103 Years of Memories of Mesquite

 Margaret Sylvester Hardy was 103 years old on her birthday last January 28th, 2015. She still resides in Mesquite at Highland Manor where friends and family helped her celebrate with a lovely birthday cake.

 Margaret’s family moved to the valley in 1905 and purchased the rock house that still stands at the corner of Willow Street and 1st North. Her mother, Clara Woodbury Barlow was a widow with 5 small children and after marrying her father Joshua William Sylvester had three more children including Margaret. Her father also bought land 3 miles east of Mesquite in Arizona Territory and traveled from Mesquite each day to work there. Eventually the family moved to the farm to make it easier to tend to the work but it made it difficult for the children to get to school and Clara to have help with her difficult births. Margaret was born in 1911 at the home of the Mesquite midwife, Mary Jane Abbott where her mother had gone to await the birth. Her father was then 67 years old and the farm work was very hard on him. Some winters the family went to relatives in St. George to stay during the school year.

Margaret remembers the difficulty of everyday life in the valley, especially the water that was obtained from the river by way of ditches for washing, cleaning and even drinking. It was often muddy and never really tasted good. Everyone worked hard and even the smallest children had chores of their own. The girls learned to cook and take care of a home early in their lives and the boys helped with the animals and crops. But Margaret has sweet memories and great love for her parents and siblings.

 Margaret married Heber Hardy when she was 16 years old and they had 6 children. One son died as a young man and another son passed away in 2001. She is a life long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has held many positions in the auxiliaries and even served a mission in her later years. She still attends her church meetings held at Highland Manor. During the 1950s Margaret was the local president of the LDS women’s auxiliary, The Relief Society, during the building of the new chapel on the boulevard and held many fundraising dinners and dances to support its construction. Before this time meetings were held in the Relief Society building on North Willow Street. The women learned homemaking and parenting skills, studied the scriptures, made quilts and other needlework, supported each other, and planned community improvements. They donated many hours of work during the construction of their new chapel and even signed over their old building for sale to go toward the cause. Margaret spent all day every Saturday with her responsibility of evaluating welfare needs, collecting goods, and distributing them to families in town. She also directed the care of widows and the sick. Margaret had to have the support of her husband Heber Hardy and her children to be able to give so much service to others. After her youngest child started school she worked as a lunchroom cook for many years.

 Margaret loves Mesquite and has many fond memories even of the difficult times and the hard work that was required to live and raise a family here in the early years. Though her sight is failing she is happy and enjoys being visited by her many descendants and friends. She is dearly loved by everyone who has known her.