written by their daughter, Jean Blad Free
Carl Levi Blad was born August 13, 1886, a son of Andrew Gustaf and Mina Albertina Andersen Blad. He spent his childhood in Panaca and attended the local schools.
As a young boy he helped his father on the farm, being the main salesman for their truck garden produce at Bullionville. He later followed the carpenter and mason trade, working mostly for Syphus Construction.
Addie Minerva Hamblin Blad was born February 6, 1891, in Minersville, Utah, a twin daughter of Wallace and Ida Minerva Rollins Hamblin.
They first met about 1905 in Panaca, Nevada, the home town of Levi, when Addie, accompanied by her twin sister Ida, had come to visit their Aunt Melissa Lee and their Lee cousins, who lived there. These must have been times of fun for them, mingling with the young people of that little farming community; there were parties, hayrides, singing, dancing and much laughter on these visits.
The twins, Addie and Ida, were from Lyman, Wyoming. Their home was a ranch, which was shared with many brothers, where the western way of life was the real thing. This life style no doubt was influential in Addie's development into a capable, strong, beautiful girl; who could drive a horse and buggy or sew a pretty feather on a bonnet, as the need may be. Her trained soprano voice, her dancing feet and her happy disposition kept her in demand in the small town social circles of that day.
Romance developed between Addie and Levi, but was interrupted in 1908, when Levi accepted a call to serve a two year mission in far away Australia. Love continued to blossom through beautiful letters exchanged between them during these years, while they were miles apart, letters which were kept and cherished and even shared, years later with their children.
One year after Levi's return, November 15, 1911, in the Salt Lake Temple, they were married and their home was established in Panaca.
During the following twenty-two years, nine children blessed their home:
Phyllis Minerva, born November 29, 1912;
Ida Genevieve, born June 8, 1914;
Mina Jeanne, born November 27, 1915;
Carl Hamblin, born November 1, 1917;
Theda Arlene, born March 9, 1920;
Jack Andrew, born January 7, 1922;
Wallace Norman, born September 14, 1925;
Elaine, born April 24, 1928;
Rollin L. born September 24, 1930, died October 7, 1930.
Panaca had many advantages, it was a stable community, where everyone knew each other on a first name basis. The shady streets, lined with lovely trees, added beauty and shelter from the hot sun in summer and gave exploritory adventure to children. School and church activities contributed much in the way of recreation and amusement, with athletics, music and drama. The church house, town hall, post office and two or three grocery stores made up the civic center.
In the winter, snow often covered the ground, ponds and meadows froze over, giving opportunity to learn to skate and slide down the 'peak' on our homemade toboggans.
In summer, there were gardens to weed, tend and harvest, skills to learn in sewing, cooking and homemaking arts, along with piano lessons and singing practice. We went swimning in the Big Ditch and Hick's reservoir, horseback riding, picnicing, dancing in our town or often in Caliente or Pioche. For the boys there were farm animals to care for, wood to be chopped and carried, hay to be harvested and stacked along with many other tasks that helped teach responsibility and accomplishment. While a new haystack was in the making, we sometimes persuaded our parents to allow us to make our beds on top, and sleep out under the summer stars, often with some of our friends joining in the slumer party, steeped in the aroma of the fragrant new mown hay.
Our home was a busy happy place with music and laughter in abundance. Love and acceptance mingled with affection and unselfishness were always before us as an example set by our parents and grandparents. Encouragement in improving talents and cheerfully sharing them in service to others, was a major lesson in our development.
As our house and property joined our grandparent's we were greatly influenced by our immigrant Grandfather, Andrew Gustavis Blad, from Gottesborg, Sweden, and Grandmother, Minnie Albertina Andersen, from Oslo, Norway. They were jolly, ambitious, and non permissive, but loving and helpful. As children we hardly knew the difference between parents and grandparents when it came to obedience and respect. An example of this unconditional love showered upon her grandchildren was shown when one of the first crises arose in our family, Grandmother Blad took us three oldest girls into her home to live with them for an entire school year.
Father was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad and we had moved temporarily into a Company house in Caliente. It was the first year of our baby sister Theda's life when she contracted what the medical doctors of that day termed Cholera Infantum. For months her tiny life hung in the balance. There was no hospital care there then, her condition was very critical. A cooler climate, in a higher altitude was recommended by the doctor, so mother took her little family of five, boarded a train and went to Wyoming, where Theda gradually overcame the illness that had nearly claimed her life.
Mother's parents, Grandmother, Ida Rollins, and Grandfather, Wallace Hamblin, lived on their ranch near Lyman, Wyoming. I shall never forget the six months spent there, meeting and associating with numerous cousins, aunts, and uncles, feeling the love and security of belonging to a big family.
In the fall of 1922, we returned to Caliente, Nevada. Our parents objected to some conditions in the Caliente schools so we three older girls, Phyllis, Genevieve and Jeanne, were placed in Panaca, to live with grandparents and attend school there.
Grandmother Blad took such good care of us, nursing our bad colds, loving us through the daily problems of six, seven, and nine year-old girls. It is still pleasant to recall her watching at the gate each day for our return from school. How we enjoyed her good cooking, especially the cherry pie, Norwegian "rugritt" with chunks of cream on top; her fluffy feather beds, into which we were tucked, always with prayers and goodnight kisses.
