Individual Details
Jetta GUBLER
(1 Aug 1901 - 16 Oct 1982)
Personal History of Jetta and Ernest J. Reber by daughter, Shirley Reber Stratton
Mother and Dad were intensely human people. They had faults and failings like everyone else, but it seems to me they had more than their share of virtues. They were both blessed with warm and generous natures. I never went home, when there wasn't "company". Often there was a houseful, but all were made welcome. Mother and Dad had friends of all ages. Young or old, it didn't matter. There seemed to be a common bond between them.
Many came to Mother with their troubles, having confidence that she was trustworthy. She would sympathize with them and encourage them to go on and do their best.
Often a friend would praise the kindness of my parents. Perhaps they had been invited to dinner or a gift of lovely roses and been pressed on them. There was a warmth about Mom and Dad that buoyed up the spirits of all associated with them. They loved people and in return were loved by many.
My parents came from humble beginnings. Mother was born in Santa Clara, Utah, August 1, 1901, a duaghter of Herman and Selina Gubler. She was the fourth daughter in a family of eleven children.
Grandpa Gubler came to this country with his parents when he was just a boy of nine. His parents were converts to the Latter-day Saint Church from Switzerland. He and his family walked across the plains with a handcart company. They pulled or pushed all their earthly possessions in small two-wheeled carts.
With a general call to Dixie in October, 1861, was a call to this Swiss Company. They arrived ahead of the main part and were assigned to Santa Clara. They traveled as a separate unit, as they could not speak English. Apostle George A. Smith met them in Kanarra Creek, a company of fourteen wagons, six of which were furnished by the Church. In this comapny were listed several ancestors of both the Gubler and Reber sides of the family. There was Casper Gubler, wife and daughter, Magdalena, parents of Mother's mother, Selina Gubler. Johanne John Gubler, wife and four children, May, John, Louisa and Herman, Mother's father.
On the Reber side of the family was Samuel Reber Sr., father of Dad's mother, Otilla Reber. Coming a short time later was Frederick Reber and family, father of Dad's father, John Reber.
Grandpa Gubler later married his cousin, Selina Gubler, and they raised a large family of five girls and six boys. Grandpa Gubler owned a ranch in the Pine Valley Mountains, where he raised cattle and horses, also fruit and vegetables. The family spent their summers on the ranch, and lived in Santa Clara during the school months. There on the ranch, Mother learned to ride a horse as good as her brothers, so she was a big help rounding up the stock on the place. She was a girl full of fun and practical joking. I remember several stories she told about the pranks they used to play.
On one occasion, Uncle Edmund, Mother's brother, filled the shotgun full of powder and gave it to their cousin, Hyrum Gubler, to shoot. They all ran for the bushes a safe distance away. When the smoke cleared, there sat Hyrum, blacvk as tar and still holding the gun stock in his hands. They all realized then how close they had come to causing a real tragedy. Cousin Hyrum was a pretty sick boy, but he recovered. Mother was about 23 years old at the time.
Grandpa had a large pond near the ranch which was filled with water at night and the water was then used to irrigate his land during the following day. In the winter the pond was frozen over. he would then cut the ice into blocks and store it in saw dust. During the hot summer months he sold the ice to business concerns in St. Goerge. In July when all the ice was gone, Mother and her brothers and sisters would ride horses up the mountains to a large cliff where packed snow stayed all summer. They shoveled the snow into sacks and took it home to make ice cream for the 24th of July.
On one occasion when they were up on the mountain, a storm came up and it started to rain. The thunder was deafening and the lightening struck all around them. They had run for shelter under a large pine tree, but they felt it wasn't safe there and had no more than moved away, when lightening struck the tree and it burned to the ground.
