History of
ROSA LEE ORR HYMAS
Wife of John W. Hymas
Born in Morgan City, January 28, 1869, daughter of Richard and Caroline Derricott Orr.
Father and Mother joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, in England, in the year (abt) 1850. Father was born in Deanshanger, Northampton, April 15,1836. Mother was born in Rocadin Wood, Shropshire, October 1, 1843. Grandfather Derricott was a missionary in the town where my father lived, and was anxious to immigrate to Utah, with the Saints, but he had a large family and was trying to get someone to bring one or two of them over. Father wanted to immigrate, so Grandad told him he could have one of his girls, if he would bring her to America. So a bargain was made that he should bring his daughter, Caroline. Arrangements were made and they set sail on a sailing vessel from Liverpool, and landed in New York on the 18th of July, 1861. They were 7 weeks on the water, and the short courtship ended on the 17th of July 1861, the day before they landed, when they were married.
Father got work, as he was an engineer on the ship docks, and helped to build the “Monarch” ship, which played such a heroic part in the Civil War. He made enough money here to take them to Council Bluffs, where there was a company ready to cross the plains, and father got a job driving a yoke of oxen and a wagon, for his fare, across the plains. He was in the company with John Young, a brother to Brigham Young. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley in the fall of 1862, and went to live with mother’s sister, Martha Tonks, in Sugar House Ward, where they lived in a dugout for a year. Their first baby was born in this dugout. They moved to Morgan, and lived there for 5 or 6 years, and then moved to Salt Lake when Johnson’s Army came in, and father was one of Brigham’s guards.
Father helped haul granite from the canyon, with an ox team, when they were building the Salt Lake Temple. He was one of the first engineers to help on the railroad, when the “Iron Horse” came to Utah. They spent their time between Salt Lake and Morgan, as work permitted, trying to make a livelihood for their family.
When their 5th child was born, father made up his mind to take another wife, as plural marriage was the order of the day. But mother objected, on the grounds it was her niece, and, anyway, they couldn’t provide for the 5 children they already had.
In the fall of 1870-72, they moved to Salt Lake City again, and another baby came. Then they moved back to Morgan, and the courtship continued. Father took most of the crude furniture to fix a house for his 2nd wife. They were all ready to go to Salt Lake City, and went to the Bishop for a recommend, and he asked him if his wife was willing for him to take a 2nd wife, and father said “no”, So, the Bishop couldn’t give him a recommend. He went to the President of the Stake, with the same result. Then, they were sure President Brigham Young would marry them, but he said, “No, unless all parties agree.” This made father sore at all authorities, so they moved down south to Sanpete County,
I was just 6 years old, at this time, and I can’t remember the hardships mother endured, up to this time. But I shared in them from then on, in preparing a new home and helped tramp mud for dobey’s to build a new house, and cleared sagebrush. After father got the house built, he went back to the smelters, to get money to help care for the family, as there were 6 children. Many times we were without the necessary things of life. My 2 older sisters and I have walked 2 miles, to gather mustard, for greens, and even before they were big enough, we gathered the green sprouts of the grasswood for greens. We also gathered acorns and dug sego. At times, we had no flour, for bread, and we would be quite destitute before getting money for father. We 3 girls had only one little blue denim dress, and mother would put us to bed, before she washed them, for Sunday. We weren’t able to attend church, as it was 4 miles for us to walk, but mother would go, sometimes.
We were very scared of the Indians, and one day, while my 2 older sisters and I, and our 2 younger brothers, were walking the fence poles, to see which could walk the farthest, a band of about 25 warriors rode up to the house, all in their paint and feathers, with bows and arrows and tomahawks strapped on them. We were very frightened, and ran to the house, The big sisters left me to bring the baby, about 2 years old, and I just dragged him. The Indians just wanted to know if mother was a Mormon, and begged for biscuits, and meat. Mother had a piece of meat in a sack, hanging on the shady side of the house, and they had seen it, so she had to get it, and share with them. My oldest brother was off working for some man, so we were very frightened when we saw Indians, as some of them had killed and stolen cattle, and also, kidnapped little children.
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Rosa Lee Orr Hymas
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In January mother had another boy baby, and in the spring, we moved to Freedom, a small town north of our ranch. Three more boys were born there, to mother. There was a school started there and the larger ones went to school. My sister, Sarah, and I took turns about, as mother couldn’t get along without help, as father was very seldom home. I have gone with my younger brother, with an ox team, to the hills for wood, and up Maple Canyon, and dragged logs home with the oxen.
Mother taught us girls to sew, knit and spin. We were never idle, for there was always something to do-work in the field, chop wood, and other things around the house. When I was 12 years old, I had my first experience working away from home. I was about 4 miles from home, and would cry every night to go home. The woman even made me do her washing. I just stood it one week, the longest week I ever spent. The next place I worked at was Wales, 8 miles from Freedom. I helped a lady who was taking care of her son, and 2 boys of a man whose wife was dead. I helped her night and morning, before and after school and on Saturday.
In the spring, father sold out, and with what we had, started for Bear Lake, where mother’s folks lived. We had one yoke of oxen and one team of horses, and some loose horses. The roads were so muddy, and it was so slow traveling, we were about 2 weeks going from Sanpete to Morgan. We rested up at Mother’s sister, Martha Tonks. I was just turned 15 and mother left me there with a cousin, Jane Welch, who had 2 children. There, I had the privilege of attending Sunday School and Primary, the first I could remember, and it was there, I first learned the teachings of the church, and got a testimony of the law of tithing, learned some of the Sunday School songs, and heard President Eliza Snow, of the General Primary, speak. She also showed us the watch the Prophet Joseph Smith had on when he was shot, in Carthage Jail. I will never forget her face, so sweet and pure. It was in Morgan City, I first heard the glorious gospel truths, and first heard one of the 12 apostles speak.
Apostle John Henry Smith spoke on the Word of Tithing, and I was converted to the principle as my mother could neither read or write, and couldn’t teach us much of the Gospel.
In the fall, I got a chance to go up to Bear Lake County, and I was surprised, for father had been rebaptised, and all of the children, who were old enough, were baptised. So at the first opportunity I had, I was baptised by William A, Hymas, on Sept. 10, 1884, and was confirmed by Bishop E.N.Austin, the same day, in Liberty, Bear Lake County, Idaho.
In 1886 I married John Wm. Hymas, in the Logan Temple. We made our home in Liberty, and surrounding towns, until, August, 1900, when we moved to Egen, in Fremont Stake. There I took a course in obstetrics, and was set apart by Apostle John Henry Smith, for the work of nursing. I followed nursing for 15 years, then my health wouldn’t permit me to practice.