Esther Ann Robinson 1865-1951 Wife to William James Whitehead

       A Life Sketch of Esther Ann Robinson as told to her family

(see Whitehead Tab for family line)

Esther Ann Robinson was the wife of William James Whitehead and the daughter of samuel Gregory Robinson and Esther Ann Bourne.  Born September 6, 1865 at American Fork, Utah, married May 8, 1883, died June 28, 1951; buried at Claresholm, Alberta, July 2, 1951 at age 86 years.

Esther Ann related the following:

“The first little incident that I can remember was when I was four years old.  My mother dressed my oldest brother, Samuel, call up and took us across the street and sent us up to her mother’s place one and a half blocks away.  As we walked along the pole fence, I heard my mother scream and as I looked back, I saw a team of horses running away behind us and my mother ringing her hands.  I grabbed my brother’s hand and pulled him under the fence as the team went by, but I had torn a hole in my little blue jacket.  She grabbed us both and said, “Never mind the jacket just as long as you both are alright.”

My mother (Esther Ann Bourne) died when I was ten years old and a year later my father married Martha Lovina Hensen, Biggs, who was a very good stepmother to me and my brothers.

After my mother died, my grandmother, Elizabeth Bourne took my baby sister Harriet Matilda Robinson and kept her until she was 13 years old.  At this time, harriet, my sister came to live with us at Franklin and about the same time my stepmother’s adopted son became part of our family.

Even at Esther’s early age she had to assume many womanly tasks ordinarily belonging to older folks.  One of these was to mix the bread for the family use.  Because of her shortness in height, her father made a box for her to stand upon while doing this particular task.  She did much of the cooking and learned to scrub the wooden floors to a shiny condition by using a brick to polish them.  Hot biscuits for breakfast was another duty.  She used to laugh and declare that when she got married this would be one thing that she would not do.  Her stepmother often said that she could not have managed without Esther’s help.

Esther’s great grandmother, Harriet Matilda Johnson, was set apart as a midwife by the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo.  He blessed her with a healing touch.  She had her own team of horses and when called upon she travelled over the American Fort valley.  It is quite possible that much of Esther’s skill as a midwife was instilled upon her by this good woman.  Esther regularly went over to her great grandmother;’s place every morning to comb her hair and rend help.  She had wonderful black hair which she kept braided.

One time her great grandmother was called up into the hills to deliver a baby and when she was coming home the horses got frightened at something and became out of control, upsetting the buggy and broke her arm.  It required much time and search before she was found.  Hence Esther’s help and care was graciously given.

Esther told of their moving to Franklin, Idaho.  “My father took three wagons and four teams of horses.  One team belonged to Uncle James Robinson who was helping us to move.  We took three cows and one calf.”  She and her brother Elijah became the cow herders and said, “We sure had some time walking and driving them, especially over the sand ridges.  We managed to keep up with the slow moving wagons even if the cows did get out into the thick sage brush.  Every evening father would examine us closely behind our ears to see if we had any wood ticks still with us.  One afternoon it stormed and it got awful dark before we camped.  Father had to use a torch to find the road to the river but he got us safely down to the river bottom where we camped for the night.  It took us seven days to go from American Fork to Franklin Idaho.

Esther remembered an experience in the early days of pioneer life that included grasshoppers.  She explained how her father had her and her brothers drive the hoppers into the irrigation ditches by flopping long apron they wore thus forcing them into the ditch.  The water would carry them down to the head gate where their father, with a shovel,  would force them under the water and drown them.  Later they were shoveled into containers and burned.  It was a tremendous effort to save their crops. 

Esther met William James Whitehead for the first time at Franklin and it was there that they were married on May 8, 1883.  There were eleven children born to them, seven sons and four daughters.

Esther loved to dance and so did William.  He used to say that when they went together, he would take his bass violin under one arm and Esther under the other.  Laughingly, he would tell that the violin was the larger and more difficult to carry.  He, at times, played the violin or the accordian in the orchestra at these dances.  Her stepmother was a good seamstress and Esther always had lovely clothes.

