Charles Rampton's Family History: Wilda Cash

Even though it has been over 50 years, I still have vivid memories of visiting Grammie Rampton. That was the family name for Wilda Cash Rampton, my great-grandmother. When she passed away in 1964 she was 91 years old. Longevity of life seems to be a Cash Family trait. Her father, Lewis Lundsford Cash was 95 when he died in 1925. Her son, Charles Cash Rampton (Grandpa Cash) was 10 days short of being 90 when he died in 1991 which is remarkable considering he smoked and drank most of his adult life. Grandma (Lois Fae Linnebach) and Grandpa (Charles Cash Rampton, Jr.) use to dress Richard and I up in coats and ties and take us to visit Grammie on Sunday afternoons. She lived in a large victorian house on at the bottom of the hill on 13th South in Salt Lake City that had been converted into a duplex or fourplex. Grandpa use to tell us that they would close off 13th South in the winter since it was too steep and icy for cars to make it up in the winter. I remember liking to play in some curtains that covered one of the walls in her living room. I also remember getting scolded by Grandma for doing so.

Wilda Cash was born in Kentucky in 1873 to Lewis Lundsford Cash and Nannie Evelyn Stith Cash. She was the oldest of their 12 children. She also had 9 brothers and sisters from her father's first marriage (his wife died in 1871). They were not members of the church. However, in 1884 her father accepted the message of the restored gospel and was baptized. This was a big deal in the South as the church was still not well received. Five years later Wilda and her mother were also baptized. She was 16 at the time. Three years later her father sent her to Utah to be close to the Saints. He later moved the rest of the family there. A few years later she met Charles Hyrum Rampton, a widower with 2 young daughters. They were married 31 January 1894 in the Salt Lake Temple, 9 months after the temple was dedicated. She, Charles and her two step-daughters, Alice and Afton lived in Bountiful in a house that Charles had built for her (see photos below.) Grandpa Cash always used to say that it was the first house in Bountiful to have indoor plumbing. That house is still in existence today although it is a shell of its former grandeur.

She and Charles had 6 children of their own, 5 daughters and a son (Grandpa Cash). The youngest daughter was Elaine, who I mentioned in a previous blog. Below is a short biography that Elaine wrote about her mother in 1957.

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LIFE SKETCH OF WILDA CASH RAMPTON

By Elaine Rampton Marsden

Wilda Cash was born in Howes Valley, Kentucky, June 23, 1873. She was the oldest of twelve children born to Dr. Lewis L. and Nanna Stith Cash. The girls were Wilda, Rue, Rilla, Lillian, Nanna, and Rose. The boys were Dan., Willoughby, Thomas, Carol, John, and Erastus.

The course of history of this family was changed a great deal by missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Around 1883 a missionary by the name of Louis Kelch and his companion were tracting in Vertrees, Kentucky. They contacted Dr. Cash’s daughter Betty, a daughter by a previous marriages. She was singularly struck with the similarity of the missionaries’ message to the philosophy her father had taught her. She told them of her father and his beliefs and gave them directions to his home. When the missionaries arrived they were somewhat skeptical, for they beheld a veritable plantation home and from past experiences knew that such homes were not receptive to the gospel message they had. They were permitted entry and afforded an opportunity to present their message. Dr. Cash was so interested that they stayed up until one o’clock that morning discussing the gospel. Several years passed. All the while Dr. Cash studied the Mormon message. Finally, he decided that he was ready to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and traveled all the way to Utah where Elder Kelch performed the baptism. After this, Dr. Cash returned to Kentucky to get his affairs in order to move to Utah. At this time Wilda was sixteen years old. Dr. Cash wanted to make the trip to Utah with his family intact. Because Wilda was keeping pretty regular company with Striggler Glasscock., Dr. Cash decided that his oldest girl should leave that summer for Utah to attend school. Elder John E. Hansen, who was laboring in the mission field at that time, suggested that Wilda stay with his family in Salt Lake. He explained that it wouldn’t be any burden, for he was to be released in a week and would be in Salt Lake before Wilda arrived for school. The plans were agreed upon. In August of 1889, Wilda left Kentucky by train passing through Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs on her way west. Her father wired Elder Hansen that his daughter would be arriving, but unfortunately this telegram was not delivered. When Wilda arrived in Salt Lake City, there was no one to meet her. The first person she encountered was an Englishman with a heavy English brogue. She asked him for directions to the Hansen home, but wasn’t successful in understanding his English accent. She was as confused as before, but she still was hopeful of finding Elder Hansen. As she wandered up the street, two girls of about her age came towards her and passed her by. She kept walking and before too long came to an enclosed yard. There working in the yard was Elder Hansen. Was he surprised. He hurried Wilda into the house to tell his wife. Mrs. Hansen was very surprised. She threw her arms around Wilda and hugged her as if she were her very own. The Hansens, being the wonderful people that they were., showed this warmth and love to Wilda all the while she was with them. Elder Hansen ran to the road and called the two girls back. One was Mrs. Hansen’s sister, Clara Tate; the other was Clara's girl friend, Mary Lyman, the apostle’s daughter. The girls were most cordial and admired the traveling suit Wilda was dressed in and related how they had wondered who was that stranger was who passed them on the street. They all became warm., close friends.

