Mary Agnes Young, the youngest daughter of James Absalom Young and Lillian Adelaide Hurst was born in Colonia, Dublan, a Mormon settlement in Chihuahua, Mexico. Her mother died when the saints were driven out of Mexico, and it was necessary for her to live with her older brothers, who had settled in a little Mormon community near Tucson Arizona, Binghampton. There she met Harold C. Brown, whom she married in the Salt Lake Temple, later moving to Mesa Arizona in 1923. In those days when families were fortunate to have even one car, she was largely confined to the farm while raising her children. She never learned how to drive. She longed for the sociality of ward activities and would often walk several miles to church. Mary had a great desire to do good, but born in the colonies, largely confined to the farm, not being able to drive, she suffered from being isolated. She was interested in genealogy and was actively engaged in gathering as much information as she could, corresponding with many people. She attended the Temple as often as she could, which was not always easy. In her later years, after selling the farm, they were able to move into town, where she could easily walk to Church, and the Temple. She was able to take a few trips, including to the Holy Land, a Church history tour, and a few others. She became active in the Daughters of the Utah pioneers. She was active in the Church as much as she could be all her life. According to her oldest son James Brown, she was the reason for his activity in the church.
Mary Agnes Young 1901 - 1986
In her own words- typed by
Kent Gardiner from a difficult to read manuscript
In 1869 the year of rejoicing is in progress. This year is the latest date to be eligible to be a Daughter of the Utah Pioneers. Great-grandfather William Hurst and son Philip Hurst came to Utah in 1852. Grandfather John Floyd Young came before 1867
Home
I remember the old house where I was born. It faced north with a longer walk to the little wooden gate. I remember looking back at my dear home - how sweet and dear it seemed. It had a front door and two windows, I believe. The old front room had two beds and a trundle bed. Ida and I slept in the bed on the NW corner. On Christmas Eve when we wouldn’t go to sleep we played and romped waiting for Santa Clause so our weary parents told us there wasn’t a Santa. I must have been 4.
When I had intermittent fever I slept in a bed in the SE corner. How weak and starved I got. When our peaches got ripe and father let me suck a quarter. I got better. I needed fresh fruit. Our parents were so afraid of losing us. My mother was so busy making soap and sewing. She did not read to us like father did. We got a nursery rhyme book, which we loved. We also got to look at Harold’s book and Edna’s doll, which was up in the attic. Father was afraid of the diphtheria germs, which may have been on it. Before the new house was built alfalfa grew here. We played toadie toadie.
The bricks for this house were made on my brother’s farm and the brick kiln was made there. Timothy Jones home and others were built from this brick. Mother wished we had built a bungalow because it was so hard for her to climb the stairs. She had a cot in the kitchen where she rested. Our parlor was not used much. In those days parlors were just for company. We had a couch, a dresser and quite a few nice large rockers with nice cushions, fancy crazy quilts patterned and stitched by my cousin Hanna Hurst. We also had a desk, a red flowered wood comforter and real lace curtains and blinds. Our dining room had a glass door cupboard where we kept our pretty flowered dishes, big and small tureens for creamed chickens and soups and our cut glass and silverware. We had a large dining room table and leaves to make it larger. We had our sewing machine and a cot, the baby box, which was for the baby’s clothes and a telephone.
Mother had mounted a lot of picture prints from famous artists that hung in all of the rooms except the parlor where the pictures of Edna and Harold hung in large frames. The dining room kitchen hall, stairs and bedrooms had large loom woven carpets on their floors. Mother always went to the best homes and loved our latter day Saints. She also visited non-members with father and she entertained them in our home, notably Dr. Skipwith.
Siblings
My brother Philip Haynes Young at 25 years of age and wife Mary Fredericson and their 2nd and 3rd child Burl and Sigrid taken in Dublin. Ingrid died of pneumonia when she was tw0 years old. Burl grew to manhood and raised a nice family.
