Biography of Jennie Lewis Hullinger"I was born December 6, 1900 to Siney Lewis, Sr. and Elizabeth Coleman Lewis in Vernal, Utah. The last of a large family of twelve children. Though they were relatively poor, they still had most everything that truly counts. We had love and discipline and the proper moral guidance, and we had the priceless opportunity to rise above our humble beginnings."
"As a young girl, I lived with two of my older married sisters, Mary and Georgia, quite a lot of the time; this making it easier for me to attend high school in town."
"I finished grade school, going to three different schools in the county. Then came high school, and in my senior year, I was vice president of my class."
"Before my marriage, I worked in a department store for about a year and a half, this being the year of the terrible flue, and in the summer in the county clerks office and a local bakery. These were jobs I took to help me financially through my schooling."
"In 1922, and 1923, I went to the Brigham Young University for one year, and upon returning, I taught school for one year in the Uintah County School District, and later did substitute teaching."
"In the spring of 1921, I met Harold E. Hullinger, who had just returned from a mission to the Southern States, and from the first it seemed our feelings were mutual toward each other. Then on June 6, 1924, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple by George F. Richards, and the next day we went on to Logan, Utah where we both attended summer school. When we returned to Vernal that fall, we both became involved in church work. Harold with Mutual and Sunday School and I being asked to be the Uintah Stake Bee-Hive Leader."
"As the years passed on, times became hard and wages low, and Harold had to attend summer school each year and take odd jobs, when home, to keep things going; leaving much of the direction of the children that had come to us to me."
"Harold Hugo, our oldest son, was born October 1925 in Vernal, Utah. A beautiful baby with black hair and dark eyes, and he has been a blessing to us all of his life. Three years later, Everett Paul was born October 1928, a fine big baby, but at his birth I nearly lost my life. He has been worth it all to us."
"We had moved into a better home at this time and things looked better for us. Other sons and a daughter followed. Richard Lewis Hullinger was born July 1931, Don Rogers September 1935, Floyd Earl Hullinger November 1936, and finally a lovely daughter, Venetta Hullinger, now Probst, was born October 1941. During the time these children were coming along, four of them had at different times broken legs and two had broken arms, along with all the children's diseases, and Floyd had a ruptured appendix operation, which was very serious; but with courage and faith, things went well despite adversities."
"These children, under the direction of a good father, were taught to work from early childhood. Besides helping on a farm, the boys did extra jobs such as paper boys, bell-hops at a hotel, service station clean-up boys, before and after school, as well as milking several cows and tending horses and other chores at our home."
"In the midst of all these activities, I found time to do some civic activities, such as collecting for Red Cross and keeping a diary of each of the children up to the time of their marriages. I, also, found time to work in the Church, teaching Primary for may years and was First Counselor in the Ward Presidency of the Primary. I, also, helped in the Relief Society, not only canning for my own family, but in Church welfare projects of canning for days on corn, string beans and other vegetables. I also assisted in the welfare sewing projects."
"I taught a Sunday School class for a time and was also a Relief Society Visiting Teacher Message Director, and a Visiting Teacher for 23 years; a little later, I also served as a Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency of the Vernal 4th Ward. In 1964, I was called with Harold to fill a Unitah Basin Regional Indian Mission at Gusher, Utah. Later I also served on a Stake Sunday School Board and belonged to the Stake and Ward Singing Mothers Group. Harold and I gave freely of our time and money when a new Chapel was built in our Ward, where we met at that time."
"In connection with Harold, we have done a great deal in genealogical research for both of our families."
"When the children were in elementary and high school and were participating in activities and sports and church activities, we always tried to support them."
"Harold worked hard, besides his teaching, farm work and church work, to get his college degree, taking in summer schools and taking correspondent courses from different colleges, which put an extra burden on me in caring for the children at home. Then in June, 1959, he received his B.S. Degree from the Utah State University and at the same time, I received the Degree of Ph.T in the school of Applied Humanities. This was one of the highlights of our lives and most of our children were present to rejoice with us at these ceremonies."
"All of our children have attended college, with two sons completing the requirements for their Masters Degree."
