Edward William Tree by Clara Boss Pace

History of Edward William Tree

15 March 1856 - 15 November 1930

Related by him to Clara Boss Pace, wife of Alvin C. Pace, Grandson

Edward William Tree was born in Kent, England on March 16, 1856. He lived there until he was seventeen years old. At this age, he developed a marked craze for money, and decided to leave his home and begin working for himself. London was the goal. Soon after he arrived there Nov. 7, 1873, he met and became a close friend of William Gillis. The two boarded together. One night while returning to their lodging place, they met two young ladies; Julia Holland and Margaret Neal. Edward had come to London in search of wealth - in Miss Holland he found a jewel. Not strange that they should fall in love at first sight.

Cupid seemed to have been working on the two young couples at about the same time, for William and Margaret were married one day and Edward and Julia the next, on Dec. 25, 1876. The Trees made their home in London (on the Surrey side of the river). Here their first three children were born; Emma, Edward (Ted) and Ellen (Nellie). They were very happy and father had good employment. For some reason he was not quite satisfied ­perhaps the old feeling he had at the age of seventeen was coming back, or was it the adventure of other relatives living in Utah? They immigrated to Utah.

DAVIS AND MORGAN COUNTIES:

The little family arrived in Salt Lake City on November 12, 1885.

The next day, they went to Centerville, Davis County. There, father worked for Uncle John Robert Tree. Here Amelia was born. Since she was born three months after they had left England, the relatives in England called her

"the little Yankee".  I (Ellen, 4 years old) thought I was a big girl now I had a sister, and was tipping on my chair like grown people sometimes do, I fell over and bumped my head. Father had to walk the floor with me in his arms for sometime. It was here that mother made her first bread, and grandfather (Edward James Tree) took a loaf and threw it at a tree to break it. Mother felt very bad and cried. In a very short time, she could make bread, pies and cakes that all could enjoy, but none to excel.

From Centerville, the Tree's moved (year 1887) to Mountain Green, near Petersen, Morgan County. There father farmed for a Mr. Ford. It was very cold in the winter. Emma (age 11 or 12) nearly froze one morning while helping father feed the cattle. She passed out and father had to carry her into the house.

On a buggy trip through Devils Gate in Weber Canyon, the road was narrow and father wanted mother and the children to get out and walk, but mother said, "No, if you tip over in the river, we will all go with you." They made the trip in safety.

SUBLETT IDAHO

From Mr. Green, they moved to Sublett, Idaho in May 1888. There father herded sheep, also farmed some. They lived several miles from neighbors. Father was away most of the time. They were poor and lived in a small house. They had a little garden and the cattle came and ate some of

the garden. Mother got up in the night and took the children with her and strung carpet wrap around the posts. The cattle seemed to think this was a good fence and didn't bother it any more. While in Idaho an eclipse of the sun occurred. It went as dark as night in the afternoon. Not knowing what was happening, mother thought the end of the world had come. She took the children in the house and they all cried. Soon the sun came out and all was well.

It was in Idaho that they joined the LDS Church, Mother, Emma, and "Ted" on 6 June 1889. Grandpa (Edward James Tree) said, "They had found the Pearl of Great Price."

KIMBALL'S IN SUMMIT COUNTY

The family moved from Idaho to Summit Count, Utah in Sept. 1889.

Soon after, when Ted was ten years old, he hired out to Burt Kimball, herding cows for $12.00 a month. At Kimball's, father worked for Mr. Burt Kimball as a dairy man. When (Ellen) I was old enough to tend babies, that was my chore, while older sister Emma helped mother with the house work. When Martha (little Mattie) was born, April 1891, at Kimball's Junction, Aunt Martha came to stay and help. She came on the train from Salt Lake City. The train got stuck in a snowdrift on top of the summit and father had to take a team and sleigh and go after her.

         JENNING'S IN SUMMIT COUNTY

         The next move was to the Jennings ranch (1 mile south of the Bittner ranch) this was on the east side of the valley and called Parley's Park.

