Fourth child of John Thomas and Annie Andersen Moore

Ernest Moore, age 72.

Life Sketch for Ernest Moore

Written July, 1981 by Thelma Moore Hutchens

My father, Ernest Moore, was born July 4, 1887 at Clinton, Utah, a small community south of Provo, near Spanish Fork. His father, John Thomas Moore, was the son of English converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who had come to Utah in very early days. His mother, Annie Andersen Moore had come across the plains to Utah with her mother and her brother in 1862. The couple was married in Salt Lake City, January 8, 1880.

My father was the fourth child of this marriage. There was twelve children in all, two dying in infancy. All of them were born in Utah except the last two.

They lived in Utah until 1897. Then Grandpa Moore, Tom, George, John and Ernest made the long journey with teams and wagons, arriving on Oct. 30th at the community of Shelton, then known as Prospect. Dad was ten years old at that time.

Grandma, Willard, Wesley, Annie and Ralph came to Idaho by train. Florence and Reed were born in Idaho.

Ernest went to elementary school in Shelton and attended Rick's Academy for one year.

On April 10, 1907 he married Clara Viola Cole (my mother) in Salt Lake City. They had six children: Charles Ernest, John Elvert, Clifford Wesley, Thelma, Loretta, and Wanda Vanita, all born in Shelton.

Dad farmed in Shelton and was among the early dry farmers of the area. Our dry farm was near Willow Creek, south of the Shelton Cemetery. He owned one of the first horse drawn combine harvesters. It was while he was working with my uncles on the combine that a terrible accident happened. He got is right hand caught in the combine and two fingers were so crushed they had to be removed. I was only about five years old, but I'll never forget that day.

We spent summers on the dry farm and moved down to the old log house on Grandma and Grandpa Moore's place so we kids could to go school in the old red brick school house that was next to their place.

We spent one winter in Milo caring for Uncle Melvin and Aunt Florence Jordan's place while Uncle Melvin went to Teacher's School in Albion. I was in the fourth grade there.

Then we moved to Poplar where Dad rented a farm for a couple of years. We kids had to walk a long ways to the Poplar school. I remember walking in snow almost to my knees along the side hill and was almost frozen when I would get to school. The old pot-bellied stove felt very good while we unthawed.

We then moved to Iona for one year. We spent the summer on the farm but we moved into Idaho Falls for two winters so we could go to school.

We spent two summers on a farm in Firth, then mother and we kids moved to Rexburg for the winter and our schooling. In the spring we moved to Independence, near Rexburg. We spent about three years in Independence, then moved to LaBelle, where he farmed a few years. I was married while we were living at LaBelle, so was Clifford and Ernie.

From there Dad went to a farm south of Rexburg. We called this the 'Winter Farm'. Dad farmed this for a couple of years. Then he retired from farming and just worked for wages a few years. He and Mom built a house in Independence and lived there a few years.

Dad liked to fish, camp, and travel. Dad and Mother attended a World Fair in Chicago and spent several winter months in California.

During World War II, he worked at the Navel Ordnance Plant in Ogden.

Mother passed away June 10, 1948 in Idaho Falls and later he met Nellie Mae Morgan while he was working at Roger Brothers in Idaho Falls and they were married July 1, 1949. They spent six happy years together. They enjoyed fishing, camping, and picnicking. Nellie died very suddenly from a stroke March 12, 1955. He was very lonesome living alone and did as much traveling as possible. He made three trips to Alaska and spent some time with my sister and family at Anchor Point.

He spent some time each winter in California visiting with Elvert and Loretta. He always enjoyed going to Lava Hot Springs and spending a few days.

He had one quite severe stroke, but recovered from it fairly well but his health was never too good afterwards. We had a Thanksgiving Dinner at my place and we were all together, but my brother Elvert. Loretta flew up from California. We had an enjoyable time and took many pictures. One was a four generation picture. But we all knew that day that Dad was seriously ill. He entered the hospital Dec. 1st and passed away Dec. 3rd, 1966. Dad held a lot of positions in the church and was ordained to the Priesthood to the church and was a High Priest at the time of his death.

Ernest and Clara Moore Gravestones

Click on the link above to see pictures of Ernest and Clara Moore's gravestones.