Coming to America

As we were about to arrive in Washington the Porter came to our compartment and said a gentleman would like to see us and would we follow him. Surprised, we did so and met an elderly gentleman who introduced himself as a friend of President Grant who was then President and Prophet of the Church. He said he learned that there were two LDS ladies aboard the train and thought we might like to see the Capitol building by night as we were leaving the City. It was a beautiful sight. It was flood-lit and seemed to rise from the ground as the view receded. We were in the observation car. Things like this make us realize how kind most people are. We learned from the Porter later that this gentleman was *President of the Union Pacific and other railways.

*Note: Hester doesn't mention his name, but it was probably Carl Raymond Gray who was the President of the Union Pacific at the time. The following links will provide more information about him. There is also an article with a picture of Mr. Gray with President Grant.

http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/19893370/article-Founders-Day-Celebration-at-Pipe-Spring


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Raymond_Gray

We were met in Salt Lake City by Aunt Edith Neal and Muriel's sister. I stayed with Aunt Edith for a couple of months. Aunt Edith was the second wife of my father's brother, Albert. He had passed away several years earlier. They had one son named Fred by that marriage.

            

Before we had arrived in Salt Lake City we had heard people talking about the stock market breaking. I had no earthly idea what the stock market was nor why or how it could break. But after we arrived in Salt Lake we soon found out what it meant. . . . to be continued. . . . .

Experiences in the Tobacco Factory

There is one experience which I hardly ever talk about but I think I should tell it here. About a week before I gave in my notice to leave work, the firm I worked for had closed down their Swindon Factory so the people who worked there were being absorbed into the other branches of the firm. Consequently, about a half-dozen new men were working in our room. I was then working in what is known as the "wetting down" room where the tobacco was sorted and steamed and taken to the stripping room where I had previously worked. I had liked it there much better. The first morning these men came to work a very peculiar thing happened. My friend, Paul, who was working with me said, "Don't look now, but there's a man over on the last machine who seems very interested in you. He has hardly taken his eyes off you since we came in this morning". I laughed a little and forgot the matter. About an hour later after our morning breakfast break, the little sweeper girl came up to me and said, "That man over there wants to speak to you". Thinking that this was just a joke I went over to the man to see what he wanted but as soon as I got near him for some reason I started to lose control of myself. I asked him what he wanted. He gave me a peculiar look and said, "Whatever you are about to do--don't do it or you will be sorry". I knew this man couldn't possibly know of my plans to go to America so I asked him what he meant.

He said, "You are planning on changing your life, aren't you?" I said, "Yes". "Well," he said, "don't do it". I asked him how he knew. He said an angel had appeared to him the night before and told him to give me the message. I asked him how he knew it was for me then he said the angel told him there would be a light in my forehead and he would know to whom the message was to be given. Well, I have felt the power of Satan on many occasions but the feeling that came over me then was beyond my power to describe. I could hardly walk back to my seat. When I got there Paul said, "What on earth is the matter? You look ghastly". I told her what had taken place. Immediately she said, "It is the devil". I knew it was for I had already received the go-ahead from an Apostle of the Lord and I knew then it was Satan and not really my mother who was fighting against me.

Before I leave this part of my life, perhaps I should record another incident that occurred while working in this room. Paul was working with me on the same machine. She was now a member of the church, having been baptized by my father. One night I had a very vivid dream. In my dream I was standing at my machine working as usual. Over my head was a large driving belt that controlled all the machines in the room. This belt with its wheels was oiled every day and renewed every three months so it was well taken care of. But in my dream as I was working, the belt broke and whipped around my head so suddenly that it caused me to cry out and I awoke from my dream and couldn't go back to sleep.

The next day as I was working in that same spot, I thought of my dream. I started to tell Paul about it but she couldn't hear me above the din. So I left my work and went around to her side of the machine and related to her all that had occurred in my dream. I had just finished when suddenly there was a loud slashing noise and a sudden silence. The men came running, expecting to find me seriously hurt or perhaps dead. Had I not gone around to the other side of the machine [to tell Paul my dream] I wouldn't be here writing this history.

They afterwards put a safety cage underneath the belt to prevent such a thing from happening again. I know that the Lord was watching over me. I could relate so many things that have occurred in my life that makes me wonder if I had been chosen out of my lineage to do the work for my kindred dead and they have been privileged to watch over me until this work is accomplished.

