Alicia Burk - Linda Flake - Dolores Jordan - Gladys Stevenson
Sisters Ruth, Letha, and Gladys in Farmington, Utah
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Gladys with her 2 oldest children, Dolores and Ray
Gladys and George with their children: Dee, Bob, George, and Donna
One day while Gladys’ mother was very sick with typhoid, Gladys and her siblings were out in the haystack where they decided to pray for their mother. To their delight, they found a cat with a new litter of kittens in the haystack. Gladys was so excited! They each grabbed a kitten and ran to show it to Mother, but Mother was so sick with fever that she thought they were lions. She screamed and no one could hold her down. Their grandmother rushed the children and kittens outside and scolded them for upsetting their mother. When two more brothers became sick with typhoid, Wilford decided it was time to move, because they didn’t know where typhoid came from.
When Gladys was six, she went to bed in a big bed in her new home (with Grandmother Mary Jane Johnson in Logan, UT) and she was sure she heard bears. She put her head under the covers, so terrified. The next day when she told her mother that she’d heard bears during the night, her mother said that it was just her grandmother snoring! When Gladys was six, her family saw Halley’s Comet heading straight for the earth. Everyone thought the comet would hit the earth and explode. All of Gladys’ relatives gathered together in her grandmother’s house to be together when the comet hit and killed them all. They all talked about it and went out to watch the sky. Gladys was so terrified to hear them talking and to think that a comet would hit the earth and suddenly kill her. She was so frightened, she couldn’t even talk. Then suddenly, the comet flipped its big fiery tail and turned back the way it came. So they knew they weren’t going to die!
Gladys says to her posterity, “I hope they will grow up in the Gospel and honor their fathers and their mothers.”
I, Gladys Stevenson Jordan , was born in Fielding, Utah , on July 24, 1901. We lived in this little town until I was about 5 years old. I had two older brothers and when I was three and one-half a little sister came to bless our home. While we lived here my mother took typhoid from the well water and my grandmother Mary Jane Ainsworth Johnson came to take care of her. The night her fever broke my father was sitting in the chair waiting to take off the ice bags and add hot water bags when he fell asleep. As he awoke suddenly he saw my grandfather who had been dead for years looking in the window. He hurried to my mother’s side and found she was almost gone. It took quick work to bring her back. When she was better my father took sick with the same disease and nearly died. As he became better, my older brother took the dreaded disease and Mother and Father were so discouraged that when he was well enough they sold their home and went to Logan , Utah , to stay with Grandmother Johnson until they could become settled. There the second boy, Kenneth, became ill. The fever followed us wherever we went. The Lord blessed my father and mother again, and this boy became well.
I remember this house. It was a two-story house, and we loved to sleep upstairs. Morning glories covered the porch, I loved those flowers. They were so beautiful in the morning. When I was about six, my parents moved to Brigham City , Utah . There I started school. This house was a two-story house too, but we only lived in the lower part. In the summer we had great adventure playing in the empty rooms upstairs. There was a balcony and a cherry tree which we could reach from the balcony. This we would climb down and up, and the cherries were delicious when in season. All around the house was a tall hedge of lilacs. When they were in bloom it was a beautiful sight and we spent many hours trying to find five-leafed ones, which was supposed to be good luck.
My father bought Grandfather Stevenson’s farm in Farmington , Utah , and built a five-room house next door to Grandfather Stevenson. When I was seven we moved into our new home. When I was 8 I was baptized at Farmington , in the river. I remember hjow we undressed and dressed behind the bushes. I was glad my birthday came in the summer because in winter they just broke the ice and dunked you in. James Steed baptized me. When I was ten in 1909, on October 31, another little girl came to our house and being Halloween we were a little disappointed because we were not allowed to mix with the spooks. Instead, we had to sit on the porch and watch the others have fun. In the spring when I was ten, I took typhoid and was healed only through prayer and the goodness of the Lord.
