Biography of Lydia Nuttal as remembered by her daughters. Written March 1999

Lydia was born September 22, 1904 in Randers Denmark. Although she was the seventh child born to her parents she only had three living brothers at the time of her birth. For most of her life she was unaware of her complete name. It was discovered by a niece, Marianne Ballam. During a trip to Denmark, she found a birth record which revealed that Lydia was given the middle name Marie.

Lydia's parents were baptized members of the LDS church on the 15th of March , 1901, between eleven and twelve o'clock at night. This was necessary because of the Danish peoples dislike of the Mormons.

When Lydia was seven months old her parents made the decision to move to Benson Utah. It was a difficult decision because Marius had a good job and a promising future. Mariane didn't want to leave her family. She knew she would probably never see them again.

The first step to this move, on 8th of May 1905, was a train ride from Randers to Esberg. Lydia did not like the train ride and cried so much that the man in their train compartment left. The family was left alone in the compartment.

There was new ship the "Liner Arbic" that took them from Denmark to England. They set sail from Liverpool, England on 12th of May 1905 across the Atlantic ocean. On 20th of May 1905 they arrived in Boston, Mass. The same day the boarded a train for Utah.

The first home in Benson was located on the corner on the Toombs farm. They arrived in Benson on May 25, 1905. They actually shared a house with another Danish family, the Hansens. Lydia's father worked for the farm for $25 a month, which was not much to raise a family of six. Ironically, Her father left a well paying job in Denmark, selling coal and wood. In Benson, the first year they had very little money to buy fuel. They burned sage brush from the backyard.

In 1906, Her father Marius bought the Peter Frost 270 acre farm and the adjoining William Catmull farm.

Lydia and her sisters did a lot of work on the farm. One time the girls hauled twelve loads of hay in one day. They picked and sorted apples from the ten acre orchard. Lydia learned at a very young age to milk cows. She learned to thin, hoe, and top sugar beets.

In addition to the farm work the girls had domestic chores. Each took their turn Kneading the bread for the next day. If it was your day to knead, no matter how late you got in, it was done.

There was a small house down the lane that came with the farm. They later built a barn for the cattle. The family moved to the barn with the cattle. That barn was cold in the winter.

In 1924, the family built their big house. The home Joyce Pitcher and her family would later live in.

Grade School was at the red brick school on the south side of the Bear River. (later used by Devar Balls for a chicken coop). It was a two room school. One room housed grades one to four. The other room was for grades five to eight. Lydia with her brothers and sisters, walked eight tenths of a mile to school. The long underwear long dresses, worn by the girls, often became wet and muddy. the two-room school was heated by a large coal stove. The Stove was welcomed to warm hands and feet before school.

Lydia had a sister, Pearl, born 15th day of August 1906. Her brother Harold died of peritonitis on the 24th of June 1907. Four more children were born in Benson. (Edith - July 25, 1908, Carrie - August 14, 1910, Mary - November 18, 1912, and Ephriam - July 7, 1916). Mary only lived 11 days.

Lydia attended grades nine through twelve at North Cache High School in Richmond, Utah. She continued her education by attending Brigham Young College, a teacher training college in Logan, Utah. While she attended the college, she lived in Logan, and did housekeeping for various people in exchange for room and board. Lydia was twenty years old when the family was moved into a newly built home.

Lydia was always a good student. She had an outstanding ability to spell words correctly. No one ever needed a dictionary to look up the correct spelling of the word, if Lydia was around. When Telephone service came to Benson, Lydia made a habit committing telephone numbers to memory. She seldom had a need for the telephone directory.

The Danish was always spoken in the home. It was never clear how the Falslev family learned to speak English. Lydia's parents always spoke English with a Danish accent. Mariane never learned to write English. She could usually be understood with her unique Danish accent and could rely on her husband and children for anything that needed to be written. Some things never translated into the English language.

Lydia married James Leo Nuttall on February 11, 1926 and was sealed to him August 8, 1928 in the Logan Temple. When they were first married they moved into an apartment located on the "island" in Logan, Utah. Leo worked at the sugar factory in lewiston, Utah. Their first child, Leo Junior, was born while they lived in Logan. He was a delight to his parents, as well as his relatives. Especially his aunt Edith, who thought that his every actions was simply adorable. During the time he worked at the sugar factory at night and hired out as a farmhand during the day. Lydia's parents encouraged Leo and Lydia to rent and purchase a farm in the southwest part of Benson, Utah. They moved from Logan to the Atkinson farm, located on the banks of the Logan River (now the Benson Marina.)

