Information from Ethel Marie Dilworth

Information from Ethel Marie Dilworth

Ethel Marie Dilworth was the 9 child born to Joseph Dilworth and Emily Sophia Gibbons Dilworth.

Her father Joseph Dilworth died when Ethel was 4 years old. Emily and Ethel and the rest of the family moved to Carey, Idaho.

Ethel started school in Carey, Idaho. Later her and her mother moved back to American Fork, Utah and she attended Forbes School there. They returned back to Carey, Idaho and Ethel graduated from the 8th grade in 1914.

In 1916, she worked for Carey Mercantile Company and later with the Post Office.

In 1917, a young man by the name of Buford Kirkland, from Florida came to Carey, Idaho with a missionary who went to Florida. In 1919 he went on a mission for the church to the Southern States. Upon his return, he worked for several farmer in the Carey, Idaho area.

In the fall of 1920 Ethel and Emily moved to Salt Lake City and rented an apartment. Ethel worked for the Auerback Company for 6 months the they returned to Carey in May 1921. She worked for the Carey Co-op until it burned down in the fall of 1922. Then she worked for the Post Office again.

In 1922, Buford was Superintendent of the YMMIA and Ethel was a counselor in the YWMIA. About six months after his proposal of marriage to this young lady of his choice. Brother D. E. Adamson chauffeured this couple in his car, the best one in town, to Salt Lake City, Utah to be married in the Salt Lake Temple. It took two days to go the 300 miles. They stayed overnight in Pocatello, Idaho. The bride's mother, Emily went to Salt Lake City on the train to attend the wedding of her 9th child.

Buford Kirkland and Ethel Marie Dilworth were married the 3 of October, 1923. They also attended the October General Conference of the church as they continued to do so each October and April after that, taking the children with them to Salt Lake as they came along.

The first five years of their marriage, Buford continued to work for other farmers and save as much money as he could.

In 1928, he purchased 40 acres of farmland. It had good rich soil and fruit trees of different kinds. It was located approximately one mile south of Carey. There were no fences or building except a granary and an outhouse comfort station The couple had to work hard to acquire their first home. Together they built the place. They hauled logs from Ketchum for fencing. They acquired a barn and a chicken coop form a lumber yard in Carey for the sum total of $100.00.

Their first home was purchased from LaVar Coates and they had it moved from Fish Creek in two parts on hayracks.

They bought all their furniture from a family traveling through from Canada.

On November 13, 1924, they had their first daughter, Dena, in a house on the Wood River Road. She was delivered by Dr. Houston Snyder.

Then on May 25, 1929, they had their second daughter, Lueen. They got her name out of a newspaper. She was born in Aunt Edith Bunnell's house. She was delivered by Dr. Fox, who said he had trouble finding the house where the birth was to take place.

On July 9th 1935, Bufaye a third daughter was born at the homestead. Dr. E. W. Fox delivered her and he was paid the sum of one sheep. Her name was suggested by Aunt Edith to be named after her father, Buford.

In 1938 the house burned down and the family moved into the Cooper home and later into a trailer house. After the basement on a new house was livable, they moved in, and later finished the upstairs.

Heber was a blessing to their home. They did so want a son. Ethel was almost 41 years of age and her health was not good. Upon learning she was expecting, she visited Dr. E. W. Fox. He warned them she could lose her life, the baby's or both. He recommended a hysterectomy.

After much prayer, they decide to keep the baby then on 21 February, 1941, the girls were taken to Uncle Ernest and Aunt May Dilworth's home to spend the night. The next day they were told they had a new baby brother and he weighed 8 lbs. The doctor called him the new little Bishop. They named him Heber Dilworth Kirkland, his given name after the Prophet Heber J. Grant.

Also in their home they took care of her husband's younger brothers, Claude, and Ray Kirkland, who came from Florida after their parents died. They were 10 and 13 years of age. They saw them through school, missions and the army. Buford and Ethel also kept her aged mother, Emily, from time to time until she died in1950.

Ethel had the hardships and joys of living on a farm. They had no electricity and she used the washboard to wash their clothes. She made butter and always made homemade bread. She had a coal range for cooking and heat.

After years of improvements, they had a comfortable home with a full basement, electricity, running water, washing machine, and a telephone. She appreciated each improvement so much.

They attended all the ward and school functions and especially every basketball game. They never missed church and traveled to all these functions in a sleigh in the winter and a wagon in the summer.

Her house was always kept clean and immaculate. She cooked and fed a lot of threshing and haying crews and she was a good cook. She always wore dresses and aprons. She was shy and was not a public speaker. She ironed everything for hours and hours--pillow cases, towels, sheets, and all.

She always had a strong testimony of the gospel and expressed it constantly, as her family moved away, there was always a continuance of love and concern and a constant teaching of the Gospel and encouragement to live its principles.