This is a picture of the inside of a tobacco factory at a little later time than Hester would have been working there. The machine she was working may or may not have been like one of these, but you can see that these machines could have been dangerous to be around and how fatal accidents could happen in this kind of environment. 

Although Father wasn't pleased about me working in a tobacco factory, and I wasn't either, when I talked to Apostle James E. Talmage about it he said, "Don't worry about it. There is probably someone there you will be directed to who will receive the Gospel", and there was. Paul became a member, also her sister, Emma, and a girl named Mabel Howe and her fiancée, Fred Underdown, and I told countless numbers about the Church who perhaps someday may hear it again and accept it.

Deciding to Leave England

Ernest Joseph

In the spring of 1929 Ernest [Joseph] wrote and asked me how much I lacked in the amount I needed for my fare to come to America. He offered to loan me whatever amount I needed. I talked it over with my father. He, too, offered to loan me a part of my fare, so as far as finances were concerned, the way was opened up, but I hesitated. Here I was, over thirty years of age. My father's sight was failing (he had lost the sight of one eye at 9 years of age from small pox). I knew that when Mother found out what I proposed to do all Hell would break loose. I wasn't sure I could take any more agony, and could I find work at the age I was?

I wrote to Apostle Widstoe for counsel. He was President of the European Mission then and knew of our problems. Several days later I received a letter from him through the Elders (Mother often read and destroyed my mail). He said he had fasted and prayed about the situation. The answer was to follow my father's advice and leave. You have endured enough, he said, the Lord will take care of your father. The Church Authorities were counseling the Saints at that time to stay in their own countries and build up the church, so I was surprised and pleased with the answer. It's a good thing I couldn't foresee the days ahead or I would never have had the courage to go through with it.

Elder John A. Widtsoe (1872-1952)

The first thing Mother did when she found out from me what I intended to do was to go to the Matron of the factory where I was working and tell her the Mormons had persuaded me to go to Utah to become a plural wife. She also wrote the same story to the newspapers, then to the American Consul in Southampton telling him I had TB. It was a terrible and humiliating experience and I couldn't begin to tell all the things that took place at that time. Mother would prepare our meals most of the time, then shut herself in her bedroom and refuse to talk to us. I loved my Mother, she was a good woman. I know that she loved my Father and me but I know that Satan took possession of her to try to destroy us.

There were bright spots, however, that brought a little peace and consolation. The neighbors would stop me in the street and put their arms around me and ask if there was anything they could do for me. The girls I worked with when they knew of my plans came and wished me well, even some of the men who before had ridiculed me came and told me how much they admired my courage in standing up for the things I believed in. They had parties for me and I received many lovely gifts. The Saints were very kind and did all they could to help me.

On my birthday, October 13, 1929, which was Sunday, I was asked to speak in sacrament meeting. I was to leave on the Tuesday following for Liverpool, October 15, 1929. I tried to talk to Mother before I left but she locked herself in her room and wouldn't see me. It made me feel sad to have to leave her like this. Dad and Bob came to the station to see me off to Liverpool. The Saints and Elders were there and some of the people I worked with. It was quite heartbreaking to leave Dad and Bob. (Bob was my sister, Annie's son. I will tell of him later). But I felt saddest of all for the lonely soul I had left at home alone. 
My friend, Paul, accompanied me on my journey to Liverpool. I was so glad of her company. We were met at Liverpool by Elders Richard L. Evans (Secretary of European Mission) and Fred G. Pack who took us to the ship. President Widstoe was there with an 18 year old girl who was to be my traveling companion to Salt Lake City. They all stayed aboard until the signal was given to leave. Then the band started to play, "God be With You 'til we Meet Again". With tear-bleared eyes we watched the space between us and the shore widen and the waving figures on the shore became specks in the distance. We went to the State Room which was brightened with flowers and fruit and magazines, gifts from the office staff and President and Sister Widstoe. Thus began our journey to Zion. There won't be room to tell all the details of the journey but I was seasick all the way and was glad to see land. There used to be a tradition among Captains of ships that if a Mormon sailed with the ship it would reach port safely so the ship's captains always welcomed Mormons aboard. We were treated with great kindness.

A Friend in America and Pork and Beans

The missionaries came back and gradually took over the responsibilities of visiting the branches and preaching, etc. and our meetings became more interesting. My cousin, Ernest Capel, came to England on a mission. I think he was in the Sheffield area, I'm not sure. He attended one of our Bristol conferences. It must have been after his release to go home. My father loved the Capel family. Aunt Jessie was his oldest sister and took care of them after their mother died. Aunt Jessie and her family, that is those that were left here, emigrated to America just before the outbreak of war.

