WILLIAM DAVID CAMPBELL and ELNA BOHNE marriage and family

About 1926 - sharing a chocolate bar 

Married: 22 December 1926
Place: Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Sealed: 22 December 1926
Cardston, Alberta LDS Temple

Alberta, Canada Marriage Certificate 

About 1974 my grandfather wrote a short history of his life. I quote his own words to tell his story.

"I, William David Campbell, met my wife Elna Bohne in 1924, on the street in Cardston. She was with my sister Pearl. It was on a Conference day."

Pearl Campbell and Elna Bohne 1922

In a short biography written about the same time, Grandma Elna says,"In 1924 I came to Hillspring to visit my sister, Annie Orr, who had moved there.  At this time I met William D. Campbell and on Dec. 26 1926 we were married in the Cardston Temple."  From her personal record we learn their first date was 24 July 1924 to the 24 of July celebration in Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada.

Temple Certificate of Marriage, copy courtesy of Allen Campbell and family

She also tells us, "We came to Hillspring and lived on the farm west of Hillspring by the Waterton River for two years.  Then built us a home about 1 mile east from the river.  Here we farmed for about 10 years." In the 90's while visiting Hillspring, my mother pointed out the lot this home was built on and we took a picture of the lot looking SW. An old log building there was falling down but mom did not know if it was something from the past or more recent.

view of lot where home in Hill Spring was built circa 1990

Grandpa Campbell continues, "We were married one year later on December 22, 1926 in the Cardston Mormon Temple. Then we came to live in Hillspring on the farm 4 miles west of the town. Here we built us a home and lived there for about 10 years. Then sold the farm and moved into town as our children grew old enough to go to school. We have ten children, 6 boys and 5 girls. One little girl passed away.
- 

Elna and Bill Campbell

"Our first child, a girl, Laura Ruth [Campbell] was born in Hillspring. My mother and another lady, a Mrs. Meekum were the ones who took care of my wife and child. The roads were blocked with snow and ice. It was a bad storm on the 21st of September 1927. Ruth did her schooling in Hillspring and passed most of her school grades with honors. …

"Our son Walton [William Campbell], born in Cardston, also did his schooling in Hillspring. He likes mechanics, and is now a truck driver [1974]. He worked in the mountains cutting mine props after he left school. …

Elna Campbell with baby Jean circa 1931

"Elna Jean [Campbell], born in Cardston, attended school in Hillspring. She married Garth Forsyth, farmer and carpenter in 1948 Oct 14th. …

"Flora Bell [Campbell] was born on the farm … a very cold and stormy day. She also had her schooling in Hillspring. …

"Allen Garth [Campbell], born in Hillspring … My mother took care of him at birth. He also had his schooling in Hillspring and High School in Cardston for grades 11 and 12. …

"Colleen Alice [Campbell]… also did her schooling in Hillspring. …

buried in Hill Spring Alberta Canada

"Annetta Lou [Campbell] born February 23, 1938 died one year later of pneumonia March 31, 1939…

"David Junior [Campbell] … got his schooling in Hillspring. Then he was trained as a welder by Horten Steel Company. He worked for them for some time, travelling as far north as Enuvic, and East to Montreal, and many places in Alberta. …

"Blaine Bohne [Campbell], born … at home in Hillspring. The snow was so deep cars couldn't move. The roads were all blocked. He went to school in Hillspring. When he was about 12 years old he was thrown from a horse. He landed on his shoulder, mashing the shoulder sockets together. He spent some time in the Cardston Hospital, then in Lethbridge. It took about 6 weeks for it to heal. …

"Darrel Henry [Campbell] …  He attended school in Hillspring and Glenwood.

"Wendell Glen [Campbell] … He took his Junior schooling at Hillspring and Glenwood. Then took his High School at Pincher Creek. He passed with honors. He worked for Palmer Ranch for 2 years ....

Bill and Elna Campbell's 50th Wedding Anniversary with their children.

"We had a good life together, sharing our joys and sorrows all together, with fishing trips and the boys and their father. Camping trips in the summer, was holiday time with the whole family together.

We have been married 48 years and have 48 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren now." [1974] 

In 1989 The Lethbridge Herald published an article honoring my grandparents. They had 101 great grandchildren.

