Mary Delecta Burton

Delecta Burton Passes Away At Age of 91: Mary Delecta Ballantyne Burton, 91, mother of Mrs. E. Francis Winters and Stewart B. Burton of Afton, and Winfield B. Burton of Fairview, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Floyd (Minerva) Stanger, in Ogden, Thursday morning, October 10. An invalid for many years, she was born April 7, 1877, and was an early Star Valley pioneer. Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 12 at 1 p.m. in the Afton First Ward Chapel. There will be a viewing held at the church from 11 a.m. until time of the service. An obituary will be published next week.

Services Held for Delecta Burton: Life for Mary Delecta Ballantyne Burton ended of natural causes at the home of Mrs. Floyd (Minerva) Stanger, her daughter, in Oden, Utah, Thursday, October 10, 1968, at about 1 a.m. She was born April 7, 1877, in Ogden, Utah, to Richard Alando Ballantyne and Mary Ann Stewart, the first of 13 children. She was the irst grandchild of Richard Ballantyne, the founder of the LDS Sunday School.

Delecta spent her childhood in Ogden and in Draper, Utah. She had fond memories of her childhood experiences in Draper as she played in the orchards of her father. She remembered the many times that polygamist mothers came with their little babies to their home and she helped care of them. Also some of the husbands slept in her father's corn patch to escape the sheriff.

She graduated from the Weber Academy in Ogden and was a very fine student. She also was blessed with a fine alto voice and enjoyed singing in the choir there. her she was wooed by her future husband, Heber Fielding Burton. They were married December 14, 1898, in the Salt Lake Temple by President Joseph F. Smith, a cousin of Mr. Burton's.

In the spring of 1899 she, as a young bride, moved to Afton, Wyoming. As they entered the valley she saw the log houses and said, "Do people live in those houses?" Heber said, "Yes, and you will live in one also." Their first home was in a log house with a dirt roof on the property now owned by the Wyoming State Experiment Farm. here the first three children, Esther, Winfield, and Stewart, were born. They then purchased some meadow land and moved into another log cabin on the meadow.

When Esther and Winfield were of school age they purchased 80 acres of land from Lars Jacobson next to the hill north of Afton and homesteaded the 80 acres of land next to it. Stewart now lives on this farm, and Winfield lived on the meadow land until last winter. Here she and her good husband helped to pioneer that rugged country. The snow was deep in the winters and contacts with the outside world were few and far between. here they raised their eight children and taught them the value of work.

Delecta gave dedicated service to the church and her community as president of the Afton Ward YWMIA, secretary of the Star Valley Stake YWMIA, secretary of the Afton North Ward Relief Society, and secretary-treasurer of the Red Cross during the first World War of 1914. She kept neat, accurate records, and those with whom she labored praised her for her diligent and devoted work.

After her husband died on march 16, 1943, she moved to Salt Lake City and devoted her full time to genealogical research. Here she lived much of her time wit hor near her son Richard and his wife, Elma. Besides her research she has written and distributed life histories of five pioneer ancestors. She worked with her nephew, Conway Sonne, on the writing of Richard Ballantyne's history, "Knight of the Kingdom," which was published in 1949 in the commemoration of the centennial of the Sunday Schools.

While living in Salt Lake City she actively participated in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and was a member of the camp to which Pres. Kate B. Carter is affiliated.

After about a month after her 80th birthday she broke her hip and since that time has been lovingly cared for in the homes of her sons and daughters. She was a sweet, patient, and loving lady to care for. Her sons and daughters pay tribute to their wives and husbands for heir loyal support and their many kindnesses to her and for their love and understanding in caring for her.

All eight of her children have been married in the temple and remain active in the church. Two sons, Winfield and Richard and one daughter, Esther, served on foreign missions for the church.

She has 44 living grandchildren and 112 great grandchildren and the following sons: Winfield B. of Fairview, Wyoming; and Stewart B., of Afton, Wyoming; daughters, Mrs. E. Francis (Margaret) Winters, Afton; Mrs. Floyd (Minerva) Stanger, Ogden, Utah; Mrs. Edward (kathryn) Field, Bountiful, Utah; Mrs. Kendrick (Mary Ellen) Workman, now teaching school in Hamilton, New Zealand.

