"My life story": Alta Lealette, Anderson Laub.

This is my dad's mom's mom's life history. Also check out the ongoing projects for my dad, and mom, and mom's mom.

(I (Michael Laub) typed the below from a photocopy of the original, which was typed from my Grandmother. I did it pretty fast, and know there are lots of spelling mistakes... )

My Parents were Mormon pioneers, my father, James Peter Anderson, was born 28th of August 1862, Ephraim, Sandpete County Utah, was the son of Neil's Anderson, who came from Lond Sweden, and his mother Ingaborg Paulsen who came from Dyver Norway for the Gospel. My mother's father was Peter Thomander, son of one of Sweden’s Great Theology professors, John Henric Thomander who was head of the theological department at Lund University when the first Mormon Missionaries went to Sweden. Peter Thomander met Ingaborg Pearson, his wife to be, on the ship which brought them to America, where they were to join the Saints in Ephraim, Sanpete County, Utah. Shortly after arriving, they were called to go to Circle Valley to help build up that area. And that is where my mother, Martha Caroline Thomander was born 12th of June 1866.

Because of the Indian troubles the Saint of Circle Valley, Piute County were recalled to Ephraim and it was there eight of the 10 children of my parents were born:

• · 14th of April 1887, James IRA. 
• · 1st of November 1888, James (still born); 
• · 9th of February 1890. Lucretia; 
• · 8th of July 1892, Drusilla Naomi; 
• · 13th of September 1894, Ada Beulah, 
• · 2nd of September 1896, Hugh Preston, 
• · 2nd of May 1899 Onedia May 
• · 26 Nov 1902, Luella Theora; 

My family moved to spring to Spring Glen in 1904. Spring Glen is a small picturesque town situated on the bench land east of the Rail Road and Highway that connect Helper and Price, in Carbon County Utah. It was given its name because of the lovely green and inviting appearance in the spring of the year. To this community my parents made their way a few months before my birth 21 July 1905. I was given the name of Alta Lealette, the second name being that of my oldest sister’s music teacher. I was never called Alta or Lealette by my family, but called Lea or Leah, have been known as Alta on most of my Church records. I was named or Christened by Thomas Rhodes, presiding Elder of the Spring Glen Branch of the Latter-day Saints Church, when I was 12 days old 3 August 1905.



One more daughter blessed the family 17 May 1909. Zoy was born at Lake View, Utah Col, giving my parents seven daughters and three sons. The following two years, until I was five years old we lived in Lake View where I was the first enrolled in Sunday School. I remember my teacher and a few of the experiences I had there. I remember well a blue and white sweater suit of which I was very fond. I remember pushing a doll buggy in a train with a rabbit in it, perhaps when we were coming to Lake View from Spring Glen. Then there was the bee sting which left a mark on my upper right arm, and the fun we had on the canal boat with my sister Onedia.

In 1909 or 10 we moved to Richfield Pevier, Utah where I first attended school in 1911-12, my teacher, Miss Clay Allred, tried to help me like school but I never did care too much for it. There usually comes a time though, when one wishes he had more education, so it my adult life I wish for more.

My family gave up farming after one year and moved to Ogden, Weber Co. where my father worked as a car inspector on the Railroad for many years. We lived for a few months on Wall Ave. and 24rth St. there I attended the Pingree School. In the summer of 1913 we moved to Park Ave. as it was first called, later being known as Childs Ave. Here we lived for several years, attending the 3rd Ward of the North Weber Stake. Though our house at 1873 Childs Ave was not much and the neighborhood less, it became a place of fond memories to me, for so many things happened there. “It takes a heep O’ living to make a house a home”. Parties, births, Missions, marriages, work; happy and sad experiences were a few of them. He hadn’t lived there long until I was baptized 9 Aug 1913, that was an event I shall always remember. I was dressed all in white even to my hair ribbons. Haskell Shurtliff baptized me in the Ogden River, his daughter Thelma, my girl friend was baptized the same day.

