Keturah Hannah Lewis & Alfred Baker

See I Remember Mamma By Malinda Moody McBride
See A Short History of Alfred Baker

Keturah Hannah Lewis was born September 1857, in Parowan, Iron County, Utah. She is the oldest daughter of Samuel Lewis and Sarah Jane Huntsman.

We have waited too long to find much that happened in the younger life of our Dear Aunt Keturah. I have inquired of several of her nieces and nephews but none remember anything ever told them of her childhood days, so we must do the best we can.

I remember her telling this story: When she was a girl at home one time her mother was very sick, and I think it was while they were living in Parowan. She was taking care of her mother, who was sick in bed, when the back door opened slightly and there stood a tall big Indian. The ground was white with snow and all the Indian had on was some Moccasins and a loin cloth.. He demanded; "Biscuit, biscuit". Well Aunt Keturah was worried and busy helping her mother so she told him he couldn't have biscuit--but he was persistent and demanded it. Aunt Keturah wasn't afraid of anything, so she told him to get out, couldn't he see her mother was sick? He pulled a long sharp knife from a belt he wore, raised it and said, "I kill her." Aunt Keturah reached upon the wall took down a pistol pointed it at him and said "Now go or I will shoot." The Indian slipped the knife back in it's holder; backed out of the room keeping his eye on her and left on the run. The gun had no bullet in it and wasn't in condition to shoot but it did the trick, and possibly saved her mother's life. They had so much trouble with the Indians in those days they tried to feed them, but sometimes they didn't have much to eat themselves.

We don't know if Aunt Keturah ever went to school or what she did with her life. I imagine she was a good worker at home; helped clean, cord wool and make cloth and blankets and do a lot of things

She met and married Alfred Baker, a man from Sidney, Australia who had joined the Mormon Church. They were married January 1, 1876 in Parowan, Utah. The next year after the marriage they became the parents of a baby boy. They named him Alfred Roy Baker. He was born the 8th of January 1877. He died August 22, 1877. When this baby was born Aunt Keturah developed a disease called Milk Leg. She suffered terribly with it and Uncle Oliver tells all about it in his history so I won't repeat it here. But she didn't have any more children and she did love them so much, and all through her life she was caring for motherless children. When her sister, Malinda Moody, died she left a month old baby and it was so tiny and sick and weak and the children tried to care for it. Aunt Keturah was living down in Mexico at the time but when she heard about it she came and took over the job of caring for this baby. I was there a lot at Grandma Lewis' home and Aunt Keturah never left the baby alone very much, day or night, and she sat in a chair by the fireplace and kept the wood burning all night it was so cold.

This baby had to be fed with a dropper every so often day and night; people often said that the baby couldn't live because it was so thin. It looked just like a dead baby--but it moved. So long as there is life there is hope and no one but Aunt Keturah could have saved that baby. But it finally started to grow and she turned into a very fine woman. And that wasn't all, she helped raise several children and did raise a boy, named Milin Lamar McCray, he was another baby who needed special care. His legs weren't growing with his body, She took him to the Chiropractors and worked with him herself for years and brought him out of it--and helped others.

Uncle Alfred married another woman and raised a big family but Aunt Keturah was childless. They stayed in Mexico, but Auntie stayed here in the Gila Valley the rest of her life. She was a good seamstress and was very neat in her sewing and could turn her hands to anything, Her legs hurt her all the rest of her life and she bandaged them every morning--taking the bandages off at night. It was a job but she didn't mind work.

Aunt Keturah had a lot of grit, she could stand pain without flinching; I was in Mexico when she lived there in the 1890's, and I remember watching her have her teeth all pulled out in one setting. The dentist had her sit in a chair, open her mouth and he started pulling them out: Sometimes they just wouldn't come. I saw her take hold of the man's hand and help him pull. She was a bloody mess but she let him pull them all at one setting. I remember how they praised her for being so brave and helping him pull them out. No antiseptic--it wasn't known then--and when teeth are bad they must come out.

