52 Ancestors - #4 Edna Virginia Sparks

Virginia Age 14

Edna Virginia Sparks was born April 7, 1903 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah.  She was the seventh child of Benjamin Walter and Jane Hilda Fredricka Nielson Sparks.  She went by Virginia and was most likely named after her father's home state.  Older siblings include:  Benjamin Hume (Hume); Hilda Ada (Ada); Claude Ivan (Ivan); Lillian May (Lillian); Walter Nielson (Walter); and, Myrtle June (June).  She was followed by  Rachel Marie, who was the final child.

Ephraim is a small agricultural town located in central Utah.  It was settled in the mid 1850s by Mormon pioneers.  The majority of the population for several years consisted of Mormon immigrants from Denmark, Sweden and Norway.  This industrious group cleared the land and tilled the soil.  At one point, Sanpete County was known as the "Granary of Utah."

Virginia always taught her children and grandchildren the importance of loving and supporting family members.  This was a significant factor in the survival of her family when her father passed away unexpectedly in 1909.  He succumbed to injuries sustained in a fall from horse in a November blizzard.

At the time Virginia was only six and her oldest brother was only 16.  The family pulled together to make ends meet and stay together.  Her maternal grandparents and uncles helped the family as well as they all worked together to maintain their home.  This caring and sharing extended throughout their lives. Family and extended family were always welcome at each others homes and the brothers and sisters continued to help each other whenever they were needed.

Boyd & Iris

Virginia married Wilford Guy Lunn on August 6, 1925 in Manti.  They had two children, Boyd and Iris.  Making their home in Salt Lake City beginning in 1927, they raised their children near Liberty Park enjoying both city and country lifestyles as they visited the farm and fish hatchery operated by Guy and his brother Gary.  Visits back to Ephraim were provided bonding opportunities with cousins, aunts, uncles and Virginia's mother.

For a school assignment, I interviewed about current events of the 1920s. The following are her responses to some of those questions.

• President Wilson:  (I felt he was an intelligent person, and I knew he was a professor at one of the Ivy League schools and he seemed to be a member of the social group."
• League of Nations:  "I felt that the League of Nations was a good idea and I think we should have joined."
• Fashion:  "I liked the fashions and have always like the fashions of the day.  I liked the one-piece bathing suit."
• Talkies:  "I thought talkies were magnificent and fabulous.  My favorites were Al Jolson, Ralph Bellamy, Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford and Bette Davis." 
• Modern conveniences:  We had a beautiful radio, a Eureka vacuum, a new model iced refrigerator, and an electric washing machine.
  We got a new car every two years.  We usually had Chevies, four-door sedans.  When your mother was born, we had a 1926 Model A Ford Sports Coupe with a crank."



Iris, Virginia & Rhoda Lunn

• Charles Lindbergh:  "I thought he was a miracle man - everyone else felt this way also.  No one then realized what aviation would really mean to America and the world.  I can still remember when my son went down to see Lindbergh at Liberty Park."  

Virginia's loving, happy homelife would once again be altered by unexpected circumstances.  In 1934, Guy was kicked by a horse on a hunting trip.  The injury would turn into carcinoma of the leg and be the cause of his death in May, 1935.

Robert & Virginia at their home on
McClelland Street

In 1938, Virginia married Robert H. McCune (Mac) on Valentine's Day.  This romantic start lasted through 34 years of marriage.  Together they would experience the war years with its stresses, sorrows and rationing; work related transfers and resulting separation from family; tragedy with the untimely death of Boyd; health issues, and the infirmities associated with aging.

With their out of state work assignments, Virginia and Mac visited Utah at every opportunity to spend time with their children and grandchildren. These visits often coincided with holidays like Christmas and the Fourth of July.  In addition, they would often invite one of the grandchildren to accompany them home for a week or two of one on one time.  This was often spent on the road with Grandma and Grandpa as Grandpa made service calls for his work.  Grandchildren became familiar with Cheyenne, Riverton and the Wind River Valley, Thermopolis and its thermal wonders; and the highway from Salt Lake to Cheyenne including Evanston, Little America, Green River, Rock Springs, Rawlins, and Laramie.

