Maurine Lenore Christensen Barker edited by RHB
On a winter night in February, to be exact, February 8, 1909 in American Fork, my father Bernard Neils Christensen, who normally went to his priesthood meeting on Monday night – stayed at home because there was to be an event that marked my entrance into this mortal sphere. You see, Maude Rosalie Driggs, my mother, was expecting me and being a prompt person I showed up right on time – 9 p.m. Just before I arrived my Aunt Marie said to my big brother Clare, who was at the time 3 ½ years old, “Clare, you are going to have a baby sister come tonight.” Clare said, “Oh! What should I do? I guess I better hide under the table.”
I do not remember much of the next year except getting a bath in a round tub.
My dear dad took me to Saratoga, the summer resort, when I was 18 months old, and when I went back there at eight years old, I said, “I remember this place. I have seen it in my mind.” My Dad said, “You were so young – you were only 18 months old.”
I remember a Christmas in Grandfather’s house. I can see the room still. It was nice and warm. I remember my two dolls; one of them I named Nellie.
When I was almost two, a baby sister came. Her name was Rosalie. I remember it was an inconvenience for me because I had to sleep up in a bedroom where Grandpa and Uncle Paul slept. I did not want to sleep up there. I guess I made a fuss with Grandpa. My memory serves me well as to what Uncle Paul (grandfather’s brother) said. He said, “If you do not go to sleep that old rooster will come in and peck your eyes out.” Rosalie died one month after she was born. It was cold – wintertime – and something about it got Rosalie.
While we were still living at Grandfather Niels Christensen’s home, the telephone came and I had a cord upstairs in the bedroom. That was my phone. That piece of cord stayed there on the nail for years and years. The last time I visited that house years later my “phone” was still hanging there.
My mamma was very talented and people came to our house so she could help them give beautiful readings. My mamma taught me as well, and at the age of four I stood up in the big opera house and gave a reading before a crowded audience. I was scared stiff but I did it and mamma was pleased. The name of the piece was “In the Pantry.” I remember the following:
Just look at that little pie. Mince and it smells so good.
My mamma says I musn’t touch it, but I’ll bet she would.
If she stood here a starving all for want of food.
When fellas see pies made for them they eat ‘em – wist I could.
My mamma says if you are naught and disobey and lie
You won’t go to Heaven and play harps when you die.
My brother, Ned won’t go there cause he lied
And said he would not go out riding on behind a
Big bobsled. Well, I just saw he going and a laughing like he’d split.
A going just a flying on behind a big bobsled.
I wonder where Heaven is anyhow.
It must be hard to fly
And I’d be awful lonesome up there in the sky.
Oh, this is the bestest pie.
When I was four years old, my daddy was tearing down a big old house to use some of the material to build our house. I remember carrying things to our new house built from bricks and timbers from the old house.
I could still run down the path between our house and grandpa’s and he had candy in a paper sack on his cupboard shelf. It was always lemon drops or peppermints. Uncle Paul Christensen, who was grandfather’s brother, never married and he lived with Grandfather. Uncle Paul did not have the patience with children that Grandfather had. I remember going down to see if the little man in the sack had made any candy. Uncle Paul was trying to get rid of me so I stuck my tongue out at him and he said, “She’s a bad girl. She’s a bad girl.” I can hear his voice yet.
After Uncle Paul died, Grandfather came up and ate his evening meal with us and afterward he would sit on a stool with his back against our hot water tank in the kitchen. I loved to go over and lean against him and he would rub my forehead and down the sides of my cheeks – a better feeling was never felt by any little person. He was so kind and gentle.
Our daddy worked for the “Con Wagon” (Consolidated Wagon and Machine Company). Whenever possible he would come and pick Paul, my brother, and me up and let us ride around with him as he went to help the farmers put the machinery together. Paul and I loved this riding around in the Model T Ford pickup truck. I remember that we always had a barrel of ginger snaps and some pieces of cheese to eat as we rode around.
My mother’s brother Frank Driggs, my grandmother Rosalie Cox, and my mother’s sister, Geneva Driggs Halverson lived in Ogden. We spent parts of several summers there. I remember walking from where grandma and Aunt Geneva lived to the school for the deaf to play on the playground. Clare and Milton (Frank’s only son) would climb up in the spiral slide fire escapes and come sliding down like crazy. Much as I wanted to, I did not dare go beyond the first round. The memories of Ogden were always happy.