Mother often had to cook and keep house for her father and brother in the spring and fall when the crops were being planted and harvested. She often drove large wagons of potatoes and produce down from the ranch to Santa Clara. Their main crops were potatoes, wheat and hay. The family also owned a piece of property about five miles north of the ranch where they grew apples and currants. They woulde pack a lunch and go for the day to pick the fruit which they canned for winter use. They also raised starwberries which they made into jam.
Every spring Grandma Gubler moved her large household to the ranch where they all pitched in and prepared food and clothing for the long winter ahead. Grandma made much butter and cheese which was stored away in a cool cellar for later use. She also made many pairs of woolen hose for her family. They dried a lot of corn to sell in St. George.
Grandpa ownded some fine horses and cattle. He was a hard worker, as were all of his children, and he provided well for his family. They all rode fine horses and were expert horsemen. Grandpa owned a matched team of horses named Dewey and Sam, of which he was very proud. He owned these horses for 28 years. This team was famous all over Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Nevada. It was well matched, and its equal could not be found in that part of the country. Grandpa loved his hourses and took the best care of them. They were almost like members of the family. He had one of the first white-topped buggies in Santa Clara. He also owned the first Ford in town. You can well imagine the pride of the Gubler family when they all climbed aboard for a Sunday afternoon ride. However, when they roade with Grandpa they understood the risk involved, and hung on for dear life. He was a pretty reckless driver and seldon missed any of the large chuck holes which were prevalent in the road in those days. One day he drove the car into the garage and right on through the rear wall. That was the day Grandma swore off riding with him.
Grandpa Gubler was truly a remarkable man in many ways. He was advanced in his thinking and provided his home with many comforts and confiences unheard of in thos days. He was always thinking up ways to make life a little easier for Grandma, who was not very well. For instance, he had a bathroom and kitchen sink with running water many years before anyone else in Santa Clara. He owned one of the two wells in Santa Clara. This well had cold sweet water in the summer, but it seemed warmer in the winter. Everyone came for some of this water when it was churing day. They claimed it made better butter. Above this well Grandpa built a tower and on it he placed a 500 gallon tank. Each Saturday, the younger children had the job of pumping this tank full of water. This provided the water used in the house for the week.
Grandpa never used oil lamps in his home. Before there were any electric lights he had gas lights. There was a tank in the upstairs filled with gas and this had to be pumped every so often to keep the lights bright. When Santa Clara got electricity, Grandpa went to St. George and bought an electric fan and stove on the same day. He owned every kind of implement known in those days. He was very progressive in his thinking and believed in making his home and surroundings as comfortable as possible. He had a special place built to butcher his animals. A large wheel was installed and could be maneuvered into position as was needed. All the men fold in town were welcome to butcher their animals there.
When the long lazy summer days, which were lazy in fiction only, began to grow shorter and the leaves began to turn red and gold in the hills behind the ranch house, Grandpa figured it was time to load up the wagon with all the numerous items needed for a large family. Then they would round up the stock and begin the long tedious journey down through the central valley and home to Santa Clara. I've heard Mother tell how they would ride their horses at break-neck speed through the sage brush just for the fun of racing. They could hardly wait to get home. They knew from experience that when they finally reached the red hills above town, almost everyone in the place would be out to welcome them back.
Grandma Gubler made most of the clothing for her large family. She was a diabetic and had very poor health for many years. She was the first person to be operated on by the first Dr. McGregor. It was a hernia operation. How she ever cared for her children and husband so well, I'll never know. Some how she did. It taxed her strength to sit for hours sewing at an old treddle machine, so it often fell to Mother's lot to push the treddle up and down for her Mother. Once when she was helping in this way, her finger got in the way of the needle and it passed clear through. Ouch!
Grandma Gubler was a fine looking woman and a good mother to her children. She expected obedience from them when she asked them to do some task. One time when Mama's sister, Aunt Mata, was curling her hair in the current fashion, Grandma exploded and struck a match to it. Aunt Mata however just sat quietly while Grandma rushed around for water to put out the blaze.
