EVALYN VILATE PRATT (GRIFFETH)

wife of George Andrew Griffeth, Jr.

by

Alice Albertie Griffeth (Griffiths)

Eva, as she was called, was born in Dayton, Franklin County, Idaho, on October 13, 1881, to Moroni Walker Pratt and Mary Chugg. As I first remember Eva, she was a tall slender gir). with pigtails. Her father owned the only store in Fairview and he also had a milk route. Eva often drove the milk wagon. I well remember one incident, I was in the store and she drove the milk wagon up to the home across the street. As she was setting out some of the cans, the team became frightened and began to run. Eva tried desperately to dart between the wheels and snatch her baby sister from the seat of the wagon, but she didn’t succeed. Someone said, “Your team is running away, Bishop.” Set the dogs on them,” he remarked. “But your baby’s in the wagon,” the man said. Brother Pratt cleared the counter with one leap as he uttered a few words of prayer, and it seems that men never did run so fast as those men ran. Fortunately the team was close home and turned into the yard without tipping the child out.

The next I remember about Eva, she must. have been about 16. My brother George liked to step all of the new girls in town, especially the school teachers. He went rather steadily with a lovely teacher for some time and I thought that they would soon be getting married, when suddenly conditions changed and instead of bringing the teacher one Sunday, he brought the little Pratt girl home for dinner. She still had long legs and pigtails. Eva seemed so very young and she seemed ill at ease in our home at first. To my knowledge, George never again dated another girl.

At one time Eva, George, my sister Irene and her boyfriend were getting ready to go to a party——it seems that it was at the A.C. College at Logan, and Eva felt that she would like her hair done in a different style. So, Irene found some hairpins and helped her put her hair into a bob, which was very becoming to her and made her look older, and they went happily on their way in the old white-topped buggy.

Next, was George’s call to go on a mission. He was more serious about this than anything that had ever happened to him. Then we knew where his love lay, for he was anxious to leave a ring on Eva’s finger. She was very young and popular, but no other man found favor while George was gone. After he left, she went down to Ogden for several months, I think that it was Christmas time when she came home. I hadn’t gone to Sunday School one Sunday morning for some reason, and when my older sisters came home, they brought Eva with them.

She had the prettiest blue gray dress. The skirt was made long and her hair was brought up high on her head. She was truly a beautiful, sophisticated lady from the city. I couldn’t keep from watching her as she talked and ate.

When George came home from his mission, we didn’t expect him for a few days. He came in about midnight, to find that we had just rec’d word that Grandfather Griffeth was close to death. George wanted so much to see Eva, of course, but he knew that if he went to see her first, he would not get to Grandfather in time. So, early the next morning he and father started for Grover, Wyoming. When Eva heard of it, she was very understanding and was glad that Grandfather had the joy of seeing his missionary grandson before death came.

Eva has been a good wife and mother and has also found time to serve her church and her neighbors. She was always gracious and considerate with George’s relatives, a good cook and hostess so that everyone enjoyed visiting in their home.

To George and Eva were born: Mary Vilate, February 18, 1902; Melvin Pratt, March 13, 1904; Florence Pratt, August 27, 1907; Cora Pratt, April 14, 1910; and Vaughn Pratt, November 17, 1912.

George being the oldest in our family, he considered it his duty to care for our father, Andrew Griffeth, in his declining years. Eva accepted this added responsibility willingly and she made Father’s last years happy, for which we as a family feel grateful. Now, she is a jolly, sweet old grandmother and we know that God loves her, too.