Highland Residents Poem by Cora Beck Adamson

HIGHLAND RESIDENTS POEM

By Cora Beck Aamson

The following is a poem written by Cora Beck Adamson which tells of many families that she remembers living in Highland. Date is unknown-likely the mid-late ‘50’s.

The doors of the church always opened wide, to let in God’s children from far and wide.

Highland stretched from Alpine on the north across the windswept bench to where Lehi & American Fork held forth.

People came and went, God’s chosen few, some stayed on for years some just one or two.

The land was rocky, the homes were small, they raised grain, hay, potatoes and the corn grew tall.

There were the old timers Myers, Becks, Strasburgs on the East; Larsons, Stices and a few others who often as neighbors traded yeast.

The center of the universe for these farm families so scattered, was the small Highland Church house to which they traveled in cars old and battered.

This building stood about in the middle of the ward; small, remodeled often, but here they served the Lord.

The north winds blew, and the windows rattled and shook, they hung their heavy coats in the hall on hooks.

Myers on the North; Mary Lee, Gib, Lizzie & Ben, Elvie, Dee, LaDeane and then

Dorothy, Marion, Reva and Jeanne came along; they watched their neighbors come and go-quite a throng.

Across the road was Tom Adamson, with Pete down on the corner lot; Dave made three when some land he bought.

Three brothers, and their posterity is large today: Young Tom, Violet, Harry, Norma, Boyd then Fae.

Down at Pete’s and Blanche’s there was Delbert and Lee, Thelma, Erma, Effie, LaRae and Jenna Vee.

Dave and Jessie’s family numbered 3 girls and 7 boys; raising a family was one of their joys.

Arnold, Mark, Clyde, Virgil, LeGrand, Keith and Karl number seven; Alta, Nida and Afton-this many sent from heaven.

Down at Strasburg’s, close to the Lehi water, they did all things that they oughter.

They had some girls: Alice, Josephine, Dora, and Kate so fine, Otes, Marva then Evar, Henry and Dave made nine.

Evar married Esma, Otes married Mr Day; they moved on down the Lehi ditch and planted some hay.

Josephine and John and Kate did too; their children were numbered quite a few.

Evar had a family of six: Thelma, Charlie and Don; then Eldon, Ila and Leland were born.

Otes and O.C. had a large family-twelve in all, Louis, Wayne, Lawrence, Carl and Melvin so tall.

Kate, Dora, Stella, Esther, Fern, Miriam and Jean; some were very good, some mischievous but never mean.

Henry married Cora, they lived here a while; Henry Jr, LaVere and Leo all happy with a smile.

LaDean, Zelda, Arlean and Glenda blessed their home; they moved from Highland and for a while did roam.

Up on the Lehi ditch on the Moffat farm lived Adolph and Mary Rasmussen who in sunshine or storm

Came down to the church to work in the MIA; baked cakes, put on road shows and Three Act Plays.

Clifford, slender, dark and good lookin too; Bert was younger, but he ran the crew.

On the west side of Highland was the Greenland’s farm, Charlie and Rachel with all their English charm.

Clarence and Maud with a large family of nine; kept records for the ward just fine.

John and Cressie ran the service station for Shell, and raised Vernon, Martha, Hubert and Dan so well.

Everyone loved Johnny and the things he sold; he lived on the corner where the winds blew cold.

Nephi and Flora had one girl and Francis and Charlie, only three; they didn’t live long on Highland-they were nice; we agree.

The Greenland girls, Gertrude, Rachel & Mary married and moved away; only came back to visit-never to stay.

Henry married his neighbor Marie one year; they lived by the Church and traveled far and near.

Barbara, Bruce and Eugene were quite small when they left the ward and went South, one and all.

Ludvig and Vera Larson ran a dairy farm and raised four tall sons: Maurice, Harold, Merlin & J T; Marie, Lorene & Virginia, 3 girls, yes, just three.

Stice’s-Boyd and Louise live on the West road; Dorothy, Darlene and Carolyn were taught by the code.

Boyd sold cars and hauled coal; to build a nice house and love their neighbors was their goal.

Jonsson’s-John and Catherine from Germany came, taught Lawrence, Jens, Paul Fred and Mary Ann the same.

Hite (Hyrum) Harmon lived all alone in a big frame home; lived and died here on Highland-would never roam

There were Cranes and Mosses down there too; Pearl, Gladys and Keith to name a few.

