Barbara Allen

Notes:

Notwithstanding the error on the birth certificate of her son Wilford Myron Crandall, she was not "Barbara Brown Allen", but simply "Barbara Allen."

Barbara Allen Crandall, in her own words, written 1995:

I was born in the two-room house on the 20 acre farm at the southwest corner of Stapley and Broadway in Mesa, the fourth child of Barbara and John Seymour. I was three when we moved to the Lamb Ranch.

My first five years of school were in Mesa, then in 1915 we moved to the ranch south of Gilbert and I started school there. Dad had a large dairy, 40 to 60 cows, so when I was in the eighth grade, I was milking ten cows every night and morning and riding my little mare to school with neither saddle nor bridle.

My eighth and ninth grade years I went to Chandler. I started at Tempe Normal in 1921 and in 1923 graduated and began teaching in Ocotillo. I married Paul Crandall in 1924. Paul rented an 80-acre farm from George Lewis for two years, but the farm depression was severe and he went broke both years. Paul held down various jobs during the depression--drove an ice truck, Mesa city street sprinkler, fuel and feed sales, bought a service station, delivered Union Oil, supervised county highways and then went back to farming, his true love, with his brother Lee.

I held church positions from 12 years of age when I was secretary of the Primary. I taught various classes then was called to the Primary Stake Board before I was married, where I served for 20 years, ending as Stake President. I had one daughter and five sons during those years.

In 1943 I went back to teaching to help out for a year or so during World War II. I retired 27 years later. During this time I was MIA president six years, Junior Gleaner teacher six years, and Genealogy director for five years. I then directed travel tours for nine years. Paul served in the bishopric of Mesa First Ward for 13 years. In 1952 our fourth son, Charles, died of Hodgkins' Disease, and in 1971 Don was killed in an auto accident in California.

We had served as ordained Temple workers for five years then we were called to the Tulsa, Oklahoma Mission in December 1979. Paul developed high blood pressure, so we were released after one year. He developed prostate cancer five years later and died August 26, 1987.

We have 19 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. I am 92 years old, and have been a Relief Society visiting teacher since I retired from school teaching. My four living children come to my home for lunch every Tuesday, a great delight to all of us.

Obituary, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb 2003:

Barbara Allen Crandall, 99 year old Mesa native, died on Wednesday, February 12, 2003, at her Mesa home.

Born October 5, 1903, she was preceded in death by her husband, Paul L. Crandall, two sons, Don Ashael and Charles Lee.

Barbara rode a horse bareback to Mesa and Gilbert elementary schools and graduated from high school and got her teaching certificate in 1923 from Tempe Normal School, now ASU in Tempe. While there she was on the varsity softball and volleyball teams.

Her first teaching job was in Ocotillo, and on June 6, 1924, she married Paul L. Crandall. They made their home and reared six children in Mesa. In 1937 she was contacted by Joe Jarvis, newly named Mesa recreation director, who asked her to organize a recreation program to keep the kids busy during the summer. This was the beginning of the Mesa Parks and Recreation program. She recruited a small group of volunteers workers and they taught games, dancing and songs, played sports and went swimming on Wednesdays. Each season wound up with staging of a production involving all of the children in costume. In all, Barbara directed the program for seven years.

Barbara worked for a while in Maricopa County politics, was an attache in the State Legislature, a precinct committeeman and was vice chairman of the Maricopa County Democratic organization for a year.

With World War II manpower shortages, Barbara went back to school, teaching fifth grade in Lehi. Besides classroom subjects, she went onto the playground and taught the boys football, baseball and basketball. The girls were instructed in volleyball, dodgeball, Jump rope and softball. Her teaching philosophy was that every child participated and had a costume in any activity. She wound up her 27 year teaching career at Lowell school in Mesa.

Barbara held many ward and stake leadership and teaching positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was active in the Primary for 20 years and later in the Mutual Improvement Association (MIA), the youth organization of the Church. She was presented a Golden Gleaner recognition award for service. In 1979-80 she filled a mission with her husband for the Church in the Tulsa Oklahoma Mission. They were also ordinance workers for several years in the Arizona Temple in Mesa. She was a charter member of Phi Chapter, Delta Kappa Gamma, teachers' sorority.

In 1978 she was named Mesa Merit Mother and was runner-up for Arizona Mother of the Year. She was a charter member and first secretary of the Mesa Historical Society. After her retirement from teaching, Barbara organized the Arizona Ramblers Travel Club and conducted bus tours, primarily for senior citizens, throughout the United States and Canada.