In the Gubler home, each member was expected to do his share of the chores and so occasionally there was an explosion when one or another of them failed to measure up. Grandma Gubler had a fine alto voice and her children were good singers. She would encourage them to harmonize with one another. Often they would gather around the organ and sing folk songs and hymns on the cold winter evenings. Mother was popular with boys and girls alike. She was a good dancer and never missed a dance if she could help it. She said Mrs. Newell Frei made the remark when she and Dad were planning to be married, "There goes another good dancer to hell". He apparently didn't approve of matrimony at that time.
Mother also sang a lot during her life time. She was a natural born alto and could harmonize with anything called music. She would cord on the guitar, and with Aunt Golda singing the lead they would sing for many festive and religious occasions in Santa Clara. My Mother and her future sister-in-law were close girlhood friends. I remember her telling us about one experience they had when they were going to school. One of their teachers had the annoying habit of wearing the same old straw hat every day. Mother and Aunt Golda conceived the idea of taking the hat out to the water ditch in front of the building and filling it with water. As you can imagine, the hat was ruined and the principal, Mr. Lee Hafen, while having a hard time keeping a straight face, had to reprimand the girls for their behavior. In payment for the hat, they had to wash the clothes of said school teacher for three months. It was a hard lesson well learned. no more dunked hats, etc.
When Mother was seventeen, she and Lula Tobler went to Cedar City to work as hired girls. Mother worked for Mr. Jones for one winter. In the spring, Dad came up for her and they rode back to Santa Clara in a wagon. She also worked for various other families in her youth. She often washed clothes for the large families in Santa Clara. It would take several days to complete the job. She would scrub the clothes in a wash board and then boil them until they were clean. For her efforts, she received fifty cents.
It seems that people needed money in those days just as we do today. Mother used to glean the wheat fields for a few cents to buy the little personal things a young girl loves; combs and ribbons for her hair and such. Once she and Aunt Golda were anxious to make a little money fror the 24th of July. Grandpa gave her permission to pick the peaches from a certain tree. They then hitched Old Dobbin to a two wheeled card and peddled them in St. George. They made almost three dollars each. They then used the money to buy materials for summer dresses and each bought a pair of canvas slippers to go with it. How very special they must have looked in their new finery.
When we were children, Mom and Dad would drive down to Grandma's on a Sunday afternoon, to visit the folks as they would say. We would sit around the fireplace and eat juicy yellow apples, raisins and walnuts. On boy! What a delisious combination!
Our grandparents had a lovely stone cellar under the house which was a fascinating place to visit. The first thing one noticed was the coolness of the air and the delicious smell of apples and smoked hams. The apples filled the bin along one side and the home cured hams hung from the rafters. To this day I dearly love ham, but it never quite measures up to the memory of the wonderful treat of my childhood. Mother's school friends had discovered the attraction of the cellar also, as they (in the company of Mother) would fly over to the house during recess and raid the pickle barrel. Grandma could never quite figure out what happened to all of her good sweet pickles.
My Dad was quite a ladies' man in his youth. On one occasion, he was driving to Bunkerville, Nevada with a girl friend, Rhoda Tobler and Mother went along in order to visit her married sister, Aunt Eunice Adams. Mother was sitting in back of the buggy watching the spooning going on in front and getting rather bored and tired with it all when Dad happened to glance back. He cracked the team with his whip and the horses plunged ahead leaving Mother sitting in the sandy road. She was furious, she sat there until Dad came back for her some time later. When they finally reached Bunkerville, Mother found her sister in labor pains and she had to help out. She climbed upon a glass front cupboard to get some sheets and the cupboard started to fall. Uncle Milo grabbged for it but all the dishes fell out on the bed. Aunt Eunice stuck out her arms to break the fall and her hand went right through the glass. Mother felt so badly she started to cry but Aunt Eunice was very kind and considerate about the whole thing.
