Tribute to Fannie Young Perry by Some of her Children
Arranged by Velda Lovell

Taken from a tape recording made by John H. and Velda Lovell date unknown.

L. Tom: The things I remember best about mother, when I was about seven or eight we went up in the field toward the Drybed, some of the neighborhood boys and I, to play, watch the birds and eat berries. When it became dark we started home, we met mother and Maude in the field, she was coming after me. When she saw us, oh she was overjoyed. She scolded the boys for keeping us so late and all that then mother fainted. That was one of the sad truths about mother, she could faint and relax.

Melba: I remember for her patience and wisdom in raising a large family, her dignity and even judgment, her role as a Bishop’s wife, the gentle way she would say to father “Henry, don’t give sister so and so credit for so many eggs in tithing until I count them” not that she ever doubted their word but we never had enough eggs to make up the difference. My Sunday school teacher and how she used to make those stories and teachings of The Book of Mormon Class come clear in the mind of a 12 ear old.

Bert: I guess I remember mother best in her older days. Dad and mother used to live in the old house, after I got married and got a house south of the orchard and the barn was north of their house. I used to stop by after morning and evening chores after father was to old to feel like working. I’d go by their house every nite to do the chores, and every nite coming home, I’d be going home late in the evening after dark. I remember going there almost every nite. They used to have an old stove that had a big hearth and they would have a big fire in it. There would sit dad and mother, one on one side of the hearth, and one on the other. Dad would have a little stick poking the coals. They used to look so contented, I used to leave with tears of join in my eyes.

Eurene: I think the thing I remember, the picture I have of mother the most is when we lived up on the ranch. Every afternoon about 4 O’clock I’d have to get on old Dick to go get the cows. And no matter how late it was or how far I had to go she was always there at the gate waiting when I came home. Sometimes I would be way after dark, and I remember once she said to me “Eurene there are two things that I’m always glad for, one is that you ride a white horse and the other is that you can sing. Because for a long ways before I can hardly see you, she said, I can here you sing and when I see that white horse I know at last that you are safely home”. And I never realized how she felt until I was married and had children of my own to worry and be concerned about.

Eunice: I distinctly remember mother knitting our black knit socks night after night by a kerosene lamp. What a racket we all made then she would say “you girls hush up, here comes your pa”.

Velda: I have so many wonderful memories of mother that its difficult to pick out one. But I think the most vivid I have is on Sunday morning. She would get up real early. Most people liked to be in bed on Sunday morning, but not mother. She was always up earlier on Sunday than any other day, to get the house all cleaned up, to get breakfast, to see we all had clean clothes for Sunday, and to get dinner prepared, and in the oven so it would b ready when we got home, and then she would dress for Sunday school and always had time to sit down in the living room and go over her Sunday school lesson. She did this, I don’t remember any Sunday when she didn’t go to church except in 1918, during the flu. She always got up so early and worked so hard. Eunice, with her sense of humor said “Mother you look ten years younger since there wasn’t any Sunday school and you don’t have to got up so early.”

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