I think that this minor episode in mother's acceptance of the role in polygamy is unique and meaningful. Rhoda explains it as a probable expression of an elderly person who has harbored a feeling of injustice, perhaps more sub-conscious than conscious, many of mother's admirers would concur; but my opinion is that it was brought on by the worries one can have in their declining years and the brainwashing of well-meaning friends who felt sorry for her, rather than in any overt or subconscious attitude. I am not saying that she always accepted without question or disagreement and even contesting the various arrangements or circumstances which arose. What I am saying is that she went into polygamy knowingly and by choice, and she was willing to, and did accept the responsibilities of this choice.

Now back to our grandmother. She was the second of five wives. She was a very small woman, almost tiny in her declining years when I remember her best. She lived in our home the last two years of her life where she died at the age of ninety-six. She had lost the use of her eyes possibly as the result of cataracts, which were not understood as well then as now. In Aunt Emily's printed comments she refers to her mother's blindness as cataracts and I think that was mother's idea also. Grandmother had lived in her own home until it became on old and unfit place to live. At her children's invitation, and even insistance that she come live with them, she would reply that her son's (Orrin and Melvin) had the farm land with the understanding that they would take care of her.

On an occasion when Orrin had moved to Morgan she moved into his home which was next to that of her son Melvin. Her eyesight must have been already failing and one day she disposed of what she thought was onion seed by throwing it into the fire. Instead of onion seed it was gun powder and the resulting explosion burned her eyelashes and scorched her hair. When this happened her son Melvin said, "This is enough. You are coming to live with us." She lived with Uncle Melvin and Aunt Frankie until she became quite blind and feeble when two years before her death Rhoda took her from Centerville to Georgetown to live with her daughter Alice until her death,

The trip from Centerville, Utah, to Georgetown, Idaho, was made by train and it was necessary to change trains at McCammon. When it came time to board the second train, grandmother objected. No persuasion would move her; the conductor was becoming worried but that didn't make any difference. Finally, Rhoda picked her up like a small child and carried her onto the train. When they were on the train grandmother stood up and called in a loud voice, "Do any of you people here know the Randalls? They are fine, upright people."

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