THE FAMILY OF HENRY THOMPSON McENTIRE AND REBECCA SORENSEN HEGSTED

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Garry Andrews
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Eli (Left) Henry, (Right) Rebecca Henry Thompson McEntire

seven children of William Frederick McEntire and Sarah

1 THE FAMILY OF HENRY THOMPSON McENTIRE AND REBECCA SORENSEN HEGSTED Standing L-R: Lucille, Gilbert, Ross, Dee, Lee & Eli (Left) Henry, (Right) Rebecca Henry Thompson McEntire was born 6 May 1875 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, the youngest of seven children of William Frederick McEntire and Sarah Bryant Pritchett. Henry & Rebecca McEntire family page 1 of 6

2 Rebecca Sorensen Hegsted McEntire records her life story as follows: I was born May 20, 1878 in Harrisville (now Farr West), Weber County, Utah. My father s name was Hans Christian Sorensen Hegsted, the Hegsted being a place name given him because he lived in a place of that name an also because of the Danish custom of the son taking the father s first name and adding sen to it. So of course there became so many Sorensens, Olsens and Hansens and it was hard to keep them straight. When Father moved to the town of Hegsted, they began to call him Hans Sorensen from Hegsted and it naturally became Hans Hegsted. Father was born the 17 th of August 1830 in Vreiler, Sogn, Denmark. My mother s name was Ane Christena Iversen. She was born Jan. 4, 1844 in Rakkaby, Denmark. They both became converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They came to America in 1865 and were six and one-half weeks crossing the ocean. I was born on what is now Brother Arthur Crane s place; that is the farm Father bought when he moved the family from Huntsville in The house was a four-room adobe. My mother lived in the two north rooms and my father s first wife had the two south rooms. The thing that seems most clear in my mind is a carefree, happy childhood. I realize now it was not so easy for my parents, as we were very poor and mother worked, sewed, washed and mended for other people in order to help keep us in food and clothing. There were seven children, but I never remember of hearing of complaint. I don t remember any of us ever getting any new clothes, but we were overjoyed to get some that had been handed down to us and made over. We generally got a dress Christmas and one for the fourth of July. But we were happy with no worry for tomorrow; we left that to our parents, and when I think of them now, and what they did I guess they didn t have time to think of anything but work. I remember we used to hold fast meeting the first Thursday of the month. Father would hitch up the team to the heavy wagon and the whole family went to fast meeting at ten A.M. Think of so much work to do, and still stop to go to fast meeting. I can also see my mother, Aunt Mary (Father s first wife), Sister Stephenson and Sister Lee (our neighbors) take their knitting to Relief Society meeting every week, knitting all the way to meeting and all the way back. We had great times playing house with our dolls made of rags or a towel rolled up. I never seen but one doll while I was small; its face was made of wax and was lovely, but someone found out its face made good gum and it was soon scratched till it looked like it had a bad case of smallpox. Then the next thing that happened to poor Fanny she was left too near the fire and her face ran away. And oh, how I mourned and promised myself when I grew up, I d have a doll if nothing else (I did have nine, just as pretty and lots more precious, but not quite so easy to manage.) One of our pastimes in the early spring was to hunt Indian potatoes. These grew among the sagebrush. We would sharpen sticks to dig them with. We ate them and thought they were very good, but they have either changed or I have, because I have tried to eat them since, but they don t seem so sweet or nearly so large. Another thing we got a big kick out of was our Easter hikes. We always took our eggs and maybe some cookies and away we went to the fields, made a fire and cooked our eggs and played games or roved over the fields all day. As we got older we went to the hills at the Utah Hot Springs and climbed hills all day. There were many beautiful wild flowers, blue bells, Henry & Rebecca McEntire family page 2 of 6

