Ingrid Nilsson Anderson

Ingrid Nilsson Anderson

 

 

Ingrid Nilsson’s father died and she was boarded out when she was about nine.  Her first job was herding.  Pay was for board and a few clothes.  She only saw her mother once a year and then for only a short time.  There was no time to play as she had to help with inside work after the daily outside work was done.  Each year she had to work harder outside until she was pushing wheelbarrows and doing men’s work.  She met Anders Anderson at the place she worked.  Thru him she heard the gospel.  Anders came to America and then when he had worked and saved enough he sent for Ingrid.  She was kind and mothered a small five-year-old boy along the trip.  She came by rail to meet Anders.  He took her to his parent’s home to wait to be married in the Endowment House. 

They moved out to the Salt Flats to homestead.  Anders lived in town where he worked and he came home week-ends.  There weren’t many people nearby and she was very nervous.  She had a dog, Jack, which slept on the bed to keep her company.  She had two small children.  They eventually gave up the homestead and moved to Holliday, Utah.  Ingrid took care of Anders’ mother in her declining years until she died.

In 1906, they moved to Idaho.  Ingrid was a wonderful housekeeper, very orderly and neat.  She was a good mother.  She cared for herself until a few days before her death at 87.  She had an old cow, Rosy, she could call from the field. She ruled her with her cane and her voice.  She was a hardworking woman.  She worked in the hay field and other work until her boys were big enough to help. She was out milking and doing chores when her babies were just three days old.

She knit all her children’s stockings until the time they were married.  At birthday time she would always have nice stockings knit.  She ironed everything in the wash. On her granddaughter Ingrid’s birthday she would meet her at the gate and give her either money or a pillow or pillow cases. 

In her cupboard was an old mug filled with hardtack candy.   When the grandchildren visited her they were always served crackers and honey. 

She made towels fancied with rickrack or lace and pillow cases with rows of tucks, very minutely and neatly made.