The Story of Kokum Crow
(Related by President Bryan Espenschied at the Special Interest Conference at Raymond, Alberta, February 2nd, 1975.)
Kokum Crow lived on the Piapot Reserve in Saskatchewan. Kokum means Grandma in the Cree language.
The reserve was totally dominated by the Catholic Church. As a result, it took great faith and great courage for Kokum Crow and her family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The missionaries came to the reserve in 1941 to teach the Gospel. Kokum Crow and her family were taught the Gospel and after they discussed the possibility of joining the Church, they came to a positive decision - they would join.
Kokum Crow was a widow with six children. Everybody on that reserve turned against her and she never heard another kindly word on that reserve, just words of bitterness. The missionaries were withdrawn. The persecution and hatred that existed there was terrible.
President White, a Branch President, walked many miles about three or four times a year to pray with Kokum Crow and to extend his thoughtfulness to her. Her children, because of torment and indoctrination of the Catholic Priests, turned against their mother also. One son left home twenty-five years ago because of his bitterness and she has never heard another word from him.
After many trials and heartache, Kokum Crow received the sweet overcoming of the Spirit of the Lord and this gave her the feeling for compassion that was needed to give service to others. Many children on the reserve were orphaned because of the liquor situation. She gathered in these children.
Over the years she mothered 28 of these children. She would rear them until they, like the others, were poisoned by the adversary.
President Espenschied and Elder Pine went to visit her in her little two-roomed house. She had been beaten.
She pointed to the bedroom and told them that in this room were two girls she had raised. They too had been overcome with hatred and bitterness and they had taken away her most valued treasures: her pictures of the missionaries and her tithing receipts.
They told here that anytime she had anything to do with the Church, she would be beaten again by them. Then she took out a little Hymn Book and asked President Espenschied and Elder Pine if they would sing with her, "I Need Thee Every Hour". They began to sing and she started to weep as if her heart would break. They knelt at her feet and prayed for the Lord to bless her.
President Espenschied said that he never before had felt the closeness of Heaven to him as he did at that time in that humble little home.
Later, Elder Theodore Tuttle and President Espenschied went to visit her. Someone had reported that she was found in a woodshed, beaten black and blue, and had been there for three days before she was found. This time she asked Elder Tuttle and the President to sing again with her, "I Need Thee Every Hour".
Eighty years old, gnarled fingers, beaded brim eyes, yet she made two beaded necklaces. These she gave to the two Priesthood holders and asked them to take them to their wives. This necklace is a very valued possession of those wives. Elder Tuttle gave her a beautiful blessing.
There was a terrible snow storm with heavy snows leaving great drifts on the Piapot Reserve. Anxiety was in the hearts of the missionaries for they felt great concern for Kokum Crow. Travel was impossible.
The snow plow came and the first followers behind it were the concerned missionaries who went directly to the little home of Kokum Crow.
She was in bed. All the things she could find in her little house were piled on top of that bed to help keep her warm. The little house was bitter cold. Kokum Crow was very ill. She was taken to the hospital for she had double pneumonia.
While there she died. She had passed the tests and a loving, merciful Father had called her home to receive a loving embrace from the Savior. What a beautiful reception this must have been.
Tried in the fire that sanctification might come. May we stand the ill winds that blow and hold firm to our faith that we might build our testimonies every day. The Lord will give you rich blessings for your faithfulness.
Endure to the end if you desire all the blessings our Father in Heaven has promised. |
