Sarah Ann Gibb Fisher

I, Sarah Ann Gibb Fisher Daughter of John Lye Gibb and Sarah Phillips Gibb.

My father was born in Newport, Sommerset, England and my mother was born in Machen, Monmouth, England. They heard the Gospel in England, Joined the church and immigrated to Lehi, Utah about the year 1874-75.

I have always been interested in my genealogy. I have obtained and prepared the names of hundreds of my father's and mother's lines of ancestors, and have had their work done in the temple. Jehzeel Merkley (my sister) furnished means to get the names. Our Heavenly Father helped us so it did not cost very much to get them. My sons Robert and Frank obtained many of the names while serving in the air force in England, during the war. They received some help from David Gardiner of the British Genealogical Society.

I was born in Lehi, Utah on the 24^th of March 1881. About the first thing that I remember is-- My sister Annie and I were playing house, would dress up in our older sisters long dresses and old hats and high heeled shoes-- we would use rhubarb leaves for parasols. We loved to make mad pies.

At Christmas time we always received a doll, but it was soon broken. So mother had a carpenter make us a wooden doll. Her hair was black, she had lovely red cheeks and lips, and big blue eyes. We would leave her out in the storm but she would be none the worse for it. She was terribly treated but we loved her dearly. Her name was Rose, and we still speak of her as "poor old rose". I think that she would be nearly eighty years old by now.

Once, I became very ill from poisoning. There was a poison ivy vine growing near our house. I picked the leaves and played with them. My face and hands were covered with sores and I was very sick. My father administered to me and I was healed. There was not even a scar left from these sores. This was my first Testimony of healing through prayer.

I commenced school when I was seven years old. My first teacher's name was Edith Davis, and I loved her very much. I graduated from district school in 1897. I went to Brigham Young Academy in 1898 for one year then my father was called to Canada to help colonize the Alberta Stake.

When we left Utah to come to Canada, I thought that nothing could be worse-- to leave my friends and school in the Academy and our wonderful home seemed like the end of everything.

We arrived in Magrath in June. When I saw our home it looked terrible to me. It was just a dug out but it was nice inside.

The first time I went to Sunday school in Magrath, I met Peirce Fisher (my future companion). He also had been called to come to Canada to help construct a Canal. When he was sixteen years old he left his home and came up here alone. He lived in the canal camps building canal all winter, the first winter he was here.

WE were holding Sunday school in the Bishop's unfinished home. When I saw Peirce across the room sitting in the window, I felt sure that I had seen him some place before. When I met him I said "haven't I met you before?" He thought that we had met before too. But we couldn't remember where or when it was-- and we never did find out, so we decided it must have been before we came to this world.

So you see, it did not take me long to find out Canada was the best place there was. We enjoyed the summer together. Riding horses, going to Cardston in the wagon, and dancing every night in the unfinished houses of the town. And making love to each other. (Making love had different connotations in those days KNF)

It wasn't all play however, I taught school the first year we were there in Magrath. I had been secretary to the Sunday school in Lehi and after we came to Magrath, I was secretary in the M.I.A. and also teacher in the primary grade in Sunday school.

Peirce and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple, January 16 1901. This is where we spent our honeymoon. For two months we stayed with father's folks. In the late spring we came back to Canada and lived in Magrath. We built a two-room house and father made all the furniture except the chairs and a table (those we received as wedding gifts) and a bed, that was my own before we were married. Of course we bought a stove. Father made a dresser out of dry goods boxes and we had received a large mirror as a wedding gift that we put above the dresser. He made cupboards and I trimmed them with curtains and embroidery work. I made window curtains out of cheesecloth for the Kitchen windows. Mother gave me curtains and a carpet for the bedroom. She had used in her parlor before we came to Canada. We received some very nice dishes for wedding gifts, so we had everything we needed to start housekeeping.

Father had saved some money, but we had spent so much while in Utah all winter that we ran short. Father went to work and we soon had a living with the help of our relatives. Grandpa Gibb gave us a cow. Father already had a team of horses that he brought with him when he first came to Canada. He also had Eighty acres of land that he obtained by working on the canal before we were married. So when our baby girl came on January 31^st, just one year later, we were the happiest people in the world. She was a lovely baby and is still a wonderful wife and mother. I had my first six children in magrath.

We left Magrath and came to Hillspring in 1910 and I was president of the Relief Society for five years.

After Carol (my ninth child) was born, I decided I had had my number of children, one night I dreamed I heard a knock, I opened the door and three little boys in old hats and dirty overalls stood there in a row. The first one said "don't you want us?" I said positively "no I don't" they looked so sad as they walked away-- And my next three children were three little boys--and they usually wore old hats and dirty overalls. My last little girl came six years later when I was 46 years old.

We are very proud of and loved every one of our thirteen children. They are our greatest treasure-- and our grand children and our great grand children are and will be treasures to us throughout eternity. They are all loyal citizens, and pretty good latter day saints.

Five of our children filled missions, four were schoolteachers some went to agriculture school and have made good farmers. Others took business courses. They are all living but James Milton. Jim was a schoolteacher. The first school he taught was at beaver lodge, north of Edmonton, but he wanted to teach in his hometown. He loved his home. He applied for a school in hillspring and when he read the letter of acceptance he threw his hat off into the air and shouted for joy. "I think I will go to the lakes and celebrate." While swimming in Waterton Lakes, he was drowned. I think our Heavenly Father had a mission for him in the spirit world, For he was such a fine boy. This was the summer Apostle Ballard died 1939. When the news of his death came over the radio, Jim said, "he's one man I'd love to work with."

The war broke out that fall-- and three of Jim's best friends joined the army immediately.

We have thirteen children, sixty grandchildren, our twelve children are all married and we love their husbands and wives as our own. We also have to date; fifteen grandchildren married. This makes a total of 25 children, 75 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. A grand total of 121.

We are again just two of us left, but we are still happy and have a great joy and happiness in the success and happiness of our posterity.