Many years passed since the end of the war and my brother, Walter, and his wife and son emigrated to Australia. He had been out of work for some time and the government offered to pay the fare of all who would go to Australia and colonize the uninhabited places. They had to have so much money on them as a guarantee for support until they were able to make a profitable living. I had been saving for some time in the hopes that I could emigrate to America (Zion) so I loaned Walter the necessary money instead. This was one of many times I had tried to save to go to Zion. Each time something happened to discourage me so I gave up the attempt, thinking that perhaps the Lord wanted me to stay where I was for a purpose. I made up my mind to be content and let the Lord direct my life which He surely did.



Ernest Joseph

Van Camp's Pork and Beans label

Clevedon

I must stop here in my narrative to explain a little about my mother so you will better understand about my personal problems. Mother was baptized the same day we were in the Roman baths. She was active in the church for awhile. Aunt Jessie Capel, who was president of the Relief Society, chose her to be her secretary. There were many factors contributing to mother's rebellion. She was a very proud and independent person and there was intense persecution against the church at that time. Then when mother took over the Relief Society books it was found that there was a discrepancy of several pounds in the financial records at that time. The church auditors came to audit the books and mother, not understanding church procedure, thought she was being accused of dishonesty. Then she happened to see one of the missionaries sporting a girl and smoking a cigarette, so mother became embittered toward the church.
A few years later Father was made Branch President and being war years he had to travel around to the different branches visiting and encouraging the members. Dad would have liked to have had mother go with him but she wouldn't go. She also very strongly objected to my father paying a tenth of his income to the church. As I have stated before, we were slowly recovering from a severe [economic] depression and mother was very conscious of money and what the lack of it meant. I had to help my father with his reading and writing because of his poor vision and sometimes she thought perhaps I was taking sides against her. We tried to include her in all our activities but she would have none of it. We tried to live at peace with her but she refused to co-operate and our house became a battle ground--divided against itself. I used to dread to go home from work and conditions became so unbearable that after a bout with influenza I had a nervous breakdown. My hair came out but it soon grew back again. After recovering I went away for three weeks to a sanatorium owned by my employers.
While at the sanatorium I made many friends. Clevedon is a little old-world town on the coast of the Bristol Channel. It's beautiful beach and walks are a delight and the old-fashioned gardens were something to see and remember.
It was a rule at the sanatorium that everyone should attend church and since there was no LDS church in the area, I went with some of the girls to the Church of England. The one we attended on that first Sunday morning was an old Seventeenth Century church on the top of Salt Hill overlooking the sea. It was a beautiful old church on the outside but cold and dark inside. 

St. Andrew's Church on Salt Hill, Clevedon

There were chains on the walls and pews. We asked the old Sexton what they were there for and he said they were used to chain the bibles to the pews so that no one would be tempted to take them away. He showed us a couple that were still there. I don't know why they thought people would steal them because most people could not read, and besides they were mostly written in Latin.The sermon that morning was a treatise on the personality of the Godhead. The minister did a good job of confusing the minds of the congregation--or so I thought. 

St. Andrew's Church, Interior

On the way back "home" one of the girls asked me how I enjoyed the sermon. I couldn't resist such a golden opportunity to tell them that I couldn't believe in a God such as the Minister had tried to describe, one without a body, parts or passions. I told them of our belief in a loving Heavenly Father, and that once we dwelt with Him before our existence upon the earth. I remember what a beautiful morning it was. The sun was shining, the sea gulls screaming, and the sound of the bells on the buoys in the harbour. As we walked slowly along, what joy filled my soul as I told those girls the Joseph Smith story. That night after lights were out we sat up in our beds and talked. There were four single beds in our room and the girls asked many questions and with the help of the Holy Ghost I was able to answer them and tell them many things about the restoration of the Gospel. I never saw those girls again after I left Clevedon and I often wondered if they remembered the things I told them.

Speaking in Church

A conference was called by James Gunn McKay to be held in Cardiff, Wales. Brother Fred Day and his counselors had hired a large hall to accommodate the anticipated crowd. The event had been well advertised. President David O. McKay would be there. This was the first conference of the Welsh and Bristol district since the beginning of World War I. The theme of the conference was the question that most people were asking, "Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?" Just before the morning session started, President Day came up to me and said, "Will you talk upon the first subject as well as your own?", which was "Why am I here?" The girl who was given the first subject was ill and could not attend. I was very frightened but the Lord helped me and President McKay told me later that I had done very well. After the meeting a woman came up to me and asked what seminary I had been attending to have such knowledge of religious matters. I told her I had not been to any college. She was astonished and asked how I had gained so much knowledge. I told her that anyone can gain such knowledge through study and prayer and the help of the Holy Ghost.

