The names of individuals that are still living have been abreviated to protect their privacy. dlm
Ada Beulah Anderson was born "Over Sanpitch" Sept. 13, 1894. To get to the farm where she was born, you had to cross the San Pitch river-hence the name. Her parents were James T. and Martha Caroline Thomander Anderson. Their home was one large room which was plastered with cattail leaves and clay, and a lean-to.
Travel was by wagon and going to Ephraim (about 5 miles away) to visit Grandma Thomander was a big trip.
At the age of six, Ada moved with her family to Ephraim. Very alert she learned
many things. Her Sunday School teacher taught her the power of prayer to help
find lost items. Also, she was told that she was stepping on the first rung
of the ladder leading to Heaven. She looked everywhere for that ladder.
Ada started school at the age of six. She wore homemade clothing of flannel underwear and outer flannel petticoats, dresses clear down to the buttoned shoe tops, and scarves for her head. Schools were not as warm as they are now. That year Ada had a bad case of jaundice and was poisoned when her mother cooked rhubarb in a tin pan.
While in Ephraim there was a drought. Everyone had to take clothes or sacks to drive grasshoppers into a ditch where they were burned.
Ada was baptized at age 8 in the Manti Temple. She and another girl wandered all over the Temple and even slid down the winding stairway. Ada was always a little girl with long golden curls.
They were very poor-no work could be found in Ephraim-for a brief time they moved to Castle Dale, then back to Ephraim. Her father left for Oregon to work in lumber camps but because of a broken leg, that didn't work out.
When Ada was nine the family moved to Castle Gate to work in the coal mines. The Italians went on strike and the National Guard was called in to drive them out of the company homes and keep them from returning. Hugh and Ada became good friends with the guards.
Ada learned quickly in school and got a double promotion. She loved school and Sunday School. In 1904 a cloudburst hit and flooded the mines and in 1905 the family began buying a farm in Spring Glen. She made friends quickly and had some good times herding the cows with Hugh and taking care of little sister Lea.
The farm was sold and a farm was purchased in Lake View. The family rented a freight car to take everything-wagons, horses, chickens, cows and furniture-to their new home. The next day Ada walked to school with Zetella Goodridge who became a life long "best" friend. It was here at school where Ada first saw a young boy no taller than she with light colored hair and a clean just scrubbed look. He was Spen Madsen and he had quite an impact on her life. Soon they found ways to be together in a crowd and sometimes he would walk her home. Ada worked for 2 years at the Madsen Store and stayed most nights there.
Ada's first job in the Church began in 1907 when she was Primary Secretary. In Lake View she was a member of the 1st Beehive Class. In 1910 she was called to teach Sunday School which was hard because she was about the same age as those she taught.
When she graduated from the 8th grade, in 1910, Ada had the highest record in Alpine District.
In 1911 her family sold out and moved to Richfield. A year later they moved back to Lake View and Ada found Spen had grown 7 inches.
In 1913 the family moved to Ogden. Ada and Dru worked the next 4 years at Shupe Williams Candy Factory, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for $35.00 a month.
Ada was going "steady" with a fellow from Richfield when Spen wrote and asked if she would come to Salt Lake City to hear his male Chorus sing. Ada felt this was safe, no one would know, so she went. As she got off the train she met 3 friends of her "steady" from Richfield. That was that. Spen and Ada wrote often and visited whenever they could. Spen bought a motorcycle which was easier than getting to Ogden by train.
Ada taught Sunday School and was in the YLMIA for 2 years.
Christmas 1915 was spent in Spring Glen. On Christmas Eve Spen put a diamond
ring on Ada's finger. They hoped he would get a mission call, but none came
so they were married in the Salt Lake Temple. The Madsens were waiting when
they came out of the Temple and they escorted Spen and Ada to Ogden for a wedding
dinner. Spen and Ada moved into a little home by the Church in Lake View and
it was "home" for the next 4 years. D---, Milo and Leone were born while they
lived there.
Ada was quite homesick when first married, but after one trip home things got better. Spen played basketball and was at practice a lot. It was a very cold winter that first year of marriage, but they had friends drop in to play games and eat popcorn. Ada had trouble with her health when expecting D--- and when he was born they were both sick due to toxemia. It took months for Ada to regain her health. They took D--- to church in a basket and he slept while Ada taught Sunday School.
On April 14, 1919 a healthy and cute Milo was born. Spen was MIA President and Scout Leader-busy, busy. Also, in 1918 a serious flu hit the community. No Church, no school, no get-togethers of any kind. Ada and Spen did not get the flu but several ward members died. D--- and Milo loved to watch "Papa" work in the barn. Spen was building a house south of where they lived and across the lane from Grandpa and Grandma Madsen. He had bought 1/3 of the material that had been the dance hall. It was a massive job just getting the lumber ready to use. The day the chimney was to be put up, February 18, 1922, was the day Leone decided to be born. It was a difficult birth because the baby was turned wrong. Spen was now in the Bishopric and Ada taught in MIA. Besides Church work Spen played basketball and baseball every chance he got. When Leone was 6 weeks old they moved into the home that was theirs the rest of their lives. For the first year they carried water for a block or more then they dug their own well. The toilet was a path.