Assigned to Denver in the late 50s and early 60s, Virginia and Mac would welcome family and friends to their home in the suburb of Englewood.  Summer vacations would include visits to the Denver Museum of Natural History, rowing boats on the lake at the Denver City Park, Estes Park, Royal Gorge, and Colorado Springs and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

With her children grown, Virginia was able to devote time to her hobbies.  These included:

Virginia, granddaughter & Bingo

• Dog breeding and showing - Virginia raised black cocker spaniels and spent many hours grooming and training them for dog shows.  Her champion female, Bingo, won many ribbons.
• Ceramics - Using her artistic talent, Virginia made many pieces that were given to family and friends as well as decorative items for holiday celebrations and functional household items.  She shared her talent with her grandchildren on their visits showing them how to clean greenware, painting and firing items of their very own.
• Sewing - An excellent seamstress, Virginia made wardrobe enhancements for her grandchildren and helped with school clothes as they grew.

Family was always an important part of Virginia's life.  She spent time with family members whenever possible.  Frequent trips were made to Ephraim to visit her sisters and brothers.  For several years her sister June and her family lived across the street from the Lunn/McCune family on McClelland.  June's sons, Robert and Cornell were more like brothers to Boyd and Iris.

Lillian Rust, Virginia McCune,
June Blackham & Rachel Mortensen

The sisters all remained close even when separated by many miles geographically.  Letters and family pictures were regularly exchanged.  Pictured are the four surviving sisters at a gathering in Ephraim at the home of Rachel.  Death was the only separation they could not overcome.  Ada passed away in 1916 due to complications from childbirth; Rachel passed away in 1983 due to cancer; and Virginia passed away August 29, 1988 from heart disease and complications following surgery.  Lillian and June would join their sisters and ancestors in 1993 and 1996 respectively.

52 Ancestors #3 Wilford Guy Lunn

Wilford Guy Lunn is the grandfather I never had the opportunity to know.  He passed away when my mother was only eight years old.

Standing:  Rex, Gary, Clarice & Guy
Seated:  David, Rhoda & Elwood

Guy was born August 4, 1903 to David and Rhoda Ann Morgan Lunn.  The family was living in the area of Salt Lake City known as Millcreek.  He was the fifth child and the third son.  His older siblings include:  David Gerald, known as Gary; Rhoda Clarice, known as Clarice; Rex Morgan; and, Viola Albertha, who passed away before Guy was born.  A younger brother, Elwood would join the family in 1905.

The family lived on what is now 3300 South just above Highland Drive.  Mom remembers a large chicken coop at the back of the property and an orchard.

Boyd & Iris at 8th East home

Since I do not have any additional information on the early years of Guy's life, I will jump to his marriage and family.  On August 6, 1925, Guy Lunn and Edna Virginia Sparks were married in Manti, Sanpete, Utah.

The couple welcomed two children, Boyd R Lunn and Iris Hilda Lunn.  The young family moved to the Lunn farm in Salt Lake County.  The farm included a fish hatchery where city folk could come to fish and enjoy a rural setting and fishermen who had been skunked could stop on the way home to"catch" dinner.  The Lunn family also raised Clydesdale horses.

I found an advertisement placed in the Salt Lake Tribune during the summer of 1932 for the Lunn's farm under the name of Clear View Fishing Farm.  The ad read:

"Go Trout Fishing

Tackle furnished, no license required, legal size 10 cents each; place to eat your lunch and for children to learn how to fish.  Your evening, drv 9th E or Highland Dr.

Clear View Fishing Farm

56th So bet. 9th E and Highland Dr.

For information, Holladay 87-J-2"

Gary with two Clydesdales

Guy was in business with his brother Gary.  In addition to the farm, they had a hotel in downtown Salt Lake.  There was a café, G & G Café, in the hotel.  The café menu featured fresh-caught rainbow trout from hatchery.

