VILDA SESSIONS

Daughter of Adolphus Sessions and Mary Janette Nelson


Vilda Sessions was born 18 December 1914 in Heber City, Wasatch County, Utah. She was the daughter of Adolphus (Tobe) Sessions (who was born 13 May 1863 in Heber City) and Mary (Mae) Janet Nelson (who was born 13 January 1874 in Salt Lake City). Vilda was the 10th of 11 children, she had 4 brothers and 6 sisters plus two step brothers from her fathers first wife, who was Rachel Emma Hicken.

Her Brothers and sisters are Cordon born 2, Oct. 1901, Chloe Ellen born 29 January 1903, Ella Janette born 22 January 1905, Burnell Alexander born 1 August 1906, Agness Lorna born 24 August 1908, Ervin born 11 December 1910, Phebe La Vern born 15 November 1912, the twins Emma Rose and William Earl were born 18 October 1913, William only lived until the 15th of November of that year. Younger sister, Lizzie Deon, was born 28 April 1917. The stepbrothers are Charles born 19 October 1893 and Thomas born 11 September 1898 who died at birth.

Vilda's father was a farmer and a stockman. The family lived in the north part of Heber City on the same street as the old Cheeses factory and just a few blocks west of it.

Vilda was raised in an LDS home where she was taught the gospel. She attended Sunday School and Primary as did the other children in the area. She was baptized at the age of eight, on 3 February 1923.

On May the 16th 1923 she went to the Temple in Salt Lake City and was sealed to her parents with most of her brothers and sisters. Vilda attended the local schools in Heber City. She went to MIA with most of the other kids in the area.

Vilda moved to California where she went to High School. She lived with her brother, Cordon, in Pleasanton. Here Vilda met Charles Richard Bridges. Vilda did not complete her High School education but instead, Charles and Vilda were married in Heber City, Utah, on August 4th, 1932. The couple returned to California where Charles continued to work. On August the 25th, 1933, their first child, Gladys Jean, was born in Niles, Alameda County, California. Two years later their second daughter, Doris Bernice, was born on 22 December 1934, in San Francisco, California. It was while Charles was working on projects in the California mountains in 1938, that their 3rd daughter, Susan Janette, was born on March first. in Sonora, Tuolune County.

In 1941, the family moved to Utah were they bought a small farm in Orem, Utah County. Charles continued to work as an Operation Engineer on heavy equipment on many of the major construction projects in Utah.

They worked hard on their small farm, planting fruit trees, raising chickens and pigs. Vilda was a busy housewife during these years, raising her family along with helping to raise some of her brothers and sisters children and helping to take care of almost anyone who was sick or in need of help. She took good care of her gardens. She had a large vegetable garden of tomatoes, carrots, beets, squash, berries, and beans and corn. She also kept a large flower garden of roses and peonies that she tried to have ready for Memorial Day. Rich and Vilda had a number of fruit trees: cherry, plum and apple, peach, pear, black walnut and others that they took care of.

Vilda was busy through the summer canning and preserving all the items that they raised on their little farm. Many a night she went up the ditch in the dark to turn the water down so that she could irrigate the crops. In the winter she kept busy sewing and making quilts and other handy crafts. She could make the best divinity candy.

In the summer of 1948, Charlie's brother, George, and his wife, Donna, ask him and Vilda if they would like their new baby girl, Sharon Ann. Thinking they were just kidding, they declined the offer. In October baby Sharon Ann was dead and Charles deeply regretted not taking the baby. When George and Donna ask that same question when their next child was born, Charles and Vilda quickly answered yes and adopted Vickie Lynn, who was born 8 December 1951, and raised her as their own.

C.R. was a meat and Potato man. He wanted meat and potatoes and bread and desert at every meal. He worked hard and would wear it off in his work. Vilda cooked and baked on a coal stove until about 1954. That stove was also the source of the hot water for the household.

Vilda raised her children in the church, she seen to it that they attended their Sunday School, Primary, and MIA meetings. C.R. was not a Mormon but he supported his wife in rearing their children in the church. When Doris and then Susan were married in the Temple, Vilda could not go in to the temple so she waited on the outside for them. On Valentines Day 1960, Charles was baptized into the LDS Church. On December 22 1961, Charles and Vilda were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. Doris, Susan and Vickie were sealed to them on that same day.

The house was always full. After the children were married they seemed to keep coming home to live while they got things together and then away they would go again. One time in 1958 Don and Sue were living at the house while Don went to school. One Saturday Don was doing his homework in the living room and Vilda and Laura were doing the spring cleaning. They had washed down the walls and ceiling of the kitchen and the front room, when Laura ask about the little cover plate that was on a part of the wall that stuck out. It was part of an old chimney. They decided to remove it and clean it out, When Laura removed the cover, the soot from a hundred years flowed out in a big black cloud. It covered her and Vilda and the walls and ceilings of the kitchen and living room. Laura and Vilda looked just like a couple of aunt Jammias about the only thing that was white on them was the whites of their eyes. After a good laugh they started scrubbing the walls and ceilings again.

The door to Charles and Vilda's home was always open to those who may be in need of help or a place to stay.

After Charles passed away, Vilda kept busy with her household work and garden. She worked in the Church in the Relief Society and other Callings. She loved to go to the temple ever she had the opportunity.

Vilda Sessions passed away 18 December 1993 in the Utah Valley Hospital. In Provo, Utah. She was buried 22 December 1993 in Orem City Cemetery.


MY MEMORIES OF GRAMS
by Debbie

I will always remember her love and support, when Trenton died, the Memorial Days we have shared and one particular one when we were pulling into the cemetery when Kayla was 3 and she said "Well, I knew Trenton before you did". I looked and ask her what. She looked at us and said "I told you and Grams". I exchanged a glance with Grams and she said, "Well she probably is right and does remember him.”

The stories of her and Grandpa as they grew together and the stories she shared, of her memories of the "old days". “I remember the trips and fun, the hugs and love and support when there were sad times and happy times. The wisdom and knowledge she has always given us all. The times when my temper would flair, and Ron would say, “ Call Grandma and if she says you can, then you can.” Well, you knew Grams would never say you could, she has this way of somehow understanding what I felt, and still calming me down and rationalizing till I knew better what I wanted to do in the first place.


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