George Samuel Reid Family Roots

ANNIE THURGOOD (16 Mar 1876 – 5 Feb 1960) was born in Bountiful, Davis County, Utah the daughter of William Thurgood and Elizabeth Emma Lavina Yeates.

Annie married John William Holt on 6 May 1896 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.  Annie and John had 12 children of record:

• William Harold Holt (3 Jun 1897 – 2 Feb 1963) married Elizabeth Maude Lloyd Faucett 19 Aug 1922 in West Point, Davis County, Utah.
• Lawrence Edward Holt (7 Oct 1898 – 27 Aug 1986) married Verna Caroline Clark in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
• Genevieve Holt (27 Nov 1900 – 9 Aug 1986) married Rudolph Maus 15 Sep 1922 in Ogden, Weber, County, Utah.
• Bessie Holt (18 Oct 1902 – 7 Nov 1976) married Henry Ernest Gwilliam on 12 Mar 1924 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
• Daughter Baby Holt (1904 – 1904)
• LaVon Holt (28 Jun 1905 – 20 Mar 1987) married George Samuel Reid on 2 Dec 1925 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
• Emerald Holt (22 Jul 1907 – 7 Feb 1992) married Kenneth LeRoy Loveland on 1 Jun 1933 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
• Erma Maude Holt (14 Sep 1909 – 27 Dec 1988) married Loy Frank Blake on 22 Aug 1929 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
• Louise Holt (13 Apr 1912 – 7 Dec 1984) married Cheston John Youngberg on 15 Oct 1930 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah and William Golden Fisher on 22 May 1963 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
• Lamar Thurgood Holt (12 Aug 1914 – 21 Jul 1993) married LaRene Smith on 28 Feb 1939 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah and Drusilla Margaret Erdman Smith on 2 Aug 1961 in Sacramento, Sacramento County, California.
• Annie Berniuce Holt (11 Jun 1918 – 6 Jun 2009) married Jay B. Rohmer on 11 Mar 1936 in West Point, Davis County, Utah.
• Nettie Cleone Holt (29 Sep 1920 – 24 Mar 2004) married Wayne Haight Flint on 1 Nov 1940 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.

After their marriage, John and Annie lived in various locations in Davis County, Utah.  First in West Bountiful, as noted in the 1900 Census; then in Syracuse, as noted in the 1910 Census; and then their remaining  years in West Point, as noted in the 1920 Census.

After John’s death in 1926, Annie remained in West Point with her children where she lived until her death on 5 Feb 1960 at age 83.  She is buried in the West Point City Cemetery, West Point, Davis County, Utah.

THE LIFE OF ANNIE THURGOOD HOLT

December 1941

“I was born March 16, 1876, in East Bountiful, Davis County, Utah. I was the daughter of William Thurgood and Emma Lavinia Yeates who are natives of England. I was the youngest child of a family of seven children.”

Annie’s Dad was fourteen years old when he was converted and baptized to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served four missions: to the Channel Islands; Southhampton Pastorate; Birmingham and to Worcester, England. It was on this mission that he met, converted and baptized Emma Lavinia Yeates and her sister Annie. William Thurgood was chosen a captain of a company to help the Saints to Utah and brought Emma and her sister to Utah in his company. He married Emma Lavinia Yeates in the Endowment House in 1865. They had eight children, and Annie was the youngest.

Annie’s mother was very good at sewing, crochet, needle point, and knitting. When Annie’s father was in the bishopric, he would bring President Brigham Young home to stay for nights and she would cook for all the conference visitors that came to Bountiful. President Young told her what a wonderful cook and housekeeper she was and that the Lord would bless her because she had cared for them even tough she couldn’t attend church. Annie’s mother was known for her good cakes and pies and jellies and preserves. The family lived up the stairs over the Bountiful Co-operative Mercantile for many years while her husband (Annie’s father) ran the store.

“When I was four years old, I had the Whooping cough for some time and was very sick. My father administered to me with the help of the brethren many times until I became well. My father would carry me on his shoulders to care for me and to help my mother out.”

“When I was six years old, my father died. I can’t remember many things about him, just what my mother told me. He was a wonderful father. The first school I attended was Alice Farham. She taught it right in her home.”

