REMINISCENCES OF SAMUEL GEORGE SPENCER

I was born February 14, 1864 on the north west corner of Third South and State Street in Salt Lake City. My father was 70 years young when I was born. My Mother was 29 years old. Now don't take this to mean that my Father was shy of women. On the contrary, he took his first bride when he was 29 and his seventh when he was 62. My mother, Mary Jane Cutcliffe, gave birth to four children (by my Father) who grew to adulthood. I was the third child and the only boy. I have wondered if my Mother gave -me the middle name of George - because it was her Father's name. I suppose that I got the name Samuel because it rhymes with my famous Father's name, Daniel.

There's an interesting story told about my Mother's maiden name, Cutcliffe. The Cutcliffe's were descendants of the Dukes of England; who cut their way through a cliff to freedom from the enemy in time of war. Their name prior to this event was Cuncliffe - by fame it was changed to Cutcliffe.

My Father owned several ranches and homes. My Mother and her children lived for some time on the fine ranch just west of Salt Lake City where the Magna and Garfield Smelter now operates. When I was about 4 years old my Father died at the age of 74 1/2. His good friend President Brigham Young delivered the funeral sermon. Aunt Zina Young, a wife of President Brigham, told my sister Amelia that President Young often said, "Daniel Spencer was the wisest man in Salt Lake . . ."

To show the wonderful stock you come from, let me have shown to you a picture of the home my Father had at the time he first heard of the Restoration of the Gospel in the winter of 1838.

As best I can remember, I spent my baby days in the home I was born in on Third South and State Streets. That was included in the 13th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have lived in three different wards in my lifetime. I was born in the 13th Ward where I commenced my active work in the Church at the age of five years. My first activity was to recite "Three Blind Mice". The superintendent (I believe George Goddard) lifted me to the pulpit and I made my debut with as calm a poise as I ever was able to do in my prime. I never missed a Sunday School or other calling from then on while in the city.

When I was about 9 my Mother married Ulrich Auer who during my Father's lifetime was in my Father's employ. From this union was born my little sister Mary Jane. Now I had four sisters. At that time we moved to Pleasant Green which was a Branch of Brighton Ward. After what seemed a couple of years I returned to Salt Lake and lived in the old family home with my sister Alvira while I had 6 years schooling at Miss Cook's School. After I was 12, I worked at farming in Pleasant Green. At 14 1 started shearing sheep with George Cochrane in Pleasant Green. At the age of 14 years I received my Endowments in the Endowment House and acted for my Grandfather Cutcliffe in the sealing of my Grandmother Cutcliffe to him. It was while living in Pleasant Green that I met the Gedge family, a humble and careful living family of Saints.

On December 21, 1882, when I was nearly 19, 1 married Emma Gedge in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. You see it wasn't until April of 1893 - 11 more years - before the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated. Until the Temple was dedicated the Endowment House, which stood in the North West corner of the Temple Block, was the place where sealings and other ordinance work for the living and dead were performed.

One of Brigham Young's wives, Zina D. Young, lived just opposite our humble home, and she was very, very kind to us, and always had loving advice and counsel for our family. When I grew up she was not lacking in giving me tender counsel in regarding the choosing of a wife. When I married she sent for us and in some detail explained the need to study obstetrics and loaned us a book to study from. And believe me, this knowledge came in handy. I was the handy man for about all of the 14 beautiful babies given to us.

Emma and I were blessed with 7 children: Daniel George, Samuel Gedge, Ira Orson, Louie Emma, Ivy Rachel, Israel Cutcliffe, and 'William Gedge. Israel died at about 4 months - the others grew to maturity.

For some time Emma had suffered with Tuberculosis and gradually succumbed to this dreaded malady in St. George where the doctor had directed her to go to seek health. I had felt impressed to leave Salt Lake and to go to St. George to see how Emma was. I traveled all night by wagon to reach her bedside about 3:00 a.m. As soon as she heard the wagon she said to her daughter Louie, "That's your Father. Now I am ready to die. I could not die before he got here." Later that evening she asked to sit on my lap. She looked into my face, smiled the sweetest smile of her life and said, "Goodbye, Samuel. This is the prayer of my life - to die in your arms." She closed her eyes and not another move or sound. In 11 more days we would have been married 25 years. Louie was about 16 years old at this time.

On October 14, 1885, 1 married Maria Baker of Mendon, Utah, in the Logan Temple. Our marriage was blessed with the birth of 10 children. Only 5 of these were able to survive beyond infancy. They were Alma, David, Pearl, Rhoda, and Zina. I laid 5 babies to rest in the Pleasant Green Cemetery. Most of them were Maria's babies. So much sorrow for one Mother to bear. After 37 years of marriage, Maria died from complications following Dropsy on the 24th of July in 1922.

The next day after marrying Maria, I left for my mission to the Southern States. I labored in Georgia until I was honorably released on November 28, 1887. The mission president, John Morgan, placed me in charge of a company of Saints - new converts - who were emigrating to the west. At that time most of those embracing the Gospel were encouraged to make their homes among the Saints in the West.

In 1986 1 wrote a tract of 49 pages which I had printed. It was called, "Joseph Smith - The Prophet of the XIX Century" . . . This was when I had been on my first mission for a year.

On January 4, 1895, 1 left on my second Mission. This time I went to the Northern States. I was called first as President of the Indiana Conference and then as President of the Northern States Mission. When I first came into the Mission field there were 13 Elders. Two years later when I was released there were 130 Elders. I held a Railroad pass on 36 different lines that ran through the states of our mission.

