Of course the year 1884 is an important one to me - because I made my arrival to the Earth that year on the 11th day of November. Also it has been important to me because the Logan Temple was dedicated at that time.

I was born to Hyrum Rowley and Mary Louisa Ames Ransom, in the little community of Trenton, Cache Co., Utah. There was also an older brother to welcome me. I was the second child in a family of ten children.

My parents were really proud of me. They have often told me how cute they thought I was. My eyes were dark and my hair black and curly.

Aunt Hannah, my mother's sister, came to stay with us, to be our nurse and housekeeper for a couple of weeks, and a very good one she was.

When I was very small my parents took my older brother and me to the Logan temple and we were sealed to our parents. They were sealed to each other.

Mother and father were truly of pioneer stock and loved the principles of the Gospel.

An early outstanding story to me is the one of the birth and death of the Savior. I shall always remember how I cried when mother told me of the crucifixion. This story has been a wonderful part of my life.

My parents gathered their belongings and with us children, moved to Cleveland, Bannock County, Idaho and had a homestead there.

As children, Hyrum and I had many good times together. In the winter, when the snow was crusted, we would take our hand sleigh upon the hill near our home. We would get on it together and sail down the hill at great speed, over the canal, and barb wire fence and down through the field. What a thrill!

Spring and summer also brought fun to us. Hyrum and I would often climb the hillside to hunt segos. We liked horses. Ofttimes we would catch grasshoppers, tie strings to their wings and pull off the back legs and play they were horses. We amused ourselves this way many times.

We lived at Lago for a while. Here we would go looking for wild strawberries. Mother often said if she could see Hyrum she knew I was close by, for we were always together.

The ice hadn't al melted on Cottonwood Creek by March and it was just such a March in 1895 when I was baptized by my father. How cold the water was!

I like to think about our trip to Blue Valley, Utah. We left Cleveland, Idaho in the month of April. Our covered wagon was packed with food, clothing, and bedding. Uncle John Walton and Aunt Charity, with their one child, Darwin, accompanied us with their covered wagon.

The first night of our journey we camped by the little mountain over to Clifton, Idaho. We enjoyed the campfire and slept upon the ground. Going through Salt Lake City was a great event. It was a small city at that time, but we children were curious and would look out from under the wagon cover to see the sights. At Provo, Utah, we enjoyed seeing a balloon going high into the air.

Mother's cousin, Mary Ann Covert, lived at Big Cottonwood, south of Salt Lake. We stayed overnight with them. I played ball with the girls, Lottie and Olive Covert.

We only lived at Blue Valley two years, then moved back to Cleveland, Idaho. It was good to be back where we had once lived.

It was in the early spring and father went to shear sheep. He bought a tent and we lived in it for a while. I shall never forget the sound of the rain as it fell on the tent.

What a beautiful springtime! The grass was so green, and wild flowers were everywhere. There was lots of wild fruit that we enjoyed and mother made lots of chokecherry jelly in the fall.

We all loved to go fishing. With fish lines made of thread and a dry willow for a pole. Bait consisted of grasshoppers, worms, and bullheads. The streams were abundant with trout. Ofttimes we children would catch fish on Uncle George Ransom's field when they came down the canal at irrigating time. There were may wild chickens to be found also.

We lived on Cottonwood Creek at Cleveland, and there were several other large families living there also.

Our school was about three miles distance. The school house was a one-room building with six windows, three on either side, with a large heating stove in the center of the room. Wood was used for fuel.

Children would gather together and be off to school in a crowd. We would put our dinner pails in the windows. A large bucket of water was brought from a spring nearby, and we al drank from one tin cup, often lining up for a drink. A common expression heard was "I speak next".

There was only one teacher for all grades. We were not allowed to draw pictures on our slates or paper except on certain days, but school was fun.

As years went by we had more teachers and better schools. The nearest high school was at Preston, Idaho, that was twenty-five miles away, so anyone attending would need to live in Preston, due to travel conditions.

I never made it to high school, so I launched a housekeeping career. First I worked for Mrs. Robins at Thatcher, wages $1.25 a week. My work consisted of washing dishes, cleaning floors, doing washing, ironing, making beds, sweeping, and taking care of the six-month old baby. I stayed there nine weeks.

As I continued to work my wages became better. First $2.00, the $4.00, and then up to $5.00, but I didn't think that was bad, as money had more value than it does today.

I had a wonderful teen-age life. Everyone enjoyed each other. Our entertainment was mostly dancing. Dancing was my hobby.

A dressmaking course was given at Cleveland by Eva Larson from Clifton, Idaho. It was of much benefit to me. There were eight students taking the course.

There were always celebrations at Christmas and on the 24th of July. Children's dances, picnic lunches, Santa Claus programs for the occasion, sports in summer, picnics, ice cream, horse races, pulling matches, foot races, everything to bring competition and enjoyment.

Church was my choice of all things. All the young people walked to Church, when the weather was good, and all enjoyed doing it. We walked in groups and had lots of fun.

Sunday School started at 11 o'clock and Sacrament meeting followed immediately after. Mutual came on Tuesday and I would call for friends or they would call for me.