One summer morning I walked into our house from the sleeping porch of our American Fork home and to my joy and delight, there was a baby sister. This was wonderful. A baby sister! Of course this brought me problems again; rocking her in the “lullaby” as I had my baby brother Paul meant I would have to be in the house – of all places – in the summer. I wanted to be out playing with all of the neighbor kids. Sometimes the baby would be quiet so I would stop rocking her and then out of the basket would come a “wow” and I would need to start all over again. Such a waste of my precious time this rocking.
Everybody sent cute dresses for my baby sister and I liked to take her places when she was dressed up cute. One day Aunt Lucille and Aunt Geneva came from California and they brought their babies, Arthur and Ruth. We borrowed Aunt Sue Kelly’s twin baby buggy so that I could take all three babies for a ride. Fun is fun – but lots of times they made it not fun, at least for me.
I was back at the lullaby three years later when another baby brother came. He had curly hair and would stand so patiently while I fixed his curls. This was Owen.
By now I was 11 years old, fun-loving and always wanting to play. Frequently we had dress up plays in the barn, in the orchard, and on the front porch. I am sure Mother was pleased with all the mess we made. Acting was our delight.
We had a patch of raspberries at the north of our house and picking them was a pain to me. One day after picking two good sized buckets full of berries I went in and complained so to Mother that she asked me just to pick a few more. So, I did not empty the second bucket fully. I went and sat out in the bushes for a while and then returned with the partially filled bucket and Mother said that was good enough!
I remember picking peas, also. I hated being out in the sun picking peas because my arms would get so brown. I would scrub my arms with Old Dutch Cleanser to try to get the brown from my arms. I would also put sour cream on them – but it did not help – they were brown and suntans weren’t in style.
We washed milk buckets, the separator, cleaned and scrubbed everything. We bottled our milk. I gathered eggs from the chickens and fed the chickens – sometimes even caught one and whacked off its head if mother requested it – then plucked it in boiling water and pulled off the feathers, cleaned it and cut it up for cooking.
We made butter – first churning the cream, then taking out the butter and washing, molding, and wrapping it in papers. Sometimes Mother had her name, “Mrs. Bernard Christensen,” printed on the butter papers to sell in the stores. One day we made 50 pounds of butter.
Our home was always happy and cheerful, clean and neat.
When I started school (1st grade) I was just petrified because I said I did not know how to read. Mother made one big mistake with me. She would say “I knew you could not do it.” She said her mother had said that to her and it spurred her on but it didn’t help me.
When I was about eight or nine years old I had a patriarchal blessing which has been a help and guide to me. And although I missed a lot of fun because of being overweight I managed somehow. Some people are so inconsiderate of overweight problems and at times I was troubled and saddened by things said by persons lacking understanding and to a great degree lacking just plain horse sense.
Dad loved sports and all types of wholesome activities. He took delight in taking us with him to Saratoga to go swimming; to Cedar Valley to hunt rabbits; on hikes to Timpanogos and through the cave. Not only did he take his own children but all the neighbors’ kids. One of the most important sports was ice skating on Utah Lake. We really did love that. If there was ice on the lake we would be heading there. Many a time Dad would drive down to check the lake. People called our house to ask about the ice skating conditions. My history teacher in high school said one day, “If there is skating on the lake, Maurine will not be at school. She will be with her dad.” We loved to go camping in the canyon but this was not easy for us to get away since we had so much responsibility at home with the cows to milk and all that goes with them.
When I was 12 my folks with several friends planned a trip to Yellowstone Park. Dad had someone build a grub box that went on the running board of the car. We put our cooking utensils and some food in this box. We had a seven-passenger Reo car but there were no trunks in the cars in those days. Mother, Dad, Clare, and I went and we took two teachers with us to help pay the expense of the trip. Owen remained behind with a baby-sitter as he was only a year old. There were seven cars in the caravan. We had a wonderful time.
