Mower
William Middleton & Catherine Pennington Mower
They moved to Highland in the spring of 1919 with two children: Josephine and Oscar Francis. Another daughter, Lucretia, had died previously. William was born April 14, 1886, in Springville, Utah to Oscar Middleton and Elisabeth Beardall Mower. Catherine was born April 29, 1886, in Croydon, Utah to Joseph and Josephine Edstrom Pennington.
Their farm consisted of 35 acres and they raised hay and grain and soon added some coops to raise chickens. They had a team of horses, milk cows, and pigs and the farm had peach and apple orchards. They dug one of the earliest Highland wells on their property, going down 48 feet with the assistance of Mr. Turner from American Fork. They were among the first in Highland to have a telephone.
Their children went to school in the two-room Highland School. Four grades were in each of the two rooms and two of the teachers were Rosa Abel and Mr. Dubois. William was in the presidency of the YMMIA and persuaded the leaders to have dances to raise funds for the ward. They hired Carter's Orchestra from Lehi and through these efforts raised enough money to buy sacrament trays, scriptures and hymn books. William was chosen as a counselor to Bishop Wayne C. Booth in July, 1920, along with O.C. Day, though he had his farm up for sale at the time and sold it shortly thereafter to Charles M. Pitts (q.v.). Mowers then moved to Springville in October. The Pitts were unable to keep up the payments on the farm so the Mowers took it back and rented it to a number of others over the next few years.
William had the flu during the epidemic of 1918, so when it came around again in 1919 he felt he would be immune. He went around and visited many of those who were stricken, taking hot soup for them. People remembered him as an angel of mercy.
They were in Highland for the 1920 census and in Springville in 1930. Catherine died October 31, 1952, in Springville and William died October 1, 1970, in Provo. They are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Springville.
Source: HIGHLAND HISTORY: A compilation by Charles T Greenland II for the Highland Historical Society
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