My brothers loved their little sister and were good to us. They had been mothers dishwashers so they were glad with some girls were born although we were too small to help much before they were married. Edna was a sweet child. When was born she said that Lord sent the sweetest one they had. Father was too partial to me which wasn’t wasn't fair to Ida. She was sensitive more intelligent and talented and music art and a brilliant student school. In the spring of 1912 she got chilled not having her coat at school and she felt mothers death and no doubt resented Aunt Gena more than I did. High strung proud sensitive. She became ill shortly after we arrived in Utah. She started to school in September 1912 in Mt Pleasant but had to quit. She was very unhappy, lonely and ill.
When my picture was taken with my brother Will brother Gooseberry said see the birdie I could not see a bird and I was very disgusted it was hard to sit still and I became quite annoyed so to think they wanted me to still sit on there and where was the bird I was badly spoiled.
Harold died at ____from and diabetes. Ida died 28th of July 1913 in Binghamton from heart trouble and diabetes. In April 1955 the first five are still living, the first five and the youngest. I hope to live to honor my parent’s memory by making my book of remembrance and doing my share of the temple work for my kindred. I am willing to help Harold with his temple work and pray that we can and will help one another with each other's temple work.
Childhood
As a child in Mexico I heard of Mesa and father visited his aunt Sarah Vance in February 1912 before he married my stepmother Regina Lundgren, so I was anxious to move To Mesa. I was found by the LDS people who have made this state great with the help of intelligent leaders in reclamation, agriculture, education, mining, industry and other churches who are willing to live in harmony with one another and cooperation in social progress for the good of all peoples.
Couples need to be united as a family and work for each other's interest to acquire property, a home and security and a place for themselves in the community and a heritage of righteousness for their posterity to the latest generations and throughout all eternity. This can only be accomplished with the help of the Lord with a humble contrite forgiving heart, family prayers, church attendance, payment of tithes and offerings, and doing one's duty when called to any position of service in the church. A ward teachers calling is one of the Nobles callings in the church to bless teach the love and encourage our neighbors and brothers and sisters in the wards where our membership is honored. We need to love and understand our brothers and sisters and we need to give them our love and understanding. As the Savior said rejoice with the righteous.
Mother
My mother tried to make the best of her life. She was really religious. She was a little over 5 foot or less and had lovely brown hair. She wore it in a round bob at the nape of her neck. She had lovely brown eyes and a pretty straight nose. She was a little overweight and her feet hurt so she wore comfortable shoes. She wore her dresses to her ankles. She hired her best clothes made. She raised chickens and made butter and sold eggs and butter buttermilk to buy our clothes. She bought father a new suit so he would go to church with her. She was honest but like to be treated fairly and did not let people take unfair advantage of her except father. He did not treat her right; he knew it and repented of it many times over.
Temple
My parents were not married in the temple and my mother never had the privilege of going to the temple. Harold’s parents were married in the Salt Lake Temple. My mother's endowment was done for her in the Manti Temple December 5, 1912. My father worried a good deal about his children and love them and longed for them. Our beloved Bishop Thurber met father on the train in Utah in 1912 and brother Thurber requested of the presiding Bishopric that father be given a recommend to go to the Manti Temple and have his work done. Father had quit the liquor habit. He should and could have quit his tobacco and coffee at the time while he was visiting and not working in Utah. If Gena had helped him quick coffee this would have added years to his life.
Brother Turley and others from sold us fruit. We always had bottled fruit except the year mother died. She died 23 August 1910. Addressed to Ernst Young Colonia Dublan Mexico: “Mother passed a restless night, examination this morning. Dr. says he can cure her all right; don’t know when operation will be performed. In better spirits at this hour 8 o’clock. Father
Early married life
The young men who returned from the war were given a GI's school expense. Harold did not go to war so he did not benefit from the emotional weaning he would have obtained after you leave home at that time or the time of our marriage. I was young with only one year of high school. I had never worked out. Isolation did not it did not agree with me. Especially that and the poor diet made me very unhappy. I did receive the instructor for a year, which I prize very much. I wish I had been able to keep them. I remember there were pictures of the book of Mormon movies that were being made by the church. I wonder what happened to them? Possibly they were worn out.