During this time I was attending the Grant School which was on Grant Ave. between 22 and 23 streets, one of my teachers was Miss Johnston. Several tragic events took place between my 7th and 9th birthdays. I saw a small girl run over by an automobile, the only car to pass the school that day, and I’ll never forget the burning to death of Mrs. Hendershotm whom we had nicknamed “Red Wrapper” because of her red ragged house coats, it was one of these which caught fire as she was singeing the feathers off a chicken over a bon fire in her back yard, we saw her run aflame down Park Ave. everything but her shoes being burned off. She lived 12 hours. Then I am sure we can be grateful one time that mother had one of her headaches and forbid us to go swimming in the river with my friend Luella Robberts and her cousins, for the boy of 9 years ran into a deep hole, and not being able to swim wend down 2 times. Luella Roberts went in after him but lost her water wings which were made of corks, and they both were struggling in the water. Mother had consented after much begging on our part to let us watch, so our calling for help brought men who pulled Luella to safety but the boy died and had to be dragged from the water by the firemen. Onedia nearly drowned in a different part of the same river, it took several persons to get her out, she suffered shock but fortunately no other injuries.

We had great times playing in the groves across the river, I will never forget how we decorated our doll buggies, carts and bikes with night lilies which grew in profusion along the banks of the river and how we paraded up and down the streets, dressed up in our older sister’s clothing. We often slept in the back yard out under the stars, for our upstairs bed room could get terribly hot. We had slumber parties too.

When I was 13 years of age in 1918, I had typhoid fever and was in bed seven weeks, during which time U.S. President Woodrow Wilson came thru Ogden, I felt very sorry I didn't get to see him. Just prior to that time, my brother Hugh came home from his mission and was married to Grace Pearson, so there were parties and dinners given in their honor, and thru it all I was sick. They moved to California, so I didn't have a brother long, Ira had married when I was 10.

We walked ten blocks to Junior High School, (Central) on Adams Ave. and 25th Street. I finally graduated from the 8th grade and will never forget how I felt marching down Adams Ave in gun drill (for we had been having that training because of World War I) in my white graduation dress, and everyone else was in Middy blouse and skirt; It left a bad impression on me for such an event as that should have been. My friends at that time were THema Shurliff, Cherryl Hick and three fellows we chummed around with, Grand and Roy Lofgree and Ray Gelta. We had many enjoyable parties and fun riding on their bicycle after graduating from Jr. High School I attended Ogden High for one year and Weber High for two years.

In the summer of 1922 Luella and I went on a trip through Idaho, were we visited Dru in Jerome for a few days then went on through Oregon. Onedia was on her Mission at Spokane at that time we did not stop to see her, but went on to Oakland where we stayed six weeks with Hugh and Grace.

I went to Weber another year and the following summer Mama, Zoy and I went to Oregon to see Onedia, it was my first experience in a Mission field and the first time I had attended a Street meeting, and I helped them sing. We went on to Oakland and then to Los Angeles where Ira lived. We were gone all summer. Luella left for her mission the next April in 1924. That fall I went to work at Scowcroft’s.


As long as Luella was on her mission I was never without money, and it seemed I managed very well. When she has been gone two years my father became very ill with rheumatism and was bed fast for several weeks, he was never well after that. During this time my best beau was getting ready to go on a mission to Hawaii. Vasco left one month before Luella came home in the spring of 1926.


The following fall in 1926, I had my tonsils out. At Conference I met President S. O. Bennion of the Central States Mission who asked me why I was not on a Mission. Bishop Richardson of the Ogden 3rd Ward had said I would be the next to go, but we had moved to the 9th Ward in Mt. Ogden Stake. In the spring of 1926 I met Pres. Bennion again, he took my Bishop’s name (Aswald Jackson) and within a month I had received notice I would leave July the 8th for the Central States Mission. I was to enter the Mission Home Jun 2y7. There were parties, and I was busy until I left. On June 21 Mother, Luella and I went to the Temple where I received my Endowments, it was a day long to remember for I had received a wonderful experience the night before concerning Temple work, which was borne out to me the following day.

The possibilities of the Mission Home were grand, and I did enjoy the meetings, trips to the Temple, etc. Being set apart by Brother J. Golden Kimball with words identical to my Patriarchal blessing was very impressive. The day for departure arrived, 8 July 1927, and though I was happy for the opportunity, I felt a strange feeling leaving home. There were twenty of us who went as far as Denver, where Sister Grace Whitmore and I left for Kansas City. I kept a diary so won’t say more about the mission here except to say I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything though they were very difficult, because of illness, peculiar companions, and perhaps my own inability to adjust at first, and as the latter part of my mission rolled around my father passed away. He came East in November to go to Hat Springs Arkansas for his rheumatism and returned thou Webb City where I was laboring. He spent Christmas day with me, and I will always remember the premonition I had as I put him on the train at Joplin Mo. I never did see him alive again, for he passed away in Feb. 1929, just 19 months after I had gone to the mission field.