I have really enjoyed studying the gospel through the years and have eagerly sought for knowledge with all the earnestness of my soul and the Lord has blessed my efforts. I have enjoyed my teaching assignments and any opportunity to share the gospel with others.

I spent many holidays with Ellen roaming those beautiful Welsh hills. Her mother was such a dear, faithful soul. I loved Ellen very much. In 1923 she emigrated to America. I visited Varteg a couple of times after that but it wasn't the same without her. She lives in Salt Lake City now and I have often visited her there and we often talk about those lovely days spent together.

I have mentioned before about the Thatcher family in Bath. It wasn't too far away from Bristol and I spent many pleasant weekends there going by train. There was Elsie, Lily and Jim, who were around my age. We had lots of fun together. They also emigrated to America in 1923 and lived in Provo. There was also the Bryant family I have mentioned before. Grandma Bryant, her daughters, Edith and Elsie, her Granddaughters, Nellie and Dora. Elsie was deformed with curvature of the spine. She was a lovely person and I grew to love her, especially after Nellie's death.
I might mention here some friends I made at work who became members of the Church besides Paul. There was her sister, Emma, a girl named Mabel Howe and her fiancée. They were all baptized by my father in the river Frome. Mabel died in 1927 of TB. I have been able to do her Temple work.

Sister Rosoer

One day the Branch President, Richard Thomas, received a letter from President George Albert Smith who was then presiding over the European mission, asking him to go or send someone to a place called Merthyr Tydfill to see if they could find a Sister Rosoer who had once lived there. (Some of the records got lost during the war years). So Brother Thomas asked Ellen and me if we would like to go.
Early the next morning we started from Ellen's home about 5:30 A.M. and walked over the hills a couple of miles to the railway station at Blaenavon, arriving there about 7:30 or 8:00 A.M. at Merthyr Tydfill. We asked the station master the way to the little town and we walked another two miles. I remember what a beautiful morning it was. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and we sang and talked as we walked along. We were wondering, too, how we were going to find Sister Rosoer. We did not know how old she was, what she looked like, or where she lived. We started up a hill, thinking we would stop at a cottage further on and make inquiries. Suddenly I looked up and saw the quaintest little old lady coming over the brow of the hill.

She crossed over and walked toward us. She looked a typical old fashioned Welsh woman, dressed in a long dark dress with a white lace collar and a spotless frilly white apron. She offered outstretched hands and a smiling face as she came towards us. We looked at her in astonishment as she said, "Good morning, my dears. I am Sister Rosoer. Are you coming to visit me?" We were speechless for a moment, then Ellen said as she took her hand, "Sister Rosoer, how did you know we were coming?" She replied, "Aye, that’s a long story. I’ll tell ye while we eat and visit." When we arrived at her quaint and beautiful little thatched cottage with a profusion of flowers in the little garden and red and white

A Thatched Cottage

geraniums in the windows, we noticed as we entered the cottage that the table was set for three people on a snowy white cloth. After a brief wash we sat down to boiled eggs and toast with jam, milk and welsh scones (they call them scons). When we finished eating, Sister Rosoer told us her life story. I will tell here only the part that pertains to our visit.

She was converted to the Church as a young girl. She married her childhood sweetheart. He never did join the Church but he never opposed it and was very good to her and never interfered with her church activities. One day the missionaries paid her an unexpected call, President Woodruff and three others. She was quite embarrassed because she had to excuse herself and go to the village store to purchase food for their dinner. After they had eaten and rested for a while they were about to leave when Sister Rosoer again apologized for not being prepared. President Woodruff said, "Sister Rosser, we appreciate your hospitality and would like to leave you with our blessing. Then he put both hands upon her head and among many other things he said, "Dear Sister, if you will live the gospel and remember your morning and evening prayers you will never again be taken by surprise by a visit from the Priesthood or those whom they send". She never was. That morning when we arrived she said that when she arose from saying her morning prayers she had received a distinct impression that someone was coming to visit her today so she decided to meet the early morning train. What wonderful things she told us that morning. It was a visit to be remembered. We saw her twice within the following year. Our third visit was to her funeral.