As I became a teenager I was actively involved in all the ward productions. Nothing took place unless I was consulted. Pageants, programs, you name it. We had a wonderful time when we remodeled our ward. The Bishop asked Mother to put on a play as part of a three-day celebration. She had me rush to Salt Lake City to get a play and we had three weeks to prepare to put it on. The play was “Seven Chances.” I always played the mother or aunt because of my unwanted pounds. But we had the best time. We put on several other plays after that – because now we had a stage. We had lots of fun but these were the days of the depression and we made our own fund – we could not afford movies.
We enjoyed playing Rook, hiking, camping, and putting on roadshows. Many of this group of friends went through school together and graduated from BYU together.
High school was fun and after graduation I went to BYU. It was so exciting. I lived in Provo on 5th North with several roommates. About the first day at the Y I saw a fellow and fell in love with him. He worked in the book store. You will have to remember that I was not very attractive to fellows because I was fat. The song that was popular at this time was "Me and My Shadow" and that's what we said Eva and I were. She was very thin.
Because my Dad’s sisters lived in Salt Lake City we went to visit them occasionally. One day Dad said to me, “Maurine, call up and see if Elder Barker is home from his mission yet.” Elder Clarence S. Barker had filled a mission in South Africa with my brother Clare. Dad wanted to talk with him. Well, I called and asked if he were home. His mother or sister answered and said he was and would be glad to see us in about 20 minutes. We drove to the family’s home at 145 Fourth Avenue and invited him to come down to American Fork. Clarence drove down about a week later and we had an outing planned up American Fork Canyon. We went to Mutual Dell to my Uncle Cliff Young’s cabin. We girls slept inside the cabin and Clare and Clarence slept in Clarence’s sister’s new Model B Ford car outside. We had a lot of fun hiking on some of the trails. Clarence put his arm around me and I was pleased about that. We loved being in the canyon which is a beautiful place, especially with eyes of love.
Clarence would drive down occasionally and I would go up to Salt Lake City when I could. We corresponded and after he obtained a job as a reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune, we set the date of November 14, 1933 for our marriage. Elder David O. McKay of the Council of the Twelve was at a meeting in American Fork 2nd Ward. After the meeting I went up and asked Elder McKay if he would perform our marriage ceremony. He said he would be glad to do this. I had previously met him and he knew that my mother was Maude Driggs Christensen.
And so on November 14, 1933 we were married in the Salt Lake Temple by dear Elder McKay. My dear parents were there to witness the ceremony. Afterward Lucille Barker, Clarence’s sister, had a wedding breakfast for us at the Lion House which was a nice affair.
That night we had a beautiful wedding reception in the American Fork Second Ward. My matron of honor was Ruth Anderson Pinborough. My bridesmaids were Betha Storrs, Helen Clarke, my sister Kathryn, and Relia Allen. Wendell Noyes and Luzell Chipman arranged the flowers and were ushers. [note: these were Maurine’s childhood friends.]
It was a beautiful line and we had a huge crowd attend the affair which included dancing. After the reception I went home and changed my dress and we drove to Salt Lake to our little apartment at 144 2nd Ave.
Tribune Reporter Takes American Fork Girl As Bride
The Marriage of Miss Maurine Christensen of American Fork and Clarence S. Barker of Salt Lake took place Tuesday morning in the Salt Lake L. D. S. temple, with David O. McKay of the council of the twelve apostles performing the ceremony.
The bridal couple was honored at a wedding breakfast after the ceremony in the Lion House Social center, at which Miss Lucile Barker, sister of the bridegroom, was hostess. Eighteen members of the immediate families were present.
The wedding reception was given in the evening at Firmage hall in American Fork. In the receiving line were Mr. and Mrs. Bernard N. Christensen, parents of the bride; Mr. and Mrs. Fred G. Barker, brother and sister-in-law of the bridegroom, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank. M. Driggs of Idaho.
The bride was attended by Mrs. John V. Pimborough of Salt Lake as matron of honor and Miss Relia Allen, Miss Betha Storrs, Miss Katharine Christensen and Miss Helen Clark of American Fork as bridesmaids. They wore similar gowns of various shades of rose and carried bouquets of sweetpeas and roses in matching colors. The bride wore a model of ivory satin and carried a bouquet of pale pink rosebuds. Four hundred guests called.