3 buttercups, Johnny Jump-ups and many others as there was lots of land uncultivated and the flowers were growing among the sagebrush. Sagebrush was all we had to burn, so in the fall the men hauled sage till we had piles higher and bigger than the house. It made good fires, but was messy and kept one brushing up around the stove. About one-half mile west of our house was a large creek or slough where we spent many hours skating; in fact, nearly every night till 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. Then in the summer there is the old flume that carried our irrigation water across the slough. In this we waded and had fun galore. Our Christmases were not lots of expensive gifts and toys as you have today; one Christmas I got a little teacup and saucer; it was painted with flowers which came off when it was washed. Another Christmas I got a small shell box, that is, a small box about four inches long and two and one-half inches wide. It had shells painted all over it. We were delighted and thought Santa Claus grand. We got about a dozen pieces or about a nickle s worth of cheap candy and no nuts, but Mother baked pippernutters. This was a sweet dough rolled out and cut lengthwise, then across and baked. They were good and I wish I knew how to bake them now. Then we had a children s dance at Christmas and fathers, mothers and all attended. We had such few recreations we were glad to take advantage of them all. We were poor, but all were about the same and there was a spirit of unity among the people that I sometimes think we lack today, but maybe that was because I was young and happy. I hope the children of today feel the same, that their todays and tomorrows are filled with innocent fun and good times, because that belongs in childhood days. We didn t have many clothes and they were mostly homemade; Mother wove the cloth and dyed it (mostly red and I don t care for red yet). She also spun the wool from the sheep, made yarn and knit all our stockings; they were red, too. Just imagine a little girl with two pigtails down her back with an ugly color red dress and red stockings and her hair parted in the middle and braided so tight that she couldn t shut her eyes. I can feel those braids yet. It felt a good deal like going to bed with your head full of Hollywood curlers. Well, after all, that was us and we were all alike. I was one of ten living children, and Aunt Mary (Father s first wife) also had ten. Then Father s third wife had eight, but she died before I can remember, but you see we had a small community right in our own home. Then Bro. Niels P. Lee over the fence (at the south end of 2300 West Street) also had two wives, both having large families. Then on the south Bro. P. C. Stephenson s family well, we all grew up like one big family and all talked Danish and could hardly understand the English language. We did all our praying in Danish, but when we kiddies started to school and our parents were put in responsible positions in the Church, they had to learn the language and the Lord sure helped them in this, which He will do for any of us if we will ask him and try. I had wonderful parents and we were taught to do right and shun evil. I m really ashamed I m not a better woman as my parents set a wonderful example of right living. I went to school in Farr West, but the schools were not graded then and things were quite different. One could be in the First class in Arithmetic and in the fifth Reader. Our parents had to buy all our books, pencils and everything, which made it very hard for those with large families. After I left school (about fifteen years old), I went to work for Mrs. D. H. Perry; I did dining room work and was paid $3.00 a week; I stayed there nearly six years. Henry & Rebecca McEntire family page 3 of 6

4 In April 1898 my father moved to Idaho and I went with them and stayed till September of the same year, when I married Henry T. McEntire and came back to Farr West. I lived with my mother-in-law about six months, then moved in the house across from the meetinghouse or where Jim Taylor now lives. Then in 1906 Mrs. McEntire died and we moved up in the old McEntire home. (Ed. The old pioneer home was said to have had a veranda all the way around the building.) On Christmas Day 1913 it burned down. In the spring of 1914 we moved into our new house, the one we are now living in (Ed. In 2006 this is the present residence of Wilford Scott at 2192 North 2000 West.) (The following information about the McEntires was prepared by a granddaughter,elaine M. Jensen, in 2006.) Henry married Rebecca Hegsted 3 Sep in Salem, Idaho., then moved back to Farr West. About 1893 when a severe depression enveloped the country and people couldn t find work. Weber County bonded for $12,000 to give employment to families in need. They used the money to build roads. The road was built from North Ogden to Five Points, then back through Harrisville and Farr West to the Hot Springs, or what was known as Highway 84 (now 2000 West.) In 1924 a new church was built in Farr West under the direction of Bishop Moroni Chugg and Harry Brown and Henry McEntire as counselors. The ward population was about 200 people. Becky suffered from migraine headaches all her life. Her mother once recalled that Becky was the sweetest baby, but at times she would cry for three or four days, then she would be back to her sweetness. She served in the Sunday School, Primary, YWMIA, Relief Society and was supervisor of the Farr West Junior Genealogical Society. Twenty members graduated from the first course. She died in one of her headaches on April 9, 1961 at her home in Farr West. Henry operated his farm until late in life. Also, he was part owner of a threshing machine with J. E. Garlick and Chris Westergard. He died 10 Nov 1968 in Ogden. Both he and Becky are buried in the Ogden City Cemetery. (The following supplementary information concerning the family of Henry and Becky McEntire was obtained 19 Aug 2006 by Brian L. Taylor while conducting an interview with Ivy McEntire Miller, a granddaughter who lived most of her younger years with her grandparents) We didn t learn a lot about the ancestry in the family, but we did learn that Henry s father and two brothers fought in the confederate army, and I think they accepted Mormonism after that. They lived in Smith and Halifax Counties, Virginia. At one time the family had two slaves, but I do not know what became of them. I think the two oldest boys came with their parents when they came west. Henry was the baby of the family, and he was born here. I know he always called his father Father. The McEntires were very tall. Henry s father was six feet four and Henry was six feet tall. Becky said that Grandpa McEntire never soiled his hands. He worked in the city at ZCMI and Grandma McEntire and the boys ran the farm Henry & Rebecca McEntire family page 4 of 6