LeRoy and Leah Wagstaff lived at Harmon’s big house; LeRoy worked hard-so did his spouse.

Stanley, Tessie and Mavis Peck all moved to the bench one fall, Tessie and Mavis married Maurice and Harold Larson so tall.

Stan taught the Boy Scouts and to church did walk; to the young people he always liked to talk.

Up the road and around the corner lived Jack Smith and Annie; with Margaret Pearl they were quite zany.

Did genealogy and liked to go to meeting and speak; one night in church when Jack, the spirit of the Lord did seek

And stretched his remarks long and the meeting stretched on; Annie sent his young son to the stand with a watch to show Jack that his time was long gone.

Across from the Smith’s lived William and Jennie Roundy, real fine neighbors; taught Ted, Rees, Bernell and Sister Reba, very young, about their labors.

Raised tomatoes, watermelons and had lots of fun; worked every day till the work was done.

Then Heber and Bessie Roundy came here too; Donna, Laura, Beth and Genna Vee knew what to do.

Garth, Cheryl, Mildred and Paul; then Phyliss, Joan and Karla and that was all.

In 1933 came the Beck family; Jacob Beck homesteaded on Highland and Fair was part of the family tree.

Roma, Feryl, Vivian, Cora and James were part of the clan; Theron, Maybelle, Dallan and the twins, Malcolm and Duane were an also ran.

Ray Lee, Arlen and Vaughn the last three; they were spoiled by all and shouted with glee.

Thirteen in all took over the old Beck farm; they ran here and there and kept things plenty warm.

On the corner by the Dry Creek Bed lived the family White; George and his wife Eleanor who had everything just right.

Had a beautiful yard with Dahlias so tall, berries and fruit trees and a Virginia Creeper along the wall.

It covered the front porch and clung to the fence; golden glow so yellow grew thick and dense.

The yard was spacious, wide and green; Mr. White was ambitious, his overalls always clean.

Sis White stood in the Dahlias so pretty; was a lady, slim, gracious, lovely and full of pity.

Kenneth, his son, lived down the road in a trim white house; he kept a fine garden-the piano was played by Lucia, his spouse.

Bonita, Kenna, Quentin and Janet so talented and pretty; Larry, Sherma , Marjorie could sure sing a ditty.

Mark and Deane raised chickens and built a large coop by his Dad’s; sang and danced and worked in the mutual to guide all the lassies and lads.

Dawn, Eleanor, Dean and Mont were small when they had to move; we missed them all and they made quite a groove.

Lee and Jennie Adamson moved into the home over in the field; the land was dry and the farm did not yield.

The rain did not fall, and the snow blew deep; the springs and wells were empty and the people did weep.

A drought hit the bench and the ditches were dry; depression also came and there was nothing to fry.

Over in the Creek Cy and Marie Neff came to dwell; they had spring water and dug a well.

Imogene, Don, Elma and brother Jay so small; he died one morning in the early fall.

Then tragedy came to the Becks, Feryl, age 20, died in Salt Lake; one month later tiny Ray Lee died before the Bench was awake.

Upon the knoll the Bowens, Walter and Esther, tried their hand; they built a small home and planted roses in the sand.

There was Fred, Victor, Stella, Edna and LaRue; they were fine people, I’m telling you.

Down in the creek as you drove right by; lived Tom and Lou Binns who quarreled with Cy.

Cy had a gate that was on Tom’s land; and in the creek had a small sheep band.

Every time Neff’s left open the gate the sheep got out; then there was the devil to pay and another bout.

They had a big swing and a trolley on the hill; we played there, had Sunday School parties and ate to our fill.

Moyle and Alma, Tom’s sons, went off to school, up to Logan to learn the Golden Rule.

Jim and Lou Wight bought the Jacob Beck place; stirred things up proper and started quite a race.

Sold land to Bowens, Hy Larsen, Arbon Gooch and others; we weren’t sure that they all wanted to be brothers.

Jim and Lou had lots of plans that didn’t work, but their children didn’t shirk.

Roy the oldest son, then Fern, Beth and Jay, worked from early morning to night every day.

They picked berries, cherries and all kinds of fruit; but nobody, just nobody, took in much loot.

Hyrum and Henrietta Larsen built a small frame home; Gordon, Elmo and Zelda far away did roam.

Thelma worked in church, Henrietta directed the plays; Hyrum, handy with hammer and saw a church-helped to raze.

Millers, Maud, Myra, Della and Lloyd moved in; up on Myers street and the wheat grew thin.

