Annie Luella (Loveland) Ward (1893 - 1977)

Born 19 Oct 1893 in Fish Haven, Bear Lake, Idaho, United States

Ancestors

Wife of George Jones Ward — married 6 Jun 1917 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Descendants

Died 16 Sep 1977 at age 83 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Calvin Stucki [send private message]

Biography

Luella (Loveland) Ward was an Idahoan.

Research Notes

Parents, 10 siblings, husband and 4 children are attached to the memorial page on Find A Grave for Annie.

Early Life

The following information was told by Luella’s sister, Amanda Pearce, and written by a sister-in-law, Bertha W. Christensen:

Annie Luella Loveland, the daughter of Harlon Edward Loveland and Amelia Jane Welker, was born October 19, 1893 at Fishaven, Idaho, in a two room log house. She was called by her second name, Luella. She was not very old when the family moved to Cokeville, Wyoming.

When she was about one year old, she was chewing on a crust of bread and got off a square chunk of crust which lodged in her throat and she started choking on it. Her mother tried to put her finger down the baby’s throat and move the crust, but it was too far to reach. She tried everything she could think of, but still the baby choked until her face went black. Her older sister, Amanda, about five years old thought the baby was dead and cried, “Sissy’s dead, Sissy’s dead!” Her mother took her in her arms and offered a prayer, pleading to God for help, when a man came along who had a longer finger and was able to push the crust on down her throat so she could swallow it.

There were many Indians around close to where the family lived in Cokeville. One old Indian used to come every day for something to eat. Luella’s mother often baked a flat loaf of bread in a pie tin. She would take the hot bread, cut it in half as you would a bun, fill it with butter and give it with a quart of milk to the Indian. The girls talked to him while he ate his food.

When the girls’ father brought home a load of fruit from Brigham City, Utah, the girls were allowed to take some of the fruit and fill the kind old Indian’s pockets.

Many other Indians would come and trade gloves for food and wild meat for flour. The family did not care much for the wild meat but would trade flour for it, then feed it to the chickens and pigs.

Luella and Amanda had a responsibility of herding the cows when very young. They were afraid of the cattle that fed on the range and were also afraid of the Indians. There were wild strawberries that grew where they herded cows. The girls would take a bucket with them and one girl would watch for Indians and cattle and keep an eye on their own herd, and the other would pick strawberries. They often took a bucket and filled it with the delicious fruit.

After living in Cokeville, the family moved to Bloomington, Idaho. There, they all observed May Day, a special occasion. The family would take a picnic lunch and spend the day at Bear Lake. It started with a big parade, then the children, all dressed in white, would braid the May pole. There was a program and other kinds of entertainment prepared for all. On one of these occasions, Luella had her first boat ride on a steam boat on Bear Lake. Amanda, Luella’s sister, was afraid of the water and dared not venture out in the boat.

Luella started school in Bloomington. When she was 7 years old, she had a membranous croup and was very ill. It seemed she would choke on every little thing. Again, she choked until she went black and frightened all those around her.

In 1903, when Luella was ten years old, the family moved to Salem, Idaho for a short time. There, the children attended school in Parker. They had bought a farm in Parker and were waiting to get a house to move into. They lived there eight years. During this time, the family suffered many sorrows and buried four babies in Parker. They also buried one in Arizona, where they lived for a short time. Her mother had fourteen children and raised only six of them.

As a young woman

The following information was told by Luella’s sister, Amanda Pearce, and written by a sister-in-law, Bertha W. Christensen:

Luella had many experiences in her life that made her humble. It almost seemed as though she was not to live. One time, she was riding in a bob sleigh with a group of young people. They were whirling and eating candy. She was thrown out of the sleigh and started choking on the candy. The boys worked with her to dislodge the candy from her throat and stop her from choking.

There was a brick yard on the place the family had purchased at Parker. The men who made and took care of the brick built the Loveland family a new brick house. Luella, her mother, and sister Amanda lived in a tent and cooked for the men in a little one room shack that was on the place. The men were hard to cook for. Their choice food was cabbage, bacon, and beans. The girl and their mother earned enough money cooking for the men to buy new furniture for the new home.