We have had so many fun family camps and reunions.*

Elna Campbell far left, with all her daughters at Westcastle camp

It seemed Grandpa and Grandma could do almost anything they put their mind to - if they thought about doing things and tried them they accomplished what they set out to do.  Grandpa could usually be found in his shops painting or carving when we visited and was always glad to take time to show off his many collections of rocks, bottles, coins, pictures  (he liked to take photographs and develop them), antique tools and other memorabilia.  And always his own paintings - we always looked at all his paintings. He sold many oil paintings but likely gave away almost as many as he sold. He was always giving away something.

Oil Paintings for sale in Grandpa's studio

Their home and yard was a marvel of interesting things to look at, as well as a large garden, many trees, flowers, and works in progress. His humour always delighted me. I will never forget driving into the yard and seeing realistic paintings of birds of prey in the trees or other places. At first I was so surprised - then I realized it was a painting. He loved that - my surprise -  and gave me a similar shaped eagle painting.

Grandpa and Grandma in their yard in front of the garden. about mid 1990's

Grandma made hand embroidered quilts for most of her great grandchildren. Her stitches were even and her piece work skillful. She was a skilled seamstress and almost always wore an apron as she bustled about cooking and cleaning, smiling and serving.

Their posterity consists of 11 children, 54 grandchildren, 165 great grandchildren** and now, an exponential number of great great grandchildren. The yearly camps and reunions each summer in the mountains are a known refuge we carry close to our hearts in sweet memories.

I will never forget standing in the timber with my grandfather next to a tree so large he could not have spanned it with his arms - and he had long arms! It was majestic and so was he. I carry that image indelibly printed in my very soul. We had him and grandma print and sign their own names in some family history books my mother gave each of our children that year. 

Elna with 9 of her 10 living children at her brother Mike Bohne's funeral 1989

They both lived a long time and were relatively healthy and physically active all of their life. Many of their siblings passed away before they did and I particularly remember how Grandma missed her brothers and sisters. She often spoke of them and how she was the last one to go. She outlived each one and was alone left after the last living sister died 2 years before she did.

* Family and friends are invited to share memories you may have of Grandpa and Grandma (and pictures if you happen to have any available). It would be especially nice to have a picture of their family as children. Does anyone happen to have one?

** Last count was taken in 2011. If you can correct or add to these numbers please let me know.

The numbers breakdown as follow: 
     Ruth -      grandchildren 15
     Walton -  grandchildren 12
     Jean -      grandchildren 55 ... great grandchildren 110
     Flora -     grandchildren 10
     Allen -     grandchildren 19
     Colleen - grandchildren 16
     Annetta Lou - died as a child
     David -      grandchildren  4
     Blaine -    grandchildren  5
     Darrell -  grandchildren 19
    Wendell - grandchildren 10
       

HENRY MAGNUS BOHNE death

age unknown

Died: 8 May 1957 Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Buried: 11 May 1957 Aetna, Alberta, Canada

Cardston News 16 May 1957

My mother's maternal grandfather died a couple years after I was born. His funeral was announced alongside another Cardston resident in the weekly 'Cardston News' after their funerals. Also in the same section of print we see his daughter and her husband, Magnus [and LuRay] Jensen from Hartley; my mother [a granddaughter], Mrs. Garth Forsyth; and his son, Hugh [and Zelma] Bohne from Lethbridge. 

Mary Hudson was the widow of Harold Hopkinson.

Her name is reported incorrectly in this article.

His biography and obituary were also published in the same 'Cardston News'. These news articles tell the names of many family members and friends. My father tells me that Mrs. Verona Merkley is in fact Veronica Merkley wife of Cal Merkley and that she taught dad Sunday School.

Whispering Hope  lyrics and music link below

The Teacher’s Work Is Done unknown lyrics/tune

 Hymn 142  Desert Sunday School Songs 1909

The grave of Henry Magnus Bohne lies between the graves
of his first wife, left-Laura Elizabeth Carpenter,
and second wife, right-Mary Hudson Hopkinson

I visited the Aetna cemetery in the late spring just after the flooding a few years ago. Many graves had heaved or sunk. Some had deeply hollowed pits 4 feet or more deep. My father and mother visit the family graves there regularly and help make sure the stones are set properly and not tipping. My father has often filled and smoothed graves or straightened monuments that needed to be leveled.

When my mother visited these graves with Aunt LuRay and the inscriptions were becoming illegible an inexpensive solution was suggested and implemented. Mother (at that time physically healthy and able) returned with her art supplies and carefully hand lettered in the shallow existing groove (with a brush) the names and dates in black paint. I remember helping take Aunt LuRay back to her father's grave to see the completed project.

