Happy Birthday Grandma Mac

    S U S A N N A     J O H N S T U N    McA L L I S T E R 

    Not everyone has a claim to fame, but I do, I was born on my Grandma Mac's Birthday!
From as early as I can remember, she and I enjoyed a special bond.
     None of my posterity had the privilege of knowing this amazing lady so it's only appropriate that as Our birthday approaches that I take time to introduce her to you!

Susanna Johnstun McAllister was born on July 6, 1902 in Oleo, New Mexico to Samuel James Johnstun and Elizabeth Emily Deans. She was the 5th child of 7. Samuel James Jr (died at 2 weeks old), Joseph William (Bill), Elizabeth Emily, David George, Susanna (our Grandma Mac), Jesse Robert ( Uncle Jesse was famous for saying " There are only 2 kinds of pie I like- Hot and Cold!) and Ellen Jane.
     Susanna was still 3 years old when her parents took up a homestead at Twin Springs, in the Zuni Mountains of New Mexico.  Her dad said that " he bet uncle Sam 5 years of starvation against 160 acres of land, and he won."  Life however was hard on the homestead so they sold it in the fall of 1912 and moved to Ramah, New Mexico.  After just one year in Ramah they moved to Mesa, Arizona on Dec 9, 1913.  Just 3 years later her father (Samuel) passed away on Dec 18,1916 of stomach cancer.  Susanna was only 14 years old so of necessity, she learned to work at a very early age.  She worked for many families keeping house and tending children when she wasn't in school. In here late teens, Susanna caught the eye of a handsome young minor league baseball player who earlier had served in World War 1 his name was Luther McAllister. Soon he was calling on Susanna in a flashy new model T ford. With his persuasive manner, good looks, baseball prowess and that nice little model T ford, it wasn't long before he persuaded Susanna that she should become his wife.  All their friends were really excited about the coming event.  The wedding was set for January 1, 1923.  However, Luther discovered that some of their friends were planning on giving them a good ol' fashion shivaree.  Not excited about having them steal his bride, they eloped and were married New Year's Eve 1922. (they were later sealed in the Mesa, Arizona Temple.) Susanna and Luther were blessed with 5 children. Edmond Luther, Marvin James, Donna Lou (the Lou is for Luther), Billie Bradford, and Dorthy Faye. Family vacations in Arizona consisted mainly of camping and fishing.
     Susanna was very active in the church.  She served as a teacher, Secretary, and President of the Primary, M.I.A. and Relief Society.  One of her favorite positions was that of Guide Teacher in the Primary where she served for 12 consecutive years.  She loved the out-of -doors and took her Guide class on many outings and over-night trips throughout the state of Arizona.  Later she taught the Gleaner's class (the oldest girls in Mutual) and helped them earn their " Golden Gleaners Award."
     Very few women share the activities and hobbies of their husbands as Susie did.  They fished, hunted, camped out and were avid baseball enthusiasts and were always together where ever they went.
      Because of Susanna's health, the family moved to Utah in 1943. They moved into a house in Washington Terrace. They had a 3 bedroom duplex on Marine Drive. The homes were built as back to back duplexes. It was cheap government housing built on a sandy hill to help house all those who came to work during World War 2  at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden Arsonal (a munition plant) D.D.O, the Navy storage facility and the railroad .Luther and Susie both held full time jobs and also worked seasonally at night at the Blackington's Cannery on the corner of 4th and Wall Ave. in Ogden.  Susanna took employment at J.C.Penny where she worked in the material section.  She was a good seamstress.  After about a year she hired on for more money at Defense Depot Ogden where she made and folded parachutes for World War 2.  After the War many jobs were eliminated so she took a job at American Can Company where she worked for many years until she retired in 1961.
     Susie took great pride in her children and grandchildren.  Her whole life was spent in doing with and for them.  Here grandchildren's lives were much better because of her loving way of doing, spoiling and correcting them.  (ask me about the time my grandmother and mother broke up my fight with the school bully- but that is a story for another day!)  She was a person who always enjoyed activities, she organized and carried out the Johnstun reunion for many years!  In fact, she died just two weeks after putting much time and effort into a wonderful Johnstun family reunion which was held at a campground on Monte-Cristo between Ogden and Randolph, Utah, where she participated in softball and other sports activities.
     Her grandchildren all remember her as a fun loving, going and doing grandma.  The joke has been told many times that when someone was going someplace, Susie would be the first in the car and then ask, "where are we going?"  We have fond memories of helping with the canning in grandma's basement where she canned lots of fruits and vegetables.  Who can forget grandma's pies! (her minced meat pie is still one of my favorites.)  We remember our grandparents returning from trips to Arizona with a truck load of cactus wood that grandpa would use to make picture frames, pin cushions and lots of other things. I remember they would always bring back watermelon which was my favorite. One year they brought back a whole bunch of mistletoe which we enterprisingly bagged and sold at school for $.25 a bag. Needless to say we sold out quickly!  We remember fun cookouts at grandma's house where we always had wonderful tomatoes and vegetables from grandpa's garden and if it was the right time of year we enjoyed fresh boysenberries from grandpa's berry patch with of course a scoop of vanilla ice cream!  We remember hunting and fishing trips when we grandkids lucky enough to go were loaded half asleep into the back of grandpa's pickup truck and head out in the dark for another adventure! We knew we'd be well fed for lunch with pickle and pimento or Vienna sausage sandwiches. They taught us to love and appreciate this beautiful world and all it's wonders.
    One of the saddest days of my life was on my mission when I received a telegram that my sweet grandma had suffered a massive heart attack and was in the hospital.  The next day another telegram informed me that my grandma had passed away.
    The greatest birthday present that I could possible receive this July 6th is for my posterity, cousins, brothers and sisters , nieces and nephews to gather their little ones and share this and other memories of one most remarkable life- the life of Susanna Johnstun McAllister, that when you meet her in some future realm, as you all surely will, that she will not just be a name on a family history chart but
that you will know her and love her for the very real and wonderful person that she most assuredly is!
     Much love to you all!
   
     The Grandparent Chronicles  # 5
      Bruce and Annette Wade
      July  2018