Herbert Burton Foulger
written by Herbert Burton Foulger in his own hand
transcribed by Julie Foulger Darling
Herbert Burton Fouler - Born at 863 23rd Street Ogden, Utah May 29th, 1880 to Frederick Foulger and Isabella Burton Foulger. Father was born in London England, September 13, 1851 to John Foulger and Susanna Woolnough Foulger. Mother was born at Kaysville, Davis County, Utah December 26th 1856 to William Walton Burton and Rachel Fielding Burton. William Walton was born at Bradford, Yorkshire England on March 23, 1833. Rachel Fielding Burton was born at Preston Lancanshire England June 27th, 1839.
I can say with out any reservations, I was born of goodly parents. They were up right and honest people at all times. Their advise and counsel always good - always kind and affectionate. Their greatest desire was that we grow up to be righteous good LDS and good citizens.
When I was about a year old my father bought a beautiful big lot at 738 24th St. in Ogden, Utah. It was sixty feet wide and 20 rods deep, fine soil for a garden. It was a splendid location for a home. Father built a nice red brick two story home fixed it so it could be added to later - in fact before six years had past he had made it into a twelve room, two story house and a nice home it was and still is quite a home. David, Albert, Heber and Franklin were all born in this home. Lottie the only girl was born in a little log cabin house at the south east corner of Monroe Avenue and 26th in Ogden Utah - the Crawford Corner. Brother Joseph was born near K St. and 1st Avenue in Salt Lake City. I was born at 868 23rd Street in Ogden, Utah.
This big 20 rod deep lot we had was of the choicest rich black soil and we raised a lot of good vegetables each year. We had plenty of water from the Bench Canal to raise a good garden and we all took part in the care of the garden. We also had a nice coop of chickens - enough for meat and eggs. Also we had the nicest white and brown cow. Her name was Net - and what a fine lot of milk she gave her for quite a number of years and how we all like this cow. We also had a little coal black mare about 900 Lbs. Her name was Bess. We all learned to ride on her. She was fine as a riding horse, a good runner and when you hitched her to a buggy or wagon she was just as good there. It took a good horse in those days to beat her, at either running or trotting. I remember we sold her when she was about 17 years old. One day in town brother Joe saw her tied to a hitching post - she looked to be getting poor care. Joe looked around and found the man who owned her - he ask if he would sell her - the fellow said he would. Joe bought her and brought her home. Joe gave Bessy good care and in a short time she looked good again. As I remember Bess lived to be about 23 years old.
In the spring of 1890 at 38 years of age Father was called on a mission to his native country England and laboured in the London Conference. Elder Brigham Young Jr. presided over the British mission at that time. The new addition to the house was not moved into when first completed as Father had a good renter for the place at a good rental price so rented the house for income while away on his mission. Dad also owned a plaining mill he rented so had a comfortable income to take care of expenses while away. It wasn't long after leaving for his mission that the plaining mill caught fire and burned down. Then the 1890 terrible depression set in and didn't come out of this depression for quite a number of years and the rent on the house was cut in half. We had no insurance to cover the fire loss of the plaining mill. About this same time a diphtheria plague hit Ogden and all the children came down with this dread disease. People were dying all around us, next door, across the street and everywhere. The people in Ogden were alarmed about it. Mother was using all the strength at her command. She was working, praying, exercising all the faith she possessed, administering to us using the authority of the priesthood she held in connection with her husband. I well remember right at this most critical time, one night sister Lottie took a turn for the worse and it just looked that there was no chance for her to survive. It was impossible to get help as those that weren't down with the disease were afraid to go into a home who had it, for fear of taking it home to their own family. Right at this time a man - he was an old gentleman with white hair and a long white beard - he looked just what you would expect a patriarch to look like. He came to our door this night and said he had heard of our family being in such dire trouble and that the father of the house was away on a mission to England. He said he would like to come in and administer to all who were sick. He said his name was Brother Patterson and live in Cache Valley. We had never heard of this good man before. He was so kind and had such a rich mellow voice. I shall never forget this experience as it is the most faith promoting experience that ever came into my life. He administered to Lottie first as she was so seriously sick. He administered to her and rebuked the disease that it should leave her, and that she should get well from that very moment. When he took his hands from her head she got up from her bed, went over and spit out some phlegm that was in her throat into a coal bucket setting by the stove, then turned around and picked up a small hymn book from the table and turned to "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet” and sang the first verse. From that very moment she started to get well, as we all did and not too long after we were all well again. Lottie at this time was between fourteen and fifteen years of age. I am sure that everyone of the family old enough to remember going through this experience would have a clear and vivid recollection of it to this very day. Never did we see brother Patterson again. This experience has always remained with me - a very deep and abiding testimony of the power of the priesthood as it has with each member of the family who were present.
