Last Updated on March 5, 2022 2:44 pm by Steven

James Gardner 1883-1976 and Magel Annie Moyses Gardner 1890-1979 Taken in 1961

Mable Annie Moyses Gardner

Submitted by Marvin W. Loosle (Grandson)

While I was in the U. S. Air Force, I had the chance of being in England for 3 months about 1953 (3 years after Grandmother Moyses left).  I was able to visit relatives a couple of times.  During all my visits, I found Grandmother Moyses to be well accepted by all.  I met the families of about four of her Mouth Lane, Guyhirn neighbors, her sister and the Simmonds family in Norwich.  All were very excited to meet a descendant of Grandmother and emphasized how well they respected her for her friendship; and her dedication to her parents.  She remained in England by herself (without her daughter and grandchildren) for 20 years to take care of her father (who was blind) and her Mother as long as they were alive.  This included the very difficult World War II years when they were constantly in danger of German bombs.  They took me to the grave of her parents.  Also, Mrs. Simmonds sent her daughter, Alma, to escort me to the LDS chapel (Norwich Branch where Grandmother was a mainstay to holding many positions including missionary work.  To this day (2001), I still get regular yearly letters from England wanting to know how the family of Mabel is getting along and to reflect how they enjoyed her friendship.

I think it was a tribute to Grandmother Gardner that a returned missionary would propose marriage to her only by correspondence and without courting, and then get married for eternity within weeks of her arriving in America.

Everyone knows how well Grandmother and Grandfather got along and treated each other as royalty.  They made sure they visited their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren on both sides regularly.  They visited and stayed with us several times when we lived in California as well as in the Salt Lake area.  It was easy to recognize their Studebaker car which they really enjoyed and used for many years.  In their later years we had the opportunity and privilege to pick them up, have them stay with us, and take them back to the Salt Lake City Airport.

Grandmother Gardner had a sense of humor, known to all, such as sticking her tongue out when pictures were taken and challenging anyone to see who could burp the loudest.  She was always proud of her family.

Submitted by Jeanette Loosle Moore (Granddaughter)

I was in high school when our Grandma-in-England came to America to live.  It was so exciting for the family.  She married James Gardner soon after she got here, so we now had a grandfather.  They lived in Idaho Falla and I remember going up quite often to visit them.  They had Lyle living with them for a few years until they moved to Quincy, Washington, then he went into an assistance center.  I guess I remember more about Grandma after they moved to Quincy, Washington.  When Irv and I left San Antonio, Texas and moved to Pullman, Washington in 1959 we were only about three and a half hours from Quincy, so we went quite often for special occasions, like thanksgiving, birthdays, or to just get away for a long weekend.  Grandma was always kind to us and loved the kids.  They had a little house, but did have an extra bedroom.  As our family grew, we just spread out more on the floor.  When we moved to Everett, we were still only about three and one half hours away from them, but this time we had Snoqualmie or Stevens Pass to drive over, so we didn’t go as often in the winter time.

Grandma and Grandpa lived across the street from the school, so when school was out for the day or during the summer our kids lived to go over and play on the swings and playground equipment.  Grandma always seemed to love having us come and stay the weekend.  We lived the closest to any of our family.  Grandpa’s family treated her wonderful and she always had someone over to visit her.

Grandma always spoiled us and had cookies when we came.  Her cookie Jar was always full. Not only for our kids, but for the neighbors and other family members as well.  She was known as “grandma” to all the kids in the area.

When we were there over the weekend, Grandma always would have me “put her hair up” in bobby pins on Saturday night and she would sleep in them so her hair was curly on Sunday Morning.  This was an every- Saturday night tradition.  Of course, I did the same for her when they would come to visit us. Ellis and Neta had children living over by Seattle, so they would bring Grandma and Grandpa over to stay with us when they visited their children.  That was always fun.  One thing I remember was when Annette was going to get married, I told Grandma I didn’t know how to be a Mother-in-law, and she said that I should remember only one thing, and that was to “keep my mouth shut”. That has been good advice, but I don’t know if I have lived by that all the time or not.  She was a sweet Grandma and did so much for everyone.  She was a good wife to Grandpa and waited on him all the time.  After Grandpa died and she moved to Utah to live with Mom and Dad. We didn’t get to see her quite as much.  I flew down when she went into a coma in the hospital, so I was there when she died.  We are excited to see her again in the next life.

Submitted by Darrell K. Loosle (Grandson)

I first remember Grandma Moyses when I was very young.  We called her “Grandma in England”.  She would write letter to our family.  I remember getting some gifts from her for Christmas.  I remember getting a pencil box, which had different pencils and erasers in it.  I also remember getting a small blue New Testament, printed for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.  The New Testament was a special printing on 12 May, 1937.  I still have it in my possession.

