Events in Annie's life in 1911

It is reported that Annie's big brother Ben left Colonia Morelos in the late summer of 1911, as rebels in Mexico were driving foreigners out of their country. Althera and family were more than likely out of the area and on the Arizona side by now it is imagined.

Annie said, “Mother was working in Douglas, so Ben decided he wanted to come back to the United States and he came out with his family and he picked up Fred and Don in Douglas and took them with him to Show Low, Arizona and that’s where Ben and Edith lived. And they had them a nice, little place there.”

December 15, 1911
Article in the Davis County Clipper, a Bountiful, Utah Newspaper that James Hibbert worked at at one time,
"Mrs. Mary Ann McNeil of Mexico is spending the winter with her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. William Smith of Porterville. Mrs. Smith is eighty-one and Mr. Smith is eighty-eight years old."

So, with Annie's brother Ben taking her younger brothers up to Show Low with him, Annie's mother left to see her aged parents. Annie said, “after Jess had served his apprenticeship, he was sent to Salt Lake City to machine shops there and so then mother went to Salt Lake or to Provo…it was Bountiful, Utah where she went where her mother and father lived . And she went there and stayed there with them for awhile.”

Annie's older brother Eph seemed to be the only sibling left in Douglas. He may have been in charge of the renting of the room they had for boarders.

The end of 1911, Annie had her third son, whom she named after her brother Jesse, whom she had grown up with, and who was now up in Utah.

Annie's son Jess reciting his autobiography said, “Peter Elmer Thompson, the subjects father, and his mother, Annie Frances McNeil Thompson and his two older brothers, Gilbert Elmer and Harry Wilbur had just enjoyed Christmas. So, Jess Lee Thompson was born at home on 4th Street in Douglas, Arizona on the 29th day of December, 1911. So, you can easily see that I am older than the state of Arizona, because the state of Arizona came into the Union on Valentine’s Day, 1912, and is often referred to as the Sweetheart State, very appropriately. Well my father told me sometime later, years later, that I cost him $10, that was the charge that Dr. Collins had at my delivery. But, while they were calling Arizona the Sweetheart State, my mother named me Jess for her older, favorite brother and my father gave me the name of Lee because it was the name of his long time friend, Lee Webb.”