Mattie died here (Dec. 1892, age 1 year and 9 months). There were two cellars at Jennings, one to store vegetables for winter use and one called the milk cellar. The milk was set in pans for the cream to rise, and later skimmed off. About twice a week the churning was done. The churn was hung from the ceiling and swung to churn the butter. At one time they had a huge barrel churn. Father also built a table to prepare the butter. It was rectangular with a lever fastened on the narrow end which was also lower in order for the buttermilk to run off. The lever was worked to and fro and the butter turned over similar to kneading bread. The girls helped wrap the butter in paper. Once a week it was taken to Park City over a hilly road. Amelia liked to go. She sat in the back on the floor of the wagon and often got sick.

Clarence was born 11 May 1894 on Jennings Ranch. The children were tickled, the first brother in this country. They went to Snyderville for church. Many times they walked through the fields to attend Sunday School and Primary.

They carried all the water used in the home up quite a long hill, and grandfather would count the gallons of water mother used to wash the clothes.

Father had trouble papering the very high ceiling in the rock house at Jennings. I (Amelia) remember him hitting the strips of paper with the pasting brush, when they wouldn't stick, until the strip was riddled to pieces.

DORTY'S AND H.O. YOUNG'S in SUMMIT COUNTY

The next move was to a place near Park City, where father and Uncle Dan Jacobs (wife was Aunt Martha Tree) rented Bob Dorty's ranch. They

ran a retail dairy route in Park City. Albert was born there (April 1899) and father had quite a time getting Emma from the train when she came from Salt Lake. The snow was melting and the horses would slip and fall till it was hard to travel.

         TREE'S CANYON IN SUMMIT COUNTY

         After one year the family moved to their own home. Father had bought a section of grazing and timberland up a canyon about a mile from the main highway that goes to Salt Lake. It was called Tree's Canyon while they lived there. Father-built a nice house and grandfather had homesteaded a quarter of a section and had a little house by his son's home. Father worked at a rock quarry and mother boarded the men for awhile. He also worked on the ice pond where they put up ice to ship to Salt Lake City. He also worked on the railroad. They had cows, and Ted delivered milk in Park City.

The family thought this was a beautiful place with a nice cold spring just a little way from the house. In the summer time, with the lovely trees all out in leaf and green grass below the home, the driveway with Sweet Williams on either side. There was a little stream of water not far from the house with trout in it. They caught and cooked fish. Mother loved good trout. There were wild strawberries and raspberries were so wonderful to me (Clarence) as a boy. Julia said they picked the strawberries and ate them while sitting on a big rock.

When mother and father were away and I (Clarence) was home with the girls, I would be rather naughty. For a truce, I would go and pick some little wild flowers or pretty leaves and give them to mother when she got home. If they were going to spank me Ellen would put her hands over my seat so they couldn't. I (Clarence) took milk over to the bunk house by the rock quarry to a Chinese cook and he would always give me a big piece of raisin pie.

The snow would get very deep in the winter - right over the fence posts, maybe, eight or ten feet deep before Christmas. Father would go up in the hills to cut Christmas trees and haul them to Salt Lake City, some 20 miles and sell them at Christmas time. Clarence went with father and played in the snow while he cut and loaded the trees on a bob sleigh. One trip on the way home it started to snow very hard. By the time they got to the top of Parley's Canyon, the snow was getting quite deep and night was coming on. As it was getting dark, they thought the were following the road, but found they were going around in a circle, so father said they should pray and give the horses their own free will, not drive them, and they would take them home. They did just that. They were quite late in the night getting home.

Clarence (about 9 years old) only once let the milk cows out of the corral into the deep snow so he could ride on their backs. And did he get a sound thrashing from father.

There were deer and quite a lot of black and brown bear in the mountains around their home. The bear came down at night to the corral and killed sheep. About every time they went up in the mountains, they would see bear. There was a man named Joe Cordon who set bear traps to catch them. A heifer owned by the Trees got caught in one of his traps.

Father was superintendent of Sunday School (set apart 9 Sep 1900) and in the Bishopric for several years, while Angus Cannon was Bishop. Mother was counselor in the Relief Society and helped serve suppers many of the dances the ward had to raise money to build a church house.

