Lovina Andersen was born 17 July, 1876, at Hyrum, Cache County Utah. Her mother was Alice Brooks and her father was Andrew Andersen. Lovina was the 9th child of a family of 5 girls and 5 boys. Her parents were early Utah Pioneers, immigrating from Europe. Her father was born 22 January 1836, in Osoy, Ostfold, Norway. He was baptized a member of the L.D.S. Church at the age of 17 in Norway. He was among the early Norwegian converts who immigrated to America in 1855. As a 19 year old boy he walked across the plains driving a yoke of oxen in the Noah T. Guyman company. They left Atchinson Kansas on 13 June, 1855, with 368 people, 51 wagons, 317 oxen, 100 cows and only 5 horses, arriving in Salt Lake Valley 7 Sept 1855.

In 1856, one year later Lovina's mother Alice Brooks immigrated from England. Alice Brooks was born 16 January 1835 at Bolton, Lancashire England. She was baptized a member of the L.D.S. Church at the age of 12, in her home town on 26 June, 1847, by Elder Squire Farnsworth and confirmed by Robert Hold. She immigrated from England to America, 18 May, 1856 on the ship Horizen. At Iowa City, Iowa, she joined the Edward Martin Handcart Company, consisting of 575 souls, 141 handcarts, 7 wagons, 30 oxen and 50 cows. The handcart company left Iowa City, 28 July, 1856, pushing and pulling their carts. They arrived in Slat Lake Valley, 30 November 1856, experiencing many hardships walking through the snow covered mountains. There were 135 persons who died en route that were buried along the trails. Only 440 survived the arduous trek. (See the Ensign, October 1972 issue, pg. 91 about this handcart company.)

Andrew Andersen and Alice Brooks first met each other in December, 1856, at East Weber, now called Uinta, at the mouth of Weber Canyon. They were married 9 March 1857, in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City. In the spring of 1860, they were some of the first pioneers sent by President Brigham Young, to settle in Hyrum, Cache Valley, Utah. Here they settled down for the rest of their lives rearing a family of 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls. Lovina was next to the youngest having a brother Nathan Gilbert, 2 years younger.

Lovina or “Viny” for short, as some friends called her as she grew up in this little country town of Hyrum. She became well acquainted with early farm life with cows to milk, calves to feed, family garden to help with and many other outside chores common in those early horse and buggy pioneer days. She attended the local grade school along with her brothers and sisters. She was active in their local Ward along with other young pioneer children. At about 18 years of age she was called to be a Sunday School teacher, then a Primary teacher in their Ward. She was also a counselor in the Y.W.M.I.A. She was active in her Ward Relief Society as a visiting teacher and a theology class leader.

As she approached young womanhood her big ambition was to go to Logan to the Utah State Agriculture College. To help her realize this great desire she became a dressmaker and sewed for many townspeople as well as her family. Finally the time came for her to leave home and start in to college. She had enough money saved and thought she could go. However her mother had not been well and became very ill. The family decided that Lovina, the only girl at home, should stay and take care of her mother. Some of her brothers working on the family farm still needed domestic help about the house. This was a big disappointment for her.

When Lovina was about 21 years old she became acquainted with a young man named Fred Charles Ralph, who had been attending the Logan College. He had come to Hyrum to teach grade school. This acquaintance resulted in their marriage on 30 March 1898, at the Logan Temple. During their first year of married life, Fred became disinterested in school teaching. So he decided to try the sheep business. He joined his brother-in-law Walter Bunot, the husband of his sister Sarah, in this enterprise. This work took him away from home a lot to be with the sheep, which he did not like, so Fred soon left this work. 

In the summer of 1899, their first child, a son, was born on 22 July, 1899. They gave him the name of Horace Fred. On 6 December 1901, their 2nd child, a girl, was born, and was named Alice Betty. With their growing family, Fred was seeking work that would allow him more time at home. So he started to work on the railroad as a fireman. This work brought him in contact with men who worked on the trains as postal clerks for the U.S. Government Post Office. This type of work appealed to Fred, so he took a Civil Service examination as a R.R. Postal Mail Clerk. He passed the tests and was soon given a job. He had to move to Ogden as that was the terminal where the train left that he would be working on.

About this time their 3rd child, a daughter, was born on 14 May 1905 at Hyrum. She was given the name of Melba. Soon after the young family with their 3 children moved to Ogden so Fred would be at the departing point of the trains he would be working on. After a few months Fred was assigned to another train schedule from Salt Lake to Butte, Montana and return. The young family moved to Salt Lake in the spring of 1906, into a small rented frame house on Windsor Avenue, about a half block south of 9th South. 

