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Born: 14 Nov 1889, Rockville, Utah. Married: Calvin D. McOmber, Sr. 24 Jun 1909 Guadalupe, Mexico Died: 15 Jan 1971, Pocatello, Idaho Father: David F. Stout Mother: Rettie Cox  Show Pedigree Chart |
8 Children: Calvin D. McOmber, Jr. (1910-1980) George Emerson McOmber (1912-2002) Arthur Fisk McOmber (1914-1999) Ferryle Bryant McOmber (1916-1999) Winston Isaiah McOmber (1918-2010) Adrian Stout McOmber (1921-2005) David Ivins McOmber (1923-2003) Velma McOmber Teerlink (1927-2014) |
Achsah was born to Henrietta Cox Stout and David Fisk Stout November 14, 1889 in Rockville, Utah. Her mother was a fine teacher, and she learned her elementary Ed. from her. At ten, she moved to Old Mexico. She remembered the very long, hot journey to Old Mexico. The children would put handkerchiefs over their faces to protect their faces from the hot sun. At Tucson, she saw horses squirted with water. How wonderful that would have been for the thirsty, hot family suffering in the heat of Arizona.
Achsah relates, " I was born in the little town of Rockville, Washington C., Utah, November 14, 1889. This little village, a mere widening of the canyon, was located at the gateway to Zion National Park, very picturesque and beautiful. My father (David Fisk Stout) had four wives, Henrietta (Rettie) Cox, Mary Jane Terry, Julia Cox, and Sarah (Sadie) Cox (three Cox sisters). They all lived under the same roof. My grandfather, Isaiah Cox, died at the age of 40, so my grandmother Henrietta joined our father's family bringing her youngest child, Artimisha. We called the other wives "aunt" and Artimisha was known by all as Aunt Misha. They were mothers to us in counsel, advice, love, and correction.
My parents' home was well organized. At a set time in the morning we would assemble in the large kitchen which was used as a dining room too. Then we would sing a hymn and father and his wives (whom we also called "the folks") would engage in reading the scriptures, discussing the doctrines of the church, read the latest word from the prophet, then proceeded to eat breakfast. A similar procedure was repeated at evening time."
Achsah had great training from her wonderful parents. She was schooled in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the scriptures being taught every day. She entered school at age seven. Her mother was one of the first teachers in Rockville. During the summer of 1897 she moved to Hinckley Utah. Due to the illness of her sister Daisie, she and her family returned to Rockville to warmer weather. There they worked hard to obtain produce from the fruit orchards and dried fruit. In 1900 they moved to Bunkerville, Nevada for Daisie had suffered from Typhoid Rheumatism and was walking on crutches, she needing a warmer climate.
Due to the U.S. Marshal raids on polygamists, the family decided to move to the colonies of Old Mexico in April of that year. After six weeks of weary travel, they finally arrived at Naco,Arizona. This was a border town, with a rail road that divided Naco from Juarez, Mexico. Her brother David got a job freighting coke from Naco to the Canninea Mines in Mexico. Her mother ran a small laundry where Achsah and brother Wendell, helped as distributors and collectors.
Achsah well remembers the huge cloud burst that broke over this little town of Naco. They were dwelling in a tent and a covered wagon box at the time. She was with her brother Wendell, and noticed funnel-like clouds of dust swirling along the hills east, moving southward. They sensed danger and broke into a run. When they reached their tent, Achsah remembers, "The instant we reached the tent, a blinding flash of lightning followed by a deafening crash of thunder broke the lamp-chimney, plunging us into darkness. A down pour of rain driven by terrific winds shot through the canvas tent. Everything was drenched. A stream of water six inches deep swept through the tent. The tent shivered and swayed and probably would have collapsed had not all hands, Mother's, Daisie's, Wendell's, and mine, held and supported the bending pole. I'll never forget Mother's white face moaning, "She'll never make it." "Who?" I cried. "Artie"! Then I realized my sister Artie was missing. She had been sent over the railroad track, or border line, into Mexico to Aunt Rose Bunker's place in Juarez for a start of yeast. As soon as it was possible to breath outside, mother left us in search of Artie. The clouds were pouring buckets of water and big balls of fire were thundering down the railroad tracks. "Father in Heaven, save mother, sister, Artie and us," we prayed as we pushed and held desperately to the tent pole. Mother had not been gone long until brother Bundy, our nearest neighbor who lived a few feet away, came to our door asking how we were making out. When he learned mother had gone over the R.R.tracks, his face paled. "Your mother will never make it. She will be electrocuted." Even then he started hunting for her. After what seemed eons of time, the storm abated some; the rain was still pouring through the tent. However, we heard voices and to our joy, mother and Brother Bundy were returning. Artie was not with them, but had been left with Aunt Rose and family, not knowing the anxiety she had caused. Mother had peeked under the tent, saw Artie holding a tin plate over the lamp and left, fearing to show her frightened face, to return to us."