Father did all the painting in this church house, being a painter before he left England. Mother instilled in the girls the habit of always cleaning up for the afternoon. They would crochet while mother knitted. She knitted long stockings, the girls would sometimes do the plain knitting on the leg. Most of the time the girls did crochet, making ankle length petticoats out of yarn. Mothers were black, while the girls had colored stripes running around; red, gray, brown, or any desired color.

On warm days they would sit out on the wood pile. They also saved carpet rags. Most of the rooms had woven rag carpets, which reached from wall to wall, with straw laid evenly underneath. It took a lot of pulling to get the carpet tight and tacked, close to the wall. Each spring the carpets were taken up and cleaned by dragging them over the grass or fields, up and down. The children usually did this, after which the men or large boys would beat the carpets with sticks with the rags or carpets hanging on the clothes line.

A fascinating chore was filling the wood box with sawed lengths of wood, a nice length to fit in the stove, usually quaking aspen trees. Just before retiring for the night, father would lay the inch square pieces of wood on a piece of paper. These had been chopped just for kindling. With his pocket knife, he would whittle shavings all around the stick in order that it would readily light when a match was applied.

The children enjoyed going in the field by a hay stack on a night when the moon was bright. With father and grandfather, they would sit close by the stack waiting very quietly for rabbits to come hopping on the white snow, the men would shoot them, it their aim was good. The rabbits did a lot of damage to the crops.

Their only neighbors lived a mile away. William Kimball's in one direction and McGrath's in the opposite direction. Occasionally they got together with the McGraths for an evening of fun. They had a family of children and young and old played games together. Which ever place they were gathered, that family furnished refreshments. There wasn't much entertainment, only that they made themselves, so get togethers were enjoyed.

As they grew older, there were lots of fun dancing. The Pace boys saw to it that any girl who wanted to go had a way. They would come in a white top or sleigh, going to Gogorize and Tree Canyon and Snyderville, unless the dance was to be held there, as it often was, in the school house. Mother often went with the children, as the Relief Society served a hot supper in one of the homes at midnight. Sometimes there was a walk of half mile to the home where supper was served. The young people would return and dance while the ladies cleared up and washed dishes. This was one way the Relief Society had to make money.

Amelia says it was lots of fun playing up to other boys so they would take us to supper, relieving the Pace boys so they wouldn't have so many girls to buy supper for. They would never let a girl pay for their own, even if they had to take four or five. Mother used to have Pace's for Sunday dinner often. Afternoon meeting started at two, making a long time between Sunday School and meeting. Trees lived only a mile from the meeting house, while Paces lived five or six miles.

In 1901 Ted went to Idaho for 15 months. Returning home he attended a missionary class for three months at the LDS college. The summer of 1903, he worked in the rock quarry for Bamberger. In October 1903, Ted received a call to fill a mission in the Southern States. Nov. 10, 1903, father, mother, Ted and his sweetheart drove to SLC in a white top buggy. It snowed all day and took them from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. to make the trip. In June 1904 Ted Tree came down with Malaria fever and for three weeks was very sick. In July, Pres. Rich thought it desirable to send him home. After arriving home, and getting strength, Ted worked on the UP railroad until Nov 11, 1905. He then married Letty Jane Pace. He had two sisters who previously married Jane's brothers. Emma married in June 1899 and Ellen in October 1905.

A little girl was born, a still born. Mother had poor health the last few years they lived there, so father sold out to the Dake Brothers and bought a home in (1904 ) Syracuse.

 SYRACUSE

Before Ted returned from his mission, the Tree family had moved to Syracuse, Utah. Ellen (Nellie) was in Syracuse less than two years. Ellen Harriet Tree was born July 18, 1882 in London, England. Schooling was very scarce. At the age of fifteen, I (Ellen) was promoted to the fifth grade reader. That was the last schooling I had. I worked out after that doing house work. Of course, I was home a lot between jobs.

In Syracuse, both parent worked in the church. Father was a ward teacher and president of the High Priest Quorum. They moved to Syracuse when Clarence was 10 years old. It was a different life, thinning sugar beets, picking tomatoes, and potatoes. Clarence says, "I sure didn't like thinning those sugar beets, and would get very cross." Ellen and Amelia would sing, "If there's sunshine in your soul." And I would say, "How could there be any sunshine when you have to thin these beets." It had to be done.

