The Hales Newsletter

Motto: United Force is Stronger

NEW SERIES Spring 1998 Vol. 4. No. 1.

The Hales Chronicles on the internet

News and Views

In Memoriam

Inez LaRue Neilson

Lael Torgerson Hales

Iona Falkner Meiling

Leah Hales Harrison

James Vern Hales

Rex Marsh Bowers

Valda Bosshardt Hales

Widtsoe M. Bastian

Bliss E. Nisonger

Orlo Franklin Hales

Roy Cowlishaw

Velma M. Jensen

Clifford "Buss" Bennett

Roxie Anna Hales McGuire

"There Goes Matilda"

Parish Register Extracts

Complimentary Newsletter Copies

This is on-line version of The HALES Newsletter. The HALES Newsletter is the Journal of the HALES Family. It is a quarterly publication of the HALES Family History Society and variant spellings, including HALES, HAILS, HAILES, HAYLS, and HAYLES. The information includes current events, historical sketches and genealogical information pertaining to the Hales family. The pictures can be viewed by clicking on words that are highlighted. It is published by Kenneth Glyn Hales, secretary of The Hales Genealogical Society from 1970 through 1981 and The Hales Family History Society since 1995.

The Hales Family History Society

5990 North Calle Kino

Tucson, Arizona 85704-1704

The intent of the HALES Family History Society is to document all HALES, HAILS, HAILES, HAYLS, and HAYLES families wherever they are found in all parts of the world. This documentation is found in the multi-volume The Hales Chronicles. This information is provided as a service to the Hales Family.

The Hales Chronicles contains the genealogical information published by the Hales Family History Society. This database can be found on the Hales web-page at www.hales.org and can be found in book form at The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Salt Lake City, Utah; The Library of Congress at Washington, D.C.; The Library of The Society of Genealogists at London, England; and the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone, Kent, England. The Hales Chronicles is also found on-line. Look here to verify your family information and to search for your ancestors.

The Hales Newsletter is provided to the above cited repositories and the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County Public Library indexes our publication and provides articles through their Periodical Source Index (PERSI).

Printed copies of The Hales Newsletter are provided to members of The Hales Family History Society. If you desire to be come a member, refer to the membership section on our home-page. If you would like a printed copy of individual Hales Newsletters, reprints are available at a cost of $3.75 each.

I continue to work on the Hales Chronicles with the latest update to the online master files made on May 24, 1998. If you desire to check or view this work you need to either access these files using your internet connection or find a friend that has access.

This edition now contains all of the 1881 census extracts from England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands. In addition to working on the Kent, England Parish Register Extracts, I am extracting the Australian 1788-1905 Vital Record indexes, various 1920 US Census extracts and a large collection of information on the South-eastern Hales families supplied by Lewis Kim Hales of Georgia.

It appears that the Hales Family History Society home page is being accessed nearly three times each day. More than 1,000 accesses have been made in the last year.

The Hales Family History Society home page can be found at:

http://www.hales.org/

From Sharon at <SharonR899@aol.com> My ancestor is Mary Hales of Canterbury, Kent, England who married Giles Master. I read your web pages and found my pedigree from this Mary Hales back to Nicholas de Hales born about 1300. Wow! My earliest ancestor! Lots more information for me to double check, verify and expand. I’m so excited! Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Can you tell it’s late at night and I’m excited?)

From David Beardsall in Essex, England. I’ve just visited your Hales web site and was pleasantly surprised to find: Martha Hales, Born about 1872 of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. Married 9 September 1804 Francis Beardsall at Saint Mary, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. I thought you would like to know that this Francis Beardsall was the elder brother of my third-great-grandfather, John Beardsall. According to our Family Bible, Francis was born 7 November 1770 (don’t know where, but there are family connections to Notts where there are many Beardsalls) and baptized 2 December 1770 at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Sheffield, Yorkshire. He married, as you quite rightly say, Martha Hales at Saint Mary’s, Nottingham, on 9 September 1804 by license.

Thanks to David Hales efforts we have a collection of obituaries in this Newsletter. He searched these out spanning the last year using his computer and internet technology.

Inez LaRue Neilson Burgess, 87, passed away January 9, 1997 of causes incident to age. She was born March 11, 1909 in Theodore, Utah a daughter of Rasmus Hans and Inez Hales Neilson. She married W. Owen Burgess May 28, 1936 in Provo, Utah. The marriage was later sealed in the Manti LDS Temple June 26, 1963. Her husband preceded her in death on September 2, 1996.

LaRue taught in Utah schools for over 25 years, retiring in 1974. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She loved learning having earned her Normal and Bachelors degrees from Brigham Young University and her Masters from Utah State. She was an avid painter until her sight failed, and she enjoyed gardening and rock hounding with her husband.

She is survived by her two daughters, Sally Mase of Exeter, California and Betty Olcott, Kirkland Washington; six grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Inez Bullock.

Funeral services were held Monday, January 13, 1997 in the Vermont Second Ward Chapel in Orem, Utah and burial was in the Neola, Utah Cemetery.

Lael Torgerson Hales died February 1997 at Richfield, Sevier, Utah. She was born about 1939 and married Marwood John Hales on November 16, 1969.

Born in Eureka, Utah on May 16, 1911 to Henry and Mabel Hales Falkner, Iona Falkner Meiling, 85, died Saturday, February 8, 1997. Life was never easy for Iona and she worked nearly all of her life to assist in the support of the family and children. Often times during the Great Depression, her paycheck, meager as it was, was the only means of support for the family. True to the way she lived her life, most recently she has provided for her invalid husband’s (age 90) needs and welfare. She will be greatly missed by her husband, children grandchildren and friends.

