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Grace Angeline Whetstone was born the 18th of July 1979 in Butler, Sates County, Missouri. Grace was the third child of David Jennings Whetstone and Catherine Angeline Bowers. Grace brothers were Charles Wilson, Harriet, Adelia and John David the youngest Grace had brown hair, hazel eyes (some say they were grey on the outside and brown in the center). Grace was about 5' 4" tall and weighed 98 pounds when she married. Grace’s waist measured 18" around at that time.
Grace had a naturally happy sunny disposition, which made the family especially blessed. By the time she was twelve years old she had become an excellent seamstress. Grace made and tailored all of her brothers and her father’s shirts. Grace had many people come to have her sew for them she helped everyone. People would draw pictures of what they wanted and she would use one basic pattern and make it for them.
Some of Grace’s hobbies included cooking (she loved the kitchen), a lot of handwork and making of quilts. Grace was an exceptionally fast worker. Grace was also an excellent marksman. After attending a circus at one time she decided to duplicate what she saw there in that it was to hit a target while riding horseback standing up--across the plowed fields. Grace could do it too!
Grace married Arvil Pickett in July or August of 1895 in Butler, Bates County, Missouri. Their first two children were born here, Howard LeRoy the 28th of April 1896 and Ernest David 19 Feb. 1899. They moved to Colorado in 1901, but only stayed a short time, moving back to Missouri for a year and then back to Greeley, Colorado until February of 1909. They moved near Ucon, Idaho in February living in a tent until early spring. A small four-room house was built and it was here that Glenn was born. Finally they moved to New Sweden, Idaho near Idaho Falls, Idaho where Arvil had a potato farm and raised chickens. They killed 100 chickens every Saturday and then took them to market. Violet was born here. They had to walk quite a ways for water and of her dream was to have a new house with running water. One day Arvil came home pleased as could be with a new automobile thinking how the two older boys could use it to go courting. Cars cost about $500.00 and houses about $2,000 at that time. Everyone was jubilant as he drove in and yelled for Grace to come and see. Grace came out, put her hands on her hips, said one word--- there was dead silence--she went back in and it wasn’t long until they had a new house. No one ever heard that word before or ever again after that time. Shortly after the house was built Arvil died, it was on April 26, 1924 of sugar diabetes.
Shortly after Arvil died, Grace had a hysterectomy, which in those days was not an easy operation. She was extremely ill for six weeks in which time she had a very high fever. At one point, near death and being extremely thirsty from the high fever, Arvil appeared and he was standing in a beautiful field full of flowers, holding out a glass of water. He said, "Here Grace is a drink of water, come and drink." She wanted to go but she said she couldn’t, as the children wouldn’t let her. Violet was around 12 years old at the time and she and Glen used to sit outside her room and were scared that they might be orphans. Glen said he would go and live with Ernest, and Violet said she would go and live with Roy, their older married brothers. Mrs. ____ was taking care of them and would dress them and send them to the hospital each day. Violet said Mrs. _______ would starch her clothes so nicely and one day Violet had on a white dress and as she entered her mother’s room, her mother said, “And a little child will lead them.”
Violet was the first to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Violet kept contact with her family and was and is very close. Violet wrote letters to distant cousins and gathered what genealogy was available from them. "Since that time some of Grace Angeline Whetstone Pickett’s grandchildren and many of her great grandchildren are members of this church and a little child shall lead them.
Grace took in boarders for many years. She was a widow for 27 years. When they first moved to Idaho they belonged to the Baptist church but after a few years joined the Presbyterian Church in which the children were raised. She bought a house in town, it had a basement, and on the main floor, a living room with bookcases full of grandchildren and great grand children's pictures, the room had a clock, which bonged every quarter hour. It had a dining room with stairs to the second floor, a large kitchen, 2 bedrooms and a bath. Upstairs had 2 bedrooms and a storage room. One bedroom upstairs had a feather bed quilt and her grandchildren spent most of their visits fluffing, bouncing, and floating in the feather bed. Grace tended her grand children and great grandchildren an awfully lot. Grace had a small garden behind her house raising raspberries, gourds and vegetables. Grace had some "T and T' Stock and the grandchildren thought she must be terribly rich!
After her family all married, Grace and four other lady friends decided to have a vacation and they chose to go to Alaska. They drove to Seattle and took a boat from there to Alaska, spent a month and truly had an enjoyable trip.
Grace loaned Violet and her husband Roland Kay money to buy a home at 3˝% interest, which helped them get a start in life.
After visiting her other grandchildren remember the sliced orange’s for breakfast that had powdered sugar and coconut sprinkled on top, the home made divinity at Thanksgiving time Grace had tremendous self discipline and took good care of her body. She did suffer from high blood pressure and refrained from using salt. She had a stroke one night after returning from visiting friends, laying on the ground outside her car on a snowy November night. Her neighbor found her there; she was paralyzed down one side. After some time she regained some use of her body only to suffer another stroke several times. She was not bed fast all of the time until her death October 31, 1950.
She gave Violet the advice that, if a man was going to be really active in his church his wife had better join him.
