Item Detail
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Olson, Edith Jones
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1894-1977
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MSS SC 913
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Transcripts of recorded interviews with her grandson
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Edith Jones was born in Castle Gate, Utah on November 19, 1894 to Margaret Thomas and William Samuel Jones. She grew up in Castle Gate, but spent much time in Price, Utah. On September 3, 1917 she married Emmett Olson in Price. They lived in Price for most of their marriage. Later they lived between Utah and Colorado for several years. Eventually they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. She died in Salt Lake City on July 10, 1977.
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This collection is a ninety-five page, typed transcript of interviews conducted by her grandson. Also included in the collection is a two page typed letter from Phil Cederlof, one of Edith's neighbors, to Dennis Rowley, the director of Archives and Manuscripts in the Harold B. Lee Library on Brigham Young University campus. In the letter he tells of several interviews that he conducted with Edith and offers them to Mr. Rowley to add to the library's collection. His interviews are not included in this collection. He also enclosed a newspaper clipping of Edith's obituary. The transcript itself starts out with Edith describing her parents' history. Her parents were both from Wales, although they did not know each other until they both came to America. They each joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Wales and came to Salt Lake City to be with the saints there. Edith was an only child and tells of her parents' support of her learning the piano and her singing abilities. Later on in her life she was often called upon to share her talent in these areas at numerous church services for all denominations and at about two thousand funerals. She also played and sang at the picture shows before sound movies were developed. She tells of meeting Emmett at a dance that she was attending with another boy and he was attending with another girl. She also talks of their struggles through the Great Depression and the things that they learned as a result of it. She was the First Lady of the year in Price in 1947 and in that same year was appointed director of the Carbon County Centennial Arts committee.
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1829-1903