 When Clarence Tree was 10 to 12 years old, he would spar or box

with grandfather (Edward James Tree). He taught him how to defend himself. When he had boxed long enough, he would say we had better quit or that is enough, and, being young and full of pep, Clarence would sometimes continue to hit at him. He would be told two or three times and then grandfather would let him have a good one. That would often knock Clarence down.

Clarence tells of one day when they were digging sugar beets. He (grandfather) told me (Clarence) that he had enough. I didn't stop, and hit him and his heel caught on a big sugar beet and down he went. I heard him say, "You d--- little bugger", and I left for the house on the run, because I knew when he said that, he was mad. Mother had been watching us out of the window, and she was laughing her head off when I got to the door.

The event about cows has been recalled by Julia Tree. The young children had a long walk from school and were tired. They were asked to herd the cows along the road. They thought it was rather hard, and complained a little. Mother came out where they were and told them how the older children used to help herd cows in Idaho (Julia was born after they lived in Idaho). Father would go for wood and be gone a day or two, so the cows had to herded from the garden that had no fence around it. They would break out in the night and have to be put back in the corral. After doing this a few times, they took and armful of carpet rags out, stuck some long sticks in the ground, strung the rags around them, and mother said, "Believe it or not, it kept the cows from the garden. I (Julia) never complained about herding the cows any more.

Well do I (Albert) remember the many hours, and days we worked in the hot sun picking those little currants. Many are the days that father and

mother have each picked seven 12-quart water buckets full. We all helped pick. Grandfather and I were the slowest pickers. We used to have to spread the dam things all over the floor on clean sheets at night to keep them from sweating. Daniel Walker took a lot of the currants and gave us credit on groceries at the store. Many times father and I would leave before day light and take a surrey full of them to Ogden, and sell them from house to house, $1.00 per 12 quarts. By the time we got them all sold, we would be worn out and I would have a terrible headache. Father used to take me to a drug store and get me a Bromo-seltzer.

(Albert's statements follow) Most of the neighbors had moved from the comer in the bottoms by about 1908. (Amelia was married in Nov.

1907) So it was quite a red letter day when they moved to the old adobe house on the bluff road. The place was a mess and much work had to be done to make it liveable. The old red well, as they called it, had run on the ground and the ground was baked almost as hard as concrete. It was a happy day for mother. It seemed to be a different world. All worked to make it a comfortable place to live, especially father. The adobe on the outside had to be replaced, because it had worn away so badly. When they first moved in it was understood that they had the privilege of living there if they fixed it up. About 1911, father bought the home and a small farm from Joseph H. Page. After substantial down payment, father signed a ten year contract for the balance of the debt, but in February of 1919, Mr. Page died and father, feeling sorry for Mrs. Page, borrowed the money elsewhere and paid her off in full.

Father asked for the deed, but Mrs. Page didn't send it. Father was very easy going about it. After more than four years, Albert contacted a lawyer and father signed a verified petition requesting an order authorizing

and directing Ada P. Page, the widow, to execute a deed to the property. On May I, 1923, father and Albert caught the old Bamberger train to Salt Lake City and met with Mrs. Page and her attorney. After proving to her attorney that they knew their rights and that Mrs. Page could and must issue father a deed, the attorney took the necessary steps to make it possible for her to make the deed, which she did that very day.

Julia Holland Tree was president of the Relief Society, with Lillie Miller first counselor, and Lois Call second counselor. They were set apart Nov. 23, 1915. Later Margarette Smedley was the second counselor. No cars and a scattered ward. Many times father worked the horses very hard all morning and unhooked them at noon, give them a quick feed and hook one to the buggy for mother for Relief Society. This would happen on days other than regular meeting days, such as sickness or death. It seemed mother was the first one called. Many babies she helped bring into the world.