Shortly after our arrival home from Wyoming, baby Jack was born, in Caliente. When fall came and time to begin school again, our family moved back to our home in Panaca, where the remainder of our childhood was spent. Dad commuted to Caliente to his work.
Theda had recovered from her long illness and Jack was such a beautiful healthy baby, we all loved them and shared responsibility in their care.
Along with her rapidly growing family, for whom she sewed, cooked and cleaned, mother did professional sewing for many people. She tailored lovely coats, dresses and hats. As little girls, we eagerly anticipated the discarded pieces of pretty material that we were allowed to have for our doll dresses, practicing feminity and domesticity after the pattern set by our mother.
As the years of "the great depression" came, we didn't feel poor, and we made our own fun. Dad worked for years for the City of Caliente Water Pumps and commuted to work. He was a most resourceful provider. We owned and raised our own farm animals, providing us with dairy products and meat, but more valuable than food, taught us responsibility and dependability. He mastered the art of barbering, keeping the many heads well groomed, and he also did barbering for the neighbors. He also owned a dental kit, including forceps, with which he pulled teeth when they became loose. On our garden plots the year's supply of vegetables were raised so that our needs were always filled. General good health resulted from this healthy life.
Father was a kind, thoughtful father and spent much time with his children. He had a good-natured laugh and quick wit that endeared him to his family.
Mother's smiling face and pleasant personality cheered many as she sat with the sick, and in spite of her own large family had time to help those in need. She had a lovely singing voice and will always be remembered as "the voice in the old village choir." She was a good mother and insisted that her children be responsible members of the family. One of her strictest rules was any job worth doing was worth doing well.
Grandfather Blad was the town cobbler, as long as he was alive, where we, as children learned there were certain tools that were not to be touched, but were allowed to wax his strong thread with which he sewed the leather, and thread his funny needles.
Many times the Elders of the Church were called to our home to unite with us in prayer for one of the family who became ill or injured. Faith in God was a daily part of our lives coupled with pride in our heritage as His children; learning to solve problems as they arose with what was available, being cheerful and happy about it. From these childhood experiences we learned skills and attitudes that have strengthened us all as life unfolded before us. Music and singing sweetened our tasks and the door was always open for creativity and the discovery of beauty.
Baby Norman joined our family, and later Elaine, swelling our ranks to eight children. By this time mother had some real help on the home front from her oldest children.
With his enlarging family to provide for, Dad was sometimes kept away from home in his employment. He was an expert cement worker and construction often took him to other communities, but at home there was always "business as usual" for us children in carrying out our responsibilities there.
Always there was opportunity to share our singing talents. Mother with her trained soprano voice was an example of discipline and control to us. Never would she let us turn down chances to sing in school, church, and community activities. There was "The Blad Sisters", trio, Phyllis, Gen and Jeanne; Carl with his sweet tenor, Jack developed into a shy bass and Norman became a smooth and popular crooner. Theda sang with a group of girls and tapped danced as well.
The athletic prowess of the three boys, has only been equaled by their sons of the later generation.
There were also times of sadness in our family. A ninth child was born, a little boy, whom we named Rollin L., but he lived only two weeks and was tenderly cradled in the Panaca cemetery.
Approximately two years after the loss of her baby son, mother was stricken with a kidney infection. She underwent surgery in the hospital in St. George, Utah, but did not survive the operation. She passed away on May 12, 1933, and was laid to rest on Mother's Day.
Our family was in a state of shock for many months. Mother's life had been such a pillar of strength, and we all floundered, trying to continue doing the same things without that loving support. Elaine, our youngest, was four years old. We had been given lessons in faith, problem solving, love and trust to help us through these dark years. Now the time had come for us to put it into practice. She had left us a legacy of love that would sustain us throughout our lives.
Aunt Ida Eyre, (Mother's twin sister) in Lyman, Wyoming, took Elaine to live with her, but after less than a year she returned to Panaca and her family, spending the rest of her childhood and high school years there. Mother's youngest sister, Lucille, stayed with us a great deal during the first few years of mother's absence.
In the years that followed, we three older girls fell in love and married fine young men from our local area. Carl attended BYU, where he met his love. Theda had also fallen in love with a fine man from Enterprise, Utah. A double wedding performed in the Manti Temple, united this brother and sister and their spouses for time and eternity.
During their high school years, both Jack and Norman made their home with Phyllis. Theda lived with Jeanne.
Thus continued the family expansion that made possible the perpetuation of this heritage of love to another choice generation, one that has become a credit and a blessing to those wonderful, diligent sowers, Levi and Addie.
Father was prominent in law enforcement work in the County, also working in the mines at Pioche, Caselton, and Pan American. In 1936, he married Athella Osborne Lee, a cousin of mother's, who was at that time a widow with five children of her own, most of them grown. They continued to make their home in Panaca, and it was blessed with the birth of a beautiful daughter, Gayle.
He always enjoyed little children. During his later years when he had many grandchildren, he often donned his Santa suit and paid them all a visit on Christmas Eve, enjoying their screams of delight and laughter.
Carl Levi died August 27, 1948, at Pioche, Nevada, and is buried in Panaca Cemetery.