A Tennant Family

Anna Eliza Housley Stone was born at Paradise, Cache, Utah on the 28 October 1868, daughter of George Frederick and Maria Christina Jacobsen Housley. She was baptized 1877 by Orsen Smith and confirmed by H. C. Jackson.

Her childhood days were spent in Paradise where she attended school and was a faithful member of Primary and Sunday School. She had a lot of responsibilities in the home learning to sew, cook, and do many things early in life as her mother was an envalid and was unable to walk most of the time.

While her father was employed in Mink Creek, he met a young man by the name of Joseph Aaron Stone. He became acquainted and friendly with him. Joseph Stone was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Walker Stone, both came from England in 1851 for the sake of the LDS Church. They settled for a time in Florence, Nebraska where this young man was born 11 December 1860. Four years later, they moved to Salt Lake City where his mother passed beyond. When he was about eight years of age, they moved upon the bench to Franklin, Idaho and lived in town a short time, then moved upon the bench to a ward called Cherriville. Here he helped his father on the farm. Joseph walked two miles to school where he attended most of the time until he was sixteen years old. On the 9 th of October 1878, he began to carry the mail from Franklin to Mink Creek. The first trip, he forgot to take the key, and James Keller had to go with clear back to Franklin to get the bag open. This job continued for a few years.

In the winter, the snow got deep and was very cold. Sometimes his horse would give out, and friends along the way would furnish him with a fresh horse to finish the trip. Many times his feet were nipped, his ears and nose froze. Here I would like to quote from Joe's own words.

"While I was on this mail, route I met an old friend of my father's whose name was George F. Housley in Mink Creek, Idaho. He was from Paradise, Utah. He invited me to go with him home for a short visit. While on this visit, I found this little red headed daughter, Anna Eliza, had won my heart. We were married on 2 May 1885."

She was sixteen years and six months old at the time of her marriage. This couple made their first home in Cherriville, but they moved many times. Sometimes these moves would only be a short distance. They lived in several different homes in Franklin and a couple in Riverdale. They moved back to the original home many times.

Their first six children were all born in Franklin, Idaho. Annie Maria Stone, born 19 September 1886; Joseph Housley Stone, born 2 May 1888; Lewis Housley Stone, born 21 July 1890; George LeRoy Stone, born 6 August 1892; Ellen Stone, born 8 October 1894, but died 19 November 1894; Harvey Housley Stone, born 22 September 1895.

Their original home in Cherriville was a homestead, and Joseph spent his right on this farm. He improved upon it and received the first deed, which was made for this land. He then built a new house. It was a log building, one large room for a kitchen with a ladder straight up the wall and a trap door in the ceiling to the attic, which was the boys bedroom. A slope at back was the bedroom for the rest of the family. A large porch on the front furnished the shade in which the children loved to play. The outside of the house had a covering of smooth boards, which they painted a dark tan or a light brown. They were very proud of this house.

Their beds, like other peoples of that day, had mattresses which were large sacks made from a factory, now called unbleached muselin. These sacks had a slit in the upper side through which fresh straw was put in each fall at harvest time. The straw was stirred up and made straight and smooth each morning as the beds were made. Anna always had an extra thick quilt, which served as a mattress cover making the beds smooth warm and comfortable.

In her young married life, she knit gloves and mittens to sell and would gather wild fruit along the creeks and hill sides, and she always planted a garden and took care of it, which assisted greatly in their livelihood.

The community in which she lived had many quiltings and carpet rag bees. They would go to their neighbors and friends and spend all day quilting or cutting, tearing and sewing the rags for the weavers to weave into carpet on their floor. The one that the work was being done for would serve a special dinner. They people were kind and thoughtful of each other and helped out in every way they could.

On 12 April 1895, they went to the Logan Temple and got their endowments and were sealed as man and wife. They also had the children sealed to them the same day. This was one of the big events long to be remembered.

In about 1896, they purchased a hundred and sixty acre farm from Charles Sweet located near the head of Sugar Creek in Mapleton, Idaho. It was about two and one half miles east of the church and school. There was only an old one room house on this farm, and it was built of logs standing upright. The Sweets were not ready to move out so the Stone family moved in with their six children and lived for a while doing their church duties.

Six more children were born to them while living in Mapleton. Melvin Housley Stone, born 4 February 1892; Edith Christina, born 3 July 1360; Rozella Stone, born 13 September 1362; Lowella Stone, born 30 September 1364. Lorin Housley Stone, born 1 October 1366; Eva May Stone, born 1 April 1369.

This farm was also a homestead and had not be improved upon. Therefore, there was not a deed for it and Joseph had already spent his right. So he sold the farm to his brother-in-law, Ben Housley, in the spring of 1365. He then moved to another farm in the same ward about two and a half miles west of the church and school. This was called Sheep Hallow. Here they had a one room log house with a ladder straight up the outside to a door in the attic, which was the boys bedroom. There was a shantie or summer cook then carried back into the house to be eaten. They had a good cool cellar in the hill side some distance from the house. There was a spring of water in one corner of the cellar from which they dipped their drinking water, and all that was used in the home was carried in buckets. A small stream of water ran out into a pond which furnished irrigation for the orchard and garden.

