HENRY FREDERICK SCHULTHIES

I am of German descent.  My grandparents came from Germany to America, but I know very little of them, as my parents both died when I was a mere boy and I was tossed about from place to place where I could best earn my living.  Their religion, however, was the Catholic faith.  Their occupation being that of farmers, likewise my father.  From stories told me by my older brother and sisters, I believe they were very industrious, honest, sturdy, healthy people. 

The place where I was born was unlike this country (Utah) in some respects.  The country there in Kansas is principally rolling hills, no large mountains as we have here and the little town of Kickapoo   was small, but very pretty, I thought. 

It is almost impossible to mention the towns I have lived in and the time I remained in each, but they  were all found in the three states of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.  At the age of eighteen or nineteen years I came west to Colorado for my health as through my profession of a painter, I had been stricken with painter’s colic.  When I began to get better, I know not why, I had a desire to come West, which I did, and here met my future partner for life. 

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1902, which church I know to be true and feel to do my duty the best I can and hope to remain faithful along with my family.

Written by:  Henry Frederick Schulthies

[Died October 10, 1951 at home in Woods Cross, Utah.]

History of Henry Frederick Schulthies

by:  Lydia Ann Howard Schulthies  (wife)

Henry Frederick Schulthies (eis) or (eiss), not sure, was born at Kickapoo, Kansas 27 October 1879 or 78 to Barnhardt Schulthies and Elizabeth Weigman.  He was the third child in a family of seven.  Eldest was Mary, Benjamin, Henry, Matilda, Cecelia, John and Joseph.  Cecelia died in infancy.  Henry lived longer than the others, dying at the age of 72 years.  This family lost their father when quite young children.  Their mother married a Mr. Hickman, then she died in childbirth a year after she married Mr. Hickman.  This stepfather was not very kind to the children.  So the two girls went to work for people for their board.  Henry and Ben went to an Aunt Cecelia Weigmann Schneider, a sister of their mother.  They lived in a wooded section and sometimes when they went to bring the horses in from the field, they were chased by grey wolves.  One time they climbed on a high fence post and stayed a long time for the wolf to leave the spot so they dared get down and go home.  When Uncle Ben Schneider got tired of them, Ben went to Carry and Alfred Cook’s place, while Henry went to his Grandmother Weigmann’s home at Weston, Missouri and lived until he was about fourteen years old.  Then the Rock Island Railroad hired him to wash and paint engines at the Horton, Kansas yards.  Henry’s Uncle Dan Weigmann ran a fine saloon at Horton and was fairly well to do.  He hired Henry to drive his wife and daughter places they wanted to go.  They had a very nice horse and buggy which Henry took care of in the morning and evenings.  Then he went to his work at the railroad yards in the day time.  At first he went to the saloon sometimes when not busy, but because he would not drink with the men his Uncle Dan told him to stay away, as Henry was injuring his business when he did not drink.  So Henry did.  Then the patrons asked for “the kid”.  Henry said his Uncle Dan asked him to come back, but Henry said “no”.  He had seen so much trouble and heartaches with his uncle and Grandfather Weigmann, he didn’t want any part of it. 

Later on, he became “leaded” from the paint on the railroad work and was ill.  So the Rock Island Rail Road Co. at Horton, Kansas sent him to Colorado Springs to get over this trouble.  When better, he decided he would like to see the West, so traveled to Ogden, Utah, where his money ran out.  He worked at anything he could get and came to Salt Lake City.  He got work on the brick yards (S.S. Howard’s) and boarded with Mrs. Carless or (Aunt) Josephine Howard before she married Mr. Robert Carless.  After a while he got work in Salt Lake City and met Gene Ludwig.  They shared a room at the hotel together and used to come out to Bountiful to be with the young folks.  Gene later went out with Maude Howard and Henry went with Mable Page, then with me (Lydia Ann Howard).  Later he joined the L.D.S. Church and we were married in the Salt Lake L.D.S. Temple 24 September 1902.  My father (S.S. Howard) was going on a mission to Great Britain 1 October and my brother Sam was coming home and father wanted me to marry before he left.  So on 24 September 1902 we were married in the Salt Lake Temple by Brother Winder. 