Vasco and I had planned a 6th of June wedding from the first we had talked of marriage, so when June came that year, 1929, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple, by Apostle George F. Richards. After spending two days in Salt Lake and two in Logan, we moved to the western Apts. In Ogden, then we purchased a truck and moved to Salt Lake where we located at 903 Concord Street, but that job didn't last long and we went to Lovell Why. Taking our year old baby with us for Dale Jay was Born 209 June 1930 in the Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City. The job with Tom Kitchen didn't last long either and we moved back with Vasco’s folks in Ogden for the great depression had hit the land and there were thousands of people without work, Vasco’s father was released from his work at Wrights store and Vasco took it for a couple of years.

After several more moves, with Zoy and Seymour at Bingams, then with them on Sullivan Ave, with Vasco’s father on 17th street, and a couple of other places, we decided to purchase a house on 3651 Ogden Ave in the 14th Ward of South Ogden Stake. It was there our twins were born 4 April 1934. That fall Mr. Laub died 15 Oct 1934, his wife Chana had passed away the year before in Jan 1933.

After the twins, Melvin Anderson and Marvin James were born at the Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, 4 April 1934, we left them there for two weeks after I came home for they were premature and had to have special feeding until they were 6 weeks old; with much work and lots of praying they began to grow and by the end of the year were well and happy and healthy.

In the early spring of 1935 we decided to take a trip to California in our new car, which Vasco’s fathers insurance had made possible, in Feb. after Onedia’s funder (15 Feb.) we left for Raymonds place in Simi, Ventura Co. Calif. It was a nice trip but very difficult one for me with three small children.

The year of 1936 Dale started to school at Birch Creek, in South Ogden. I became quite ill that year with a sinus infection, and with so much work and responsibility, that and the following year I did not hold a job in the Church. The following winter of 1936-37 and all through the spring the children were will first with chicken pox, then whooping cough and then measles after which Dale had pneumonia, so by fall I was very run down and ill. In Aug I had a most unusual experience, which I feel I should relate, for it has been faith promoting to me all my life; Having gone to bed quite early and being propped up on pillows so I could breathe I was lying in a rather peculiar position and fell asleep. I dreamed or saw Onedia come into the room, bend over me and say, “Don’t get sick litter sister”. She kissed me and sort of backed out of the room, I felt like touching my cheek where she had kissed me for it was moist as any real kiss I had ever had, and I am sure it was a real experience and one for my comfort and blessing. I promised the Lord at that time, if I could be made well again, I would devote my spare time after my obligations to my family, and the calls from Bishops, to Genealogical research work I also went to see Patriarch Wheelwright who gave me a blessing, saying I would get well and be a blessing to my family. That promise I have tried to keep to the best of my ability.

In the spring of 1938 I went to see Dr. Grimm in Ogden and after one treatment I began to improve in health and gradually overcame the serious sinus attacks I had been bothered with. We also set out in earnest to do research work, going to Salt Lake often and finding much information on both Laub and Thomander lines. I became a class leader in the 14th Ward MIA Senior class with Bro. Oberhansley, also was set apart as literary teacher in the Relief Society, both jobs I enjoyed.

In 1939 I was called to be a Stake Missionary by Bishop Thomas Parker of the 14th Ward of the South Ogden Stake, was set apart by Brother Mcell, Pres of the Mission, he gave me a wonderful blessing, telling me that I should have success in the work, my companion was Leyonna Walthius, and indeed we did have success. I felt that my former Mission was then complete, for I had to return home from the Centrual states early because of the death of my father in Feb 1929. We had one experience with will bear telling briefly. We were looking for a family on 40th one night in the Birch Creek area, who were not members of the Church, in doing so visited the home of a member, we chatted with her for a few moments and went on our way, but didn’t get far until were impressed to go back, we found the lady in tears and praying that we would return. She told us her husband had passed away and how she had wished to have his Temple work accomplished. She felt so unwanted din the Ward, so we helped her become acquainted and not long after she was asked to be the organist in the Relief Society. Within six months she had been to the Temple and had taken care of all of those ordinances for her family. The blessings Bro Mcell gave me was very literally fulfilled, for the boys were well and very good the nights I went “missionaring” as they called it. I did not miss a meeting during that time because of illness in the family. Vasco was working on the Highway Patrol so cared for the children the nights he was home.