She married Harry Louis Meiling on September 7, 1935 and the marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on June 16, 1965. She was active in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Survived by her husband, Harry; children, Gerald Stewart (Jane) Meiling, Paul Henry (Bonnie) Meiling, Mary Meiling Clark (Jim), all of Salt Lake City; brother, Henry Falkner of Boise, Idaho; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by grandson, Carey Roland Clark; sisters, Merlene, Edith, Ruth, and Genevieve.

Funeral services were held at the Grant 7^th Ward Chapel on February 12, 1997 and interment was in the Murray, Utah City Cemetery.

Leah Hales Harrison, 96, a truly exceptional woman, died February 8, 1997. She was born September 19, 1900 in Mammoth, Utah, the daughter of George and Eliza Brockbank Hales. She was raised in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Following graduation from Brigham Young University she taught home economics at Lincoln High School, Tintic High School and Springville High School. She married Milton H. Harrison May 23, 1934 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He died June 16, 1986. She was an active, faithful member of the LDS Church and often reminded her family that their greatest joy would come from serving the Lord. She was an avid BYU fan, never missing a game either in person or on the radio. Her wit, homemaking skills, interest in others and phenomenal memory made her a source of delight to everyone who knew her.

She is survived by daughters: Jane H. Calder (Richard), Salt Lake; and Suzanne H. Fullmer (Richard), Sandy, Utah; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Also surviving are a sister, Mary Hales Frandsen and a brother Angus Hales, both of Springville.

Funeral services were held February 12, 1997 in the Springville 10^th Ward and interment was in the Springville Evergreen Cemetery.

Dr. J. Vern Hales, age 80, died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 29, 1997, leaving a great legacy.

He is survived by Lucile Farnsworth Hales, his wife of 57 years, his seven children and their spouses: Susan H. and Roger Flick of Orem, Utah; Catherine H. and Jack Moyer of Downington, Pennsylvania; Carolyn H. and Ted Roeth of Las Vegas, Nevada; Wayne Farnsworth and Jaada Hales of Orlando, Florida; Charles Farnsworth and Marci Hales of Las Vegas, Nevada; Robert Farnsworth and Kathy Hales of Milford, Ohio; and Janice H. and Thomas Ward of Dallas, Texas; 32 of his 34 grandchildren and his nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Wayne Brockbank and Isabel Ethel Wilson Hales, sister, Margaret Bown, his brothers, Dr. Richard Wayne Hales and Dr. Robert Hyrum Hales, and two granddaughters, Karen and Janet Moyer. He is survived by his brother, Dr. D. Wilson Hales of Ogden; and his sister, Isabel Hales Cannon of Salt Lake City.

Dr. Hales was born July 21, 1917, in Provo, Utah, to Wayne Brockbank and Isabel Ethel Wilson Hales. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Physics. He also received his M.S. from Caltech, and a Ph.D. from UCLA. Dr. Hales was the first head of the Department of Meteorology at the University of Utah and had a long career as an Environmental Consultant in Utah and later in Pennsylvania. He founded Intermountain Weather in Salt Lake City, and Hales and Company in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania he worked for several years for the General Electric Missile and Space Division in King of Prussia, working with some of the early weather satellites.

Dr. Hales was a member of several organizations, including the Viking Social Unit at BYU, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, AAAS and the American Meteorological Association. He was president of his local chapter of Kiwanis and of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers, and served as Chairman of the committee of the Sciences and the Arts of the prestigious Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hales served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and was active in the Air Force Reserve, retiring as a Colonel.

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a guide on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, a member of four high councils, a member of the stake presidency in Philadelphia, and served as a Patriarch until his death.

Funeral services were held September 2, 1997 in Las Vegas and interment was at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Boulder, Nevada.

Our precious loved one, 87, peacefully returned to our Heavenly Father, September 21, 1997. He is now spending time with his loving parents, Alfred and Ethel Marsh Bowers, sister, Gladis Bell and may friends including his golfing buddy, Matt Jordason.

Rex came into this world as an angel on April 27, 1910 in Roy, Utah. Since then he has touched many lives in the same way each and every day. He loved to dance, which is how he found the love of his life, Lynette Hales. They were married on June 15, 1935. She always came first in his thoughts and we know he is now preparing the way to enable her to re-unite with him someday and dance as they did when they met. He served as a dependable employee for Mountain Bell Telephone Company for 37 years, retiring August 1, 1974.

Rex is survived by his wife of 62 years, Lynette. Son, Dennis Rex Bowers, one of his best friends, who has many wonderful memories of fishing, golfing, and watching sports together. He appreciated his loving father and friend relationship. Dennis’ wife, Betty Joye, treated and loved Rex as a Father also. Daughter, Judy Hansen, always knew her daddy was there for her. She will miss the wonderful patient advise, laughter and love that they shared together. Her husband, Jerry, will miss reading the paper and having coffee with him each morning. He will always be alive in the hearts of his grandchildren: Joye Bowers Downey; Fred Downey; Jamie Hansen Barkdull and husband, Barry; JaNae Hansen Frederiksen and husband, Dave; Dina J. Bowers Munoz and husband, Antonio; Jolene Hansen DeHerrera and husband, Jason. He treated every child like his own. There are 11 great-grandchildren that will be taught to live his legacy: Brittney; Christopher; Jacob; JaTem; Erika; Skyler; Cody; Brandon; Chandler; Antonio; and Eastin. His two brothers: Harold and wife, Laverne; John and wife Florence Bowers; will also miss his love and friendship dearly.

We bid farewell to an honest, forgiving, powerful man who gave 87 years of love and light to this earth. We are grateful to have had him touch our lives. A part of our heart is aching to have him back to hold but the other part is celebrating the blessings that he is now giving others in heaven.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, September 17, 1997 in the Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary Chapel in Sandy, Utah and interment followed at Larkin Sunset Gardens.

Valda Bosshardt Hales, 87, died November 1, 1997 at the home of a daughter in Gunnison, Utah.

