Elvira Sarah Ricks Wixom
Elvira Sarah Ricks was born 3 December 1860 at Logan, Utah. Her parents were Lewis and Ammorette Allen Ricks. In 1863, Brigham Young called her parents to settle the Bear Lake Valley in southeast Idaho. At the time it was part of the Utah territory. She went with her parents and younger sister Mary Ammorette who was born 4 December 1862. Bear Lake Valley was a beautiful valley with plenty of wild game. The winters were very cold. It was not an easy time for this little girl
Under the leadership of Apostle Charles C. Rich, the hardy Saints built the settlements around Bear Lake. Soon houses were built and she had a small comfortable log house to live in. More brothers and sisters were added to the family. Ellen Adelia born 2 November 1865; twins Lois Esther born 29 February 1868 and Lewis Ezra, born the next day 1 March 1868; Joseph Alexander born 19 February 1871; and Phebe born 2 January 1874. She died 15 September that year.
Elvira endured the hard pioneer life. Her mother taught her to cook and do other household chores. She was taught to read and enjoy books although few were available.
Elvira's mother's health was not good through the year of 1873. Much responsibility was placed on the thirteen-year-old girl. Her mother went to Logan to be with her family when her last child was to be born. There, her mother died, three days after the baby was born. Grandmother Ricks took care of the new baby. Five-year-old Lois Esther stayed to live with Grandfather and Grandmother Ricks, for several years. Her father, Lewis, took the other five children home to Bear Lake Valley. Elvira had the responsibility of helping take care of the young family. Elvira learned to be an outstanding cook and also to spin on the spinning wheel. It was necessary for her to do many of the things the mother of the home would do.
Her father was a teacher in Paris, Idaho. He provided the children with the best available at that time. They had the McGuffy Readers to study. He taught the children to love to read. He often read to them and recited poetry he had memorized. In the evening the family would get together around the fireplace to play games or make up little plays. As Vira's sister Esther said, "We didn't have much in worldly goods but we had lots of love." Every night Lewis gathered the children for family prayer. He was a Stake High Councilman. His children were taught to love the gospel and to attend the Church meetings.
Later, at the age of nineteen she married Joseph Morgan Wixom. They were married 1 July 1880 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City Utah. Through the years everyone knew of their love and respect for each other. Joe lovingly called her "Vira." He said she knew all the birth dates of everyone and anything else worth knowing. They were sturdy pioneers and went through some hard times.
The young couple lived in the Bear Lake Valley to make their home and raise a family. Elvira had thirteen children. Their first child Benjamine was born in Paris Idaho 13 April 1881. He died the same day. Joseph Leroy was born 9 January 1883; Lewis Ezra born 6 February 1885; Frank Solomon born 6 June 1887; Hannah Amoretta (Retta) born 15 September 1889; Ira Allen born 17 February 1892; Esther Elvira born 31 August 1893: Jesse Earl born 1 December 1895; Nora Ellen born 2 February 1898; Ida. Lucille born 19 March 1900; Ruby Mildred born 19 August 1902; Vena Orena born 3 April 1905; and Clarence Ricks born 12 January 1909. All the children were born in the Bear Lake Valley in Sharon or Liberty, Idaho.
In the late 1880s, Joseph built a nice house at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. It had an upstairs and seemed like a mansion to many. They had homesteaded 320 acres of ground there. It was here that they raised their family. They always raised a big garden. The children helped work on the farm. They drove the teams of horses to cut and rake hay. There were always animals to feed. If they went to town (Paris or Sharon) they rode a horse or drove a team. There were several families of cousins that lived close by. They all worked and played together. All cousins loved to visit Aunt Vira's home. They were always welcomed with a big smile and open arms — and lots of food.
Elvira was a wife and mother of the highest order. She was a well-built woman, with a light complexion, and big blue eyes with love and kindness shining in them. She and Joe always welcomed many relatives and travelers into their home. Being at the mouth of the canyon, many travelers stopped there before going on to Preston and also after coming through Emigration from Preston. Travelers were given a warm bed and a good meal. Animals were fed and given shelter for little or no pay.