While attending school in Parker, Luella met a Howell girl whom she disliked, and the two of them were always fighting. One day, they were fighting and the teacher came out and made a ring for them to fight in and told them to fight it out.

When Luella was 19 years old, she and her brother, Acel, had typhoid fever. They were isolated from the rest of the family, and they became so ill it was feared they would not live. She must have had a mission here on earth to fill, to survive all the things that came to her.

When Luella was a young woman, her sister Amanda worked for a family by the name of Miller. He was the Stake President. When the visiting general authorities came for stake conference, they stayed at his home. One conference, David O. McKay came and stayed at the Miller home. Amanda cooked breakfast for him and Luella also met him at the Miller home, attending the conference where he talked.

Forty years later, Elder McKay attended a stake conference in Idaho Falls. The two sisters went to shake hands with him and he said, “Yes, I remember you girls at Parker and how you cooked my meals.”

The family bought a dry farm in the Dehlin area, where they lived in the summer, and moved to the valley in the winter. One winter they lived in Iona, Idaho, where the Ray Frandsen farm is now located. Another winter, they lived in Milo, Idaho, and then they bought a home in Lincoln where her parents lived their remaining years.

It was while Luella lived at Ionia that she first met the Ward family. She worked for Mrs. Lorenzo N. Ward one fall, helping with the canning and cooking for the harvest men.

Courtship

The following was written by Rose W. Scoresby from the close association and experiences she and Luella shared together:

I think that Lorenzo J. Ward met Luella at a dance and soon learned that she lived north of Iona about a mile and a half. Mother needed help with the canning and cooking for the threshers. Those days the crew consisted of about eight men for haying, and the threshing crew was between 18 and 22 men.

It was while she worked there that she and I, though several years younger, I think I was fourteen at the time, became close friends. She treated me like a sister right from the start. That fall she and I decided to have some fun on Halloween, so we dressed in Lorenzo and George’s suits and wore their hats with our hair tucked up under, and came calling on them. Though we were invited in the house, we remained in the dark and asked to see the boys, who soon discovered who we were and they go a real dick out of it.

Lorenzo said, “Well, for that I will take you for a ride!” He hitched up his pet horse, Old Bess, to the one horse buggy and took us to Iona, which was about two miles away. As we passed the blacksmith shop, we discovered a group of fellows collected there and they recognized the outfit and called to Ren (Lorenzo) asking who his companions were. He ignored them and tapped the horse up thinking they would let it go at that. He recognized who they were and considered them to be a rough bunch and was fearful of what they might do if they discovered we girls.

Two of the fellows jumped on horses and took after us, but Ren whipped the horse up and got ahead of them and went south instead of east. We had a longer ride and a much faster one than we anticipated. Whether we lost the guys or they gave up disgusted we never did learn, but we got out of those clothes much faster than we got into them! Lorenzo was afraid if they caught us they would take our clothes off. He was really fearful for our sakes.

Lorenzo took Luella to a few dances and out a few times before he went on his mission, but she was sort of waiting for Arland Davidson, who was on a mission.

About 1916, Ruth lived in the northeast corner of my father’s place and Luella was working for her. They carried their drinking water from his well and Luella often came in the evening for a bucket of water. My father had a German as a hired hand, who also lodged there and apparently had taken a liking to Luella, just seeing her around.

One evening when Luella came for the bucket of water, he was waiting for her and just as she stepped off the big canal bridge, he reached out at her and said, “Let’s tie the knot.” She was so started she did not understand what he said, so she asked, “What did you say?” He came out blunt and said, “Why, let’s get married,” and she replied, “I should say not, I hardly know you!” She ran for the house like she was running for her life. When she reached the house panting, she was as white as a sheet, and sank into a chair telling us of her experience. George took her back home and she never ventured down again after dark.