She was born July 13, 1910 in Enterprise, Utah, a daughter of Charles Connard and Ada Marie Sorensen Bosshardt. She married Dean Harvey Hales on December 26, 1938 in Redmond, Utah. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti LDS Temple. He died December 12, 1986.

She taught school in the Sevier School District for many years where she gave much love and encouragement to her students.

Survivors include one son and three daughters: Maloy (Roby) Hales of Taylor, Utah; LaReen (Bruce) Littlewood of Midvale, Utah; ValDean (Olin) Priester of Sandy, Utah; and Pat (Redge) Jensen of Gunnison, Utah; 10 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters: Lamar and Milo Bosshardt, both of Redmond; LaBeth DeLange, Koosharem; and LuEtta Harrison, Magna, Utah. Preceded in death by her husband; parents; daughter, Nila; grandsons, Mike Jensen and Lance Priester; great-granddaughter, Danielle Littlewood; and sister, Faye Bowers.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, November 5, 1997 in the Redmond LDS Ward Chapel. Burial was in the Redmond Cemetery.

Widtsoe Morrell Bastian, age 73, departed this world for greener pastures on November 3, 1997 in Saint George, Utah.

He was born in Vermillion, Utah (now Sigurd) on February 29, 1924, a son of Gearson Marion and Lettie Morrell Bastian. He attended grade school in Loa, Utah, and junior and senior high schools in Richfield, Utah. From junior high school on, he was raised by Thomas Edward and Rhoda Chappell. He graduated from Utah State University as an Electronic Engineer. He pursued his engineering career in the southwest and did consulting, traveling to various places in the world. He married Barbara Hales on September 4, 1946 in Richfield, Utah. He served in World War II and the Korean War. "Wid" loved his family, sports and traveling. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife of Saint George, Utah; children: Elaine Hymas of Reno, Nevada; Sherry Quinn of Midvale, Utah; Widtsoe Ted and Lisa Bastian of Las Vegas, Nevada; six grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and one sister, Rebecca Roberts of Provo, Utah. He was preceded in death by one grandson.

Funeral services were held Friday, November 7, 1997 at the Springer Turner Funeral Home Chapel in Richfield, Utah with military honors and interment was in the Richfield City Cemetery.

Bliss Enos Nisonger passed away November 16, 1997. He was born October 7, 1916 in Eureka, Utah to David Helaman and Alice Lucrecia Hales Nisonger.

He married first Beatrice Sherman Howland on November 25, 1944 at Dover, New Hampshire while serving in the Navy at the Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Following this marriage Bliss adopted Kenneth and David, children of Beatrice Sherman Howland from her previous marriage to Raymond O. Howland.

He married second Helen …

He married third and is survived by his wife, Mildred, whom he married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on September 15, 1984; a brother, David of Heber City, Utah; three children: son, Donald in Florida; daughter, Sherylin Susan Willis in California; son, David in Florida; also grandchildren and great-grandchildren; he also has a stepdaughter, Sandra Lou Banham, her husband Richard and their children; Kassaundra Elizabeth Banham; Richard Banham, Jr.; Philip Rodgers Banham; and Jeffrey Banham.

He graduated from East High School and then began is career in the US Navy in August of 1940. He served on the submarines USS Cushing, USS Tinosa, and the USS Argonaut. He spent 27 years on submarines and a total of 30 years in the navy. He attended Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. He enjoyed his work in the Temple and also on Temple Square as well as other positions in the church.

Funeral services were held Saturday, November 22, 1997 in the Union 11^th Ward Chapel and interment was in the Pleasant Grove, Utah Cemetery.

Orlo Franklin Hales, 74, died December 17, 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born October 1, 1923 at Redmond, Sevier, Utah to Horace Franklin and Erma Caroline Hansen Hales. He married first Roena Joy Taylor on October 1, 1941 at Aurora, Sevier, Utah. He married second Nora K. Yates at Las Vegas, Nevada on March 17, 1961.

Orlo is survived by his wife, Nora: children, Harold (Sandy) Yates; Carolin (Dennis) Horan; Bob (Karen) Hales; Dent (Deborah) Hales; 24 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren; sisters: Lela Tennant; Mada Flanders; and sister-in-law, Jeannette Peterson.

Funeral services were held Saturday, December 20, 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah and interment was in the Midvale, Utah City Cemetery.

Roy Cowlishaw, 84, died December 30, 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born June 13, 1913 in Storrs, Carbon County, Utah a twin son of Reuben Ray and Bertha Hales Cowlishaw. His twin brother Ray predeceased him in 1952. Roy married first Lucile DeWall. He married second Genevieve Parrish in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Roy retired after many years of dedicated service with the State of Utah Road Commission as an automotive mechanic. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Survivors include his wife, Geneveve; children: Janeen Barnhill; Guy Cowlishaw; Sharon Cowlishaw; Lyndon "Rudy" Cowlishaw; Miriam Doddridge; children by his first marriage: Glen Cowlishaw; and Bonnie; brother: Bert Hales Cowlishaw; sister: Vera. Preceded in death by a son: Danny Lloyd Cowlishaw; and his twin brother: Ray.

Funeral services were held Friday, January 2, 1998 in Sandy, Utah and interment was in the Larkin Sunset Gardens.

After many days and weeks of her struggling, today, January 12, 1998, I was fortunate enough to hold my momma’s hand as she took her first step on the journey that lies ahead of her. My mother, Velma M. Jensen, was born November 22, 1944 in Mount Pleasant, Utah a daughter of Keogh and Vontess Hales Jensen.

She leaves me, Kristine Winters, her only daughter, behind – but as always, comforted and at peace, wishing every child born to this earth could know a love like my mothers. Her two granddaughters, Shamika and Kiana, will never forget her. She journeys ahead of her mother, Vontess; six brothers and four sisters: John Lee; Paul; Allen; Steve; Neal; Gary; Phyllis; Beth LaRene; Kay and Elaine; and all of her favorite nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father, Keough; brother, Lynn; and nephew, Karl.