Due to this misfortune and our income so depleted mother thought it might be well for one of we boys to go to work, take a job to help things out, so as Z.C.M.I. was in need of a cash boy mother applied for work for one of us. I remember Bishop Watson was manager and Joe H. Douglas was superintendent of Z.C.M.I. They both came to the house to look us over and they picked me for the job at $7.50 per month with tithing paid and a pound bag of candy. Every Saturday night I worked at this job for two years - giving mother $7.00 a month and keeping .50 cents for my self and dividing the bag of candy among the family. At this job I would go to the department where the tap of a bell would call me and get the merchandise that had been sold with the cash or charge slip - take it to a central cashiers and wrapping desk where the package would be wrapped and the change made and I would be on my way back in double flat. We had a little leather box to carry the cash in. I would also take alterations to the tailor shop from the clothing department - turn lights on in the store and sweep the side walks. While at Z.C.M.I., I had the privilege of meeting and knowing most of the prominent people of Ogden at that time. Also I met many men and women who crossed the plains with the first and early companies to come to Utah, many of them who had known the prophet and his brother Hyrum. I did not realize at the time what a rich experience this was.
On Father’s return from his mission things were still at a stand still - no building going .... (There are missing pages - until the following)
The Foulger home at 738 24th street remained to be the family home where all the children lived until they married and made homes for their own. I might add here that father and the six sons all filled missions from this home - Father to England, Joseph to the Eastern States, Herbert to England, David to the Southern States, Albert to South Africa, Heber to the Eastern States and Frank to New Zealand. In looking g back over the years I am unable to recall any incident from our earliest childhood and on until we left to make a home of our own where there was any discord or contention to any extent among us. As a group of so many boys and but one girl it was truly remarkable the love and affection we all had for one another during our years together in the old home. Tragically, Mother was accidentally killed while living at this location. She was on her way home one night from a church activity and was struck by a street car and dragged to her death. At mother’s death father went to Aunt Tellie’s to make his home. Brother David and family then went to live at the old home and on Father’s death purchased from the family the home with the depth of 10 rods of the land and he is now the owner of the old home.
From the very early part of my life to six years old I don’t remember very much. I do remember however being around with other children, playing in the sand down the cellar of our home and getting into mischief. I guess as children always do was just eating and growing up. When six years of age came about and I started to school, literally a new world opened up to me. To think I could go to school - to school with my big brother Joe who was two years and two weeks older. Joe was always a good brother with an unusually good disposition.
(There are other several missing pages and we pick up after Herbert and Phoebe Pearl Brown were married and moved to Garland Utah - it starts in the middle of a sentence) however we did make many good friends It was a community of mostly good L.D.S. people, made up of people from Davis County, Salt Lake County and quite a group from Utah County and elsewhere through out Utah. Brother Dave became a counselor to Bishop Capaner of the Garland Ward and I was Ward Clerk. Garland was in Box Elder County.
We had been in Garland about a year when the Bear River Stake was organized, Milton Welling as President, Peter M. Hancon 1st counselor and Joseph Jensen 2nd counselor. I was put in as the first Stake Clerk of the Bear River Stake. I compiled the first records of the Bear River Stake from the south portion of the Maland Stake and the North portion of the Box Elder Stake. A few more than 3000 comprised the population of the Bear River Stake. Enough of that. We had two children born in Garland - Bert and Charles. I have always had a very warm spot in my heart for that country and especially for the people of whom I knew while living there.
