LIVINGSTON, Elizabeth (1875)
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| Elizabeth Livingston Spalding | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Elizabeth Livingston |
| Born | April 13 1875 |
| Place of birth | Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah |
| Died | October 22 1937 |
| Place of death | Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
|
Elizabeth Livingston Spalding was born April 13, 1875 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the youngest of 6 children. Two of them died in infancy. The family lived in Salt Lake part of the time in a home on 5th East just south of South Temple and part of the time on 10th East in the old 11th Ward.
Her parents were homesteading land in the Cottonwood area. As soon as school was out, our grandmother would take her 4 children out to Cottonwood for the summer. The children enjoyed it particularly going barefoot but oh how hard it was to put on those shoes when it was time to go back to the City.
Elizabeth was a beautiful auburn haired girl and when she was 16 won a medal for being the "Prettiest girl in the County" at the County Fair. Grandmother was quite disturbed about it because she was quite a private person and thought "Lizzie" was too forward and pushy. However in later years "Lizzie" was quite modest about it and when asked about the medal always said "Oh that was my cousin".
Elizabeth married John Acomb. They had one son McLean Acomb. Elizabeth and John were later divorced. She met Van Dusen Spalding in Ogden, Utah. They were married March 22, 3906 in Los Angeles, California. They had planned on settling in California and were in Oakland at the time of the big earthquake in San Francisco. They could see San Francisco burning from their hotel window. They changed their minds about living in California and went back to Salt Lake. Their young boy, McLean, died on 6 January 1907 and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
They built a lovely home at 321 E Street in Salt Lake. Elizabeth and Van had two daughters born in this home. Anna was born 4 July 1908 and Jean was born 4 October 1913. They also lost two babies who died in infancy - one born in 1907 - a baby girl and a baby boy in 1916.
Van died 22 June 1916 at Upper Falls Canyon in Provo, Canyon. He had been sent there to recuperate from a lung illness. He was buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Elizabeth was a lovely lady. Her hair turned white at an early age and she carried herself with such dignity and poise. People at first meeting her were always impressed with how dignified she was. She had a hard time living up to this impression because she had a terrific sense of humor and such joking ways. In fact, she was such an informal person that her friends and even her sons-in-law always called her "Lizzie".
She had not been baptized as a child. She was baptized in the LDS Church in 1924. She enjoyed the Church very much - particularly Relief Society, quilting and Visiting Teaching. She also enjoyed going to the Temple. She made a lovely home for her two daughters and devoted her life to their well being. She was a very unselfish and generous person and did without things herself in order to give to others. She once said "If you can gift it, it really isn't a gift." She died of a stroke on Oct 22, 1937. She had her wish as she had always said if she had a stroke or any other serious illness where she would require a lot of care and be a problem to people she prayed that the Lord would not make her linger a long time. She was only sick 3 days. She died at her home at 321 E. Street. The funeral was held at the 20th Ward and she is buried in the City Cemetery at Salt Lake City, Utah.
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