Grace Pollard Backman

Grace, the youngest in this family, was born November 27, 1867. I have always referred to her as Grace Bailey Pollard Backman and I find her in LDS Family Search by that name; though none of her siblings were given their mother's maiden name as a middle name.

Grace Bailey Pollard was MY great grandmother. Very early I formed an attachment: I had been born on her birthday, recall. But by the time I was born Grace seemed to be easily irritated- this I base on the stories I heard as I grew, I do not recall her personally. Her death certificate lists her death on April 1, 1955 as incident to old age. She was 87, and I make a point not to say "only" 87; there may well have been many reasons for irritability. Her obituary which ran on Sunday, April 3, 1955 in the Salt Lake Tribune, cites her church involvement in the 34th Ward Relief Society.

I regret that I may know least about this daughter of Bishop Pollard. Is that a common dilemma in family history? To not have gotten to know the closest kin. I knew her children generally well. I was always pleased to see them, they loomed larger than life to me: Gus-my first job at the Hotel Utah (grandfather told me to drop the Backman name when I applied), LeGrande- I remember the story of the school directors going to LeGrande when grandfather was applying for a position (could he, LeGrande vouch for Ralph's character?) LeGrande had also been a Mission President in South Africa; Milton- had to layoff playing racket ball in his 80s or 90s after having a detached retina from being hit. Lucille- always sweet, as someone from that generation "should" be, but not so sweet that she seemed frail. Where she was small, as I pictured her mother Grace would have been, Edna was large, as I pictured great grandfather Gustave H Backman would have been. Edna laughed aloud. Melvin died as a child, I believe of flu or diphtheria. Harold died before I began to meet the family up in Utah.

The Backmans were city folk, business people. Movers and shakers. 'Backman women don't work' my grandmother had been told (she said) and so the Backman men worked hard: Gus was dubbed Mr Utah for his service in Chamber of Commerce activities, he met regularly with David O McKay (LDS Church president) and Mr Fitzgerald (Salt Lake Tribune publisher) to look at the needs of the city and the citizenry. LeGrande was on the Salt Lake City Board of Education for many years (as had been the father prior to his death in 1933). Milton helped draft the paperwork that set up the WWII Topaz, Utah resettlement center for Japanese Americans. Ralph was principal at South High school for many years and an active educator before and after that. Harold was involved in the steel business in Provo.

All these sons- and I think daughters too looked up to and honored their mother throughout her life. I believe Gustave Hilmer Backman was proud to have married this youngest Bishop's Daughter. By their eight children they had 18 grandchildren, and at the time of her death 30 great-grandchildren. Grace is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.