Alice Ann Worthington Poulton

Life History of Alice Ann Worthington  Poulton

written in 1967 by her daughter Edna Udy

copied by Brenda Bailey

Alice Ann Worthington Poulton was born September 1, 1871 at Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah.  She was the daughter of James Mitchel Worthington and Martha Jane Pratt.  When a young lady, she and a friend, Elsie Hudson saved money by keeping out part of the eggs she gathered and selling them.  The saved the money until they had enough to go to Idaho.  She lived with her brother, Henry and his wife Martha, until she met and married Edward Eli Poulton on August 5, 1890 in Marion, Cassia County, Idaho.  On  Sept 25, 1890 they traveled to Logan where they were sealed in the Temple.

Edward Eli Poulton

Painting of the Buckhorn Ranch

They bought the Buckhorn Ranch and lived there.  She could tell many Indian stories that would frighten you.  There were four children born to this couple Ila Vera, Martha, and James Wesley and Edna Alice who was born 2 ½ months after her father’s death on February 24, 1899.  He caught a bad cold and died of pneumonia within three days.

            Edna recalls how she remembers her mother crying a lot when she was little and how she felt sorry for her.  It was so hard for her to take care of her little family, not knowing how she would support them.

Alice Ann Worthington Poulton

            Alice Ann had it very hard and was left with a big responsibility with the sheep, cattle, and a ranch.  She rented the sheep to Alvin Tolman for nine years.  Then Uncle Sam Poulton rented them.  Sam was a wonderful man and so kind and helpful to Alice.  She had a very hard life to make and living and raise four small children.  Alice felt so badly over the loss of her husband that she was afraid she had not done all she could have to save his life.

            John Iverson was crowding her for a $800.00 bill which she was sure Ted had paid.  So she made it a work of prayer.  That night her husband, Ted, was permitted to come back to her.  They were seated in the living room on two chairs facing each other and he was holding her hands.  She said the room lit up so bright.  He told her not to feel bad as she had done all that could be done for him.  It was his time to go.  Ted told her to go to Hebber Bunn’s that he was there when the bill was paid.  He then turned and looked at the window and said, “They have come for me, I’ll have to go!”  When Alice looked back Ted was gone.  When she awoke the next morning the chairs were still there, and she was still broken hearted.  She said it was so Heavenly and she was so happy while her husband was with her.

            She went to Hebber Bunn’s and asked him if he was there when Ted had paid Mr. Iverson.  He said he had seen Ted give Mr. Iverson the money.  Alice asked him to go to Iverson’s with her and he said he would.  So when they told Iverson that Hebber saw Ted pay him, Mr. Iverson said he was sorry that he had forgotten.  He never gave her any more trouble.

            Alice had a big heart and was always helping those in need.  When there was nay sickness she was very good to help.  She was a very hard worker and was very talented.

            When the Milner Dam was being built she milked cows, churned butter, and gathered eggs.  We would wrap wet clothes around the bottles to keep them cool.  She would take the milk, cream, buttermilk, eggs etc., to Milner and go from house to house and sell the products.  She made this trip every week and would always have to drive the horse and buggy home late at night.  She did anything to make an honest dollar.  She had honey bees and extracted honey.  We used to go from house to house selling the honey.  It always had such nice texture.

Emerald, Wesley, Alice Ann, Ila Vera, Edna

            In the early days all the traffic went by the house.  When the Oakley Dam was being built there were lots of people going and coming.  When the dog would bark at night she knew someone was coming and would awaken the children.  Each one would get a quilt and go out I the field and sleep in a ditch till daylight.  Then she would take her children back to the house and milk the cows.  The family can remember many nervous instances that occured.  She was a wonderful mother and a good manager.  She came through the depression when lots of people lost everything.

            In 1938 she went to Logan, Utah and did work in the Temple for 100 names and also did baptisms for the dead.  One time she got a name and put it down on the bench, she heard paper being crushed and looked but could not find the name.  She went back and told them and when they checked they said that the work had been done for that person and gave her another name.

            She always worked very hard and never had the meals she should have had.  She lived with her daughter, Emerald and husband, Ed Hunter during her last days.  She passed away March 27, 1949 and was buried April 1, 1949 in Oakley, Idaho beside her beloved husband Ted.

Headstone in Oakley Idaho Cemetary

Comments:

The Buckhorn Ranch had been sold several times.  In the Spring of 2005 the current owner met Sonja Parish Tolman (a great granddaughter) and told her he had found the title to the Buckhorn Ranch in an out building hidden behind a loose rock in the wall.  He shared it with us and the copy is posted on the home page of the www.claverclan.blogspot.com  Family members gathered in May of 2005 to learn the history of the ranch.

By Tim Hale grandson of Alice Ann Poulton.

Uncle Wesley showed me my grandmother's pear handled revolver she carried in her apron pocket. As I remember it was what was called a gambler's special. It was silver, 5 shots, I think 25 cal. and did not have a trigger guard, able to be fired very easily. A story I heard was that a couple of rough looking guys rode into the Buckhorn Ranch and asked Grandmother if she was afraid of living all alone so far from town.  She said, "NO!  See the door on the chicken coop?"  They said, "yes".  She said,  "See the nail in the center board?"   Then drew her pistol and put a bullet in the nail then said,"the next one could be right between your eyes!"