When Boyd started school, his mother discovered the school was quite a distance from the farm.  She decided it was time to move to the city for the safety of the children.  Their first home was on 8th East near Virginia's Aunt Hannah.  They soon moved to a home on McClelland Street.

Each summer the family would spend two weeks at a cabin at Fish Lake.  Fish Lake has been a popular fishing spot for generations of Utahns. An avid fisherman, Guy enjoyed getting up early to go after the large lake trout which drew anglers from the West to Fish Lake.

Mom remembers that her father would rent two motor boats each summer so there would be one for the adults for fishing and one for the younger set to explore.  Two of her cousins were included in these outings which created lasting memories.  One summer, the actor Wallace Berry was spending time at Fish Lake during the Lunns' annual visit.  The cousins followed Mr. Berry and his female companion around the lake for an afternoon.

My mother has additional memories of Sunday rides with her family and her Lunn grandparents.  Sunday dress was mandatory for these occasions even if the destination was in the nearby canyons.

Guy also enjoyed hunting.  In the fall of 1934, he went on a hunting trip in the Utah mountains where he was kicked in the leg by a horse.  This injured turned into a carcinoma.  For a reason not known to his family, he refused to have his leg amputated.  He passed away May 5, 1935.

In later research I discovered his uncle, William Gordon, has passed away from complications following a leg amputation.  I have wondered if that memory influenced his decision.

The notice of his death in the Salt Lake Tribune on May 6, 1935, read: "Complications resulting from injuries last fall when he was kicked by a horse while on a hunting trip, were fatal to Wilford Guy Lunn, 31, who died Sunday at 10:15 a.m. in a local hospital.

Mr. Lunn had been in a serious condition at the hospital several weeks prior to his death.

A son of David and Rhoda A. Lunn, Mr. Lunn was born in Salt lake City, August 4, 1903.  He was the husband of Mrs. Virginia Sparks Lunn.

Surviving are his widow, his mother, two children, Iris and Boyd Lunn; three brothers, Gary, Rex and Elwood Lunn, and a sister, Mrs. Clarice L. Waller, all of Salt Lake City."

52 Ancestors #2 Edith Louise Backman

Edith Louise Backman

For my second ancestor, I selected my paternal grandmother and wife of John Eldridge Backman. They were a beautiful couple and it just didn't seem right to separate them for long.

Edith was born June 30, 1896 to William Jacob and Edith Louise Gill Backman.  As was the custom of the time, she was born at home.  Edith was the third of seven children: five boys; two girls.  She was preceded by an older brother, William David, who was born in 1891 and an older sister, Evelyn, who was born in 1894.  She was followed by four brothers:  Richard Samuel in 1899; Franklin Gill in 1901; Herbert Spencer in 1903; and, George Siegfried in 1909.

Edith, nicknamed Babe, she remembered her home as a place filled with love and guided by kind, understanding parents.  The family home at 42 Jeremy Street would be welcoming place for generations of offspring.

42 Jeremy Street with little Bill, William, Edith,
Ruth Gill and baby Evelyn

The family knew its share of grief as two of their cherished little ones did not survive childhood.  Little Richard died shortly after his birth and Evelyn passed away in 1902 at the age of eight.

In 1918, she met her future husband, John Eldridge Martin, a young farm boy/soldier from Oklahoma.  In January 1920, the young couple traveled by train to Oklahoma where Babe get meet and get acquainted with her Martin family.  She recalls this as a wonderful time quilting with "Mother Martin" and her new sisters. There was a lot of laughter and good food shared during the visit as well.

Donna, Edith & John

The newlyweds lived with her parents at 42 Jeremy Street.  It was here their first child was born on November 5, 1919.  Unfortunately, little Edyth died at birth.  The young parents were devastated which made it easy for them to stay on at the Jeremy Street house.  Their second child was born on May 16, 1921.  Little Donna had lots of beautiful, black curly hair and brought joy and happiness to the young parents.

Early in 1922, the young couple bought their first home at 221 North 8th West in Salt Lake City.  It was here that their first son, John David, was born on June 19, 1922.  Babe remembered missing her mother tremendously as she took care of the two little babies.  She commented that with the patience and love of her husband she was soon able to "grow up" and care for the babies by herself.