The first few days in Salt Lake for young Wilda were glorious. Then the pace settled down and Wilda had more time to think and to contemplate her now environment. Something was building up inside of her. Finally she could hold it back no longer and burst into tears. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen were very upset. They thought that they had done something wrong. Wilda told them that nothing was wrong, but that she just had to go home. She was homesick - dreadfully homesick. A letter was written to her father. His reply was that of a strict southern disciplinarian. “Look here young lady, I’ve sent you to Salt Lake at great expense. I want you to buckle down old forget about coming home!" This only added to the misery. Wilda just had to go home. Finally, her father consented to the trip home and wired her the money. With this turn of events the sickness subsided never to return. Wilda was to stay! Clara Tate came to stay with the Hansens to go to school with Wilda. That winter the two girls had a wonderful time together. They attended school at the Social Hall, the University of Deseret. James Talmadge was the principal at this time. In addition to school activities, they found time to take in an occasional dance at the 20th Ward with Will Phillips and Charlie Rogers.

School ended and summer set in. With fall, the family arrived from Kentucky. Wilda joined them in Bountiful where they took up residence for a year before moving north to Cache Valley. During this year in Bountiful, Wilda Cash met her husband to be. It began on the afternoon of the 24th of July. Wilda had been to the parade with Katherine Rampton and Lizzie Stringham. The group dropped in at the Rampton home. Katherine’s older brother Charles was at home. It was decided that they'd all go downtown for some ice cream. Wilda and Charles were paired off, followed by the two girls. This was the beginning of a beautiful romance. Charles, his sister, Katherine, and Wilda attended many functions together. Charles suggested that they go up to Farmington to the fair. Wilda thought that world be a wonderful idea. Charles picked her up in his dapper carriage. This time, however, something was a little different. Katherine wasn’t along. Wilda was surprised! Had Charles Rampton purposely planned this trip this way? This seemed like a brazen act. She swore that she’d never have such a man for a husband., but in January of 1894 she changed her mind and was married to the "man she wouldn't have" in the Salt Lake Temple. Wilda had moved with her family to Benson in Cache Valley. Charles made many trips from Bountiful to Benson during the last part of their courtship. It was agreed that as soon as Charles could build a home in Bountiful, they would be married. They moved into the new home in 1894 with two small daughters, Afton and Alice, age eight and nine. The girls were Charles’ daughters. His first wife had died.

Mr. Rampton ran a dry goods store and owned the Opera Home in Bountiful. He was a successful businessman of Davis County. Tragedy struck February 1909, when the Opera House and the Dry Goods Store burned down. With no insurance this was a blow but they were rebuilt and opened in August same year. Five years later, almost to the day, the store burned down again. In May at 1916, Mr. Rampton traded the Opera House for a ranch on the Provo River. This ranch was sold two years later and the Mackey, Idaho Ranch was purchased. In 1922 the Mackey Ranch was sold and the home at 969 13th South was received as part payment. By this time the family had grown to eight children. Wilda Cash Rampton wanted her family to receive an education. In addition to Afton and Alice there were Vivian, Thelma, who died at the age of five, Golda, Cash, Wilda, and the baby, Elaine.

