(Margaret is the mother of the contributor, Richard Neal Heywood)
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| Margaret and her daughter, Josephine. |
Our Mother
Margaret
Eleanor Smurthwaite Heywood
By
Alfred and
Phyl Heywood
We are grateful for the opportunity
to add to the history of the Smurthwaite Family, a brief account of a very
beloved member of that family, our mother, Margaret Eleanor Smurthwaite
Heywood.
She was born October 9, 1895 in
Ogden, Utah, the third child and first daughter of Alfred and Margaret Eleanor
Brown Smurthwaite. The family later
moved back to Wellsville where she spent her childhood and growing-up
years. She was christened
"Margaret", but in her early years she was called Marguerite because
of a popular song of the day with that title. Her parents sang the song
together and began calling her "Marguerite." They did this until "Marguerite"
discovered who she really was, "Margaret"; then she insisted on being
called by her real name. Propriety was
always one of her trademarks!
Margaret was filled with zeal for
life, much like her mother, and she seemed bequeathed with virtuous
characteristics from her wonderful parents.
She was particularly influenced by her parents' English background, her
father having emigrated from England at an early age. She loved the amiable and enthusiastic
atmosphere of her childhood home, and this was very apparent to the outsider
looking on. At the time of their
courtship, Margaret's future husband, Leland Heywood, likened the family to
that portrayed in the book and play, "Little Women," because of the
love and affection he observed in their home.
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| Mildred died when almost 18. |
This love and affection within the
home surely must have aggravated the pain caused by the loss of two of her
eight siblings due to accidents.
Margaret often spoke with a certain wistfulness of her sister, Mildred,
who was paralyzed from a fall from a tree at 8 years of age and died of
complications when she was almost 18.
She remembered with sadness the Thanksgiving Day accident that took the
life of her beloved brother, Armand. He
was just two years older than she, and was a great companion. They had much fun together. He would dance with her at the children's
dances, and at home would practice the dance steps with her to give her
confidence. When it was his turn to
select players for his side in active games like "Prisoner's Base"
and Baseball he would choose her. One
can understand the terrible void that his passing left for her.
Margaret
was a quick, enthusiastic student. She
loved to learn and did exceptionally well in her studies. She loved music and spoke of having a lead
role in a school musical. By the time
she was in the eighth grade she had made such a good impression on her teachers
that she was called upon to be a substitute teacher when the 1st grade teacher
was absent. This seemed to be the
beginning of a great love for much of her life’s work, teaching school.
Mom was the valedictorian of her
graduating class and soon enrolled at the University of Utah in Salt Lake
City. She was not able to finish her
education at this time, but received her certificate to teach. She returned to her beautiful Cache Valley to
begin her teaching career at Logan, Utah.
It was in Logan while rooming with
Velma Heywood that she met Velma's brother, Leland. From the beginning she became attached to the
Heywood family, as she, Velma, Leland and their brothers David and Yates spent
many enjoyable times together. The
foursome planned to meet for an outing, but Leland caught Margaret alone before
the others arrived. He made what became
a most memorable proposal in the kitchen with the dirty dishes and blots of jam
and crumbs decorating the table. He
hurriedly asked her to marry him and her answer was an immediate
"Yes", in spite of what she described as the "crumby, unromantic
place to propose!"
On August 16, 1921 Margaret received
her endowments in the Salt Lake Temple.
The following day she and Leland both were given patriarchal blessings
by Hyrum G. Smith, the Church Patriarch.
Then, the following day, August 18, 1921, Margaret and Leland were
sealed in the Salt Lake Temple by Hyrum G. Smith. Mother Smurthwaite was in attendance at the
wedding.
This marked the beginning of a very
full and wonderful life together.
Margaret was truly a helpmeet to her husband, always willing to help him
achieve the dreams that he had as a young man.
After Leland's first degree in pharmacy and working at drug stores in
Mesa and Chandler, Arizona they decided that his interest was more in
dentistry. So Leland enrolled at the
University of Southern California School of Dentistry and Margaret helped sustain
the family by teaching school.
