 |
| Joanna Patten Keele 1888-1959 |
She was a talented singer, homemaker, Gardner, mother and wife.
 |
| Patten Sisters, L-R Clara, our Joanna, Luella about 1890 |
 |
| Clara Isabella Billings Patten (Joanna's mother) |
 |
| Thomas Jefferson Patten, Jr (Joanna's father) |
 |
| Patten brothers and sisters. Joanna Patten Keele front row last on right. |
When Joanna was born, her father, Thomas Jefferson Patten, Jr. took her into the kitchen and gave her his mother's name of Joanna. To which her mother, Clara Isabella replied, " I will never call her Joanna, I will call her Jossie." Joanna's mother, Clara Isabella, never did call her by her given name of Joanna and when Clara Isabella died in 1944 Joanna said, "There, now I will take my name back!!" (I guess she didn't like her nick name. This story was told over and over by her daughter Lois Keele Williams)
In Joanna's own words she tells us of her life,
"I commenced school on Provo Bench in 1894. My teacher's name was Susan Talmage. I graduated in 1902. Worked in Provo Woolen Mills from 1904 until 1906. Attended school at Brigham Young University 1910 to 1911 where I studied voice under Anthony C. Lund, and was also chosen to sing in the Utah Stake Choir under the direction of Dolf Boshard with Clair W. Reid as Tabernacle organist. I well remember the installation of the pipe organ 'twas at that time and required months of labor to complete. At the final completion, we presented a concert with Emora Lucy Gates as our guest soloist and following with concerts with Torit. Sisters as guest soloist and also J. J. McClellian.
 |
| Photo taken by David Kinnear, a friend and neighbor of the Patten family. He writes on the back of the photo that it was taken in 1904. Middle row, left to right: 1-Clara Isabella Billings Patten, age 43, 2-Jerusha Shomaker Billings, age 64, 3-Nellie Bell's mother, 4-David Kinnear's mother called Auntie Jean. The babies being held by the grandmother in the center place of honor, are likely not twins but probably Alden Gaylor Patten, age 3-6 months, and a child belonging to the Kinnear family. None of the Patten grandchildren were born until three years later. Back Row, left to right: 1-Luella Billings Patten Holman, age 20, 2-Jerusha Lois Patten Downs, age 15, 3-Mrs. David (Nellie Bell) Kinnear, 4-Clara Isabella Patten Clark, age 18, 5-Joanna Patten Keele, age 16 1/2. |
I was married to Frank Keele in the Manti Temple July 12, 1911 and prior to my marriage I became acquainted with my husband who also was attending school at the Brigham Young University."
Of this acquaintance, their daughter Lois recalls, "A few years later, dad had a great desire to attend Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah. Arrangements were made for young Frank to stay with his cousin, George P Billings. They soon became fast friends. One night George said, "I know a family with seven daughter, living on the Orem Bench about six miles away. They're cousins of mine." So breaking the school rules, they rented bikes and paid a visit to the Thomas Jefferson Patten Jr home, the family with seven girls. George was to date Luella, the oldest and Frank would date Clarabell, the second oldest daughter. However when Frank saw Joanna, in bed with the chicken pox, he knew she was the one for him. For the remaining school year, there were many more visits to the Patten home but always to court Joanna."
 |
| Frank Keele and Joanna Patten Wedding 1911. |
Joanna continues, "Before entering B. Y. U., I was secretary of the Sunday School Organization in the Timpanogos Ward from 1906 to 1909 and also secretary of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association in the Timpanogos Ward. My husband and I worked in the fruit. He picked peaches and I packed for Stephen Bunnel. And on the 18th day of September 1911, he left Provo Bench to go to Idaho with my grandmother (Jerusha Lois Shomaker Billings) who had been spending the summer at my father's home on Provo Bench and whom was returning to her other daughter's home in Heyburn, Idaho where she was living.
 |
| Grandmother Billings Jerusha Lois Shomaker Billings (1840-1915) |
On the 23rd day of November 1911, I followed my husband to make our home in Idaho.
 |
| Columbia River Basin Project, Idaho, Burley, Idaho about 1910 |
 |
| Typical homestead, Idaho 1912 |
They both loved the gospel and were very obedient to the law of multiplying and replenishing the earth. In Idaho, she had all seven babies at home with only the assist of a midwife or country doctor with none of the conveniences of modern medicine. None of these births were registered at Heyburn City records, or the state of Idaho. (Luella, Cleopatra, Thomas, William, Clara Isabella, Lois and Frank)
Joanna continues, " 'Twas there we both worked in the church traveling eleven miles to Heyburn Branch to attend our Sunday School, Mutual and Fast Meeting and we very seldom missed a meeting. 'Twas there I was set apart as Visiting Teacher in the Relief Society Organization and it was there we both received our Patriarchal Blessings."
