Ruth T. Moss Remembers Kelsey Texas

[A few weeks ago, Ruth's daughter contacted me asking if I would be willing to post this article written by her mother. Although Kelsey is a little ways from Tennessee, many of the settlers at Kelsey came from Tennessee. In addition the obvious skill Ruth had with words just compelled me to agree. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.]

Ruth Mary Torrens was born in England on April 21, 1903 to LDS parents William Torrens and Ellen Ada Barrow. Her father had joined the LDS Church before she was born, and her mother shortly after, so she was raised in the church all her life. In the mid 1920's she met Elder Alex "Reed" Moss, from Utah, while he was still serving a mission in England. After he returned home they began writting each other and eventually he proposed marriage. Ruth joined Reed in Utah where they were married on June 29, 1928 in the Salt Lake Temple. The following year, she and her husband were called on a teaching mission to Kelsey, Texas. In 1929, she wrote an article for the Gilmer News which described "East Texas as seen through the eyes of an Englishwoman". The two were in Kelsey for years.

In 1980, during a brief stay in NYC visiting her daughter, she revisited her first impressions of Kelsey. As originally presented to me, there were several notes in the text, which I have left off. Rather I would like your thoughts on what peaks your interest, and what needs clarification.

A few days ago walking up Broadway in New York City above the malodorous smells of the city I suddenly caught a whiff of pine and cedar – no, it could not be, not here on Broadway! And then I noticed a man selling pine and cedar Christmas trees on the sidewalks of New York. I paused to inhale again that fragrance so dear to me, and in a flash my mind traveled back through fifty years of time to a September night when I first smelled the pines and cedars of East Texas. We had arrived at Big Sandy at 3 AM on our way to Kelsey, Texas, where we were to fill a teaching mission. It was a warm dark night, There was little to see but the scent of fragrant trees not only filled my sense of smell but my whole being was overjoyed anticipating the scene that daylight might bring – nor was I disappointed – the next morning I was almost overcome with emotion at the scenes before me – of gently rolling hills, and woods and streams—a green and pleasant place. The scenery recalled so vividly many similar areas in my native land. However, there was little else other than landscape that was similar. Homes, peoples, customs, even food, so different , yet basically people were the same. Warm and so friendly. I not only fell in love with the land but with the people and the very, very warm affection remains with me even now and will always be part of me.

What a year of learning! What a year of experience that was—I had never seen frame homes. I had never seen a kerosene lamp. So many memories crowd my mind (as I sit here in a lovely apartment on Broadway) of the long ago and faraway days of Kelsey in the days when we were young and mostly carefree.

I remember so well teaching in the old brick schoolhouse on the hill. One of the first things that struck my attention in the classroom was the fact that there were no lights hanging. I did not realize that in winter, darkness did not fall at 3:30 PM (official lighting time) as it did in the far north of England. I did realize that the boys and girls I taught, although highly intelligent, were very easy-going and happy. Few of them were seriously interested in learning. Upon reflection it was probably adolescence because many of them did pursue the path of learning after high school.

Those were the days of poverty in East Texas and of depression all over the land. Many people left Kelsey to earn a living, or attempt to do so in other parts of the country. But those who left, I think I am safe in saying still love Kelsey and have fond memories of the Old Red [brick] School House.

In 1929 a magnificent gymnasium was [built] largely through volunteer labor. That gym was for years the pride of the county.

I think I remember where every house stood, and I remember all the lovely girls and boys I taught. It would take too long to recall all their names and incidents in which they were involved. I think the wildest incident, in those days of innocence, was the painting of a horse—green—one Halloween, belonging to [blank in original] and watching the old gentleman who owned it, leading it along the dusty lane one day.

Those were the days when going into Gilmer on Saturday was the highlight of the week. Seven long dusty miles in summer heat and often in cold spells of winter weather. One walked, generally carrying shoes in hand to don in town, riding in a wagon, occasionally, or even more rare, catching a ride with some fortunate soul who owned a car.