Elvira was a well-read lady. She had always had the best books to read that were available at that time. She was right up to date on all current affairs of the day. She read to her children as much as she could. She obtained newspapers and current magazines as they were available. One of the favorite books in the home was the Montgomery Ward Catalog. She had about the first edition published. A new one was sent every five years. All the cousins liked to come look at that book. Elvira guarded it closely to see it was not damaged. Small children were not allowed to play with it.
From the Montgomery Ward Catalog Elvira ordered the first glass jars for bottling fruit. She was happy to have another way to preserve fruit. Up to this time fruit had to be dried or was put into a crock jar or a can and sealed with wax made of grease and resin and bees wax.
Her home was a happy one. Several relatives lived close by. Cousins loved to stop to play with her children. The house was one of the nicest in the area, one of the largest. Granddaughter Lucile Tippets Bassett wrote of her memories of it, "The front of the house faced the south. There was a door there and inside was a big kitchen. The stove was on the east wall. On the north was a long table with a long bench behind. On the west wall was a north door that led upstairs. That was where the boys slept, and I was never allowed up there. Also on the west was a large hallway that went clear to the west end of the house. I remember the snow up against that window. On the north in the hall was a large bedroom where the girls slept. On the south of the hall was the front room, I guess. That was where a heater was, and all the activity was. I guess there was a bedroom there too, for Grandpa and Grandma. I never remember of going into it, but I can't see a bed in that room. This was the largest house around, so there were many parties and activities held there. Also everybody loved to come there to eat chicken, baking powder biscuits and huckleberry pies, as Grandma was a very good cook and Grandpa was a very good provider."
A cousin, Lois Shaffer, also tells of the house and pioneer times, "The floor was covered with carpet made of woven rags—very beautiful. A thick layer of straw was placed under this wall to wall carpet. The carpet was stretched and tacked very tight over the straw. To us it had a feeling of luxury. The lights were of kerosene lamps and lanterns for out-buildings. Chimneys must be cleaned and polished and wicks trimmed each day. The most fascinating thing of all was the beds— no mattresses in those days, but large ticks filled with fresh straw or com husks. These bed ticks were stuffed very full and the first few nights we slept on them, as small children we had to climb up on a chair then on to that wonderful fresh smelling bed."
Lois goes on to tell about an experience with Retta. "Speaking of the fresh made beds with a beautiful pieced quilt over all, I see two little girls, Retta and I, Lois, standing by one of these freshly filled and made-up beds in a back bedroom of Aunt Vira's home and a strong desire came to me to jump up and down on that bed. I asked Retta if she thought I might-Retta was shy and retiring with beautiful brown eyes and she did not want to be the one to refuse me, but she said we were not allowed to jump on the beds. (For that matter we, Arenia's children were not allowed to either.) But here I stood in spite of all this, making the request. Retta said she guessed I could for just a few minutes. If we were real quiet, maybe her mother wouldn't hear me. It was about 4 pm and all the beds in the house were in order. Retta helped me from a chair and onto the bed (you can well imagine how quiet we were!) I was jumping high as I could and Retta cheering me on and I shrieking with joy— and in came Aunt Vira. She said, "You girls know better than this." Then she took me by the arm and with a spank on my seat she lifted me firmly to the floor. Often the corners of a bed were made smooth and taut by the mothers using the handle of a broom—pressing and rolling it from the foot of the bed to the pillows. Regardless of the time-consuming process of making such beds, we still were not above jumping on them if we could get away with it."
In the spring it was sheep-shearing time. Joe would shear the sheep. Then Elvira and the children would wash the wool. It was then laid on the grass to dry. Then the fun began for the neighborhood children. Big piles of wool were placed in the middle of the room. The neighborhood women were all invited to the wool picking. A big party always followed. The wool was tied into bundles and taken to the carding mill at Fish Haven. It took two days to make the trip to the mill. Here it was traded for ready-made rolls to spin into yarn for knitting stockings, socks and caps. There was enough to send to Sister Hymas, who made it into cloth for dresses, shirts and sweaters for the family. The cloth was called linsey.