My childhood was spent on a farm at the foot of the mountains. We climbed these and went into the canyons on the north and south. The meadows and lake lay on the west. We gathered buttercups, sago lilies, curley cues and ferns in the mountains, and may flowers and violets in the meadows. We rode horses and swam in the lake. My childhood was very full and free.
I remember when we lived in Brigham City . My Aunt Effie Johnson died of small pox. The doctors pronounced her dead and her husband Jarvis Johnson prayed for Father In Heaven to give her back her life, that she might raise her eight or nine little children. She opened her eyes and became well, raised her children and outlived her husband. We were not informed of the change and came to the funeral loaded with flowers and tears, to find no funeral, which made us very happy.
We have a resort in Farmington where we danced when we were older. We had many happy evenings there. I went to the Davis County High School . President L.J. Muer was my principal. Here I met my husband, George E. Jordan, at a dance. He was an Ogden boy and had come to a basketball game and dance. We were married on May 29, 1919 and went to live in Ogden , Utah . We lived there for six months and moved to Pocatello , Idaho . There our first little girl, Dolores Elaine, was born on March 14, 1920. When she was nine months old, she had the whooping cough and measles, which left her in poor health. We lived in Ogden at this time and work being bad we went to Sparks , Nevada . There we found a little Church and a handful of Saints about 25 families in all. It was part of the California Mission. There were no stakes in California in 1921. We stayed there a year and a half. There we learned to love the Saints and enjoyed having the elders to our home several times a week for their meals. My husband was baptized there by Elder Frank P. May, a fine boy whom we learned to love as a brother. My husband was ordained to the priesthood, and was a faithful worker. Bishop Vanderhoof gave us a recommend to the temple and on the morning of April 12, 1922, we were sealed in the house of the Lord for time and all eternity, taking our little girl with us who then was just 2 years of age. I taught primary and Sunday School and was secretary for Relief Society here.
Now Dolores took pneumonia this same spring and the doctor said we must bring her to California for her health. We came here in 1922 in the summer. Rent was $50 a month for 3 rooms so we rented for 3 months and then bought a lot in San Gabriel County , whiat is now called Rosemeade. There we lived in a neighbors garage while we built a four-room house, moving into it as soon as the outside shell was up.
The following February 7, 1933, our second child came to us, a 9-pound boy we named Raymond Jay. We spent many happy days here, and we found a branch of the Church in Alhambra where we went to Sunday School and mutual. These meetings were held in the W.O.W. Hall on Main Street . I taught Sunday School here, we had no primary, and relief society was held in the sisters’ homes. There was only about 35 families here then and, of course, we had 2 missionaries. I always loved living in the mission field. There is a different spirit there. The Saints are so close to one another. It seems that after wards are established people become too dependent of themselves and lose a portion of that Holy Spirit that is necessary to maintain and hold a mission together.
In 1925, Mr. Jordan was transferred to Sacramento . Here we again lived in a mission field. We learned to love the people here and I was appointed Secretary of Relief Society and also taught a class in the Sunday School, but we had sadness come into our home here and we were not satisfied in this town again. Our little Raymond took diphtheria on the 1st of April, 1927, and went to his Father in Heaven at one o’clock April 5, 1927. This was a shock to us and I know my belief in this Church and its teachings kept me going form day to day. My husband and I had always been very close to each other but this brought us to even a greater understanding of life and our mission together here on this earth. We took this boy to Ogden and buried him close to his grandfather coming back to Sacramento to take up our life again where we had stopped to pause.
The following July 20, 1927, a lovely boy came to bless our home and because I always felt bad that I had not given my first boy his father’s name, I named this boy George Earl Jordan. He was much comfort and joy to me coming to me so soon after my great loss.
During this time the branch had been separated into three branches. The Sacramento Branch being the original and North Sacramento Branch and the Sutter named for the old fort which is still standing there.
We belonged to the Sutter Branch. Now my baby was the first baby to be blessed in this new ward and Bishop Jensen blessed him. My husband had always wanted to bless his babies but he was so timid at doing these things that he never gained the courage to bless one until the last baby and he gave her a lovely blessing.