Her young missionary friend seemed suddenly to change his mind about Luella, for when he returned, he did not live up to what he pretended in his letters and apparently gave her up. Evidently, he must not have been the one for her. George started paying more attention to her and the summer of 1916, he took she and I to Star Valley.

In July 1916, Ruth, my older sister, and Henry, her husband, were going to Freedom, Wyoming, to visit Henry’s folks and asked me and George to go with them. George took his sweetheart with us. We went in white top buggies. Ruth, Henry, and Thelma, their baby, went in one, and we three in the other. Again we left from Ozone and went through the hills past Grays Lake and up the tincup canyon. That was about the first canyon I had ever been through and I was truly fascinated. I think we camped at Grays Lake for the night and there was a small bunch of people living there. They were having a dance and kept passing our camping place and signing and having a big time which kept us awake most of the night. When they stopped passing, the mosquitoes were at work, so we slept very little. We were ready to get up early and get going. We arrived at Henry’s mother’s about 8:30 a.m. They were not far from the canyon.

We went to church on Sunday and met the young folks and they made us welcome and associated with us. We made several trips to Freedom, about two miles distance from the Haderlies. Henry had a brother a little older than me and also a cousin. I had met them both previously. I had never seen so many willows before in my life. There were small creeks every little ways lined with willows and the road was like a winding river, each little stream had a small narrow bridge.

We celebrated July 24th there and enjoyed the celebration. We went to the dance and had a real good time. After the dance, we went to the confectionary for a little refreshment. We chose root bear. The place was crowded and the confectioner reached high upon the shelf and obtained glasses, not in general usage and they must have previously had fly poisoning in them. We were dizzy immediately and had trouble getting across the street to our buggy. George could not even drive the horses. He tried leading them across one of those narrow bridges and walking backwards but he could not do that either, he was so extremely dizzy.

We had been joking with the fellow who waited on us and Luella jokingly said, “Be sure and put a stick in the beer,” and at first we wondered if he had put something in it for a joke, but it did not take many minutes until we were all very sick. We had to turn the team to go at their will and they took us to the Haderlie place safely. George was able to vomit and when we arrived at the Haderlie’s and told Ruth how sick, especially Luella was, she hurriedly woke the family and everyone had to work hard and pray with all our strength to save her life. They gave us everything in the book to make us vomit, and the only coffee I ever drank in my whole life was at that time and it was made strong enough to hold an egg up and was given with caster-oil in it, so it was not a very tasty introduction to coffee!

We had Henry’s sister and her husband over, and Luella was administered to and two ladies constantly rubbed her legs while two men rubbed her arms to keep her blood circulating and keep her alive. The doctor did not get there until the next day at noon and after he had pumped her stomach, he said it was fly poisoning.

We were scheduled to go to Caribou Mountain with a group that day but none of us went. We were all to ill for any fun or scenery. We were delayed from coming home for two days, and then Luella and I rode most of the way in a bed made in the back of the buggy. The folks were very worried when we did not arrive home as scheduled. One day father was wondering what had happened and why we had not come home, and he said he felt George’s hand come on his shoulder as plain as if he had been there. He even turned around to see if he was there, it was so real. He told Mother that something was wrong with us, but he did not know what it was. They were very happy to see us coming home, and soon found out how ill we had been and still were. It took some time to really shake off the poisoning from our bodies.

George was always so considerate of me and he knew that unless he took me to dances and things he went to I would not have a chance for any entertainment. Luella did not seem to mind me being along with them, and I am grateful to both of them.

I drove the horses either for the buggy riding or sleigh riding and we three had a wonderful time together. We sang as we went along, or told stories and I shall forever vouch that their courtship was truly sweet and of the highest kind. I appreciate the example they set for me.

I wish I had a record of all the toboggan rides, our landing in the snow drifts and spills, for they were many and caused us a great deal of laughter and fun.