In the fall of 1922 we moved into the old house the Browns lived in when they came to Binghampton. The Heders lived in it before Brown's. We use the little square milk house for our bedroom and the long center room for our living room, kitchen. I washed it as high as I could reach. I made a cupboard by putting him shelves in an old doorway. We stayed there for 2 to 8 months then moved into the old Corbett house further east. This place had been occupied by John R Evan's two families, part of which was vacant. The Benjamin Johnson family lived there when they first came to Binghamton. I whitewash three rooms and did some work at a TB sanitarium sanitarium by the urging my mother-in-law, which was unwise.
I became pregnant with Robert. Harold went to Sinaboa, Mexico on a land inspection with Heber Farr on one of his land coop deals. Fortunately it did not materialize. Grandfather Brown had been state President of the Arizona Farm Bureau and was employed by the Pima Cotton Growers Association so he helped purchase The Spain place, called Monte Vista Place. If two farms have been purchased as it was discussed it would have been a blessing but grandmother opposed it, the EM Spain Farm.
David was recovering from an appendicitis operation and Lucille was in the California Mission. The 45 acres was a good buy for CS Brown family. He continued his job with Pima cotton growers Association and as president of the Arizona Farm Bureau. David went to high school while Charlie stayed out and farmed with Harold. They rented the Frank Pomeroy House where we moved in late January 1924. Robert was down just four days after we moved in Mesa. This house had four large rooms; two were plastered and too covered with heavy brown wrapping paper. The well was bad and I carried all of my wash water from the irrigation ditch. When the water was muddy it had to settle. I learn to use powdered alum, which cleared the water. Jim learned to walk over to grandmothers for our milk and many nights I went to meet him when Harold was home or I carried Robert. Jim came crying because it was dark. It brought me sorrow to even write of this because this was not the kind of life I had hoped for.
Momieism
There were some bright spots, which are happy times when everyone was feeling right but on looking back CS Brown and Mary Brown destroyed their eldest son by familyism, momiesm, or Brownism. Call it what you will.
Father
At the Pomroy place in 1926 was the last time I saw my father alive. Ernest brought him out to visit me from old Mexico. If we had been on a farm Harold was running for himself and our interest, I would not have been discouraged but there was nothing to hope for. Harold got very discouraged at this time which was has affected our life. I tried to get him to get work that would enable him to carry on his music. I wasn't in any condition to help him with three small children.
It is so important for individuals to be prayerful, attending their church meetings and pay an honest tithing. Then they have the courage and faith and strength to stand on their own and make their own decisions. Family prayers are also essential to unity because we feel what others prayer for and will have more faith. Older people can testify that the church attendance, paying tithes and prayers are the only safe ground to succeed with happiness and prosperity.
In the 1920s the automobile the radio business expanded. The farm block, the Harding administration and also the Agricultural Products Act tried to help by a farm help farmers. Later the McNary Haugen act. The stock market seem to interest too many people. There were too many stocker promoters. Hence the stock market crash of 1929.
Temple
My mother had instilled in me a love for temple work and father and aunt Regina have done our temple work in the Manti Temple the week of the fourth fifth and sixth of December 1912, when my sister Ida and I were privilege to be sealed to our parents and were proxies for our dad’s sisters Eva, Lucinda and Edna. Father was very humble and grateful.
My father became very ill after a heart attack in May 1927. I long to go to Mexico to visit him. Ernest brought him out to Tucson where he lived only one week. The temple was dedicated the last week of October and father died 1 November. I was pregnant with Leyland and left the children, Jim Robert and Louise, with Harold and went on the train alone to Tucson. Father's funeral was 3 November. Phil came to the border to get aunt Regina and the older children so they can attend the funeral. Brother Nils Fredrickson preached the sermon. It was too long and I persuaded them to sing ‘Sweet our prayer,” one of father’s favorite songs when father was laid to rest in a little cemetery in the foothills north of Bennington. A quiet peaceful spirit came over me, I shall never forget. There are many sadder things than death as father used to say for this lovely privilege.
