Autobiography
of
Eva Luella Heaps B. Freeman

Eva Luella Heaps Freeman was born September 10, 1902 at Bountiful, Davis County, Utah. The third child of Benjamin Franklin Heaps and Ann Eva Dittmore who were the parents of eleven children. My parents were married in the Salt Lake Temple February 8, 1899. My mother was a school teacher prior to her marriage. My father was a farmer, mail carrier, gardener, and a teamster. He hauled ore from the mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon, to the smelters in Murray, and on the return trip took supplies back to the mines.

We children had a very happy childhood on the farm, and truly enjoyed the beauties of nature. We also learned how to work, such as helping in the house, also weeding the gardens, pickling fruit and vegetables, and helping herd the cows.
 

Mother and Father were good managers so we were taught to be thrifty and industrious. I attended school four years in Butlerville and graduated from the 8th grade at Granite, Utah. Our home in Granite was near to the mountains, and our property lines included some of the hills where some of the granite blocks for the Salt Lake Temple were chiseled. We often found small sea shells up on the hills, which showed how large the Great Salt Lake had been many years ago.

Sego-lilies grew all around on our hills, and we had great fun digging the bulbs to eat. They were very sweet and crisp. We didn’t have to dig them for our food as the early pioneers had, but I have often thought of their delicious flavor.

Some of the memories of my Mother are: Her beautiful long black hair. Her kind gentle ways. Her ability to teach us. The graceful way she walked, with her head so erect. her wonderful cooking, sewing and canning. Her patience, wisdom and devotion to her family. I remember how handsome my father was during his younger years, and his beautiful tenor voice, his singing in the ward choir and how he loved and enjoyed his family. I remember the many vacation trips we shared as a family - fishing and camping in the canyons. When I was about sixteen, we moved to Twin Falls, Idaho to a large farm. That was my first trip on a train.

I was a store clerk in Twin Falls, until I married Lee Allen Blackmer, an accountant, then we lived in Pocatello. He had a daughter, 12, [Juanita May] and a son, 6 [William Allen] by a former marriage [Hazel Cahoon]. Both children joined the church and were married in the Temple. My three daughters were born in Pocatello, Shirley Ellen, Martha Eileen, and Claudia Lee.

Some of my activities in Pocatello were: Captain of Desert Rose Camp, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, teacher and Councilor in Primary, 1st. Assistant to the Superintendent of Religion Class and teacher. singing with the Singing Mothers, and Relief Society Councilor and visiting teacher.

In 1939 I divorced [Lee A. Blackmer on February 8,] and returned to twin Falls with my three daughters to go into business in an ice cream store with my brother, Lewis D. heaps, and his wife Mary Richins Heaps.

March 28, 1940 I went with Bishop J. C. Frederickson and his wife Zelpha Richins to the Salt Lake Temple and received my endowments. August 26, 1940, Shirley Ellen was married to Rufus Lloyd Tyler in the Salt Lake Temple.
 

Eva & Bing Freeman
included in 1967
Christmas card

Soon after moving into the Twin Falls 1st. Ward I met E. Bing. Freeman, who was 1st. Councilor to the Bishop [N. W. Arrington]. We were married about three months later in the Salt Lake Temple 4 March 1941. My three daughters [Shirley Ellen, Martha Eileen, and Claudia Lee] were sealed to us the same day. My husband was a widower, and had five children at home [Karl, Dean, Don, Fae, and Jay Grant] and with my two youngest daughters [Martha Eileen and Claudia Lee] - we really had a large family to care for, and we both had many church activities.

Bing worked for Brown Music Company and at Sears fro about four years after we were married. Then he decided to build houses. He had learned the carpenter trade from his father; (who had helped build the Manti Temple). He built five homes in Twin Falls, then his health started to fail, so we decided to spend a few winters in Arizona, where it was warmer. Some of my activities in Twin Falls were Relief Society Secretary, visiting teacher, and 1st. Councilor [sic] and sing with the Singing Mothers. 2nd. Councilor in the M.I.A. [Mutual Improvement Association] and teacher. Improvement Era director (for which I received a prize for the most subscriptions). [I was] also active in Daughters of Utah Pioneers County camp.
 

While in Mesa Arizona my husband built many homes and was teacher of the High Priests in our ward. I was Relief Society magazine agent and visiting teacher. We both went to the Mesa Temple many hundreds of times, - one winter we were given a specific assignment of work in the Temple.

After my husband’s death in Twin Falls January 7, 1959, I sold my home, and went to Mesa for about a year and a half. Then I came to Buhl, to be near Eileen and Wade Quigley. My three daughters were married in the temple.

November 5, 1961 I was called as a Twin Falls Stake missionary, and was released November 17, 1963. My present church activities are Relief Society visiting teacher, and M.I.A. Attendance Secretary. I love to travel and visit my four brothers and three sisters, and all my children and their families and other relatives.

I have many happy memories of the wonderful trips Bing and I enjoyed, taking our small vacation trailer and leisurely enjoying some of the scenic beauties of this choice land.