That fall the young family experienced a sad accident with their oldest child Horace. Across the street on Windser Avenue new homes were being constructed. Horace joined other young boys in picking up shingle nails on the ground, dropped by the workmen working on the roof. With a hand full of shingle nails the youngsters climbed the ladders to the wood plank scaffold, fixed just below the eves of the house. They would walk around on the planks to where the men were at work. Horace was smaller than some of the boys so had to reach as high as he could to hand the nails up to the workmen. As he stepped back on to the scaffold he lost his balance and fell off backwards to the ground, landing on a large red sandstone rock, breaking his leg just below the hip. This brought quick help from one of the workmen who ran across the street to get Horace's father who happened to be at home. The father carried Horace into their home laying him on the bed. Soon a doctor arrived who set the leg by pulling it out some so the broken bones would fit back in to place end to end. Then wooden splints were put on each side of the leg and held in place by cloth bandages. This was a painful experience for Horace and caused concern to his parents. He had to remain in bed for 6 weeks to let the broken bones heal.

In time Horace was up and around with the rest of the family. Because of the accident Horace favored his left leg, so his shoes would wear out twice as fast on the right foot. In the fall of 1906 Horace started in grade school at the Hamilton School on the corner of 8th South and 8th East, about 2 blocks away. On the 3rd of June, 1907, a fourth child, a daughter, was born to Lovina and Fred. This baby girl was named June Rose, since she was born so near the first of June, the rose month. As the family grew in numbers the young couple bought a building lot large enough for two houses at 1053-57 South 8th East. In the spring of 1908 they had a 5 room red brick home built on the north side of the lot. The two oldest children, Horace and Alice, were attending the Hamilton grade school.

About this time the heath of Lovina was not too good. The doctor suggested that she should have a rest for a few months out in the fresh air. So Fred and Lovina took their young family out to Echo, about 45 miles south east of Salt Lake city, to live with the family of Fred's sister Mary Ann, (Aunt Minnie) and her husband Heber Richens who was in the sheep business. The young family lived out in a large tent on the front yard lawn of the Richens all summer. This outdoor life was a big help to Lovina, improving her health. The entire family enjoyed the outdoor life in the fresh air.

On the 18th of July, 1910, there was a 4th daughter born to them in their new home. They gave her the name of Pearl Lovina. With a growing family and a new home to pay for Lovina and Fred had a real hard time to make ends meet. In order to provide for their growing family they decided to buy a milk cow, to help with the family expenses. Fred built a small barn at the rear of their home. Lovina negotiated with one of her brothers who lived in Hyrum to buy a cow from him. The cow was shipped to Salt Lake City, by the American Railway Express company. However the Express company would only truck the cow from the R.R. Depot to 8th East and 8th south so Fred and his son Horace went to 8th East and 8th south corner and met the express wagon. The wagon was backed down in to the ditch along the side of the road so the cow could be unloaded. Lovina and her children were very happy to see their father and brother lead the cow in to the new barn. Now the family could have plenty of fresh milk for their meals.

Fred's work would take him away from home two days and a night about twice a week, so it was up to Lovina and children to milk and feed the cow. Lovina had been used to milking and tending cows as a young girl in Hyrum, so it was no trouble for her to care for the cow. She was happy to have plenty of fresh milk for her growing family, along with butter she would make from the cream of the extra milk. It was easy to sell a few quarts of fresh milk to nearby neighbors to help pay for the cow feed. They had a fine garden plot just south of their new home where fresh vegetables were raised in season. During the summer days Horace was sent to Liberty Park with his red wagon with 3 or 4 gunny sacks to fill with fresh cut lawn grass to bring home to feed their family cow. Often Horace would have to take the cow along the road side south to feed it on the grass and weeds. Lovina was always trying to involve her children with home duties to help each other out and provide for their physical well being.

On the 5th of June, 1912, a second son was born to Lovina and Fred. He was named Leonard Samuel, in memory of Lovina's brother Samuel who had passed away just two summers before in Hyrum, Utah. On the 4th December 1913, their 3rd son and last child of 7 was born, whom they named Leo Lund. About this time Fred and Lovina built a duplex house on their garden plot next door to their home. Lovina thought the rent from the 3 room duplex house would pay for the new building in time as well as helping out with family expenses. By this time the 4 oldest children were going to the Hamilton grade school.

