August 21, 2026
This week I found an autobiographical sketch written by one of my paternal great aunts. Ellen Fernelius was one of my Grandfather Fernelius’ sisters. I remember visiting her when she was an old woman, but I’ve never known much about her life.
Ellen was born and raised on the family farm that I grew up on over sixty years later.
Even though Ellen grew up in the same place as I did, her childhood was very different to mine.
For me, school was a given. It was assumed that I’d graduate from high school and then go on to college. Although we lived in the country, the school bus picked me up every day. I attended modern elementary, junior high and high schools.
For Ellen, school was a one-room adobe cabin that she walked a couple of miles through the fields to attend. If it was cold, she and her brothers sometimes rode one of the family horses. In the winter, the horse pulled them in a sleigh over the snowy fields. Her one-room school ended after eighth grade. If you had enough money, you could move to town and attend the Weber Academy for high school. Most rural kids couldn’t do that.
For Ellen, school ended while she was in seventh grade. Her parents struggled to support their large family. My great grandfather often worked for the railroad or at other jobs to earn mortgage money. Despite having eleven children, my great grandmother spent most of her days working outside to keep the farm running while her husband was away. That left Ellen to tend to her younger siblings and to keep house.
After missing weeks at a time, Ellen fell behind in her lessons. With 35 students ranging from first grade through eighth grade, the teacher was unable to help Ellen catch up. By the middle of seventh grade, Ellen quit school.
In addition to working in the house, Ellen also helped on the farm. She milked four cows every day. After the morning milking, she took them to the edge of the mountains to graze. One day, she saw a bear sitting in a patch of service berries stuffing berries into his mouth. After that, she refused to herd the cows unless one of her brothers came along with his gun.
By the time I was growing up, my dad milked our cows with an electric milker. No one herded cows. The cows spent their days in various pastures. I roamed the same hills Ellen had herded the cows in, but the bears were all gone by then.
Ellen’s story then described her life through her marriage, childbearing and child rearing years. After reading it, I understand more about how life was lived on my family’s farm long before I was born.
If you’re wondering how I found Ellen’s story, it’s simple. I occasionally check the Family Search Family Tree for my ancestors and other family members’ profiles. I also check public family trees on sites such as Ancestry and My Heritage. It’s surprising how often people add photos and documents to them. Sometimes I find something I’ve never seen before.
Checking these online sources is a great way to solve family mysteries and gain new insights into people who have only been a name and date on a family tree. You never know what you might find.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society