I was born on the hill east of Bunkerville, Lincoln County (now Clark County), Nevada on September 28, 1882. I lived in Bunkerville until I was married and was the oldest child of twenty-three in a polygamous family. My mother was Mary Luella Abbott. She was married when she was fifteen years old to Thomas Dudley Leavitt and was sixteen when I was born.

When I was five years old, Dad wanted me to bring him the milk bucket. I was afraid to go into the corral but he told me to come on. Just as I went under the fence, the cow hit me with it's horns and broke my nose. When I was about eight, I was with Grandpa Myron Abbott's boys in their corral. We were hitting wild horses with willows. I got kicked under the eye by one of the wild horses. Aunt Vica dressed it and Uncle Will Abbott took me home on a horse. I still have the scar.

When I was old enough to go to school we went in a one room adobe with a flag roof. We had only six months of school in our valley. I went to the fifth grade which was as much as they had. I had to quit three winters because I had inflammatory rheumatism.
I was baptized by George W. Lee on October 19, 1980 in the Virgin River at Bunkerville. It was raining and a cold north wind was blowing. I was confirmed the same day by Joseph Ira Earl.

From the time I was twelve years old until I was married I helped Daddy. I always milked the cows and fed the stock. We had a wild cow in the corral, Mother went with me while I milked to keep that wild cow away with a stick. One day the cow got me down and all I could do was kick her in the head until Mother got a club and drove her away.

I used to plant, hoe, water, thin, and pick cotton. Then we took it to the gin and helped gin it; my Grandfather Abbott ran the mill. I have helped to tramp a lot of cotton. I also helped with piling hay and hauling it; also the grain, hauling and stalking it; planting, hoeing, and thinning corn and cane. I helped havest and make molasses. We would get up at two o'clock in the morning and work until nine and ten at night. Daddy used to say he'd rather have me in the field than any man.