Mr. and Mrs. Barker will reside at 144 Second Avenue. Mr. Barker is a member of the editorial staff of The Tribune.
A year and half later Miriam was born. Clarence walked to work because he did not have a car. We wanted to live close so it would be easy for him to get to town.
Every three weeks Clarence borrowed his sister’s car and we drove down to American Fork to do our washing and get supplies of milk and other farm products. He bought two gallon buckets we carried the milk in.
My Dad was so thrilled with Miriam that he told me he would hate to love anyone else half as much as he did Miriam. Later, she would say, “Do you like me, Grandfather?” and Dad would melt like hot butter.
I tried everything to nurse Miriam but just gained weight trying to feed her. My mother finally got some formula and helped me to satisfy Miriam. What a time I had trying to lose the weight. We will skip that.
We started looking for a house. A friend of ours was building three on D St. between 3rd and 4th Ave. We purchased one of these homes. This was in the 20th ward where we began our family.
I was asked to serve in the YWMIA. We really perked up the mutual organization. We began to put on plays and have lots of activities.
Maurine with Miriam
Then Paul Ellis came to town on February 12, 1939. He was a very long, lean baby - 24 inches of him. It was a cold night when we called the doctor, Harlow Sharp, and the nurse. When the nurse arrived, I was sitting on the toilet. The nurse asked, “How do you feel?” I said, “I could have him any minute.” She said, “Get on the bed.” As soon as I did all 24 inches of him came to town. She said, “Mrs. Barker, you have your son.”
When Paul was a little older he was always asking questions. One time he asked Clarence something and Clarence replied, “I don’t know, Paul.” So Paul straightened up his shoulders and said, “Well the next time you go around the world, pay a little more attention.” He figured that because Clarence had been around the world he should know everything.
We continued to have exciting Christmas trees and Christmas was such a great joy in our family. We have a big picture, which was on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune, of Miriam holding her Christmas doll. My Dad was in the southern part of the state when he saw this picture on Page 1. He was delighted beyond description and showed the picture to scores of people.
We were beginning to get a little crowded in our D St. House when our dear baby, Lavon Rosalie, came to town on December 29, 1941. Before she arrived, my Mother came up from American Fork and said she would stay up and help me when my baby was born. But it did not turn out that way. Mother had come up because Aunt Lenore, her sister, was there. Mother washed some clothes and hung them out on the line and then she came in and said, “I am afraid I am getting the flu.” She sat down in a chair and those were the last words she said. We called the doctor and they took her to the hospital. But she died shortly thereafter. Needless to say this was a very traumatic time for me, especially with my third baby coming soon. I loved Mother so dearly and relied so much upon her advice and counsel.
After Lavon Rosalie was born she kept spitting up blood with some of her food. The doctor as well as all of us were very concerned about this. She received several blood transfusions as well as a blessing from her father, Clarence. After receiving her Father’s blood and blessing, along with a new formula, little Bonnie began to recover. We were and are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for this blessing. Her name, Lavon, was from Clarence’s cousin Lavon Bennett Sharp, who was a good friend of ours and who gave a U.S. Savings bond for her namesake.
About a year and a half later we were able to purchase the lovely house at 271 B St. Many friends and relatives came there to visit and stay with us.
[Image of B Street home missing, ebf 10/2010]
In 1947 Clarence was asked to cover the centennial reenactment of the 1847 Pioneer Trek to Utah which was being staged by the Sons of Utah Pioneers with the same number of persons as were in the first company of pioneers. I said, “I want to go, too.” So Clarence worked on this and finally said I could go as one of the three women in the trek. I insisted that we take our two oldest children. At Garden Grove, Iowa where we stopped a woman came up to our beautiful blonde 12 year old girl and me and told us as she wept that she had married outside the church and had not been able to go to church. Miriam resolved then and there that she would never marry outside the church.
Paul, who was seven, went along and he loved to sleep outside with the men, such as on the temple lot in Nauvoo. One day he said, raising his body up to full height, “The next time I come on this pioneer trek I will be 107 years old.”
Elder Spencer W. Kimball, one of the newest apostles, and Sister Kimball traveled with the trek and he spoke at every program along the way. He did a remarkable job and won many friends, including us.