How thoughtful and kind people were to one another and especially so to those of us who were teaching in their midst. Garden produce and chicken, pies were frequently brought to us.
I recall that I did not always understand expressions used by the boys and girls. Some time later I recognized that some of the words were pure Elizabethan English, originally old English. Most of the students themselves were of English ancestry via the old Southern States.

I still smile at the memory of one lady asking me if I had a “hard time” learning to speak English.
Which is the most beautiful season of the year in Kelsey? Is it when all things are springing into life anew, when yellow flowers cover the meadows and wild flowers bloom along the roadsides and birds songs fill the air. The red bird flits through the tall pines. Dogwood and Redbud so delicately reach their exquisite blossoms Heavenward. Is it Autumn with its changing beauty of trees or is it winter when pine and cedar stand proudly tall and alive strong and green around the bare branches of other trees that sleep for a little while.

Time has brought many changes to Kelsey. Many of the old familiar places and faces have gone. New homes, cars, prosperity—gas wells are changing the face of the land, but fond memory remains and spring easily to mind as I stood at a street vendors stall on Broadway New York City and smelled cedar and pine trees at Christmas time, 1980.

God bless you all my dear friends of Kelsey.

Ruth passed away  September 7, 1995, sixteen years after her husband.

A Kelsey History

Word has gotten around in my ward about my interest in LDS history. Last week I received an email saying "Brother Bruce, I have some information on Kelsey Texas you might be interested in. Talk to me on Sunday". I have not yet found my way to memorize everyone's name at Church. Many people know who I am, but I'm new and there is only one of me. I have a couple hundred names to learn, so I have some catching up to do. So after delivering the article on Georgia Roberts and Ulner Morrow, I asked to be pointed in the right direction.

Turns out my emailer had an entire history on Kelsey, some 216 pages long. It included hundreds of photographs, dozens of biographies and a very long list of who lived there. She herself had lived there until about 55 years ago.  The book is title Kelsey: Zion of the South. The editor was Jennings D. Means of Gilmer, Texas. It was published in 1997 and reprinted in 2001. In the beginning is a street map of the Kelsey, reminding me of the "Zion" city layout. It also included reprinted histories and newspaper articles and histories of Gilmer and Enoch, which were nearby LDS communities. Today the meeting house is in Gilmer.

Margaret Nomie Church Bryant

 An AMH reader, Julie, provided me with this autobiography. It has some great information about the Church family whose LDS roots go back to 1841, the Shady Grove area of Tennessee where they lived, and Kelsey Texas, where many Tennessee saints moved.

Top row: Myron Early, Carl, Lelia

Bottom Row: Audrey, Margaret Nomie, Emmons, Robert Emmons, Laura

I, Margaret Nomie Church Bryant, was born on December 29, 1879. [Her parents were William Leonidas Lorenzo Church and Callie Dona Letsinger.]

We lived at Duck River in Tennessee and Pa fished. He always wanted me to paddle the boat for him. When I was five, my two younger brothers [William Ellis Church and John Bond Church] and I were blessed by Elder [John H.] Gibbs and [William S.] Berry. [see note #1 below] Both of these elders were killed by a mob the very next day. I was baptized when I was 14 [February 25, 1895]. I went to school until the fourth grade. I was the only Mormon girl and the other shunned Mormons.

I knew Bob [her husband Robert Emmons Bryant] all my life. He used to take me to school on his horse. One time he went to Idaho to visit his sister and while there he went to a carnival. He decided to give a man a dime to find out what his future wife would look like. When he got the dime out, he saw my face. He came back to Tennessee and started going with me and other girls. One day Bob told me that if I would marry him he would buy me lots of pretty dresses. A few days later when all the family was gone, I put on Ma's best dress and put her saddle on my horse and went to meet Bob.Ma saw me leave and when I crossed the bridge on Duck River, she guessed where I was going. Bob and I got the license and went back to his house and got married. He already had a house built to live in. We went home the next day and told my mother and father, but they didn't say much.