I loved Grandmother's many stories and I heard this one many times. Moving to Old Mexico was very difficult. The Stout family lost many children to impure water, causing Typhoid Fever. Her beloved David came down with Typhoid fever and though her mother worked long and hard to remedy the sickness, he died. Before he died, he had a dream where he saw Jesus Christ and was told that his life was acceptable to the Lord. Achsah was thrilled to hear this but her mother quickly left the room and broke down and wept long and sorrowfully. Seeing the passing of beloved brothers and sister was crushing to Achsah. "I thought my heart would burst with grief", she said.
After the funeral, the family move to Colonia Diaz. When the family reunited there they wept long and hard for the passing of David, Leland, and Melvina. After settling in Diaz two more children died, Carlyle, Aunt Sadie's boy of four and Ruth of Aunt Julia. Typhoid came again and Irving also died. Achsah and her family were in such grief, that they fasted and prayed. Her father fasted and prayed for four days and Achsah feared for his life as well. Aunt Janes youngest, little Willfard also died. Later, Achsah also suffered from Typhoid but recovered fully.
Although the winter in Diaz was the most disastrous in the history of the Stout family, still it had it's bright spots. David moved his family to Hop Valley, west of Juarez. Achsah enjoyed playing hopscotch the whole winter through and the lines of that game remained on the school grounds for years after. She met dear friends:"Mynoa and Annie Richardson, Frannie Fredrickson and Verna Johnson. Juarez was the center of church activity and boasted of the only church academy in Mexico. In 1903 the family moved to Guadalupe, a little town south of Dublan. There the family had their own class room and were taught the regular elementary subjects by Rettie. The family also had a home in Juarez so the children could attend the academy. Daisie met and married Edmund Richardson there. During the summer they canned and dried fruit. David was a fruit farmer and a produce man, selling the food to the mines and communities.
In 1903, Arthur B. Clark bought a farm there in Guadalupe. It was there that Achsah met the finest man and handsomest of Guadalupe: Calvin McOmber. It was at the M.I.A, and church socials that they met, fell in love, and later married. Achsah remembers, "How well I remember at a Christmas party held in 1905 Calvin asked if I would go to a dance in Dublan the coming week. I replied I'd have to ask my mother. However, this date never materialized, for he was stricken with typhoid fever that night, which almost cost him his life. It took weeks and months before he recovered.
In 1905 Achsah began to attend Juarez Stake Academy where she majored in the normal course of teacher training. Her teacher, Guy C. Wilson was her most beloved and honored teacher. After gaining a strong testimony, Achsah took great pains to teach her children to shun the very appearance of evil. The Church was her staff and her stay in shaping the habits and character of her family. she said, "All that I or my family are or hope to be we owe to our Heavenly Father and His wonderful Church" In 1909 she and Calvin attended Juarez Stake Academy and in the summer of 1909, June 24th, were married by Bishop Thurber in Guadalupe. After being sealed in Salt Lake City, they tried to find work in Idaho, but returned to the colonies to begin their lives together.
In Jan. 22, Achsah experienced the murder of her dear neighbor, Elizabeth Mortensen by the Mexican rebels. George M.Kock tried to help her but he was also shot. Aunt Misha Black's husband had been shot so she moved back to David Stout's home. The terror of leaving their beloved homes, and seeing the loss of their loved ones and investments, left a lasting impression with Achsah. One which she would tell us again and again. "How I love America!!" she would say. We are protected by our great constitution here.
After staying in Logan for awhile, they homesteaded in Oakley, Idaho. They moved to Pocatello, and she masterminded the McOmber Dairy. She was a great manager and a very hardy and hard worker. She cooked for many hired hands, relatives who needed work, not to mention raising her own 8 children: Calvin, Emerson, Arthur, Ferryle, Winston, Adrian, David, and Velma. She served missions to the Southern States, and Bannock Creek Indians, served as Relief Society President, teacher and active in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. All her life she was a great teacher, example, and hard worker, with Christ as the center of her life. She died on the way to the convalecent home after a stroke she suffered while at the home of her son Calvin & Frances on January 15, 1971. She is buried by the side of her dear husband, Calvin in Wasatch Memorial Gardens, Salt Lake City Utah.