Margaret and Leland did not wait to
begin their family. On November 18, 1922
Margaret Josephine was born in Mesa, Arizona.
It was while they were in California that Barbara Lea was born, October
2, 1928 in Los Angeles, California.
Alfred Leland was born in Snowflake, Arizona on June 17, 1930. Richard Neal was born April 10, 1933 also in
Snowflake. Carol Jayne was born July 3,
1940 and became a member of their family in April of 1945.
Margaret has left a legacy for her
family as a gracious, able and giving mother and grandmother. She created a comfortable and beautiful home
wherever she lived. Carol remembers the
shopping trips to Phoenix, seeing the newest styles and fabrics and then going
home to have them recreated at home for a much-reduced price. One way or another she saw to it that her
family was well dressed, had educational opportunities, music lessons, all of
the benefits that would lead them down the path to a full life.
Her attention for these things did
not stop with her children, but carried on with her grandchildren. They could not help but remember her and
"Granddaddy's" willingness to help out in about every situation. Her annual New Year's Eve parties for her
children and grandchildren were anxiously awaited by all. She and Jo would fill a piñata with a myriad
of goodies and little toys for the children.
A delicious buffet was served with her most beautiful serving
pieces. She would give her readings for
us all, "Betty and the Bar" and "The Twins", and then
everyone would go on the hunt for a personal gift. She would hide the gifts around the
house. It was a tradition long to be
lovingly remembered. Yes, Margaret was a
wonderful family person. But to the Mesa
community she is remembered as "teacher".
Actually, Margaret began her
teaching career in her late teens. She
said that once she had successfully taught school at that young age she always
retained a sense of security. In
addition to this sense of security she always displayed self-confidence. These two attributes surely must have played
a part in a lifetime optimism and self-confidence in the classroom where she
was always in control.
It was probably in her first
teaching assignment where she first displayed her ability to "take
charge" in the classroom. Margaret
was short, 5 feet, and slight of stature, but she could stand much taller than
that and knew how to assert more than a slight effect upon any who might
challenge her. This was displayed
throughout her career but began early on when she first taught in a one-room
school with big and somewhat older farm boys who were bigger and stronger and
(seemingly) tougher than Margaret. When
she recognized the potential problem, she confronted their leader and let him
know who was in charge. It seems that
she, in effect, stared him down and the potential bullies were subdued.
To say that she never had classroom
problems would be to exaggerate, but few would compare in her ability to
control a classroom. She not only knew
how to rise to any occasion, but also knew how to call upon a resource beyond
herself. She reported that sometimes,
when things were not going just right, she would turn to the blackboard, as
though writing something, and say "a little prayer", then things
would just "smooth out."
But classroom discipline is only a
part of teaching, and Margaret excelled in other aspects as well. Her students learned the facts, feelings and
inspiration of great literature. They
learned to think and to systematically express their thoughts. They learned the mechanics. They learned to create. They wanted to learn more.
Margaret's teaching was without
respect of persons. She had the ability
to bring out the best in the gifted, interested student as well as the
disinterested. She corrected without
hesitation, but without demeaning the student.
She extended more help to those with extra interest and to those with
extra needs. It was not uncommon to find
a student seated at her kitchen table in the evening receiving help on a
writing project.
One student expressed the
impossibility of his being able to write a research paper. He lacked the interest and the skill. He disliked school and was ready to quit. He had no hope for success in school. Margaret, listened to his discouraged,
despairing words and then asked what he was interested in. He said, "Chickens." She then sparked an interest and helped him
write about his hobby of raising chickens.
This proved to be a turning point in his life. He later became a successful teacher himself.
Margaret's career included
forty-seven years of teaching, ranging from the one room grammar school to the
college classroom. She taught in
Plymouth, Wellsville, Smithfield, and Bingham Canyon, Utah; St. Johns and
Youngberg, Arizona; she taught for twelve years in Los Angeles, California and
for twenty years at Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona.
