Life History (Birth-School Years)

Grandma wrote a few versions of her life history and I will do my best to combine them.   Enjoy!

My name is Myrtle Slade Ray.  I was born May 19, 1894 at Eager, Apache Co. Arizona.  My parents  were Henry Benjamin Slade  and Lucy Symira Lytle.  My father was born 19 July 1870 at Pinevalley, Washington Co. Utah.  His parents were Henry Slade and Amanda Melissa Burgess.  My mother was born 15 January 1875 at Panaca, Lincoln Co. Nevada.

The house in which I was born belonged to my grandparents, William Perry Lytle and Lucy Clarinda Atchison.  I can remember how the house was built but I do not know if there is a picture of it now.  There were three large rooms made of logs which has a low sod covered roof for many years.  Later the roof was made higher and a roof covered with shingles was made.  There were three smaller rooms in later years also at the back of the house.  I do not remember of ever seeing a picture of this house.

When I was almost two months old I was taken to sacrament meeting by my parents and I was blessed and given a name by Elder George H. Crosby 5 July 1894.  I cannot remember ever knowing brother Crosby but I have seen his picture many times in his home after I was older.  I do know that Brother Crosby was Bishop of the Eager Ward for many years, he was loved by everyone who knew him and I knew his good wife Sister Sarah Crosby well.  She was affectionately called Grandma Crosby by all who knew her.

I think about one of the first things I can actually remember was when I was 8 years old.  There were four children in our home then.  I was the oldest, Dick was next, the Otto, then a baby sister named Lucy Ione.  She was 8 months old and as all babies in those days she wore great long clothes.  My mother said "Its time to shorten the baby".  When I asked her what that meant she explained that by cutting off the part of the long dresses and putting a yoke on the part cut off, the baby would have two dresses instead of one.

At that time there was lots of sickness among the children in the town and I heard my mother say that our little sister was very sick.  We went to Grandma Lytle's house and I was put to bed in Aunt Fannie's  bed.  I asked her what was the matter and she told me that our little sister had died.  I can remember how she held me in her arms and comforted me.

I can well remember the day I was baptized.  It was on Saturday 2, August 1902.  I was eight years old on May 19th.  A boy named Elvie Shoup  was baptized that same day too. We went to the Little Colorado River not very far from our home and we were baptized by Elder Orson M. Bigelow.  He was the father of my best friend and I had known him  all my life.  The next day Sunday 3 August  we were confirmed in sacrament meeting.  The man who confirmed me was Elder White.  I don't remember his given name but I remember that he was a visitor from Snowflake, Ariz.

Before I was old enough to go to school, one day my Aunt Nell Lytle took me with her to visit school.   There were other small girls who visited that same day and while we were there a man came and took a picture of the group.  My mother used to have that picture but it was destroyed when her house burned down years ago.

When I was six years old I started school.  My first teacher was Miss Camela Jensen.   We were in what was called The Chart Class.  We did not have books to read from but we had a big chart on which were the letters and numbers. From this we learned to know the letters and numbers and we learned to read and count.   I can remember several of my teachers during the next few years of my life.  They were, Miss Pearl Noble, Miss Pearl Udall, Miss Ida Rudd and Mr. O.P. Greer.  Mr. Greer was my teacher in the 7th and 8th grades. His name is on my diploma when I graduated from the 8th grade. (I have the original diploma and will try to get it scanned an added here.)

When I was 11 years old one day as I was coming home from Sunday School with my girl friend, we saw my brother and cousin and a strange boy and girl waiting for us. The boy was Milt Ray and the girl was his cousin Irene Allen.  Milt's mother and my mother had been friends for many years but hadn't seen each other for years.  Milt and his family lived in Jerome, Arizona and they had come to visit his grandmother and other relatives.  They had come to visit my mother while I was at Sunday School.

We kids played together all afternoon and that was the last time I saw Milt for many years.  But when he was 13 and I was 12 he wrote to me.  My mother wouldn't let me answer his letter for she said I was too young to write boys.  But in May 1906 after I was 12 I wrote to him without telling my mother about it.  We corresponded for 8 years. 

I was chosen valedictorian of our class because my average was 95% and my Aunt Nell helped me prepare my valedictory address. There were 8 girls in my class (no boys) who graduated at that time which was 14 April 1911.  The name of these girls were; Ida Nelson, Lea Nelson, Fannie Burgess, Daphne Burk, Edna Butler, Josephine Pearson, Comfort Slade and Myrtle Slade.

I could not attend High School the next year (1911-1912) so I went to school in Eager and took post graduate course from Mr. Greer. In this group there were 3 girls and 2 boys.

In September 1912 I enrolled at St. Johns Stake Academy in St. Johns Arizona, as a Freshman.  My teachers during that term were Mr. A. E. Johnson (algebra) Mr. J. F. Hanson (theology and history) Mr M.O. Poulsen (Principal) Mr. Parley Woolsey (penmanship and elecution) Miss Emma Fredricksen (english and home economics).  I have a picture of the Freshman class and one of the whole school.  In a little autograph book I have the signatures of most of my class makes and of all my teachers.  Our class colors were rose and green.  Our class motto was "Up Th Ladder Step by Step." (I also have this autograph book, and will someday get it scanned too.  It proves tricky because it is a small book and might need some TLC to get it done.)