Well, Mom and Dad finally set the wedding date and they rode to St. George in a white top buggy. They were married December 23, 1919 in the St. George Temple. For their reception Mother wore a pale rose taffeta dress with full skirt and net over skirt. They received many nice gifts and an orchestra from Washington played for the wedding dance free of charge.
The young couple rented one room from a Mrs. Lizzie Keller. Mother plugged up all the cracks and holes in the room to keep out the bed bugs which infested the rest of the house.
Eventually they became the parents of six children: two boys and four girls - Jack Cleyon, Shirley, Kathleen, Kendle, Janice and Sandra Patrica. All of their children were born at home and were delivered by old Dr. McGregor. Mama's sister, Aunt Selina Hafen, assisted as the midwife.
For several years they rented from various people in Santa Clara. Mother had the knack of fixing up a place so that it looked attractrive and homey. She did most of her own sewing and cooking. They still loved parties and dancing. Dad and Uncle Lorin Stucki would run around town getting up a dance. If they wanted a party, they had a chicken supper or candy pull and often the kids went along too. Baby sitters were virtually unknown then
Mother was one of the best cooks around. One of her best meals, as far as I was concerned, was her vegetable beef soup. I can smell it now. The whole house would smell heavenly and it lingered in the air outside, too. She would use plenty of good aged beef and carrots, potatoes, onions and wedges of cabbage. All of this simmered until tender. Then the vegetables and meat were put on a large platter. The golden broth was bnrought to a boil and the finely cut noodles dropped in and were cooked until tender but still firm. Oh, what a donwerful dish; that along with hot rolls or bread and maybe apple pie or apricot cobbler for dessert.
Mother sewed for her girls too. She could look at a dress in a shop window or magazine and then cut out a dress just like it. I remember one dress she made for me from a calendar picture. It was black velvet with a deep yoke set in front. There were rows of white lace set in this yoke and green velvet ribbons tied in bows down the front. I loved that dress.
We children were always well dressed and the credit could usually go to Mother's nimble fingers. Often our clothes were made from used material given to Mother, but when she had finished, they looked extra nice.
Our family moved to Ivins about 1926. We had a hard life, but good life together there. Dad worked very hard to support our family and mother did all she could do. She was a vital support to Dad through various illnesses and injury. Dad passed away 6 November 1960 after a heart attack. He had been in failing health since he had had his gall bladder operation in 1956. Mother was strong and supportive through it all.
Mother is still active in Church and Social affairs. At this time (1962) she has 25 grandchildren and one great grandchild. She belongs to a Rhythm Band made up of ladies frojm St. George and towns round about. She plays the drum and Aunt Mata the harmonica. They really enjoy every minute of it and they make wonderful music. It has been a real source of interest to her, now that Dad is gone. Mother's health is pretty good and I fervently pray that she will be with us for many years to come. Without her constant help and encouragement, we would all find it hard to go on at times.
Our parents were never rich in worldly good, but they were truly rich in friends. They will ever be loved and revered by their children and associates. What greater heritage can one leave than this.
Post Script: March 1927 - Mother can now bost 30 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. She also has had 2 grandsons on missions and hopes for many more. She is in good health and remains fiathful as always to the church. She has completed eight years service at the genealogy bureau in ST. George, is a visiting teacher and a Sunday School teacher.
Mother and Dad were intensely human people. They had faults and failings like everyone else, but it seems to me they had more than their share of virtues. They were both blessed with warm and generous natures. I never went home, when there wasn't "company". Often there was a houseful, but all were made welcome. Mother and Dad had friends of all ages. Young or old, it didn't matter. There seemed to be a common bond between them.
Many came to Mother with their troubles, having confidence that she was trustworthy. She would sympathize with them and encourage them to go on and do their best.
Often a friend would praise the kindness of my parents. Perhaps they had been invited to dinner or a gift of lovely roses and been pressed on them. There was a warmth about Mom and Dad that buoyed up the spirits of all associated with them. They loved people and in return were loved by many.