Today I am able to let my momma go in peace because I know she has made a difference by touching all who knew her.

Funeral services were held Saturday, January 17, 1998 at the Redmond Chapel, Redmond, Utah and interment was in the Redmond Cemetery.

Clifford "Buss" Bennett, age 88, Died March 29, 1998 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born January 12, 1910 in Hinkley, Utah to Joshua Rudd and Lillie May Hales Bennett. He married Della Grace Williams on April 30, 1934 in Delta, Utah. She died February 8, 1990. He was a member of the Church of The Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the FOE 164. He was a farmer, rancher and had been employed at the Salt Plant. He enjoyed horseback riding, dancing and fishing.

He is survived by a daughter, Elma Taylor, and a son Gene (Jeanne) all of Tooele, Utah; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; sisters, Florence Bliss, Salt Lake City; Lila Graham, Mount Pleasant, Utah; and Fannie Shelley, Fairview, Utah and a special friend, Elva Webb. Preceded in death by a son, Kent Lee Bennett.

Funeral services were held April 2, 1998 in the Tooele 4th/14th Ward Chapel and interment was in the Tooele, Utah City Cemetery.

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, Roxie Anna Hales McGuire, aged 92, passed away April 3, 1998 in Sandy, Utah. Born November 21, 1905, to Albert William and Maud Emma Chamberlain Hales in Riverside, Utah. Married Herbert Stanton McGuire in Logan, Utah on July 23, 1923.

Roxie began and ended her long life in Utah, but lived in Southern California for over 60 years. She was a very talented and energetic woman and pursued many interests over her lifetime. She and husband Herb raised three children, managed and played in a popular dance band, "Mac’s Harmony Night Hawks," in the 1030s and the 1940s, and owned and ran a thriving turkey ranch – Roxie’s hobby. She served in musical capacities as a ward organist for over 40 years and as pianist in a local club for many years where she made many life-long friends.

Roxie loved her family and her church. She lived a life of service with joy and love. She will be remembered as a loving, caring mother and grandmother. Her last years were difficult after she developed Alzheimer’s disease and she spent her days in her own little world, but always retaining her gentle, sweet, loving personality.

Se is survived by her three children: son, Stanton Lynn (Coreen) McGuire, Provo, Utah; daughters, Bettie Jane McGuire Camp, Salt Lake City/Midway, Utah; and Patricia Ann McGuire (Tom) Warburton, Pahrump, Nevada. She wall also be missed by her 14 grandchildren; 41 great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; a sister, Alice Hales Young; and brother Rex Hales of Southern California. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herb; and a grandson, Jeffrey Camp.

We are thankful and appreciative of all the kind care and attention given our "Foxy Roxie" by the nurses and aides of Sandy Regional Care Center where she has resided since December of 1991.

Funeral services were held Monday, April 6, 1998 and interment was at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

The following article by David A. Hales first appeared in the Summer, 1987, Volume 55, Number 3, Utah Historical Quarterly and is reprinted by permission of Mr. Stanford J. Layton the managing editor. At the time the article was written David A. Hales was an associate professor of library science at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Two years ago in 1996 he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to help open the new Giovale Library at Westminster College. The many photographs were supplied courtesy of the author.

Numerous accounts have been written about the midwives who sacrificed their time, energy, and talents to bring new life into the world and to minister to those gallant women who bore and raised children on the western frontier. This article concerns a midwife whose life has not been recorded previously. It provides insight into what life was like in a rural Utah community during the early part of the twentieth century.

I can remember one morning when I was up real early ... I could hear the rain beating against the roof. I could also hear horses hoofs and buggy wheels clatter ... in the road that passed by our place. I did not even have to look out the window to see who was passing by. Daytime or nighttime it made no difference. That sound was so familiar in our town that you instinctively said, "There goes Matilda." (Interview with Myrle Western Bennett, Deseret, Utah, June 1983).

Another family friend, Eldon Eliason, Recalled:

I can see this stately woman, slightly bent forward with a dress or skirt longer than that usually worn, walking from the corner a mile north of here with a little case in her hand, on her way to assist someone in need. Or, perhaps the little black buggy with the brown horse was carrying this woman to her place of labor. Long before I was old enough to know anything of Sunday School, I knew of a lady who came to our home frequently, particularly in time of sickness or distress. She took over the housework as well as waiting on those who needed care and medical attention. I was not able to understand why this lady showed up in the house at a time of need, particularly sickness. I even remember that it was a common expression in our home among the children, when some minor difficulty arose, one would say, "Shall we send for Matilda?" (Funeral eulogy, Eldon Eliason, Deseret, Utah, October 31, 1957).

This same question was asked in homes throughout the Pahvant Valley during the early 1900s.

The family lived frugally, worked hard, and prospered after their move to Deseret, and Henry became a prominent figure in the community and in the local LDS church. Their home was relatively modest from the outside but was furnished, according to granddaughter Mable Crafts Peterson, "with elegant furniture for the period ... silverware ... from England ... a beautiful pump organ ... a wonderful library and many of the books were first editions." During local church conferences visiting General Authorities from Salt Lake City often stayed in the Hales home, an event that required days of cooking and other preparation and gave the family great satisfaction and pleasure. (Interview with Bert Hales, Deseret, Utah, June 1986).