“After my father died, we moved to West Bountiful, but I still went to East Bountiful to school where I walked two miles to school. We had a herd of cows to milk and take care of and chores to do. I had to help Mother skim the milk and churn the butter. My sister Lillian and I would walk two miles to take eggs and butter to a ladies house. She always bought eggs and butter from mother.”

“When mother moved to West Bountiful, there was not any water, only a little spring and my Sister Lilly and I carried many buckets. At last my neighbor Israel Barlow dug the first flowing well and we used to have it in barrels. He had the only water around the country. Many people came for water each day. There was always a long line of wagons to get the water. We had to pay ten cents a barrel, and I’m sure no one wasted any water. One summer a severe draught came to the country. It was so dry the ground cracked open so you could put your hand in the cracks. The Bishop called a special fast for the rain. It was from Saturday noon until Sunday night. There was singing, praying, and calling on the Lord for rain. The next day we got the much needed rain. This was a great lesson to me on the value of fasting and prayer, and also taught me to trust in my Heavenly Father.”

Annie at 16 years old

“ There was no place to buy bread and a lady by the name of Mary Brysom made the yeast so mother could make bread for us. You could get a start of yeast and it would last you for sometime if it was taken care of properly. It was always quite windy in West bountiful, and once we had a very bad storm, my sister Lillian and I had gone after yeast for mother. We had to cling on the fence to get back home because the wind was so bad. Our mother was very happy to see us safe at home again.”

Annie as a child

“While we were living in West Bountiful, our house was close to the railroad tracks. We kept a big dog for protection. Many people came to our house for a hand out. Mother always gave to all that came. One Sunday I didn’t want to go to Sacrament Meeting. Mother let me stay home if I would be good and not get into things. The family hadn’t been gone long when I heard noises outside. I looked out the window and saw a group of Indians coming toward our house looking in the windows and pounding at the doors. The dog growled and I held him close to keep him quiet. Soon they left the place. When they were gone, I quickly ran to church as fast as I could! Never again did I want to stay home from Sacrament Meeting. It was one of my most frightening days of my life. From then on I knew it was better to listen to my mother.”

I graduated from the school at the age of 16. I did not attend college. I joined the East Bountiful choir and stayed with it till I was married. That’s where I met my beloved husband. He did not sing, but our leader, Brother Edward Thomas, encouraged all the young people to come. After I joined the West Bountiful ward, they put me in as a Sunday School teacher with Irvan Fister where I taught many years.”

In Annie’s own handwriting

“ My mother owned land upon the Sandridge and grain was grown there. My sister Lillian and I used to come up to cook for the thrashers. We stayed until all the trashing was done.. They used to thrush the grain with horses going round and round. My brother John and Rowland use to come with us. We drove up in a wagon on dirt roads. It was a dusty windy place to be. Little did I think it would be my home because I thought it was the worst desert I ever saw.”

“When I was 18 years old, one night I went to a dance with my brother Roland. Before leaving for the dance, I told my mother that I was impressed that I would meet my future husband that evening. It was Christmas Eve. Sure enough, I met John William Holt who later became my husband. We danced together that evening and he asked to accompany me to my home, but I told him he would have to meet my mother first, which he did the next day. The following Sunday he came to see me in him “Bonnet Buggy” and we went to sacrament meeting together in the afternoon. We went together for two years on and off. Then we were married May 6, in the Salt Lake Temple. We moved up by his folks and Grandpa Holt was called on a mission to England and Grandma had at that time 10 children, the youngest 3 months old.”

Annie and John Holt, wedding picture

“When Grandpa Holt came home from his mission, we went to live with my beloved mother. At this time I had two children, Harold and Lawrence, and as my mother had had a stroke, she needed my help. She got pneumonia and died, Lawrence only being one month old.”

“When we had been married eleven years, we moved up to the Sandridge, which was then called Syracuse. I had five children and we lived in one large room, 16 feet by 16 feet. It was in the spring. It was a desert place. We only had one neighbor across the street. Sand was everyplace and the wind blew it about. Here Emerald was born. After this, I had five more children while living in West Point. I had twelve children, one a still born, so now eleven are still living.”