The following sisters survive: Mrs. Alma (Leona) Sonne, Logan, Utah; Mrs. Herbert (Prescinda) Wooley, Salt Lake city; Mrs. Newell (Glenna) Crookston, North Logan, Utah; Mrs. Paul G. (Mary) Packard, Fillmore, Utah; Mrs. coy (Ruth) Sanders, Sacramento, California; Esther, Richard and wife, Elma, and five grandchildren, four brothers and three sisters have preceded her in death.

Attend Funeral Services for Delecta Burton: Coming from out of the valley to attend funeral services held Saturday, October 12 in Afton for Mrs. Delecta B. Burton were the following: Mr. and Mrs. Edward Field, Bountiful, Utah; Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Stanger, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Hadley, Mrs. Maud Burton and Alberta Burton, Ogden, Utah; Mr. and Mrs. Elworth Crossley, North Ogden, Utah; Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. Packard, Fillmore, Utah; Mr. and Mrs. Newell Crookston, North Logan, Utah; Mrs. Prescinda B. Wooley, Mrs. Annie M. Ballantyne, Mrs. Bruce B. Winters and Mr. and Mrs. Lester Barrus, Salt Lake City, Utah; Mr. and Mrs. Karl Staeiner and three children, Mountain Home, Idaho; Mrs. Rulon Mortensen, Thornton, Idaho; Mrs. Paul Jones and five children, Otto, Wyoming; Mr and Mrs. Joseph, Dingle, Idaho.

SOURCE: Star Valley Independent Newspaper dated October 10, 1968.

Mary Delecta Ballantyne biography taken from "The Richard Alando Ballantyne and Mary Ann Stewart Descenants " a collection of histories and photographs contributed by members of the family

"I remember, I remember the house where I was born, the little window where the sun came peeking in at morn. It was a nice little three-roomed brick house, just east of Grandfather Richard Ballantynes home on 24th street in Ogden, Utah. This house was built by my father, RIchard Alando Ballantyne, for his bride Mary Ann Stewart. It was very convenient for that day and well furnished." This is the way Delecta began the story of her life.

She was born on April 7, 1877 to Richard Alando Ballantyne and Mary Ann Stewart, the first of thirteen children, and also the first grandchild of Richard Ballantyne, founder of the first Sunday School of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Many happy hours I spent at my grandparents home. I remember standing on tip-toe to see the pies on the table, they looked so good! When grandmother (Huldah Meriah Clark Ballantyne) came across the plains, she brought a few sheep with her. She used to wash the wool, dye it with wild flowers, spin it into thread on her loom, which she kept just off her kitchen where she worked and weave it into cloth. This loom she also brought across the plains with her. Grandfather said I was like grandmother.

My sister, Elizabeth Huldah was born October 28, 1879 and father departed for his mission to Virginia a week later. Later, mother took her little family to grandpa and grandma Stewarts. They, Isaac Mitton Stewart and Elizabeth White Stewart, lived in a red brick home at Draper, Utah. Grandfather Stewart was a large man, and in the evening when we were ready for bed, he would sit in front of the fireplace, which was the main source of heat in those days, and trot and sing to us. Grandfather's broad lap provided ample room for his two little girls, Luella and Nettie, and Lizzie and me, two on each knee.

Upon my father's return from his mission he returned to his bookkeeping job with Barnard White Company in Ogden, but he had contracted malaria while on his mission, and the doctors said he had to get outdoor work, so he went into the sheep business with Grandfather Stewart, and he bought a farm and moved to Draper. It was a lovely place with a big apple orchard, cherries, berries and a vegetable garden. We drew water from a well in an old bucket, and there was a cellar with a dirt roof. One of our horses was called George. He couldn't gallop, but I liked to ride him."

"Grandmother Stewart kept bees. I liked to watch her take the honey from the hives, so she put netting over my face and arms, and I was very quiet while she took out the honey and replaced the fresh frames to be filled again with honey by the bees. We often had honey candy and parched corn. There wasn't any popcorn then." "We also grew sugar cane. Our neighbor, Joseph Perry, had a cane press, powered by horses, and every fall when the syrup form the cane was all pressed out and boiled down, the molasses stored in big barrels, we would have a celebration. The neighbors, who used the same press, would come over and we would make molasses candy, and sing and have a good time.