I remember when Grandma came to the United States.  I then met her as a real person.  It was an exiting experience to be able to see a grandmother we had heard about, but never met or seen.  I remember getting acquainted with her and our new grandfather, James Gardner.

I remember Grandma Gardner as a person to always did her best to take care of Grandpa Gardner.  She always did little things such as to make sure food was cooked the way he liked it, and that he was well taken care of.

She had a real sense of humor.  She liked to tell stories, and even had a few humorous verses she loved, to quote such as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, rode a horse that they got on….There are two other lines I won’t include. After she quoted the verses, she and mother would laugh. Whenever she had her picture taken she would stick out her tongue.  We would often have to tell her not to stick out tongue, so we can get a good picture.  I also remember burping contests, Grandma Gardner, Evelyn, and maybe Brenda participated.  All of us could burp when we wanted to. Grandma Gardner really enjoyed the burping contest.  Margaret, and probably others, thought it was gross.

Grandma and Grandpa Gardner loved little children.  They always paid attention to our children and were very kind to them.  I do not ever remember Grandma Gardner getting angry.  She was always very kind and polite to people.

We enjoyed listening to Grandma, especially with her English accent.  I liked to tease her a little about England.  She didn’t necessarily think that America had won the Revolutionary War.  She enjoyed the teasing.  She was always very loyal to her native country

Submitted by Evelyn Loosle Humpherys (Granddaughter)

Grandma Gardmer would always leave her plate totally clean.  It looked like it had already been washed.

I remember:

Burping contests with Grandma Gardner, Darrell and me and I am not sure who else.

Singing “God Save the Queen” to her when we would all get together.

Darrell getting a brown paper bag and getting behind Grandma and popping it, because it scared her.  I think it scared her because of the bomb hitting England in the war.  I also remember Mom getting after Darrell for doing it. (Compilers note:I deserved having Mom get after me  It was a mean thing to do).

Grandma Gardner sitting at the card table putting puzzles together.

Submitted by Carla Byington Loosle (Granddaughter)

Grandma and Grandpa Gardner moved to Quincy, Washington approximately the same time that my family did.  I was five years old.  I never knew my own grand- parents.  My grandmothers had both died before I was born and grandfathers had both died by the time I was three years old.

At this time Quincy Ward as basically a ward with young families that had moved to the area to farm when the irrigation water had become available. Grandma and Grandpa Gardner and Grandma and Grandpa Hope were the only “old” people in the Ward.  Grandma and Grandpa Hope were kind of aloof and stayed with their own families, but Grandma and Grandpa Gardner were Grandma and Grandpa Gardner to the whole ward.  They lived a block from the church and were custodians for many years.  As kids, if we were playing in the neighborhood and thirsty, we always knew we could go there for a drink of water or lemonade.  They always welcomed anyone regardless of age.

Grandpa always seemed very stern and opinionated, but he would help anyone that needed it if it was in his power.  Grandma was always very sweet and nice to the kids in the ward.  We all loved to listen to her talk with her English accent and sometime would talk to her just so we could hear her accent.

As I said, they were Grandma and Grandpa to the whole ward and that is what we called them, not Mr .and Mrs., or even Brother and Sister, it was always Grandma and Grandpa.  In fact, when I was in Jr. High, at Sunday School, they had the program for Sunday School and Sacrament meeting and James Gardner was speaking in Sacrament meeting.  There were quite a few Gardner’s in our ward and I was sure that I knew all of them at least by name, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out who James Gardner was.  When I got home from Sunday School, I asked my dad who James Gardner was.  He then told me it was Grandpa.  I think that is the first time I had heard him called anything but Grandpa Gardner.

Grandma had a wonderful sense of humor.  She always wanted to know what was going on.  One year for the Christmas party my mother was in charge of getting someone to play Santa.  She got the husband of one of her friends who was completely inactive.  At the party Grandma couldn’t figure out who was playing Santa.  Mom told her it was Santa Claus and if didn’t believe she wouldn’t anything for Christmas.  Grandma got very frustrated with mom but it turned out to be the private joke that they shared for years.

At the time that Gaylen and I started going together Grandma and mom were visiting teaching partners.  They kept tabs on us.  When we got married there was never any problem at all for me in accepting and loving Grandma and Grandpa because they had been Grandma and Grandpa since I was five years old.

• FAMILY HISTORIES INCLUDING PICTURES, DOCUMENTS, AND STORIES CAN BE FOUND IN FAMILY TREE # K24B-M3P FOR MABEL ANNIE GARDNER AND KWZZ-Q3R FOR JAMES GARDNER 

• THIS DOCUMENT INCLUDES MEMORIES AND RECOLLECTIONS OF GRANDCHILDREN

By Darrell K. Loosle

xxxx@xxxxx.com

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