In the spring of 1914, their oldest son Horace was graduated from the 8th grade at the Emerson grade school. That summer Fred and Lovina bought a white brick home, with 4 large rooms, a half basement with the upstairs unfinished, built on an acre of ground at 3396 South 9th East. This was about a mile south of the Salt Lake City limits at that time. With a growing family of 7 children they needed more room for their active youngsters and a place for a family garden. They were able to sell their property in Salt Lake City, and move out to their new home in the country in the fall just before school started. 

Horace entered the Granite High School on 33rd South and 5th East as a freshman. The girls of school age all went to the Roosevelt grade school a block away at 33rd South and 9th East. As time passed all the other children graduated from the Roosevelt grade school. It was an interesting adjustment for the 7 children to get used to a new home out in the country with grain and hay fields all around. Fred was still working as a R.R. Mail clerk. His trips had changed over the years. Now he was working on a regular scheduled trip from Salt Lake City, to Preston, Idaho and return, requiring two days and a night for the trip.

On the acre of land was a barn for one cow with a little hay storage. There was a small chicken coop about 8'x10' at the rear of the barn. Lovina was very pleased with their new country home for their large growing family. She could see the possibility of family projects of garden and a chicken business to keep the family busy and help provide for her children as all 7 would be in school. Two of the past seasons Horace had worked during the summer for his uncle Hyrum, “Hivy”, Lovina's older brother who lived in the old Andersen family home in Hyrum, Cache Valley. Most of the farm land was down in the College Ward area about midway between Logan and Wellsville. This farming experience helped Horace take care of the new garden and the family cow, a few pigs and chickens obtained in the spring of 1915.

In April, 1915, Lovina started the family poultry business, buying 130 day old white leghorn baby chickens. At that time the baby chickens were not sexed, so about half would be roosters and about half pullets. A temporary chicken brooder was fixed in the attic of the home to start to raise the baby chickens. It was easier to keep them warm indoors. But in a few days the chickens had to be moved outside in to the small brick chicken coop to get them on the ground. Because of the dry ceiling floor of the attic, in a few days many chick got leg weakness and just sat on the hot floor and died. They seemed to grow and thrive out on the damp ground in the little brick coop. About half of the chickens that were saved were roosters. These were killed and sold for “springers” or “fryers,” when they were about two months old. Only about 2 dozen hens were raised from this 1st batch of baby chicks.

In the spring of 1916, Lovina bought 500 day old baby chickens. With the help of the children, Fred built a shed type chicken coop 20' x 20', with dirt floor, dropping boards and nests. A little hard-coal brooder stove with a 6 foot diameter canopy was installed in the new coop to raise the young chickens. Since about half were roosters it was a real family project to kill the roosters and remove the feathers so they could be sold at home. A sign was posted on their mail box, “Broilers for Sale.” Many people passing by would stop and buy the broilers on week ends. About 200 white leghorn laying hens were raised from the 500 day old chicks. So Fred had to build a 2nd 20' x 20' chicken coop west of the 1st crop for the laying hens. This provided more work for the family. The eggs had to be cleaned and candled each evening to sell to customers who called at the home. Extra eggs were packed in egg crates holding 30 dozen and sold to the stores each week.

During the fall and winter moths, the hens that stopped laying were culled from the flock, killed and dressed and sold at the home as stewing hens. In the spring of 1917, 900 day old baby chickens were bought. A second brooder stove was bought and another coop built. As the family poultry business expanded many interesting problems were solved by hard work and experience. As an example, the first coops built had dirt floors, covered with about 10” of straw for the chickens to scratch in for their grain.  This proved an ideal feeding ground for the rodents. In order to combat the rat and mice trouble coop floors had to be covered with cement. Then the coops were equipped with running water and electric lights that were turned on early in the winter mornings to provide a longer work day for the hens.

In the spring of 1918, 2,000 day old baby chicks were bought. By this time Lovina was developing a real family poultry business. Eggs were mostly sold wholesale by the case to stores. A few cases were sold each week end to families living in some apartments in town as regular weekly customers. In June 1918 Lovina's oldest son Horace graduated from the Granite High School. That fall the two oldest daughters, Alice and Melba were going to Granite High School, while the 4 youngest were going to the Roosevelt grade school. World War I was drawing to a close in Europe during the fall of 1918.

