Alice Starts over - Again

Part 10 – 1918-28; Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Starts over – Again!
Author note – I have found this the most difficult part to write thus far. It is hard to put into words what it must have been like to be a single mother with 8 children in 1918 – a time before the advent of Social Security, health insurance, welfare or other social safety nets we now take for granted. Alice survived and thrived by hard work, quick wits and a steadfast faith. However, I do not want to paint Alice as a tragic figure. I have come to know a different side of that little old lady sitting in a wheel chair in my parents’ living room in the 50’s and 60’s. I hope to portray, in this brief account, a plucky, hardworking, humble woman – determined to succeed against all odds. Alice Kemp Anderson Cottle Negus is one of my new heroes! And now, on with the story.
As a single mother with a mortgaged farm to pay for and eight – that’s right –eight children, ranging in age from 1 to 17 years, to support, Alice has many sleepless nights. Leland the oldest, is a good help around the farm and the others quickly learn to do their part or go hungry. However, on this night, she is kept awake by a real dilemma. It seems after the sudden death of Thomas she discovers the county government pays a small widow’s pension, about $8.00 a month, and she is using the pension mostly for groceries and other items she cannot trade or barter for. But earlier today she received a visitor from said government who confronts her with the rumor that she is using some of the pension to pay her tithing (more than a rumor, it is true). He goes on to tell her that the law states explicitly that, in his opinion, it is not permitted to use pension money to “donate to a church” and furthermore if she does not immediately stop the pension will be withdrawn! What to do, what to do? Alice always tries to follow the teaching of the prophets and while Thomas was alive tithing is always paid in full. But now, should she forgo the tithing for just a bit, in order to put food on the table? NO! The very next day she composes a letter to said government, telling them exactly what they can do with their widow’s pension – as for her and her house they will always pay a full tithing.
Alice continues to strive in every way to “be a mother and father to the children and to teach them the best she can” and at the same time take care of the material needs of life. This she does by every means possible. She milks the cows, by hand, and sells the milk about the neighborhood, takes in sewing and does other odd jobs for money or barter. Leland and Dewey hire out to neighboring farmers, not so much for a wage, but for hay, grain or other items needed to keep the farm going. At one point Alice realizes that she needs to sell a cow to make a mortgage payment. She narrows it down to two cows, Brownie and Skipper. All the kids campaign to keep Skipper – a family favorite. After much deliberation she decides Brownie will go. But that night during her prayers “Heavenly Father made it clear to me to sell Skipper.” So, despite the children’s protest, Skipper is loaded up and shipped to a neighboring farm. Two days later Skipper suddenly dies and in the words of Alice, “If I had not listened to my Heavenly Father and sold Brownie instead of Skipper I would have been out two cows instead of one.”
Although pressed with making ends meet, Alice does not neglect her church duties. She uses a horse and buggy to go visiting teaching. She also teaches a Sunday School Class and is a counselor in the Relief Society presidency.
Times are not all bad. Alice holds, “family night” long before it becomes church policy. This consists of evening games held after the long working day. Alice eagerly participates in all the games, her favorite being the foot races that start on the porch, wind down across the canal ditch, where you watched closely that someone did not “accidently” bump you of the edge of the bridge, then around the corrals and back up the trail to the porch. At age 30 something, Alice could still beat all but the two oldest boys. After the games and the snacks (often just a carrot or, on special occasions, bread pudding) the kids all gather around for story time, their favorite stories being those of Alice reminiscing about her childhood. She would tell them of the time, at age ten, she helped her brothers herd cows in the sand dunes. The sand was scorching hot, and since she did not have shoes, she would carry large leaves to stand on to cool her feet. When the cows moved she would pick up the leaves, run quickly to a new spot, put down the leaves to stand on again. The kids were never sure if this story is true or if she is just pulling their legs. But they loved it just the same.
Alice survives and thrives, by herself, on the farm for the next nine years (more about two of her children in the next episode). In 1927 she meets John Negus (first wife is Thomas Henry Cottle’s sister) and, after a proper courtship, they marry in the Logan Temple. (Note – John Negus worked at various occupations during his lifetime, but often as a sheep herder – for a couple of years his partner was a young man from Rock Springs, WY. Since sheep herding is a summer occupation the two men had time on their hands during the winter and they decided to try their skill at selling clothes and other dry goods, setting up a small shop in Rock Springs. After one year of this John said, “This is never going to pay off, count me out.” so the two parted company. Oh, by the way, the partners name? J.C. Penny!). At this time she has only 4 children still at home. She spends the next 30 years with John, until he passes away in 1957, and for the third time in her life Alice buries a husband. Alice continues to live with her daughter Clara and in the Sunshine Terrace in Logan until her death in 1977 at age 95. What an amazing story. Ed Cottle, her grandson reported the following at her funeral service:
During her lifetime
· She knew 18 of the 38 (1977) United States Presidents
· Electricity did not arrive in Cache Valley until she was 16 years of age
· The light bulb was invent three years after her birth
· She traveled with a horse and buggy, automobile, train, airplane and even lived to see men go to the moon
· She knew all the Latter Day Prophets (thru 1977) except Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
· Geronimo was not captured until she was 6 years old
· Twelve states were added to the United States during her lifetime (including Utah)
· Also of note – Mel and Jean Cottle lived in Grandma Negus’s Logan home down on 6th west while attending Utah State University between 1957-59