By CHERYL JENSEN
The Progress
The annual Heritage Days celebration was held on Saturday, March 9 at the Heritage Park in Mesquite.
The annual community event was sponsored by the East and West Stakes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which includes 12 wards and branches of the church. Each ward or branch provided an activity or food booth for the attendees.
The day included activities for all ages including horseshoe throw, pole wrestling, wagon rides, rubber band shoots, branding, horseback rides, crafts, and food.
President Jared Hollingshead of the West Stake spoke fondly about the Virgin Valley and said, “the thing that makes it beautiful is the people who live here.”
President Ryan Toone of the East Stake in his remarks said, “Think about your heritage and what they did for you and think about the heritage you want to leave for others. “
There was food aplenty throughout the event. Homemade dough made into fresh corn tortillas with amazing speed and efficiency were provided by Rosa Zarate and her daughter Isela from the Spanish branch.
“I’ve been making tortillas as far back as I can remember” Rosa said.
She said it was a tradition passed down to her from her mother and grandmothers for many generations back.
Hot scones made and served by the Anthem Ward Elders quorum were served with butter and honey or jam. The men rolling out the dough, cooking, and serving where happy to share their love of scones with others.
The Summercrest Ward’s lemonade stand provided several different flavors of refreshing lemonade as well as lemon-flavored cookies.
“These lemon cookies were made from a recipe in my family’s cookbook.” said Terry Butterfield who was working at the stand.
On display were several cookbooks, the oldest dated 1982, compiled by residents of Virgin Valley. These showed preparing food is another way to connect with and preserve heritage.
Many children were delighted to pick up and hold baby chicks and bunnies. There were also goats, turkeys and several varieties of chickens to see.
Horseback rides were made available thanks to the Hafen family who helped the children and adults ride around the grassy field.
One young attendee named Reznie couldn’t control her enthusiasm after finishing a horse ride. “I have never ridden a horse before and it was so fun!” she said.
Coming from Hurricane, Utah, Leon Gubler and Andy Ballard generously provided wagon rides for the crowd. They said that they were there in memory of former resident Sam Reber who passed away recently. This popular activity allowed attendees to experience just a bit of what it was like to travel by wagon the way the first settlers of Virgin Valley did.
Arden Bundy and his nephew helped folks brand their initials into a block of wood which they could keep as a memento.
Several volunteers were on hand to help attendees make bracelets and rag dolls from fabric scraps. The children of the early settlers did not have manufactured toys so they had to use their creativity to make their own toys using what was available, explained Kayleen Hughes.
“The children often would use scraps left over from quilts to make rag dolls,” Hughes said.
Rubber band shooting, a pastime of children not so long ago, was easily taken up again by adults who remembered playing. Of course, a little instruction was needed for the younger generation.
“I grew up hearing stories of how they would cut up the old rubber car tires into rubber bands,” recalled Scott Sessons.
Information about the history of the Virgin Valley including a timeline of the settling of Bunkerville, Littlefield, and Mesquite was presented by Geraldine Zarate of the Historical Society. Handmade quilts, furniture, photo albums, and other items from ancestors were on display as well.
A presentation of how water has influenced the growing community was presented by Aaron Bunker, hydrologist for the Virgin Valley Water District. Charts and maps of the wells and storage tanks were displayed and a short video about water also provided further insight into this most important resource.
A well-loved tradition in the valley is Dutch Oven cooking. And so Danny Allen and John & Jennifer Woods and others cooked up delicious meal of smoked meat, beans, coleslaw, potatoes and cobbler that was served for lunch at the pavilion.
Attendees savored lunch while listening to “Old Time Fiddlers” band which included Monte Morganson on guitar, his wife Teresa as vocalist, Gary Butler on banjo and Julie Butler on bass.
Resources are available for local residents to research their own family ancestry and to get help preserving photos, videos, and audio recordings for future generations. Contact the Mesquite FamilySearch center at 702-346-2342 for more information. Services are free to the public.
