would sometimes haul people out to farms to harvest onions and things like that. He would get onions for his pay. He had an old truck that was hand to haul people, onions, etc. Dick also worked on what was called street gangs that shoveled snow, swept schools, shoveled coal etc. It was hard work but any job was gratefully accepted due to the poor job market. Getting a job was basically taken one month at a time. It might be quite awhile before getting another job.

At that time, city employment was such that it was very limited. It was maybe a month’s work. They would be paid in scripts (coupons). They could only buy groceries and clothing. They could be used at any store.

She belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had a strong testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and of the church. Jean always went to church. She would not let down her beliefs. She refused to even make coffee.

In their earlier years, Henry would always go to church with her and the family. However, when they moved to the city, he had to work quite a bit so he could not go as often as he wanted to. Church was a big part of both their lives. When some of her children stopped going to church, that broke her heart. She never stopped loving her children and accepted them for who they were. She loved them to the utmost.

She shared her talent of music in church. She was the church organist. She loved to go to church and play the organ. Jean played for different ward organizations while in the Parley's Stake. At first, the ward was on 21st South and 21st East. Then a new chapel was built on Stringham Avenue.

While the family lived in Mammoth, Utah (mining town) in the year of 1918, Henry and Jean would play together in church. Henry worked at a newspaper and print shop there. It did not last very long because the town was going broke and the employment possibilities were better in the cities.

Elizabeth Ann Pugsley Hayward recorded in a small notebook about her daughter:
Hazel Jean Hayward-daughter born March 30, 1884 and blessed June 5, 1887 by Bishop Kesler. She was baptized by Elder Hilton on June 6, 1895 and confirmed August 1, 1895 by Bishop Kesler. She married Henry R.E. Wessman on November 25, 1908.

To be continued...

No comments:

Post a Comment