Christine Bowman Cook
Written by Christine Walker, daughter |
| Christine Bowman Cook |
As a child she was very fond of music. Whenever she heard a band playing she would follow it all, over town, she was so interested in music. She didn't notice how far she went and sometimes she would follow them until nearly dark; and then she would remember she was a long way from home and begin to cry and run for home as fast as she could.
When they first heard the gospel, her mother was very sick. They believed the gospel because while her mother was sick she would read it and tell it to her children. Her mother recognized the gospel when she heard it and taught it along with missionaries to her children. Before leaving Scotland they had been promised they would arrive safely in America. They left 18 Feb., 1850 on the ship "Hosheah Bradley", sailing from Liverpool.
While they were on the sea there came a great storm and nearly every one feared they were going to be drowned. The Captain of the ship told everyone to out on life belts; that the ship was going down, and they had better pray too.
My mother, just 12 years old, said, "The Elders said we would go in peace and arrive in America safely." Her mother stopped crying and said, "You are right, lassie, I wish I had your .faith."
They both went to their cabin and prayed that they would reach America safely.
They arrived safely in America in America 18 April 1850, and remained faithful the rest of their lives.
They came to Utah in the David Wilkies Co., arriving in Utah 2 September 1853, after enduring the hardships of crossing the plains, mother walking all the way.
Although they suffered many hardships in leaving their home in Scotland to come to America, they said it was worth it to come and live in such a grand country.
She was married to William Simpson Cook, also from Scotland, 23 July 1854 in the Endowment House. He had arrived in Salt Lake on 8 September 1851.
Their home was a humble cottage. At one end of the room was a fireplace where mother did her cooking in a large iron kettle. Father made the bedstead from 4 large pelts and there were wooden pins put in about 8 inches, apart on which they stretched rope across and back and up and down for springs.
Mother would tighten it up every week as the rope slackened. Their mattress was a straw mattress which had to be opened and refilled at least twice a year.
Benches were made to sit on. Mother had one chair and every year she would weave a bottom for it out of "rushes."
I can remember Mother sitting in front of a flickering firelight sewing and mending, and Father sometimes would read. Later they were able to get "mutton tallow dip." Still later they enjoyed the luxury of candles made in molds.
Green pig weeds, dandelions and redroots helped out with our diet; also, bran for cereal and bread. Another task was gathering saleratus [baking soda] with a teaspoon to be hoarded carefully for leavening bread and biscuits. I can remember when we would put ashes in a barrel of water. After it had settled we used the soft water for washing clothes.
Wool from the sheep was carefully washed, carded, dyed and spun. Then it was taken to the weavers to be made into cloth for our clothes, which she made.
Mother was always busy and she taught us to do our share. She made hats and did crocheting and knitting as recreation.
Our shoes had copper toes and were made heavy and stiff for service. But we were very proud of them and also very careful to them, too, as new ones were few, and hard to get. Our stockings were made of the yarn mother spun and knit. And when we were old enough she taught us to make our own.
She was a most useful, industrious, understanding and resourceful woman. One of the kind indispensible in building up a new country, and her name and goodness became known throughout the regions where her activities were known.
Mother was always a frail delicate woman but was endowed with strong convictions and a will to walk in the path of duty where ever it might lead. She so loved the Heavenly Father that His will became the law which governed her whole life and teachings.
Through all her trials 'he could always say "The lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
She was never too busy, nor the nights too dark or cold, but that she was willing to render aid and assistance to the sick and those in need. A pure, humble and faithful spirit, feeling of herself wholly unworthy, she relied implicitly upon her Heavenly Father. Her influence, though it is now only through memories, will still impel us to good and noble action.
(End of Christine Walker’s History)
When they came to this country they did not cross the ocean in a Mormon vessel because there were no Mormon companies coming until the next spring, and they wanted to come that year. Grandma did not know what to do about it. She was troubled and she and her children fasted and prayed and went to meeting, and in that meeting one of the Elders spoke in tongues and told her to come in a certain vessel and that she and her children would come safely to Zion.
She and her family sailed on Monday 18 Feb 1850. On this certain ship called “Hosheah Bradlee” sailing from Liverpool and landing in New Orleans 18 April 1850 with 253 saints aboard. The trip took eight weeks, 4 days. Elder Thomas Day was president and they had a pleasant voyage.
Christine Bowman Cook
by Golda Walker Williams, Granddaughter
It was always a pleasure to go to Grandma Cook’s with her homemade bread, butter and jam, the orchard with all kinds of fruit which we would be welcome to. We could peel and core the apples with her peeler and put them on the granary to dry, and the flies didn't even seem to be around. I can see her now gathering apples from the ground and putting them in her apron and carrying them to the pigs.
Everything at Grandma’s was perfect in my eyes as a child, as was she herself, telling us about her childhood days and how happy she was to be in Utah and her many blessings she enjoyed. In her later years, she didn't go out too much in public but her faith was strong
I would like to pay tribute to her and thank her for the courage and faith and ambition she had that I het granddaughter might enjoy the wonderful blessings of this generation and that I might teach my children to have faith and live up to the ideals set forth by my Grandparents.
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