It was while at Mesa High School
that she reached the mandatory retirement age of 65. How she happened to teach
there for two extra years makes an interesting tale. Margaret claimed neither interest nor skill
in mathematics. As a child she knew her
age, but she felt no confidence in figuring the year of her birth. She decided to rely on a fellow student for
this fact and asked a boy her age "who was good at math" to give her year
of her birth. It seems he knew his year
of birth and related to her with confidence -- 1896. She assumed that it was correct and entered
that date on documents from that time on.
All official and unofficial records included this year of birth. Margaret didn't discover her correct year of
birth until proof was needed for a passport application. During the research needed to create a birth
certificate, it was discovered she was born in 1895 instead of 1896. She let the record stand and was therefore
allowed to teach an extra. Then,
because she was a department head they allowed an additional “extra” year. Thus, she taught at Mesa High School two
years beyond the usual mandatory retirement age of 65. Then, she taught an additional 5 years at the
Church College of Hawaii (now BYU Hawaii campus)!
As we, her family, meet her former
students we have good feelings as they express their love and appreciation for
the influence of their teacher. She will
be long remembered in the schools, community and church.
One's greatest influence is within
the home and family, and Margaret will always have the love and admiration of
her posterity. She saw to it that each
need was fulfilled. Her energy,
enthusiasm and optimism were boundless.
At least ninety of her ninety-six years found her in excellent health,
which we attribute to her prudent living, i.e., daily exercises, good eating
habits and positive attitude. Margaret
was full of faith, loving and serving the Lord throughout her life. Her family is very grateful for the legacy
that she left for them.
In her later years Margaret was
called to teach a class on child rearing in Relief Society. One of her lessons was on
"Grandmothering". She wrote
the following:
"What
Can Grandmothers Do?"
As the matriarch of the Leland
Heywood family, just what can I do to help that family? Well, I have written for them and for my
brothers and sisters the life stories of my parents, Alfred Smurthwaite and
Margaret Ellen Brown, both estimable people.
I am planning my life story and that
of my husband, hoping that our influence with our extended family might prove
beneficial and inspirational in their lives.
In fact, I hope that we shall never be forgotten!
As an old woman, lonely and frail in
health, I can still do some constructive things if I will to do so; and I so
will it!
I can be cheerful, not complaining
or bitter, not, as my father would have phrased it "forever
belly-aching!" Yes, I can smile and
be cheerful.
I desire the approval of my
grandchildren. I can turn on the charm
for them. I can still talk of optimism
and courage with a pair of shining eyes and an optimistic giggle. Over and above that, I can give them
assurance of my approval of them, of my acceptance of them as they are, no
matter what. I might find it difficult
to refrain from pointing out faults and weaknesses; but always, on closer view,
I can find something to praise, to stimulate faith and to awaken courage.
Then we settle down to a discussion
of material needs. Somehow we manage to
meet the semester fees and book needs.
We see that those ever-recurring repair problems with the car are paid
for when need arises. Yes, somehow, they
must manage to get to and from. Above
all, they must have a scholastic, technical or mechanical education sufficient
to insure fair and equal competition in our industrial world.
I can keep my home a pleasant place
for my grandchildren to enjoy. They seem
to relax here where they find quiet and order.
I can work in the yard keeping the walks swept, the weeds pulled and
flowers planted. I enjoy work. "Work", you know, "is love
made visible."
I can make my small contribution to
the Church and the community. I try to
support civic projects such as the Community Chest, the Mesa Symphony and the
Mesa Little Theater. I desire my
grandchildren to grow up in a town furnishing much in cultural advantages. Surely they should know that I do my bit
towards making their home city a desirable place in which to live.
I set my example before my family in
keeping family records. I urge them to
begin their accurate record keeping now.
By Margaret S.
Heywood, at age 87
Love and service to family, school, church,
and community are her legacy. She truly
did have the “will to do” and she “did it” for each of us. For her, we express our love and
appreciation.