William was an experienced lumberman and held a foreman’s position.  For a number of years Esther went with him in the winter months to the neighbourhood of Butte, Montana where there was logging activity.  He also did freighting to and from Helena and other places.

Esther told some interesting things about the pack rats that would come in the night and carry things away.  To be safe from their raids, things had to be kept in containers which defied their entry.  If a window or door was open they would come into their house.  Esther liked to watch them as they were very agile and climbed everywhere.

Rhoda Whitehead Hansen, a daughter of William and Esther Whitehead’s relates that she remembered her father returning to their home in Franklin one time and stating that while he was away he met a couple from Alberta, Canada and from what they told him he thought that their future home.  It was decided that William should make further investigation which convinced him of the many opportunities of this new county and in consequence he purchased a half section of land near Claresholm, Alberta.

When it became known that they were going to move from Franklin, their relatives and friends gave many parties in their honour.  The older children were some what loath to part with the many friends and close companions they had in various relationships.  Rhoda states that her father, Sam and Burt went ahead of the rest of them with the care of the horses, cattle and other belongings.  The rest of us remained with relatives and friends for a time and when we finally went to the railway station to depart, there was an immense crowd of these relatives and friends to wish us farewell and prosperity.  Rhoda gives her own feelings as being a growing concern for the future of all them.

Esther had prepared food for the trip of three or four days, and also had a supply of clean clothes.  Then she made sure that the children did not use any other but their own towels.  She watched closely that their contact with other children was not too familiar as she had fears of measles or other like calamities.  The family changed trains in Pocotella, Idaho and at Butte, Montana.  When they arrived at Great Falls, Montana, William was there to meet them.  They were surely thrilled to see him and when he told them that they were to stay in a hotel over night they were very excited.  From Great Falls they took a train to Sweet Grass and then crossed the border line at Coutts, Alberta.  They next boarded a train that had only onr passenger coach and a few freight cars.  They found that their belongings were in the freight cars of this same train.  At Coutts, the immigration officer asked Esther if all these children were hers, she replied, “yes sir, and I am proud of it.”  

At Claresholm they stayed for a time at the Queen’s Hotel until their house on the farm was ready for occupancy.  In spite of all the guarding care Esther gave the children, they caught the measles from two little girls from the train with them.

On the 15th of April, 1908 the family arrived at Claresholm, Alberta, Canada.  they did extensive farming in the area.  They owned a steam land breaking outfit for grain harvesting.

If the images below are not as clear, please go to the archives at the Glenbow Museum site.

This is the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railways) building that they would have
arrived at.

A team of horses in 1902 just a few years before the Whitehead's would
have arrived.

This is a peaceful celebration of the end of WW1 on November 18, 1918
This is on the main street.  The Whiteheads were most likely there.
( I alson expect that the Bowie's were there too!)

The men would have had equipement very similar to this.

This is downtown Claresholm in 1945

Esther was a wonderful woman.  The Gospel came first in her life.  She was a friend to everyone.  Being a mid-wife, she took care of many women, rich or poor, in their homes before there was a hospital in Claresholm.  She worked with the local doctor.  She treated them all alike and helped many a poor family by taking food and lothes to them in the time of their need.  Often she did extra work when they were unable to afford help at the time of their confinement, besides looking after the mother and the baby.

This is a picture of the Clarsholm hospital where she worked and where she was
taken such good care of.

The doctors that she worked with said that they never worried when they found that mother was to be the nurse.  One of the doctors, (Dr.McMullen) paid her a wonderful compliment when she was taken to the hospital in her later life.  He told the matron to “give Mrs. Whitehead the best room and the best care for she is a monument to the community”.  He said further, “If anyone deserves it, she does”.  She was loved by all.  One lady described her to a granddaughter in this manner, “Your Grandma Whitehead was the cutest little lady, so active and very wonderful nurse.  She brought sunshine into every home she entered.  She was known as Grandma Whitehead to everyone,”