Donna and little Jack were joined by brother William (Bill) in January 1925.  Shortly after Bill's birth, Babe's mother was diagnosed with cancer.  She passed away in September and the little family was asked to move back to Jeremy Street to help her father and his young sons.

Family at home on Jeremy
Donna, Babe, Jack
Bill, Jack & Evelyn

In late 1928 or early 1929, the family moved to a home of their own at 1054 Harvard Avenue.  It was here that son John would meet his future wife (the little girl next door), Iris Lunn.  The family lived here for two years and welcomed another daughter, Evelyn on October 30, 1930.

The Depression hit the family hard and in 1932, they decided to move to Ogden in hopes of finding a better situation.  This was a very difficult period for the family as Father Jack was injured in an automobile accident and finances were extremely tight.  Babe remembers gathering around the kitchen table with the little ones on Saturday mornings making out the grocery list.  They would then count the money in the kitty and make a new list leaving off the things they could do without.  Tomatoes were 25 cents a bushel and Babe canned tomatoes and "windfall" apples the children were able to gather.

While the family made some wonderful friends in Ogden, Jack decided to put in for a transfer to the Salt Lake Sears store and move the family back to Salt Lake.  Late in May 1936, the family returned to 42 Jeremy Street.  The family would remain in this home until the 1950s and all the children had gone out on their own.

Babe had a beautiful singing voice and provided comfort for many families when she sang at funeral services.  She sang in many choirs and performed duets on several occasions with one of her neighbors, Earl Martin (no relation).  She was also an accomplished pianist and accompanied many church groups.  She remembered playing many times with one of her children snuggled next to her on the piano bench.

Nanny, as she was known to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, was my first piano teacher.  I am so grateful for her patience and love as she worked with little fingers as they struggled to hit the right notes and get the timing just right.

Nan baked wonderful bread and cinnamon rolls.  Many of us looked forward to the warm birthday cinnamon rolls she delivered with a smile on our special day.  At both the Jeremy house and her later home on Pierpont, she had a large drawer where she stored her flour.  All of the granddaughters remember spending happy moments sifting flour for Nan wearing a dish towel apron.

John and Babe at home

From the mid 1950s to their deaths, Nanny and Gramp lived on Pierpont Avenue.  They created a
wonderful welcoming home with a beautiful patio and a yard.  Many special events and simple Sunday evening get-togethers were enjoyed with family and friends.  The kitchen was a magnet for both the female and male members of the family.  There was always a bottle of cold creme soda in the refrigerator and a cookie or two in the cookie jar.  Cleaning up after family functions was not a chore as laughter and teasing among aunts and cousins made light work of the job.

Childhood memories of time spent with Nanny:

• Going to lunch at Keely's (a downtown Salt Lake restaurant that had mirrors lining facing walls creating endless images of diners) followed by a movie or shopping
• Walking along the tracks by the Jeremy house
• Creating "crossed swords" from crossed straight pins placed on the railroad tracks for a train to run over
• Singing along to Sons of the Pioneers records
• Eating breakfast with Grandpa and drinking Postum
• Changing Pinocchio's nose

Edith Louise Backman Martin passed away March 11, 1983.  Her family cherishes the many memories of wonderful times spent with her.

Jack and Babe with their first car

52 Ancestors Blog Challenge - Ancestor #1 John Eldridge Martin

I ran across this challenge to those with family history blogs and thought it was a worthwhile goal.  I am already behind so I am going to start with an easy ancestor, my paternal grandfather, John Eldridge Martin.  His story begins in the Indian Territory now known as Oklahoma.

Grandpa was born October 14, 1895 in Earl, Johnston, Indian Territory.  Earl was located in the portion designated as the Chickasaw Nation. His sister Bessie was born in 1897 and in 1898 the family moved to Alvin, Texas, which was just three miles inland from Galveston.  His brother Walter was born there in 1899. The family made this move to take advantage of the better economy and job opportunities available near Galveston.