Wilda Cash Rampton has lived at 969 East 13th South, Salt Lake City, Utah, for thirty-five years now. The last twenty-two have been spent alone, as her partner was taken from her in 1935. Since that time Wilda Rampton has continued to lead a most active life; active in her church, especially the Relief Society of her ward., keeping up and caring for her home and apartments and taking care of her grandchildren and great grandchildren (six and ten respectively), and traveling.

One of the outstanding trips in later life taken by Mrs. Rampton took place in 1939 at the invitation of her daughter Wilda (Mrs. Roy A. Legge). They left Salt Lake in late September and journeyed by train to Chicago, where they were met by daughter Golda (Mrs. Fred J. Miner). After spending some time visiting many friends and all the sights of Chicago, the two daughters and the mother took off for the two great cities of eastern Canada, Montreal and Quebec. From Canada they traveled down to Boston where they Golda’s husband. They toured New England, visiting all the old early landmarks of the pilgrims and taking in all the modern sights of the old town. Mrs. Rampton and Wilda went on down to New York and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (This was quite a change for the lady who as a beautiful blond, blue-eyed sixteen year old had trudged up the street in Salt Lake City not knowing where she was going to sleep if she failed to find the Hansen home. But a loving husband, a son, some wonderful daughters, many wonderful friends, a real character herself over the years and a kind Providence had willed life to be good to Wilda Cash Rampton, she thought, as she rested in the world’s finest hotel). Following thrilling days in New York., the trip took them on down through Philadelphia., Washington, D. C., New Orleans, across to El Paso, Texas, around by Los Angeles, where daughter Wilda insisted her mother go on to San Francisco and visit with her for a month. Always time runs short in San Francisco for Mrs. Rampton where she divides it between daughter Wilda and daughter Vivian (Mrs. Gilbert Cheney), the grandchildren and the great grandchildren.

Another trip of memorable reflection in the mind of Mrs. Rampton took place in 1948 when she again visited her daughter Golda in Chicago. With Golda and Fred planning a delightful trip, she traveled to her old home State of Kentucky to visit her old friends and see the old landmarks she grew up with. She had been away for 59 years. This was a wonderful trip for her, filled with childhood memories. Many things were quite the same. Many were changed. The people were extremely glad to see her. The exchange of family ties and connections were the main topics of conversations whether at night, morning, or midnoon.

Perhaps the most thrilling trip ever experienced by this oldest of the "Cash" girls was her maiden air voyager via United Air Lines to the Hawaiian Islands in January 1953. (This flight does not compare, nor should it of course with the thrills of the young lovers Wilda Cash and Charles Hyrum Rampton riding in and around Bountiful behind the high stepping heels of well groomed, fancy horses. Nor, perhaps, when the young wife Wilda a little later on, harnessed, hitched and drove old Prince on the iron tired carriage with her brown-eyed brood alongside.) Leaving Salt Lake and the snow and January chills, Mrs. Rampton flew to San Francisco. After visiting Vivian and Wilda and families once again, she soared off over the Pacific Ocean in company with her daughter, Wilda Legge, son-in-law, Roy Legge and their daughter Barbara. Life at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu for six weeks was the culmination of a life well deserving of such a trip and richly enjoyed by this charming 79 year old gray haired lady.

But trips away from home are not all the thrilling events for Wilda C. Rampton. Seeing her only son succeed (C. Cash Rampton is vice-president of Walker Bank and Trust Comply) business-wise and seeing her daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren well and happy, is her most thrilling experience in life.

Celebrating her 80th birthday four years ago at a party given at the home of her youngest daughter Elaine (Mrs. Milo S. Marsden) on June 23, 1953, holds a warm spot in the heart of Mrs. Rampton. Friends and relatives from far and wide came to wish her many more happy days. Practically all of the 150 callers - young as well as old - marveled at her youthfulness for eighty years. Now., some four years later, we her family, glory in her rich life of the past, relish her love and sympathy of the present, give her our sincerest and deepest love of every passing hour and pray God’s blessings upon her.

Elaine Rampton Marsden