[Bob and Nomie were married on February 17, 1897. Their first child, Earley Belle Bryant was born at Duck River Tennessee on Dec 24, 1898.]

My father and mother moved to Texas about 1901 then to Oklahoma. Then we came to Oklahoma when Earley was three. It was a wild place with fine land and lots of cattle. We lived on an Indian man's place and he was good to us. We could just drive us a cow and milk all we wanted, and wild hogs were plentiful in the pecan bottoms, but there were no good houses to live in and no church or school close to go to. Our few neighbors didn't go anywhere, only visiting on Sunday. We had Father, Mother, brothers and sisters, but were not satisfied not to have a church.

[Liela Irene Bryant was born on March 5, 1903, while they were living in Oklahoma.]

One day when I going to get a bucket of water I looked down and picked up a little gold dollar. I had never seen a gold dollar before. On a little farther, I picked up a litle gold ring, so I ran back to the house. Bob was fixing to go to the little store and post office, so I wrapped up the little dollar and sent for the Deseret News. One came to us soon and there was a piece in the paper about Kelsey, a Mormon community in Texas. That was in 1904, I think, so it wasn't long before we came to Kesley and bought this place. We have left, but we always came back. We went to Oklahoma just before Carl was born. It took us three weeks to get there. We got there one day and Carl was born the next night.

[Carl Bryant was born on September 30, 1905. Back in Kelsey they had four more children; Myron B. Bryant was born January 15, 1905, Laura Pauline Bryant was born on October 4, 1911, Audrey Bryant was born on July 15, 1913, and Emmons Church Bryant was born on February 2, 1916. New.family.search.org shows that Laura died when she was one month old. But she is clearly in the photo above. Mmmmmm.]

We went to the temple when Audrey was four months old and stayed in Salt Lake for a while. We went back to Tennessee, but it was so far for Earley and Leila to walk to school that they wanted to come back to Kelsey where thay could go to school here as they knew we had a good one here. The missionaries used to teach here and were teaching then.

We always had lots of missionaries. They always like to stay with us. When Emmons was a little boy, some elders were here and he told them he was always glad to have the elders come because he knew we were going to have a good dinner. This got away with Earley, but have had elders that would stay with us weeks at the time in Tennessee. My [grand]father [Isaac] Emmons Church, had a brother, Haden [Wells] Church, who joined the church and went to Nauvoo. He crossed the plains and settled in St. George. I have heard they lived at St. George and some ar still there. One of his great grandsons was here at Kelsey on a mission years ago when we first came here. When President Bennion was ission President, we sure had a good time with so many conferences. He always came here and stayed with us and would stay here and visit all the saints and have two or three-day conferences with lots of missionaries and good speaking.

I was sick a long time with gall stones. We sold out and went to Arizona. Brother J. S. Ault drove me to town. I was sick the first time I rode in a car. Brother ans Sister Mcinty and family - Earl, Halley, and baby - went with us all on the train. Earley took care of Emmons since he was small. We got to Arizona and lived in Brother Aults's place close to Oscar Kay and Brother Ault. the father and mother. We went to Church at Gilbert, Arizona, and the children went there to school. There was a nice church there, but I had to go to the doctor at Mesa very often and got better. Brother Posey and family came to our place. They had the flu and most of us took the flu and after that the children had the measles. All were real sick except Myron. He went to bed and covered his head and was soon well.

We were there two years. We lived next to the railroad. Emmons was playing out close to the railroad and came dragging up a snake. It was dead, but that didn't keep it from scaring us all. He was just two years old then. All the children picked cotton. There was lots of it. Laura and Audrey decided they wouldn't pick, so Bob told them if they didn't pick, just quit eating. They did just one time, but soon fell in line. We were there two years and went to Utah in 1919. I did love to go to church at Gilbert. The church leaders were from Mexico and were good leaders.