She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Nielsen, three sons, Paul L. Jr., Wilford M. (Wil). and Dr. John A., all of Mesa, one sister, Mary Hardison, Vallejo, Ca, one brother, Russell H. Allen of Mesa. She has 19 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

Viewing will be held at Meldrum Mortuary, 52 N. Macdonald, on Monday, 6-8:00 P.M., (also one hour prior to services at the Church). Funeral services will be held Tuesday February 18, at 10:00 A.M. at Centennial Ward, 422 E. University.

Interment will be at Mesa Cemetery 1212 N Center.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mesa Historical Society.

Barbara married Paul Leslie Crandall on 6 Jun 1924 in Gilbert, Maricopa, Arizona. Paul (son of Myron Marcellus Crandall and Clara Mabel Packer) was born on 28 Nov 1901 in Safford, Graham, Arizona; died on 26 Aug 1987 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried in Mesa City Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From her obituary at Meldrum Mortuary:

Barbara J. Crandall Nielsen Dowell, age 94, of Mesa, Arizona, died on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at her home, surrounded by family and friends.

Barbara was the daughter of Paul L. Crandall and Barbara Allen Crandall. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Victor L. Nielsen, Jr., and her second husband, Emery B. Dowell. She is survived by two brothers, Paul L. Crandall, Jr., and Dr. John A. Crandall; five children, Ericka Nielsen Barber, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Victor L. Nielsen III, Matthew C. Nielsen, and Paul M. Nielsen; eight grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. She loved her family.

She was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Arizona State University. There she also met her husband, Vic Nielsen, who had signed up to write sports stories for the university's newspaper, the State Press, which Barb was editing that year. Continuing in their shared love of journalism, she and Vic worked at several newspapers after graduating, including The Superior (Arizona) Sun and the Chamberlain (South Dakota) Record. In Chamberlain they began their family with the first three of their five children; Ericka, Teresa, and Victor III. Having to put three children into snowsuits every day brought them back to Arizona, where Matthew and Paul were born.

After dedicating 12 years to raising her children, she discovered a great talent and new love for teaching. She taught high school English and journalism throughout her entire career, most of which took place at Mesa High School. She loved teaching and loved her students, and was very popular with them as well. Several went on to careers in journalism and other aspects of writing.

Barb had a long family history of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and served in numerous callings as a teacher. Her extended Mesa family took much of her free time and attention, but she managed to travel with friends through Europe after she retired, and enjoyed playing bridge with old friends and colleagues for many years. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Barbara married Victor Louis Nielsen, Jr. on 31 Oct 1949 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. Victor (son of Victor Louis Nielsen, Sr. and Hazel Ethel Coston) was born on 25 Apr 1927 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 15 May 1985 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried in Mesa City Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Barbara married Emery Bevington "Soap" Dowell on 9 Jun 2007 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. Emery (son of John Emery Dowell, Jr. and LuCrece J. Bevington) was born on 2 Jan 1924 in Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri; died on 21 Nov 2017 in Emeryville, Alameda, California; was buried in Fair Oaks Cemetery, Sacramento, Sacramento, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Paul married Eleanor Gay Pew in Nov 1951. Eleanor (daughter of Ellis Harvey Pew and Eliza Roxie Bond) was born on 4 Nov 1929 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; died on 10 Jan 1999; was buried in City of Mesa Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Wilford married Ruth Ann Woods on 18 Jun 1955 in Maricopa County, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Ericka married Craig Wendell Parker on 16 Oct 1976 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, and was divorced. Craig (son of (Private) and (Private)) was born on 31 Jan 1955 in Scottsdale, Maricopa, Arizona; died in 2020. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Ericka married Dennis Leo Barber on 17 Oct 1987 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, and was divorced on 22 Feb 2007 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. Dennis was born on 19 Feb 1949 in Oakland, Alameda, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

On marrying the former Patrick James Hayden, she changed her surname from Nielsen to Nielsen Hayden.

She added "Sophronia" as a second middle name, by court order, in 1995.

Descendant, as of 26 Feb 2023, of over 9,800 known direct ancestors.

Teresa married Patrick James Hayden on 23 Mar 1979 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Patrick (son of James Elbert Hayden and Jeannette Mary White) was born on 2 Jan 1959 in Lansing, Ingham, Michigan; was christened on 18 Jan 1959 in St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing, Ingham, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Beverlee Ann Stucker. Beverlee was born about 1958. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Katherine Lucille Lawton. Katherine (daughter of Joseph Howard Lawton and Dawn H. Socia) was born about 1964. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Julie Anne Nielson. Julie was born about 1957. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: (Private). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: (Private). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: (Private). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]