My parents came from humble beginnings. Mother was born in Santa Clara, Utah, August 1, 1901, a duaghter of Herman and Selina Gubler. She was the fourth daughter in a family of eleven children.
Grandpa Gubler came to this country with his parents when he was just a boy of nine. His parents were converts to the Latter-day Saint Church from Switzerland. He and his family walked across the plains with a handcart company. They pulled or pushed all their earthly possessions in small two-wheeled carts.
With a general call to Dixie in October, 1861, was a call to this Swiss Company. They arrived ahead of the main part and were assigned to Santa Clara. They traveled as a separate unit, as they could not speak English. Apostle George A. Smith met them in Kanarra Creek, a company of fourteen wagons, six of which were furnished by the Church. In this comapny were listed several ancestors of both the Gubler and Reber sides of the family. There was Casper Gubler, wife and daughter, Magdalena, parents of Mother's mother, Selina Gubler. Johanne John Gubler, wife and four children, May, John, Louisa and Herman, Mother's father.
On the Reber side of the family was Samuel Reber Sr., father of Dad's mother, Otilla Reber. Coming a short time later was Frederick Reber and family, father of Dad's father, John Reber.
Grandpa Gubler later married his cousin, Selina Gubler, and they raised a large family of five girls and six boys. Grandpa Gubler owned a ranch in the Pine Valley Mountains, where he raised cattle and horses, also fruit and vegetables. The family spent their summers on the ranch, and lived in Santa Clara during the school months. There on the ranch, Mother learned to ride a horse as good as her brothers, so she was a big help rounding up the stock on the place. She was a girl full of fun and practical joking. I remember several stories she told about the pranks they used to play.
On one occasion, Uncle Edmund, Mother's brother, filled the shotgun full of powder and gave it to their cousin, Hyrum Gubler, to shoot. They all ran for the bushes a safe distance away. When the smoke cleared, there sat Hyrum, blacvk as tar and still holding the gun stock in his hands. They all realized then how close they had come to causing a real tragedy. Cousin Hyrum was a pretty sick boy, but he recovered. Mother was about 23 years old at the time.
Grandpa had a large pond near the ranch which was filled with water at night and the water was then used to irrigate his land during the following day. In the winter the pond was frozen over. he would then cut the ice into blocks and store it in saw dust. During the hot summer months he sold the ice to business concerns in St. Goerge. In July when all the ice was gone, Mother and her brothers and sisters would ride horses up the mountains to a large cliff where packed snow stayed all summer. They shoveled the snow into sacks and took it home to make ice cream for the 24th of July.
On one occasion when they were up on the mountain, a storm came up and it started to rain. The thunder was deafening and the lightening struck all around them. They had run for shelter under a large pine tree, but they felt it wasn't safe there and had no more than moved away, when lightening struck the tree and it burned to the ground.
Mother often had to cook and keep house for her father and brother in the spring and fall when the crops were being planted and harvested. She often drove large wagons of potatoes and produce down from the ranch to Santa Clara. Their main crops were potatoes, wheat and hay. The family also owned a piece of property about five miles north of the ranch where they grew apples and currants. They woulde pack a lunch and go for the day to pick the fruit which they canned for winter use. They also raised starwberries which they made into jam.
Every spring Grandma Gubler moved her large household to the ranch where they all pitched in and prepared food and clothing for the long winter ahead. Grandma made much butter and cheese which was stored away in a cool cellar for later use. She also made many pairs of woolen hose for her family. They dried a lot of corn to sell in St. George.
