I, Bertha Rothlisberger Waite, daughter of Jacob Rothlisberger and Susanna Betschen Rothlisberger, was born February 5, 1877 at Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland, the fourth child of thirteen children — eight boys and five girls. They are Jules Betschen, born December 30, 1869; Louise Betschen, born June 10, 1871; Madeleine, born August 31, 1875; Bertha, born February 5, 1877; Jacob Jr., born June 23 1878; Gustav, born November 6, 1879; Gottfried (Fred), born December 11, 1880; Karl, born November 14, 1881; Marie, born March 6, 1883; Jean (John), born May 22, 1884; Edward, born November 18, 1885; Benjamin, born April 26, 1888; Marguerite, born July 9, 1890. Seven of the children died before we joined the Church and came to America. They were Jules, Louise, Gustav, Karl, Marie, Benjamin, and Marguerite. (Susanna’s first child was named Johannes Jacob, born December 25, 1864. His death date is unknown, but he apparently died in infancy or as a young child.)

When I was a young girl, I had to help my parents, as we were very poor. My father was a farmer, and he raised all kinds of vegetables which I peddled to get money to help with the family. As I grew a little older, I went to work helping other farmers rake hay and also gathering wheat, as they did not have machinery to take care of their crops. I also worked in the grape fields, and in the fall, I helped gather the grapes to make wine. As I grew older, I went to work in the macaroni factory. My father also worked there, making the dough for the macaroni. He worked here for 22 years. I was paid only three dollars a week for my work, but things were not so high then as now, and they were better and lasted longer.

I learned also to knit and made stockings for myself and brothers and sisters.

As a child, I didn’t get to play very much. We played games such as jump the rope, chop sticks, etc. My father was strict with us children. If we didn’t have our shoes shined for Sunday, we had to wear them as they were. On Sunday, we didn’t play, but father took us walking to different parks.

For Christmas we didn’t get many presents. We got an apple, an orange, and very little candy. We didn’t have very much pastry. We had an apple pie twice a year. The baker made the pie for us. It was as large as a wagon wheel, and it took a bushel of apples for it.

We belonged to the Protestant Church, but father was not satisfied with their religion, always hoping that someday he would find the right church. My sister, Madeleine, was sick and in the hospital near Nyon. There were also two ladies who had come from South America to this same hospital for treatments. One day the Mormon elders came to visit these ladies. On their way out, they stopped in my sister’s room and gave her some tracts to read. They next day when father went to visit my sister, she gave him the tracts. (one tract was apparently Parley P. Pratt’s A Voice of Warning.) As he read them, he felt they were true, so he invited the Mormon missionaries to our home and they explained the gospel to us, and we were converted and were all baptized on May 6, 1897, except my sister, Madeleine, who was still very ill, and my brother, Jacob. After joining the church, father was ridiculed by his own family. As there was no church in Nyon, we had to go to Geneva to attend church. Sometimes we went by train and sometimes by boat.

My father had a brother by the name of John Rothlisberger living in America, who had written him as to how fertile the land was in America. Father had a desire to bring his family to this country, so he wrote and asked his brother to lend him the money to pay the trip to America. This he did, and when we arrived in America, he let my father and my brothers work for him to pay back the borrowed money.

Shortly after joining the church, we left Glasgow for America. The ship we came over on was named The City of Rome. We were all seasick for a couple of days, except my sister. We were on the ship for eight days, if I remember right. Before reaching New York, the ship ran into a little trouble. They discovered fire in the bottom of the ship. There was quite a panic for a while. They soon had the fire out and we reached New York in safety. There was a Mormon missionary on the ship with us who could speak German, which my father and mother could speak and understand as well as the French language. He took us to a restaurant to get something to eat and then took us to see the Statue of Liberty. He then took us to the depot to get our train tickets to Arizona. When we arrived at Navajo, Arizona, my uncle was there to meet us. We arrived by team and wagon in St. Johns, Arizona, on July 4, 1897, where we made our home.

My sister, Madeleine, and my brother, Jacob, were baptized soon after we got to St. Johns. We went to church in a log assembly hall, and I got acquainted with the Holgate girls and they helped me with the English language. I also took lessons from Sister Coleman.

I got acquainted with George Waite and we went together often. He had a boyfriend, Peter Pererson, whose girlfriend was Lavenia Berry. We four had many lovely times together. After going with George, we fell in love with each other. One day he asked my parents for my hand and we were married on November 19, 1898 in his parents’ home by Seymour B. Young. Ten children were born to this union — five girls and five boys. Six are still living. They are: Magdeliene, born February 25, 1900; Edith, born April 23, 1902; Pauline, born August 3, 1904; Lillian, born May 17, 1906, and died at age 17; triplet boys, George Solomon, Germain Edwin, and Gervais Jacob, born April 16, 1908, and all three died in infancy; May, born May 10, 1909; Joy William, born December 29, 1911; and Gay Edward, born September 6, 1914. All the living children are married and have raised nice families.

We didn’t go to the temple for a few years. Then we went to the St. George temple in St. George, Utah. My mother and brother, Fred, and his wife, Miriam, went with us. We made the trip with team and wagons. On this trip to get our endowments and be sealed and have our two daughters, Magdeliene and Edith, sealed to us, we befriended some Indians. As they were leaving our camp, they noticed our oldest daughter, Magdeliene, who was very beautiful, and they wanted to buy her. This caused us great anxiety. I couldn’t sleep for several nights for fear they would return to our camp and try to steal her.

My mother had the temple work done for my father and other brothers and sisters who had passed away. Fred and I were sealed to our parents. The other living children were not sealed to them at this time but went later and were sealed to mother and father.

My husband, George, passed away at St. Johns on January 16, 1931.

I am thankful to my father in Heaven for the privilege of having the Mormon Elders come and teach our family this true gospel and for the privilege of coming to this land of America where we could worship as we pleased. Also, I am thankful for His many wonderful blessings and for his help in times of trouble and sorrow.

Waite, Bertha Rothlisberger, Bertha Rothlisberger Waite, Manuscript. Northern
Arizona University Mormon Pioneers Collection. M.S.NO. 340. Box NO. 2.

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