Part 11: Laurel Maud Small Hacking

Janet and Laurel

Laurel Maud Small was born at the Small family farm on the 24 Apr 1915. She was the second child of Howard and Janet (Giberson) Small and the oldest girl.

She spent her earliest years at the Small family farm in Bucksport with her grandparents, parents, oldest sibling, Joy, and Bessie.

Laurel Maud Small

Janet, Laurel in her arms, Joy

When the flu pandemic robbed them of their parents, she was still old enough to have a few memories of their mother which she was kind enough to share with Bessie who wrote the following about Laurel's brief memory of their mother: "Laurel told me she used to go up on the roof on Division Street and help mama hang clothes on the clothes line and mama said to her ' Laurel, you're going to have to be my little helper when this new baby comes. She also said she used to call Papa, 'My papa'

This one memory becomes important because it helped confirm that Howard and Janet had moved from the family farm in Bucksport to Bangor before Valeda was born. It was an eternal choice with eternal consequences. If you look on a map of the pandemic, one of the hardest hit areas was the one they moved to.

It makes me wonder - would they have lived if they had stayed on the farm in the smaller, rural Bucksport? It's a moot point, but to emphasis how wise their Grammie was, Bessie wrote: "Grammie told we children the Lord has blessed you. Don't ever think sad (about their parents deaths)."

Because Laurel had been told by her mother that she would be expected to help with the new baby, I believe with the loss of her mother, those words sank into her bright mind. She must have also looked forward to it or she would not have remembered these words at such a tender age.

Bessie wrote: "She and I used to have to take turns rocking our baby sister Valeda to sleep. It was a big walnut cradle and it rocked on rockers."

Laurel helped Bessie with prayer. "When we were saying our prayers at night, Grammie would listen (Now I lay me down to sleep...) After awhile this no longer satisfied Bessie who told her Grammie, "I want to say the grown up prayer Laurel does." So, she taught me."

May 1919 - visiting their parents graves

The children were taught to pay their respects not just to the living, but the dead. Their grandparents made the extra effort to teach the children about their parents and part of this education was a trip to the graveyard to honor the dead.

The orphans grew and matured and things began to change.

Laurel and Bessie

"Laurel and I almost looked like twins. (I can testify to this after seeing so many photos of them) Grammie dressed us alike (when they were very young) If I was walking on one side of the street and a girlfriend of hers called, 'Laurel' I would say 'Hello'. The same thing happened to her.

Laurel Maud Small

Laurel didn't feel this was always a slice of heaven. She wanted to be known as herself.

Eventually, Laurel told Grammie 'I want to dress different and not be a twin.' I felt bad, but I got over it."

Their Aunt Georgia was kind and generous enough to offer the children their choice of lessons. Valeda chose art lessons, but the others (Joy, Laurel and Bessie) had piano lessons. This was a good thing, for they often had company on Sunday for church meetings and those with talent were desperately needed.

"When we held cottage meetings in our home, Laurel would play on our big upright piano for opening and closing exercises. Then we had a cookie or something and drink of water. The missionary would stand around the piano and Laurel would play while we all sang. She played anything the Elders and Lady Missionaries wanted. If she hadn't heard it before, they sang it for her and she picked it right up."

Laurel Maud Small

The Small's were known to be good honest workers and Laurel was no exception.

"Laurel at one time was working mornings at Grants 5 and 10 cent store and J.J. Newberrys in the afternoon. When Newberrys wanted her full time, she became the head of the stock room and was over all the help upstairs. She could beat all of them pin-ticketing the socks and clothing of all kinds. She was the window dresser. She would put models in the windows and dress them and add pretty things. There were five windows"

Laurel also set a good example for Bessie who told me:

"Laurel spent a lot of time at the library and she loved reading Romances! One time she said, "I'm taking this book back."

Bessie asked, "Can't I read it first?"

Laurel firmly said, "No! It's a bad book."

"Then why did you get it?"
"I didn't know it was bad."

Perhaps reading romances prepared her for what would come in an unexpected way.

Kenneth Hacking

Kenneth Hacking was called on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). He would labor in the Eastern States and Maine was part of it.

Once on his mission he was stopped by the police for questioning because they thought he was Pretty Boy Floyd (part of the Brady Gang) who had been in the area using machine guns and threats.

The Small family was well known to the missionaries as they were often invited to preach in their home and stay for meals. Kenneth was not the only young man to be attracted to the Small girls. There are many pictures of the girls with the Elders who came to their home. However, in Kenneth's case, his attraction was problematic. Missionaries are not in the field to harvest wives, but the souls of those who want to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If a missionary today expresses the kind of intense interest in one of the flock, the Elder will be immediately transferred.

Kenneth wasn't. They conducted a discreet romance that ended with a proposal - "How would you feel about me being your Lord and Master?" Laurel's response: "Okay, I guess."

He patted her on the head and that was that!

Kenneth and Laurel
Wedding day

Laurel went to Idaho with him and a couple who were going out west to see their son. She worked at JC Penny's until they were married in the Salt Lake Temple 1 Sep 1938.

They settled in Sunnydell, Idaho and eventually had 8 children. Their family and Bessie's spent time together and the sisters remained close throughout their lives. Laurel returned home to her Father in Heaven and to Kenneth on 17 Mar 2005

Laurel and Kenneth headstone in Sutton Cemetery