Here I served as secretary of Relief Society, teacher in primary, sang in the choir, and helped my husband with mutual as he was president. We held mutual and primary at my home; these were certainly inspirational meetings, the crowd being small and the Spirit of the Lord being large. We had a large basement and the M-Men would go down there for their boxing and basketball practice while we would have classes on the main floor. Sometimes we couldn’t hear ourselves think for the noise downstairs, but we never thought of complaining.
Now the depression was beginning to stir and my husband was laid off work with the railroad so he went to work as bookkeeper in a bank This did not pay very well and soon we became discouraged trying to keep up with our obligations so when the bank asked him if he would like a transfer to Los Angeles,, we were very happy as we felt we could find better work here after getting settled.
We came to Los Angeles in the winter of 1929. George went to work in the Bank of America as bookkeeper. After getting settled, George began to look for better work. This he found with the oil company in Santa Fe Springs as a bookkeeper, but soon the company began laying men off and George received his notice. He then went to work for a truck company called H.P. Truck. The wages were small, but we managed to live within our income and help some that were more unfortunate than we.
Now we went to Church at Alhambra again. By now they had bought an old building on 1stStreet here. I was not in the ward long before I was asked to be second counselor in Relief Society, Sister Agnes Bruce being our president. I learned to love her very dearly and enjoyed working with her. George was asked to take charge of the basketball in the Alhambra Ward and being a very fine athlete he made a great success of this work.
About 1930 we began to build a new building, the old one being too small and the Church sold it to the Seven-Day Adventists. They allowed us to rent it and continue our meetings there until our building on 8th Street was up sufficiently for us to meet in.
Sister Bruce resigned at this time because of her husband’s health. (He passed away in 1935.) I was put in her place. We fed our men two meals a day and raised a great deal of money for our new building and then in September 1931 I was released because of the coming of my next baby, a boy born October 26, 1931. We named him Robert Ray and again I took a short vacation, but the following spring Brother Bill Chappel chose me as second councilor for the Genealogy Society, Pauline Clapp being the first, and again I was put in second counselor to Sister Norah Hoyle in the relief society. But this baby was a very cross baby and when older had to have an operation on his throat, so found I must the relief society work. But I helped them with their magazines and I taught in the primary during these years.
In 1934 I had to resign everything as my health was failing and August 18, 1935, a baby girl came to our home. We named her Donna Ruth, Ruth for her aunt. I was two months in bed this time and it seemed that my mission here was finished when the Genealogy Class on Monday night sent me some lovely flowers and prayed for the Lord to spare my life. I know that these prayers were answered for I was better the next day and only one week I got out of my bed. I was a year gaining my strength back and perhaps will never be as well again, but I am able to do some Church work and take care of my little family for which I am thankful.
In 1936, we decided we could save some money by moving to Hunting Park as his work was in Vernon . The building there was finished and dedicated. The new organ was in and paid for so we felt that a good job was finished and we could leave content.
Moving to Huntington Park, I helped here with the teaching, being supervisor for about a year then again I was chosen for counselor but my health would not allow me to do what my heart and mind wished to do, so I had to ask for a release after about 6 months, but I took the teachers topic and for one winter I carried this on. Now the primary asked for help and I took a class in the winter of 1938. It is now 1939 and I am still there.
This winter, 1938 and 1939, we started a junior genealogy and I was asked to be a teacher. I am glad now for all the years I have attended this organization for now I may help the young girls and boys to enjoy an dlove this work that is so close to my heart. I hope I might help some of these people to a sure footing in this work that they might be leaders. During all this time from 1921 to now I have been a relief society teacher only asking for rest while my babies were born. I love this work too.
The winter of 1928 and 1939 has passé by. My Junior Genealogy class advanced with the Spirit of the Lord and are almost ready for their second years work. My primary class went into the Guide Class and I feel these two things have been accomplished well. It is now time to start another winter’s work.
