Louisa Christiana Stevens

From Family Search.org: A History of Louisa Christiana Krogue Stevens, by granddaughter, Mazie Cundick: Louisa Chrisiana Krogue, eldest child of Charlotte Amelia Nelson and James Peter Krogue, was born June 17, 1853, at Springville, Utah. Louisa's parents had moved from Salt Lake City to Springville to avoid Johnston's Army. In 1860, the family moved to Hyde Park, Cache Valley, Utah. However, they lived at Hyde Park only four years. Louisa was six years of age when her family, with a company of pioneers moved to Bloomington, Bear Lake County, Idaho. They arrived into the Bear Lake Valley the second year after it was settled. After living in Bloomington for a short time, the family decided to go back to Hyde Park, but because Louisa's mother became ill, they could not leave. Louisa's father dug a cellar located one block south of the amusement hall and here they lived until the cold winter forced them to move into a stable in the corral.

They next moved into a little dirt-roofed house located where Nels Krogue's house now stands. This little house consisted only of the bare necessities. The floor was of bare earth, the bed was equipped with a corner post from which extended two poles to holes in the wall. Slabs were placed across the poles and a warm covering over the slabs proved for comfort. There was a small window in the humble house through which the light could reach the mother and three children.

Louisa's father and mother were blessed with seven more children, making ten in all, namely: Louisa Chrisiana, Josephine Clementina, David Anthony, Mary Catherine, James Peter, Nelson Lewis, Emily Gertrude, Orsen Elmer, Angus, and Leonard Krogue. Louisa was baptized on November 5, 1868 in the only available place in those early days, probably the Bloomington Creek. Her schooling consisted of a short term of private lessons given by a Mrs. Austin, who lived across the street and later she attended a school taught by a Mr. Strickland.

As soon as she was old enough, she spun yarn, corded wool, and wove cloth to make dresses and clothes for the family. She helped the men in the field shock the grain. She even helped turn the crank to the fan on the thrasher. The thrasher thrashed the wheat, chaff and straw at the same time and the fan would blow the chaff from the grain. Louisa helped with the milking. From this task she never graduated, but milked cows periodically for many years.

When Louisa grew to a young woman she attended the ward parties and joined in the town dances, which consisted of old fashioned reels and waltzes. She danced in a sod-roofed house where the amusement hall now stands.

When Louisa was 22 years of age, she was courted by Alexander Alvin Stevens, age 26, and on July 1, 1880, they were married in the Salt Lake Endowment House. They, with a Mr. Sam Hepworth, traveled by team and wagon to Salt Lake City, taking three days to travel the 150 miles.

Louisa and Alexander lived in a little sod-roofed house located about one mile east of town, where they homesteaded some land. They enjoyed themselves, working together for a livelihood and raising their family. They had four boys and one daughter born to them: Alvin Elmer, Ermen Alexander, Merlin David, Rayford Roswell, and Beulah Louisa. When Beulah was about two years of age, Alexander became ill and on March 9 1900, he died--leaving Louisa to care for the home, farm and five children.

The young boys worked hard to finish the big house situated east across the street from the church house. These young men also took over the work of the farm after their father passed away. At times, they were a little mischievous, teasing one another, playing pranks and in general behaving typically of rural boys of that period. Their mother was lenient to her sons, spoiling them a little in order to get the farm work done.

The four sons married and left home and when Beulah married and left home, Louisa missed her very much, as they had been dear companions. Beulah passed away when her third child was about two years of age and Louisa now felt her loneliness more than ever.

Louisa faithfully paid her tithing and attended her sacrament meeting each Sunday and was very strict in trying to o the things she knew to be right. Louisa possessed a sense of humor. She spoke Danish fluently and from time to time entertained her grandchildren by singing Danish songs. During her years as a widow, she went through many hardships but never complained and seemed content without demanding the luxuries of life. (Aunt Ella found her one time scrubbing clothes over the scrub board with tears running down her face and crying, "Oh Alex, why did you leave me?")

She lived to be eighty-two years of age and was very independent until the very last when she took ill and was cared for at the home of her son, Ermen, for several weeks before she passed away on December 30, 1941. Just before she passed away, a slight smile crossed her face and she faintly whispered, "I have missed you so much, dearie."