In the year 1912 there was a great exodus of the Mormons in Juarez, Mexico, and it was then that Aunt Keturah came out. She was living at the town of Chuihupa. It was an awful sacrifice these people had to make to leave everything they had; just a little bedding and a few clothes and food, and not a very pleasant way to ride. But they had to leave quickly. They turned their cows out to the calves; the chickens to root for themselves and fruit left to spoil on the trees, Some said they left fruit cooking on the stove and grabbed what they could carry and left. Many even left their records and precious pictures and keepsakes and very few ever went back to claim anything. Anyway the Mexicans came in and burned most everything. Aunt Keturah said she buried her silverware and precious things in a hillside, I wonder where they are today. This was caused by a great revolution going on in the Republic of Mexico. But years later some went back and rebuilt the towns and it is a beautiful place now--but it is not as good as the good old U.S.A.

Another Quote: "After all the sojourn in Utah and on the Beaver River and spending many years in Utah, the Lewes's blazed their way across the Colorado River in 1880. The program adopted for the colonization by the church prior to 1976, provided for the extension of a wagon road southward from Kanab to Lees Ferry, famous in the Mountain Meadow Massacre and on 76 miles into Arizona. The first colony in 1877, led by Lott Smith, was reinforced the next year by Keturah Hannah Lewis with her husband, Alfred Baker, and by her sister, Mary Ellen Lewis; with her husband Don Carlos Judd, who went 100 miles further across the Gila River and helped build the town of Smithville. (Now Pima)

That quote was found in the history of Hannah Huntsman, whose daughter was Sarah Jane Huntsman Lewis.

June 24, 1965: I have just returned from Mesa, Arizona where I had the privilege of talking on the phone to an Alfred Baker, and in the discussion I found out he was the youngest son of Alfred Baker who married Keturah Lewis. He was the youngest one of the family and came out to the states as a small boy at the exodus from Mexico in 1912 and later went back. This Alfred, was a student in the Academy in Juarez, Mexico. He came out here with their ball team to play the Gila College team. He hunted up Aunt Keturah with his friend and she was so happy to see him. She fixed them lunch and insisted on them staying all night. He said she fixed them her feather bed to sleep on and she slept on the floor. They refused to let her do it, but she was the boss, and they gave in.. This Alfred is sending a son on a mission: His picture was in the paper and that was how I found out about him. He told me he and Linda grew up together for several years. This is the child Aunt Keturah raised for her sister. He said he always called her sister. They had many happy times together. He said he called Aunt Keturah mother, and she was as good to him though she was his real mother.

Nello and Arminta were acquainted with Alfred Baker in Mesa Arizona (Nello was a son of Laura Smith--who compiled all of this history)

SOME OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT MAMA
or My Aunt Keturah Baker--who will always be Mama to me.
By Malinda Moody McBride

I had best start by telling what I have been told of how my relationship with mama came about. It all started when my mother died of quick consumption when I was just three weeks old, leaving my father, Francis Winfred Moody, with eight other children besides myself. The oldest son, Francis Winfred Jr. was 19 years old and had been married a little over two months.

My oldest sister Ida was 15 1/2 and with all those other brothers and sisters to care for you can imagine how much time she had to spend on me. She has told me many times, jokingly I hope, that she tried to kill me, but I wouldn't die.

They had no formulas in those days: no refrigerators or any of the modern conveniences of today. Most of the mothers nursed their babies; and since I had lost my mother things became worse and worse for me.

They took me to different women to nurse but I finally became so skinny that some of them couldn't bare to look at me or so I am told.

My father refused to let my oldest brother and my new sister-in-law have me, although my brother said he promised my dying mother that he would take me. My father didn't think they were experienced enough or that they had been married too short a time. I don’t know what his reasons were. Anyway, in his desperation he wrote to Aunt Keturah my mother's oldest sister, who was childless and lived in old Mexico. He asked if she could see her way clear to come and take me to raise. The understanding was, however, that she could not adopt me. To me this seems cruel since she was expected to raise me. Well anyway, maybe she didn't want me. I couldn't blame her for that, especially after all the trouble I caused her. Not meaning to be troublesome, but I was never-the-less. Mama told me one man said, "Turey, you are welcome at our house any time but leave that kid at home."