John and Annie Holt Family – Lamar is the little boy on John’s lap

Top row: Harold, Genevieve, Lawrence, Bessie, LaVon

Bottom Row: Emerald, Louise, John, Lamar, Annie holding Bernice, Erma (Cleone not born yet)

Annie and her daughters 1935

Top Row left to right: Emerald Holt Loveland, LaVon Holt Reid, Annie Thurgood Holt, Genevieve Holt Mass, Bessie Holt Gwilliam

Bottom Row left to right: Erma Holt Blake, Cleono Holt Flint, Bernice Holt Rohmer, Louie Holt Youngberg

Grandma Holt surrounded by her daughters

Bessie, LaVon, Emerald, Cleone, Grandma, Louise, Erma, Bernice

“The saddest thing happened in all my life when my beloved husband died November 20, 1926, leaving me with six children, and not a father or mother on either side. But my Heavenly Father surely blessed me. I raised them all—sent Emerald and Lamar on missions, Lamar to college for two years, and Erma graduated from business college. I have tried to teach the gospel to my children and work in the church.”

Annie, Emerald and Van Blake

“One year on Valentine’s Day, my home caught fire, because of the bad wiring, and burned down. Many people came to help to get my things out. But many pictures of my father and mother, with other special things, were destroyed. It was a great shock to me. But with the help of friends and my children, a new home was built for me, which I love and enjoy very much.”

“I love my family; they are very good to me. They are always taking me places. Many a trip I took to Sacramento, California, to see Harold and Lamar and Bessie. I enjoyed this very much and always looked forward to going. My children always had a birthday party for me and many of my friends would come and enjoy the day with me.”

Home in West Point

Annie and Cleone

Annie and her daughters and Lamar

“One day while up to my son Lawrence’s, I fell and broke my hip. I went to the hospital and had it operated on. I was never able to walk again. My health began to fail and I was never right well again. Then I was never able to go home again.”

“Life has been good to me even with all the struggles I have had and I don’t know what I would do without my good family. They have given me all the love and help that one could ask for. I am so thankful for my chidren and their goodness to me. They have all been married in the temple, but two of them. They have all worked in the church and been a joy to me through all the struggles I have had since my beloved husband was called home. I’m so happy for them all and grateful for all they have done for me.. I pray that we may all meet together again as a family.”

Annie Holt died February 5, 1960 in Ogden, Utah.

The Holt Family

Lamar is on the far right on the bottom row

Beth and Harold

Cleone and Wayne Flint Annie

Bernice

Lawrence Holt Family and Lamar George, LaVon, Larene, Bessie, Henry Lawrence, Clark, Verna, John, Lois, Lamar

LaVon and George Reid 1960

The following were taken in our backyard in Sacramento at Mom’s funeral

Verna and Lawrence Holt 1960

Louise Youngberg and Erma Blake 1960

Emerald and Kenneth Loveland 1960

Henry and Bessie Gwilliam

This was taken much earlier

Life of Annie Thurgood Holt

As Dictated to her Daughter, Erma Maude Holt Blake

Life of Annie Thurgood Holt, daughter of William Thurgood and Emma Lavinia Yeates Thurgood.  I was born March 16, 1876 at East Bountiful, Davis, County, Utah.  I was born the last child in a family of seven children.  When I was 4 years old, I had the Whooping Cough for some time and was very sick.  My Father administered to me with the help of the Brethren many times till I became well.  My father would carry me on his shoulders to care for me and to help my mother out.  When I was six years old my father died.  It was a sad occasion in our family.  Father was such a good man and worked very much in the Church.  My parents managed the Bountiful Cooperative Store, and many products were given to the poor.  After my father died, Mother bought a home and farm in West Bountiful.  We had a herd of cows to milk and take care of and chores to do.  I had to help Mother skim the milk and churn the butter.  My sister Lillian and I would walk two miles to take eggs and butter to a ladies house.  She always bought eggs and butter from mother.

