I was at a meeting and heard a returned missionary speak. His name was Charles Wilker. I fell in love with him and four years later we were married in the Salt Lake Temple, June 12, 1908. It was quite an experience to go to the House of the Lord and be married for time and eternity. Charlie's brother Harry and Rhoda Wallentine were married that same day. We spent a week in Salt Lake City attending conference, visiting Saltair and Wandemere resorts, Lagoon, and bicycle races at the Salt Palace, which burned later.

We returned to Paris, Idaho and after a short stay at Mother's home we set up housekeeping for ourselves. We first lived at the old Athey home. Charlie worked at different jobs in town. Then in the fall he worked in the boulder mine in Paris Canyon and I did not like to stay alone, so I moved my things up to mother's for the winter. On April 1, 1909, a little girl came to bless our home. Her father was up to the mine at the time and my brother Clyde had to go up there on skis to tell him the news. A blessing and the name of Ruth Wilker was given to her by Bishop Price of the Paris Second Ward.

In June of the same year, we moved to Kauffman's house. We lived there until September, when we moved on to the Church Ranch. I had plenty of work to do cooking for men and taking care of milk and making butter, besides taking care of baby and the house. We moved up to Charlie's mother's for the winter. The weather was cold — 18 below zero the day we moved. Charlie took the things on a hayrick and baby and I rode with Mr. Ez Budge with a fast team and bobsleigh. In the spring of 1910, we moved to Pocatello, Idaho. My husband was working for the Weeter Lumber Company. I didn't like Pocatello very well — the wind was always blowing dust, and it was so much warmer than Paris. I moved back to Paris in October and Charlie stayed in Pocatello until the following spring.

On my 22nd birthday, December 31, 1910, a baby boy came to bless our home. We named him Charles Roland. July 3, 1912, a little girl came to bless our home. We now had two girls and a boy. They kept me busy, but were a joy to watch grow and develop. When the baby was two weeks old the children developed whooping cough. We were afraid we would lose the little one, but she was spared to us. We had the Bishop come in and bless her and give her the name of Lola Deseret. When Lola was about one year old, my father's family moved to Logan, Utah. I missed them very much.

My husband was working for the Phoenix Construction Company. They were deepening the old Bear Lake outlet and taking water from Bear Lake and running it into Bear River for the purpose of furnishing power for the plants along the course of the river. We moved into father's place and lived there a year before moving a few of our belongings down to the dredge boat for the winter, as my husband was appointed watchman. I had just finished cleaning the place, when men had to be called to work and pump the water out of the hold as it had sprung a leak. They were there from that time on until spring. It kept me busy cooking for the men (there were ten to fourteen all the time) and caring for my three children.

When spring came, we moved up to father's place and stayed there for two years. Father sold his place to Henry Bolton and we moved into Mrs. Fred Stauffer's place and lived there two years. In July 1917, my husband left the employ of the Phoenix Construction Company and moved to Pocatello, where he was employed at the railroad yards.