History of Ella Fern Petersen Bennion (1894–1988)
Ella Fern Petersen was born on November 7, 1894, in Granger, Utah, the seventh of thirteen children in a large, hardworking pioneer family. With seven girls and six boys in the household, there was never a time without responsibility. From a young age, Ella cared for younger siblings, gathered coal and kindling, and quickly learned to cook. By grade school she was already making doughnuts by the dozen and baking bread for her family.
Her childhood was marked by resilience. As a baby she survived a near-death illness that left her family thinking she had passed away before she startled them by crying again. She also endured pneumonia alongside her brother, both dangerously ill at the same time. She often believed she had been spared for a special purpose.
Growing up in Granger, Ella attended Monroe School, where she was taught for three years by the beloved teacher Ella Jeremy. She remembered trudging over a mile to school through deep snowdrifts in harsh winters, her legs soaked by the time she arrived home. School was important to her, and she never forgot the kindness of her teachers or the simple routines—lining up outside, hearing the bell ring, and marching into class.
Her home life reflected both hard work and family warmth. She remembered the family icehouse, filled with thick blocks of winter-cut ice stored in sawdust, providing cool milk and fresh ice throughout the summer. She also remembered family holidays at Saltair or the canyons, where she learned to appreciate simple pleasures.
Ella had a love of learning and went on to attend Granite High School, traveling by covered wagon or horse and buggy to the school in Salt Lake. Determined to teach, she continued her education at the University of Utah, making the long journey each day by electric train. She earned her teaching certificate and began her career at Pleasant Green and later Magna, teaching fourth and fifth grades. She was well loved by her students, remembered for her calm and capable manner.
In 1915, Ella married Lett Bennion in the Salt Lake Temple. Their courtship had been full of motorcycle rides—Ella perched on the gas tank while Lett steered down dark, unlit roads of 3500 South. Together they built their first two-room home in Granger, carrying water and bathing in a metal tub for over 20 years. Their life was not without heartbreak: their first son, Marcus Dean, died at just 18 months old from a skin infection. Ella carried the memory of that loss throughout her life.
Over time, Ella and Lett raised a family, including Barbara and Marshall, teaching their children the same values of work, faith, and responsibility that had shaped their own lives. They faced challenges, including Marshall’s battle with rheumatic fever, but Ella was steadfast in her care.
Her life spanned nearly a century—from the days of dirt roads and horse-drawn wagons to automobiles, electric trains, and modern conveniences. She witnessed Granger grow from a small farming community into a thriving town. Through it all, Ella lived with devotion: to her family, her church, her community, and the students she taught.
Her husband, Lett, once described her as “the finest of the fine,” a woman who could do anything well—cook, teach, play the organ, care for the sick, and speak with grace when called upon. Ella passed away in 1988 at the age of 93, remembered for her strength, kindness, and unwavering dedication to both family and community.