The first school I remember attending was the Alice Farham’s (a private school), she taught in her home.  We had sewing and cooking classes besides reading, writing and arithmetic.  After father died, we moved to West Bountiful.  I still walked to East Bountiful to school, which was two miles from home.  I graduated at sixteen years of age and I joined the West Bountiful Ward.  I was a Sunday School teacher there and taught for many years.

We didn’t have water at our home in West Bountiful.  We walked to a little spring and carried small buckets of water for our use.  Israel Barlow, my uncle dug a well close to us.  The first flowing well I can remember.  One summer a severe draught came to the country.  It was so dry the ground cracked open so you could put your hand in the cracks.

We had to buy our drinking water from my uncle Israel Barlow, who had a flowing well.  He had the only water around the country.  Many people came for water each day.  There was always a long line of wagons to get the water.  We had to pay ten cents a barrel, and I’m sure no one wasted any water.  The Bishop called a special fast for the rain.  It was from Saturday noon until Sunday night.  There was singing, praying and calling on the Lord for rain.  The next day we got the much needed rain.  This was a great lesson to me on the value of fasting and prayer, and also taught me to trust in my Heavenly Father.

A Sister Bryson made yeast for all the families that wanted it so they could make bread.  My sister and I walked miles to get some yeast so mother could make bread for us.  You could get a start of yeast and it would last you for sometime if it was taken care of properly, it was always quite windy in West Bountiful, and once we had a very bad storm, my sister Lilliam and I had gone after yeast for mother.  We had to cling on the fence to get back home because the wind was so bad.  Our mother was very happy to see us safe at home again.

While we were living in West Bountiful our house was close to the railroad tracks.  We kept a big dog for protection.  Many people came to our house for a hand out.  Mother always gave to all that came.  One Sunday I didn’t want to go to Sacrament Meeting.  Mother let me stay home if I would be good and not get into things.  The family hadn’t been gone long when I heard noises outside.  I looked out the window and saw a group of Indians coming towards our house looking in the windows and pounding at the doors.  The dog growled and I held him close to keep him quiet.  Soon they left the place.  When they were gone, I quickly ran to church as fast as I could!  Never again did I want to stay home from Sacrament Meeting.  It was one of my most frightening days of my life.  From then on I knew it was better to listen to my mother.

Mother owned land upon the Sand Ridge and grain was grown there.  I and my sister Lillian used to come up to cook for the thrashers.  We stayed until all the thrashing was done.  My brothers John and Rowland took care of the farm.  The thrashing was done by horses going around and around.  It was a dusty windy place to be.  I thought what a terrible place it was, but it’s pretty now – its West Point now.  We came in a wagon and it was dusty and dirty to travel.  We were always glad to get back home.  It took about twelve days to thrash the grain.  It was a big farm.  Mother owned 320 acres up here.  It took a lot of cooking to feed the threshers, they were there every meal.  We really worked hard when we had this job to do.

At the age of 17 I joined the East Bountiful choir and stayed in the choir until after I was married.  Our leader was Edward Thomas.  During this time there was a man by the name of Richard Penman, we called him Dick.  He had spells, so that the devil possessed his body.  One night as we were at choir practice Bother Israel Barlow came over and ask if we would come sing to Dick.  He was under the table swearing, yelling, kicking and foaming at the mouth, we sang two songs.  Then Brother Call offered prayer for Dick.  The spirit immediately left him and he was quiet.  This was the last spell Dick ever had.  It was a great testimony that He lives and answers prayers.  I was 18 years old at this time and it made my testimony grow.  Another time at church there was a lady who arose and spoke in tongues, but no one gave the answer.  The Bishop got up and told the lady to sit down that it was of the evil one.  She dropped to her seat and the meeting went on.  Many times I have heard speaking in tongues and always an answer came to another person.  This was a great testimony of our Heavenly Father.