I must declare my confidence in the sacred promises given to us by the power of the Priesthood. When I was called on my first mission, the late President Grant set me apart for my missionary labors and he said that I would soon be among those who would seek my life, but promised me that if I would keep the commandments of the Lord that never a hair of my head would fall to the enemy. This was literally fulfilled . . . I was taken by a mob several times but was always preserved from harm. Can you blame me for loving and honoring our pioneer parents who filled our souls with the truth of the revealed Gospel of Jesus Christ?

During my sojourn in Pleasant Green, I was a Sunday School Teacher, Superintendent of the Mutual, one of the seven Presidents of Seventy, a block teacher, and labored for many years as a Home Missionary in the old Salt Lake Stake, traveling from one end of the county to the other every other Sunday. I also was prompter of all dances. During that time the majority of our dances were old fashioned square dances, hence the necessity for a caller.

In 1889, I built a new house. This was in Pleasant Green, not too far east of the ward house. I started this adobe house without a dollar, traded hay and other produce and labor for the material and help I needed, but did most of the work myself. In 1894 I planted 1500 fruit trees, giving me the largest fruit tree orchard in Salt Lake County. I owned three-fourths interest in the first steam threshing machine. I built and operated the first store in Pleasant Green. I was the first postmaster, justice of the peace and chairman of the Republican Committee. I raised the first 1500 bushels of potatoes grown in between the fruit trees I planted. I made the first 500 gallons of home made molasses. The sugar cane from which it was made I raised on land rented from widow Sarah Coon. I bought and operated the first separator with 40 cows furnishing milk for butter making. I drove the first yoke of oxen in Pleasant Green. As part of my interest at Pleasant Green I owned a band of sheep which summered in the East mountains and wintered on the Skull Valley Desert.

In 1903 1 sold my holdings in Pleasant Green and bought property in Salt Lake. I was employed for some time by the Salt Lake Knitting Works as foreman but later resigned to establish the Ensign Knitting Co. on Richards St. in Salt Lake. I made a trip to England to purchase some of the hosiery machines. I remained manager until the business was sold to the Lloyd Knitting Co. Upon leaving the Knitting Works I opened a grocery store. . On the third of August 1903, 1 married Elizabeth Ann Cable. To us were born 4 lovely children, 2 girls and 2 boys: Nellie, Mabel, George, and Rudger. Rudger died when he was 4 years old. In 1925 some misunderstandings and disagreements developed between Bessie and me and a temporal divorce was obtained. 'We never again lived together as man and wife, although I did provide for her until her death of an incurable cancer on October 6, 1931.

Remember those wonderful parties in the popcorn factory? I started the popcorn business in 1904 using a dish pan in which to mix the popped corn and syrup. The business grew until at one time it was the largest of it's kind west of Chicago. Can you still remember the popcorn truck that I had that had a large popcorn ball on the top of it? The front of the popcorn factory was a grocery store with a bell that rang when the door was opened. During these popcorn years the grandchildren grew up to know that the best confection in the world was a Fairy Brick (popcorn that had a balloon wrapped inside the waxed wrapper) or a Bo-Peep - the Spencer type of Cracker Jack, or the Crispette, the most delicious molasses popcorn made into four round pats of popcorn wrapped in bright yellow waxed paper with red lettering on it or the famous popcorn balls, all labeled SPENCER'S ... At Christmas time along with the popcorn I used to delight in seeing to it that each child got the largest apple and orange that I could buy.

I suppose that the biggest business success I had went along with the popcorn business. I refer now to the contracting for the concessions at Saltair, Lagoon, the State Fair, Brigham Peach days, etc. I paid as high as $7,500 per season for part of the concessions at Lagoon. One 4th of July we took in nearly $4,000 at Lagoon. As we came to Salt Lake that night with that money, we traveled in 3 cars, close together.

On March 24, 1926, when I was 62 years young, I married Charlotte Willmann in the Salt Lake Temple. We enjoyed our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a big party in Memory Grove. Special songs and tributes were given by the children and grandchildren and dancing and refreshments were enjoyed by all.

For 35 years I worked the popcorn business and when I was 75 years old, I gave the popcorn factory to my son Ira and his family. The building was cut in half by Ketchum Co. and taken in two parts to the location west on North Temple.

On the site where the Factory stood, Lottie and I had a 4-plex built which we called the Spencer Apartments. This added new buildings to our already large rental property. As the boys Alma, Ira, and David outgrew and left their Spencer Court duplexes, we bought those and converted each unit into three where there was one originally. In the year 1950 we bought the home at 212 Canyon Road and made three units there.

I am proud to say that my wives and I had 21 children - 14 of whom grew to man and womanhood. Of this number six children are living in my hundredth year. My 38 grandchildren have given me 120 great grandchildren who in turn have added to my posterity 28 great-great grandchildren. One of my greatest thrills was having my picture taken with my son, Daniel, his daughter, Emma, and her daughter Shirley, and her daughter Colleen. Five generations. This picture along with a story was published in the Deseret News in 1950.

Remember the Franklin automobile I had that didn't have a radiator and would go up to Brighton without boiling? Remember the Christmas trees in the parlor clear to the ceiling with goodies for all? Remember the Valentine parties with all the red hearts and cupids? Remember the stairway to the second floor and the upstairs bedrooms? (Yes, Grandfather, we remember. And we remember much more: we remember your example of industry; we remember your love of little children; we remember your faithfulness to your church; we remember your wanting a kiss every time we met or parted; we remember the fish pond and the neat gardens; we remember you and your long, hard work; we remember you and bread and peaches. Each of us has many memories of you. We remember how you talked to us; we remember how you testified of the truthfulness of the Gospel. We will remember these and many more. We will remember your life and be grateful that you went before us - clearing the path - showing the Way - striving to be a good example for us - all the hundreds of us.)