Her daughter Lois recalls, "A beautiful recollection of my mother happened here in Heyburn, Idaho. Following her patriarchal blessing, the stake patriarch commented to my father after she left the room, "I have never laid my hands on a more pure vessel."
They experienced the typical pioneer hardships of clearing the sage brush land with their bare hands, building a rough shack home, enduring the ever constant blowing wind and sand in the summer and the biting cold in the winter. They developed the land, planting rotation crops and building a herd of milk cows and cattle.
It was during this period of time that the nation was involved in World War I and Frank was drafted. Lois recalls, "My mother petitioned the local authorities and explained in no uncertain terms, that she needed him to care for her, the seven children and the eighty acres much more than the government did."
Of this time in Idaho Lois recalls, "Money was always scarce and mother earned a little extra by selling cream and homemade butter. Luella, the oldest child was always left at home to tend the house and take care of the children. Cleo would most always accompany mother on these trips over the Snake River into the town of Burley, tending the two younger babies, Frank and Lois bouncing along in Joanna's two-seated buggy."
After their first seven children were born or about 14 years, they moved to Lovell, Wyoming to run the Keele Ranch. This would be about 1923 when they moved. Prior to the big move, grandfather Keele paid them a visit for the very first time.
Their daughter Lois recalls, "Dad went to pick up his father, William Augustus Keele, at the train station in the little black 'Cadillac' buggy, which he seldom drove. As they arrived into the yard, the children had to snicker, because one side of the buggy was sagging nearly to the ground from grandfather's portly frame, while dad's side was sticking way up in the air."
 |
| Grandfather Keele William Augustus Keele (1852-1924) |
After some private dialogue and talking into the night, grandfather Keele asked Frank and Joanna to come to Lovell and help take care of him and run the Keele Ranch. In exchange for this service, my father had the understanding that the ranch would become his. This was a hard decision. How could they wisely and quickly dispose of their livestock, eighty acres of cleared and cultivated land, farm equipment, their home and most of the household goods. There would be precious few items they could take with them. However, this noble couple agreed to sell out everything they had worked for all those years. They chose to accommodate the request only out of love and loyalty to Grandfather Keele.
Once again love and loyalty was the deciding thread of their life's tapestry.
Of this time in Wyoming, their daughter Lois recalls, "The next few chapters of my life were spent in another harsh climate, and more grueling work as we took over the labor of the Keele Ranch. We raised sugar beets and potatoes, alfalfa to feed the livestock and we even tried growing an acre of cucumbers as a money crop for Hinze Pickle Company. In addition we always planted and weeded and harvested about 1/4 acre garden for family use. Preserving these crops for winter was also part of family life. This was how our life pattern flowed in the summers, but in October after the beets and pumpkins were harvested we would move to town six miles away, into a white two story house. This house was so impressive because our family of nine going on ten people lived while at the ranch, in one room house with wall to wall beds, five children in a bed. There was a small adjoining kitchen."
Lois continues, "Many happy childhood memories occurred in this two-story house in Lovell. We were close to school and church. My dad worked in the sugar factory in the winter and would surprise us with brown sugar treats brought home in his lunch box. These treats were the burnt sugar residues left from the processing. Our childhood joy was so complete here. John and Max were now the latest addition to the family. My sister Carol was born on Christmas Eve. Dad woke us up and carried each one down stairs in a warm blanket to share our newest Christmas gift, our darling baby angel, Christmas Carol.
The harsh climate and the grueling work soon took its toll on Joanna. She was far away from her brothers and sisters. She felt totally alone. Wyoming was barren in contrast to the wonderful fresh fruits grown back home in Utah. Also her son, Gus, started getting pneumonia almost every winter and one year the entire town of Lovell had a terrible epidemic of spinal meningitis and the schools were closed for weeks and the whole town was quarantined. School children received their lessons through the mail! These were only some of the reasons Joanna longed to be back home closer to her family.
