Dr. George Washington Hickman and his wife Lucy Ann Haws Hickman

Picture was provided by Lynn Richardson of Benjamin, Utah

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History of My Mother and Father

George Washington and Lucy Ann Haws Hickman

by Eunice Lettie Hickman Richardson

George Washington [Hickman] was born March 12, 1824, Missouri.  Baptized March, 1854.  Endowments April, 1857.  Died Nov. 26, 1893.

Lucy Ann Haws Hickman born Oct. 3, 1838, Iowa.  Died May 31, 1921.  Married 1859, Dec. 25.

I don't know when he came to Utah, but at the time of Jacksons [Johnston's] army or before he met my mother at Salem, when he came to practice medicine.  How long it took to make their courtship will have to be guessed at but they were married about 1859, and lived in Salem until 1865.  Moved to what is now called Stewart's Ranch (It was hard for father to practice and he had to farm, which he had never done, coming from the South where they had slaves in those days to do the work, father had gone to school, I guess, most of his life.)  There was much to keep them down, grasshoppers to fight and lose their crops.  All of them would go and drive them into fire or ditches.  To get medicine, he would have to go to Payson or Spanish Fork.

I remember of mother telling of one of the children not expected to live, had to go to Provo horseback for medicine (poor horse).  That was our parents' fate they lived there 4 or 5 years then moved to their home [where they] still farmed and practiced.

About 1875 there was a siege of Diphtheria.  Father was gone night and day.  He did his doctoring for mostly Spanish Fork people, the people were poor and couldn't pay, (not that they would if they had it) so father quit doctoring and tried to make a go with their hard labor.  He pulled through and the best helpmate anyone ever had, mother, did everything to help.  She made gloves, wove carpet, and if she had material and needed a summer kitchen, went to work and made it.  Never had time for pleasure, just work.

The year the railroad went through Benjamin, mother made and sold gloves for the men.  Sold 400 dollars worth of gloves.  It took night as well as day.  She knew no rest, but lived to nearly 83 and took up fancy work and made some beautiful pieces and was still doing it when she died.

They were the parents of 13 children.  All were born in a two-room house except the last one was born in our new home.  Now we thought it a palace, it was so nice moving out of a log house to one of brick.  That was 66 years ago.

When I remember mother after a storm, she would have to white wash and clean.  Rain would wash the mud from between the logs and run down the walls.  I can now see the tears running down her face, until a log house is a nightmare to me.

Just a little of my life, not much of worth to tell.  Born in Salem, Aug. 29, 1865.  When about 6 months old moved to the lower ranch.  When was called, went to school when there was time, not more than 3 months.  A year later there was more if you could get a teacher.  If they lived out of town the people boarded the teacher.  They took turns, but some of our teachers lived in town.

To learn more about Eunice Lettie Hickman Richardson, click here.

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