Aunt LuRay lived in Cardston, near enough to visit her parent's graves when she wished. She was always pleased to know another generation was visiting ancestors last resting places. I heard my mother tell her mother about the graves and their condition several times. Grandmother, Elna Campbell [1909-2003], and her sister LuRay [1905-2001]were the last two living sibings. Grandma lived a bit further away in Hillspring and was not often able to make such trips.

When I ordered Great Grandfather's death certificate 50 years had not elapsed since his death and so on the photo copy I was sent (from the provincial archives) the cause of death had been 'blacked out' with a heavy marker. One day when I was sitting in the sunshine working on family history the light shone through the back of the certificate and I could read what had been written. It said the cause of death was, a) 'Hypo Static Pressure' 10 days [duration], b) 'Perforated bladder' 10 days [duration], c) Congestive Heart Failure 1 month [duration].

Whispering Hope 

Soft As The Voice Of An Angel
Breathing A Lesson Unheard
Hope With A Gentle Persuasion
Whispers Her Comforting Word

Wait Till The Darkness Is Over
Wait Till The Tempest Is Done
Hope For The Sunshine Tomorrow
After The Shower Is Gone

Chorus:
Whispering Hope, O How Welcome Thy Voice
Making My Heart In Its Sorrow Rejoice

Hope Has An Anchor So Steadfast
Rends The Dark Veil For The Soul
Wither The Master Has Entered
Robbing The Grave Of Its Goal

Come Then O Come Glad Fruition
Come To My Sad Weary Soul
Come Thou O Blessed Hope Of Glory
Never O Never Depart

ELNA BOHNE history

Born: 26 March 1909 Aetna, Alberta, Canada

Elna Bohne Birth Certificate

My maternal grandmother, Elna Bohne, was the 8th and 4th surviving child of her parents. Records tell us that an older brother, "Samuel Hatcher Cobb, was given by his father William Cobbs to his cousin Laura Elizabeth Carpenter, due to his own mother's death [Ada Cobb].  Samuel was sealed to Laura and Henry at the time of their marriage in the Manti, Utah temple".

Death was common in the early 20th century for women and their babies during and shortly after birth. Five of Elna's ten siblings died at birth or within a few weeks and months.
They are buried in the Aetna, Alberta cemetery.

Henry Bohne Family  - Elna on mother's knee

Anitbiotics and many other modern medicines and marvels were just beginning to be thought out, invented and refined. Grandma Campbell was born into a world where such things as cars, airplanes, telephones, radios and televisions were being developed. In 1939 her own toddler, Annetta Lou, would die because antibiotics were not yet a common solution to simple sickness and infection.

I once asked Grandma what they did when someone had a bad infection. She said they used poultices (or plasters). One of the most effective was made from fresh, whole milk that was scalded (NOT boiled) and mixed with white bread to a thick paste-y consistency. She said just crumble the bread and pour a small amount of the hot milk into it, then let it cool enough to not burn but while still very warm apply to the affected area.

I saw it work for an infected hangnail that antibiotics were not solving. They did know and have many good remedies. Other poultices/plasters were made of raw onions, or mustard and flour.

Campbell home built by William Warren Campbell (original log with additions) 

In1989 my Grandma Campbell allowed me to copy some documents that she kept in a trunk. I called to ask if she could share information she might have. I think my mother and I drove about an hour from her home in Kimball, Alberta to her mother's in Hill Spring, Alberta.

When we arrived she had a large trunk in the kitchen. She said I could take anything in the trunk to copy as long as I brought it back. I worried about getting things back to the places she had them organized at. She laughed, right outloud, and told me she just put things she thought might be worth keeping in the trunk and that when they got looked at over the years they got mixed up many times.

We spent the afternoon visiting, hearing stories about her childhood and family and I went through the contents of the trunk. It didn't seem practical to copy everything. I couldn't lift it and I certainly didn't have enough cash to pay the bill at the copy shop. My mother had handwritten copies of most of the genealogical information and there were not many photographs in the trunk.
  -

handwriting of Elna Bohne Campbell

With my limited budget in mind I sorted and sifted out a small stack of papers, letters, and mementos that gave information I thought might be useful someday. I put everything into one package to keep it all together so that none could possibly be misplaced.

I carefully photocopied the information the next morning, paid the astronomical (for me) bill, and returned it promptly. My greatest worry was if a disaster or accident happened while I was responsible for such precious cargo. Whew - I was so relieved when it was all safely back in her trunk at her house. My copies are appropriately filed for the most part.