Aunt Keturah came and got me and took me away: Everyone tells me she saved my life and I am sure she did. I guess she had a hard time getting food for me too. I am told her children by her husband’s second wife, Aunt Luanna, took over the job of taking me from mother to mother. (How gratifying to hear these mothers say years later when I was grown, "yes Linda is part my girl, she had her dinner along with Alta or whom ever.) I loved them a1l!

It seems the earliest I can remember, is when I was three or four years old and Mama brought me back to the states. We went to visit our folks in Thatcher, Arizona, where this all began; but I don't remember being there. I had my picture taken with two of my sisters and my brother, Rulon. I have the picture.

We went from there up to St. George Utah, where Mama worked in the temple and took care of my grand father Lewis. I can remember sitting on the arm of his chair and brushing his tong white hair and beard. I also remember attending a little dance in the afternoon with some of my cousins who lived there. I can remember how they were dressed. The boys wore white buster brown suits and the girls wore a white dress. I remember a big girl took us. We must have stayed in Utah About a year.

The next I remember we were back in Chuchuipia. It was my 5th birthday and Mama gave me a party. We had cookies and lemonade. I only remember one of the gifts I received, It was a sachet bag and I thought it smelled so pretty.

We lived in a one room lumber house with a two room lean-to. One of the two rooms was a kitchen and the other we used as a store room. In the big one room which served as living and bed room combined, we had a good sized window on the south side from which we could see the street and the big two story house that belonged to uncle Alfred across the street. We had a door in the center, but I can't remember if there was another window in that room. In the kitchen on the west side we had wooden flaps for windows which we propped up with sticks in the summer and nailed down in the winter.

We had probably four or five acres of land which was planted in garden and corn. We had a nice big barn and at least one cow that Mama took care of. I remember we took milk to a neighbor’s a couple of blocks away to have it separated. Mama would let me carry the cream bucket and I would take a sip now and then. We also carried our drinking water from the neighbors. The other water we used was caught in big rain barrels that always stood under the eves of the house.

Mama was a wonderful person. I don't suppose she had much schooling but she was well educated in many ways. She could read, write, and talk Spanish and she was the only Doctor they had in Chupie. (That is short for Chuchuipia) She was what they called a Mid Wife. Whenever any one was sick they always sent for her, but they never furnished any transportation. If I would awaken in the night when she had to leave, she would take me with her, but I can remember a few times when I would awake to find her gone and I am sure the whole town heard my protest.

I can see the two of us now. She would hold a lantern in one hand and my hand in the other as we trudged across meadows or swales or along the road singing "Whose on the Lord's Side Who" or some other hymn; but that is the one I remember best.

I remember one night we went to help a man who was suffering with a tick in his ear and Mama smoked a cigarette and blew the smoke into his ear to kill the tick. Another time there was a Mexican family all down with diphtheria. Mama left me with Aunt Luana and went to take care of them. It was so sad, they died, one by one, except the father and two little girls. Each day we would see the father go by hauling one of his loved ones to the cemetery. Mama must have stayed there a week.

Once Mama took care of an old sea captain who had drifted down there. I think she received 30 pesos a month, He was bedridden and a rough old character if ever there was one. We kept him in the lean-to room. If he wanted anything he would knock on the wall with his cane and cuss like only an old sea captain could cuss, wow! He died while there and I remember the Mexicans filing by to look at him, when he was laid out. Each one put a peso on his chest to help pay his way into heaven. Mama made out pretty well on that deal.

The Mexicans all loved her very much, They called her the Angel of Mercy. I remember going into many a Mexican home and eating tortillas they cooked on rocks. I loved to hear them strum their guitars and sing in the evenings.

I would like to tell about a trip we took just the year before we left Mexico. Mama's sister, Bertha, lived in Juarez and Uncle Alfred or "Papa Baker" took us to visit her. It was a three day journey by wagon. I understand it is about 75 miles. We traveled over some beautiful country. I remember one night we stayed with some people in Garcia and as always I had to get into trouble. I climbed high in an oak tree and then hollered and yelled until someone climbed up and helped me down. I could always go up but I was afraid to come down.