On September 8, 1900, the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history hit Galveston.  Killing more than 6,000 people, Grandpa's family lost all of their possessions.  His Grandpa Duncan would pass away about six weeks later from injuries sustained during the storm.  See a brief video describing the devastation caused by this storm http://on.natgeo.com/SsqoeF.

The family made their way back to Indian Territory to start over once again grateful that their little family was still all together. Grandpa said they felt like pioneers in a new land.  Starting school in the Territory many of Grandpa's classmates and friends were Choctaw Indians.

Alexander C Martin family about 1901

The family settled on a farm about five miles from Mannsville.  The family continued to grow with sisters Verna Leann coming along on November 4, 1901, Ora Mae on November 29, 1903, and brother William Alexander on July 13, 1906.

In 1909, the Indian Territory became the state of Oklahoma.  The family continued to grow:  Edith Bertia was born January 16, 1910; Don Edward on January 8, 1912; Vieva Rebecca on July 4, 1914, Ethel Marita on October 28, 1917; and, Kenneth Paul on October 17, 1922 (almost four months after the birth of my father).

As the oldest child, Jack learned early to accept responsibility.  While his father worked at the family store in Mannsville, he would work on the farm and help his mother with the house and other children.

Fort Douglas Museum & Parade Ground

Finances were always tight and in 1917, Jack enlisted in the Army in Ardmore, Oklahoma.  He was immediately sent to Fort Logan in Colorado where he was sworn in and assigned to the 20th Infantry based at Fort Douglas, Utah.  The map shows the layout of Fort Douglas in 1915.

During World War I Fort Douglas was an important mobilization and training military base. The soldiers received many invitations to community events and dances. Grandpa vividly remembered attending a performance of the Messiah in the Mormon Tabernacle.  In February 1918, he was invited to a dance at the Knights of Pythias Hall given by the Girls Friendly Association of the Episcopal Church. It was here he met his future wife, Edyth Louise Backman (nicknamed Babe).

They were married on June 25, 1918, just three days before Jack was to leave Fort Douglas.  The young couple didn't know where he was being sent.  Luckily the assignment was not overseas, but to
Camp Funston near Fort Riley, Kansas.  Jack remained here for the remainder of the war and was discharged in February, 1919 and he returned to his bride in Salt Lake City.

Their first child, a daughter they named Edyth, was born on November 5, 1919.  Unfortunately this beautiful little girl with beautiful black hair died shortly after birth.  The couple continued to live with Babe's parents as they regrouped following the death of their child.

On May 16, 1921 their second child, Donna was born.  Donna was followed quickly by the birth of their first son, Jack on June 19, 1922.  Another son, Bill, followed on January 29, 1925.  Their last child, a daughter they named Evelyn, was born October 9, 1930.

Grandpa had several occupations during his life.  After his discharge from the Army, he worked at Sugar House Lumber; during the depression the family moved to Ogden in an effort to make ends meet.  Here he worked for Sears in the plumbing department.  As for most folks in the country, this was a difficult time for the family.  It became harder when Grandpa was injured in a car accident.  He suffered a Y fracture in his neck and spent a few weeks in the hospital and then more weeks at home in a body cast.

Returning to Salt Lake, the family again lived on Jeremy Street.  At the suggestion and encouragement of his father-in-law, Grandpa went into business for himself installing furnaces.

Grandpa truly lived the adage: "I never met a man (woman or child) that I didn't like."  His warm, friendly personality made everyone happy to be around him.  His willingness to help others was a great example to all of us.  Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were taught "Old Dan Tucker," bounced on his knee, and cuddled.  Many of us enjoyed following along to work with him before there was a "Take your daughter/son (grandson/granddaughter) to work Day."

Grandpa loved fun.  For his 80th birthday, his brothers and sisters came to Salt Lake City to celebrate. I remember going with him to the airport to pick up his brothers Don and Ken.  Like three young boys they kidded, bumped and teased each other all along the terminal as we headed to the car.

Sadly, six weeks later Grandpa passed away but what a wonderful legacy he left!