“ I remember him as a quiet gentle man, sitting on the piano bench,
smiling, with his red hair, blue eyes, and dimples. He loved to play for us (his grandchildren)
when we visited. He corded on the organ,
too, even though he had one stiff
finger that poked out from the
others. He also played the guitar. He had a beautiful bass singing voice and
loved to dance!" This memory of Amy
Lou describes the fun-loving musical nature of Frank Knell, Grandma Nevada's
Papa.
Frank
Knell was born to Benjamin Knell and Ann Green Knell in Little Pinto,
Washington County, Utah on 24 October 1877.
Soon after his return from New Zealand, Frank married his sweetheart,
Amy Sophia Page. They were married in the St. George Temple on 26 September 1906 and were the parents of
7 children - Nevada being their 3rd child.
They built their own home in Newcastle and moved in before Nevada was 2 years
old. Their "estate" was complete
with blacksmith shop, a wash house, and a 3-seater outhouse - a true luxury for the time! And just in case
you wanted to know of a creative use for the old Sears Roebuck catalog...well
it was more than just good reading material while resting in the outhouse. Just rip out a page and it became toilet
paper!
They were among the first in the neighborhood to own a wringer washer -
a huge step up from the corrugated scrub board. This sat on the front porch
alongside the old Victrola record player.
Frank was a hard worker, a good farmer and loved working with animals. He
also felt it was important for the family to kneel beside their chairs at
mealtime for prayer. At the end of the
day he would enjoy a game of checkers with his children.
Amy
Sophia Page Knell was born to Daniel Richey Page and
Sophia Ann Geary in Little Pinto on 27 January 1879.
She was a stern, busy little person; always cooking or sewing on her
treadle sewing machine as she made all of the clothes for the family. She would recycle the worn out adult’s
clothing and make clothes for the children.
She made her own patterns and taught her daughters to sew and mend. She occasionally would enjoy a game of
checkers with her husband but was mostly busy with mending and taking care of
family needs while the family played games.
She did the washing in the wash house that her husband built outside
near the wood pile. She used the scrub
board and of course, homemade lye soap.
She always kept a very neat and organized kitchen, always neat and
tidy. The kitchen stove had a warming
place at the back, and a reservoir on one end to heat water. The kids did their homework by lamplight at
night around the dining room table, each having an assigned spot.
As there was no electricity in Newcastle, there was no refrigerator, so
the milk would sit on the steps going down to the cellar. The milk separator was in the middle of the
floor. You would pour the milk, fresh
from the cow, in the top, and somehow the
cream came out of a small spout,
and the milk came out of the larger
one. Butter was made from the
cream. If the milk soured before it was
used, they made cottage cheese from it.
NOTHING was ever thrown out!!!
Amy Lou remembers, “When we used to visit, we kids would always sleep
in Grandma’s big brass bed. We never
wondered where Grandma and Grandpa slept.”
Due to complications with bronchial pneumonia, Frank lived a mere 61
years then passed away 8 February 1938. After living 22 years as a
widow,
Note: The "Relative Connection": Frank and Amy Sophia are Grandma Nevada Adams' parents.
Note: see Ray and Nevada Adams: Their Lives and Legacy for more information on Frank and Amy Sophia.
