The Life Story of Christian H. Christensen and Bena Marie Frogner Christensen, Part 4

Fourth part of the Life Story of Christian H. and Bena Marie Frogner Christensen:

Evidently, Chris had a musical streak, because both Irven and Lyma remember his singing cute little melodies that entertained the kids, who enjoyed them. He liked kids and he liked people, and he was a social being who would fit in and enjoy himself and make his contribution. His work and time and whole activity had to do with outside work with crops and land. If he had a hobby at all, it was leveling land. He wore out more than one scraper leveling the land and fixing it up so it would irrigate better than previously.

Irven doesn’t remember his Father as being a teacher, or being strict, but on the work business, they worked! Chris had a way of giving responsibility for doing a job. He wasn’t too specific on detail, but we were to go do it, wiggle our own ears and do it. He never heard the word psychology in his life, but Irven thinks his father was one of the best. Discipline that counted was from Chris. This was what you do, how and when, and you would do it. Bena’s habit was to talk and she would talk herself out of any discipline. Once, Mat wanted to go to Ashton with the gang for the dog races. Bena said he definitely couldn’t go, but if he went he must wear some clothes and have money, and by not saying anything, he finally got all he needed and went.

When they were little kids, there was no money. They went to the 24^th of July in Goshen with no nickel, just clean clothes. Everyone participated in races and won. The absence of a nickel didn’t make much difference. After moving to Basalt, there usually was money. They were financially as well off as anyone, except they didn’t have a car of fancy furniture or clothes. Spending habits changed by the time the younger ones came along and they needed more money. Where Irven and the older ones needed a nickel, the younger ones needed a $5 bill.

Chris was never affiliated with the Army or service that Irven knew about. He was a Republican and voted that way, and Irven assumes his mother voted the same way, because he doesn’t remember much political chatter in the home. They didn’t voice much opinion about missions or college. They left that up to the individuals to make their own choices. They encouraged the children to be upright, stalwart citizens. Chris was a successful, good farmer, a good worker, and good manager. Henry went to work for the railroad for a salary; Mat went to work for the county in Logan; Guy went to work for the University; Lyma went to work for the railroad; and Norman went to work at the cheese factory and maybe sometimes on the railroad. Chris probably put together a better deal on the ranch than the five boys and one girl put together, even though he lost his farm when it was all over. The loss was due partly to the canal deal and partly due to the economy. He lost the farm in Basalt about 1925 and moved to Firth and rented one. They were there for two or three years, then rented land in Goshen. Mat had a small place in Logan. Norman rented a farm with a house on it in Fort Hall, so Bena went to live with Norman. Chris’s place didn’t have a home on it, so they were separated due to expediency.

Bena’s desire for the family to work in the Church and her work in genealogy are outstanding. She promised her mother she would do some genealogy for her people, and she kept the promise as she was getting older. Her only regret was that she didn’t do more, but she got the younger ones to think about genealogy. She surely loved her sisters and tried to help all the others as well as brothers and strangers and friends. She never had any fear of the Indians. In Fort Hall, the herder of the Indian cattle asked if he could drive our few cattle up to the stockyards and then send them back home because he knew ours were used to going into the stockyards for a drink, while the Indian cattle had been on the range all summer and wouldn’t go in the gate. Ma told him to take the cows and in a few minutes they came back home. Norman said they received much kindness from the Indians. Norman also said Bena took after her father and liked to cut timber and carpenter. The timber was apple trees for stove wood. Bena used to milk and Norman finally got milking to get out of doing things he hated more.

Norman and Guy slept in a tent under a tree by the coal bin behind the house (in Basalt). One night, Guy said to open the tent flap. The flap was already open, and Norman realized Guy had gotten hurt playing football and couldn’t breathe. He weighed 170 pounds when he played in high school. Some weighed a lot more.

Norman also remembers his Ma having worked in Aurbach’s in Salt Lake City and that she liked to cook, sew, and cure hams. Some of her friends were her cousins, the Weeding family. Norman also said his Pa irrigated nights and stacked hay days. They didn’t speak Danish in the home, except to count.

(Click here to continue to Part 5.)