I continued my Mission during the following year, also working on my genealogy. All that winter I had been visited by Spirits from another world, I was always afraid, though they never spoke to me. In the spring of 1940 I had Apostle George F Richards give me a blessing, and from that time on did not have visitors but I continued to be worried about some part of our records. Bishop Parker suggested we do up all of the Sealings, which we started to do in October; I felt that whoever had been visiting me had received the blessings he sought, for from that time on I felt easier. It taught me a lesson to keep the Selings completed, the way opened up for so much research. I have been diligent in that work ever sense.

IN 1940 Vasco left in the fall for his first tour of duty with the Army which was going to be the beginning of a new life for us, he went to Pennsylvania to a school after which he was assigned to Ft. Warren Wyoming in Cheyenne.

In the spring of 1941 Dale and I went to Pa. to meet Vasco, going there on the train. We came home in our new Plymouth car after touring through the east and south and up thru Texas. While in Houston we visited the Mission Home and met so many of the Saints I had known while in the Mission field, the President of the Mission was Elrey Christiansen at whose home we stayed two nights. We went on to Cheyenne and received word that Melvin and Marvin had the scarlet fever at home where I had left them with mother. Dale and I hurried home, I left him with Irene and Art Partridge, and I went into quarantine, and mother went home. Fortunately the boys had a light case and were soon well. We moved to Cheyenne as soon as they were well, at which time I was released from my mission. Our stay in Cheyenne was most enjoyable, except the moving was difficult for the children to be adjusted in school. I worked in the Primary and Relief Society while in the Cheyenne Ward, Bishop Wild set me Apart. Melvin and Marvin were baptized there 4 April 1942.

In the fall of 1942 Vasco received his first overseas assignment to the Middle East, so the boys and I moved to Salt Lake, living first in the Nibley Park Ward until Feb of the following year (6th East 27 so). During this time I was a teacher in the Sunday school and Primary. I made preparations to sell our home in Ogden which I did for $1,000 cash, and at the same time Vasco sent enough money to pay the down payment on our house at 1914 So. 8th East, buting it thru Uncle Fred Richards. I hadn’t been in the house long until I was asked to be the Primary President also the literary teacher in the Relief Society; we were studying the Bible background. I took a course of study at the Lion House which was very informative and enjoyable. Florence Parkin and Georgia Alder we my counselors in the primary.

Vasco came home from the Middle East in Feb 1944. After a month at home he was sent to Ft. Lee Virginia, so in April I went to visit him and in June after school was out we moved back there for the summer living in Hopwell. I really took it easy that summer and enjoyed the nice vacation. In August we went back to Salt Lake. Vasco was home for a couple of weeks, then another tour of duty in the South Pacific.

In 1946 I was released from the Primary and was called on another Stake Mission, my companion being Evelyn Uptergraff; this was in the Richards Ward, Sugerhouse Stake. Percy Schofield was the Bishop. During this time Vasco was working with General West at Ft. Douglas in the Reserves. Leisure time permitted us to have many nice experiences with a Ward group of going to the different Temples throughout Utah. It was a year of very pleasant experiences.

In March 1947 on the 13th, Lucretia passed away in the Price hospital of Cancer, she had been very ill for several years. A month or so before she passed away, we went together to the Passion Play at KingsburryHall on the University of Utah Campus.

Vasco received a call into the Regular Army in the spring (May) of 1947, another trip to the East Coast and an assignment to Los Angeles where we moved to Montrose Ave. in Monrovia, Vasco commuting to Los Angeles to his office. We also lived on Oaks Ave and Lemmon Ave. which was close to our new Ward House; Vasco was called to be a Counselor to Bishop Kunz and filled that position for 4 years. I was a Stake Missionary there for three months working with Beverly Weech. In May of 1951 Vasco was notified of a transfer to a school in Georgia, so in July we prepared to go to Canada to see Dale who was in Winnipeg on a Mission. We had a wonderful trip, leaving Monrovia the latter part of July. We stopped off in Salt Lake for a couple of days, and Yellowstone for a day or two, and then hurried on to Canada. It was a wonderful experience to sit in Missionary report meeting which we were invited to attend on Sunday morning, and hear the testimonies of the Missionaries for they had all been out without “purse or script” which had tried their faith and had strengthened their testimonies. We enjoyed Bro and Sister Martin in Winnipeg, in whose home we were envied to stay. Their home had been damaged badly by the flood of the Red River which was very close to their home.