Primary came of Friday. I taught a Primary class also a kindergarten class in Sunday School. I was President of the Y.W.M.I.A. for two years. Enjoyment has come through being a Relief Society visiting teacher for twenty-five years. The first year after being married I taught Grade School.

After many dates and dances with friends and people I knew, I was married to Preston Sant the 16th day of July 1909, in Logan, Cache County, Utah.

We left home (Cleveland) in the morning in a white-top buggy, in the company of my mother and father.

We left the horses and buggy at Preston, Idaho and continued our trip to Logan, Utah by train. After we were married we came back to Preston and did some shopping, staying that night in a hotel and went home the next day. Pret had to be back to work.

Our first home was on my homestead consisting of 160 acres of land and a one-room building. It was necessary to live upon the homestead for three months out of the year to prove upon it and get the deed for the property.

After we finished our term upon the land, Pret filed upon another 320 acres of land on Hoopes Creek. I learned what it was to be a homesteader. Fun? Yes, we had lots of enjoyment from these projects and got along fine. Hard work was necessary though, water to carry, wood to find and cut. Pret was away a good deal of the time working elsewhere.

On June 13, 1910 our twin boys were born at Treasureton, they were the thrill of our lives.

We were at Seth Sant's home (Pret's brother) staying for a while waiting for our next blessed event, to be nearer a doctor. Wanda made her debut the 24th of April, 1913, at Thatcher.

Before I was up and around again an earthquake occurred and I couldn't imagine what was going on for a few minutes.

In 1915 on the third day of August, Mary Alice was born. She had black hair and a round red face. I planned right then and there for a red ribbon for her. Elsie Sant came to stay and help me for about ten days.

Pret was really a proud papa!

Sixteen months later another blue-eyed girl arrived on the 22 of December, 1916. This was Pearl.

We were doubly blessed in 1919 on the 8th day of May. Twin girls came to dwell with us. We called them Utahna and Fontella. They were born at Cleveland, Idaho.

When they were three weeks old I was operated on and one kidney was removed. I was very sick for a long time. I left my babies with Pret's sister, Eliza Johnson, and she cared for them for better than two months.

Three years later another boy was added to our family. Born on the 7th of June, 1922. His name was George Vermill. Before his birth I stayed for short period of time with Uncle George and Aunt Hannah as I had been very ill.

This same year we moved to Black Diamond, Washington. We only stayed about six months and moved back to Thatcher.

We lost our oldest daughter, Wanda, soon after we returned in July 31, 1923, of complications following typhoid fever.

We went again to Black Diamond in 1924. The next year, 1925, on the 26th day of June, Phyllis Ann was born to us there.

We had moved many times and after we returned to Idaho again we lived for a while at Cleveland and then at Thatcher. While we were living here I availed myself of a course in nursing which I enjoyed very much.

Here my children attended school and high school. All but two graduated there.

During this time Pret became ill. He was a farmer, but worked at many other kinds of work as well. After a major operation he passed away on the 31 of December, 1932.

I continued to live at Thatcher after his death. As time passed the children found work and were married.

I was operated on for ruptured appendix. They had broken for three days. I was sick for quite a time.

After George graduated he went to San Diego, California. He had been down there some time when I decided to go down and visit with him and see how things were working out for him. From there I went to Seattle. After arriving here I decided to try to get work, and did, at Boeing Aircraft factory. I worked regularly and enjoyed learning this new kind of work. I liked the steady income and the wages were good.

The early spring of 1943 found me in Preston, Idaho again. I stayed here a couple of years. Phyllis completed and graduated from Preston High School.

I moved to Logan from Preston, and obtained work at Logan Cache Knitting company. I really enjoyed living in Logan. I made Church going a habit and enjoyed going to the Temple.

George came home from serving in the Air Force and soon married and made his home there. Utahna lived in Logan also. Phyllis was married and lived nearby.

Another operation came while I was living in Logan. Care and rest was necessary so I quit my job.

I went to Salt Lake to stay with Fontella and her husband, Dr. Leslie Fillmore. After his internship was finished, he located at Baker, Oregon. They invited me to make my home with them. I maintain this to be my headquarters now.

I have enjoyed my many new friends, also my life-long ones. I love my ward in the Church and at present am serving as a Stake Missionary.

I am now in my 73rd year. I have been a member of this wonderful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since I was eleven years old.

I am thankful for my heritage. I feel that my children are loading honorable lives. They have been taught to obey the Church laws. The three boys hold the priesthood, Norman being a High Priest, Noel an Elder and doing missionary work, George is and Elder and lives in Ogden, Utah. The girls have held different jobs in Church organizations.

I have been richly blessed and I pray and have desires that my family will be obedient and serve God with faith and repentance. That they will realize the importance of research and temple work. I am deeply interested in Genealogy and hope to learn more about it.

I have nine children, eight living, forty-two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

I have enjoyed many beauties of nature, also read many wonderful books, including the Standard Works of the Church. I have traveled and seen many beautiful places, and I love to write a bit of poetry once in a while.

Yes! I am richly blessed.

(The above sketch was written by Mary Elizabeth (Libby) Ransom Sant and read by her daughter Alice Sant Coburn at the Ransom Family Reunion on June 27, 1959)