Spring of 1911 we disposed of our holdings at Garland and moved back to Ogden to make our home and mother (Phoebe Pearl a.k.a. Maggie) was very much happier at Ogden. I went to work for Buckmiller and Flowers clothing store and continued on in the mercantile business over all the remaining years in Ogden. I was with W.H. Wright & Sons as floor walker, shoe department manager and buyer, and clothing store manager and buyer. Last job as clothing manager with R.M Hoggan Company. With a lot of thrift and economy it was possible for me to eke out quite a decent living for my family. Over the years we had a car from 1919 to the present time. We also had a nicely furnished and kept home with in and without. Mother (Phoebe Pearl a.k.a. Maggie) was meticulous on the inside and I guess I was meticulous on the outside. I always took part in the church and most of the time had a job to do in the church. I have served as president of the YMMIA two different time - in the 6th ward and the 8th ward in Ogden. I have been assistant Scout master and Aaronic Priesthood supervisor .... (and the rest of the pages are missing .... but what a treasure to have found this much, written in H.B.’s own hand)
In addition to the above writings I also found my father’s (Charles) recollections of his mother and father. They are as follows:
Herbert Burton Foulger
written by Charles Frederick Foulger in his own hand
transcribed by Julie Foulger Darling
I have very little information on Mother’s life as she was growing up. My knowledge of Mother is almost entirely of my own growing up experiences in my growing up years while living at home and having left Utah in 1933 mostly by letter and periodic trips home.
Mother and Dad were wonderful parents. We were left with a good heritage. They were both very spiritual people. Their three great loves were church, home and family. Mother was an immaculate housekeeper and the greatest cook in the world. My wife, Vellys, was the next best cook. She learned all her cooking skills from my mother. Mother most always held a position in the church. Five boys was a major task in that day with house keeping facilities so antiquated. Our house was heated by a coal stove and all the cooking done on a coal range. We of course had no electric refrigerators - no electric washing machines - no vacuum cleaners - no automatic hot water coming out of a tap - all the hot water was heated on the coal range. Saturday night was bath night The kettles would go on the stove to heat the water, the round wash tub would be set in the front of the kitchen range. There, of course, was not enough hot water for each child to have his own water so the cleanest child would bathe first and then follow down the line. By the time Jim and Sid came along, new inventions and improvements were coming along so they missed some of these experiences. Mother was a very uncomplaining person and always busy - in fact she had to be busy to get throughout the day with her heavy schedule.
Dad was always very considerate of Mother and gave her a lot of help. They were both very well organized people and followed a very set schedule. As an example, Monday morning each week was wash day and that meant every Monday - Christmas, New Years or any and every wash day that fell on Monday and Mother was up at 5 A.M.
Dad was just as meticulous on caring for his yard as Mother was the house. He was really a master gardner in every respect and over the years he had chickens, pigeons, ducks, turkeys, a lamb that became a family pet and his most enduring and enjoyable project - raising chinchillas. Let me first tell you about our pet lamb, Billy. When sheep growers moved a herd of sheep which numbered into the hundred they would herd them riding horses just like herding them on the range. One early evening Dad had a call on the phone. A herd of sheep was taken up Ogden Canyon to graze in Ogden Valley. One little lamb in the process of moving up the canyon was knocked over an embankment, down into the rock bed and that is what this telephone call was all about. The herd of sheep had been long gone and here was this poor little lost sheep. We drove up the canyon and found him and brought him home and he became a real pet. I can not think of the nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” without thinking of our little lamb, Billy. We romped and played in the yard with him and he’d try to follow every where we went. Dad had a load of dirt in the back yard and Jim was a little fellow then. He and Billy had quite a game. Jim would get on top of the dirt pile and Billy would go after him and try to knock him off. Poor little Billy had a sad ending. He grew up and Mother and Dad decided to have him butchered for some of our winter meat supply. This was a very unsuccessful project. Every time Mother served poor little Billy at the table, due to our love for this little fellow we were unable to eat him. It was a sad experience.