Grandpa ownded some fine horses and cattle. He was a hard worker, as were all of his children, and he provided well for his family. They all rode fine horses and were expert horsemen. Grandpa owned a matched team of horses named Dewey and Sam, of which he was very proud. He owned these horses for 28 years. This team was famous all over Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Nevada. It was well matched, and its equal could not be found in that part of the country. Grandpa loved his hourses and took the best care of them. They were almost like members of the family. He had one of the first white-topped buggies in Santa Clara. He also owned the first Ford in town. You can well imagine the pride of the Gubler family when they all climbed aboard for a Sunday afternoon ride. However, when they roade with Grandpa they understood the risk involved, and hung on for dear life. He was a pretty reckless driver and seldon missed any of the large chuck holes which were prevalent in the road in those days. One day he drove the car into the garage and right on through the rear wall. That was the day Grandma swore off riding with him.
Grandpa Gubler was truly a remarkable man in many ways. He was advanced in his thinking and provided his home with many comforts and confiences unheard of in thos days. He was always thinking up ways to make life a little easier for Grandma, who was not very well. For instance, he had a bathroom and kitchen sink with running water many years before anyone else in Santa Clara. He owned one of the two wells in Santa Clara. This well had cold sweet water in the summer, but it seemed warmer in the winter. Everyone came for some of this water when it was churing day. They claimed it made better butter. Above this well Grandpa built a tower and on it he placed a 500 gallon tank. Each Saturday, the younger children had the job of pumping this tank full of water. This provided the water used in the house for the week.
Grandpa never used oil lamps in his home. Before there were any electric lights he had gas lights. There was a tank in the upstairs filled with gas and this had to be pumped every so often to keep the lights bright. When Santa Clara got electricity, Grandpa went to St. George and bought an electric fan and stove on the same day. He owned every kind of implement known in those days. He was very progressive in his thinking and believed in making his home and surroundings as comfortable as possible. He had a special place built to butcher his animals. A large wheel was installed and could be maneuvered into position as was needed. All the men fold in town were welcome to butcher their animals there.
When the long lazy summer days, which were lazy in fiction only, began to grow shorter and the leaves began to turn red and gold in the hills behind the ranch house, Grandpa figured it was time to load up the wagon with all the numerous items needed for a large family. Then they would round up the stock and begin the long tedious journey down through the central valley and home to Santa Clara. I've heard Mother tell how they would ride their horses at break-neck speed through the sage brush just for the fun of racing. They could hardly wait to get home. They knew from experience that when they finally reached the red hills above town, almost everyone in the place would be out to welcome them back.
Grandma Gubler made most of the clothing for her large family. She was a diabetic and had very poor health for many years. She was the first person to be operated on by the first Dr. McGregor. It was a hernia operation. How she ever cared for her children and husband so well, I'll never know. Some how she did. It taxed her strength to sit for hours sewing at an old treddle machine, so it often fell to Mother's lot to push the treddle up and down for her Mother. Once when she was helping in this way, her finger got in the way of the needle and it passed clear through. Ouch!
Grandma Gubler was a fine looking woman and a good mother to her children. She expected obedience from them when she asked them to do some task. One time when Mama's sister, Aunt Mata, was curling her hair in the current fashion, Grandma exploded and struck a match to it. Aunt Mata however just sat quietly while Grandma rushed around for water to put out the blaze.
In the Gubler home, each member was expected to do his share of the chores and so occasionally there was an explosion when one or another of them failed to measure up. Grandma Gubler had a fine alto voice and her children were good singers. She would encourage them to harmonize with one another. Often they would gather around the organ and sing folk songs and hymns on the cold winter evenings. Mother was popular with boys and girls alike. She was a good dancer and never missed a dance if she could help it. She said Mrs. Newell Frei made the remark when she and Dad were planning to be married, "There goes another good dancer to hell". He apparently didn't approve of matrimony at that time.
