A Heritage Heroes post

This week's heritage hero is about my great grandma on my dad's side (his mother's mom). I was named after my dad's mom, and I thought it was fitting to name our youngest after her mother. This is who our little lizzieboo (Elizabeth) was named after. Here is her story and photo:

Elizabeth Maximilliana Folkman Ipsen

Born Jan 31, 1875 Plain City Utah
Died Oct. 3, 1956 Lehi Utah

(This story is one of the many found in the stories my aunts wrote for a book they gave out at a family reunion about 15 years ago)

This baby girl was the fourth daughter born to her parents, Christopher Olsen Folkman and Maxilliana Maria Olivia Lingvall Folkman.

Elizabeth was always called "Lizzie". From conversations with her, she said she had to quit school in the eighth grade and go to work. Her mother taught her how to sew and when she was old enough, she lived with the rich families in Ogden and sewed for them.

When she was 29 yrs. old, she met a handsome young man with sandy red hair and clear blue eyes named "Mike" Ipsen. They were married on June 15 1903 in the Salt Lake Temple.

They had a beautiful baby daughter named Elizabeth. Then Heavenly Father sent them another choice baby daughter named Eva Mary. Six weeks after Eva was born, Elizabeth went back to heaven to live with Heavenly Father. Mike and Lizzie didn't have any more children. This made them very sad.

Lizzie was very talented. She could sew, cook, garden and do anything else that needed to be done. She didn't want anyone to waste anything; time, money, talent or food.

It was very important to her for her daughter, Eva and her grandchildren to have proper manners. She made lots of beautiful dresses for her six granddaughters.

She was a hard worker in the Church. She gave many, many hours of service. She had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When I read this about this woman, it makes me wonder how she moved on with the sorrows of bringing home a new baby while losing their sweet other little girl. After that loss, they couldn't have more kids.

My grandma was an only child who herself grew up to have seven kids of her own. It makes me wonder what her support system was like. I know her husband went on many missions for the church, leaving at home his wife and only daughter often. I love that in this photo of her, she is holding a guitar. It again, raises questions as to how often she played, what songs did she sing, what did her voice sound like? These are questions I am sure to ask her and my grandma when I get a chance to meet them!

I know that I am grateful for her and the way she raised my grandma.