Valdemar Eldridge JOHNSON

                   HISTORY:
316 N. 2nd West....."The Lehi House"  known so well in the Charles & Eleanor Johnson family.   Grandma Bushman had the home to the time of her death.  Then Val and Belva bought the house from the estate for less than $400.00. They moved into the home about 1949-41....moving from Cedar City.

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HISTORY:
INTERVIEW:   Belva G. Johnson interview by Eleanor Law Johnson while she visited our home 26 Nov 1990. 
Belva:  They were preparing him for a bowel operation when he died of a heart attack in the Lehi Hospital.  He was a grand man, a wonderful man.  Mama died when I was in my first week of teaching school.  She had a ruptured gall bladder.  She left a large family and Dick was only 10 months old.  My Dad never married or dated anyone else for all the years after her death (about 20 years).  So, Dick and Dad were always close. 
         Mama always went to church but Dad didn't go.  I don't know why he didn't go.  His father, William Francis Gurney was a Bishop and Mayor of Lehi and set a good example for his family.  His wife had died and he was single for forty years.  He was Biship when he was a widower and Mayor during that period.
   
          Every summer, for I don't know for how long, Grandpa Wm. Francis Gurney would fill his hay rack and put all the grandchildren and a picnic lunch and we'd spend the whole day over at Saratoga.  Coming home most of the kids would sleep, but those that weren't sang all the way home and we'd have such a  good time.

         Every Christmas we'd be so anxious to get over to Grandpa's for our sack of goodies.  He was my favorite Grandpa.  Grandpa Bushman was quiet, a farmer  and not as out going.  He never took us any place. He was a good religious man but didn't do anything with the grandchildren.  Of course, that meant a lot when a grandfather spent time with us.
   
       I wasn't raised in a family where we had family prayer.

       I've taught in all the organizations and loved playing in  Relief Society under nine different Presidents.   I miss that so much but can't see the notes any longer.  At first I had lessons on an old peddle organ and then I  did housework to earn my lessons.  We soon got a piano so I didn't have to peddle so hard.  We were living at 3rd East and 5th North at that time. (It's been torn down and is no longer there..someone built a new home on that lot.) 

         When I went to BYU and studied to be a teacher, the first year I rode back and forth on the Old Orem Train.  The second year I worked for an elderly lady and stayed with her while I attended BYU.  I graduated from BYU in 1925 with my teachers certificate.  I still have it in a drawer at home.
          The first year I taught first grade at the Franklin School in Lehi.  The second year I taught second grade at the Sego Lily School ,  After that Val came along.  I met Val at Aunt Flora Zimmerman's.  I had a bad cold and she said if I'd come down there, she'd make me better.  Val was working for the State Road.  I was so sick the first time I met him.  Uncle Suel Zimmerman was a road foreman.  Aunt Flora was Mama's sister and was so good to all of 
us after Mama died.  I thought Val was nice and he thought I was  nice.  So coming to work I'd be walking along the road to school and he'd come along and pick me up.  On our first date we went to  dance.  We went to three weddings that summer of 1927.  We went together seven months and were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  I remember borrowing some Temple clothes from a dear friend.    I remember all my friends gave me party.   When we were married we lived in two rooms in Grandma Bushman's home.  She moved her bed out in the living room and we took her bedroom and the little bedroom  where I sleep now was our bedroom.  We lived there three months then moved to Provo where Val was working for the Utah Oil Refining Company.  He was transferred to Cedar City where we lived for ten years.  Charles was small when we moved to Cedar and Grant was born in Cedar.  Charles had been born at Crane Maternity Home in Provo.  Martin was born in Lehi..

