Laura Ann Burr (1860 - 1954)

Born 26 Apr 1860 in Payson, Utah, Utah, USA

Ancestors

Wife of George Birch Waters — married 10 Aug 1879 in Burrville, Sevier, Utah, USA

Descendants

Died 24 Aug 1954 at age 94 in Rigby, Jefferson, Idaho, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Allen [send private message]

Biography

Note: Laura was the youngest of nine children. During her childhood, she lived in Payson, Utah with her parents, spending the summers in the mountains above Payson at Walker's Flat, where her father operated a sawmill. She completed fourth grade in Payson.

Laura's family moved to Grass Valley when she was about fifteen years old. On 24 Nov 1875, Laura and her mother arrived in the valley, the only two women who spent the winter of 1875-76 in that part of Grass Valley. There were no neighbors for miles around, and Laura got very lonesome and homesick. Her only sister had married in 1873.

Sarah and her daughter Laura had a frightful experience in the snow on 2 Jan 1876. They had gone to Glenwood Cove to visit relatives and friends on Christmas day of 1875, and were returning on 2 Jan when the team of horses got stuck. The snow was very deep, and when the team gave out, the driver decided to return to the Cove. Sarah and Laura continued on foot. Sarah's account in her diary reads:

Thursday 30 cold snow clouds went to Mrs. Petersons

friday 31 cleare cold went to Mrs petersons to the Store Laura gone to the dance with Adam a fixen to go to Grass valley we here the snow is three feet deep up there. This ends the yeare

January

Saturday 1 a pleasant day a mackin my bonet

Sunday2 a goying to Grass valley got Stuck will went back we cam on a foot 6 or 7 miles found a colt got it up it came after us a young Gentelman came after it we rode home with him his name was Samuel Kay if it hadn't a been for him we would of stade out.

According to Laura's account, she and her mother were wearing long skirts as they broke the snow, and their dresses became increasingly heavy as they became crusted with ice and snow. With snow threefeet deep, it was a dangerous and difficult hike. They arrived home wet and cold, and Sarah contracted sciatic rheumatism, from which she suffered for several weeks. This event became another important memory for Sarah for she recorded a year later, "Just one year ago today Laura and I traveled over the mountains."

When she was seventeen, she met and fell in love with George Birch Waters. She saved her money from doing housework at 50 cents a week, and with the money, she purchased material to fashion her trousseau. It consisted of two pair of pillow cases, five quilts, a feather bed and a calico shirt for George to be married in. She did all the sewing on her wedding dress by hand. It consisted of a lovelycanary yellow cotton dress, which cost about 12 cents a yard. The basque and skirt were fashioned with knife-pleats, as sewn by her sister, Jane. She wore woolen and cotton underskirts, home-knitted cotton stockings and high-buttoned shoes. George wore a tailor-made woolen suit from the Provo Woolen Mills, and his calico shirt. They were married by Justice of Peace, John Kirkham. No ring was given or marriage license required. Most of the townspeople attended their wedding. Two months later, they made the 200 mile trip south to St. George, Utah were they had their marriage sealed in the Mormon Temple there by Elder David E. Cannon. They made the trip profitable by taking a wagon load of grain to St. George and a load of fruit back to Burrville. The trip took nearly two weeks.

When Charles Ellis was born in 1891, Laura was stricken with what they called bed fever, and they feared she would lose her life, but she recovered and was restored to health. Both baby and mother seemed fine until a few months later the baby died suddenly.

While they spent the winter months in Burrville, they enjoyed many social functions. They would take the babies with them when they attended socials and dances in Koosharem, the nearest town. The babies and small children would be put to bed on benches while the parents danced to their heart's content. They would take refreshments to have later on during the evening. The late picnic lunches revived their weariness so they might dance an hour or so longer. George put sleigh runners on his wagon for winter, and when they left, since his team was well trined, he could head the team of horses home and snuggle up under the heavy, hand-sewn quilts to keep warm. Young and old alike enjoyed the sleigh rides.

On 26 Sep 1901, Laura and her family moved to Idaho.

When their son Deloss' wife died, Laura and George took the three older children, Myrtle (age 4), Edna (age 3) and Lafell (age 2) and raised them for 8 years. When Deloss remarried, the children wentto live with their father and step-mother.

Laura died of a cerebral hemorhage and was buried in Pioneer Cemetery in Rigby, Idaho.

Ref: Family group record - George Birch Waters

George Birch Waters (Ancestral File - ver 4.11)

Death certifate - Laura Ann Waters

Ref (1) says Laura was born in Payson, Salt Lake County, Utah, but Payson is in Utah County.

Census

Date: AUG 1860

Place: Pondtown, Utah, Utah, USA

Note: with parents and six siblings, father a sawyer

Date: 1870

Place: Payson, Utah, Utah, USA

Note: with parents and three siblings, father a sawyer

Date: 1880

Place: Burrville, Sevier, Utah, USA

Note: with husband

Date: 1900

Place: Burrville, Sevier, Utah, USA

Note: with husband and seven children

Date: 1910

Place: Rudy, Fremont, Idaho, USA

Note: with husband, five children and two grand children

Date: 1920

Place: Rigby, Jefferson, Idaho, USA

Note: with husband and grandson

Date: 1930

Place: Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, USA

Note: with son, now widowed

Burial

Date: 28 AUG 1954

Place: Rigby, Jefferson, Idaho, USA

Research Notes

(1) "The life history of Ruth and Arthur Powell" - compiled by Beth Howarth

and Anna Jean Sweat (1998) - p. 36

Ref: Pedigree chart - Leorial Waters

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Alger Family Historian.

Sources

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #14162905 (accessed 28 March 2024)
  Memorial page for Laura Ann Burr Waters (26 Apr 1860-24 Aug 1954), citing Rigby Pioneer Cemetery, Rigby, Jefferson County, Idaho, USA; Maintained by Collins Crapo (contributor 669).
• Source: S212 Diane Stamps, Stamps Web Site MyHeritage.com family tree Added by confirming a Smart Match

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Burr-158 created through the import of Salmon tree.ged on May 31, 2011 by Rena Brewin.