1 No. 2016-14: THE LIFE HISTORY OF GEORGE WILLIAM RASMUSSEN Born: 23 Aug 1894, Star Valley, Wyoming; married & raised his family in Coltman Ward, Bonneville County Idaho Marr: Ethel Robinson Died: Coltman, Bonneville, Idaho Parents: George Henry and Rose Smith Rasmussen who first lived in Richville, Morgan County, Utah Morgan D.U.P. Picture No. 2017-8; Metadata No. 010E.-Accompanying History obtained from FamilySearch.org. Contributed By Curt Rasmussen to FamilySearch.org, 29 September 2013. George William Rasmussen was born 23 August 1894. He was the oldest child of a family of 11 children, 6 boys and 5 girls born to George Henry and Rose Smith Rasmussen. His parents first lived in Richville, Morgan County Utah, in a house George Henry built before he was married. In June 1894, they moved to Star Valley Wyoming and it was there that their first son George William was born. The next spring they moved across the Salt River and they had many exciting times with the Indians. On 25 April 1896, they left Star Valley and moved to the Iona ward and later to the Ammon ward. Then in October of 1897 they moved to Poplar Idaho, where George’s father homesteaded a 160 acre farm. This all had to be cleared of sage brush and put into farming condition. George first went to school at Poplar in a one-room log cabin that was used for both school and church. While very young George had to do his share of work. He did what he could in helping to care for the younger children and whatever chores he could do on the farm. George’s father was foreman or overseer in the building of the Anderson dam across the Snake River. At the age of 11 George worked on the dam with his father. He drove the team on the slip scraper. When he was 12-years-old, he hauled cement from Rigby and sand from the mountains to the dam. George was able to draw men’s wages for his work, which was used by his parents to help out wherever it was needed. He helped to clear their farm of sage brush. One of his jobs was to bring the cows in from the range at night. He had some thrilling experiences as the coyotes were thick and they followed him many times. When George was 13 years of age, he moved with his family to a farm in Coltman Ward, Bonneville County Idaho. He still helped on the farm. He got very little schooling as he worked on the farm until the ground would freeze up in the fall; and he would have to quit early in the spring to help get the crops planted. George did the janitor work at the Coltman Ward church for several years. He held the position of librarian in the YMMIA and later was sustained as 2nd counselor to the YMMIA which he held for several years. He took an active part in the different organizations and helped out with the ward dramatics. It was always his job to take the team and sleigh and haul the scenery and supplies and to see that the scenery was put up and the stage was in order. 124 2 Coltman Ward had a very good baseball team. George was pitcher for the team. He was very good at pitching and it often disturbed the other wards when they had to play against him. It has been said that when George stepped to the mound that the opposing team had just as well consider that the game was over. He loved to play ball. It was at this time he became very fond of a young lady who also lived in the same ward. Ethel Robinson was his choice for a companion, and on December 20, 1916 George and Ethel were married in the Logan Temple in Cache County, Utah. They went on a 2 week honeymoon trip to Ogden and Morgan Utah. They went to Ethel’s Uncle Chance Gardner’s place. In Ogden Valley they were snowed in and had to stay a whole week. The men had to get out and break a road before anyone could get back to town or anywhere. Ethel’s uncle took them to Ogden in the sleigh and they took the train to Morgan to visit with George’s relatives [Aunt Annie Margaret Rasmussen Welsh and some cousins].They then returned home the first part of January. They were given a nice wedding supper by their parents and a week later, a shower where they received many presents. For the first three years after their marriage, they lived in a four-room house in Coltman that was owned by Joseph Brown but which George was buying. The weather was extremely cold. When they bought their furniture they were late getting home. George took all the quilts they had with them and wrapped them around Ethel to keep her warm. He then walked behind the sleigh most of the way home to keep from freezing himself. When they reached his folks’ place, Ethel’s feet were so numb she could not walk. She had to be helped to the house. During this first winter coal was scarce and very hard to get. They could only buy 200 or 300 pounds at a time. So George had to cut down trees to keep them warm. The year following their marriage World War I broke out. George was in Class A and passed his examinations 100 percent; but because he was a farmer and a married man his name was extended to a later date. During the fall of 1918 George took ill with influenza. An epidemic had broken out and he was in the hospital for three weeks. He was still in the hospital when the Armistice was signed. While George was sick in and in the hospital some of the members of the ward turned out and harvested George and Ethel’s sugar beets. They lived on the