Amy Heaton and the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic in southern Utah

Amy Heaton at 16

In this post, we're taking a little break from Kaysville history to take a look at another other interesting episode in Utah history.
The Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 hit Utah hard.
My grandmother, Amy Heaton Esplin Crofts, was 16 years old and attending her first year at Dixie High School in 1919. This is the story of Amy's encounter with the Spanish Flu, the death of Amy's sister Mercy the following year of appendicitis, and the end of formal schooling for Amy and her family members who were attending school in St. George at the time.
Amy grew up in the small town of Moccasin, Arizona on the Arizona Strip--the narrow strip of Arizona north of the Grand Canyon. She went to high school in St. George Utah--two days' journey by wagon or early automobile--when she was 16, in the year 1919.

Amy's story

After completing grammar school at Moccasin, I went to high school in St. George. I was sixteen years old. I weighed 103 pounds. My wardrobe consisted of four dresses. I remember I would gladly have turned back and not left home. I had such an empty feeling in my stomach. I was so homesick.

St George, Utah, in the 1910s (courtesy Utah State Historical Society)

All my life I have had good health and hardly ever a bad cold. While I was in St. George attending school, I had influenza and pneumonia. President Romney would come over to see me often and administered to me. Dr. McGregor didn't think I would pull through. On one especially bad one night, when the doctor checked on me, he thought I wasn't going to pull through. When he came the next morning, he said, "Well Amy, you surely must have a mission on this earth or you wouldn't have been alive when I came this morning." President Romney however, died of influenza before I was ever out of bed.

My half sisters, Elsie and Mercy, and my niece, Jennie, and I would take in washings on Saturdays to help pay for our schooling. Two winters a group of us batched. The last winter we boarded at a Mrs. Smith's. While we were living there, Mercy died of appendicitis. Papa had us all come home. That ended my schooling. I was disappointed that I couldn't finish high school. I cherished each day of school I attended. I also missed the friends I made at Dixie.

Excerpt from  "My Own Story" by Amy Heaton Esplin Crofts, 19 October 1903-17 May 1977.

Lucy Heaton Esplin, sister of Amy Heaton, also wrote her account the influenza epidemic and includes another, earlier incident involving Amy.

Lucy's Story

I, Lucy Heaton Esplin, with my children was staying with my parents Lucy and Jonathan Heaton at Moccasin the winter of 1923*, while me husband, Lawrence, was out at the sheep herd. All of the children got the red measles--Lavar, Carol, Gueneviere and Amy Heaton, Larry, Nan and Amy Esplin. Amy Heaton, my sister, was really sick with the measles and then she got Pneumonia along with them. Mother did all that she could for her but none of it helped and mother began to feel that her youngest child would surely die.

The Big House in Moccasin, where the Heatons lived

One afternoon mother prayed that Heavenly Father would show her what to do for Amy. She was exhausted and lay down for a rest. A voice spoke to her saying, "Vinegar and hops, vinegar and hops and put it on hot."

Mother was so weary she wondered if she had heard rightly. "In a little while" she thought and whispered to herself.

But the voice came again, "Do it now, before too late." Mother got right up and made a poultice of hot vinegar and hops and put it on Amy's back and chest. In a little while the congestion was relieved and her breathing was easier. She improved rapidly and was soon well. Mother always said if she had waited to heed the voice Amy would have died. She thanked her Father in Heaven for showing her what to do. Later while Amy was attending school in St. George she got Pneumonia again and was real bad. The Doctor there thought she would not pull through. She had just passed the crisis when she came down with the flu that was so bad that winter.

Mother was called from Moccasin to Amy's bedside. She cared for her night and day until she got the flu also. One afternoon while she was resting near Amy's bedside a glorious light filled the room. She saw six beautiful white hands hover over her daughter's bed. The hands lowered and lifted Amy from the bed. They just held her for sometime and then placed Amy back on the bed by her mother’s side. The light and the hands left the room. Mother knew that Amy's life had been spared. She again thanked her Father in Heaven for this blessing.

Moccasin AZ and the Big House

Dr. McGregor had left her sick bed the night before thinking that Amy could not possibly live until morning. When he found her improved he exclaimed, "This girl must surely have a mission to perform here on this earth, for as sick as she was, she would never have gotten well without some special help." The family was saddened when Brother Romney, Pres. of Dixie College at that time contracted the Influenza and died before Amy was out of bed. He had administered to her several times while she was so bad.

Lucy Heaton Esplin daughter of
Jonathan and Lucy Heaton

From Esther's Children: Her Story and a Collection of Faith Inspiring Experiences, compiled by Gwen Heaton Sherratt and Hannah Heaton Roundy, 1968, p. 157.

Note that the date 1923 appears to be a mistake and may simply be a typo for 1913.

This final account is by Charles Leonard Heaton, nephew of Amy Heaton. Though Leonard was Amy's nephew, he was two years older than she and both went to Dixie High School in St. George together.