         It was while we were living at Cedar that Grandma Bushman passed away.  They wanted to keep the home in the family so we decided to buy the old adobe home for $360.00.  We put plumbing, cubboards, stucco on shortly after and moved to Lehi.  I came from Cedar for Grandma Bushman's funeral.  I don't recall much about her funeral except that I was there.  She was the grandest lady, sweet, quiet person.       
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PERSONAL INTERVIEW: ee:Belva Gurney Johnson er: Eleanor Law Johnson.  
"They were preparing him (her father) for a bowel operation when he died of a heart attack in the Lehi Hospital.  He was a grand man, a wonderful man.  Mama died when I was in my first week of teaching school.  She had a ruptured gall bladder.  She left a large family and Dick was only 10 months old.  My Dad never married or dated anyone else for all the years after her death (about 20 years).  Dick and Dad were always close.
         Mama always went to church but Dad didn't go. I don't know why he didn't go.  His father, Wm.Francis Gurney, was a Bishop and Mayor of Lehi and set a good example for his family.  His wife had died and he was single for 40 years.  He was Bishop when he was a widower and Mayor during that period.
        Every summer, for I don't know for how long, Grandpa William Francis Gurney, would fill his hay rack and put all the grandchildren and a picnic lunch and we'd spend the whole day over at Saratoga.  Coming home most of the kids would be asleep, but those that weren't sang all the way home and we'd have such a good time.
         Every Christmas we'd be so anxious to get over to Grandpa's for our sack of goodies.  He was my favorite grandpa.  Grandpa Bushman was quiet, a farmer and not as out going.  He never took us any place.  He was a good, religious man but didn't do anything with the grandchildren.  Of course, that meant a lot when a grandfather spent time with us.
         I wasn't raised in a family where we had family prayer.  
         I've taught in all the organizations and loved playing the piano in Relief Society under 9 different presidents.  I miss that so much but can't see the notes any longer.  At first I had lessons on an old peddle organ and then I  did housework to earn my lessons.  We soon got a piano so I didn't have to peddle so hard.  We were living at 3rd East and 5th North at that time (it's been torn down and is no longer there.  Someone built a new home on that lot.) 
       When I went to BYU and studied to be a teacher, the 1st year I rode back and forth on the old Orem train.  The 2nd year I worked for an elderly lady and stayed with her while I attended BYU.  I graduated from BYU in 1925 with my teachers certificate (2 yr).  I still have it in a drawer at home.  The first year I taught 1st grade at the Franklin School in Lehi.  The 2nd year I taught at the Sego Lily School 2nd grade.  After that Val came along.  I met Val at Aunt Flora Zimmerman's.  I had a bad cold and she said if  I'd come down there, she'd make me better.  Val was working for the state road.  I was so sick the first time I met him.  Uncle Suel Zimmerman was a road foreman. Aunt Flora was Mama's sister and was so  good to all of us after Mama died.  I thought Val was nice and he thought  I was nice.  So coming to work, I'd be walking along the road to school and he'd come along and pick me up.  On our first date we went to a dance (at the dance center in Lehi, Utah).  We went to three weddings that summer of 1927.  We went together seven months and  were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  I remember borrowing some Temple clothes from a dear friend.  I remember all my  friends gave me a party (shower).  When we were married we lived in two rooms in Grandma Bushman's home.  She moved her bed out in the living room and we took her bedroom and  the little bedroom where I sleep now was our bedroom.  We lived there three months, then  moved to Provo where Val was working for the Utah Oil Refining Company.  He was transfered to Cedar City where we lived for 10 years.
       Charles was small when we moved to Cedar and Grant was born in Cedar.  Charles was born at Crane Maternity Home in Provo. Martin was born in Lehi.  It was while we were living at Cedar that Grandma Bushman passed away.  They wanted to keep the home in the family so we decided to buy the old adobe home for $360.00.  We put plumbing, cubboards, stucco on shortly after and moved to Lehi. I came from Cedar for Grandma Bushman's funeral.  I don't recall much about her funeral except that I was there.  She was the grandest lady....sweet, quiet person."

ORAL HISTORY:  On tape.
Interview with Belva May Gurney by Eleanor L. Johnson  August 15, 1989  Lehi, Utah

       "I was born here in Lehi in the next house north, (not the duplex but next to that) the first of 10 children. Note:  Grandpa Val Johnson sold off some of his property to the north of the house and the new owner built a duplex..
       At this time there are four of us left, two girls...Belva and Delvora, and two boys, Dean and Dick.  I'm the oldest and Dick's the youngest. He was 10 months old when Mama died.  I'll never forget that.  Poor Pa Pa , he just walked up and down and cried.  She was sick with gall bladder two to three weeks before the operation.  Her gall bladder ruptured.  
        I was teaching school and Dr. Worlton came up and said come quick, your mother isn't going to live very long.  She was dead when I got there.  I cried and cried.  Dad, grandma Martha Bushman (her mother) were there at the Lehi Hospital.  I can't remember who else was there.  
ELJ:   How did grandma take it? 
Belva:    "Bad."
       Grandpa Martin B. Bushman died right here in this room (living room in the 316 N. 2nd West home).  He had a stroke and he had laid here for days and days.  We brought the bed in from the bedroom and it was right here where the couch is.  It was before we were married.  I remember Val came to see him but didn't know anyone.  Grandpa and Grandma Bushman were living here alone when this happened.
       Every time we had a birthday, we'd gather in this living room and sing...We thank thee or God For A Prophet."

Note by ELJ    It is no wonder that we loved coming to see Grandma Johnson and to feel the spirit of that old home at 316 N. 2nd W. in Lehi.  Martin B. Bushman built the home and before the City of Lehi replaced the sidewalks about 1999, Martin B.'s name was in the sidewalk out in front of the house.  We are so grateful for what Grant and Vicki have done to maintain that wonderful old homestead.  Dec 2002