Vira was one who saw that nothing was wasted, as all of that time did. She bustled around at her work and seemed to enjoy it. She could get her little family ready to go somewhere the fastest you ever saw. She could harness a team of horses, saddle a horse, and drive a team as good as any man. There were times that she cut grain with their new binder. She could shock grain, and milk cows. She probably enjoyed doing outside work better than the housework.
Every fall it was common to see Vira take the children to go gather wool from the wire fences where the sheep lost some of their wool as they crawled under the fence. She would also take the children to glean the wheat fields to get means for the Primary and Relief Society. In the summer her family would go with her to the hills to gather fruit for winter. They picked currants, wild goose berries, thimble berries, choke cherries, and service berries. They also found wild strawberries and huckleberries. She made it a time of fun. She was a fast worker. She made joy of everything she did. To hear her laugh was thrilling. She was known and remembered for the delicious fruit pies she made.
Christmas was a special time. All the families visited at each other’s home for the whole week between Christmas and New Year’s Day They always attended church meetings. They ice skated on the ponds and had sleigh rides. Lois Shaffer tells of one day. "We arrived at Uncle Joe and Aunt Vira's near the close of the day. The welcome mat was out, as always. Aunt Vira always prepared food for these occasions and met us with a beaming face of welcome. Uncle Joseph gathered us in with a gladness of heart. In a short time, Aunt Vira and Aunt Mary, with her supply of food, had a well-cooked meal provided and we sat down to the longest kitchen table I have ever seen. I think it was homemade - and it must have had benches with backs at the back of the table, for we fitted ourselves in, always room for one more. There were chairs at the ends and front of the table. This table was set with two complete servings of everything, one at each end of the table. I can't recall if we all slept there each night, but I do know there were beds made everywhere, upstairs and on the main floor. Their family was mostly grown men and women by this time. Lew was married. I recall the hearty welcome Esther, Ida, Roy, Retta and all of them gave. I recall the impression I got of Retta's expressive laugh. She would laugh just as though she had said, ‘I’ll just bet!’ or a laugh of complete acceptance or of surprise and interest."
Lois tells of another evening at Elvira's dinner table. What fun it must have been. "Bread and milk was always in order for the evening meal, no matter what else had gone down our throats during the day. There was always room for bread and milk. We asked Aunt Vira if we might have some bread and milk and of course, she said ‘Yes.’ Roy, Richard, and Joe Sleight went to the milk cellar. This was built over a spring running underground and boarded up with a door entrance making a room. I don't recall how this milk cellar was constructed, but the food that came from it I shall never forget. The boys came back with two large pans of milk and a large piece of cheese. These pans were placed at either end of the kitchen table. We put a large spoon on a saucer by each of these pans of milk with thick flaky cream. There was a stone jar with a lid which was filled with hard crusts and biscuits. We filled a large dish with these crusts and each of us equipped ourselves with a bowl to crumble these crusts in. Then seated around the table, we dipped milk, with a good helping of cream, and proceeded to relish every bite of the delicious concoction."
Elvira was always active in the church. She was the first Sunday School teacher in Sharon. The children love to hear her tell the Bible stories. For a while the meetings were held in her home. She was the first Relief Society Secretary in the ward. She was a first counselor in the Primary. Vira always helped with the sick and gave freely to the poor, as she was blessed with more worldly possessions than many living in the Valley.
After Joseph died 17 May 1917, Elvira moved to Preston, Idaho, to be near some of her children who were farming in that area. She lived here fifteen years and enjoyed visits with her children and grand children. Some grand children lived with her to attend high school.
She died 26 March 1932 and was buried in the Preston cemetery. Seven children, forty grandchildren, and six great grandchildren survived her.
Information was taken from memories written for a Wixom family reunion in 1960 by Lois Wixom Shaffer, Penelope (Nellie) Wixom Dayley and Lucile Tippets Bassett. I also used the book "Wixom Family History" by J. H. Wixom and Ruth S. Widdison.
Compiled by Colleen Tippets wife of John Tippets a grandson of Elvira Ricks Wixom