[Nomie' daughter Earley wrote an almost daily log of their trip to Salt Lake. She stopped after 5 weeks, when the family was near Price, Utah. The family stayed at Price while Bob and Nomie went on to Salt Lake City]

Bob took me to the hospital [in Arizona]. There the doctors said he couldn't do anything. He wanted to send me to Salt Lake City, but we didn't know which one. We went the next day and when we got there [several weeks later] it was the L.D.S. They took me in and I had to be treated a week before I was able to be operated on. Bob had to leave me the next day after he made arrangements for me. He then had to go back to Price where the children were camped. The doctor didn't let him off until he could have some of the family to be with meand he sent Earley. She stayed about three weeks.

When she came back to Price, they all got ready to come back to [Kelsey,] Texas. She had a good place to stay. Brother and sister Berley Thompson took her in. We had known them a long time. They were in Kelsey when we came here in 1905, but now live in Little Rock, Arkansas, and work in the church there. Bob and the children chartered a [railroad] car for the teams and wagons. He came on it and the children on the train. My father and mother liver here [in Kelsey]. They had a good place to land, and I stayed on in the hospital 42 days and several weeks later came home alone and the train they were on.

I was in the Relief Society since we came to Kelsey in 1905. I was in the presidency for about two years. I went to all the church meetings and walked. I furnished the sacrament bread for 40 years. Early saw to the bread when I was gone.

[Nomie wrote this upon request for her granddaughter Nita Caldwell. Nita then typed it up for her. Nita is a daughter of Emmons]

Note #1: Elder Gibbs and Berry were never companions. They had not even served together until the day they were killed. They were both in Cane Creek, a full-day's journey from Shady Grove, the day before they were killed, but didn't even stay at the same home that night. According to Elder Berry's journal, he and Elder Thompson did visit Emmons Church Thursday July 29th, a few days before the massacre. He named Emmon's "two grand children [Earley] Bell and Bobby" as being there too. It is easy to see how this could evolve into a memory about Gibbs and Berry blessing them the day before they were killed.

Kelsey, Texas: A Mormon Colony

John Edgar had joined the Mormon Church in 1890 in Andalusia, Alabama, but soon moved to join the Saints in Mesa, Arizona. It was a long way from his old home. In 1897, after having been back to Alabama, John was passing through Texas on his return trip to Mesa. As luck would have it, he was running so low on supplies and money, that he decided to stop and rent a farm for a year to make enough money to return. He did so well that year that he decided to move his family there. He even convinced his brother Jim Edgar to moved from Alabama to Texas. They purchased land very near the present site of Kelsey. Soon other friends and relatives joined them.

Then in 1900, a couple of Mormon Elders hear about a Mormon Settlement nearby. They contacted the Edgar families and organized a conference among the Saints who had gathered there. Somehow a suggestion was conceived that this community would be a great place for the Saints being persecuted in the southern states to gather. The Southwestern States Mission President, James G. Duffin, obviously agreed and submitted the idea to Church Authorities.

First a Sunday School was created. Then, in 1901, a Branch was organized and a small chapel built. [As of 1976, the building was still standing.] In 1902, Apostle A O Woodruff was sent to assist in the establishment of a townsite. A post office with the name Kelsey was registered in Washington D. C. The name came from the creek on which the settlement was built. The creek was named after Dr. W. H. Kelsey, one of the earliest settlers Upshur county.

Mormon families from Tennessee came too. Jones/Motes, Amonett/Means, Bryant/Church, and many others I haven't identified yet.

There after, missionaries in various parts of the South urged the Saints to gather in Kelsey. By 1904 there were about 400 Members living there. At its peak in 1923, the population was at 750. But the railroad stopped running to Kelsey leaving the farmers no easy way to sell their crops. Other problems such as crop failure, depression and the war effort also took their toll. Even so in 1953, the Kelsey Ward was organized as part of the Dallas Stake. Emmons Church Bryant was the first Bishop.

In 1958, continuing population decline led to a combination of the Kelsey Ward and two nearby branches, Enoch and Gilmer, into a new ward as part of the Shreveport Stake.

[Most of the information was provided by an upublished history of Mormonism in East Texas in my posession. Thank You, Val]