Courtship, like hardship, came early in those first days; it was very commonplace for a girl to be married in her early teens. It was while I was working in one of the town’s homes as a housemaid, that I met a very amiable young man by the name of John William Heder, who was home for the holidays, from his job as a foreman on a large ranch in Montana. He was eight years older than I was, and he was ready to settle down and raise a family, and build his own home, so we were married on May 22, 1879, in Salt Lake City, when I was but fifteen years of age. Nevertheless, my parents were happy with the marriage in spite of my tender years.

By marrying John I knew I would be doing more pioneering in a rough country, but was used to it by now, so it did not bother me. But John was a very industrious and hardworking man, and through his careful management and thrift, soon he provided a neat and comfortable little home for us. We joined with the young people in all their church and social activities, enjoying every moment of them together.

Time slipped by into years. It was four years before our first child was born to us. It was a beautiful little daughter whom we named Minnie May. She was born July 18, 1883, in Ogden City, Utah. John had been offered a job in Ogden, and had worked hard and built a comfortable little home there, and we were living there when our baby was born. However soon after her birth, we moved back to Huntsville, as John’s father was not well and needed our help.

Two years later a second little girl was born to us whom we named Anna Christina. She was born October 19, 1885, at Huntsville. Two more girls and two boys were born to us while we lived here in Huntsville. The third child, another daughter whom we named Maude Elizabeth, was born just a week before Christmas on December 18, 1887.

John’s mother, whom the children called “Mooma”, lived with us part of the time, and part of the time with his sister, Sophia Schade. The children liked to watch “Mooma” card wool and spin it into yarn on a spinning wheel. The one she had, had a treadle to thread up and down like a sewing machine so she could it down while spinning. The wheel was small, set in a horizontal position, on which the yarn would wind as it was spun.

When the children were old enough, John began to teach them the alphabet in the evenings after supper. They were expected to know this when they started school. The two older girls were taught about the same time, and both May and Anna learned to know them well.

Before they started to go to school, we would move the family up into the mountains in the spring to take care of and mild a herd of cows that belonged to a friend of ours, Weber Stake President A.F. Shurtliff of Ogden. We made butter and sold it in Ogden. One morning in the summer after Maude was born, I was out in the milk house caring for the mil,. I had the children with me, and John had gone on a trip to the valley. May happen to open the door and cried out to me that the house was on fire! I ran to try to save something, but as I opened the door it let in air, which sent the flames all over the room. The cat ran out and that was the only thing that was saved from the flames. We lost all the furniture, beds, clothing and bedding we had. My sewing machine, stove, our cupboards -- everything! John had some guns and ammunition, which started shooting off when the flames came to them.

In the spring of 1890, another little girl was born on April 21st. She was named Rhoda Sophia. She was such a tiny baby that my mother-in-law cried because she didn’t think she would live.

One summer while we were in the mountains, little May was swinging, and she slipped off the board and if she hadn’t hung on with all her might, she may have been killed. When we were able to get the swing stopped and took her off, her wrists were strained and were weak for years after that.

Our first two boys were born here in Huntsville, too. John Earl, was born January 31, 1892, and Walter Oliver was born March 30, 1894.