Thus I will close this epistle with a bit of wit - from an anonymous poet:

How do I know my youth is all spent?
Well, my get up and go has got up and went.
But in spite of it all I am able to grin
When I think of the places my get-up has been.

Old age is golden, I’ve heard it said,
But sometimes I wonder as I get into bed
With my ears in a drawer, my teeth in a cup,
My eyes on the table until I wake up.

Ere sleep dims my eyes I say to myself
Is there anything else I should leave on the shelf?
And I’m happy to say as I close my door
“My friends are the same or much, much more!”

Funeral Life History
Written by Randall Lee Quigley, Grandson
Given by Sister Lorraine Baggett

Eva Luella Heaps Freeman was born at home, September 10, 1902 in Bountiful, Davis County, Utah. She was the third child and the third daughter of Benjamin Franklin Heaps and Ann Eva Dittmore, who were parents of eleven children. She attended school in Butlerville, Utah and graduated from the 8th grade at Granite, Utah. Eva was unable to continue her schooling after the 8th grade, but was taught well by her mother, who was a school teacher prior to her marriage.

Eva was an avid reader and sought to improve herself throughout her life by study and application. She took great pride in her spelling, grammar, and English. Eva was thrilled once when someone thought she was a school teacher because of the ability to express herself so well. By accepting positions in the Church, Eva became an excellent teacher in Primary, MIA, and Relief Society and a faithful Visiting Teacher until her health failed. Eva loved the Relief Society sisters, wherever she lived, and treasured their friendship.

Her first church assignment came when she was 14 years old. She was asked to be the Assistant Secretary of the Religion Class in the Granite Ward, Granite, Utah.

Eva loved to sing; and always sang in the Relief Society Singing Mothers and Ward Choirs. Her daughters have fond memories of the love and spirit she brought into her home through her singing.

While in early teens, Eva’s family moved throughout Southern Idaho. First to Blackfoot, then Twin Falls, and finally resided at Pocatello. In Twin Falls, while working in Varney’s ice cream and candy store Eva met Lee Allen Blackmer, who later became her husband. He had two children by his previous marriage, Juanita May and William Allen Blackmer, who were raised, loved and mothered as if they were her own. Bill and Nita joined the church and were married in the temple. In their later lives they bore testimony that it was through Eva’s example and teachings that they were able to enjoy the blessings of the gospel in their lives and in the lives of their children.

Lee and Eva moved to Pocatello where three daughters came to bless their home: Shirley Ellen, Martha Eileen, and Claudia Lee. In 1939 they were divorced and Eva took her three daughters and moved to Twin Falls, Idaho where she and her brother Lewis Heaps operated Heaps Ice Cream Shop, next to the Orpheum Theater.

In the fall of 1940, Eva met E. Bingham Freeman, a widower with seven children, five still living at home. After a brief courtship, they married March 4, 1941 in the salt Lake temple. At that time, she and her three daughters were sealed to Bing Freeman and they became part of the Freeman family.

For over three years Eva worked as a coworker with Bing when he was Stake Genealogical Chairman for the twin Falls Stake. She supported him wholeheartedly as he served in the bishopric of the twin Falls 1st Ward and in all his other church assignments throughout their lives.

In 1948 they began to travel back and forth to Mesa, Arizona in time for Claudia and Grant to attend school. During the winter he would build and sell homes and the family would return to Twin Falls in the summer where he would continue his carpenter trade.

During that time they enjoyed square dancing and also they received a special appointment to do sealings and endowments on Thursday of each week in the Mesa Arizona Temple. They were given special commendation by the temple presidency for having completed over 3,000 sealings and endowments.

In December, 1959, after a lengthy illness, Bing passed away in the home in Twin Falls, Idaho. During these three years Eva tenderly cared for Bing. The doctor remarked that the care given him far exceeded anything he had seen in his experience.

Shortly after his death, Eva’s health began to fail. She was in and out of the hospital in Arizona and when her health was restored sufficiently, returned to live near her daughter Eileen and her husband Wade Quigley in Buhl, Idaho.

In 1962 she served a Stake Mission which brought her a great deal of joy and happiness. Her children and grandchildren were her main interest in her declining years, and her family fondly remembers her excellent cooking skills and her ability to make home a loving place.

In 1977, she entered into the Harral’s Nursing Home where she resided until her death February 5, 1985. She is survived by one brother, Lewis D. Heaps of Sacramento, California; three daughters, Shirley Ellen Tyler of Walla Walla, Washington, Martha Eileen Quigley of Buhl, Idaho, and Claudia L. Vance of Provo, Utah; five stepsons, Karl C. Freeman and L. Wardell Freeman, both of Twin Falls, Idaho, Dean L. Freeman, Don M. Freeman and J. Grant Freeman, all of California; two stepdaughters, Fae L. Horspool and S. Elaine McNutt, both of California; and 16 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, nine brothers and sisters, her husband, two stepchildren, [a son-in-law], and one grandson.

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