Alex  Christian Sanders

• General Notes
  • Information on Alex's divorce was obtained from records contained in
    the Big Horn County Court House in Basin, Wyoming, office of the Clerk of
    Court. There is an Affidavit for service by publication dated Aug. 7,
    1919, and a record of final divorce decree granted March 1, 1920. Alex
    was awarded custody of Elden Sanders, age 13 also.
    OBJE: C:\_Sanders\family\mygrandpaSanders.jpg
    
    Alex Christian Sanders
    
    Alex Christian Sanders was born 2 November 1876 in Gunnison Sanpete County Utah.   He was the fourth child and first son of Christian Sanders and Martina Charlotta Nielsen. His brothers and sisters were Esther, Affelone, Hilda, Frank, Fredrick, Loa, Rachel, Paul, Hazel, Jesse, and Emma.   Just to tie some of these people into some people you know: Esther is Virginia Kimzey and Gene Whitlock, Chuck Duncan’s grandmother and great grandmother.   Hilda is Harold Olsen’s mother,
    Paul is Lavonne Edward’s grandfather.   I knew personally Alex, Emma, Loa, Jesse.   Most of these people are buried in Otto, Wyoming.
    Grandpa must have loved Gunnison because you could just feel it when he even said the word.   Gunnison sounded so special.   He lived in Gunnison until he was 25.   His father moved the family to Wyoming around 1900.   They came as far as Kemmerer and Diamondville working in the mines for one winter and summer.   Alex’s father Christian then started out to inspect the Big Horn country.   He went on the train to look at the place they were headed for.   Alex ‘s account of the trip from Kemmerer to Otto says that the family traveled by team.   “We started from Opal, Wyo. The fourth of July 1901.   Those in the company were Martina Sanders, her family Alex, Paul, Jess, Loa, Rachel, Hazel and Emma.   William and Esther Anderson and their family, Maurice, Ernest, Ladine, and Edith and Frank and his family.
    
    “We left Opal and went up the west side of the Green River to the head.
    The first place we got to was LaBarge, next Big Piney and then there were no more settlements for miles till we got to Dubois.   From there we traveled to the Owl Creek Mountains, which we crossed, stopping at the Anchor Ranch where we met my father.   We were all happy to see him. From there we went to the Dicky’s Ranch and then to Meeteetse, down the Greybull River to Otto.   The trip took from July 4 to August 9, 1901.” (from Grant’s story of Christian Sanders)
    
    On October 5, 1904 Alex Christian Sanders married Katherine Hopkin in the temple in Salt Lake City, Utah.   Kathrine was just 17 and Alex was 28.
    “In those days the people of Big Horn Stake would charter a railroad car to go down to Salt Lake City to conference and the young people who wished to be married in the temple would take this opportunity to go.   It was on one of these excursions that Kate and Alex went to be married.” ( from Belle Sanders’ obituary of Katherine Hopkin)
    
    Two sons were born to Alex and Kate.   Elden and Virgil.   Their married life was spent in railroad camps where Alex was employed building railroads in Montana and later in Wyoming near Shoshoni.   Later they moved to Burlington where they were engaged in farming.
    
    In 1920 Alex’s wife left him taking Virgil with her and leaving Elden with him.   Kate and Virgil were not heard of for 10 years after that.   Virgil, having grown up decided to get in touch with his Wyoming family.
    
    According to Virgil, Alex got the flu in an epidemic in 1918 and nearly died as many did at that time.   Virgil said he would have died had his sisters not come and got him in a buggy and took him to Otto to nurse him back to health.
    
    Alex’s son Elden was married in 1926 and Alex lived with Elden and Belle then most of the time after that until he died.   I can only give my memories of him now.   He lived with us for all of my young life (he died when I was 16)   My Dad, Elden, built him a little house right behind our big one.   He stayed there in just two little rooms.   He’d come into our house all the time and I just thought he belonged, which he did.   He was always old to me.   He shuffled his feet when he walked and I know it irritated my Mother something awful.   He was deaf, wore a hearing aid and ALWAYS said “Huh” whenever anything was said to him.   We spent a lot of time repeating.   I guess he did learn to drive but I only remember when Daddy wouldn’t let him!   He walked everyday to the Post Office and to his sister Emma’s.   He got so he’d often walk down the middle of the road instead of the side.   After the road was paved it got a little busier but he thought the cars should move for him.   He’d bring my folk’s mail to them but he’d look at each piece before he handed it to Mother.   He liked clabbered milk and could make it sound real good.   He bought those flat cinnamon rolls, krispies-they were so good, I still like them.   He liked cheese, chocolate peanut cluster, pink peppermint candies, maple candies.
    When it was my birthday I’d tell Grandpa, just as interest, then he’d give me a quarter.   We had an outdoor toilet and once for some reason it tipped over just enough to jam the door when he was in it.   My nephew Rick was just a little guy then but he knew that the toilet wasn’t stable right then and tried to warn Grandpa.   Grandpa, being deaf, didn’t hear him hence the accident.   Rick then ran to get help to get Grandpa out of there.   Rick got a quarter for “saving Grandpa’s life” that day.   Grandpa liked to go to town, Basin.   My Grandma Lyman lived in Otto too and she would not ride to town when Alex was going so often Mother or Dad would have to make two trips!   Grandpa wore really heavy after shave lotion. It would almost take your breath away.   When he got in the car with the windows rolled up one could hardly stand it!   Grandpa’s patience wasn’t the best I don’t think.   Sometimes when we’d go somewhere, a camping trip or even to Lovell to conference and we didn’t get heading toward home fast enough he was “going to walk home.”
    
    Grandpa took a fancy to cameras before he died.   He had a square kodak and took pictures of everything.   We had a lot of those around.   I especially remember that he really liked Leon’s wife Eva and took pictures of her and the kids.   Eva liked Grandpa too and treated him really good.
    
    Grandpa’s sisters Emma and Loa lived in Otto too. Emma took care of his washing and mending.   I can remember how special Grandpa’s garments were to him and Emma folded them right and returned them to him.   When he was awake during his last illness he was concerned if he didn’t have them on, my Dad said.
    
    I remember the day he went into a comma.   I was riding home on the school bus and Daddy was right in front of it heading to Otto too.   He went out in Grandpa’s little house and found him just passed out.   He stayed that way for about a month I think.   He revived for a while and Dad took him to the Nursing Home in Greybull where he died.   He died on 18 Jan 1960 the day Leon’s Anita was born.
    
    Grandpa was proud of Elden’s family.   He of course spent most of his time with us but he was proud of Virgil too.   I think he must have been very happy when they were finally reunited.   He would go visit Virgil but would come back home to us.   My six brothers were the pal bearers at his funeral and I know he beamed with pride over that.   I remember going to his funeral in the old Otto Church.   I can’t remember it much except that John Winters spoke.
    
    Alex Sanders was buried in the Otto Cemetery.   For almost 40 years the only head marker for his grave was the one that the mortuary puts on.   So in 1999 the family contributed money for a new headstone.   Grandpa was a horseman in his younger days, (days I don’t remember) so we had a horse head put on his marker along with his name and dates.
    
    Alex had two sons, Elden and Virgil.   Elden had eight children, Richard, Leon, Grant, Dorothy, Merrill, Elden, Paul and Ellen.   Virgil had six children, Marjory, Marilyn, Darrell, Howard, Virgil, and Rick.   From those grandchildren come lots and lots of great-grandchildren, etc.
    
    Written by Ellen Sanders Gotfredson