Leonard's story

First year 1919-1920

One day the fore part of September the men folks of Moccasin had collected at Grandma's place, which they did about once a day discuss the affairs fo the day and work. Grandpa was there having come down from Alton the night before. He asked Father if he was going to send Leonard and Jennie to St. George to attend the Dixie High School. Father said Jennie was going and that I was going part of the year at least. This was the first I knew Father and Mother had ever planned on my getting any more education. I had spent parts of three winters in eighth grade and never graduated. 

Father then asked me when I wanted to go, now or later in November. I said, "Well, if I am going to get part of it, I would just as soon take it all." He said, "Get your things ready Harold will be out in a few days with a team to haul your things to St. George."

The Heaton's going to school were my Aunts Amy and Mercy and Uncle Harold from Alton, Jennie, my sister, and I. Harold and I drove a team and wagon loaded with bedding, food and our belongings. The first stop was Short Creek, next Hurricane and the third day we arrived in St. George. We stayed at Grandpa's brother's, Uncle Will Heaton. They had a house with several rooms, and a granary over a cellar for us boys. The girls came down with Grandpa and my Aunt Kezia. After unloading, making beds and eating supper we all decided to take in a show the first night in Dixie.

Upon returning Harold and I turned the lights on to go to bed. Our room was almost black with cockroaches running in every direction. The only way out was the door which we shut. We picked up some small boards and while Harold guarded the door, I proceeded to kill the cockroaches taking apart everything to be sure we got them all. The funny part of it was we never found other cockroach in that room the rest of the school year. They were, however, in the other house quite often.

My Uncles Gilbert and Sterling came down to school in November. Sterling quit at Christmas time and Gilbert in February for different reasons.

We were soon known as the noisy Heaton corner of town, always singing, playing, hollering at one another and having a good time. This attracted quite a few other young people who became close friends.

This year's Freshman class had more in it than all the other three classes in high school. About 120 registered, but several dropped out. As we lived in the East St. George Ward, we attended the church services in the tabernacle. The first Sunday we were about the only young people at Sacrament Meeting. But by our continual attendance and our friendship with others our age, by November the young people were outnumbering the older people.

To help with finances, I worked sweeping out several of the classrooms at fifty cents per hour. I also checked hats and coats at the dances and took tickets at the shows, plays and other functions of the school. In February the flu hit the town and several people died, among them was the college President, Brother Romney a good and friendly man. At the same time all the Heatons were down with it except Mercy who tended the girls and a friend. Grant Snow looked after the boys for about two weeks. My Aunt Amy got pneumonia and instead of coughing which hurt her so, she would sneeze. This lasted about three weeks. We attended all activities, dances and parties in groups. We went together and came home together--just one big happy family. The school was operated under the direction of the church, with a devotional meeting every morning at 10:30 followed by a religion class. We studied from the Book of Mormon, Church History, Bible and other Church works. Each Friday included an hour and a half program of church services. It was most enjoyable.

Heaton family gathering in 1926.  The Heatons were a big, polygamous family; Jonathan Heaton divided his time between the two family homes in Moccasin AZ and Alton UT, about two days' journey north.

There were only three high school basketball teams in Southern Utah; Dixie, Cedar City and Beaver. In February some 15 of us hired Leo Whitehead who had an old sightseeing bus to take us to Cedar City and Beaver when our ball team played these two teams. We lost them both, but had fun.

We went home for Christmas holiday in cars. But as there had been storms and roads were bad, Jessie Palmer, brought us back in a covered wagon drawn by four horses. We were three days coming back to school. We stopped at Colvins in Short Creek and Hurricane. Going home the girls went by car and Harold and I drove the team with our belongings. So ended the first year of high school.

...

Second Year 1920-21

This year began with Aunt Mercy and Amy Heaton, Jennie and I boarding at Brother and Sister Smith's home on the South West corner of St. George. They had a large family of seven children. They also had their other boarders, Arch Climan, his sister, and Rex Neglie from Tocquerville. They only stayed for about six weeks. They couldn't put up with the home life, crowded conditions and food. I again took up janitor work at school and helped with other functions about the school.

Leonard Heaton became caretaker of Pipe Spring National Monument, near Moccasin on the Arizona Strip, in 1926 and continued in that position for 37 years. This photo shows Leonard with the reptile display at Pipe Spring NM in 1933. (Courtesy National Park Service)

Shortly after Thanksgiving Mercy took sick. We wanted to call Dr. McGranger but Brother Smith would not let him in the house because he was a polygamist. Mercy became worse, so we finally got old Doctor Woodbury to come down. After a short examination said she had to go to the hospital. I carried Mercy down a narrow flight of stairs out to a car, then from the car to the hospital. We were told Mercy had appendicitis. Grandpa and Aunt Amy were called to come down. But Mercy died the next day. Just before she passed away she said, "Don't let the kids stay at Smiths any longer." The college held a funeral in the Tabernacle. It was full. Jennie and Amy packed their things and went home and did not come back to school. I stayed at school.


From "What Made the Man" by Charles Leonard Heaton