Born in Grouse Creek, Utah on July 27, 1903, Hilda Ruby Betteridge was the first child born to William Cotton and Mary Elizabeth Hadfield Betteridge. As the oldest child living in a remote area, Hilda had many responsibilities for her younger siblings as well as donning overalls and working on the ranch.

A story from Mary’s history tells of an incident with a rattle snake when Hilda was small. “One day I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor and I looked up and saw Hilda playing in the yard. She saw me look at her and called “Oh Mamma, come see what I’ve got.” When I went out, I saw her with a piece of string in her hand making circles as the snake was striking at the string. She had a little yellow kitten that was trying to distract the snake. I don’t know how I got to her and grabbed her and carried her to the house. I was terrified. The snake wrapped around one of the porch poles and stayed there the rest of the day. Will was out to the cattle camp and by the time he got home that night, the snake was gone.”

Mary Ella, Therma, Doris and Hilda Betteridge

Another story told in William’s history told of a severe burn Hilda received. “Hilda bumped into her mother, who was carrying a large pan of hot water and it spilled on her head and burned her quite badly. We had to take her to Grouse Creek where we could get help for her. She lost her hair and we thought she would be badly scarred, but her hair grew back and the scars disappeared, as she grew older. Ella, Hilda, Ken Wilma, Therma, Doris Betteridge Children, 1915 Ella, Doris, Therma, Betty, Wilma Hilda, Mary Betteridge

1919 – Grouse Creek School 8th Grade Class
Front Row: Eldred Kimber, Hilda Betteridge, Uknown, Martha Hart, Orland Betteridge
Back Row: Melvin Paskett, Cora Lind, Roland Richins, Charlotte Paskett, Gerald Blackburn, Joseph Edwin Kimber

Hilda was lucky to live to adulthood. She moved with the family to Ogden in 1927 and attended Brigham Young College in Logan and graduated from Smithsonian Business College in Ogden. She was also a seamstress at the Utah Knit Company with her sisters Wilma and Doris.

Ella, Hilda, Betty, Mary, Doris, Therma, Wilma Betteridge

In 1959 at the age of 56, Hilda suffered a stroke while she was at work at the knitting company. She never fully recovered and was paralyzed on the left side of her body. She lived at home with William and Mary and her sisters would take care of her while she was sick. Eventually she learned to walk and talk again and do most things on her own. She wore a brace on her left leg and held her left arm with her good one. She never returned to work but that did not stop her from sewing for her nieces and nephews whom she loved. She would sew items at home by using her paralyzed arm to hold the item and using her good side to push the cloth thru the sewing machine.

On July 3, 1970, just a few weeks short of her 67th birthday, Hilda died in Ogden where she lived with Mother Mary. Hilda never married but she was a wonderful, loving Aunt and sister.

Hilda is buried in the Washington Heights Cemetery in Ogden, Utah.

Taken from Family Search