Norma Madsen (Taylor)

Balance of children and Levi's mission. It was a lovely day Aug. 18 1897 when Arletta May was born, just two days before Dalton Okerlund. She was a very plesant child when she was 4 years 1 month 1 day old she died with typhoid pneumonia. Oh how hard it was to give up our little darling, that was our first trial in our family, but the Lord's will be done. Loa Arintha was born one morning May 9, 1899, while her father was herding sheep on Parker Mountain. We sent a runner after him but Loa was 10 hours old before he arrived. She was our first red head, it was very pretty, mother thought it looked like spun gold, but other people said, "It's a red head," which wasn't very complimentary in those days. Feb 21, 1901, Leonard was born, from then every one and half years, I had a boy until I had five. Owen Elton Taylor, born 21 Nov. 1902 at Loa. Rulon Wayne Taylor, born 9 Jan, 1905 at Loa Allen Merlin Taylor born 6 March 1906 at Loa Thaine Taylor born 19 Jan. 1908 at Loa When Thaine was 9 months old dad left for his mission to California. That left me with ten children to care for, a 40 acre field to look after, and raise money to keep him on his mission. None of the boys were big enough to do much except Alford, who was 14. Many mornings I have come from feeding cattle with my clothes frozen to my knees. Then to get the money for dad was another worry. well he had the mission. I had the work, and felt that to care for ten children and everything else it was a hard mission for me. But, we were blessed and dad filled his mission and sent for me to come down. I went and had a lovely time with missionaries and friends. I met dad in Sacremento and we went to San Francisco by boat, sure a treat, we went on deck and ate lunch there with about 8 or ten in the company. When we arrived there we went to Mission Headquarters Also to Almeda to visit some Saints and Elders. We attended the Conference and had a wonderful Spiritual Feast. After which we returned home and found all well and happy until bedtime. I got my baby, Thaine then 2 years old ready for bed. He had always slept with me as dad left him when he was just crawling on the floor so he and I went to bed. In a short time dad came in and got in bed, and did that child get out. Over me he went and up stairs to his brothers he went, he said, "a man," and would never sleep with his dad and me. Stanford was born Flag Day June 14, 1911 and was named for the Stanford University of California where his dad had filled a mission, he should have been an educator. In two years, Aug. 24, 1913, Nola was born. It had been 14 years since we had had a girl, as Loa was 14 years old and still the baby girl. The boys were very pleased with that new sister, and in 1 1/2 years Norma came in on the scene. They were surely like twins and did enjoy them selves together as they grew older. All went well until Quentin came. I suffered so before he got here. I could walk only with the help of a stick or by clinging to the chairs or table. I had never been so helpless before, but then 14 children sorta takes the starch o out of one. When he was born he was such a sweet fat baby I felt well paid as all mothers do.