During the time I was in the choir, I saw my husband to be but didn’t meet him.  He could not sing.  Brother Thomas encouraged all young people to come to choir practice.  About a week after I saw my husband-to-be at the choir, we met at a dance.  Brother Rowland introduced John William Holt to me.  It was at the Hales Hall where we met.  We had a lovely time at the dance.  He wanted to take me home but I told him he had to meet my mother.  The next day was Sunday and he came over in a little bonnet buggy at two o’clock in the afternoon.  We went together for two years and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 6, 1896.  We moved up by his folks as his father was called on a mission to England.  He was the oldest one of the family.  Grandma Holt was left with 10 children, the youngest three months old.  When Grandpa Holt came home from his mission we went to live with my beloved mother.  At this time I had two children, Harold and Lawrence, and as my mother at this time had a stroke she needed my help.  Then mother wanted to go stay with my brother William on the Sandridge.  While there she took sick with pneumonia.  In her sickness she kept calling for me.  They sent for me.  My son Lawrence was only one month old.  With the children, we drove up in a white top wagon in January through the snow and mud to see her.  It was a sad day when my mother died and how I did miss her.

When we had been married eleven years, we moved up to the Sandridge, which then was called Syracuse.  I had five children and we lived in one large room 16 feet by 16 feet.  It was in the spring.  It was a desert place.  We only had one neighbor across the street.  Sand every place and wind blowing it about.  In July 22, my daughter Emerald was born.  After this I had five more children while living in West Point.  I had twelve children, one a still born, so now eleven are still living all around me.

The first ward I went to was Syracuse.  Bishop Cook was the bishop at this time.  My children went two miles to school in a little buggy, they rode with my brother John’s family.  It was a struggle to make a living.  Our crops blew out many times. We had large orchards of fruit which John (my husband) took to Salt Lake City to the market.  We worked hard.  The children grew and we began to love this country.

Then the saddest thing happened in all my life in 1926 in November my beloved husband was called home leaving me with six children without father or mother on either side.  But with my Heavenly Fathers blessings, I raised them all – sent Emerald and Lamar on missions, Lamar to college for two years, and Erma graduated from Business College.  I have tried to teach the gospel to my children and work in the church.  I was secretary to Sister Knight four years, with Sister Flinders four years and to Sister Patterson three years.  First Councilor in the Mutual, President of Relief Society for four years, was class leader in Relief Society, was fifteen years a Visiting Teacher, taught Sunday School and my daughter Cleone helped me.

 

I was at the Temple in Salt Lake City when Nicholas G. Smith was there.  I was with my daughter Erma and husband when he asked if we would like a Patriarchal blessing.  He said Sister Holt you are dearly loved of the Lord.  I have taught my children to always love the Lord, and keep His commandments and work in His kingdom.

One year on Valentines day my home caught fire, because of the bad wiring, and burned down.  Many people came to help to get my things out.  But many pictures of my father and mother, with other special things were destroyed.  It was a great shock to me.  But with the help of friends and my children a new home was built for me, which I love and enjoy very much.

I love my family, they are very good to me.  They are always taking me places.  Many a trip I took to Sacramento California to see Harold and Lamar and Bessie.  I enjoyed this very much and always looked forward to going.  My children always had a birthday party for me and many of my friends to come and enjoy the day with me.

All my brothers and sisters have passed away, and I am the only one in my family left.  But my children are so kind and thoughtful and bring much joy into my life.

One day while up to my son Lawrence’s I fell and broke my hip.  I went to the hospital and had it operated on.  I was never able to walk again.  My health began to fail and I was never right well again.  Then I was never able to go home again.

Life has been good to me even with all the struggles I have had and I don’t know what I would do without my good family.  They have given me all the love and help that one could ask for.

I am so thankful for my children and their goodness to me.  They have all been married in the Temple but two of them.  They have all worked in the church and been a joy to me through all the struggles I have had since my beloved husband was called home.  I’m so happy for them all and grateful for all they have done for me.

I pray that we may all meet together again as a family.

One day Colleen Bennett Reid and Kathleen Reid Smoot interviewed Grandma LaVon Reid about her mother Annie Holt.   This is what LaVon said:

“Well, mother was a beautiful sewer (seamstress).  She could see something in the store when she went shopping and she would draw a picture of it, and she would go home and cut it out and make us an outfit out of it.  She never needed a pattern.  All she had to do was to look at something.”

When asked about what kind of sewing machine Great-Grandmother Annie Holt used Grandma LaVon Reid replied;

” In those days, all they had was treadle.  They didn’t have electric.”