As a young woman Matilda had at least one proposal of marriage but did not avail herself of the opportunity. In later years she would stand with her hands behind her, rock back and forth with a big smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, and remind other members of the family that she had had a chance to marry but was a spinster by choice. Her sister Mary Ann, who was considered one of the most eligible young women in the area, also chose not to marry. She was attractive and dressed very stylishly, and was an excellent cook and homemaker, and was a devout member of the LDS church. She once said that she never married because her father was so very protective of her he would not let anyone stay long enough to court her. All young men were required to leave by 9:00 p.m. Of the fifteen children, Matilda, Mary Ann, and two brothers, Hugh and Roy, never married. They continued to live in the family home and run the farm and later played vital roles in the care of their nieces and nephews. In 1917 their sister Elizabeth Hales Crafts died, leaving a young family. The four youngest children – Ralph, Bill, Mary, and Mable – went to live with their aunts and uncles at the Hales home. Ralph recalled that:

Bill stayed a few months and went back to dad who was living in Oasis then and hauled all the drainage tile for Deseret and Oasis. I stayed about two years and Mary stayed until she was 16, then she came home to keep house for us. The aunts were very good to us and did everything they could to make us happy, but we just got homesick to be with our dad. (Ralph Crafts to author in February 1986).

Later, a widowed sister-in-law, Emma Sloan Hales, died, leaving three teenage sons and a younger daughter. Aunt Till went to their home every week to cook, clean, wash, and do whatever she could do to help the family members. She also adopted a boy from a reform school whom she raised from age seven to seventeen when he went on his own.

Matilda pursued her life’s work despite handicaps. She was, according to Bert Hales, "stricken with rheumatoid arthritis when a fairly young woman. Her hands were all misformed, but she would come and do so much for us. I can remember at the end of the day she would be so tired that she could hardly walk home. (Bert Hales interview). Later in life she was not able to wear shoes because of her deformed feet but had to wear slippers even to attend church.

In addition to her many family responsibilities, Matilda became a midwife and nurse. The minutes of the Deseret Ward Relief Society for November 6, 1902, report that:

Sister Alice Moody spoke of sending Sister Matilda Hales to learn to be a nurse. She was willing to help those in need. Sister Marie Damron though Matilda was the one that should be sent to be a nurse for this ward. Sister Matilda Hales was nominated and voted as the one to be a nurse. Sister Fannie Cropper spoke a few words and encouraged the sisters to pray for Matilda. Brother Hales spoke on the same subject ... Victoria Black was chosen to go get donations for Sister Matilda Hales. 2^nd Counselor Sarah J. Hales spoke of sending someone to be a nurse.

However, the December 4, 1902, minutes record that "Sister Damron spoke for some time about the nurse they had chosen ... said it had all fallen through." (Relief Society Minutes, Deseret Ward, Deseret, Utah). Apparently the Deseret Ward members could not agree on whether to send someone to learn nursing or midwifery, so the plans for Matilda were postponed until the issue was resolved.

The minutes record no mention of when it was decided to send Matilda to Salt Lake City to study midwifery, but a nephew, Ralph Crafts, believes it was in 1904. Although the Deseret Ward Relief Society had agreed to assist with the expenses, "She went and paid all her expenses," explained friend and neighbor Myrle Western Bennett. "She wouldn’t accept any help from the ward." (Crafts letter; funeral eulogy by Myrle Western Bennett, Deseret, Utah, October 31, 1957).

Matilda was always very proud of the fact that she had had the opportunity to study under Dr. Ellis R. Shipp. It is difficult to say how much Matilda was influenced by her mentor or if the similarities were due to Matilda’s upbringing and the influence of her religious training. Whatever their origin, definite similarities in their philosophies regarding nursing and the care of the sick and needy and in the principles they stood for did exist.

In the May 18, 1888, issue of the Utah Sanitarian, Shipp had lamented the lack of qualified women to take care of the sick and mentioned some desirable qualifications: "They should be pleasant, look clean, particularly the finger nails; should be good cooks and serve food artfully; see that there is sunlight and air; bathe patient; not be too talkative in the sick room; should not communicate a sick person’s thought and actions to others." Throughout her career Matilda followed these recommendations religiously. Although she was never concerned about dressing in fashion, she was immaculate. Mable Crafts Peterson explained:

They [Matilda and her sister Mary Ann] were both very clean and fastidious about their person and surroundings. Each wore house dresses during the week and wore aprons over them. They changed their aprons daily. Aunt Matilda made herself long aprons out of overalls that she used to wear over her clothing when milking, feeding bummer lambs, etc. (Mable Crafts Peterson to author, January 1986).

Blanche Dewsnup Jensen, a former patient of Aunt Till, described her:

She never complained. Everything was always well with her, and she never liked to talk about other people. She always said what she thought, and always gave more than her share. If she liked you she could not do enough for you. She charged very little for her services, and once she told you what you owed her she would never take more. (Interview with Blanche Dewsnup Jensen, Deseret, Utah, June 1980).

Dr. Shipp, a prolific writer, wrote extensively against the use of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics. According to one source, "She regarded tobacco as a chronic poison. She advocated legislation prohibiting its sale to minors." (Alexander Neibaur, "Early Utah Medical Practice," Utah Historical Quarterly 10 (1942): 31). Matilda, a devout member of the LDS church, believed fervently in the Word of Wisdom; but she may also have been influenced by Dr. Shipp, for she carried on her own crusade against the "evils" of tobacco until the day she died. She never hesitated to tell anyone who was smoking how harmful it was to both body and spirit. On one occasion, her zeal greatly humiliated her nephews. She had taken several of them to Saltair where they had a wonderful time; however, after they boarded the train to go back to Salt Lake City, she went down the aisles of the cars pulling cigars and cigarettes from the mouths of offenders and chastising them for the damage they were doing to their health. That was her largest audience but not her last. (Told to the author by Dudly Crafts, ca. 1955). One evening a young man who was about to become a father for the first time went racing with his horse and buggy to the Hales residence in search of Matilda. She refused to get into the buggy until he threw away the cigarette he was smoking. The young man was rather arrogant and did not like her telling him what to do, but he relented when he realized that he needed Matilda more than he needed the cigarette. Later that night he became the proud father of a healthy baby girl. (Told to the author by Thomas Allred, ca. 1955).