Joseph Brown place for 3 years. It was there that their first child Mary Elizabeth was born, 3 January 1919. In the spring of 1920 George bought new farm which became the farm and home where his other six children were born and reared. Most of the land had never been farmed so George had a lot of hard work to do. He cleared off sage brush, scraped and leveled the ground, and made dikes and ditches so the land could be irrigated. There was a small, two-room house on the place. The house was in very poor condition. In the winter, the frost would accumulate on the walls and when there was a blizzard the snow would drift through the cracks. Lots of times Ethel had to put the bread in the oven and thaw it out before they could eat it. Many times they had to shake snow off from their beds. While living in this house their 2nd daughter, Eva Irene was born on 21 October 1920. Also three years later their 1st son Albert George was born on 24 September 1923. Eva got pneumonia the first two winters of her life. The first winter of Albert’s life he had a cold almost continually. It was then that they decided they had to have another house to live in. Everything that was freezable would freeze. So when George got his crop planted in the spring of 1924, he started to dig the basement for a new house. They had very little money, but thought that if they could get the basement made it would be a better place to live in than the old house. However, when George talked to the manager of the lumber 125 3 company, he was advised to go ahead and build the house and that the company would wait for their money until after the harvest. They did this and were able to move into their new home in September 1924. It was a four-room frame house with a full basement, not very fancy but warm and very comfortable compared to the old house. It was in the new house that the following children were born: Elmer Henry, 29 August 1925; Doris Rose, 16 July 1927; Erma Leora, 6 December 1930, and Joyce Darlene, 25 January 1934. George and Ethel worked hard caring for their children and teaching them to live the Gospel by precept and by example. During the time they were raising their children (which was also corresponded with the Depression of the 1930’s), money was always scarce. George worked at whatever he could do to make a living for the family. He worked a few winters on a stationary hay bailer for 50 cents a day; someone would feed the hay through while George sat there and tied the wires. He hauled cottonwood from the Menan Buttes for firewood and made many trips to the mountains for wood. He worked several winters with George Johnson sorting potatoes; they would go to the farmers’ cellars and sort the potatoes for 5 cents a sack. Of course this would have to be divided between them. Sometimes, they would get a chance to haul potatoes and load them on the car for 5 cents a sack, which again was divided between them. They made very small wages but it helped out. In a “Post Register” interview article, veteran farmer, George Rasmussen, related how it was then: “We delivered our livestock to the Ucon stockyards. Things were just one price back in 1932. If you had a cow, she was worth one cent a pound. A top 200-pound hog brought $2. Eggs were 8 to 9 cents a dozen, not quite enough to buy the weekly funny paper. A sack of grain couldn’t buy a sack of coal, so we took a team and wagon, went out to the lava beds and chopped down cedar trees, and also up to the east hills for quaking aspen to load our wagons to keep the home fires burning.” “The kids herded milk cows along the road or railroad tracks so the farmland wouldn’t have to be used as pasture but could be used for growing potatoes [which sold for 18 cents a sack], beets, grain [wheat sold for 30 cents a hundred pounds], or hay. The children didn't wear shoes in the summer, so their feet got tough enough to run on rocks. One pair of shoes for the winter was all one could hope for. Christmas was the only time for luxuries, like oranges." “We separated the cream from the milk and took the cream to town on Saturday to trade for necessities. The skim milk went to the calves and hogs. That once-a-week trip to town was about the only driving most farmers did, as gas was 20 cents a gallon. We had to sell everything we could to pay our bills and taxes. Sometimes our food was very simple—just what we raised. We were fortunate to have a pickle barrel, as that was often the only green food in the late winter. " Being a resourceful man, George devised ways to add income to the farm. The old two-room house was used for a chicken coop. They raised chickens by hatching eggs in an incubator. Eventually this developed into quite a business with eggs being sold not only to neighbors, but to local grocery stores. He built a barn for the milk cows and horses, and a granary. Potatoes and beets were grown as well as hay and grain to sustain the livestock. George also got involved in producing sheep. He always had a small band of sheep. During the beginning period of the business, wool was sold for 5 cents a pound. This project developed into more than just a business. Lambing- time was full of excitement, and caring for the lambs became a hobby—something he really loved and enjoyed. Many times he would take an ailing lamb into the house to be placed by the warm fire of the wood stove. 