A big red barn sheltered the horses, cows and calves. There were pig pens and chicken houses, as well as a large shed where farm equipment and ice was stored. They cut large blocks of ice on the Logan River in the winter and stored the ice in sawdust. The ice was carried into the house, a block at a time, to refridgerate food stored in a large ice chest.

Lydia had a ministering nature. Sharlene Cardon, a neighbor, recalls that the priesthood brethren in the ward would visit someone in need, come to find out that Lydia had already been there with soup or something to share.

The house on the Atkinson farm was a two story red brick home. A coal range in the kitchen served as cook stove and warmed the kitchen. A coal burning stove in the combination living room and bedroom was the other source of heat in the winter. The upstairs bedrooms, unheated in the winter, served as wonderful play rooms for Leo Junior and his two sisters, Laree and LuDean. The back bedroom on the main floor was used to store meat in the winter. They killed and dressed beef and pigs and hung them in the cold room. One winter someone stole all the meat that they had in their cold storage room. They traced footsteps in the snow where the intruder had made off with the meat. They had their suspicions, but never identified the culprit.

Lydia was adept and competent in caring for newborns and young babies. She bathed them with tender care, always keeping them covered so that the part she wasn't washing wouldn't get cold. She had a magical touch. She could comfort a crying infant when no one else could. As each child came along, s spcial bonding occurred. LaRee and LeDean were both born while the family lived in the red brick house on banks of the Logan River. LaRee was born January 12, 1930 in Logan Utah, Cache CO. Utah. She remembered LuDean's birth almost three years later on November 22, 1932 at her grandparents home in Benson. LuDean arrived in the middle of the night. Leo and Laree were put to bed in grandma's parlor. LaRee awoke and saw the doctor arrive carrying a black bag. When LuDean's birth was announced, LaRee thought that the doctor brought her in his black bag. LuDean was an adorable baby with beautiful red hair. As she grew and experienced life on the farm with her sister and brother, she received much attention because of her beautiful hair. People would often stop her parents on the streets of Loganand comment on her radiant red hair.

Leo Junior, the oldest child, who was born August 13, 1926, attended the same red brick school that his mother attended as a child. Leo Junior told his mother about a boy in his class who came to school without a lunch, or sometimes with just an onion or apple to eat. From that day forward, Lydia packed an extra sandwich for Leo Junior to share with the child.

The young children (Leo Junior, LaRee, and LuDean) were nurtured at Lydia's side where she was always concerned about the proximity of the Logan River located both on the west and south of the farmstead.

Winters were remembered on this farm as cold with lots of snow. The bobsled was used to ride to visit grandparents and take care of the farm animals. It was also used to haul ice from the frozen river to store in the big shed. Lighting the candles on the Christmas tree was allowed only once on Christmas Eve. Everyone gathered around the tree in awe as the candles were lit, and the little family enjoyed the warmth of love and security together.

The Danish Christmas traditions and celebrations brought to this country, by her parents, were important to Lydia, and she made these traditions a part of her own family by getting with her mother and her sisters in preparation for the celebration. She instilled in her children the Danish Christmas spirit by involving them. The entire Falslev family came together on Christmas eve with Lydia's family. The Christmas was placed in the middle of the room where the children joined hands and circled the tree, singing Christmas carols. The evening always ended with a visit from Santa who dispersed sacks of Danish treats. On Christmas morning Lydia's children got up early in their own home to special gifts which filled the desire of each child's Christmas wish. Then back to the grandparents home where a Christmas dinner, prepared by grandma, Lydia and her sisters, was served. The first table of food was enjoyed by the adults while the children played. The cousins became best friends because of the close interaction and associations which the parents encouraged.

The family moved from the farm on the banks of the Logan River to a small two bedroom frame home (owned by Golden Barret) about three miles east of the river. It was there tha LaVoy came into the family. She was born May 16, 1936 in Logan.

Lydia worked long hours caring for her family. Being a farmer's wife, she had much to contend with to maintain clean surroundings. A fly did not stand a chance for life in her home. One swat and the fly was a goner. Such was the fate of any small creature which dared to intrude. She took pride in sparkling white sheets and clean clothes as she hung them on the clothes line to dry in the fresh air. While the family lived in the white house Lydia washed their clothes by carring water from the well and heating it in a big boiler tub on the coal stove. Her washing machine was a washer driven by a gas motor which had to be used outside because of the gas fumes. She never hung clothes away torn, or in need of missing button. Socks were darned to get the longest possible wear, and evrything was repaired and in good order.

