Memories of 

Grandfather Stucki

by

Mabel Stucki Athay - with contributions from Evelyn S. Thirkill

 Perhaps the earliest recollection I have of Grandfather [J.U. Stucki] took place at the occasion of the death of our Grandfather [Isaac Thomas] Price in May of 1912.  Mother had gone to Round Valley several days before when her father became ill with pneumonia.  Grandfather Stucki planned to attend the funeral and took Evelyn and me with him.  Grandfather drove a one-seated black buggy drawn by a beautiful brown horse.  It took most of a day to travel from Paris to Round Valley.  As we traveled he talked with us and gave us candy and treats.  Darkness came soon after we left Laketown.  Most of the road between Laketown and Round Valley was a narrow dugway around sagebrush-covered hills.  The weariness of the day’s journey and the clap clap of the horse’s feet made us very sleepy.  Grandfather, fearing we might fall out of the buggy, stopped the horse and took a rope from beneath the seat and tied it across the front of us and around the seat.  He was patient and kind as he told me to hold on to the rope and asked Evelyn to put her arms around me so I wouldn’t fall out of the seat.  Grandfather walked along guiding the horse along the strange road.

                                                               *****

 Grandfather Stucki was the Bear Lake Stake Tithing clerk for many years.  This was a full-time assignment.  Much of the tithing was paid in kind, the farmers giving one-tenth of their animals or produce for tithing.  The tithing office, therefore, was something like a store with a barn and stockyard behind with space for storage of the commodities paid by the Saints.  It was his responsibility to keep the records and to dispose of the animals and produce brought in and to account for all of the transactions. 

 The tithing office was a brick building on Main Street.  I remember when several of us grandchildren went to see Grandfather.  He was always kind and interested in us.  It gave me great pleasure for him to put a gold seal on a piece of paper for each of us.