both were very careful of the example they set before their children. Mother would often parch some barley or toast some bread and make a drink as if it were coffee. Their example has had a wonderful influence with their posterity even down to the latter generation now living. Very few break the Word of Wisdom and I think they all belong to the church.
        That was Mother’s last visit to Salt Lake City. I remember we visited at Fred Brewster’s home. He was the husband of Aunt Mary Ann, my mother’s sister. She had died in January 1880, at the age of thirty five. She was the mother of Maggie Brewster Bachellot and Fred Brewster, Jr., who often visited t our home, and Fred was living with our family at the time of Mother’s death.
        My mother’s name was Ellen Widdison, born May 9, 1849, in Nottingham, England. She was the daughter of William Widdison and Ellen Stafford. She had the following named sisters and one brother: Jane Widdison, Born June 11, 1842; Mary Ann Widdison, born May 1, 1844; Elizabeth Widdison, born December 11, 1846. Ellen was next in order. Thomas was born in1852, but died in infancy. Heber William was born January 29, 1855 and just twelve days after his father’s death. The Widdison family were friends and converts to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The date for the father’s baptism was set and all arrangements for the same were made, but unfortunately, he was killed by accident, in a coal mine a few days before the day which was set for his baptism. The untimely accidental death was a severe blow to the family who had hoped that all would soon be going to Zion. The father was not quite forty two years old. The mother, at the age of thirty six was left to take care of the children and direct the activities of the family alone. Jane was the oldest child, just past twelve years of age when the father was killed. If the children wanted to go to Zion, they must work and earn and save. The desire to go to Zion was uppermost in their minds. It was the subject talked about and sung about, in the home and at church or wherever some of the Saints would gather together. A very popular hymn was "Ye Elders of Israel come join now with me and search out the righteous wherever they be."
        In the course of time, Ellen Stafford Widdison married Francis White. I don’t know that date of their marriage, but their daughter Eliza Ann was born June 1, 1862. Neither do I know the date of the death of Francis White. When my mother, Ellen Widdison came to America In 1869, she brought with her the little sister, Eliza Ann, seven years of age. I have before mentioned that with my mother on that tiresome trip was Father’s Sister Ann and my Uncle Thomas, also Polly Squires, a sister of Jos Squires. My mother was twenty years old and just four months older than Aunt Ann. Uncle Thomas was two years younger than Aunt Ann.
        It is not hard to understand why strong hearts were drawn together by the ties of love when other former friends deserted them, because they had joined an unpopular church. They were happy in knowing the true gospel of Jesus Christ and that it had been restored to earth again with its former gifts and blessings and that is what meant most to them. To obtain the blessings, they must obey its teachings. So there were three girls that could not be separated until they reached Zion and were married: My mother Ellen Widdison, Ann Winterton, who married Geo. W. Noakes and Polly Squires, who married Geo. Oler and lived in American Fork, she being the sister of Joseph Squires who married Mother’s sister Elizabeth.