126 4 When the children were small George and Ethel used to take them fishing on the South Fork of the Snake River, up by the feeder headgates. They used to call it Grasshopper River. They would always have lunch on the river bank which was always enjoyed very much. One year they went with Ethel and George’s folks on a trip to little falls on the north side of the Snake River, to spend the 4th of July. The boys were disappointed because they couldn’t go down over the ledge of rocks to watch their daddy fish. They said “Let’s go back to Grasshopper River.” Although there were few trips, and not so many pleasures of life, George and Ethel were both very good and wonderful parents. They continually went without in order that their children might have what they needed. They always lived their religion and taught their children to do the same. They tried to teach them the principles of the gospel and the importance of living righteously. Money was scarce but none of the children ever went without food or the necessities of life. Ethel had to work extremely hard as it was necessary for her to work in the fields and help with the crops until the children were old enough. Even then, she continued to help whenever it was necessary. George did his share in helping to build up the community. He hauled gravel with a team and wagon or team and sleigh helping to improve the roads. One winter he worked helping to build the Ucon flour mill. During the time he was working on it, he had a horse die. He sat up that night and skinned it by the lantern light. He used a sharp pocket knife which slipped and cut a terrible gash in his leg. Several stitches had to be taken and he was unable to use his leg for quite a while. Later when he helped build the Coltman Ward Church he was financially able to be one of the heaviest cash donors. With the raising of their children they had their share of sickness and heartaches. When Eva was 8-years-old she had pneumonia for the third time. In spite of what they did she continued to get worse. Finally the doctor came out and ordered her to be taken to the hospital as quickly as possible. Neither the doctor nor the nurses thought she would live until morning. But due to the power of the priesthood and their faith and prayers, she was able to go home in ten days. When Elizabeth was 12-years-old and in the 7th grade she had a severe case of appendicitis and was operated on. Her appendix had ruptured and gangrene had set in. When the doctor got through with the operation he told them that she had one chance in a hundred to come out of it. He said he had done all he could for her and that her life depended on a higher power than his. Again the power of the priesthood and their faith and prayers saved her. After three long weeks they were able to take her home. About two weeks later she was well enough to go to school. Albert got along without any serious sickness but always kept up with having all the children’s diseases. It always seemed his luck to be the first to get them. Elmer had the misfortune of getting blood poison when quite young. He too had all the childhood diseases. Doris was always healthy and other than children’s diseases had very little sickness. Erma broke her arm when she fell from a horse at the age of 5.She, too, had all the children’s diseases. Joyce was always quite healthy and with exceptions ofchildhood diseases and a few minor illnesses she got along fine. George had very little schooling himself and it was always his desire to have his children receive a good education and fill a mission. Their children all went to elementary school at Coltman and all graduated from the Ucon High school, except Joyce, who graduated from Bonneville High School at Ammon. In the summer of 1939 Elizabeth was called to serve as a missionary in the Canadian mission returning in April 1941. She then married Leon Page Jensen, a neighbor, on 12 November 1941. Eva was called to serve a 127 5 Mexican mission in May 1941 and returning in March 1943. She was married 8 June 1943 to Max Richard Snedaker whom she had met in Mexico on her mission. After Albert graduated he worked on the farm in the summer. He attended one quarter [semester] of college at Brigham Young University in Provo and then helped on the farm again in the summer. He went to college at BYU again and then to Ricks College in Rexburg. He was then called into the service on 17 March 1945. On 6 May 1947 he married Ina Jean Wilkins who he met at Ricks College. Elmer graduated from high school and then worked on the farm. When his 18th birthday was only three months away, Elmer knew Uncle Sam was patiently waiting for him so he enlisted in the Air Force and left for the service in January 1944. After receiving his training he went overseas. He worked as a waist gunman on a B-17 and made many trips over Germany receiving a certificate for Bravery. After returning from overseas he had a 30 day furlough and during that time married Dorothy Hunt on 26 September 1945. About the last six months of his service he spent in Santa Ana California. His wife was allowed to live with him. He was in the service 2½ years. Doris spent one year at ISU in Pocatello. She then spent her time working. She worked one winter and summer in