Luetta married a Parker, Wayne and Katie were born; their Dad died, and they were so forlorn.

Jay Gordon from Lehi then married Luett and Highland they did live; when the Gordon well was dry, John and Cressie water did give.

Duncan’s, Dom with small Bill and Sally, lived west of Gordons as was known often to dally.

Wimmer’s built a service station on the corner and a barber shop, but times were bad and they didn’t long stop.

Tom and Mina Adamson moved in then; and John and Cressie came after when

The ditches flowed full, and the rains came again; Vernon, Martha, Hubert and Dan knew pleasure and pain.

Emil and Marie Jerling lived in the big red brick house on the Alpine highway; young Carl their son worked early and late every day.

He grew up and married Velma Wing and was made Bishop of the ward; the times were bad and the way was hard.

Hyrum Groesbeck and Lou, his wife; had four sons and one daughter and knew the worlds strife.

Lou, Mac, Byron, Leslie and Paul, loved their Dad and Mom and grew strong and tall.

Drove an open car, the old Model A; raised chickens and grain and alfalfa hay.

There was Ray Alston, west of Groesbecks, down the lane; with a pretty wife, two children, but prices were on the wane.

Bishop Jerling, Hy Groesbeck, Ray Alston were the Bishopric three; they worked morning and night when they could hardly see.

There were Durfees and Powells, Elmers and Paces, Wildes, Healys, Paynes and a Greenland gal who married one of the Graces.

There used to be a house by the side of the Alpine highway; it was unpainted, the windows broke but there was a lot it could say.

I don’t know who built it, but it must have been real fine; the folks that lived there were all friends of mine.

I first remembered Wildes, Woodrow son of Dan, then Jorgenson, Abram, parents of Glenda, a real fine-looking man.

Then Carrolls, DeMar and Marjorie with four boys; fine looking young lads who brought lots of joys.

Then Sam Nay and his family moved in; they’d seen hard times and didn’t have much with which to begin.

All fine people, these friends of yours and mine; came and went and left a memory that is divine.

Nida Adamson married Oscar, a man named Hall; raised 10 children, four girls and six boys in all.

You remember Betty, Alta, Diane and Ella Mae, Clayton, Jimmie, Ed, Bob, Keith and Jay.

You ask Nida who were her neighbors and she would write a verse about each, she could talk half the night

About Mel Graham and Boise Wells, Jacksons and Mays, Hardys, Maxfields, Houghtons and all of the Days.

Boise and Emma Wells, do you recall; had Dick, Jay and Marion and that wasn’t all.

Dale and Elna and each was special you see; why they would give you their all and with you agree.

Jacksons didn’t stay long but Leland and Lola did you know; raised a fine family and put on a good show.

From Jackson Hole they came early one year; we cried when they left and shed many a tear.

Leola, Jimmie, Tommie, Anita, Cathy and Wilma so sweet; they all did their best and were so neat.

Lola would play and Leland would sing; they’d work on the church and do any old thing.

There’s a family we love who have lived here long; Hazel Loveridge married Alma Buhler so strong.

Lived on the corner across from the church; never once did they leave any one in the lurch.

Lillie, Ruby, Eva and Violet so petite; Reuben, Herman, Elmer, Fred and Lyman, Sylvan and Sanford were hard to keep neat.

Seven boys and four girls lived and grew; learned to be unselfish and serve me and you.

Alma had standards and lived a good live; raised a large family and had a true wife.

Ruby married Wayne Day and Lillie married Lawrence the brothers; learned to love their spouses, forsook all others.

Lawrence and Lillie had one girl and four boys; Lillie Martha, Alma, Sterling, Earl and Vaughn so fine; it was hard to get enough food on which they could dine.

Wayne and Ruby lived right next door; you would have thought they would have lots of trouble for sure.

Orville, Wilford, Paul, Ivan, Clark, Lynn and Eugene, Karen, Ruth, Joy and two little girls who were not long seen.

Fred Married Ruby Lee and lived by his sister Ruby their long life through; raised twelve sons and daughters-they were lovely, I’m telling you.

LeRoy, Brent and Chris all on missions afar; Sherrie, Cathy, Roseanne, Judy, Jane and Connie so far.

Source: HIGHLAND HISTORY: A compilation by Charles T Greenland II for the Highland Historical Society

Highland Residents Poem by Cora Beck Adamson

HIGHLAND RESIDENTS POEM

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