RUTH WOODURY STAY
SAMUELSON
By Her Daughter, Donna
Samuelson Rice Huntsman
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Ruth
Woodbury Stay was born March 23 1885 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She died July 17,
1920 in Tremonton, Box Elder, Utah’s hospital. She was born to Joseph Hyrum and
Mary Cornelia Woodbury.
Aunt Dott told me a couple of experiences that happened during their childhood days. She tells that her mother (Mary C. W. Stay) went to town. And left her and Aunt Becky home to tend the younger children. They had just had new linoleum put down in the kitchen. She told Aunt Dott and Aunt Becky to bath the kids while she was gone. At that time baths were taken in the round tub placed in the kitchen.
During the baths they got the idea to put soapy water on the new linoleum, and pulled the kids by their feet, the floors on their bare bottoms. They found themselves in trouble when their mother returned home.
Another time they were left to tend, they took my mother, Ruth, Aunt Catherine and Uncle Val up stairs. They put my mother out the window in an umbrella like a parachute, and she landed in a rose bush under the window.
Ruth was the fifth child of Joseph and Mary’s. She had four brothers and four sisters. Her brothers names were Charles Joseph, Aden Haskell, (Who died at six years of age,) Jesse Haskell (died at twenty years of age) and Wilford Valentine. (Val). Her sisters were Mary Dott Sarah Rebecca, Rosetta, Catherine.
They lived on 33rd south. About two blocks East of Highland Drive on 9th East and 33rd south.
Their family became readily acquainted with that of Anton. (Anton was also known as Uncle Tony.
This is how Ruth and Anton became aquatinted. Aunt Dott told us that Ruth and Anton taught a Sunday school Class together before he served his mission in Sweden. Ruth played the piano very well. Anton had a very beautiful voice, and sang in a quartet made up with his friends, and Ruth accompanied them on the piano.
Anton Emanuel Samuelson
When Anton returned home from his mission he enjoyed taking Ruth with him as he went to other wards to report on his mission.
Ruth spent quite a lot of her time in the temple. She was an organist in the temple. She also attended a lot of temple sessions besides playing they organ.
They were married Sept. 6, 1907. And began their life together at about 3362 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City UT. They attend church at the Wilford Ward Chapel located on Highland Drive, just north of 33rd South. Anton Samuelson’s family also belongs to the same ward.
They’re first two sons, Kernel and Wendell were born there.
They later moved to Bothwell, Box Elder, Utah, it is a small farming community.
There is where their son Floyd was born, Anton farmed in Bothwell. Next they
moved to Tremonton, Utah in Box Elder Co. It is quite close to Bothwell their
home was a small house south of Tremonton, close to the Malad River. This home
is where two daughters, Ruth and Rosetta, were born. While living in Tremonton,
Anton worked in the lumber yard and furniture store. Anton, my father, told us that the owner of the furniture store was
also the undertaker in Tremonton. He had his funeral parlor above the furniture
store. The owner of the establishment offered to teach father to be an
undertaker. He said that it was very hard for him to decide what to do about
taking the job. Ruth thought of working with dead bodies was really hard for
him to do. He was sitting on the curb trying to muster up the courage to go in
to the furniture store and accept the job. She said, “ I want you to accept
this job as an undertaker. She knew
that he could do a very good job and she knew that he should take it. Well, he
finally sent in and accepted the job and training. He was glad that Ruth was
determined for him to be an undertaker, because often he became involved in the
work he felt a great satisfaction in serving others in this capacity. He
decided to follow this as his career, but after he served in this work for a
few years, the State of Utah passed a law that undertakers would have to go to
school, and receive a license to practice in this work. Well, Anton had a
family of five children and a wife, which he had the responsibility to provide
for them, and he didn’t have the means to do this and go to school too.
Therefore he was forced to give it up.
Father told me what a wonderful mother and wife Ruth was. She was a very loving wife and a loving mother to their children. My brother and sister said she was a very good mother to them.
Anton told us she was quite a spiritual person and lived
close to the Lord.
When Anton our father, couldn’t continue serving in this work our parents decide to go back to farming once more. He had the opportunity to move back to Blue Creek, Utah, on a dry farm. It is across the highway close to Howell, UT. It is about 20 miles west of Tremonton. It must have been rough times for them tying to get equipment and tools to run the farm. The ground was quite rocky ground.
Father related this incident to us about what happened out on the farm. One time it was raining very hard. It turned out to be a cloudburst and it was lightening and thundering. He had to go out to see about the cattle. He got on his horse and went out into the storm.
While he was out in this storm. Mother felt very concerned about him. She knelt down and prayed for him and asked her Father in Heaven to protect him and that he would be all right and return home safely.
She then put on her coat and shawl and started out to look for him. She met him coming back to the house, but he was walking. He told her that a bolt of lightening struck his horse, and killed it out from under him. He testified to us that he knew it was mother’s faith and payers that saved him from being killed.
While they were still living on the farm in Blue Creek, I arrived in their home about 7:00 a.m. Jun. 25, 1920. I decided to arrive earlier then had been planned. The doctor or Edith Brough who had been arranged to be there for the event, weren’t there, so father and the neighbor lady. Donna Anderson made the delivery. Throughout this delivery, complications occurred and mother developed blood poisoning. Five days later she was taken to the Tremonton Hospital for treatment. In those days they didn’t have miracle drugs to treat such cases. As a result, mother passed away, July 17, 1920. Aunt Dott told me that father refused to leave her and hadn’t slept for several days. And Dott said mother told her that she was going to die but Anton was hanging on to her.. She told aunt Dott to get Anton to leave so she could pass on. They finally talked Anton to go over to Edith Brough’s place and get some sleep. While he was away she passed on. She was 35 when she died. It was hard for my father to lose his wife and be left with six children, ranging from 12 years to 3 weeks.
Anton Kenrall, born July 3, 1908 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Wendell Emanuel, born May 2, 1910 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Alva Floyd, born Jun 1, 1912 in Bothwell, Utah
Ruth Catherine, born March 17, 1917 in Tremonton, Utah
Anna Rosetta, born Sept. 14, 1917 in Tremonton, Utah
MaDonna Dott, born June 25, 1920 in Blue Creek (Howell) Utah.