Dad was a most successful Chinchilla grower. In those days and I suppose also in this day, every one is looking for a way to get rich quick. In those days some men would go up in the mountains and prospect for gold. Dad didn’t do that, but I do remember seeing a number of bogus mining stock certificates. Chinchillas were that same concept and one that actually worked out for Dad. He handled it the smart way. At that time Chinchillas were selling for $3200 per pair. Dad and 31 other fellows put up $100 a piece and bought one pair with the understanding that they could be farmed out to the grower until they were to be taken by the purchaser. Dad received his pair eventually and as was his way he went into it “first class.” He had a building built to house them. It was, I would guess, about 15 feet wide by about 24 feet long and was air cooled. It was large enough to house all of his supplies as well as all the little pens holding one or two chinchillas. Dad’s philosophy was not to go all out to build a large herd of these little animals, but to get some monetary benefit out of them as well as making a hobby out of this activity which he enjoyed very much. During the time he had them the selling price for them had gone down considerably, but when Dad and Mother wanted something extra special they would sell a pair or two of chinchillas. In the early days of television they bought a beautiful console model television set by this means as well as at least two automobiles and other smaller items.
Another of Dad’s hobbies was growing prize Rhode Island Red chickens. They were medium large and very good eating and we had chicken for dinner almost every Sunday. We kids would always take turns getting the gizzard. One Christmas a new idea was hatched up for trimming the Christmas tree. I was to pin with little straight pins a kernel of popcorn on each and every twig of the tree and it was beautiful. We thought a new discovery had been made. We were living in the country in Harrisville at that time and after Christmas the tree was thrown temporarily out in the yard. The chickens ran free in the yard and they liked the popcorn on the twigs of the tree, but they not only got the popcorn, but they also got the pins and all of Dad's prize Rhode Island Red chickens died.
I’ll relate one other of Dad’s extra curricular activities. He had five brothers, none of them farmers or dairy people. All lived in the city and each of them had a barn and a cow. They decided they’d like to have a registered Jersey dairy farm. With their own cows as a beginning nucleus they rented a farm at Hooper Utah, purchased additional cows and started a dairy. They had a beautiful beige Ford delivery truck with a picture of the head of a beautiful Jersey cow on the side of it. They delivered milk daily to Ogden homes. It was a choice product - Jersey milk with lots of cream. The milk sold for .05 cents a quart. If a ticket book was purchased the customer would get 22 tickets or 22 quarts of milk for $1.00 As neither Dad nor any of his brothers were dairy men or farmers they hired a very nice man by the name of Mr. Childs to move out on the place and run it. The dairy didn’t operate too long. They just sold the milk.
After operating for sometime in Hooper they moved to Harrisville on about a 75 acre place, part of it in pasture land and part in alfalfa for hay, and part for growing wheat. They had a new operator for the place at that time - a good old man by the name of Leth. There was a large house on the place and he had a large family. He was Danish and talked very broken. He was a conscientious and hard working old fellow.
Dad moved our family to Harrisville about a quarter of a mile from the farm. When the haying season was on my brother, Bert, and I would work at the farm. We’d rake the hay and pile it in the field and we would be on the hay rack loading the hay and as it was brought to the barn we’d ride the derrick horse that pulled the hay into the barn on a big fork.
A very exciting time was State Fair time. As I stated previously these cows were prized animals and each year a group of these were entered in the State Fair held in Salt Lake City. The cattle were groomed to perfection. Their hair was clipped and brushed daily. Their horns were polished and they were beautiful. My brother Bert and I were used to lead some of the cattle in the ring. We felt very proud and grown up doing this job and mind you, were only from about 9 to 11 years old at this time. They were very successful in this fair enterprise. Our old bull - his name was Jolly, was judged Grand Champion every time he was taken. They had milk cows that took many prizes and one year we took six yearling heifers and came in with the first 5 prizes.
I have many fond memories of this dairy experience, however it was finally liquidated so I am sure Dad and his brother’s memories are not as fond as mine.