From her personal record, written in her hand, I learn:
Blood type - AB
Born at home - weighed 7 pounds.
First home - Aetna, Alberta, Canada.
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Henry Magnus Bohne

Father: Henry Magnus Bohne (1868-1957)
               born Mr Pleasant, Utah.
(son of: Henry Morten Bohne and Juliett Day).
-

Laura Elizabeth Carpenter

Mother: Laura Elizabeth Carpenter (1869-1928)
               born in Richmond, Virginia 
daughter of: John Samuel Carpenter and
                       Ann Marie Cobb.
-
Blessed by her father 6 June 1909, 
              Aetna Ward, Alberta Stake 
[of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]. 
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Henry  and Laura Bohne Family - Elna standing in front of her mother

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Baptized [a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] 17 July 1917 in the river at Orton, [Alberta, Canada] by George Silito.  Other records say the date was 7 July 1917.

I asked my mother if she knew who George Silito [likely Sillito] is and why he might have been the person that baptized Grandma. She said that many years ago, when she was baptized, that the Ward would wait until there was a load of kids that needed to be baptized and then they would all travel together to the designated place and the Priesthood holder that was available would baptize them all. She said there were many Sillitos in the church in that area. She surmises that the children in the Ward were taken to the river in Orton to be baptized when the weather was warmer than March.
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ASIDE: When mother was baptized the kids were taken to be baptized in Cardston at the temple because someone had a car and they could go and come back in such a short time. Bubble Gum was a new and wonderful thing and someone (she doesn't remember whose car or who had the gum) gave each of the children a small piece of Bubble Gum. They thought they had the world, she says, and were so thrilled.  She gets car sick easily (but at that time did not yet know that). As she chewed it she became nauseous.  She knew she was going to throw up so she rolled the window down as far as it would go but that is only part way on those old cars. She began to throw up and the driver kept driving. She said she threw up over and over again.  In the temple at that time they bathed  all children before they were allowed to be baptized. She remembers the bathtub there. She was very grateful to get a bath. -

Elementary School was attended in Orten, Alberta and Aetna, Alberta. Her father farmed there for approximately 10 years before returning to Aetna.

In a book entitled 'Range 25 Country, History of a Valley, A River, and a People' about Aetna and Kimball, Alberta and area we read that Elna's paternal grandparent's, Henry Morten and Juliette Bohne, and their family arrived October 8,1898 on the banks of the St. Mary's River after a six week journey in 4 covered sheep wagons from Birch Creek, Utah. They homesteaded on land west of Aetna, later moving to the townsite of Aetna and building a large one room house on the north bank of Snake Creek. Henry kept promising to add more rooms later.  One time when Juliette went to Utah for a visit she refused to come home until they were complete. A carpenter was hired and several rooms and a spacious pantry were finished. Then Juliette came home.

Garth and Jean Forsyth moved into this house in April 1953 and rented the farm with a one year lease. There was no power or indoor bathroom. It had a wood stove in the kitchen. It was  heated with an oil stove but was almost impossible to heat because of the high ceilings. The water came from a well outside just under the South window. They had never been on such a big place. Dad says the 55 acres ran west of the house about 1/2 mile up to the gravel pit. They got a bunch of sheep that spring and fattened them and sold most of them that fall. Tim was born there in Oct. They had planned to stay many years but the deal that Hugh and Zelma were in fell through and they had to move when the year lease was up.

Page 370 of the above book states, "[Henry and Laura Bohne] lived in the old Bohne place for many years, milking cows [a significant part of their livelihood], raising chickens, pigs and running their farm. While milking a cow one day, the cow flipped her tail across Henry's face resulting in the loss of one of his eyes.[It was his left eye.] The Bohne family kept the Aetna stray pound for many years."

On page 371 we read further about Elna's grandparent's. "At their 50th Wedding Anniversary [about 1916] the meeting house was crowded with friends and relatives. Speakers ... paid tribute and Owen Bohne, then a small boy, stood on a chair and sang 'Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet'. All of Juliette's sons danced with her at the evening ball and upon request she tap danced for the crowd. Juliette was a large tall woman possessing remarkable carriage and poise. " Elna would have been approximately 7 years of age.

The book continues, "Henry Bohne [Sr.] had well-groomed horses with polished harnesses. Each Christmas morning all the grandchildren were taken for a sleigh ride, sleigh bells jingling with Henry cracking his whip."

Surely such events were part of Elna's life.

