MY FATHER'S YOUTH

Charlie stayed with his father but a short time. I do not know the reason--perhaps Charlie didn't know either--but when he was very young, perhaps nine or ten years old, he just "kicked around" from place to place wherever he could find work--not for money but just for room and board. His father had him baptized when he was ten years old--in 1873 in the Jordan River. (The record of the day was lost.)

When Charlie was thirteen, he went to do chores for a Mr. Cooper at South Jordan, Utah. One day in the spring, about April, when the grass was green, Charlie was wandering outside, thinking how unhappy he was there and about the good summer days ahead. He suddenly decided to leave. He could stand it no longer. He could hear Mrs. Cooper's calls but his mind was made up, he turned a deaf ear and kept going.

One day Charlie was walking along and came upon a man fixing some farm machinery. He just started to help the man without saying a word. This man was a good man, and recognized a good boy. The man's name was Joe Lindsay. This man took Charlie home, bought him some clothes and sent him to school. He lived with the Lindsays for two years in South Jordan. This was probably all the schooling he was able to have, for after that he had to work hard all the time for his living anywhere he could find work. Mrs. Lindsay's brother, John Bennion, needed Charlie to herd sheep so he worked for him. He worked for several other people, doing chores or whatever work they had for him. He worked for a short time for Sam Bennion.

When he was about 14 years old, he and a friend, Johnny Jones, went swimming in the Jordan River in Taylorsville. Charlie got caught in a whirlpool by a curved bank and couldn't swim out. He fought until he was exhausted. He tried and tried but finally went down. He remembered being under the water, still conscious, but not fighting any more. He knew he was not breathing--just full of water. He lost consciousness, and finally floated down the river about 100 yards, then floated by a pile of old willows.

He was caught by the dry willows and washed on top of them, face downward. In this position the waves from the river seemed to give him artificial respiration, the water drained from him, and he started breathing again and climbed out.

When he was about 17 years old, he started working for his brother, Andrew, who owned big herds of sheep. He then lived with other sheepherders. These herders were not a good example. Charlie must have been just naturally honest and good, or his life would have been ruined. He was thrown into such bad company. Here he was tempted to lie, to steal, to smoke, and to drink liquor. He hated it; he had many lonely hours; and many times he was very discouraged. Hard work was the only good thing that came his way until he was married. He told me repeatedly, "Many a night in my youth I cried myself to sleep for the want of my mother I couldn't remember." When he was with his big brother, Andrew, which was seldom, they talked of church standards and scriptures, but most of the time he was driving sheep with others who had no standards.

When Charlie's brothers, Andrew, and John Nils, returned from their missions in Sweden, they brought back with them a pretty little Swedish girl, hoping Charlie would have her for a wife. Charlie did not appreciate that at all, saying to himself, "I can pick my own girl for a wife." Rejected! Poor little Hilda. I believe Uncle Andrew sent back to Sweden for his wife, Emma.

HARDSHIP

Charlie's first marriage on November 15, 1887 was very disappointing to him, for his young wife, whom he loved very much, Mona Schofield, died January 26, 1889 just after their first child, Edgar Andrew, was born, January 19, 1889.

Even though he had them both sealed to him soon after her death in the St. George Temple he was very sad. He had Mona sealed to him on March 27, 1889, and he had little Edgar sealed to him when it was warmer weather on May 10, 1889. His brother Andrew Olson and wife, Emma, cared for the baby, Edgar. They were so happy to do it for they had no children of their own.

After the death of his wife, Mona Schofield, he was heartsick and lonely for eight long years. The only job he had was herding sheep for his brother Andrew. Some of the other men he worked with had no morals--no standards of any kind. Charlie was miserable.

It was extremely hard to drive the sheep to market all the way from Jordan, Utah to the state of Kansas by horse-back. The weather was harsh--at times very cold, and at times burning hot. It took many months and weeks to do this. Andrew became well off financially in the sheep business.

FAMILY LIFE

After his marriage to my mother, Celinda Twitchell, on August 4, 1897, his life was completely changed--so different from his life he had in the past, where he had been in despicable environment. Now he was realizing life's true values and appreciating the gospel of Jesus Christ for which his mother had given her life, so that her children might have it.

My father, Charles F. Olson, was small of stature, (about 150 lbs. at best) but his agility, strength, and alert mind made him a very big man. He stood tall. He was always "coolheaded" and knew what to do in emergencies. He was honest and courageous. He was the best with a rifle, and a master in the woods with an axe. He was self-educated and very intelligent. He could arbitrate disputes, preach a sermon, or prosecute a case in court. He was extremely all American and very patriotic. History, the scriptures, law and literature were not strangers to him.

My father went on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1905, when my brother, Kent, was a baby.

My mother, Celinda Twitchell Olson was happy that he could go, but at the same time it was very hard for her. She had to work much too hard harvesting the crops and taking care of the horses and one cow and other chores. Their twin girls, Mable and Margaret, were about eight years old, so she had a baby sitter at times. Their son, Charlie and I, the youngest in the family were not yet born. Celinda took great pride in her missionary husband. His mission was called the Western States Mission with headquarters at Denver, Colorado. Now that area is called The Colorado-Denver North Mission, and The Colorado-Denver South Mission.

During his lifetime my father was Bishop three different times. He was County Clerk, then County Attorney for Daggett County. He was sent to the Utah State Legislature in Salt Lake City for two terms. I remember some of his speeches were printed in the Salt Lake Tribune. He was Chairman of the Manila School Board several times.

My father was a good dancer. He and my mother won first prize in many dance contests. When I ( Mary, his daughter) was thirteen years old, I would rather dance with my father than any boy. He was a leader as a Bishop and took very good care of his flock. In addition to their spiritual needs, he was always there for them in every other way. Without charge he was a good barber and cut hair for many. If someone was in great pain with a tooth ache, he had dentist tools and could extract the tooth with no problem.

When their shoes wore out, he was a good shoemaker. He would sew up the rips and put half soles on their shoes. We still have some of his dentist tools--I remember the forceps best--and we still have the old iron shoe-last. I think I can still smell the leather as he soaked it in water to make it pliable enough to cut into half-soles.

He could turn a hand-spring at 60 years of age. He was almost 70 years old when he entered an all men's foot race (100yd. dash) and won first place. When he was 72 years old, he won the turkey at a "turkey-shoot." One man was heard to say, "I'd have won that match if it hadn't been for that old man."

He was handsome and neat, and a bit of a dandy in clothes and manner. Even after he was in his 90s he always washed up, combed his hair and put on a tie before coming to breakfast. He drove a car until he was 95 years old.

With all of his abilities he never made a lot of money--just enough for our living. His most outstanding characteristic was his wonderful testimony of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his later life he was an inspiration to younger church leaders. His sterling qualities and his strong testimony never failed to impress and touch the hearts of all who knew and heard him.