Farmland (now ran by Cecil Archibald) located east and to the south of the present Benson Marina was purchased by Leo and Lydia. It was here that they built a family home. In the fall of 1937 or 1938 they moved the family into the newly built home. They were excited to have a home with all the modern conveniences. However, Lydia was terrified of cooking on the electric range. She knew that there ws no way that a meal could be prepared as well on the electric range as she had done on her familiar coal stove. Her coal stove was second nature to her and she knew just how the coal stove would bake everything to her satisfaction. She did not trust the electric range at first, but mastered the art of cooking with electricity.

She loved to cook. She could make a huge meal out of meager ingredients and it would taste like food served to royalty. She took food to homes where she knew of illness, death, birth of a baby, or other need. Her acts of kindness and compassion included her lemon pie, raisin nut cake with caramel frosting, potato salad, and hot homemade bread.

She was well known for special treats. On Halloween, children came from all over Benson to get one of her popcorn balls. Mothers transporting children for treats would call from the car, "bring me one too".

The depression of the early 1930"s brought homeless men, by means of the railway to Cache Junction. Many of them took to the road at that point and walked through Benson. The first home the men saw after leaving Cache Junction was the Nuttall farm home. When a "tramp" was spotted in the distance by Lydia, she would bring her children in and hide them where she felt them to be safe. The homeless men were hungary. Lydia was fearful and yet compassionate. She would ask them to wait on the doorstep while she prepared a generously packed lunch. They no doubt felt well provided for when they opened their sack lunches to find homemade bread, cheese, meat, cookies, cake, fruit and anything else she could pack, all freshly prepared to ease their hunger.

Lydia was a very shy retiring person. Even though she did very well academically, she lacked confidence to take the required drivers test to legally drive a car. She drove cars, trucks, and other vehicles all her adult life. She never had a accident. She was never stopped by a patrolman or asked for her license. She managed to drive everywhre without a required license

Church and community were important to Lydia. She supported her husband in his responsibilities in the Lion's Club. They presided together over the old folks committee, arranging and preparing wonderful outings and dinners. Lydia taught primary most of her married life and was a faithful visiting teacher. She served in the Relief Society as Secretary. She played the church organ and sang in the choir. She was a very punctual person, she was never late for an appointment or church. When she taught primary, she began preparing her lesson for the next week as soon as she got home from primary on Monday. She never procrastinated. Everything was done ahead of schedule.

Meals were always on time. Breakfast was at 7:00 am, Lunch was at 12 noon, and supper was at 7pm. Lydia was part of the farm operation, and yet she managed to cook and care for their orderly home. Everyone was expected to work in the fields, and Lydia saw that the workers were refreshed by her punch and cookies breaks so that everyone was revitalized.

Her respect and love for her parents was demonstrated in many ways. The Falslev sisters would get together every spring and fall to clean and shine up their Danish mother"s home. They hung wall paper, painted and polished everything needed to make their parents home clean and attractive. Lydia helped other times and assigned one of her children to do weekly cleaning. Lydia and her sisters pitched in and helped Mariane when she invited her Danish friends to dinner and an evening entertainment. Mariane did not drive, so Lydia and her sisters ran errands and took her shopping often ( without a license).

The sisters took their turns picking raspberries as they ripened in Marianes large raspberry patch. The raspberries produced in abundance, so ther was always plenty of raspberries for the Falslev family

When food was ready to harvest, storing food was a high priority. Very often Lydia and her sisters would get together to process food. For many years they shared the use of one pressure cooker, so it was essential that the food be processed at the peak of ripenss. She did much food preparation in the evening hours to assure optimum food flavor.

Although Lydia was frugal, her children were not deprived. They always felt that they were well dressed. They noted that she seldom bought anything for herself, always making certain that her family had their needs met.

Leo and Lydia took their family responsibilities very seriously. Vacations were few and far between. The extent of an extended vacation was a one time trip to California to visit Lydia's brother Marinus, and family. They traveled one other time with the girls and some friends to Yellowstone Park for a few days. They left Leo Junior behind to milk the cows. This was a vacation the girls always remembered. Small trips were taken to Lava Hot Springs where they enjoyed the hot pools while the children and their cousins went swimming. A picnic prepared by Lydia was always part of the outing.