During this summer I took my two boys and little girl to Lake Elsinor to camp on the edge of this beautiful lake. Both my boys can swim and my little girl loves the water. Donna had the whooping cough while we were there. I also had my brother’s boy Odell Stevenson for the summer. He is a good boy. An old friend Sister Mable Ripley who lives at 1827 Vic Street in Sacramento , California , spent a month with us. Our vacation was perfect. After returning home I put up much fruit and vegetables, having 800 quarts in all as our work stopped in June; work being very bad here at this time.
Today, September 3, 1939, England and France declared war on Germany , who has been firing on Poland for two days bringing my thoughts closer to our genealogy teachings of the last days and the last war. I hope I may have courage during the things that must come and never lose sight of my duty to do the Lord’s work.
It was always thought that the Jordans came down from noblemen in England , however, cousins who have been contacted in England know nothing of this story. However, in Salt Lake City ’s library there is a Gerrard from the same territory as the Jordans came from and this could be the noble line in place of the Jordans , however, here is a copy from a book in the Los Angeles Library, Page 1223 – Gen R. 974-1 and Gen R. 920.073 A 511-V4 (Jordans ancient family in Dorsetshire, and occurred very early in Coker Frome, at Frome White Field. Their arms are quartered with Trenchard and Mohun.
In the windows of Manor House of Wolverton, if windows remain there is almost a complete pedigree of these ancient notables. Wolverton Manor lies eight miles from Weymouth , John Jordan its ancient owner was escheator of the county. The fifth of Henry the IV and his name occurs in a list of gentlemen the twenty-fifth of Henry VI he bought place from his daughter’s heir to Henry Trenchard of Hampshire.
John Jordan held land at Wigmouth 1440
John Judeyne a member of Parliament, 1553
Richard Jordain, Mayor of Melcomb, 1596
The name Jordan was adopted as a surname
One Weeks Diary
Sept. 1 Friday – today it is still summer. The children are out of school. My day went as usual. Poland and Germany are at war which brings sadness to we who have been through the world war 20 years ago.
Sept. 2 Saturday – Drove over to Bell Gardens to see Georges brother Edd on arriving home we heard over the radio England gave Germany until Sunday noon to withdraw their troops and stop fighting.
Sept. 3 Sunday – This morning brought news of England and France declared war against Germany . We went to Sunday School and the testimony and prayers of our good people were full of the Spirit of the Lord, each one spoke of the ward and prayed for strength for the Saints.
--typed up by Alicia Burk Riley, April 2015, from typewritten pages found at my parents' home
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--typed up by Alicia Burk Riley, April 2015, from typewritten pages found at my parents' home
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Grandma Jordan was a descriptive writer. I like how she tells about the two story homes she liked with flowers. It shows me another side of her that I don’t remember.
She was a most perfect grandma. I loved it when she played “This Little Piggy” with me, then laughed so merrily. I later played it with all of my grandchildren. She was very talented with her artwork and china, but she also embroidered dishtowels and pillowcases for her granddaughter’s “Hope Chests”. She also painted each granddaughter a set of beautiful, floral china. She later made cute little crocheted dolly purses and embroidered books for her great-grandchildren.
Grandma Jordan had the warmest laugh. It just bubbled up from inside of her. She was always very cheerful with her grandchildren, and loved to teach us how to do things.
When I was staying with her on a break from BYU, she told me that she didn’t feel any older than when she was 17, but then she would look into the mirror and wonder who that woman with gray hair was! My mother, my twin brother Bob, and I lived by her and Grandpa Jordan for the school year after my father died, in July of 1963. We moved to Huntington Park from North Bend, Oregon, where I started my Sophomore year at the same High School (I am guessing?) Lorna Graduated from in probably 1957. (She lived with them at the end of her Senior year because she had gotten very sick in Oregon. She needed the warm Los Angeles air to get well.) My Grandma taught me to paint a china dish and I have it to this day.
~Linda Kay Flake Burk (This is told to the best of my memory : )
Alicia with a picture of her great-grandmother Gladys
Silhouettes of George and Gladys / Gladys with her mother in Farmington, UT, early 1900's
