Luella Mae Hatch
Born January 9, 1889, in Vernal, Utah, to Josepheus Hatch and Martha Luella Thomas. She was the second of thirteen children. Her siblings are Josepheus Jr, Effel, Marion Clark, Sarah Ellen, James Harvey, Louisa Poole, Norman Sharpe (Oden), Oris Theodocia, Jesse and Essie (twins), Erma, and Maggie Veola. Her parents pioneered Ashley Valley and later moved to Deep Crick. Nine of the thirteen children were born in a one room log cabin. Being the second child and oldest girl, she learned to work hard washing clothes by hand, ironing, washing dishes, tending babies, scrubbing the floor, sewing and other tasks. They procured water from a ditch for their household use. They raised a garden and had difficulty getting water to it. Her sister, Effel was 16 months younger and they spent their lives together until they grew up. People called them twins. The whole family was quarantined for nine weeks at one point because of illness. She attended school until the eighth grade, when the twins were born and her mother was sick in bed for six weeks. She liked history, arithmetic, reading, art, geography and penmanship, but she didn’t like algebra. May played the guitar by ear and sang with her sister, Effel, at parties. One song they sang was “Oh, Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?” They both had low voices and May learned to sing alto. She rode horses “like a streak, sideways or any way” and loved to dance at Jake’s Opera House.
May married Claudest Henson Eaton July 1, 1908, and they were parents to four children, two daughters and two sons: Orva Luella, Claudest Armon, Glenvil LaRae, and DeLoy. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple, September 21, 1910, after Orva was born. LaRae died at age seventeen, which was difficult for everyone. After Claude’s death in 1954, May lived with DeLoy and helped her with her four fatherless children for some years, and then spent time with Orva and Armon.
She traveled by jet to Germany to live with DeLoy and Gus. She enjoyed visiting Holland, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Monaco, and Lichtenstein. After returning to the US, she lived alternately with her two daughters. Her last years were spent with DeLoy. She lived until she was 89 years old and passed away March 3, 1978 in Granger, Utah, and was buried in the Vernal Cemetery at her beloved husband’s side.
She had blue eyes and was on the tall side about 5 feet 8 or 9 and had light brown hair as a young woman. Her hair turned white early and she kept it short and stylishly curled all her life. She always dressed neatly and took good care of her face and body. She wore glasses and had false teeth in her later years. She had good posture and a kindly, cheerful disposition. She loved her children, grandchildren and the Lord.
She was faithful in attending church and reading the scriptures and other church books. She had 100% in visiting teaching and wrote a song about the monthly messages one year for the visiting teaching convention. She was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and helped write a book about the pioneers in Vernal.
Her granddaughter, Sheri has photos of Luella Mae and a short 2- page typewritten life history by Luella. Also see, Martha Luella Thomas and Josephus Hatch Family History, July 1985, 12-13.