In February 1917, George was living with Ruth and Henry and both George and Henry were taking a missionary training course at Ricks Academy. The college was having a big celebration for Washington’s birthday, so George invited both Luella and I to it. We went up on the train and George met us. We had a very enjoyable time and a few days later, George and another fellow, Henry Zonder, living in the other part of the house, borrowed a team from Uncle Bill Squires (Mother’s brother), and took Luella and I to the Ward Family Reunion out at Salem, Idaho.

These reunions were quite a highlight for us, seeing all our uncles, aunts, and cousins. Luella go initiated to the Ward relations at that time.

We were both expected home on Saturday and had misunderstood the train time. We started out for the train, but were several blocks away when it pulled out. We all decided to go and visit the Industrial School at St. Anthony, so again we attempted to catch the train going north and somehow missed that. We spent the day at Uncle Bill’s. There was quite a group of us, George and Luella, Henry Zonder and his cousin Joe, myself, Earl Nixon and Clara Denning, a cousin of mine boarding there. Uncle Bills’ son, Delbert, and his daughter Lydia Squires, and another young man, a Mr. Henry, were also there.

We played all sorts of games and spent an enjoyable afternoon. The best and longest time I ever spent in Uncle Bill’s home. The entire group went to a show that evening. The day was well spent so we did not go home. I think Luella stayed with her aunt a while, while we were in Rexburg.

Later life and memories

As related by Rose Scoresby:

Luella was always active in the church. She spent many years in Primary in different capacities. She loves little children and makes lessons really live by the effort she puts forth creating interesting visual aids. When she was released from Primary, she was put in with the small children in Sunday School where she taught devotedly and made much preparation that the children enjoyed and loved her for.

Besides raising a flock of chickens to sell and have eggs for sale. She helped with milking the herd of cows and cared for the milking machines and all of the equipment. This alone required a great deal of care. She had a raspberry patch and raised a large garden to help her large family. For a few years they planted a good size patch of peas so all the family could have all they wanted to can or freeze. They gave some to brothers or sisters who wanted them.

Luella cut potatoes in the spring for years. She also picked potatoes much longer than she should have done even though she was past 60 years of age. She helped on the potato combine.

For a year or two she worked in the potato plant, changing shifts and still doing her chores and house work. Work is her middle name and she certainly did her share of it.

Luella raised eight wonderful children besides Vera, a little girl who died at the age of 2 years, who I am sure called her blessed. She certainly was a wonderful mother, and her family proved that to be true. She was very proud of them and had every right to be. They all married in the temple except for Wendall. He did go through the temple and filled a mission. He showed his love for his mother by keeping her the best dressed lady in the ward! He sent her beautiful hats and dresses repeatedly that would be the envy of many ladies for they were top quality and fit. This was his way of saying, “I am proud of my mother.” Another of her sons filled a mission and two of them service as bishops of their respective wards.

Besides raising her own children, she also raised a boy and girl of her sister’s. She dressed them as well or better than her own, though she had to pick potatoes or work on a combine to earn the money. The girl went away one time, returning almost destitute for clothing. Luella re-clothed her through her own hard work. The boy filled a mission and treated his family with a great deal of love and respect. They were just as proud of him as they were their own.

We were very happy that she came into the family and appreciate beyond words the joy we received through her being sister to us. She enjoyed health and happiness throughout her days.

The following was written by Bertha W. Christensen:

When George and Luella lived on the dry farm at Ozone, Idaho, they liked to go to Dehlin, which was farther up in the hills and above Willow Creek. Luella’s parents and her sister, the Pearce family, lived there in the summer time and George and Luella went with team and buggy over early Sunday morning and attended Sunday School there and also sacrament meeting with her family and then spent the rest of the day with them.

They also enjoyed going to Dehlin to dances and other special occasions and either stay all night or drive home with the horses in the dark.

They often traded help with the Pearces, and one time George hauled a pig to Dehlin to have Joe help him butcher it.

Luella was very hungry for some home made butter one time. Her sister, Amanda had saved cream to make butter and Luella went to Dehlin to church. They churned until the cream went to butter and when they poured it in a pan to wash and work up, they found a dead mouse in it. The results was no more cream, no butter, lots of work, and the pigs had a rich feed!

