I found this on line a while back and thought I would share. If any one would like a copy of the document let me know. Or you can go to the following link for a copy of the document: https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AdO72b-Fca2mZGduYm1mM3dfMTAxZ20zdmszZnc&hl=en
~Kandice
by
Carlene Jackson
Driggs, Idaho
HOMER MILLS SIDWELL
On 4 Sep 1888, a son was born to William and Tryphena Sidwell. He was named Homer Mills Sidwell. He was born and blessed in Fairview. N. Larsen performed the blessing on 5 Dec 1889. In going, through the church records the ones I could find indicated they were all at least a year old when blessed.
In 1874, a rock building was built, for a school, and in 1884 two rooms were added to the original building and dedicated on 2 Feb 1901. It houses the museum today but this school was used until about 1969 or 1970. All of the Sidwell children attended this school as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Homer was baptized into the church 4 Sep 1896.
As Homer Mills Sidwell was out visiting a family one-day he came upon a beautiful dark haired young lady. He asked around to fine out who she was because she had won his heart. So, in his buggy he went a courting and to his surprise she had eyes for him, with his soft voice, he won her heart. Her name was LuEthel Kelsey, the, daughter of Calvin Kelsey and Annie Elizabeth Elder Kelsey.
Marriage
They were married in Manti, Sanpete Co, UT 27 Aug 1909 by Niel R Peterson, an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Adelia B.C. Sidwell, his aunt, and Samuel Ware witnessed it.
Homer and Ethel made their home in Fairview, Sanpete Co, UT. Homer loved the land and always wanted to buy a farm and this he did in the east part of town where they built their home, a two-story place with no in-door plumbing. Everything was brought in from out side. Now this could be mighty cold in the wintertime.
Homer was a good worker. He didn't seem to go any faster than the others, but he
always got so much more done. When he dug a trench his family would tell him to come do
something easier because he had done so much more than anyone else. He always got more
done, even though he didn't seem to work any harder.
Their first child, a beautiful little girl, was born the 4 June 1910 in Fairview, Sanpete, UT. Her name was Annie Elvira Sidwell. It wasn't long until they started thinking about building a new, home, and one that would take care of their needs. Now that the family was coming, they knew that the four rooms would grow smaller before long. Two years later, on the 22 May 1912 another daughter was born. They named her Nola Tryphena after her Grandmother Sidwell
Homer started thinking religion and decided it was time to take his family to the Temple and have them sealed to him and Ethel. So, on 15 Jan 1913, he took LuEthel and his two daughters to the Manti Temple where they were sealed for time and eternity. Homer was always active in the church after that.
On the 19 Aug 1914, they were blessed with another child, this time. it was a boy. They named him Homer Blain Sidwell after his father Blain, as he was called, was the apple of his father's eye. They could do many things together, now he had someone to help him do the farm work.
As the young children started to school they went to the old rock schoolhouse that is located on Main Street, each and every one of them attended there. Their father, Homer, would hitch up the team and take the children to school when the weather was good, if it was snowing they would hitch up the sleigh. Their sleigh was called a schooner and it would hold up to fourteen people.
In the early part of their marriage they purchased some land in the Fairview mountains where they spent their summers. Some of their grandchildren had the chance to visit them there. They even opened up a small store there, as the coal miners would stop for refreshment on their way home and it gave their horses a chance to rest before heading on down the canyon.
It was the winter of 1919-1920 that Homer became really ill. His cousin was waiting for a ship passage to go to Hawaii on a mission. "I was assigned as a choreboy and I was glad that I could be assigned to the same people that meant so much to me. On 4 Feb 1920, the day I was to leave for Hawaii, I walked downtown in Fairview. I will never forget the way the good people of Fairview helped me out. Then here came my relatives, Elva, Nola, Blain and Homer, each of them with a five dollar bill, and Homer with two five dollar bills, one for himself and the other for Ethel. Altogether, it amounted to about twenty-five dollars and that was a lot of money in those day." (Name of missionary not given)
On 4 Feb 1920, another son was born to Homer and Ethel. He was given the name of Kenneth Fay Sidwell. Four years later, on 8 Jul 1924, another daughter was born; her name was Ethel Cleone Sidwell.
When Ethel was expecting their last child, Blain came down with small pox and they didn't know he had them. He gave them to his mother and she in turn gave them to the baby. Max O'Dell was born 13 Jan 1928, and when he was eleven days old our Father in Heaven called him home again to be with Him, his mission was completed here on this earth.
Homer was always a helper of others. If he saw someone fixing a fence, Homer was not afraid to help. He was always looking for ways to help. One day a group of men were down at the train depot waiting for the train to come in. They didn’t think Homer knew much about current events, it was just after the war had been declared on Germany. Homer was there, they thought his opinion wasn't worth much, they didn't think he knew much about it. One of the men that were there was named Harry. When the train came in they started to unload the boxes and Homer said, "Here Harry let me help." You see that was the kind of man Homer was.
Homer lived the life of a farmer for a good many years. He worked with his two sons, Blain and Fay. Homer was called to the Irrigation Company and spent many summers checking the water from the Fairview lakes. A good many gallons of water came to Sanpete County because Homer would go the extra mile. We have heard men who worked with him tell of how he would strip and go into the cold water to plug the holes.
When it was Christmas time, Homer and Ethel would make up a hundred pounds of sugar into candy, as sugar was only $3.50 to $4.00 per hundred, and if there was someone who didn't have candy for Christmas, they would see that they did.
Homer did not like to ride in a car if it went over 40 miles an hour. He would tell you to "slow down, you're going too fast. Do you have a lead foot?" Back in 1952 Homer and Ethel went to Detroit, MI and bought themselves a new car. It was a white Plymouth. They watched them make it from the first bolt that went into it until it was finished. They were very proud of this car but they didn't drive it much, it went too fast. Homer would just as soon ride his bicycle. You could always see him riding down the road on his bike and then he would walk home and push the bike, as it was hard to ride uphill.
Homer enjoyed going to town and visiting with the older men. They would sit in front of the cafe for hours. They were known as the "spit and whittle" gang.
Homer and Ethel both had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They both had the desire to live the gospel. Homer ant Ethel celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1962. That is when their health started to decline. Homer had a cancer removed from his face and it left a large portion of his cheek gone. His son, Blain, tried to help take care of his father. Homer would not come around where people were if they were eating as it embarrassed him, but most people did not think much of it.
On 27 Dec 1963 their son, Kenneth, passed away with cancer and a bad heart. Homer kept a good front, but his heart was still broken to lose his son. His daughter, Elva, started having heart problems and 1 Feb 1965 she passed away. She lived in Yakima, WA and is buried there. Then Homer became quite ill. They took him to the doctor and as he was failing, they put him in the hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Blain would go down on weekends and feed him, but he continued to go down hill. One Sunday evening as the doctor made his rounds he told Homer he would see him in the morning and Homer said, "I think not." His son Blain had just left from feeding him when they called him in Salt Lake and said you had better get down here as soon as possible, but Homer was gone.
DEATH OF HOMER
Homer Sidwell passed away 11 Mar 1966, just one month after his oldest child. Ethel continued on in the family home until her health failed and she needed a nurse 24 hours a day. She was put in a rest home in Spanish Fork, Utah, UT, where she resided until her death on 2 Feb 1969. Three children, Nola, Blain and Cleone survived her.
Cleone passed away 20 Oct 1979 in Provo, UT. Nola passed away 11 Feb.1984 in El Paso, Texas. Blain is still living and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sidwell Cousins - August 2010 Jolley's Ranch, Provo Canyon, Utah
