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Dorothy Elizabeth South Hackworth
On October 5, 1915, at Argyle, six miles southeast of Randolph in Rich County, Utah, Hannah Corless and Samuel Rich South were blessed with their seventh and last born. They named her Dorothy Elizabeth for their respective mothers, Dorothy Knox Corless and Elizabeth Taylor Rich South.
Dorothy records: “I was joyfully welcomed as had been Lorenzo Snow, Allen Lee, Elgie, Bernard Eugene, Zelma and Charles. Zelma, then seven, remembers falling downstairs that night. And that Dr. Matthew Reay consoled her, saying, ‘Don't cry and you can be the first of the children to see your new baby sister.’”
“That same year an awful tragedy occurred. Our ranch home burned due to an overheated stove. Father was teaching school and not a soul was home. Practically everything was destroyed, (all the presents my parents had received at their two receptions: one given by David and Amelia Jackson and one by Mother's parents). Even Papa's violin that he had enjoyed playing at parties and dances was destroyed. He always claimed that his violin was comparable to a Stradivarius, if not better. They were able to save only a few pictures, the deeds to their home and a bottle of strychnine.”
“Zelma remembered the Golden Wedding anniversary of our grand-parents, John and Dorothy Knox Corless at which our dad, Samuel South, played his violin. Zelma said, ‘I always thought it was such a delightful story that during inter mission someone had put Limburger cheese on the bridge of the violin, and Father would pick it up, put it under his chin, then quickly lower it. Then he caught on because he saw everyone laughing, and he knew the joke was on him.’ Zelma also mentioned regarding this occasion, ‘Charlie and I took all the coats off the rack and made ourselves a bed on the floor.’"
“My parents were the best and always came to my aid. They had unconditional love for me.”
School Days
“My first grade teacher didn’t mean some of the things she said, like ‘I’ll skin you alive,’ but at the time I believed her. It seems I was nervous anyway because of the fire. That was still upsetting to the whole family. Anyway, when we moved from Randolph to Ogden, I had to take the first grade over. And of all things, on that very first day at school, when I started for home, I became lost. Some kind people soon found out where I lived and all was okay.”
“From Ogden, the family moved to Island Park. Regarding school in this location, Dorothy writes, “A schoolhouse was erected, and it served for grades 1 through 8 in the same large room, and that’s where church was held also. All of my brother and sisters had had Father as a teacher except myself, but in Island Park Father helped me so much that I didn’t miss any grades.”
“Pamela Mason and Ida Rudd were teachers at Island Park, both very nice. We lived in Idaho Falls the year I was in the 5th grade. In the 5th grade my folks lived in the east part of Idaho Falls near Elm and South Boulevard. For the 6th grade I went to school in Ashton, Idaho and was taught by Reva Munk, a sister of Denise Munk Parker whom Hubert and I have known for many years. When I attended the 8th grade in Idaho Falls, a unique thing happened. It was the last year that diplomas were given when one graduated from the 8th grade. (Hubert received an 8th grade diploma in St. Anthony before we ever met). I graduated from the 8th grade in Idaho Falls.”
“Hubert and I were in the first classes to use the new O. E. Bell Junior High School when we were 9th graders. (The school was named after our principal.) During my this year, I lived with two different families, and I worked for my board and room. I had found out that I was doing as much work as other young people were who were doing this and thus I could save my parents money and I'd have more, too.”
Hubert had moved to Idaho Falls and stayed for his freshman and sophomore years. We both enrolled in commercial classes. I remember having Miss Armstrong for shorthand, Miss Brill for typing, Mr. Barringer for bookkeeping, Miss Neuber for history, and Mr. Boals for Spanish. Hubert recalls sitting by me in history class.”
“Our sophomore year, we attended high school. Hubert said I helped him considerably in our history class. During this time, I used to pack lots of books home but I seldom studied them. That is probably the reason my grades were mostly B’s and C’s. During my sophomore and junior years, I lived with a couple (Virgil and Buddy McCan) who owned and operated a funeral home. When I'd tell my friends where I lived, they'd say, ‘I'm not going to visit you.’ But they did, and I’d show them the caskets.”
“Hubert says he thinks Miss Armstrong used to do crazy and strange things, like ringing a little bell to get the attention of the class. She told him once in typing that he looked away from his work too much, and he thought, ‘That’s decent of her,’ but then she went to the front, rand her little bell and said, ‘I just told Hubert to pay more attention.’”
“In Hubert’s junior year, it was decided there would be a ‘fast’ class in shorthand. When Hubert discovered he was the only boy in the class, he decided to return to St. Anthony High School. But in St. Anthony he ended up being the only boy in his shorthand classes for both his junior and senior years.”
“My senior year I was lucky and lived in the home of the school superintendent with him and his wife and their adopted son. (Mr. and Mrs. Bean and Ralph). Mrs. Bean even made my graduation dress. I graduated from Idaho Falls High School in the spring of 1934.”
Shorthand, etc. was the curriculum for a commercial course. And because of this training and these classes, both Hubert and Dorothy were able to obtain good jobs after they graduated from high school. Dorothy graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1934.
