Life History of Thora Wilson Gubler-Part 1

Thora Wilson Gubler is my maternal grandmother.  I have spent a lot of time on my paternal lines and thought it was time to focus on my maternal side.  This history was written by my grandma and was included in a book that was compiled by my Uncle Thell and Aunt Elaine for Thora's 80th birthday.  The book was entitled, 80th Star Leaves Cosmic Trail of Ancestry, Honoring Thora Wilson Gubler. Dated May 20, 1983.

History of Thora W. Gubler

I was born in Virgin, Utah, 20 May 1903 to Morris Wilson, Jr. and Minnie Ann Stratton Wilson.  My cousin, Elola Stratton, and I were both born the same day on Uncle Powell Stratton's birthday.

We moved from Mountaindale before I was one year old.  My father built a house with a lean-to over a cellar in LaVerkin, so his family could be with him while he worked on the Hurricane Canal, to get water to the city block he owned in Hurricane. (The granary house is going to be restored by Eric Nielson.) Dad later sold this property in Hurricane to the Stanworth brothers for $600.00, as he was called to be the Bishop of the LaVerkin Ward in June 1904, where he served in this capacity for 24 years.

I was baptized in the LaVerkin canal, just above my home, by my father on my 8th birthday, after which we enjoyed a big dinner.  We had many happy times in this modest home.

Charles Cottom and son, Walter, built our new home and we moved into it when I was nine years old.  It was like heaven to have my own bedroom.  When I was 12 Dad bought a new piano and I took lessons from Sister Maud Judd.  After Ed and I were married Mother and Dad wanted a new radio and said we could have the piano for what the radio would cost.  We purchased a lovely 3 1/2 foot high floor radio and happily made the change.  This piano has brought many happy hours into our homes throughout the years and I still enjoy playing it.

When I was in grade school (which encompassed the 1st through 8th grade) we had a religion class before school for the 7th and 8th grades.  Ezoe Woodbury was the organist for it, and when she wasn't there I played "Catch the Sunshine," as she wasn't there quite often it became necessary for me to learn other hymns as fast as I could.  Emil Graff was my teacher for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
(see photos: https://familysearch.org/photos/images/1485500?p=1035905
https://familysearch.org/photos/images/3805413?p=1035905
https://familysearch.org/photos/images/1427165?p=1035905)

I nearly always got A's on my report card, but got B's in deportment, as I sat between Moroni Sanders and Whitney Jones and they were always yanking my long braids and putting them in ink bottles.  The teacher caught me as I turned around to hit them back.

When I was 12, my brother Paul was born, and Dad hired Mina Morrell, who was 18 or 19, to come and help during the day and evenings.  She was dating Ed at the time, so Emma Woodbury and I called Ed and told him Mina wanted him to come up--so he came and surprised her as they sat out on the porch (Emma and I were hiding on the deck just above them) as Ed kissed her goodnight, Emma and I giggled and had a lot of fun about it, little dreaming in later years Ed and I would date and end up marrying each other.

I attended the first 9th grade class that was held in Hurricane.  During this year I contacted the flu, along with my father and brother, Wayne.  About two weeks later the doctor came to check on us and then went onto help others at Toquerville.  He told them that he was afraid that Bishop Wilson and his daughter would both be dead by morning, but because of a special prayer circle held especially in our behalf that night, we made a turn for the better and made a complete recovery.

In order to finish my high school education, it was necessary for me to move to St. George, where I lived with Sister Julia Graff and her daughter, Rachel, who was my best friend.  (This was Emil Graff's mother and sister.) During this time, I and another girlfriend Partha Gubler, became very homesick and decided to borrow a couple of horses and go home over the weekend.  We started the long journey home (much farther than it is now, with improved roads).  By the time we arrived home, we were both so sore that we had to be lifted off our horses.  The only thing I could think of at that time was that same long miserable trek back!

During school we were asked to put on a vaudeville show, in order to raise money for a class project.  There were six girls and six boys that did the chorus.  In order to have something special and different, we asked Rachel's brother , Grant, who was living in Salt Lake City, to pick up some music that he thought would be good for this production, and one of the songs he sent down was "Oh Gee, Say Gee." Our songs went over with great appreciation with the student-body and the community where it played for three nights with capacity crowds and we made good money.

During the summer, Rachel and her mother moved back to LaVerkin and Rachel would clerk in the store--so when the ward had a special program they asked us to do a number and we decided we would do that lively little number of "Oh Gee, Say Gee."  The chorus goes something like this: "Over here, over there, she's a little bit bare, so she wears a lot of leaves to protect her from the air. Oh gee, say gee, you ought to see my gee gee from the frigie isles." Everyone in the audience got a big kick out of it except Dad, and he was really furious to think that we would sing this song.