Following Dad’s dairy career, he went to work running a little dry goods store at Five Points for a Mr. Fred Redfield which seemed to do okay. Dad soon purchased this store. In Ogden there were two major stores - W.H.Wright & Sons and The Golden Rule which were department stores and two Women’s department stores namely Paine & Hearst and Last & Thomas. Uncle Bert Foulger was buying and operating Paine & Hearst. Last & Thomas also had a music department carrying pianos and phonographs. Mr. Last was in the store. Mr. Thomas had died a few years earlier and his son-in-law was involved in the operation. Last & Thomas was put up for sale. Dad and Uncle Bert made arrangements to buy the store with Dad running the store. This seemed to be working out well when catastrophe hit. My brother, Brown, left to go on a mission to the Society Islands about March 23, 1923. The Society Islands are a little group of islands in the South Pacific known as Tahiti. On the night of the day Brown left in a cold icy storm, the store caught fire and burned almost completely out. It was only partially covered by insurance. It took a year or more for Dad to get the mess cleaned up. The store did a credit business and collections were a long slow process. At this point Dad was unemployed and broke with a family of five boys, one on a mission (Brown), to support and it was a three year mission.
There was a successful men’s and boy’s clothing and shoe store in Ogden, I.L. Clark & Sons. Uncle Joe Foulger married Mr. I.L. Clark’s daughter, Ethel, and Uncle Joe became part of that operation Mr. Clark died a number of years prior to this time and the operation was turned over to Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe was not very successful in the operation so it was decided that Dad would become a partner and they would make it into a general shoe store. In a very short time it was determined that this was not going to work out so the store was liquidated and closed up. Dad was unemployed again. He and Mother seemed to handle this most stressful time very well. Of course, Dad always was very positive and optimistic.
Dad was a natural born salesman so he got some lines of merchandise and went on the road as a traveling salesman to retail stores. He had a line of men’s over coats, a line of women’s purses as well as a number of other items. Dad worked hard and always provided well for his family. He didn’t like traveling as it took him away from home and family. He loved his home and he loved his family. One little highlight on his traveling days - Sid, his youngest son was about 4 years old. It was the beginning of the week and Dad was packing his car going up into Idaho. He left and arrived in Tremonton, Utah about 50 or 60 miles north of Ogden. The inside of his car was packed with sample cases. He started moving the cases to get into the samples he wanted to show and what did he see but a little blond head and two little blue eyes peering up at him. Sid was a little stow away. He wanted to go too. He caused quite a stir in the town. Dad of course called Mother at once. Another salesman Dad knew was traveling toward Ogden so Dad had him take Sid home to Mother. It was an exciting and humorous day.
Dad, to the best of my memory, spent a couple of years on the road. He then had an opportunity to go to work as a salesman in the men’s department at W.H.Wright and Sons. He had worked there as a young man a couple of times before, however not in my life time. After a period of time there he was offered a job as a clothing salesman for Fred M. Nye Company - the finest men’s clothing store in Ogden. If you wanted the best you went to Fred M. Nye company. It was a store immaculately kept. There were three salesmen in the clothing department, others in the haberdashery department, in the shoe department and in the hat department. All the men wore hats in that day. It was a beautiful store. Dad did a good job and was happy there.
There was another little men’s store in Ogden by the name of R.M. Hogan & Co. ( Bob Hogan). He started a small men’s clothing store on a side street and in a small way. Bob was a very outgoing personality. He knew everybody and was well liked. He finally moved up on the main street, Washington Ave., right across the street from Fred Nye. One day Bob Hoggan came to Dad and asked him to go to work for him which Dad did and was very happy there for many years and retired from R.M. Hoggan Co.
I mentioned earlier that Dad was first, last and always a Salesman. To illustrate - one time my partner Larry Balch and I were together in Ogden. We went into Hoggan's to visit Dad and as we visited, Dad was constantly showing us merchandise and we bought an item or two. We we left the store Larry remarked to me, “Your Dad is first, last and always a Salesman.” He was not high pressure, but instead had a nice soft easy personality. He loved people and it always just came naturally. ( This is where Charles’ writing ends ... )
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