We lived one month in rented rooms.  Then we walked fourteen blocks down to a house that belonged to my father to renovate, paint and fix up in general, as renters had gotten it in bad shape.  We lived in this house about four years and then moved to Bountiful with our two children.  Here we worked hard to renovate and fix up a home of our own.  Henry worked twelve-hour shifts at the gas plant in Salt Lake City, driving to work in a horse and buggy and this was before the roads were paved.  So it was slow going and in the winter it was cold and the snow very deep, with snow drifts high over the fences.  This couple worked hard on their little place planting fruit trees, some shade trees, as well as flowers and vegetable gardens. 

Later, Henry obtained work at the State Capitol (while Gov. Bamberger was governor) as Engineer and Custodian of the building.  He worked a night shift, came home on the Street Car that ran on the street east of our home (now called Orchard Drive).  In the morning had breakfast, then with his team and wagon hauled gravel to pave the highway now existing as Highway 91.  Henry worked very hard to try and get ahead, but did not get rich.  Henry was too honest to get any more than a living for his family of seven children.  The next place he worked was at Z.C.M.I.  This was an easier place to work and he worked here for twenty years.  Then he got cataracts on his eyes and had one operated on, but he also had diabetes and soon was forced to stop working. 

In 1943 he lost his left leg to the knee.  When the leg healed enough, he got an artificial leg and worked around his property.  In the spring of 1945 while pruning a peach tree, the limb broke and he fell very hard to the ground, breaking his good leg and was in the hospital again for a long time.  With the first operation, he was in the hospital for twelve weeks.

In 1921 the Bonneville Canal came through the place.  This proved to be real trouble for the community.  In 1921 they sold part of their property and built on the other piece.  With the Bonneville plaster on the property, they could not sell any more until 1941 and then they sold some ground and paid off this debt.  This had worried Henry a great deal and affected his health. 

In the last part of September 1951, Henry had to finally stay in bed, as he was in a lot of pain.  On the 10^th of October 1951, Henry was released from his pain at 10 minutes to 11 a.m.  His wife Lydia, son Rendell, and daughter Lucile were at his bedside.  [He was buried 13 October 1951 in the Bountiful Memorial Cemetery.]

Henry was a good provider, hard worker, honest and set a good example in every detail. 

Headstone of Henry Frederick Schulthies & Lydia Ann Howard Schulthies

Things I Remember of my Father Henry Frederick Schulthies

by:  Lucile Schulthies Stahle

Dad always worked hard.  He always worked at a steady job and then farmed the place.  We (the children), as we grew, had to help.  We bunched vegetables and picked peas and beans every summer.  Also we had fruit to pick and sell.  We always had cows and horses.  As a child I can remember hurrying home from school, changing our clothes and taking the horse and plough to the property where Mother’s house is now.  There we would plant potatoes till dark.  Sometimes the weather was bad and we had to dress for cold and wind and snow.  We wore our overshoes and then I froze.

When the Bonneville Canal came to our area, Mother and Dad sold our old house and built the present home.  This was 1921. 

We had a horse called Black Beauty.  He (Beauty) was our colt, being born at our home.  We had raised him, but when we built the house, Beauty had not really been broke.  Dad was going to dig the basement, so he hitched up Beauty with an older horse.  The work was hard and Beauty did not really understand what Dad wanted.  Dad’s patience was short (cause he had such a small amount of rest) and he had quite a time.  My Dad had a temper, but it took time to get it aroused. 

Dad loved small babies.  At our home, the arrangement of the furniture made a small corner near the kitchen stove.  In this corner Dad would take the sleepy baby or sick child and rock back and forth standing, and sing or hum to them. 

Dad loved his home.  I’m sure a home was more important to him cause he was deprived of home as a child.  At our old home, I remember how Dad worked to put in a reservoir at the foot of the bluff on our place.  This is right west of Winegar’s #2 store on Orchard Drive.  Dad also planted a row of Box Elder trees, and we had to carry buckets of water up the hill to them. 

Dad rode the street car that run along Orchard Drive, and many times he would have to run all the way up the hill to catch it. 

Dad was born into a family who believed and belonged to the Catholic Church.  All his life (as I knew him) he was very glad to be away from the Catholics.  Many times he told us about how the Priest would hurt them at school. 

He was always very careful when dressing or bathing, about being undressed or nude.  When he was in bed with his final sickness, Mother asked me to help her bathe him.  This was only about a week before he passed away and yet he really fussed for fear his person would be exposed.  I assured him he would be covered all the time.  Several days later when we bathed him again, he had become so much worse that he did not even care. 

Dad had green-gray eyes, dark hair, and was six feet tall when in his prime.  He was of the thin build.