The next day we stopped by a pretty stream to eat our lunch and water and feed the horses. I busied myself picking flowers and when Papa said "Let's go". I said, "Just a minute". This went on two or three times, so Papa whipped the horses and away they flew, I forgot my flowers and went screaming after them. They were soon far ahead of me. I was so frightened. I just knew there were panthers all around me and I imagined I could hear them cry. I would catch a glimpse of the wagon as they came to the top of a knoll, then they would disappear again. I thought I would never be with them again. When they finally waited for me to catch up believe me I had learned my lesson but good!

I guess we stayed with Aunt Bertha about a month. While we were there many things happened. Aunt Bertha arid Uncle Ed were building a new house. The upstairs was finished but there were no stairs. Uncle Ed and the older children slept up there, and because I was a guest and they wanted to be nice to me, they let me sleep there too.

Well one night I proceeded to fall down stairs where there were no stairs landing on my head among the blocks and nails below. I don't know I kept from breaking my neck. I Broke my collar bone, had a hole in my head and was all scratched up. I was out cold the rest of the night.

We had to travel by surrey about ten miles to Person to get to a doctor. When coming back one night, the driver missed the road in the dark and turned us over in the wash. Mama and two spring seats fell on me. Mama put out her hand to protect me and broke a bone in her hand, Then the next morning my cousin, Sylvia, stepped on a rusty nail so we all went to the doctor.

We visited with Aunt Bertha a month or two. It was while I was there that I first talked on a telephone and saw electric lights: It was all quite wonderful to me.

When Uncle Alfred came to take us home it was my eighth birthday. It was raining and we had to climb a very steep dug way just out of Jaurez. Mama and I had to get out and walk all the way up the hill in the rain, so that the horses could pull the wagon, and even then they had to stop and rest every few feet. It was some trip, but with all of this we had a nice visit arid Mama got to see a lot of her old friends

It was just one year later that we suddenly had to leave our home in "Chupie" and all that we owned. I will never forget the day. Uncle Alfred was just nailing the last tow of shingles on the new house he was building for us. Something we had needed so badly for so long. It was to be a lovely house we thought. I think it was a four room house and best of all it had a fire place: We were so anxious to move into it but our dreams were shattered when about 9:00 a. m. this beautiful morning, a man rode up on a horse saying, Poncho Villa is coming and that everyone must be ready to evacuate as quickly as possible, or we may all be killed.

Well, Uncle Alfred dropped his hammer, slid to the ground and things began to happen. I remember Mama put some of her most cherished things in a big box and Uncle Alfred and the boys buried it behind our barn in the hopes that we would soon return, I would like to find that box.

I remember Mama killed and baked a chicken to take with us but we never got to eat it because Mama was saving it to share with aunt Bertha, but by the time we got together with aunt Bertha the chicken was spoiled. But back to my story. A few hours later we were on our way, taking only what we could carry in one trunk. We left by wagon. That was the only transportation we had until we reached Chico, where we boarded a train to El Paso. Many of the people had never ridden a train before. It was a very sad day for everyone. Many of us never returned.

We said goodbye to uncle Alfred and family in E1 Paso. I never saw any of them again for another ten years. They were all the family I had known and I missed them terribly. I used to cry at night and say to Mama, "Let's go and find uncle Alfred,"

Mama did a lot to help aunt Luanna while we were in Mexico. Uncle Alfred's children loved her and thought of her as a second mother. I might add that the Baker family were always sweet and kind to me. We still call each other brother and sister.

It must have been very hard for Mama to leave her home in Chupie, Just as it was hard for her to leave her home here and go down there.

When she went down there she went so that her husband could have another wife and they could have children because she could have none. She did this because of the great faith she had in her religion. Then when she came back to the states she knew she would have to give me back to my father. She would no longer be able to care for me as she had no means of support.