Matilda’s compassion for her patients was boundless. She took food to one expectant mother living in very humble circumstances so that she would receive the proper nourishment. Later, when the baby was about to be born, Matilda took the mother to the Hales home for the delivery. (Crafts letter).

In addition to surveying the larder on her visits and bringing the food where needed, Matilda also observed other family shortages. Mable Crafts Peterson recalled:

If they needed bedding, she took quilts that she and Aunt Mary Ann had made. They were mostly quilts made of old overalls, or used wool pieces, filled with wool bats. The wool had to be washed in many waters, and dried. Then it had to be pulled apart to make it light and fluffy. I have pulled wool so very many times. Then the wool had to be carded and made into the bats, which both Aunt Matilda and Aunt Mary Ann did. (Mable Crafts Peterson to author, January 1981).

For all her hard work Matilda’s charges were minimal and her earnings meager, Ralph Crafts reported:

Aunt Till charged $15.00 if she had to make the delivery alone and $10.00 if there was an attending doctor. She made ten visits to each patient after the delivery. The Aunts had a hand cranked washing machine and Mary and I would take turns running it. I could never figure out why they had so many blood stained sheets to wash. So she must have furnished her own. I remember one time I went with her. We left home about 9:00 a.m. and went down to Ben Bennetts and back up to one of the Cahoons and then out east of Oasis on Danish Lane. She would stay about two hours with each patient, taking care of the mother and baby and what ever household chores needed taking care of. (Crafts letter).

Since the populations of these rural communities were small, it might seem that the arrival of babies would have been well distributed. The stork, however, was rarely concerned with good timing. The night of May 16, 1917, was an especially busy time for Matilda. She was called to the Henry Dewsnup residence in the center of Deseret late that evening to deliver a baby. In the meantime, at the other end of town, Inga Black went into labor and was about to deliver. Her husband, Verno Black, got so excited that he sent his father to the Dewsnup residence to see if he could not "do something" to get Matilda to the Black residence faster. However, while Grandfather Black was pacing the floor at the Dewsnup residence, not knowing what he could possibly do to speed things up at that location, Matilda finished the delivery and was halfway to the Black’s home before he even realized she had left. By the end of the next day there were two new residents for the community of Deseret, Arprilla Dewsnup and Dean Black. (Interview with Verno and Dean Black, Deseret, Utah, June 1981).

Dr. Shipp once wrote:

One maxim I ever sought to impress. When called to maternal duty, pray unto God of his blessing. ... I hastened through inclement storm, through blinding rain, deep snows and muddy trails, speeding up and down the steepest hills, my inmost being pulsating with fervent prayer. I sought my Father and my God! He it was who inspired me with the higher intelligence, helped me to know my duty and all of its details, enabled me to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. And with these same principles I tutored all who sought usefulness, enabling them to usher a new life into this world – that life so precious to the suffering mother and most sublime in the sight of God. (Elias Shipp Musser, ed., The Early Autobiography and Diary of Ellis Reynolds Shipp (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1962), p. 283).

Aunt Till had the reputation of being "the most prayerful woman around," Myrle Bennett remembered:

I don’t think she ever got into her buggy without having a prayer. Sometimes when she was delivering a baby and it was a really rough labor she would disappear for a while and have a prayer and come back to carry on. She bore her testimony many times and gave the Lord credit for helping her with the mothers and babies. (Interview with Myrle Western Bennett, Deseret, Utah, June 1986).

She worked some with a Dr. Hamilton, but she did not care for him. He was not a Mormon and she did not like the things he said or did to her LDS patients. One time he told a lady that she should be happy that she did not have any children to be bothered with. That upset Matilda very much. Another time he gave the same patient some medicine in coffee. It made her very sick and she started to vomit. Extremely distressed, Matilda said that the combination would make anyone sick. She even told Hamilton that he would not have so many problems in his practice if he believed in prayer. (Jensen interview).

Edna Hales Christensen, another niece of Aunt Till, experienced her ministrations firsthand:

In 1932, during the great depression, I was expecting my second child. Banks all over the country had closed, so money was scarce. Aunt Till and my mother-in-law Carrie Christensen, who was a practical nurse, decided that to save money, they would deliver the baby without a doctor. They did and although it was quite a difficult birth everything went just fine. My husband was in Idaho at the time working on the railroad. When the baby was two or three days old, I was stricken with scarlet fever and was in bed for three weeks and we had to have a doctor after all. Aunt Till came every day and between these two good women I received excellent care. One day Aunt Till didn’t feel good. She was afraid she was getting my disease. My mother-in-law persuaded her to take an aspirin and go to bed. Aunt Till was reluctant to take the pill but finally she did. I think it was the first aspirin she had even taken. She felt better the next day and fortunately no one contracted the disease from me. (Edna Hales Christensen to author, March 1981).

Matilda continued to assist in delivering babies until she was in her late sixties and to care for the sick on into her seventies.

The stories of her success vary. Myrle Bennett said, "I have heard her bear her testimony [in LDS church meetings] many times and tell of the hundreds of babies she had brought into the world and never lost a mother or baby." (Funeral eulogy by Bennett). However, Ralph Crafts stated that she "lost three babies, one alone and two with doctors, which I think is a good record for that time." (Crafts letter).