My brother Floyd was sealed at this time and was proxy for Jessie Louise and Arthur Harold. The other brothers were not sealed until June 28, 1935 in the Mesa Temple. I believe Phil was sealed to our present parents in 1929. The temple was being built and the foundation late about the time we moved to Mesa. I was anxious to live near the temple although we would have probably fared better if we could have made a go of it in Binghampton. No one likes to be a stepchild in this their in-laws family.
Louise was born 26th of July 1925 a tiny sweet baby girl. We live in the Frank Pomeroy House until the spring of 1927. We moved to an old store building on CS Brown's West 15. We only stayed there about two months then moved to a Johnson place on the big canal. There were some fruit trays blackberry bushes here this was only a cow pasture. We stay here until after Leland was born.
Leland was born January 28. We remained at the Johnson place until the spring of 1929 when we bought 15 acres on north Horn lane or rather it was arranged. This small house was better than the Johnson place but I do wish we could have moved nearer to a chapel because this was too far to walk to town or to church although I did walk to town with Jim's brother’s wagon when Harold was working away from home. Cleon was born 24 February 1930. Harold got a job in the road construction at Flagstaff. So 1 June we moved to Flagstaff and lived in an old Homestead house for about two months coming home 24 July to get ready for school. Harold remained at Flagstaff and it wasn't easy to be alone. Cleon almost died of pneumonia that fall. I had a bad spell of nerves that made me realize I had reached the limit of my strength in regard to having more children. I always hoped I could rest several years and have more later. As children got large I was able to get to church and Sunday school a little easier. I also became interested in genealogy and temple wording. Burke and I got to the temple some. I had done my sister Ida’s endowment in 1929 and I always felt it was such a privilege to go. Jim, Robert and Louise made nice friends at Mesa. Our little old house almost burned from a match clothespin gun on 4 July about 1932. Franklin D Roosevelt was elected president of United States in the 1932 election. We had in Atwater Kent radio and I heard and read of the selection with great interest.
Happy 1936
My lovely family summer of 1936 at the Brown's. I believe the children and I were quite happy at this time. We needed a decent home and so I prayed earnestly that we could move. I had hopes of a farm home east or south of Mesa. Harold farmed out towards Scottsdale. We got nothing out of it. David Heywood sold us our 80 acre farm from the Pacific Coast Jointland Bank and we moved to Kyrene 3 October 1836. Jim had gone two years to Mesa High school. Cleon has started to school but became ill. Louise went to primary and loved it. Jim had nice friends: Don L Shumway and Pratt Green were first or second grade school mates. Robert played with the horses and Alfred Zent, Owen Done. Harold and Cleone were a little young for close friends. I was a relief society teacher and had been asked to work in the MIA. Harold did not get much out of life. He thought if we have a large farm we would prosper. The children were old enough to milk cows so we took cows out to Kyrene and the boys milked them and Jim got the Arizona Republic in Phoenix Gazette paper route which helped him buy clothes and books and beginning his dates. Later Jim had the morning route and Robert the evening route and each had a little money to keep going. Our children were good children. Lack of close LDS friends and activities made it hard and we felt cheated but we tried.
William H. Young and his sister Mary:
The third picture entitled Wm. H. Young and sister Mary Young Brown is of my grandfather, William Harrison Young Sr. and his little sister, Mary Young Brown.
Young family reunion, June 1948:
In the first one named Young family2, Aunt Mary is in the back row, in the middle.
ID of the back row: John Alma Young, Philip Haynes Young, Aunt Mary, William Harrison Young Sr. and W. Ernest Young - all Aunt Mary's siblings from the marriage of James Absalom Young and Lillian Adelaide Hurst.
Young sibblings, June 1948:
In the picture entitled Young family at Grandma Youngs house, Aunt Mary is in the second row from the top, in the middle, wearing a dark dress and standing next to her brother, W. Ernest Young, who is wearing a dark suit with a white handkerchief in the pocket. The rest of the group are all Young descendents, related to James Absalom Young and his wives, Lillian Adelaide Hurst and Regina Lundgren, who he married after Lillian Adelaide Hurst passed away.
As you may already know, James Absalom Young and Lillian Adelaide Hurst had 12 children, but six passed away - some in infancy and some in very early childhood. These were children number six thru eleven. Child #12 was Aunt Mary.