Life was very hard for her in the States. She had to take in washings to make a little money. If she had gone with Uncle Alfred things may have been easier for her. I don’t know, for they had a very hard time too.

She and my grandmother lived together in my grandmother's home for two years or so when my father moved into town (Thatcher, Arizona) add he built a house for Mama and grandmother to live in on the back of the lot.

Mama was a hard worker and though she suffered with her feet all through the years, she accomplished so much. She had running ulcers on both ankles besides lots of corns and calluses to I know she scarcely took a step without pain. She had to keep her legs bandaged. These she put on each morning and took off each night Besides she was very heavy. She must of weighed 200 pounds.

I don't think anyone really appreciated what she did for them, least of all me, for whom she did the most. Not until I became a mother myself and then it was too late to do very much for her. I always loved her dearly and I believe if I could have remained with her and grew up with her teachings I would probably have been a better person. I also love my own family dearly and would certainly have hated to have never known them. So who knows perhaps things have all worked out for the best.

Mama loved children and before me I understand she raised George Sevey and after me LaMar McCray. She also cared for my cousin, Emma McBroom for a year or two.

My heart bleeds when I think of that dear woman and all that she had to go through in this life. All she did for others and what little she received in return. She had a hard life, but never complained, always accepted her lot and seemed to be happy. I am sure she has gained her reward and is happy with her husband and baby in heaven.

Alfred Baker was born august 14, 1851, Matilin, Glochester County, New South Wales, Australia. He was the third son of William and Frances Friend Baker, who were natives of Salehursto Sissex County, England.

William and Frances became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, May 21, 1844. Soon after their conversion they together with other converts, made preparation to go to Utah. On Wednesday, March 28, 1856, they left Sidney Australia in a sail boat, The Jennie Ford, under the command of L.F. Sargen. They were four months on the ocean. Some days the wind would carry them back as far as they had traveled the previous day.

They landed at San Pedro, California' about the first of August 1856, and then continued on till they reached San Bernardino, where they were among the original settlers of that city. Here they planted crops and gathered provisions to enable them to continue on to Utah.

In answer to a call from Brigham Young 27 October 1857, they left for Utah and arrived in Beaver, 16 February 1858, They were a part of a large company. It was a long and hard journey with Ox and mule teams over the dunes. They rode only when the roads were good.

In Beaver they lived in a cellar dugout for two years. Later they went to Minersville, where they built a home--took in boarders--farmed and enjoyed attending church. Here Alfred grew to manhood,

He married Keturah Hannah Lewis 1 January 1876 at Panguitch, Utah. They went to St. George for the dedication of the temple there on 6th of April 1877 and there they were sealed for all eternity: One child was born to this union. He died in infancy at Richfield, Utah. Keturah died 11 April 1939 at Thatcher. Arizona,

In the St. George temple 19 October 1885, Alfred married Luanha Maria Christenson. A year after they were married they moved to Colohia Jauez, Mexico. In Mexico six children were born to them: Keturah Prahceso, William Jesse, Charles Edwardo, Milton Friend, Alfrita, and Alfred Henry. He was a kind and loving husband and very proud of his family. He worked hard at farming, freighting, and logging;

In July 1912, because of the revolution in Mexico the colonists had to leave their homes and possessions and seek refuge in the United States. In September 1912, Alfred and family returned to Minersville. His brother Henry Friend, met them at the train at Milford. It was not easy to make a new start at the age of 61.

In December 1917, his sons Charles and Milton, joined the Navy to serve in Wor1d War I. A year later Alfred moved back to Mexico, as Mexico was now enjoying peace. In 1928 they visited all their children and Luanna passed away 23 December 1828 at Pinegree, Idaho while they were visiting with their son, Charles.

Alfred Baker passed away 6 May 1934 at Colonia Chuichupaj, Chihuahua, Mexico, with his eldest daughter by his side. He was known and loved for his devotion to his church and his helpfulness to his fellowmen. He had 103 descendants in 1960.

Copied from a history of Minersville, Utah; Edited by Alveretta Robinson, Editor, and Daisy Gillins, entitled: THEY ANSWERED THE CALL.

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