Naturitch Neilsen, née KolbA Women of Resilience!Terminated Mixed-Blood Uinta, Roll #103
Note: She is listed as Devener, Naturitch Kolb on the Ute Mixed Blood Final Roll.
On the cold spring morning of May 31, 1915, in Leeton, Utah. A beautiful baby girl was born to Donald Isaac Kolb and Ethel Daniels Kolb. They named her Naturitch, after the heroine from the play written by Edwin Milton Royle “The Squaw Man”. Her name being difficult to pronounce she was called “Sis” throughout the family.
Being the second child of eight children and the first daughter of the Donald Kolb family, Naturitch was given a myriad of responsibilities including the care of younger siblings. Taught by her mother Ethel to be a hard working young woman in their home, Naturitch was a natural homemaker, when she became a wife and mother.
Blue-eyed Clyde Neilsen caught the attention of Naturitch after she returned home from Sherman Institute in Riverside, California where she graduated from high school and received her Certificate of Nursing. They married after a short courtship. Children came to bless the home of Naturitch and Clyde beginning with a sweet daughter LaJean, next came another daughter, delightful Janice (pronounced Janeece), a third daughter lovable Sonja, and then to make things more interesting a fourth captivating baby girl Gwendolyn (Gwen) was born. She was all blond-haired and blue-eyed. Three boys came after that namely Lonny, Manfred, and Lloyd. They were a joy and a great source of pleasure to a family of girls. Becky Ann came three years later as a pleasant surprise. Naturitch found contentment in this little girl who was spoiled and loved by her brothers and sisters.
Naturitch and Clyde lived in a small log home on the banks of the Gray Mountain canal in Bridgeland, Utah. Living so close to the canal was an unrelenting worry for Naturitch due to the eminent danger of her children getting too near to the canal and drowning.
Although their home was small there was a great deal of living and learning going on. Naturitch taught her children the value of hard work and is therefore the fulfilled mother of productive, outstanding, and steadfast citizens. Two of her sons served in the armed forces. She continued to not only work in the home as mother and wife but also as a nurse at the old Fort Duchesne Hospital. Hard work was no stranger to her consequently she took in laundry, ironing and did house cleaning. She was employed at the old Ouray Trading Post in Ouray, Utah for approximately two years. This required daily trips over rough, dusty, and undesirable roads.
Clyde a hardworking farmer and trapper was a wonderful father who loved and enjoyed his children. He died at the early age of 50.
Having eight children to care for Naturitch was a very shrewd and prudent homemaker, like her mother; as a result she canned everything that was grown in the garden. And subsequently this art of canning rewarded her. One year she entered fifty or more of her scrumptious canned goods including jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, fruits, and vegetables at the Duchesne County Fair. Naturitch received a blue ribbon for each Jar she entered.
Naturitch enjoyed crocheting during these years and took every opportunity to crochet some of the prettiest doilies along with other lovely items of which she sold to help support her family. Quilting has been and still is a main leisure interest. Naturitch has quilted hundreds of quilts ranging from ordinary appreciation to colorful and strikingly extraordinary quilt top designs. Her latest creation is an exceptional multicolored patch design made from leftover fabric of former times when Naturitch would sew elegant designer formals for Saturday playthings for her daughters.
In later years, Naturitch met Glade Davis of Neola and they were married. Their fifteen years of marriage were happy and peaceful for the both of them. The responsibilities of life were not so demanding then. They enjoyed many activities namely, camping, fishing, dancing and just being together. Glades death left a great void for Naturitch and her family, as all loved him.
Naturitch is full of pride for her Native American legacy being the granddaughter of Rose and Aaron Daniels, who are well known throughout Utah history and early settlement's of the Uintah Basin.
Naturitch finds consolation whenever she visits with her sister LaDonna Johnson, and brothers Ty and Quentin Kolb. Her brothers Lloyd, Manfred, Devon Kolb are missed and she continues to grieve over the recent loss of her brother Jewell Kolb in July 2004.
Her children recall and recognize the hard laborious days of sacrifice Naturitch, their devoted mother made in their behalf. And say THANK YOU mom. We love you.
Note: Naturitch Neilsen, née Kolb passed away on November 27, 2008. Naturitch was 93 years 6 months and 27 days old.
Naturitch Neilsen
July 2, 2005
Mixed-Blood Uinta of Utah
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to speak and for recognizing me today as one of the elders of the Uinta Mixed-Bloods. You may know that I recently celebrated my 90th birthday.
First, I must admit that you may be asking the wrong person about this ongoing tragedy, as I am not a public speaker.
At the time, I was so busy taking care of my family of eight children that I didn’t fully understand what was happening politically. By the time I realized it, the issue of termination had already been settled. We were left with a settlement from the UDC promising future payments each quarter of the year, with strict limitations: we could not sell our 10 shares to anyone without permission, nor to another mixed-blood. As you know, these promises were not honored. Soon after, many shares were sold to opportunists for a fraction of their value or whatever buyers could get.
Although all my children have grown to be successful and productive citizens, only one daughter received assistance for higher education through the Indian Relocation Program before our termination.
Before we knew it, we had lost all our inherent rights as mixed-bloods. We lost our fishing rights, our access to Indian clinics and medical services, our range and water rights. In fact, we became “nobodies.” We were no longer considered part Indian, nor were we fully accepted as “White.” We even lost our rightful heritage.
In my personal situation, I had a large family and a husband in poor health who could not provide the support we needed. At that time, we lived in a log house in Bridgeland, Utah, with no running water or electricity. Even the government purchase orders we had previously received were taken away.
This unjust and unreasonable termination caused great hardship for many families, including mine. Many promises were made—and all were broken.
Boyden, our lawyer, spoke with a forked tongue. It is a shame and a disgrace that so many families were hurt as mine was.
Regarding our shares, I had 10, and two of my children each had 10, leaving the other six children with nothing. I cannot understand how any law could break up or hurt so many families in this way.
I pray to our great spirit to help right this wrong, which has caused grief and suffering to so many of us.
I would like to thank Oranna Felter, Calvin Hackford, and all those who have worked tirelessly on our behalf. I would also like to give special thanks to Attorney Dennis Chappabitty.
Thank you.