We found Dale rather pale and unhappy, so when we went to visit the Mission President, we felt impressed to tell him of Dale’s condition and he was transferred to Duluth where he gained in health and finished his Mission. After leaving Canada we went on to Niagara Falls which was everything and more than I had expected it to be. At night they turned colored lights on the falls which emphasized the grandeur. The next day we went down under the falls, wore rain coats and boots to keep us dry from the spray. It was quite a sight to see so much water fall over the opening in Front of us.

After having made several trips back east we had never visited the area around the Hill Cumorah, so for the first time we visited the Sacred Grove, the Joseph Smith Home and other places of Church interest in that area, experiencing the sacred feelings one gets who goes there believing.

Upper New York was beautiful as was the New Hampshire and Conn. Where Melvin and Marvin had a friend whom we visited. We missed Rockinham Vt. Where Vasco’s grandfather Zera Pulsipher had lived but we did enjoy seeing the country around that area. We skirted Boston and I shall always be sorry, unless we go back again, for there were so many places of historic interest to see. I had hoped to see where they dumped the tea, and the Light House of Paul Revere.

We went on to Plymouth, where we say the Rock with 1620 carved on it the old cemeteries and oldest graves of the first settlers. We waded in wet grass to our knees, to find some graves of Vasco’s first American ancestors who died in the 1600’s. Then on to New York, Washington D.C. down the Coast to Atlanta Georgia where Vasco was to be stationed in school. Vasco went as far as New Orleans to get us started on our way back to Las Angeles. It was hot and sultry in New Orleans and we nearly perished when we left the air conditioned motel, so we left earlier than we had planned. The boys, Melvin and Marvin wanted to do most of the driving, so we went as far as Shreveport that night and had difficulty finding a Motel, as there was a big celebration there, but at least we were successful. All the next day for 16 hours we crossed Texas and part of New Mexico before stopping in Roswell where Zoy’s son was on his Mission, we found him and his companion, took them to breakfast the next morning and traveled on to Mesa Arizona. We stopped over night and left early the next morning for Los Angeles. On that trip we missed only three border States in the US. Maine, Washington and Oregon, it was over 10,000 mile trip. WE WERE TIRED.

Just BEFORE Christmas of 1951 both Vasco and Dale came home, Dale from his Mission and Vasco from the School, he was en route to Japan. Dale enrolled in Pomona College; the twins went back to Monrovia High School. Vasco left in Feb. for Japan, so Dale and I went to Oakland with him to see him off, then hurried back to get dale in school.

Vasco had planned to get us on our way to Japan by early June as soon as school was out, we had our shots, pictures for our passports, and had done all we could, but for some reason our orders didn't arrive, we learned that they thought we had made an error on the twins birth records, we were held up another month, then we were scheduled to leave on the 1st of August on a ship which would have taken two weeks to get there and Dale wouldn't have been able to go with us. Vasco really raised his voice o the people in charge (says he caused the big earth quack that happened on y birthday) and then the ball began to roll and we were scheduled to go by boat on the 27 of August, but on the 19th we received a telephone call from San Francisco saying if we could get to Ft. Mason by 12 O’clock the next day we could Fly! I had the packers there in no time flat by night everything was packed. Sister Remminton, our Relief Society President, gave me a party that night, and about 10 30 we started for San Francisco and Ft. Mason, we arrived in Santo Rosa quite early, so stopped by to see Dru. I was really tired for I had done most of the driving, but we got to Ft. Mason in time to sign papers and make all the necessary plans. I had to take the car over to Oakland so it could be sent on a ship later (it took 3 months to get there).

Dermont, Perry and Mell came over to Mason that night and visited for an hour or so, and then we all dropped into bed, dead tired. If I remember, we left Ft. Mason next morning around 10 0’clock for Oakland where we got on the plan, and my first flight of my any length began. We stopped in Hawaii for 2 hours, but didn’t leave the terminal, for 1 was a bit air sick and didn't want the boys to go alone. Our next stop was Wake Island, and I was never in a hotter place, we had lunch there and walked around to see the devastation of the war, then were taken by jeep to farther corners until plane time. Had a fright as we left Wake Island, the plane had an oil leak, but we didn't have to land again it settled down and we were on our way to Japan. It is quite a sight to see Ocean Liners from the air, we were too high to see much else, and they looked like drift wood floating on the water.

We were met in Tokyo by Vasco, his boss and his wife and some of the office staff, with bouquets and hugs and real happiness to be together, so what did we do the day after we got there? We left for a trip around the country side and up to Lake Yamanaka, but we couldn't rest, we had to see things. I must admit it was all beautiful and enjoyed it more later many times.