Ada weighed 117 when she was married and was back to that weight after 3 babies. But in 1924 with a new baby on the way, Ada put on weight that she never lost again. Six weeks before the baby was born, Spen nearly lost his life in a terrible snow slide over Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. The shock was difficult to live with. When they found the body of their brother-in-law Don Allred who had been killed in the slide, it was somewhat easier. This new baby girl was very hard to get here, weighing 12 pounds and being born at home on June 29, 1924. By now Ada was very busy at home. B--- was a doll with natural curls. From then on the joke was that everything happened after B--- was born. Ada was very busy, she couldn't lose the weight. As always there were Church callings. From 1923-1930 Ada was Seagull Advisor and Senior Class Leader. She became a counselor in the MIA in 1925. Always a lover of flowers, Ada set out to have a flower garden. From friends and loved ones she got starts and grew her "memory garden." She remembered where she got each kind of flower.
When she was expecting S--- she got a funny feeling that she was not going to live through his birth. She knew she was going to die. Spen wouldn't listen to her so she made her plans. They had a new doctor, Dr. Fred Taylor. About 6 weeks before S--- was born someone came running from the baseball field to tell Ada that Spen had been seriously hurt. He had been hit in the head with a bat. He was in and out of a coma for 14 days. Also, the children had whopping cough. Ada was up all hours with Spen and coughing children. She still had the feeling that she was going to die. Spen had never been ill in his life so it was difficult to care for him when his head was broken. Ada kept herself in check until Leone cut all her hair off. That was the last straw. Ada cried and cried.
When Ada came to after S--- was born, she was surprised to be alive with a bright alert boy.
Spen got a job at the Pipe Plant which meant getting up (along with D--- and Milo) to milk the cows at 3:30 each morning so he could get to work.
In July 1927 the family moved to Spring Glen so Spen could help build the school
house. Silas and Lucretia (a sister) had a home for the family to live in. Ada
and Spen enjoyed the time spent there and the children enjoyed being with their
cousins. They returned to Lake View in January 1928 and Spen became bishop.
It was the beginning of the great depression and was a very difficult time for
a bishop's family.
In 1929 Ada was not well while expecting baby LaVor. When he was born she didn't have enough food for him and mothers didn't give bottles back then. He cried so much, but when given proper food he was happy and healthy.
In 1930-31 Ada was Primary President. Then, she was called to be Secretary in the Relief Society. At that time primary girls gathered what was called "Sunday Eggs" from homes in the ward for the poor.
Having not felt well since LaVor was born, and since she was again expecting, Ada had to cut back on church work. February 8, 1932 Do--- was born. One foot came out first and it was a difficult birth. 48 hours later a golden curly-haired doll was born. She was called "Baby Do---" for the next 4 1/2 years.
Ada was now very busy with her family. At the age of 41 she found there was to be another baby and she was quite ill. Most of the time she lived on oranges. When R--- came, Ada was closer to dying than ever before. She should have been given blood, but despite the problems and a home delivery, a beautiful girl with blond curls became part of their family.
When R--- was six months old life changed again. D--- was called on a mission to Denmark. The 8 children were only together six months.
Back into church work Ada taught the Jr. Class in MIA. One of her girls was Dor--- T--- who later married S---..
Milo married L--- F--- while Duane was on his mission. Ada and Spen went with them to the Salt Lake Temple. In 1941, Nov. 1, D--- and Eth--- J--- were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Ada and Spen, Milo and L--- were there.
On April 3 1942, Leone and Wayne Blair were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They were joined by Spen and Ada, Duane and Ethelyn, Milo and L---..
On February 2, 1944 B--- and Elman Jackson were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Spen and Ada, Milo, L---, the Jacksons and friends gathered to be with them.
On June 3, 1946 S--- and Dor--- chose to be married in the Salt Lake Temple. Spen, Ada , Milo, L---, Wayne and Leone were there.
On June 23, 1948 LaVor and F--- R--- chose to be married in the Manti Temple. More of the family could go now. Spen, Ada, Milo, L---, Wayne, Leone, Elman, B---, S--- and Dor---. It was so great to have a family who could go into the temple together.
On September 12, 1950, Do--- and A--- P--- were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Besides Spen and Ada there were Milo, L---, Elman, B---, LaVor, F---, S--- and Dor---.
When R--- and P--- R--- were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 7, 1954 Spen and Ada were there with D---, E---, Milo, L---, Wayne, Leone, Elman, B---, S---, LaVor, A--- and Do---. Dor--- and F--- were expecting babies at that time.
How life had changed for Spen and Ada. From a full house back to just the two of them.
Spen and Ada were able to take some wonderful trips. One was to Germany and to visit Duane and Ethelyn. They toured Italy and then took a neat trip through Sweden where they met relatives of Ada's. They also went into Norway where Spen's mother was born. Then Denmark and the area where Peter Madsen Sr. was born.
Another trip was a church tour back east. Then they went to the southern Pacific; Samoa and New Zealand were some of the places they visited.
For many years Spen and Ada had season tickets for the BYU basketball games. Another thing they enjoyed were the yearly campouts with the family.
Fishing was a very enjoyable thing for Spen and Ada. They had some very good fishing friends.
In 1976, on November 8, Spen and Ada celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. All their children were present at the Provo Temple. Also, a number of grandchildren and Ada's two sisters Luella and Zoy were there. All the daughters and daughters-in-law were dressed in look-a-like dresses. Ada had a dress made of the same material. A wonderful dinner was served in the hall at Lake View Chapel. 43 family members were in the temple and well over 100 at the dinner.
The years were taking their toll on Spen and Ada's health. With such a full life they had so many good memories they could relax a little bit. The last family party was Christmas Eve at the family home in Lake View. It was apparent that Spen was fading. On January 10, l980 Spen left this life to graduate to a better place. Ada was not happy here without her Spen and rather lost her will to live. She was called up to join him on May 23, 1980. They left wonderful memories and many family members to carry on the values.
