I'm a Nerd! It's all too true

Aaron was gone on a business trip Monday-Wednesday, and whenever he's gone, I don't sleep very well because I get so nervous at any little sound. Anyways, Tuesday night, I put off going to bed and decided to see if I could dig up any family history information instead. It's been a long time since I sat down to do any family history, and I've been getting the itch to get back into it again.

I've been particularly interested in my dad's great grandma, Charlotte Hannah Burridge Steele, because I thought I remembered hearing my dad's mom, Grandma Lemmon, telling me stories about her when I was little, and I wanted to see if I could find out anything else about her.

Well, it took me about two seconds on familysearch.com (the old one, where you can look up books at the family history library) to pull up her name and do a search in the books to see if she was mentioned in any. Turns out the Steele family has a 92 page history that highlights the lives of quite a few of my ancestors, and that that history book as all been scanned in by some lovely person down at the church history library. So I got to sit and read it for almost 2 hours.

Here's an account of Charlotte Hannah Burridge Steele's life, written by my great grandma, Hortense Annette Steele.

CHARLOTTE BURRIDGE STEELE

Written by Hortense Steele Harrison

Daughter

Charlotte Burridge was born March 23, 1851 on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea. Her father was George W. Burridge and her mother was Hannah Shaw. Her father was a pay sergeant in the English Army and was stationed on the island of Malta, but his military duties took him to posts in and around Italy. During one of these trips by boat, my mother, Charlotte was born. When the captain of the boat was informed of the birth of a baby on his ship he was so elated, he requested that the baby be named after the ship. But due to the fact that it was such a long name and a difficult name to pronounce and not at all befitting for a baby girl, they had her christened Charlotte.

During their stay in Italy and on the island of Malta, my grandparents with their one child lived a very gracious and easy life. My mother was a beautiful child and was beloved by all who knew her. She was a year and a half old when my grandparent joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The way my grandfather became interested in the gospel was very unusual. He was walking along the street and saw a number of loose pamphlets blowing in the wind. He stopped to gather them so that the street wouldn't become untidy and littered. As he did so he glanced at the heading and name on the pamphlets. Among them was one telling of the gospel and advising all who read it to get hold of a Book of Mormon and read it. He went to the address written on the paper and asked all about it and secured a Book of Mormon. He never slept until he read the entire book. He went back to the mission headquarters and told them he wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church. He was so taken up with the gospel that he preached it to the soldiers in the army which was forbidden by the laws of England. As a result he was imprisoned, later discharged and sent home to England.

When my mother was three years old her parents started for America. They arrived in Utah October 24, 1855, with the Milo Andrus company. From then on Mother encountered many hardships and made endless sacrifices, but she also set a beautiful pattern of life. While she was still a little child her experiences both serious and humorous began. Our dear Aunt Pauline Neddo remembered on incident that Grandma Burridge had often told the children.

She in turn repeated it to my sister, Mabel. It took place during the time that Grandfather Burridge was away from home on duty and Grandmother was living in a dug-out near Bro. Johnson's place in Clover. She had the two little children, my mother and Thomas, with her. Thomas was a small baby at the time. While Grandmother was busy working she looked out of the door and saw two Indians coming toward her house. She was very worried and frightened for she had no food or bread to spare to give them and she knew that would be what they would want. There had also been rumors that the Indians would take the children if they weren't successful in getting food or clothing.

She desperately prayed for guidance and inspiration. Turning around she saw the huge brass kettle at the side of the fireplace. She immediately tipped it upside down and put my mother under it and then sat beside it with the baby on her lap. The Indians came to the door and boldly demanded food and clothes. Grandma told them she had none to spare and to please go, but they were angry and wouldn't leave. My mother began to get tired and restless under the kettle and needed fresh air, so childlike she squirmed around and started to move the kettle across the floor. When the Indians saw the kettle moving with no one near it they were scared to death of it and ran from the house and away as fast as they could. Later they told others that the house had evil spirits in it. Grandfather was called to stand guard to keep the soldiers back during the war in Echo Canyon and had to leave his family often in dire circumstances. My mother often went to bed hungry and gave her share of bread and milk to her brother and sister because they were younger.

Her early childhood was spent in helping guard and care for her brother and sister. One of her duties was to watch and take care of the garden. The Indians were very meddlesome and would often try to come and steal the produce. My mother used to tell us of a time an old Indian squaw came and tried to take some carrots and turnips. As young as Mother was, she took a willow switch and drove her away.

My grandparents had settled in St. John in Tooele County. As the years went by. Mother learned to weave cloth and knit and help with every kind of work. She told me her first party, or dress-up dress was woven by her and her mother. They worked for days to weave the cloth and sew it by hand. It was made of course grey home-spun, but she said she was never happier with any dress she ever owned, for to her it was beautiful.

My father, Joseph Wilson Steele who lived in Lake View, Utah, met and courted mother. In October 1867 they were married in the old Endowment House. She was just sixteen years old.

They lived in Lake View or Pine Canyon as it was then called in 1881. They had six children by this time, Joseph Wilson, Esther Elizabeth, Hannah Jane, Charlotte Burridge, Pauline Burridge, and

Thomas George. My father moved to lover Clover Creek in Rush Valley and bought a piece of land where he built two log rooms and made a home for his family.

My mother's faith was one of the most beautiful things about her. She was so loving and understanding with her children and gave them a beautiful pattern of life to follow. As early as I can remember she was a faithful worker in any and every organization in the church in which she was asked to serve. From 1902 to 190- she was a counselor to Mae Tanner in the Relief Society and was also President of the Mutual Improvement Association.

All through her life no neighbor ever needed her that she wasn't there to lend a helping hand and to give comfort and her time and faith. She was so quiet and wise in her dealings with everyone including friends and family that she became the confident of all who knew her. As children we had no problem or experiences that we couldn't take to mother and depend on her advice and understanding. Her absolute assurance that if we prayed for guidance we would receive help was given to her children by seeing and hearing her pray daily.

Six more children were born to this family, Arthur Dennis, Sarah Beatrice, Mabel Ruth, Jesse Wilford, Hortense Annette, and Lamont Lafayette. In 1895 her twelfth child was born. During the years her oldest son, Wilson, died at the age of twenty-one and the third child, Hannah, died at the age of fifteen months.

As her family married and grew older and she had time to devote to herself she did temple work. She would go to Providence where her sister, Pauline Neddo, lived and together they would work in the Logan Temple. Their love and devotion to each other was beautiful to see and brought joy and comfort to both of them.

While I was still a girl in my teens my mother's health began to fail. She was seldom out of pain, but she bravely carried on and never complained. She loved to read. One of her favorite pastimes was collecting poetry. I have in my possession some of the poems she loved. In reading them over in later years, I found she had a keen sense of humor that helped to balance her life so beautifully.

My father died in May 1919 while he and Mother were living with my husband and me. Two years later in October 1921, Mother passed away in my home in Burmester, Utah.

They were laid to rest in Draper, Utah, beside their oldest son.

My mother lives on in memories of her children and is still the guiding light and shining example for each of us to try to follow.

 Anyways, I thought it was pretty cool that Charlotte was born on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea. Not many people can say that. The story about her hiding under that tub and scaring the indians away, is the same story I remember Grandma Lemmon telling me when I was little. I think if we ever have another daughter some day we'll name her after this Charlotte.  

I'm such a nerd. I just love family history. First thing Wednesday morning, I email the book file to my mom, and talked her on the phone and asked her to please as my Christmas present this year to write down her life story, and what she knew of my dad's and my grandma and grandpa's and anyone else's she could think of.