After five long years in Wyoming, for these and other reasons, they decided to move back home to Provo, Utah.
Frank put his family on the train and kissed his wife and children good-bye. He had to stay behind to finish the trip and try to sell off equipment. That first night in Salt Lake City was spent in a hotel room, with all ten children and Joanna in a rented one room. The lights of a big city were awesome!
Once they landed in Utah, they stayed with Joanna's mother, Grandma Patten (Clara Isabella Billings) in Orem. It must have been in the spring because it was the strawberry season. Frank had given Joanna some money to last until he arrived and turned up missing from under her pillow. Staying in the Patten home became too awkward. Her daughter, Lois recalls, "The stay at Grandma Patten's was not very pleasant or very long, we were glad to leave."
Additionally, Joanna's father, Thomas Jefferson Patten Jr, had passed away years before and had ear marked 10 acres, 1 acre for each of his children. However, Uncle Ezra (Joanna's brother) eventually got all the land through fraud and deceit. It was a blow to them as they really needed that land for their family of twelve.
The first house back in Utah was at the back of an empty store right next to Orem High School. That fall Frank finally arrived driving into the yard with a new truck. All the children jumped for joy!
The next few years for the Keele family was spent moving from one house to another. Frank tried his hand at many different jobs and finally ended up working at the brick yard and harvesting fruit as a side job. He was tired of paying rent and decided to build his own home, so he purchased a lot and bought all the material and completed the house in Provo on 7th West and 6th North.
 |
| Frank and Joanna home in Provo, UT |
 |
| Keele sisters, berry pickin' bunch (Lois is the dark haired beauty without hat, overalls, long sleeve) |
Fond memories recalled by Joanna's daughter, Lois. "Walking home from primary where she would watch her mother leading the music and that's what I wanted to do. We didn't have a car and had to walk to and from church, this is when she was a young mother."
Joanna and her daughters Bell, Carol and Lois all sang together in a quartet and tried to practice daily as they were asked to perform all over the valley frequently. They had to develop a wide repertoire and loved doing this. Their warm, tight vocal blend was wonderful as only family can produce. It was always for church service, never any thought of going big time.
(compilers note, granddaughter Joanna Williams Curtis also raised her daughters in this same way, the tight harmonies were taught to her daughters and passed on, what a beautiful legacy to carry on)
 |
| Keele sisters with Joanna (her long hair down) |
Her granddaughter, JoAnna Williams remembers: " As a young child, I remember visiting Provo, UT and can still "feel" the envelope of warm, deep love that my grandmother's arms consistently provided as she encircled me with her passionate greetings. Her love was so intense that the substance of it melted my bones and fed my young soul. It was so thick it was as though I could physically touch it.
The Keele home was very humbly built by Frank Keele's ingenuity, determination and sweat of his brow. The Provo based home included a roughed-in cement basement and 2 bedroom house above ground. It also had a lighted kitchen featuring a large wooden round table where canning corn, tomatoes, peaches and cherries joined laughter and work together for the Keele family. Aroma from freshly baked bread and homemade pies still graces my senses. Gleaning the fruit trees, berry patches and vegetables fields provided their winter's primary source of food. I can recall a back porch where Joanna grew lovely, stair-step potted flowers and green, hanging plants and nearby the lilting song of birds housed in a cage.
Beyond the porch lay my childhood fascination... grandmother's garden. Along the wire fence, gladiolas and sweet peas paraded their brilliant red, yellow and purple hues. Mid center in elevated green rows grew peas, carrots and tomatoes. Nearby a berry patch yielded lots of sweet juicy berries. In the back of the garden there were tall rows of golden corn and the rabbit hutch with many white furry bunnies which caught my undivided attention for hours. To me, the garden's beauty was the outward expression of my grandmother's nature and never at any time did she prohibit me from visiting her garden."
 |
| Now the adult Keele sibling singers |
 |
| Joanna Patten Keele obituary The Daily Herald, 25 Mar 1959, Wed, Page 4 |
 |
| Frank and Joanna (Patten) Keele family about 1959 (Joanna's picture was added after the fact. This picture was taken at or around the time of her death, and her picture was added later.) |
No comments:
Post a Comment