MY MOM, THE LITTLE LEMON~who almost got ate by a cougar~

DAD&MOM AND THEIR FIRST TWO CHILDREN

MOM & DAD ON A TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY (Dad was always whistling)

ELLA MAE LEMON JEPPSON

THIS STORY IS A TRUE ONE, AND IT IS SHARED HERE IN MY MOTHER'S OWN WORDS.

"WHEN WE LIVED ON THE PROVO RIVER NEAR TO FRANCIS, AT THE AGE OF ABOUT NINE, I HAD WHAT YOU COULD CALL A VERY NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH, BY THE JAWS OF A WILD COUGAR. I REMEMBER WAKING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE THE LITTLE HOUSE CAT WAS PURRING AROUND MY HEAD AND TRYING TO CRAWL IN MY BED FOR A NAP. IT BOTHERED ME UNTIL I GOT UP AND TOOK IT OUTSIDE. I STOOD LOOKING ABOUT MYSELF, I SUDDENLY BECAME SPELLBOUND BY THE BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT. THE MOONLIGHT AND THE STARS BY THE TRILLIONS IN THE HEAVENS, AND AS I STOOD GAZING UPWARD, I HEARD SOMETHING COMING TOWARD ME GIVING OUT WITH THE MOST GRUESOME SOUNDS. AS THE MOON WENT BEHIND A CLOUD I COULD NOT VISIBLY SEE THE ANIMAL.
JUST THEN, A VOICE SAID TO ME, "GO IN THE HOUSE QUICKLY AND BOLT THE DOOR." I IMMEDIATELY WENT TOWARD THE DOOR, AND AS I TOOK ONE LAST LOOK, I SAW THE LARGEST ANIMAL WITH THE BIGGEST BODY, EYES AND FEET TROTTING MORE QUICKLY TOWARD ME NOW. I RUSHED THROUGH THE DOOR AND BOLTED IT, CRIED OUT TO FATHER, "OH PA, THERE'S A BEAR OUT THERE!"
AS DAD SAT UP IN BED I COULD SEE THAT HIS HAIR STOOD STRAIGHT UP IN THE MOONLIGHT. THAT ANIMAL SNORTED AND GROWLED VERY LOUDLY BY THE DOOR, THEN SWIFTLY ROUNDED THE HOUSE AND JUMPED UP ON THE OPEN WINDOW, AND AS FATHER SAT UP IN BED, HE LOOKED INTO THE FACE OF A COUGAR. HE YELLED AT HIM AND AS HE DID SO THE COUGAR JUMPED UP ON THE LEAN-TO OF THE BEDROOM PART OF THE HOUSE, AND HE HONESTLY SOUNDED LIKE A TWO YEAR OLD STEER UP THERE WALKING AROUND.
DAD AROSE AND LIT HIS COAL-OIL LANTERN AND LOOKED FOR THE RIFLE AND AS HE PICKED IT UP, REMEMBERED THAT WHEN THE NEIGHBOR RETURNED IT THAT HE HAD LEFT A BULLET JAMMED IN IT, BUT THOUGHT MAYBE IT WOULD GO OFF ANYWAY, SO WENT OUT TO SCARE OFF AND KILL THE INTRUDER.
WHEN THE COUGAR SAW THE LIGHT HE BECAME FRIGHTENED AND JUMPED OFF THE HOUSE AND WENT UP ON THE SIDE HILL AND CIRCLED BACK TO THE SHEEP CORRALS THAT WERE SURROUNDED BY A HIGH FENCE, JUMPED THAT, KILLED A FAT LAMB AND ATE HALF OF IT THERE, THEN KILLED ANOTHER ONE AND LEAPED THE FENCE WITH IT AND DRAGGED IT DOWN TO THE CAVES TO WHERE FATHER TRACKED HIM THE NEXT MORNING.
SO I COULD HAVE BEEN THE LAMB THAT HE WOULD HAVE EATEN, HAD I NOT OBEYED THAT STILL SMALL VOICE.

I AM SO GLAD THAT MY MOM OBEYED THE WARNING VOICE...I WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED ANYONE ELSE TO BE MY MOTHER. MY PATRIARCAL BLESSING TELLS ME THAT I PICKED MY PARENTS...THEY WERE THE BEST OF PARENTS. I WAS ALWAYS SO PROUD OF MY MOM, A WOMAN OF GREAT TESTIMONY,HARD WORKING,GENEROUS AND GIVING TO OTHERS, FUN, BEAUTIFUL, SHE HAD A WONDERFUL WAY OF GETTING ALONG WITH PEOPLE, HER MIND WAS SHARP AND CLEAR EVEN TO THE END. I MISS HER SO MUCH, YESTERDAY (MOTHERS DAY) WAS HER BIRTHDAY....SO I SHARE HER WITH YOU TODAY, I HOPE YOU WILL APPRECIATE HER AND THE LEGACY OF STRENGTH AND TESTIMONY THAT SHE HAS LEFT FOR YOU. SHE WAS THE FAMILY HISTORIAN ALL HER LIFE, A SAVOIR TO HER FAMILY HERE, AND TO THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEIL. I MISS HER.... I FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS... HOPING TO LEAVE A GREAT LEGACY FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW ME.

IN AUGUST, MY DAUGHTER TIFFANY WILL GIVE BITH TO A LITTLE DAUGHTER...SHE IS GOING TO NAME HER, ~ELLA~ AFTER MY MOTHER. I'M SURE THAT RIGHT NOW, MOM AND HER LITTLE NAMESAKE ARE HAVING "GIGGLES OF DELIGHT "OVER THIS...I KNOW THAT MOM WOULD FEEL TICKLED AND HONORED ABOUT IT...I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER. ~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM...I LOVE AND MISS YOU~~