In addition to bringing babies into the world, Matilda spent many hours nursing the sick. Edna Hales Christensen related, "I don’t remember Aunt Till’s maternity cases as well as I remember the help she gave in cases of sickness or accident. She was always there to help no matter how tired or sick she felt herself." Christensen remembered that as a young girl she fell off a ladder and scraped her shin on the head of a rusty nail. It was a painful would and soon became infected. Every day, all summer long, I went to Aunt Till’s house and she treated my leg. It was slow in healing and I remember how patient Aunt Till was with me and how she spent time pouring sterile water on the sore to loosen the gauze that was stuck to the raw flesh." In the fall of 1917, when Christensen’s three brothers were stricken with typhoid fever, Matilda was always there to help. The two youngest brothers recovered, but the oldest did not survive. The following year, Christensen said, the flu epidemic kept "Aunt Till ... really busy going from one house to another. I don’t understand how she kept going as long as she did. Sheer will power, I suppose." Later, "When my mother contracted typhoid fever in the fall of 1924, and was bedridden for two months before her death, Aunt Till came every day to offer help and advice, although my sister Hulda and I were adults, capable of taking care of our mother. I believe Aunt Till knew mother was sicker than we realized." (Christensen letter).

Even when Matilda was not the midwife she came when there were delivery complications. After Rose McCullough had her first baby and got blood poisoning, Matilda was called to take care of her. She stayed night and day, never leaving until Rose was well. Rose’s mother cared for the baby until Rose was well enough to do so. Mr. McCullough was concerned about paying for Matilda’s services, but she told him not to worry. He called her an angel of mercy and said that he would always be grateful for her assistance. If it had not been for the excellent care Matilda had given Rose, he doubted that she would have lived. (Interview with Myrtle Western Bennett, Deseret, Utah, March 1986).

One of Matilda’s favorite cough remedies was to give the patient some sugar with a little turpentine in it. It was said to be very effective. (Bennett interviews).

Matilda also used consecrated oil extensively. "We used consecrated oil for everything when I was a child," said Mable Crafts Peterson. "It was given internally by the Aunts and only used for blessing when it was done by the Priesthood. They called it ‘sweet oil’." In addition to the use of consecrated oil, Matilda was a believer in soaking swollen or bruised limbs in hot water with boric acid or Epsom salts. She also used poultices, flaxseed poultices being a favorite. The flaxseed was cooked, placed in a cloth and then on the patient. Peterson also noted, "The only tonic I recall them ever using was to dose us with sage tea in the early spring, to purify the blood." (Mable Crafts Peterson to author, February 1986).

Matilda was known for her fastidiousness. "She used a great deal of lysol and boric acid," Blanche Jensen said, and "pads and dressings were rolled up in newspaper and baked slowly in the oven to sterilize them." (Jensen interview).

It was said that Dr. Ellis Shipp "never refused to return to a home where her former services remained unpaid." (Claire Noall, Guardians of the Hearth: Utah’s Pioneer Midwives and Women Doctors (Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1974), p. 129). Matilda followed the same philosophy. Lenora Bennett Elkington, another niece, related, "I think half of the babies were not paid for, but it didn’t bother her." (Lenora Bennett Elkington to author, January 1986). It is also remembered, however, that during the summer months some of the men in the area would help haul hay at the Hales farm in payment for services their families had received from Matilda. (Crafts letter).

Matilda sometimes walked to see her patients; other times, "She would take Old Babe, a brown short-legged mare, in the one-seated buggy without a top," recalled Ralph Crafts. In later years Matilda’s brother Roy bought a 1924 Chevrolet. He tried to teach her to drive, but "she would scare the daylights out of you. ... She ran into the fence and ditches a couple times and gave up and went back to the horse and buggy." (Ibid).

Matilda was always known to say what was on her mind. Mable Peterson said she "had a sort of caustic tongue, but a heart of absolute pure gold," while another niece recalled, "Some people thought Aunt Till was too outspoken. Maybe she was, but she only said what she thought. Sometimes the truth hurts." (Peterson letter, January 1981; Christensen letter).

As far as Matilda was concerned no woman was properly dressed unless she wore a dress with long sleeves and a skirt that was ankle length. Heavy wool stockings, summer or winter, pantaloons, and a chemise were also the dress of any proper woman. In the 1950s when a young woman who was visiting her sister in the town came walking out of the church, Aunt Till stopped her and said, "My dear, if this isn’t something: a coat on your back, but nothing on your legs. Your legs need cover just as much as your back." (Author’s recollections, ca. 1954). The young woman looked shocked but did not say a word, and Aunt Till just continued on her way.

Matilda also had a quick wit. One time John Henry Western asked her in jest, "Matilda, if you had a chance to marry N. S. Petersen or me, which one would you marry?" She said, "I would marry N. S. Petersen, he’s older and would probably die sooner." (Bennett interview).

From her youth until she was an old woman racked with arthritis, Matilda worked very hard, not only serving others but maintaining a large and busy household. Mable Peterson, who lived with her aunts for a time, remembered a rigorous routine that called for rising at 4:00 a.m., feeding the farm animals – including some fifty hens, four or five cows, turkeys, and pigs – milking the cows and running the milk through a cream separator, tending a large kitchen garden, canning fruits and vegetables, and, of course, washing on Monday and cleaning house on Saturday. (Peterson letter, January 1986; Elkington letter; Crafts letter).

Matilda and Mary Ann were known for their hospitality, and they welcomed those in need of a place to stay when times were hard. They enjoyed entertaining their large family, especially during the holidays. Mable Peterson remembered with fondness "the family gatherings on Christmas Day" at her aunts’ home and "how I used to look forward to it as a child. I think I looked with anticipation more to that than the visit from Santa." Lenora Bennett Elkington recalled that after the parades on July 4 and 24 "everyone would go there [the Hales home] ... to have cake and ice cream." (Peterson letter, December 1985; Crafts letter; Elkington letter; Peterson letter, January 1986).

Several years before her death Matilda was honored on her birthday by the local chapter of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. The following tribute by Myrle Western Bennett was read:

Has carried through the years of memory,

And in your heart you carry gems of love

That constant service lets us humbly see.

Through motherhood was not one of your goals,

And God has place perfection in your hands

To help deliver many infant souls.

Great tribute should be paid your selfless deeds –

While serving us you served your God above.