"While father was in the sheep business with grandfather Stewart, the sheep were kept on the range in Juab. One time we went with father to dip the sheep. He built a foot bridge over a deep stream, and warned us to be careful. I did not heed the warning and ran across, my foot slipped down and I went into the deepest part. I went down the third time when I felt a blade of grass or something and pulled myself out just as father came down the hill where he had been for the horses. I offered a prayer to the Lord to help me. Father carried me out and took me home, and of course I obeyed him after that."

"We made candles from the grease which father took form the sheep. We melted the fat and put it into molds. I put the wicks in and mother did the rest. We didn't have dolls, but we made rag dolls and made doll clothes for them."

"I was baptized when I was eight years old by Brother Garff, in the baptismal pond east of Draper where the services were held on a Sunday afternoon. I was confirmed at the time, and I'll never forget the feeling that came over me when I was confirmed."

"When I was thirteen in the spring of 1890. we moved to 2011 Washington Avenue in Ogden, Utah. I attended school for a time at Weber Academy, then attended Grant School and Central School. also Ogden High School. I started school when I was almost seven in Draper."

She tells of how she met her future husband, Heber. "My father loved to dance, he danced until he was 72 years of age and just enjoyed it. This one night he came up to me and said, 'I have a young man I want you to meet, he is from a good family, the family of William Walton Burton.' So I met him and we started to go together. He was secretary of the Shurtliff Coal Company." His name was Heber Fielding Burton, his mother being Ellen Fielding.

They were married December 14, 1898 in the Slat Lake L.D.S. Temple by President Joseph F. Smith, a cousin to Heber. In the spring of 1899 she, as a young bride, moved to Afton, Wyoming. They made their home in an old log house with a dirt roof, on the WIlliam W. Burton farm near Swift Creek. Here their first three children were born. They then purchased some meadow land and moved into another log cabin. When Esther and Winfield were of school age they purchased 80 acres of land next to the mountain a mile and one-half north of Afton and homesteaded another 80 acres rugged country. The snow was deep in the winters and contacts with the outside world were few and far between. Here they raised their eight children and taught them the value of work, and a love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

She tells of an incident in connection with her calling as president of the Y.W.M.I.A. "When Bishop Osborne Low asked me to be president of the Ward Mutual, I felt like I couldn't as I had my little children and we had coal oil lamps which could easily be tipped over causing a fire. In the night a voice spoke to me, wakening me from my sleep, it said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else shall be added unto you." That has guided my life ever since." It has also guided our lives.

She also tells another faith promoting incident. "I nearly died when Minerva was born. The Elders came through the February snows and storms to administer to me. My mother came to help, we also hired a special nurse. One night Heber's mother, who had been dead for several years, came and sat by my side. She said to me, 'Delecta, you will be the one through which I will have a large posterity.' I felt she was waiting for me to get well. My mother came in and knelt by my side and offered a most beautiful prayer. Sister Prescinda Kimball had promised her that she would have the gift of healing, it certainly was answered in my behalf that day.

After Heber's death March 16, 1943, Delcta moved to Salt Lake City and devoted her life to genealogical work. Besides her research she has written and distributed life histories of five pioneer ancestor. She worked with her nephew Coway Sonne on writing Richard Ballantyne's history, "Knight of the Kingdom" and published it in 1949 in commemoration of the centennial of the Sunday School organization.

About a month after her 80th birthday she broke her hip and since that time was cared for in the homes of her sons and daughters. She passed away at the home of her daughter, Minerva Stanger in Ogden, Utah October 10, 1968 and is buried in Afton, Wyoming.

All of her sons and daughters remain active in the Church/ They are Mrs. Warren (Esther) Swainston, Winfield Ballantyne Burton, Steward Ballantyne Burton, Richard Ballantyne Burton, Mrs. E. Francis (Margaret) Winters, Mrs. Edward (Kathryn) Field, Mrs. Floyd (Minerva) Stanger, and Mrs. Kendirck (Mary Ellen) Workman. At the time of her death she had 44 living grandchildren and 112 great grandchildren.