Lydia was always afraid of lightning. She gathered her children around her in the kitchen during a thunder and lightning storm. One night, probably the only night Leo left Lydia alone with the children, he called and told her that he couldn't get home due to a severe wind storm, which had blocked the road with a fallen tree. That evening the thunder and lightning encompassed th farm, and Lydia picked Lorna up out of her crib and gathered the other children into the kitchen. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder, followed by a lightning ball, rolled out of the bedroom, down the hallway and was taken up by the electric stove. Lydia's parents drove to the farm becaue they couldn't reach Lydia by phone and knew she would be frightened. They arrived just after the lightning hit the house. Upon investigation, they found plaster all over the baby's crib and a light socket behind the bed had blown across the room. There was a hole blown in the bedroom ceiling. Of course there was no electric power, so Lydia and the children spent the night with Lydia's parents. They felt blessed to be protected from any harm or injury which could have been serious or fatal. The above event prompted Leo to immediately have lightning rods installed on the house. The added protection did not change Lydia's feelings. She remained frightened whenever a thunder and lightning storm occurred.

Christmas, birthdays, and special events were always important to Lydia. She made certain that everyone was remembered and received special recognition. Her children and grandchildren have fond memories of special rememberances from Lydia.

LaVoy's 10th birthday was a day that the family loves to talk about at family gatherings. Lavoy asked her mother who she could invite to her birthday party. Lydia lovingly said, "You invite anyone you want to our home after school, and we will have a fun celebration". May 16th arrived. The school bus arrived at the school and the kids loaded the bus and the entire Benson school load of children was transported to the Nuttall farm where they were invited to attend LaVoys's birthday party. Every child from the first through the sixth grades piled off the bus eager for the celebration. Needless to say, Lydia was not prepared for 60 children. She had made 12 chicken filled puffed pastries, hot rolls, punch and birthday cake. WHAT COULD SHE DO? She involved the children in games while LaRee and Lucinda, Leo Junior's wife, drove at great speed to Logan and bought goodies for the hungary after-school crowd.

LuDean loved having an ice skating party to celebrate her birthday. The family formed a water brigade and carried buckets of water across the street to freeze an ice pond for LuDean and her invited guests. Wood was carried to make a fire to roast wieners and marshmallows. Lydia also served hot chocolate and birthday cake as requested by the birthday girl. Each child's birthday was special and Lydia made certain each child was honored on their day

On cold winter nights, friends were invited to play a card game called"500". Card tables were set up in the living room and guests enjoyed an evening of entertainment and wonderful food. Lydia made sure that her parents were included in the winter games. She and Leo also invited them to play "Rook" which was Marianes's favorite game.

During the years that the farm produced thousands of turkeys for market, Lydia became very proficient in selecting choice turkeys for roasting. Her prowess in cooking turkey with all the trimmings was so desirable that her Nuttal sister-in-laws were pleased to receive an invitation for Thanksgiveing dinners.

Quilting bees were held on the farm. Friends were invited for a day of quilting which included a delicious lunch prepared and served by Lydia. The busy industrial hands quilted beautiful quilts for weddings and to go into homes where quilts were needed and treasured. Lydia's children remember the laughter, conversation and interesting stories told around the quilt. Lydia made certain that as long as she was able, her children and grandchildren received a quilt made by Lydia and her friends.

Lydia was a devoted wife and mother. It was important to her that her husband did not have to prepare his own meals and that his clothes were always clean and ready to wear. She always planned ahead and organized herself and family to be prepared. When she was expecting Lorna Rae, her fifth child, she spent time with LaRae teaching her household skills so that Leo and her family would be taken care of during her ten day stay in the hospital. The time away from home to have a baby could not interrupt the orderly household. Lorna Rae was born on January 14, 1941 in Logan. Lavoy, who was the youngest, at the time was 5 years old.

Music was appreciated and important to Lydia. Her childhood was surrounded with music. Her father, Marius, taught himself to read music. Lydia and her brothers and sisters played musical instruments. Lydia and Edith played the piano. and Ephriam the mouth organ, trumpet, and accordian. Marius organized a family orchestra and played for special occasions around the Cache Valley. All the family could harmonize. Lydia encouraged her children to develope their talents. She arranged for a traveling piano teacher to come into the home once a week to provide piano lessons. All the children had the opportunity to learn to play the piano. LuDean and LaVoy also played the saxophone.

Lydia recognized Lorna's special vocal talent and encouraged her to develop her voice. The girls remember the day that Lydia was helping Lorna perfect a ballet step when Lydia fell and tore the ligaments in her ankle. It was at this time that Lydia taught LaVoy how to mix bread and prepare meals. LaVoy was taught how "A little of this and a handful of that" was used to make a tasty meal. Lydia seldom used a recipe.

Leo had not had the farm experience that Lydia had, so she worked side by side with her husband helping with all the hard work required to provide for the family. As Leo did not know how to milk cows, Lydia taught him as she worked beside him milking cows morning and evening.