While living here, their little four year old daughter Lowella became very ill and passed away 1 February 1368 and was buried in Franklin, Idaho.

They next purchased the Calvin Wheeler home on the east side of Cub River not far from the church and school. Some of the winters they would go to Franklin to take their turn caring for Joseph's envalid sister. Here the children would attend school and the older boys would stay to do chores on the farm. While living in Mapleon, the family was very active. Joseph was superintendant of Sunday School, a ward teacher, a counselor in the bishopric, and was ordained Bishop 12 December 1912 by Heber J. Grant. He and his boys were musically inclined and played many instruments including the accordian, harmonica, piano, and organ. Some of them played a violin. They took part on programs in parties and did a lot of playing for dances. One time when the Sunday School organist was absent, their son Lorin, who was then too small to sit on the stool and reach the pedals of the organ, stood on the floor on one foot and pushed the pedals with the other and played for the singing, and everyone marveled at such lovely music from such a small boy. The family also did a lot of singing, and their son Lewis was the choir leader for awhile.

Anna was also busy in the organizations among the positions which she held. They were Relief Society Teacher and 28 October 1911 she was set apart as first counselor and was released 12 May 1914. There was always a lot of work for her to do on the farm, especially at harvest time. When they had thrashers and the grain to haul, there would be from 10 to 16 men to cook for three times a day for several days. They had a cream seperator which had to be washed each day, and she also churned all of their own butter.

In 1914, they sold their farm and moved to Preston 2 nd ward. Here they had a five room brick house. This was the first time she ever had more than three rooms, and it was the first modern conveninces such as water piped in, a sink, built in cupboards, clothes closets, and a bathroom.

They continued to be active in the church. Joseph labored as ward teacher and she was put in as a teacher in the primary and soon after was called to be second counselor in the same organization. This position she held until she moved to Cambridge ward two miles north of Downey, Idaho.

They had only lived there three weeks when she was called to be the Relief Society President. This work she enjoyed and learned to love her co-workers. This office she filled with credit for six years, then was released on account of ill health. As soon as she recovered from her illness she was made teacher in the primary, also as counselor librarian in the mutual. Then she was again chosen to be the Relief Society President and set apart by Bishop WOF Thompson 5 June 1927. Joseph was second counseler to bishop WOF Thompson and he also served as Stake Missionary in the Portneuf Stake, he was set apart 16 December 1921. He had the gift of healing and many received the gift of health under his hands.

Their grandson Douglas Naef lived with them for quit a while after the death of his mother, Annie Maria Stone Naef Handy, 17 January 1917. Friends and relatives all felt welcome and happy in their home and they were continually doing a good turn for their neighbors, especially those in need.

In 1930 they were released from their dities both in the ward and stake, when they returned to Franklin to care for his envalid sister Hepzibah Stone in her old age. This was a tremendous task for about 12 years, but they never complained doing all they could both day and night for her ease and comfort. She passed away 20 June 1941 and was buried in Franklin Cemetary. She was born in Florence, Nebraska 27 July 1858. She had received her endowments 4 June 1885, and sealed to parents 20 March 1941.

Here Anna served as a Relief Society teacher, and Joseph labored as ward teacher as long as his health would permit. His hip became very bad and he was only able to walk with the aid of crutches the last few years of his life. He still loved to play his accordian and enjoyed friends and relatives when they came for a visit. Anna still spent many cheerful hours waiting on the sick, both in the home and in the ward. Joseph passed away 1 February 1944 and was laid to rest in Franklin Cemetary.

For a time Anna continued to live in her home in Franklin. She knit lace, crocheted and did a lot of beautiful hand work. In the summers she would go to Lava with her brother, Ben, here they would join their sister Elizabeth Crapo and sister-in-law, Ida Powel. She enjoyed their association and spoke of these trips as having had a first rate time.

While on one of these trips in 1951, she suffered a sever stroke. She was rushed to the hospital in Downey, Idaho where she remained for a few weeks. Her right side was paralized, and the doctor said it would be a long time before she could recover if ever. He told the children that he thought they could care for her in their homes, and that he would do all he could for her. She was first taken to the home of her daughter Rozella Layton. She was bed fast for a few years. She did get so she could sit up out of bed and some of the other children took her to their homes for a change and a rest for those who so faithfully cared for her.

She passed away 14 December 1955 at the home of a duaghter, Eva Morton, in Soda Springs, Idaho. The funeral was held in Franklin Ward Charpel and she was buried in Franklin Cemetary 17 December 1955, beside her husband and children who preceded her in death.