5 I never heard those folks say anything about how hard pioneer life was. However, Becky told us that they had to make everything. She got so used to knitting that she could knit stockings and read at the same time. Too, they would knit stockings while walking to church (this was probably early in life while they lived a mile from the church.) The McEntire home was a favorite congregating spot and the doors were never locked, even when they went to Idaho for a week. In the earlier generation it was a favorite stopping place for the Idaho relatives on their way to and from Salt Lake City. In later times nieces, nephews and friends enjoyed congregating there and playing parlor games, a favorite pastime. Even the younger folk participated in those games, where everyone had a good time. Henry even enjoyed making up some original games of his own to add to the fun. And in the summertime the younger folk flocked around the home, Becky would come outside and play right along with them on such games as Run Sheepie Run, Kick the Can, and Hide and Seek. Becky delivered Ivy when she was born. Ivy s mother had pulmonary occlusion, dying about two hours after the birth. I had five uncles who adored me and spoiled me rotten, Ivy confided. Lots of company stopped to see Becky and Henry on the way to and from Salt Lake Becky ruled in her home by a combination of guilt and love. Children were taught that the worst thing you could do was to hurt someone s feelings. Little physical discipline was used in the home; however, a humorous incident was related concerning a time when the two youngest boys began to scuffle around the house. Becky grabbed the broom and hit whoever was on top. So they learned to roll over and soon everyone was laughing. Henry used little discipline, but he had a tone of voice that made the boys recognize when they were treading on thin ice. Occasionally in later years Henry would raise a pig, then when it was grown, he would get Ralph Vause to come and butcher it. The family never ate the ribs. Becky would cut off all the fat, and have pork roasts, a few pork chops, a lot of bacon, and then everything else was ground up and made into the most wonderful sausage seasoned with sage. On the south of the farm the family had what they called a sheep pasture. Becky s father would never allow sheep on his farm, And Becky would never eat mutton, but they had a sheep pasture, where they played Danish baseball. Becky used to have all the family together on Thanksgiving and Christmas until she got cancer, which was about She was desperately sick for about three and a half years. Then she was never again able to have big family dinners. Becky worked in the Primary for 30 years or more. She could get kids to do anything. She seemed to be continually working on some sort of program for the children to produce on the stage. Ivy recalled a particular Primary song where they sang each verse in a different language. She bragged that she could sing in ten languages by the time she was ten years old. Ivy remembered, Becky had us learn to sing The Call of Love in other languages for a program. We didn t know what we were singing, but we learned the phonetic sounds. I remember another program when we dressed up in costumes representing the nations of the world. Henry only had four years of schooling, but he was always reading. When the children were smaller, he would make up his own stories, or he would start telling a well-known Bible story or other story, then take off on his own original version. Henry was very good at mathematics. At one time one of the local banks offered a prize to the person who could come the closest to figuring how much a man would be worth if he Henry & Rebecca McEntire family page 5 of 6

6 started out with a given sum of money, then encountered certain interest rate changes on given dates during the length of the test period. Henry won the prize, a television set. (Added notes by Brian L. Taylor: In 1940 while attending Weber College, I was assigned to write a paper on the history of the Western Irrigation Company. I knew where I could obtain authentic data. Henry McEntire invited me to come to his home, where he gave me a wealth of information for my assignment: names, dates, water rights, and other related matters. Sixty-six years later I still remember the seemingly endless stream of facts that came from his mind. Names, dates and places were as clear in his memory as when they had been stored there over the previous half-century. The paper was a valuable resource, which my professor apparently recognized. He asked to borrow the paper and never returned it. I am still trying to enlist the assistance of the Weber State University archivist to retrieve my term paper with its documented facts which Henry so ably recalled for me. THE CHILDREN OF HENRY THOMPSON MCENTIRE AND REBECCA SORENSEN HEGSTED: 1. Leland Glenmore McEntire was born 12 Jul 1899 in Farr West, Weber, Utah. He married (1) 29 Nov 1921 in Ivy Castina Slater. She was born 20 Dec 1899 in Slaterville, Weber, Utah. Leland married (2) 10 Jan 1936 in Farr West, Weber, Utah, Norma Shaw. She was born 23 Apr 1904 in Ogden, Weber, Utah. 2. Eli Albert McEntire was born 2 May 1901 in Farr West, Weber, Utah. He married 16 Sep 1921 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, Illa Artell McBride. She was born 3 Oct 1902 in Hyrum, Cache, Utah. 3. Milton Vern McEntire was born 20 Dec 1903 in Farr West, Weber, Utah. He married 4 Wesley Dee McEntire was born in Farr West, Weber, Utah. He married (1)22 Sep 1932 in Marcelle Richardson. She was born. Dee married (2) Elnora Wright. She was born 5 Lucille McEntire was born 26 Apr 1909 in Farr West, Weber, Utah. She married 6 Aug 1927 in Farr West, Weber, Utah, Kenneth Perks Jones. He was born 28 Apr 1909 of Ogden, Weber, Utah. 6. Ross Henry McEntire was born 13 Jun 1911 in Farr West, Weber, Utah. He married 22 Jun 1938 in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah, Myrtle Naomi Wood. She was born 8 Mar 1913 in Trenton, Cache, Utah. 7 Gilbert Hegsted McEntire was born 23 Jul 1915 in Farr West, Weber, Utah. He married 18 Sep 1935 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, Clora Louise Daniels Brown. She was born 10 Aug 1915 in Ogden, Weber, Utah. Henry & Rebecca McEntire family page 6 of 6

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