Elna, herself, tells in a short one page typed history, "My first memories: I was told we moved to Orton, a small place seven mile east of Fort Macleod when I was a small child about 1 1/2 years old [I] grew up there till I was nine years old. ... In the fall of 1919-192- father loaded up our two big grain wagones with all our possesions and moved us back to Aetna. Here I went to school till I was married ... I loved to ride horses and helped father on the farm. I drove four head of horses or a plough following father with his bigger one with six head. I also milked ten cows night and morning and took them to pasture before school time in the mornings.

"I loved haying time and the smell of the new mown hay. It was fun to make the big stacks of hay we didn't have bailes then it was stacked loose and we tramped it down as it was halled to the stack. I also stooked the wheat bundles in the fields and then came thrashing time with big crews of men going field to field to threash the grains. At which time each field owner would feed these crews while on his land." [original spelling and punctuation retained]

Elna placed check marks on her personal record sheet to indicate she participated in the LDS Primary, 'Home Builders Program' and received her Blue Bird and Sea Gull awards in Aetna.

represented from link

The Home Builder Program for children included Top Pilots [age 8], and Larks, Bluebirds, and Seagulls were the class emblems [for 9–to 11–year–old girls].

represented from link 

A system of awards encouraged each girl to earn stamps/stickers for her booklet and awards to be placed on her bandlo - originally flapper style headwear for girls.


Elna also checks off  that in the 'YWMIA Program' she received a Beehive award in Aetna in 1924, an Honor Bee award in Aetna in 1925 and her Mia Maid award in 1926. 

Elna Bohne About Age 15 [approximately 1924]

Fur in every form was VERY stylish

-
An online history of  the Young Women's program explains the structure of the organization and gives a list of sample goals. To achieve each rank, girls were required to fulfill 14-16 foundation requirements and 36 additional requirements of their own choosing.  At one time there were about 373 choices like:

·           -  Care successfully for a hive of bees for one season and know their habits.

·           -  Sleep out-of-doors or with wide-open windows.

·           -  During three consecutive months, abstain from candy, ice cream, commercially manufactured beverages, and chewing gum.

·           -  Clear sagebrush, etc. off of a half acre of land.

·          -  Care for at least two kerosene lamps daily.

·           -  Without help or advice, care for and harness a team of horses at least five times; drive 50 miles in one season.

·           -  Identify 12 kinds of lace and tell the reasonable price and appropriate use of each.

·           -  During two weeks, keep the house free from flies or destroy at least 25 flies daily.

Someone else's grandmother blogs what an experience of YWMIA (perhaps a few years later)was like for her.
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Elna Bohne - about 1923

When Elna was 14 years old she attended the dedication by Hebert J Grant of the newly completed LDS temple at Cardston, Alberta on 27 August 1923 at 6pm. She told me that it is one of her most treasured memories. She said her father got all of his children in his family that could go to the dedication tickets and they went. [Only children age 8 and older are permitted to attend.]  In June 1991 when that temple had been refurbished and rededicated by Gordon B. Hinckley she was thrilled to still be alive to witness it. She was age 82.
-

memento - ticket to the dedication of the Alberta  LDS Temple

Her next older sibling, a sister named LuRay, had a malformed hip. The youngest son, Hughie, did also. Grandma and Aunt LuRay (and my parents) told me that LuRay and Hugh worked inside the house helping their mother and Elna and their oldest sister, Annie, worked like field hands with their father out-of-doors. Memories from LuRay and Elna often do not sound like they were even in the same family. Grandma told me that at age 8 she could hitch her own team for plowing. She said her father used more horses but she only had 4 Perchons!

Elna about age 17 and LuRay, single sisters,
clowning around with some chocolate.
Look at the fur on LuRay's sweater!

Spouse: William [Bill] David Campbell
Married: 22 December 1926 Cardston, Alberta, Canada
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Sealed by Edward J. Wood, temple president, in the Cardston Alberta, Temple [of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] 22 December 1926.
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Bill and Elna eating chocolate (according to Aunt LuRay)
shortly before their marriage.

- 
Bill and Elna met in 1924. Their first date was 24 July 1924 to the 24 of July celebration in Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada.

Died: 9 February 2003, Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Buried: 13 February 2003, Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada

I promise that I will get transcripts typed from the fun stories she shared. One of my favorite stories, that I have heard her tell several times was about stopping to rest at THE rock between Hill Spring and Cardston and looking down on an Indian Burial. Does anyone happen to have a picture of THE rock? We all know where it is out on that old gravel road and what it looks like, right? at least all of us over 50 years of age.