I was born May 24, 1888 at the family home 756 E. 2 South being the eleventh child of Isaac and Sarah Jane Gailey Sears. Here my life was ever happy and pleasant. The only real sorrow that came to me as a child being the death of my sister Etta, whom we all loved so very much. I was eleven when she died and after these thirty five years I ‘remember her as though I had seen her only yesterday. She had often taken me to her home during her happy married life which was cut short after only eight months of happiness. I have never seen. a happier person in my life than she was all her life which no doubt accounts for the memories I have of her. Seeing her laid away so beautiful with her baby girl. on her arm seemed almost more than we could bear.
As I remember my early life, it seems that I received more enjoyment through my visits to the homes of my married sisters, playing with their children as there was only one at home younger than I. My visits in the home of my sister Drucilla (Howard) have always stood out as the happy days of childhood, for she was always going to a lot of trouble putting up lunches that we would take out among the trees to eat often taking long walks where she taught me many of the mysteries of life that my mother was very shy about talking about. I well remember while visiting her in Sandy that she and I rode as far as Union, a distance of about five miles expecting to stop and pick black currants there, while the boy (John’s brother) drove on to Salt Lake. He was to pick us up on the return trip. As the afternoon came Drucilla became sick. Getting a ,ride home with a neighbor I was left to meet the boy and bring home the berries. I’ll never forget how frightened I was on that lonely road so far away from any one I knew. and as it began to get dark how I crawled back in the bushes and prayed to God to protect me and bring the boy along soon to take me home again. Oh the peace and joy that came in answer to my prayer for I wasn’t afraid any more. How thankful I am to my parents that they taught me to pray. I wasn’t long until I was safe in Drucilla’s home again where shortly a darling baby was born to her. How happy I was to be there with her.
What little education I have, I received in the Bryant School and the U. of U. Training School, my father and mother were always very kind and-considerate. of their children’s welfare and did all they could to help us get all we could out-of the opportunities then available. They often made sacrifices I know, so that I might have car fare and lunch money. I don’t remember being refused anything I asked for. When I wanted a new dress or shoes mother would say “Go down and see your father about it.” Father had a seed and grain store on 1st South. I would go down there and wait until he wasn’t busy then tell him what I came for. I know I would remember if I was refused for my husband tells me even now that when I want anything I want it, and usually have a way of getting it. So I guess that fault has remained with me,
When seventeen I went to work as a telephone operator where I made very dear friends, among them being the Dean girls, Edith, Bessie, Florence Robinson, and Ella Crowton. It was while working here that I met my sweetheart who became my husband when I was nineteen. It was customary in those days for the young people of the ward to gather at the home of one of their members after Sunday evening church. It was in December 1906 that a new young man was in the choir with Ferd Hintze and we girls were all viewing each other as to who would capture him for the evening. He had a ring on his finger and we all decided it must be a gift from his girl friend, but anyway he was invited to spend the evening at the Cushing home where he and I kind-a paired off and from then on went together and were married Oct. 31 1907. His name was Henry Herriman Hintze.
We lived in three rooms of father’s, home for four years. Here our two boys Harold and Eugene were born and we were indeed proud, happy parents. Henry was working on the street car as conductor. When Eugene was four months old we moved to Tremonton on Dr. Stauffers place where we remained for just one year. It was here that we became life friends with Bert and Geneva Garfield, he and Henry working in the Sunday School together and later being called as counselors to the presiding Elder. From Tremonton we moved back to Holladay after spending six months in the Moapa Valley with Grandpa Hintze who had been called there by the church to rehabilitate the saints who had been driven out of Mexico. Here I must make mention of a dear friend Patience Lee with whom we became-closely associated.