When the flu was so bad (World War 1,1917), some days mother, Sister Smedley and Lillie started early in the morning and returned late at night, making a house to house canvas to collect grain to store in the tithing granary. They would go from home to home giving help, a smile and comforting words. Scarcely a family missed that awful sickness, and it was hard to get any help and the doctors said a little food could be given to the ones that were so sick, so that they would not get up, it would mean many lives would be saved. So for weeks, mother made big pans of oatmeal gruel, hot soup, etc. then go and deliver them. Several times, mother went and washed and dressed the dead. After it had rather died down and mother had time to relax, she became very ill. Dr Tanner came to see her and had words of kindness. He said, "Well, mother, this is too bad, after all you've done."

            Then there were the bazaars they put on.  Everyone that ever went to one can still remember them. There was always a hot dog stand, and it seemed to be understood that mother sold the hot dogs. She would have a tin pan and call out "Hot dogs now on sale." And believe me, they sold. They had wonderful helpers, and they went out in a big way.

War brought a call for clothes, knit sweaters, socks, war bonds to sell, quilts, work for all. It was done. The Relief Society at that time was requested to make Temple clothes and keep some on hand for people to rent, this made a lot of extra work.

Mother was released from this position March 8, 1921. She was later president of the Primary, and father stated that, "Mother's Patriarchal blessing has been fulfilled, for she was told she would be a teacher among the young."

When seventeen or eighteen, I (Clarence) started going with the girls, there were dances and the Relief Society would have refreshments. Mother would be there, as she was in the presidency.

Julia says she completed 3 years of High School, and "mother was so sick, I didn't go anymore." (This was about 1913 and the 4 older children were married.) I (Julia) really never regretted staying home with her. I learned many things from her that I had never had time to before. She was

..                 the best pal I ever had, as my sisters were older and had married. All my girlhood problems were discussed with her and dear old Dad.

                            

                             PARENTS AND FAMILY LIFE

                             The Tree family was a very happy family. Edward William Tree and Julia Holland Tree were always very loving with each other and both had

-                lots of patience. Father always had pet names for mother, like my Jewel, my Old Queen, or Pet. Mother did not whip the children. She would tell father if they did wrong, and he would give them a good scolding. Mother had much sickness and the worst thing any of the children could do, was to upset her or do something to make her worry. For that, father would give the child a very severe scolding.

Father had a way of controlling his temper that was noticed and remarked about by many. At times, when a little differences around the fields of yards would arise, and cross words could have been said, father would whistle and walk away. Uncle Fred Tree said, "it makes me so d--­mad to think I can't be like him, but I guess I'm more like my dad."

Father liked a lot of sugar on food. One time when they had company, he was taking more than mother thought he should, and she gently nudged him under the table. While sprinkling another spoonful on without looking up he said," What is the matter old girl? You got the tooth ache." He knew why mother was nudging him.

The children remember the family always had family prayer, blessing on the food, and their individual prayer at bed times. They knelt around the table before and supper. There was never any confusion as to whose turn it was to pray. They would look up over the table at father and he would nod his head at the one who was to pray. They were taught at an early age to take their turn leading (being mouth) in family prayers and in all other gospel teachings, such as fasting, paying tithing, keeping the Word of Wisdom and the Sabbath day holy. Sunday evening, some times, were spent singing hymns together. Mother (Julia Holland Tree) underwent two major operations. Father fasted and prayed three days and nights at such times.

He said he never planted a crop without asking God's help and blessing on

0_-.                           it. Father disliked mother to do any work, other than hand work, after the evening meal was cleared away, which was usually six o'clock or soon after.

On Sunday evenings the children were expected to be home between ten and eleven p.m. even from dates and on dance nights, it was considered really late if they were past 12:30 getting home. One night Clarence didn't get home until 2 a.m. or after. This was when the family lived in "the bottoms" below Bluff road. Mother was surely worried, and started walking up the road to meet him.

When Clarence was in his latter teens, he played a lot of basketball and baseball and father and mother, mostly mother, would be there rooting for the team until she would get so hoarse and couldn't yell anymore. When boy friends called for the girls, mother knew she was always welcome to go with them. And she did. She liked to go, while father preferred to stay at home and read his paper and rest his eyes.

After Albert was married and had children, he notes that same choice prevailed. Father (Albert's father) never cared to go out much in the evenings, but mother would sometimes like to go. So quite often our children would stay with father and mother would go. When they returned home, father may have hot chocolate and toast. Generally the children were asleep, but if one of them happened to be awake, father would be holding the child in his lap.