Life on the farm began early in the morning with Lydia arising early to help milk the cows, harness the horses, feed the calves and chickens, etc. She would then return to the house where breakfast was prepared and the children got ready for school or for the day's work on the farm. She could be seen working in the fields along with the family to complete the work each day. About an hour before noon she would leave the field and prepare lunch for the crew. Many times when much was needed to be accomplished, she would bring the noon meal to the workers in the field where everyone would sit in the shade of the hay wagon and enjoy a hearty meal.

As the farm became more mechanized and the children were old enough to be better farm hands, Lydia devoted more time inside the home. However, she continued the responsibility of the yard and chickens for as long as she was physically able.

The threshing machine crew always loved to work threshin the grain on the Nuttal farm. They looked forward to Lydia's wonderful dinner, served promptly at noon. Hot rolls, fried chicken, vegetables, potatoes and gravy and a salad were quite often the main course with a delicious homemade piece of pie for dessert. She always cooked plenty. However, there were never any leftovers when the workers returned to the threshing.

World War II affected Lydia and the farm. When her oldest child, Leo Junior, was called to serve the army at the age of 18 years, she experienced great anxiety and concern for his welfare. Life changed for the entire family. Without Leo Junior's help on the farm Lydia and the girls tried to carry on the tasks. Lydia experienced constant concern for her son's safety and would be seen crying as she read or listened to the war news. Rationing of gas, tires, food and other commodities was part of life during the war. Adjustments were made, and she came up with creative ways of continuing to serve delicious meals. She was resourceful and didn'tallow her family to go without plenty nutritious food. Sugar was rationed. But the family always had plenty of honey as payment for allowing beehives to be placed in the pasture. Honey candy, cakes, cookies, and other sweets made with honey.

She was introduced to a new product to replace butter. It was called margarine. When margarine first came on the market it was a white lard-like brick with a small container of coloring, which had to be worked in the margarine to give the yellow appearance of butter. She did not like margarine. It didn't take her long to begin churning creamy milk from the jersey cow to make butter for her family.

As higher education, missions, and marrriages came to Lydia's children she stayed very close to them through letters, telephone calls, special packages of gifts and homemade goodies. Her presence was felt by her children as they left home. When babies were born she was there with a cheerful lift and helping hand. Blessings,baptisms, birthdays, and special occasions were never forgotten. She loved giving gifts to people. She would buy birthday and Christmas gifts a considerable time ahead of the occassion and could hardly wait for the big day to arrive so that she could give her gift. Upon giving the gift, she would always say "If you don't like it or rather have something else, you can exchange it".

She delighted and pleased her grandchildren when she cared for them for short periods or came to stay for a few days. They could count on her to bake special foods for them. Her lemon pies were devoured in short time. When her children or grandchildren came from any distance to visit, they left with a packed lunch. A lunch containing homemade rolls filled with roast beef, as well as chocolate chip cookies were sure to please. Thanks to Lydia her grandchildren were happy travelers.

As Lydia aged her body became frail. Her husband experienced health problems also and he became completely bedridden. EVen though she was in poor health, she cared for Leo attending to his every need and comfort. When he required 24 hour nursing care, Lydia visited and cared for him daily. Leo succumbed to Parkinson's disease and pneumonia July 13,1981 in Logan, Utah

The aging process brought many challenges. Lydia's body became impaired, but her mind and intellect remained keen. Her daughter, Lorna, attended to her daily. Lorna and her family was with her day and night as her health deteriorated. Several hospitalizations was necessary. Lorna observed that although lydia became extremely ill, she never required any medication supervision. She always knew exactly how and when her medication should be taken.

Early in the year of 1982 Lydia needed more care. Lorna was expecting her fourth child, Mark James. The family agreed that Lorna should not be expected to provide all that was needed at this time. Reluctantly Lydia agreed to go to Idho Falls, Idaho where Laree and her family could care for her in their home. It was difficult for Lydia to move from life long friends and familiar surroundings.

Lydia suffered a combination of congestive heart failure and diabetics which weakened her body. She experienced sensory neuropathy causing her toes to become gangrenous. At the time she moved to Idaho Falls, her toes were so involved that the physician in Logan recommended amputation. Physycians in Idaho Falls were consulted after her arrival. She was hospitalized and received therapy to save the toes, but to no avail the first and second toes on both feet were amputated. Lydia recovered from the surgery and walked about very well, even though the toes needed for balance were no longer there.

Her mind and intellect remained keenly alert and she interacted with the in a very positive manner. She voiced her opinion about her granddaughters boyfriends and counseled LaRee on how she should handle the dating situation. She amused the family by reporting each day about how many cars failed to stop at the stop sign as she watched from her chair through the living room window.