On the last Saturday of September, Lovina went with her son Horace to the University of Utah to register as a freshman for the fall quarter. By the time Horace had gone through the registering lines he found himself in the U.S. Army. The World War was still in progress and all eligible young men 18 years old or older registered for S.A.T.C. or a branch of the regular army, called the Student Army Training Corps. Horace was issued a cotton army uniform on the spot and given a mattress tick he had to fill at a nearby straw pile to use as his army bed. Then he was taken up to Fort Douglas to stay and Lovina had to return home alone, to her surprise. Horace was held at Fort Douglas till the latter part of December when he was discharged from the army along with the other young men. By the 11th of November the war in Europe was ended. Horace was very happy to return home where he spent the winter working with his mother in their family poultry business.

In the spring of 1919, Lovina bought 2,800 baby chicks a day old. That year Horace worked at home with the poultry business with the rest of the family involved as they had time from school. In the spring of 1920, only 2,300 day old baby chicks were bought. That fall Horace started at the U. of U. and spending all his free time with the rest of the family in their chicken business. The next two springs, 1921 and 1922, Lovina bought 2,900 day old baby chicks each year. This kept the coops full of young laying hens during the winter and spring season. The following two years, 1923 and 1924, there were not so many baby chicks bought.

In June 1924, Lovina lost her main help as Horace graduated from the U. of U. and was married 20 June, to Marva Norton, who graduated in the same class. Then on 24 June, Horace left home for the Mexican Mission where he served for 26 months. The other children were growing up and leaving school and home to teach school and work in town. Lovina began to close her chicken business down. She had more time to become involved in their local Ward activities. On 12 August 1924 Lovina was set apart as 1st counselor to sister Hatch of the Wilford Ward Relief Society. Then their ward was divided 12 October 1924. On the 26 October 1924, Lovina was set apart by Bishop Ernest Bramwell as president of the New Hillcrest Ward Relief Society. Her first counselor was Mrs. Lyndia Nuenschwander, and Mrs. Agnes Field Jones 2nd counselor with Mrs. Edith H.C. Clarkson secretary – treasurer. Lovina worked in the new Hillcrest Ward as president of the Relief Society until 12 August 1928, when she was released by Bishop Oscar Harline.

On the 16th of August 1928, Lovina was set apart as a Temple representative of the Hillcrest Ward by brother Stewart. She was very interested in genealogy, spending some time each week researching out her parents' ancestors. As a result of this interest in genealogy, Lovina became active in taking Ward genealogy classes during the winter and spring of 1930-31. She did a great deal of research of parish records in and around Bolton, Lancashire, England. As early as 1924, Lovina was doing a lot of research in England on the lines of her mother Alice Brooks. She would hire English researchers in and about Bolton to search out the local parishes. She would prepare the names as required then on family group sheets and submit them for vicarious work at the Salt Lake and Logan Temples. Many hundreds of family group sheets were submitted by Lovina. She had her own children as they became eligible to do Temple work, involved in this activity.

Most of Lovina's married brothers and sisters lived in Cache Valley, so she had them with their families doing temple work for their dead ancestors in the Logan Temple. Lovina also became a member and president of the Hillcrest Camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. At the end of March, 1934, Fred retired from the Government R. R. mail service because of age. This gave him more time to help Lovina with her research and Temple work.

By the spring of 1934, all their 7 children were married and had left home. Fred and Lovina built them a new home on the south side of their large garden area. This home had a small light house keeping apartment in the basement. They lived there for a few years renting the basement to young married couples. Lovina's daughter Melba lived in the basement apartment for a short time after she was married to Jesse R. Black. In 1947, Fred and Lovina bought a red brick home on Alden Street, about 1350 East, about a block north of 27th South. Lovina became an active member of the Highland Park Camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. They lived here for only a short time. They built a brick duplex home nearby on the corner of Stratford and Dearborn streets, in the Stratford Ward area. They occupied the north end of the duplex, renting the south apartment. This provided them with activity looking after their new duplex home.

Lovina's husband Fred passed away 28 March 1953, leaving her a widow for over 6 years. A great deal of this time Lovina spent working on her genealogy and doing Temple work. Lovina passed away on the 10th July, 1959, lacking a week of being 83 years old. Of their 7 children, 5 graduated from college, and 2 filled missions for the LDS Church. Five children were married in the Temple. Their oldest daughter Alice was married to Algot E. Anderson, 20 June, 1930 by civil marriage. Later on 30 June 1944, they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple with their family, resulting in 6 of Lovina's children enjoying the Temple marriage.

This story of our mother reflects her firm testimony of the gospel which her pioneer parents sacrificed so much for. It may seem oriented toward her oldest son Horace, neglecting her experiences with the other children. Because of my close family association with Mother in my growing up years, I have used these experiences to write this biography.

~ Horace F. Ralph

10 September 1973