ELIZABETH IRENE GRIFFETH (TALBOT)

My mother Elizabeth Griffeth Talbot was the fourth child in a family of eight children. They knew the hardships of pioneer life. Born at Hyde Park she came to Fairview at about seven years of age. She has told us of pulling weeds in the grain, herding cows, helping haul water to use in the house and helping scrub clothes on the scrubbing board. But her choice story is when she tells of her care of the chickens and the setting hens, how she set them in different places about the place.

Mamma has always done her share in public life. She started to sing in the choir at fifteen and was assistant secretary of the primary at sixteen. One year later she became a Sunday School teacher. She was a religion class teacher and secretary in the primary. The sec. offices she held until her marriage. Added to that she used to help the family play for dances. She has told us about the whole family going because Grandma was afraid to stay alone so even when she was small she remembers being taken along.

She was married to Richard Talbot, my father, June 19, 1901. They were married in the Logan Temple and accompanied by her family, they drove up into Logan canyon to spend the day, coming back they spent the night in Hyde Park. The honeymoon being over they returned to Lewiston to start married life.

When first coming to Lewiston they lived in the two rooms at Grandpa Talbots house until they got them a home built.

She sang in the Relief Society Choir for some time and spent many years as a teacher trainer in Relief Society. She was a Primary teacher and visiting teacher from early married life until 1930 and 1936.

She did her share to support George on a mission.

She had her hardships to go with her pleasures. She has buried two babies and my father. She has had two major operations and has never been completely well since her last one in 1941. She has lived through the anguish of sending three sons, George, Ross and Verden in the army during world war two.

She has always been industrious. When her children were small she would do her sewing after the children were put to bed at night. I remember very well of setting up with her because she was nervous to be up alone. Whoever was having the new dress would sit in the rocking chair and sleep being awakened for fittings. She did the sewing for all her family until we girls were big enough to help her. She knitted socks for the entire family and on long winter evenings after supper dishes were washed she would sit in the dim light of the kerosene lamp or fire light and knit and as she knitted she would sing songs or tell stories of her early life. The click of her needles kept time to her songs and stories.

She was one of the few people in Lewiston who worked hard to get school buses started. She spent night after night canvassing homes to get a petition signed.

She has made and taught her family to make beautiful quilts, hand-work and lace and fine sewing.

In the evening she would read to us. Two books I remember well were Black Beauty and a book of Bible Stories. My folks have always seen that there was good reading material in the home. They have taken time out of their busy day to help us with our problems and lessons. She with Father’s help has taught their family to work and be dependable. She has always been kind to a neighbor or friend in sickness. One person who received her help said that “the touch of her hands were soothing and healing.” She has always had great faith and exercised it many times on behalf of herself and family. She was unselfish, she shared with those she has come in contact with.

She has done a lot of temple work and has a complete record of it. Doing work for over 200 people.

She has always loved children and flowers and has gotten a great joy from working with them. Among her grandchildren is a pair of twins, daughters of Verden, and her first great-grandchild, grand daughter of Nathell was born the same day as Nathell’s little girl. Now in her mellow years Mamma stands alone, even with her family around her. The loss of her partner has made her very lonely. Though never idle her thoughts are far away from us. Though Thyra is always with her, Mazma is thinking and remembering something else. She is living in a world of her own.

                                                Written by Nathell I. Oliverson

                                                her Daughter

Note: Irene died February 13, 1954 and was buried in the Lewiston cemetary