"In my early married life, I joined a social and study club, The Current Topics Club of Vernal, in which I held the office of Secretary for some time. Then later, because I was also a member of the Women's Faculty League, Harold felt it advisable for me to give up one or the other, so I resigned from The Current Topics Club in order to devote more time to our very active family and continued on with the Women's Faculty League. This organization consisted of lady faculty members and the wives of the men teachers. Their purpose was to support any worthwhile project and also further any social contact. They also, put on one assembly program, using their members each year. During the years I belonged, they studied fine arts, country and customs, music, etc. I was Vice President here for one year. They also, sponsored a tea for all the high school girls in October, and in the spring each year, a senior reception and tea for all senior girls and their mothers, and the mothers of all senior boys, which really proved to be a lovely affair."
"It seemed our home was always a gathering place for the neighborhood children; even though Harold would usually take them to the farm to weed potatoes, corn, or haul hay, they seemed to enjoy it because they would always come back and their reward after work was to go swimming in the old gulch swimming hole."
"Sewing was always something to be done in a family, and I always enjoyed doing it. I made pants for the young boys, shirts, dresses, coats, quilts, baby quilts, aprons, bazaar items, rugs, fancy pillows, embroidery items, cheerleader dresses, and plaques for children's rooms, also lovely afghans to add to the comfort of our home."
"It seemed our home was pretty well self-sufficient. I helped raise a large garden, much of which was given to friends and neighbors, and with the help of the family, I canned and bottled everything for our own use. I baked our bread, cakes and pies, and we cured our own meat, and made our own butter; I, also, made all our own laundry soap for many years."
"I loved to try out new recipes and give dinners to family and friends, and there was seldom a day when the children were growing up, that there wasn't an extra child or two for dinner. On birthdays, the children could always depend on a special cake and a little party, and I delighted in and took pride in a well kept home."
"When the children were small, we would often threw together a quick lunch and went to the canyon or out by the creek for a picnic lunch. The children always enjoyed this so much."
"I tried to find time to listen to the children's troubles or joys when they were growing up. When the children were married, I gave each of them a quilt for a wedding present. We, also, gave Venetta a reception, and part of the boys an open house honoring them. All of our children are now married in the Temple, which is a great joy to our hearts."
"As the wife of a Bishop for eight years, this brought a lot of fine experiences and opportunities to me, such as visiting the sick and shut-ins, and taking food into the homes to be helpful to the families, attending extra meetings, entertaining religious groups and attending and giving consolation at the time of deaths and funerals. It was necessary that I stand by my husband's side and support him in all things. This was truly an enriching and satisfying experience."
"In later years, I had been a member and officer in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, and a member of the American Association of Retired Persons, and the Uintah Club."
"I loved to grow flowers and since the children have been gone and there is more time to devote to this, I have had some beautiful flowers."
"My travels haven't been extensive, but I have had the privilege of traveling in a jet plane from one coast to the other. I attended the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco in 1939, and since that time, have been to Canada on the North and New York on the Eastern Coast."
"We have sent two sons on missions for the Church, Paul to the Eastern States and Floyd to Australia."
"I have had the privilege of helping in several of our children's homes when a new grandchild was born - first was Julie, born in Provo, and JeNee had polio and was in the hospital in Salt Lake. Next was beautiful little Michelle and twice in Floyd's home when Jeffrey was born, and later when Brian joined the family and once in Venetta's home back in Michigan when Benjamin was born. I, also, helped in Paul's home when Cindy was just about two or three years old, when Marjorie was in the hospital with health problems, and again when Susie was just a baby and Marjorie was still having serious health problems."
"I am glad I was able to help while my health was so I could. I am truly grateful for my children and their companions and my grandchildren. My one great desire is that they will all stay faithful to the Church."
"Since the death of Harold on February 14, 1971, I have lived alone, which has been a great adjustment for me, but I have tried to meet the challenge with courage and determination, that all have to meet these things some time in life and I must carry on. Even though the children live far from me, their tender and loving devotion is a great comfort and a source of joy and inspiration."
"The Church has played a great part in my life and my faith and prayers have greatly sustained me through our families accidents and illnesses and through two major operations of my own."
"I love the Lord and pray that I can be faithful to the end and have strength to keep his Commandments."