Mother's windows never remained dirty. If she wasn't able, she would ask one of the girls, "Please clean my windows." She often compared the windows of her house to the windows of ones soul, she wanted her soul so that she was not ashamed of anyone knowing what was in it, clean and spotless.

Sunday work was never a practice in the family. However, I (Albert) recall that one fall at October Conference time, it looked very stormy, and we hadn't picked many tomatoes from our patch, they just wouldn't ripen. We figured it would rain at conference time, and then freeze. Father thought we had better pick all the pinkish ones we could that Sunday, and got about two wagon loads, which were stacked under the buggy shed and covered them with horse blankets, etc. Well it didn't storm, it didn't freeze. We were able to harvest quite a lot of the tomatoes that were left on the vines, but a good share of the ones we picked on Sunday spoiled before they ripened. This was the only Sunday work I remember doing at our place.

During fall and spring, the roads were sometimes very muddy, and we had a bad time getting to church, but we nearly always made it on time.

Julia says, shanks pony (walking) was the main way of getting to school, and we always had from 3 to 4 miles to go, but it wasn't half bad. We had lots of experiences we wouldn't have had in a school bus. I remember one day coming from school, we wanted some clay for molding purposes, we knew right where to get some. It was a little out of our way, but we decided to get some, so out in the pasture we went, to a slew. There was some, just what we wanted, so down on our knees we got. In reaching to get some, the farthest away of course, I fell in. Try as I might, I couldn't get out, so dear brother Clarence came to my rescue. What happened? Yes, he went in too. After a lot of struggling, we got out. My, what looking sights.we were. Well, as bad as we hated to, we started for home. I'm sure mother was delighted to see us. She was entertaining the Ward teachers when we went marching in. Oh, boy!

Some of the highlights of my (Julia) life were drama and dancing. It was nothing to be learning 2 or 3 shows at a time. I just loved it. We

.":,              traveled to all the adjoining wards to put them on, such memories. Dance once a week without fail. We didn't dance all night with the same guy either. The more you danced with, the better. The fellow that took you had to be quite smart to get the first, last and one after intermission.

I (Julia) can remember before we last three children were married, how we looked forward with delight when we heard one of the married ones were coming to stay for a few days. We made several trips out to see Amelia and Ted in Ioka and Neola.

Emma writes about her father: He was a very modest man, very careful about what he said or did. He built them a little house, but never got the bathroom finished, but I doubt if he would have used it for fear someone would see him go in it. He was a man with lots of faith, believed in prayer and never neglected his prayers.

In his late 60' s, father built a cozy little home, the little home they had dreamed of for years. Here they celebrated their Golden Wedding Day, which happened to be on Christmas Day. Many of their children and grandchildren were there to do them honor. They both took great pride in their surroundings, and their lovely lower garden brought not only joy to themselves but to many others. (This home was on a city size lot on the comer one mile south of Dan Walker's store. The house was on the edge of the bluff and the garden close by on the edge of the bluff.) During the latter part of 1930, Edward William Tree health began to fail him. He suffered with heart trouble. Early on the morning of November 15, 1930, he died, with but scarcely any suffering. His funeral was held November 18, 1930, in the Syracuse church house. At his death, he was an active ward teacher. He was always so kind and considerate to his wife - they were sweethearts to the very last.

Albert Tree tells of the last evening: He seemed to feel better than he had felt for a long while. I had brought them a big truck load of shingles for fire wood from an old building that I was tearing down. Father stood out on the porch and joshed with me and seemed to be in the best of spirits. This was late in the evening, and after I finished chores, their light was still on. I went over to visit them for a few minutes and he was still feeling good. At about 20 minutes to 3 the next morning we heard a shrill whistle from mother's home. The sound came from the little English wooden whistle that Uncle John Tree had given me years before. In about 2 minutes, I reached their home and Irva arrived shortly after. Father was sitting up in a Morris rocking chair. He was unable to speak, but indicated that he would like me to administer to him, which I did. He passed quite peacefully away about 3 a.m.