Mother also sang a lot during her life time. She was a natural born alto and could harmonize with anything called music. She would cord on the guitar, and with Aunt Golda singing the lead they would sing for many festive and religious occasions in Santa Clara. My Mother and her future sister-in-law were close girlhood friends. I remember her telling us about one experience they had when they were going to school. One of their teachers had the annoying habit of wearing the same old straw hat every day. Mother and Aunt Golda conceived the idea of taking the hat out to the water ditch in front of the building and filling it with water. As you can imagine, the hat was ruined and the principal, Mr. Lee Hafen, while having a hard time keeping a straight face, had to reprimand the girls for their behavior. In payment for the hat, they had to wash the clothes of said school teacher for three months. It was a hard lesson well learned. no more dunked hats, etc.
When Mother was seventeen, she and Lula Tobler went to Cedar City to work as hired girls. Mother worked for Mr. Jones for one winter. In the spring, Dad came up for her and they rode back to Santa Clara in a wagon. She also worked for various other families in her youth. She often washed clothes for the large families in Santa Clara. It would take several days to complete the job. She would scrub the clothes in a wash board and then boil them until they were clean. For her efforts, she received fifty cents.
It seems that people needed money in those days just as we do today. Mother used to glean the wheat fields for a few cents to buy the little personal things a young girl loves; combs and ribbons for her hair and such. Once she and Aunt Golda were anxious to make a little money fror the 24th of July. Grandpa gave her permission to pick the peaches from a certain tree. They then hitched Old Dobbin to a two wheeled card and peddled them in St. George. They made almost three dollars each. They then used the money to buy materials for summer dresses and each bought a pair of canvas slippers to go with it. How very special they must have looked in their new finery.
When we were children, Mom and Dad would drive down to Grandma's on a Sunday afternoon, to visit the folks as they would say. We would sit around the fireplace and eat juicy yellow apples, raisins and walnuts. On boy! What a delisious combination!
Our grandparents had a lovely stone cellar under the house which was a fascinating place to visit. The first thing one noticed was the coolness of the air and the delicious smell of apples and smoked hams. The apples filled the bin along one side and the home cured hams hung from the rafters. To this day I dearly love ham, but it never quite measures up to the memory of the wonderful treat of my childhood. Mother's school friends had discovered the attraction of the cellar also, as they (in the company of Mother) would fly over to the house during recess and raid the pickle barrel. Grandma could never quite figure out what happened to all of her good sweet pickles.
My Dad was quite a ladies' man in his youth. On one occasion, he was driving to Bunkerville, Nevada with a girl friend, Rhoda Tobler and Mother went along in order to visit her married sister, Aunt Eunice Adams. Mother was sitting in back of the buggy watching the spooning going on in front and getting rather bored and tired with it all when Dad happened to glance back. He cracked the team with his whip and the horses plunged ahead leaving Mother sitting in the sandy road. She was furious, she sat there until Dad came back for her some time later. When they finally reached Bunkerville, Mother found her sister in labor pains and she had to help out. She climbed upon a glass front cupboard to get some sheets and the cupboard started to fall. Uncle Milo grabbged for it but all the dishes fell out on the bed. Aunt Eunice stuck out her arms to break the fall and her hand went right through the glass. Mother felt so badly she started to cry but Aunt Eunice was very kind and considerate about the whole thing.
Well, Mom and Dad finally set the wedding date and they rode to St. George in a white top buggy. They were married December 23, 1919 in the St. George Temple. For their reception Mother wore a pale rose taffeta dress with full skirt and net over skirt. They received many nice gifts and an orchestra from Washington played for the wedding dance free of charge.
The young couple rented one room from a Mrs. Lizzie Keller. Mother plugged up all the cracks and holes in the room to keep out the bed bugs which infested the rest of the house.
Eventually they became the parents of six children: two boys and four girls - Jack Cleyon, Shirley, Kathleen, Kendle, Janice and Sandra Patrica. All of their children were born at home and were delivered by old Dr. McGregor. Mama's sister, Aunt Selina Hafen, assisted as the midwife.
