Cecilia Sharp edited by RHB
Cecilia Sharp was born September 21, 1863 at 509 East South Temple, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the daughter of Scottish immigrants, Joseph Sharp and Margaret Condie.
Cecilia had brown eyes and dark hair, was about five feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds. She was petit, but possessed a buoyant, lovable personality. She loved to tell stories. Cecilia taught in the public schools of Salt Lake City for seven years. In her own life sketch, Cecilia recorded: "I attended district school until I was 13 years of age, when I had an opportunity of becoming a normal student at the Deseret University (now the University of Utah) for about two years, from which I graduated. I have my mother to thank for this opportunity, as she washed for Mrs. T. B. Lewis so that she might influence her husband to secure that opportunity for me."
At the university, she was a student of Maud May Babcock, head of the drama and speech department. For many years, Cecilia gave readings of Robert Burns' poetry, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and other selections.
Cecilia was the first secretary of the Twentieth Ward Primary Association, organized April 18, 1879. On December 28, 1882, she was chosen secretary of the Young Ladies Meeting (probably forerunner of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association.) After the birth of her four sons and two daughters, she was called to serve as secretary of the Ensign Stake Relief Society, where she served about 20 years and then served in the Eighteenth Ward Relief Society. With her husband, Cecilia was an early member of the Twentieth Ward Institute, a cultural and literary organization which was forerunner of the YM and YWMIA.
Cecilia studied shorthand and through this became acquainted with Frederick Ellis Barker. Both were seated at the reporters’ table in the Tabernacle writing down the sermons as they were delivered, and progressively abbreviating their shorthand. After she and Fred married on June 26, 1889 in the Logan Temple, they remained in Salt Lake City to raise their family. At first, they lived on the Joseph Sharp homestead where four children were born to them: Frederick George, Lucile, Gladys, and Alma Sharp.
Cecilia in her wedding dress
When Cecilia’s husband, Frederick, was called to the Australia Mission in 1897, considerable financial sacrifice was required. Cecilia and her four children continued living with her widowed mother, Margaret. Shortly after Frederick’s release and return to Salt Lake City, he and Joseph C. Sharp, brother-in-law, had twin story-and-a-half frame homes built at 272 and 274 Fourth Ave. At 272, the home of Cecilia and Frederick, Joseph Ira and Clarence Sharp, were born. Soon after, a two-story brick home was built for the family at 145 Fourth Ave., to accommodate the larger family, including Cecilia’s mother, Margaret Condie.
As mentioned, Cecilia loved to tell stories, and was very good at it. Her children and grandchildren loved to hear her tell of real incidents and retold stories, and also those of her own fabrication. When it was her turn to entertain for a group, she often told a story in a broad Scottish dialect. Once, she accompanied the Al Barker family on a camping trip up Emigration Canyon. Marian and Wayne asked for a story about “Peck's Bad Boy,” a popular story of the time. And she would tell them a story about him. Later, Al took her aside and said, "I never heard any of those stories before you told them." "Well", she said, "I guess those are the ones I made up." She also told many stories of the Sharp brothers.
Cecilia was secretary of the Ensign Stake Relief Society for about 20 years and then served in the 18th Ward Relief Society. She contracted phlebitis and died May 12, 1933, at the age of 69. Her love, self-sacrifice, hard work, and testimony have always been a source of satisfaction to her progeny and friends.
[image of Cecilia, middle-aged will not upload, 2010, ebf]
Edited by Ruth H. Barker
Sources: Clarence Sharp Barker Life History, by himself
Tape of Al Barker's voice, taken in November 1977, transcribed by his daughter, Cecilia
Gladys Barker Westwood Life Sketch by Clarence S. Barker
Marjorie Cecilia Barker Sorensen life history written July 18, 1979