California, and then she worked in Pocatello. She married Roger Kellar 14 October 1953 but her marriage did not turn out successful. They separated the following year. She continued working mostly in California, until 16 May 1957 when she married Harold Hart. Erma graduated from high school and on the 29th October 1948 she was married to Don Clifford. Joyce graduated from high school in 1952 and spent the summer in California with Doris. She returned in the fall and went to Brigham Young University in Provo for two years. On the 15th of October 1953 she married Charles G. Reed. George always did his best at whatever position he was asked to work at in the Church. He worked as a ward [home] teacher from the time he was old enough to be one. He was 2nd counselor in the Coltman 5th Ward Elders Quorum. He was a ward teacher supervisor for several years, and a scout leader. He worked on the ward finance committee, and also collected funds from members for ward maintenance. He held the office of a High Priest and served as 2nd assistant in the genealogy society. Both George and Ethel did a great deal of temple work for the dead. Many trips were taken to the Logan temple to do endowments. Often they would stay away for 3 days at a time in order to do this work. They attended the Idaho Falls Temple regularly after it was built. They were also able to visit the Manti, St. George, and the Los Angeles Temples. George and Ethel celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1960. A reception was held during the Christmas holidays (at the Coltman church), and every family member was home for this occasion. They enjoyed having their family around them and looked forward to the Christmas dinners held at the church during their later years. In early summer of 1967, Ethel fell and broke her hip. A year later she was found to have bone cancer. George was devoted to his wife and spent most of his time taking care of her during this illness. Her death on 9 April 1969 left him lonely and it was difficult for him to fend for himself. 128 6 No matter how rough things got, he knew that they could also get worse. When things turned out better than he expected, he would say, “Lucky George.” “Lucky George” married Carrie Miles on October 11, 1969. They lived at her home which was located one mile from his farm. He still kept his farm and sheep, but rented the ground. In December of 1972, George was returning home from Idaho Falls; he was making a turn and pulled out in front of another car, and struck it. His granddaughter happened to drive by just after the incident occurred, and stopped and rushed to his side. He was confused and didn’t recall what had just happened. It was at this point in his life that it was determined that he had diabetes. For the most part, he was able to control this illness by diet and medication. In the early spring of 1974, he sold the farm. He was going on 80-years-old at this time, but he wouldn’t retire completely. He still kept a small flock of sheep on a small acreage at Carrie's place. George became very close to Carrie's family. Suddenly Carrie became ill, and passed away. He suffered loneliness again for 2½ years. On October 8, 1979 George married Alta Corey Horne. He sold his sheep and all that he had, and moved into Idaho Falls sharing the nice comforts of life with Alta. Again, he was "Lucky George." Here he found joy in having a small garden spot and raising tomatoes (his favorite) and other vegetables. When Alta became ill, he stayed close by and wouldn't leave her alone. August of 1984 brought the celebration of his 90th birthday. As were the previous family dinners, this party was held in the recreation hall of the Coltman Ward church. It was a great homecoming for his children and grandchildren, and he was delighted to see and visit with them once again. An open house was held after the family dinner, and friends were invited to visit with him and AIta and to view the slide presentation regarding the life of George and the family farm. This was a great "high point" for George who was very happy on this special occasion. He enjoyed the outdoors, and was a great fisherman, and he also liked hunting. When he couldn't fish any more, he liked to “ride the cushions" his expression for riding in the car, and seeing the country. He loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and was so happy when they would drop in to visit with him. They all appreciated his sense of humor, and enjoyed his kidding and poking fun. During these last years, George became good friends with his brother-in-law, Ira Corey, and he depended upon him a lot for help. He also developed a great friendship with his neighbor, Frank Wright, who compassionately checked in on Alta and George, ran errands, and helped take care of the yard and home. The help of these two fine friends, who showed their love, was very much appreciated. On April 17, 1986, George, who had been trying to fight off bronchitis, admitted himself to the hospital. He had come down with pneumonia, and was a very sick man. For two months he fought hard to recover. On June 13, 1986 he passed away. George William Rasmussen was survived by his wife, Alta, 7 children, 2 brothers, and 3 sisters. At that time he had 33 grandchildren, and 81 great grandchildren. "Lucky George” 129