My mother and father, John W. Hill and Ivy Dixon secured a marriage license on June 10th 1912 and they were married the 12th day June 1912 They were married according to “the ordinance of God and the laws of the State of Utah” in the Mormon Temple, Salt Lake City.
Ivy Dixon was the daughter of Albert Edward Dixon and Mary Jane Peel and was born November 17, 1894 in the town of Leeds, county of York, England. She was Baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on February 8, 1903. She immigrated to the United States with her parents, Albert Edward Dixon and Mary Jane Peel, when she was about 9 years old.
Ten children were created from the union of John W. Hill and Ivy Dixon.
- Ethel – August 30, 1913
- Wayne John – July 5, 1915
- Erma – September 16, 1917
- Ester – February 14, 1920 (died April 27, 1920 from Bronchial Pneumonia caused by the flu )
- Melvin James – March 12, 1921
- Murel – February 8, 1924
- Ivy Mae – 1926
- Lavina – 1929
- Norma Jane – 1932
- Edwin Clive – December 12, 1934
While Ivy was pregnant with Melvin she contracted the flu and consequently Melvin James was born with the flu. Melvin was born an invalid and was always very sick and required constant care. He was partially paralyzed and died in the Idaho State Hospital in Nampa from a series of strokes.
Ivy Dixon Hill died of a ruptured pulmonary artery January 4, 1937 and buried in the Haden Cemetery, January 7, 1937.
Following is a personal account of Ivy Dixon Hill as narrated by her sister Lillian G. Dixon Barney.
Ivy Dixon was born November 17, 1894 at Leeds Yorkshire, England and lived there until the family moved to the United States in 1908. While still in England she had a very narrow escape while playing with her brother, Wilfred. Wilfred put the end of walking cane in the fire place and caught it on fire and chased her around the table with it. It set the table cloth on fire. Their parents were visiting next door and had locked the children alone in the house.
When they rushed home the house was filled with smoke. The children were by the door and got out safely. The table and cloth is all that was burned.
Father and Wilfred came over to the U.S. first and sent for the rest of the family as soon as they got enough money. We went to Salt Lake City and lived there for several years. While there Dad and Mother sang in the Tabernacle Choir. While living there Dad and Mother went through the Salt Lake Temple and had the children sealed to them.
We moved to Pocatello, Idaho for awhile and then to Garland, Utah. Then we moved to Teton Basin in Idaho where we lived in Driggs for one winter. Then we moved to the Star Commercial Ranch for a couple of years. Here Ivy worked for Mrs. Price, then we moved into Driggs where Father bought a lot and built a home.
Ivy and Mother went to work at the Wilson Hotel. Then Father took up a homestead of 160 acres in Bates. Ivy took organ lessons and became the organist for Sunday school. Mother, Ivy and I went to work at the J.Y. Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ivy waited on the tables and Mother and I took care of the cabins.
Here she met a young man (Gy Goodrick) and became engaged to him but later met John W. Hill and decided to marry him. They were married June 12, 1912 in the Salt Lake L.D.S. Temple. They lived in Oasis, Idaho for about a year. Ivy was Second Counselor the Relief Society while they lived there. Then John sold his sheep and bought a clothing store and home in Driggs. Here, their first child, Ethel, was born. Two years later Wayne was born. Then they left Driggs and bought a ranch in Richvale where eight more children were born. They were, Erma, Ester, Melvin, Murel, Ivy Mae, Lavina, Norma and Edwin C.. The daughter, Ester died in infancy.
Ivy passed away at the age of 42. She was only sick for 15 minutes. While reading here Relief Society lesson and started to cough blood. She died in her husband’s arms. Three years later her son, Melvin died. John, Ivy’s husband, died nine days after Melvin’s passing.
Following is a personal account of the passing away of Ivy Dixon Hill the wife of John Williamson Hill by Harriet W (Hill) Caldwell. Harriet was the Sister in Law and near neighbor of Ivy.
John’s wife, Ivy, died suddenly January 4, 1937. She departed this life very suddenly Monday of this week, the 4th of January. She was only 42 years old and leaves a family of nine children. The youngest being only two years old. We buried here yesterday the 7th. She did her morning work and was happy. She sang as she worked. She got dinner for John and the three children at 11:30. The other children were at school. They were through eating at 5 minutes to 12:00 noon. She sat down to study her Relief Society lesson. She was the class leader of the Theological department. John was helping her by finding references. She coughed a little and had a slight hemorrhage. She said Oh, am so sick. John thought she was going to faint. He carried her only a few steps. She slumped in his arms. She was gone. It was not five minutes from the time she first coughed until she had passed away. It was a terrible shock to the family and all of us. She was a good wife and mother and it is a great loss to John and his children. We can only say that The Lord gives and The Lord takes away but yet our hearts are bleeding for those that are left.