Aluna Hunt

"Aluna Terry Hunt was born January 30, 1863, at St. George,

Utah. Her parents were Thomas Sirls Terry and Eliza Jane Pulsipher Terry. ..........

Little is known of Aluna's early life only in a general way, that pertained to all members of the Thomas Sirls Terry family. Her

father was called by Apostle Erastus Snow to join the Pulsipher's at Shoal Creek to help look after the cattle there. So, when Aluna was about four monthes old she went with the rest of the family and was established in a new home in this rather desolate country.

As she became old enough, she, of course, assisted with duties around the home in Hebron and with the chores incidental to ranch life on the Terry Ranch. Members of her family recall hearing her tell of helping her brothers mix and carry the morter for the big rock barn that her father was having built to take care of the grass hay which was raised in the meadows,farm machinery and other

things such as saddles and harnesses. There was also a stable in the east end for horses. Of course, she really wasn't able to help much at that early age, but it was fascinating for her to see Brother Weaver, the mason, construct such a building of native rock.

Her education was derived mostly from the school of experience, however, her children remember her saying she did attend school taught by a Mr. Whitelock at Hebron. Religion played a very important part in the Terry homes, thus Luna was deeply religious and attended to her church duties faithfully.

The social side of the lives of these early pioneers centered around the activities of the church. Then, the same as now, the young men and women sought companionship with each other to attend these functions. Young Elias Hunt, son of Amos Hunt and Rebecca Wiggins Hunt, was soon the constant escort of Aluna. This fine association was continued and made more binding by marriage in the St. George Temple for time and all eternity, January 15, 1879.

Although Aluna was but 16, she was very mature for her age and she was well fitted to take over the responsibilities of making a happy and comfortable home for her 21 year old husband.

Their first home in Hebron is described as being two large brick rooms, each perhaps 15 X 18; it was situated in an east and west direction. One room was used as a living room and the other for a bedroom. The spacious kitchen was a rock leanto which ran nearly the full length of the brick part, porches added to the convience of the home.

In about 1885, Elias, Luna and their three children namely - Elias Franklin, Zera Pulsipher, Amos Ray, Aluna Rebecca, having died at the age of two, moved to Panaca, Nevada, where Elias had employment with Nephi Wadsworth, his brother-in-law, and Will Edwards, fencing and doing other timber work at which he was very efficient. He also worked in the mines close by. Their son Thomas George, was born here. They moved back to Hebron where Eliza Jane and John Matthew were born. Records show that they were again in Panaca in 1890 as Nephi was born there. After this move back to Hebron, other children were added to the family, namely: Jonathan Alma, Nelson Glen, Eva Elthera, Edessie Iva, James Ramble, Lila Fern and Edward Lorin.

Aluna was an expert at making cheese and butter. The family spent two or three summers on Monument Ranch, near Mountain Meadows, where Elias was employed by Joseph Burgess of Pine Valley to care for his cattle and horses. These were run on shares, Elias's pay was a portion of the calves and colts. About 10 or 15 cows were brought in and milked during the summer, from the milk and cream Luna would make cheese and butter for the use of the family during the winter. The butter was salted down in big earthen crocks, then taken out as needed and the salt soaked out of it.

The family also spent two or three summers at the Coleman Ranch, about two miles east of the Terry Ranch. The same procedure of dairying was carried on here; the cows being turned into the meadow when the grass hay was cut and staked for winter feed.

As the boys grew old enough they sought employment at the mining camps in Nevada, cutting and hauling cord wood and other jobs they could find to do. They never thought of keeping the money for themselves, but it was all turned in to help with the support of the family.

It might well be said of Aluna that she was never known to complain because the going was hard sometimes and she had to skimp and save and manage well to keep her large family fed and clothed. She knew her husband and the boys were doing all they could do to supply the necessities of life and she greatly appreicated their efforts. She was happy and contended with her lot. Even when she developed a heart ailment which finally caused her death, she kept her true feelings to herself, never letting her family know the seriousness of her condition.

She was indeed a helpmate to her husband. They took great joy in each others love and companionship. One of their pleasures was singing together. Elias had a fine tenor voice and Luna taking the melody.

When the town of Hebron had to be abandoned on account of insufficient water and land, and the feasibility of a dam being put across the Little Pine Valley to turn the water on the fertile soil at the west edge of the vast Escalante desert was discussed and undertaken, Elias and Aluna gave their support.

Aluna did her part in pioneering the new town. She supported the struggling auxiliary organizations, being especially attentive to the Relief Society. She saw to it that her children attended to their church duties also. In Hebron she had been especially active, being president of the Primary Association for years and also a counselor in the Relief Society at one time.

It was in 1916 that she was visiting her son Zera, Clarissa and family in Washington where they were living at that time, when she took a heart attack and died there December 2 and was taken back to Enterprise for burial. It was hard to believe that the mother of eleven children, five still at home, could be needed worse on the other side, but she would have much pleasure in being with her four children who had gone before."

Ref.: "History of Thomas Sirls Terry Family"

         account by:  Mrs. Terry Lund and John M. Hunt

GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60525::0 1,60525::1378798

GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60525::0 1,60525::1378798

GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60525::0 1,60525::1378798

GEDCOM Source

@R1501102850@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=119870192&pi...