From Holladay we moved to Bueno Ave. in Salt Lake with our two little boys and from there to Aunt Minnie Vinson’s place on 9th East and 21st South. Henry had worked for Mutual Creamery and was now with Z.C.M.I. in the delivery dept. We lived here until the spring of 1917 having had a family increase of two Wayne who was born Sept. 12, 1914, and Mary Jane who was -born July 13, 1916. We became acquainted with a Bp. Will Hansen who thought it a good move for us to go on a farm in Hinkley, Utah. So we in company with Henry’s sister Flora and my brother Roy, who had one child at the time, went there to try our luck at farming, which experience proved to be a financial failure, as the place we located on which had been praised highly by those who knew better, proved to be water logged and we lost everything we put into it, not even getting our seed back. Roy and Flora stayed Just the one year, but we stayed another year, Henry working for Mary E. Lee and others when we decided to move back to Salt Lake. This was the time of the terrible Flu epidemic and we did indeed have quite a struggle pull through that terrible winter. I was expecting a baby and had gone to stay with my mother, where I had the flu, and my husband and all our family and his mothers family, where they were staying, were a11 sick at the same time. Many all around were dying, among them being Father’s sister Fernanda, but God was good to us and we were all restored to health and strength. Another son Henry, was born Feb. 11, 1919, and because of my having been so sick, was rather a delicate child, but we are so happy that he lived for he is a fine boy and has filled a mission for the Church and we do feel grateful to our Heavenly Father for his many blessings unto us. We lived in Holladay until 1921 when we decided to once more try farming as we now had five boys and a girl, Alan having been born in 1920. Nov. 20.- We moved to Elberta, Utah still on the advise of Wm. A Hansen who made promises of building us a nice home etc. but who failed to make good his promises. Perhaps not by his own will, but through being over confident in his ability at any rate, we tried through all the years of our residence there to get a home for ourselves and family, but with all of our hard work we still find ourselves without a home. Our family increased to eleven nine boys and two girls. Keith Sept 5, 1922, Lyle April 26, 1925, Wendell Oct 3, 1926 who died at six weeks of age, Janis Oct. 17, 1927 and Ray July 17, 1931.
While we have failed in gathering around us the riches of the earth, we feel rich in family and friends and our family are rich in integrity and love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whose principals we have endeavored to instill into their hearts and tried to make them see the necessity of living worthy of the blessings of our Heavenly Father at all times. My husband has always tried to put the serving of God first in his life above everything else and I pay him tribute at this time that he has made me happy and has been all that I could ask of anyone in his devotion to me and to our family. He served as the first Bishop of Elberta Ward for five years, previous to which he was a counselor to the presiding Elder of the branch, who was O.A. Penrod. We have sent two of the boys, Eugene and Henry into the Mission field and others would have gone I’m sure if it hadn’t been that they served Uncle Sam for from four to two years in the terrible war that has just ended. Wayne, Henry, Alan, Keith, and Lyle all served their part in bringing peace into this war torn world. At this time we are getting Lyle ready to answer a call to preach the Gospel in Denmark. May God grant him His spirit that he may fulfill an honorable mission and bring some soul into the church.
We moved from Elberta into the Taylorsville Ward in 1935 and at present are still in that ward. We love it here and with the help of our Heavenly Father I would like to spend the remainder of my life right here where I can work in the temple and do what little bit I can do to build up the Kingdom of God on the earth.
Just for the benefit of my children, I write of my church activities along with the others, so that they may know that I did do something outside the home. I worked as S.S. secretary, Primary teacher and counselor to the president. As counselor in the ward Relief Society in Elberta for twelve years and as counselor in the Tintic Stake Relief Society for a year and a half. Here in Taylorsville, I was in the ward. R.S Presidency for a while, in the choir, and am now a visiting teacher and class leader in the R.S. Father is now in the Stake High Counsel having direct charge of the genealogical work. I am also Theology Class leader, and receive much joy and satisfaction in this service. We are at the present time making another attempt at building a home. I failed to mention that twice during our sojourn in Elberta, our home was burned to the ground, and everything destroyed, but-we do feel so grateful that the lives of our children were spared as they all narrowly escaped in the last fire in 1931.
We completed a basement on a piece of property at 44950 Redwood Rd. and finished it inside where we are comfortably living. Lyle has been in the mission field one year enjoying his labors very much.
Ray our youngest boy is now in the armed service, serving in Nurnberg, Germany. His wife, formally Dawna Howlett is with him there where they have adopted baby girl, whom they have named Katherine and call Kathy. On Sept. 4, 1957, while still in Germany Ray and Dawna were blessed with a baby girl who lived only a few days. They named her Peggy An.
On May 23, 1951, I realized a blessing I have longed for for many years I together with my husband were set apart by Pres. Burton, as an ordinance worker in the Salt Lake Temple. A wonderful birthday gift, as it came just the evening before my 63 birthday. Sincerely hope and pray that the blessing given me will indeed be answered and that I may enjoy health and happiness in the temple
On September 1, 1959 we finally completed and moved into a new home on top of our basement which we are enjoying very much.