Luella had bottled apples one time, and one day up on the dry farm, she opened a bottle and made apple pie. All who ate of the pie became ill, and on investigation, it was found the lid had not sealed good and the apples had spoiled, although they looked and tasted delicious. Luella, having been poisoned before, seemed to suffer the most of anyone and for a while her life was in great danger.

I often went to the dry farm to stay with Luella and George and help cook for the harvest men. Between meals we had a little spare time and Luella taught me how to embroider. She let me try making pies and cakes and different things. I was about 12 years old. She seemed so much like a sister to me and was always kind and considerate and would teach me how to cook. She was a very good cook and spent a lot of time preparing meals for the hungry men, and tried to think of something new each day.

Before her marriage, when Luella came to work for my mother, I had wanted some doll clothes made, and mother was too ill to make them. I asked Luella if she would make them for me, and she said she would as soon as she had time. I really worked helping her with the house work so she could get time to make some doll clothes, which she did.

George and Luella planted and raised a good garden on the dry farm. She and I would go up on the hill and pick service berries and choke cherries. She was always busy and kept her house clean and neat though it was bare floor and dirt roof.

Later, when the dry farm was sold, and they lived on an irrigated farm, she helped with chores as well as raising chickens and a garden. She was always a good help mate and companion to her husband. She also cut and picked potatoes many years and when the potato combine was brought into use, she worked on it.

No matter how tired she was, it was not too much for her to help a neighbor, friend, or relative. She both picked potatoes and worked on the combine for others who did not get their crops harvested as early as they. I’m sure she believed in the scripture, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” for she was always willing to give and share with others anything she had.

She had a strong testimony of the gospel and believed fervently in prayer, was very humble, and one who was loved by everyone.

Luella and George raised a wonderful family. All were active in the church and I’m sure they were very proud of their posterity. Luella participated in many things in the different organizations of the church and put forth much time, effort and talent in helping to carry on the work of the Lord. Many children as well as her own called her blessed.

Luella raised two children of her sister’s, and gave them of her love and strength, her work and material things just as she did her own. Her nephew, Billie, was sent on a mission and both he and his sister, Donna, had a wonderful home, and I’m sure as the years go by they will appreciate all she did for them. It seems that those added years bring something into our lives that nothing else can bring.

She had my mother in her home for about four years, and cared for her as she would her own dear mother, who died when in her early fifties. I would like to thank her and say to her, “I do appreciate what you did for mother and I love you for being such a wonderful daughter to her.”

Luella was always a sister to me, all through the years, and I would like to pay tribute to a wonderful person and to one of God’s choice daughters who is Annie Luella Ward.

I would like to dedicate the following poem to her:

Light of Love

By Elizabeth Lathrop Powers

There are no boundaries to mother-love—

It reaches out across the widening space.

There is no limit to or measure of

The ties which bind us in her close embrace.

Her love is like a searchlight in the night;

Its beams reach out to penetrate the dark

On distant scenes she concentrates the light

And finds in lonely hearts an answering spark.

Her love is like deep wells which never dry,

Despite the season’s drouth or torrid hear;

Its depths we cannot fathom or deny,

But it is pure and comforting and sweet.

Sources

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV3-V15T : 20 May 2020), Annie Luella Loveland Ward, 1977; Burial, , https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8636478/annie-luella-ward

• "Idaho, Southeast Counties Obituaries, 1864-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVSF-9PDZ : 26 July 2017), Luella Loveland in entry for Marlene Stucki, 1963; Idaho Falls Regional Family History Center, Idaho Falls; FHL microfilm 100,464,712.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHDL-TDW : accessed 4 March 2022), Luella Ward in household of George J Ward, Iona, Bonneville, Idaho, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 20, sheet , line , family , NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll ; FHL microfilm .

• "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church Census Records (Worldwide), 1914-1960", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZYXR-5DZM : 25 August 2021), Annie Loveland Ward in entry for George J. Ward, 1935.