Though late protectively we pledge

To keep you in the circle of our love

And may your crown, invisible as yet,

Shine always forth that we may not forget.

In thinking of the life of Matilda Hales, one is led to contemplate the many other "Aunt Tills" who offered the same love and concern in hundreds of other rural communities throughout the West. Their names must be legion.

Matilda died peacefully on October 29, 1957, at her home in Deseret, Utah, at the age of eighty-seven. She had been the last surviving child of Henry and Sarah Jane’s fifteen children. In the closing lines of his eulogy, Eldon Eliason, who had been a beneficiary of Matilda’s service over the years, summed up her life’s achievement in these words: "And long after monuments have crumbled into dust and been forgotten, her influence for good and her effect upon the community shall live on, and where mercy, love and service are needed, that influence will live with us and the same feeling prevail as when we said, ‘There goes Matilda.’

Bilsington, Kent, England (1563 – 1813)

No Hales Entries

Bishopsbourne, Kent, England (1563 – 1812)

14 JUN 1732 John son of Thomas Hales, Esq. And Mary his wife

9 NOV 1737 Margaretta daughter of Thomas Hales, Esq. And Mary his wife

Milstead, Kent, England (1564-1813)

21 DEC 1624 Christian daughter of John Hailes, Gent.

13 FEB 1625 John son of John Hayles, Gent.

1 APR 1627 Frances daughter of John Hales, Gent.

24 FEB 1639 Richard son of Anthony Hales and Marie his wife.

FEB 1841 Elizabeth daughter of Anthony Hales and Ann his wife.

30 JUN 1811 Mary Isabella daughter of Henry and Hannah Hales.

6 JUN 1813 Elias Henry son of Henry and Hannah Hales, labourer.

Molash, Kent, England (1557-1812)

1 JAN 1584/5 William Hales

28 JAN 1584 William Hales and Alyce Pantree

Tonge, Kent, England (1563 – 1812)

16 APR 1796 Thomas baseborn son of Margaret Hales.

23 JUN 1811 William Hale and Margaret Farley.

Tunstall, Kent, England (1563 – 1812)

12 FEB 1626 Edward son of Sir John Hales

10 APR 1631 Christian daughter of Samuel Hales

18 MAR 1632 Elizabeth daughter of Samuel Hales

5 OCT 1634 Deborah daughter of Samuel Hales and Martha his wife

19 JAN 1765 Mary daughter of Elizabeth Champion and Richard Hale the reputed father

28 JUL 1606 Edward Hales and Joyce Webbe.

15 OCT 1767 John Fullager of Milsted and Mary Hale

17 FEB 1768 Thomas Eller and Mary Hale

4 MAR 1777 Arnold Reason and Mary Hale

11 MAY 1626 Martha wife of Sir Edward Hales, Bart.

5 APR 1635 Elizabeth daughter of Samuel Hales and Martha his wife

1 FEB 1637 John son of Samuel Hales and Martha his wife

18 JUL 1638 Samuel Hales, Gent.

15 OCT 1639 Sir John Hales, Knight.

23 SEP 1640 Dame Christian, widow of Sir John Hales

25 SEP 1675 Jane daughter of Mr. Hales

3 SEP 1686 Edward son of Captain Hales

5 MAR 1674 Sir Edward Harles, Knight and Baronet

12 OCT 1729 Edward Hales, Esquire

20 JAN 1743 Sir John Hales, Baronet

5 APR 1749 Ann Hales, mother of present Sir Edward Hales

2 OCT 1770 Barbara Hales lady of sir Edward Hales, Baronet

Woodnesborough, Kent, England (1563 – 1812)

16 OCT 1567 Jacobus Hale and Jhone Broke

23 OCT 1573 John Hale and Mary Fuller

31 JAN 1574 Thomas Clarke and Alys Halis

10 JUN 1600 Bartholomew Hale and Benitt Richards

3 APR 1585 John Halles

30 APR 1600 Mary Hale daughter of Hugh Hale

Wootton, Kent, England (1560 – 1812)

No Hales Entries

Wormshill, Kent, England (1563 – 1812)

9 SEP 1804 Eliza daughter of Jemima Hales

24 AUG 1719 Edward Hales

Wychling, Kent, England (1563 – 1813)

No Hales Entries

Wye, Kent, England (1563 – 1813)

16 MAY 1578 John son of Adam Haylle

26 APR 1581 Johan daughter of Adam Halle

22 JAN 1585 Elyzabeth daughter of Adam Hale

27 JAN 1588 Edward Virgyn and Elizabeth Hale

1 JUN 1584 Mystres Hale widow of Master Harry

3 OCT 1585 Adam Hale

For your information I send several complimentary copies of the Hales Newsletter: One copy to the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; one copy to the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne, Indiana; one copy to the Library of Congress; and one copy to the Society of Genealogists Library in England.

The Family History Library has been given permission to reproduce the Hales Newsletter on microfilm or microfiche so that they my circulate it to any of the 3,000 Family History Centers throughout the world.

The Allen County Public Library indexes periodicals in their project known as The Periodical Source Index (PERSI). They also are the repository for these articles. They have informed me that they intend to put a hard-binding on our Newsletter for their collection. The Periodical Source Index provides a methodology for locating articles published in many different periodicals throughout the United States. The index is available on microfiche cards in major libraries throughout the United States.

The Library of Congress permanently keeps genealogical collections in their collection. (Note: this is not necessarily true for other articles). It provides the many users of this library doing genealogical and family history work the visibility of our great Hales family.

The Society of Genealogists Library located at 14 Charterhouse Buildings on Goswell Road in London provides the people of the British Empire an opportunity to see our Hales Newsletter.

If you know of any other major family history library or major repository of genealogical information that should be included on this list, please send me the information about their mission along with their address and I will send them a complete set of our Hales Newsletter.