We had memorable programs at Ft. Laramie, Independence Rock, Rock Creek (handcart pioneer disaster site) and Ft. Bridger.
When It was time for David McKay to come to town, Dr. Lyman M. Horne said, “Will you please go to the hospital to have him?” So I did but I told him I wanted to go home that same day, so I did. We were just thrilled and delighted to have our second son.
Every girl needs a sister and every boy needs a brother. We are so thankful to our Father in Heaven that he sent these four beautiful, extra special people to us and we thank our Heavenly Father everyday for them. I also thank my Father in Heaven for my precious, understanding and loving husband, for his help and support to me in all my ups and downs, especially where weight is concerned. I am thankful for my sister Kathryn and for my three brothers, Clare, Paul, and Owen.
I taught square dancing and other dancing to neighborhood children. Paul and Bonnie were mainstays of these dancers and David learned the dances with the rest. Once when they performed in the University of Utah stadium we persuaded David to do a square dance with the others after he was bribed with a big nickel (a silver dollar). Bonnie was his partner. He had a square dance shirt of the same material as his Dad’s. They announced over the loud speaker to the huge audience that the four year old boy was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Barker.
I opened a shop of used clothing in Salt Lake City like a shop I had seen in Los Angeles. So for the next twenty years, I made many trips to Los Angeles to pick up clothing which I bought from shops, some individuals and later from jobbers of new clothing, and eventually samples and overcuts purchased directly from manufacturers. This wore me down, what with our many guests (our free hotel) and me throwing up my food in order to hold down my weight. I was also busy giving elaborate dinner parties and being part of several clubs such as a dance club and the Diamond Circle Club.
Miriam married Dale O. Zabriskie on September 12, 1958. Her first child, Michael Owen Zabriskie was our first grandchild and he was the love of my life. He would call me up as soon as he could telephone and have me drive up high into the avenues to pick him up. Following Michael came Melanie, Michele and Marsha.
Bonnie was married to Kenneth J. Rice on April 2, 1965 by Elder Eldred G. Smith, patriarch to the Church and a former neighbor. Lovely twins, Rebecca and Rosalie, were first born to the Rice family to be followed by Colleen and Deborah and these children entwined themselves into our lives.
I became Muzzy to them. This was a term devised by Paul Ellis as he began to walk. Miriam called me Mother, but this was too difficult for young Paul, so he shortened it to Muzzie. Fawzie was a natural to follow as to Father (Clarence). The neighborhood youngsters and in time all the grandchildren used these words of affection for us.
Paul Ellis was married in June 3,1966 to Ruth Bates Holt of Layton whom he had met at BYU. Their first child, Brit Paul, my second grandson and first Barker grandson, was born September 15, 1972 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Clarence went down to help bless Brit. Following Brit came Kirk and Jill.
Clarence, meanwhile, was past retirement age and we decided to move to Phoenix, Arizona.
[Image from retirement party missing, ebf 10/2010]
David McKay married Darlene Edith Johnson (Dolly) May 8, 1975. They have four lovely children: Emily, Alan, Sam, and Annie.
A spiritual experience I’d like to share took place one time when driving home to Salt Lake City from Los Angeles. Paul Ellis was with me on this trip. We took the Milford cut off just north of Cedar City. It was a road not traveled much and we could drive faster - usually. This trip however we had driven about 10 miles and a light snow began to fall. Then as we went on it became heavier and heavier. It was really becoming deep. Paul has always been a good driver, so I was not too worried at first. As it became deeper and deeper snow, I became worried. I looked over at Paul and did not say anything. I had a strong feeling that my dear dad was there. I felt better and kept looking at Paul feeling sure that Dad was there.
Another experience was when we were living at D street. I was very upset about something. I don’t even remember what it was – but suddenly I felt Dad’s firm strong hand on my shoulder giving me his support of strength.
[Maurine and Clarence returned to Salt Lake City where they were living when Maurine died on June 30, 1982. She is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery next to her husband, Clarence.]
Edited by Ruth H. Barker, daughter-in-law
Source: History of Maurine Lenore Christensen written by herself in the possession of Bonnie Rice, daughter.