For several years they rented from various people in Santa Clara. Mother had the knack of fixing up a place so that it looked attractrive and homey. She did most of her own sewing and cooking. They still loved parties and dancing. Dad and Uncle Lorin Stucki would run around town getting up a dance. If they wanted a party, they had a chicken supper or candy pull and often the kids went along too. Baby sitters were virtually unknown then
Mother was one of the best cooks around. One of her best meals, as far as I was concerned, was her vegetable beef soup. I can smell it now. The whole house would smell heavenly and it lingered in the air outside, too. She would use plenty of good aged beef and carrots, potatoes, onions and wedges of cabbage. All of this simmered until tender. Then the vegetables and meat were put on a large platter. The golden broth was bnrought to a boil and the finely cut noodles dropped in and were cooked until tender but still firm. Oh, what a donwerful dish; that along with hot rolls or bread and maybe apple pie or apricot cobbler for dessert.
Mother sewed for her girls too. She could look at a dress in a shop window or magazine and then cut out a dress just like it. I remember one dress she made for me from a calendar picture. It was black velvet with a deep yoke set in front. There were rows of white lace set in this yoke and green velvet ribbons tied in bows down the front. I loved that dress.
We children were always well dressed and the credit could usually go to Mother's nimble fingers. Often our clothes were made from used material given to Mother, but when she had finished, they looked extra nice.
Our family moved to Ivins about 1926. We had a hard life, but good life together there. Dad worked very hard to support our family and mother did all she could do. She was a vital support to Dad through various illnesses and injury. Dad passed away 6 November 1960 after a heart attack. He had been in failing health since he had had his gall bladder operation in 1956. Mother was strong and supportive through it all.
Mother is still active in Church and Social affairs. At this time (1962) she has 25 grandchildren and one great grandchild. She belongs to a Rhythm Band made up of ladies frojm St. George and towns round about. She plays the drum and Aunt Mata the harmonica. They really enjoy every minute of it and they make wonderful music. It has been a real source of interest to her, now that Dad is gone. Mother's health is pretty good and I fervently pray that she will be with us for many years to come. Without her constant help and encouragement, we would all find it hard to go on at times.
Our parents were never rich in worldly good, but they were truly rich in friends. They will ever be loved and revered by their children and associates. What greater heritage can one leave than this.
Post Script: March 1927 - Mother can now bost 30 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. She also has had 2 grandsons on missions and hopes for many more. She is in good health and remains fiathful as always to the church. She has completed eight years service at the genealogy bureau in ST. George, is a visiting teacher and a Sunday School teacher.
Events
| Birth | 1 Aug 1901 | Santa Clara, Washington, Utah, United States | |||
| Naming | 3 Nov 1901 | Santa Clara, Washington, Utah, United States | |||
| Marriage | 23 Dec 1919 | St. George, Washington, Utah, United States - Ernest J. REBER | |||
| Death | 16 Oct 1982 | Cedar City, Iron, Utah | |||
| Burial | 20 Oct 1982 | Santa Clara, Washington, Utah, United States | |||
| Ancestral File Number | 56TQ-D8 |
Families
| Spouse | Ernest J. REBER (1899 - 1960) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Kathleen REBER (1925 - 1995) |
| Child | Kendle Ernest REBER (1931 - 1995) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Herman GUBLER (1856 - 1941) |
| Mother | Selina GUBLER (1862 - 1929) |
| Sibling | Harmon GUBLER Jr. (1880 - 1969) |
| Sibling | John G. GUBLER (1882 - 1959) |
| Sibling | Selina Rosina GUBLER (1884 - 1966) |
| Sibling | George Henry GUBLER (1886 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Jacob Martin GUBLER (1889 - 1969) |
| Sibling | Eunice Hortence GUBLER (1891 - 1975) |
| Sibling | Edmund GUBLER (1894 - 1986) |
| Sibling | Mata GUBLER (1897 - 1981) |
| Sibling | Dora GUBLER (1904 - 1979) |
| Sibling | June GUBLER (1907 - 1973) |