Now consider some dates and events that were part of Dorothy’s life.
1915 Dorothy was born on October 5th in Argyle (near Randolph), Utah.
1916 Dorothy’s father, Sam South, served as Justice of the Peace in Randolph, Utah.
1923 Dorothy was baptized in Ogden, Utah one month before she turned eight. After this, her family soon moved to Island Park, Idaho.
1927 Zelma, Dorothy’s sister, quit high school when she was a freshman or sophomore and married LeRoy Hanni of Big Springs. She would have been 15 or 16 years old. Zelma went by the name of Julia Hanni. When Dorothy was with Zelma, Dorothy used the name Phyllis Hanni. The Hanni marriage did not last.
1931 In July Dorothy and Zelma vacationed in Yellowstone National Park. Dorothy was 16 years old.
1934 Dorothy graduated from high school.
As a graduation gift, Zelma took Dorothy to stay with her in Boston where Zelma was now living and working. The girls left Island Park on August 1st and toured the U.S. for 20 days.
Before Christmas, Dorothy returned from Boston to Idaho.
1935 Alton Tidwell married Iris Nielsen on June 12 in the Logan LDS Temple.
Dorothy got a job as a stenographer and bookkeeper for W. L Shattuck.
1936 Dorothy became engaged to Alden Staker before he left for his mission in Arizona on February 6th. She still worked for Mr. Shattuck.
1938 In the springtime, Dorothy met Alton Tidwell at a dance in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Sometime this summer, Dorothy traveled to Arizona to met with Alden Staker. She wanted to see how she felts about Elder Staker because she was falling in love with Alton.
Alton and Dorothy married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on August 25th. In two months Dorothy would have been 23 years old.
1939 Shirlene was born on September 22.
1940 Allen was born December 27 in American Fork, Utah.
1941 Alton Tidwell and Dorothy South were divorced on November 19th.
Of these events, Dorothy writes:
“I was almost twenty-three when I married Frank Alton Tidwell, only son of Robert Frank and Evaleo Brighton, in the Salt Lake Temple August 25, 1938. Alton had four sisters: Ruby, Thelma, Barbara and Eunice.
The same day we had a wedding breakfast at his aunt's home (a sister of Evaleo named Stella), and went directly to American Fork, Utah where we made our home. It was in this beautiful city where our two children were born: Shirlene September 22, 1939 and Robert Allen December 27, 1940. We were divorced November 19, 1941. We met at a mutual dance in Idaho Falls. My parents had been told by a man who knew Alton that he'd been married before and had a little girl. Nothing my folks said dissuaded me.
All people have some good qualities, and Alton had some that impressed me such as being an organized person. He knew what he had and where everything was; he was very meticulous in his dress and always took care of his own clothes. He taught me how to darn his socks, and he knew more about cooking and canning fruit than I did. He always paid our current bills on time. He liked older people, and they seemed to appreciate him. Women liked him too. In fact, they would ask Alton to take them for a ride on his motorcycle, and naturally, he couldn't turn them down.
In retrospect, I know we should have gone to the temple more than we did. Another thing, he didn't want me to see my folks often, but I thought I needed to do that, especially to have Mother make baby clothes since I didn’t sew. She made darling baby clothes for both Shirlene and Allen when I was expecting.
My parents let me return home after my divorce and live with them in one of their apartments. During WWII, I quit my job and moved to Ogden, Utah where I worked for the Finance Department in the U.S. Army. I told my family and friends goodbye and Alton had said he thought we should get married again even though he was married. It never worked out that way. Alton’s parents took care of Shirlene and Allen.”
1942 Alton married Dorothy Newton on July 28th and later married his new wife in the Salt Lake Temple
Dorothy South worked for Mr. C. Bendixen at the Farm Home Administration. Dorothy and children still lived with Sam and Hannah South.
Dorothy typed blessings for patriarch Joseph A. Brunt.
Around this time, Dorothy and her children moved to Ogden, Utah where she worked for the Finance Department of the U.S. Army for two years. Shirlene and Allen were cared for by Grandmother and Grandfather Tidwell in Smithfield, Utah.
While working in Ogden, Dorothy moved in with her Aunt Kate (Katherine) and Kate’s daughter, Althea.
1943 Loni Gee (Allen’s wife) was born on April 8th in Pocatello, Idaho to Merrill Kerr Gee and Dorothy Merrill.
1944 In August the Finance Office closed, and Dorothy was transferred to Fort Douglas. Shortly after Dorothy moved back to Idaho Falls to live in one of Sam South’s apartments. Shirlene and Allen returned from the Tidwell’s to live in Idaho Falls also. Dorothy started working for Delbert V. Groberg.
1946 Allen started the first grade in Idaho Falls.
1947 In June at a dance in Island Park, Dorothy became re-acquainted with Hubert Hackworth.
On July 19th Dorothy married Hubert Hackworth.
The new Hackworth family moved to St. Anthony and lived on the south side of town. In the fall, Shirlene and Allen attended school.
1948 After obtaining a cancellation of her former marriage and sealing to Alton Tidwell, Dorothy was sealed to Hubert Hackworth on January 14th.
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