Story & photo courtesy of, Paul Brizzee     

 

                 This picture is of the Henry W. Brizzee house on the 60 acres which were basically given to him and his wife Nora Gunnell Brizzee. It was located in Burton, Idaho which is about 5 miles southwest of Rexburg. It was directly across the street from the Burton church. I believe the picture was taken in 1912. My father was born in 1918 and Frances was 10 years older. Frances appears to be about 4 in the picture. The people in the picture are from left to right: Iretta, Nora Gunnell Brizzee, Henry Willard Brizzee, and Frances on “Old Jenny” the mule. Their older half brother Henry Willard Jr. who was about 13 or 14 at the time is not in the picture. I knew France quite well because I used to spend a lot of time with my cousins at their house which was on the old 60 acre homestead. When I was very young I remember being in this house. It had a pump in the kitchen for water, the outhouse was out back and the washing was done in a tub on a washboard outside the door. Later in about 1954 my widowed grandmother Nora moved into Rexburg and Barbara (her youngest daughter moved in until Barbara and Seth built a new house. Then the old house was used for storage and finally torn down in the 1990’s, I believe.

                 My father told me that he used to sleep in the upstairs and since the house was heated with an old coal stove it got very cold. He would have to run upstairs, jump into bed and pull the covers way up so as not to freeze. Nora was an extremely good cook but she used a coal range all her life up until she moved into a small apartment with an electric range. I remember her cooking on the old range, she made her own soap, real mincemeat from suet, meat and raisins, and what was called a rhubarb split—a pie piled high with rhubarb and covered in another crust. When done the top was “split” off and half the rhubarb scooped into the second shell, copiously sprinkled with sugar and eaten with hearty gusto.

                 In the letter Sarah Hall Brizzee Jenson wrote in December of 1918 she mentions her beautiful, smart grandchild. That was my father!!!! He was born in May of 1918

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Article of Agreement

 

[This apparently is the land deed for the property in Burton of Charles P. Brizzee who married Sarah Hall. The cursive is very readable and beautiful] transcribed by C. Paul Brizzee, a great grandson

 

St. Anthony, Idaho

March 8^th  1895

 

Article of Agreement

                 This indenture made this 8^th day of March A.D. 1895, between George F. Foss party of the first part, and Charles P. Brizzee party of the second part.

                 The party of the first part for the sum of $10.00 Ten Dollars, (said money to be paid, when said transfer shall be made) do hereby agree for himself, his heirs and executors to deed to the party of the second part, (after having made final proof) as follows to wit:

                 All that portion of Lots 1.2.3 Sec. 3 and lot 4 Sec. 2 Twp. 5 N.R. 39 E.B.M.

lying East of the County Road running North and South from Burton to Independence, Fremont County, Idaho. Said road running through, across, and over said Homestead entry of said George F. Foss.

                                                                                                                                                 his 

Witness [signed] W.E. Patrie                                                [signed] George F.    x   Foss

                                                                                                                                              man L.

                    [signed] Otto Anderson               [signed] Mabell            Foss