Today is the last day for the 2018 Utah Deer Hunt.

Sometimes the deer hunt is like Thanksgiving! There is a lot of work that goes on, but it is a family tradition, especially in the Nephi Jones Family. Most of the buck we get are located "Kinda by Pole", especially when KSL News is recording your every move and word at the Fish and Game check in station up Track Street. We didn't want to tell all the world where we hunted. This year was a little rough for Hal Jones, as in 1980, he carried the thumbs up Travis Jones to the top of Pole Canyon on his shoulders. This year, Hal thought he could carry another nephew-ten year old McCord Jones to the top of Red Cliffs in the second photo, but didn't get far without an escalator. Third photo shows Troy Jones, Clint Heyborne and Justin Jones; right side is Roger Stowell and kid; middle photo on left is LaVon Jones and her five kids, then on the right is Alma Jones and his four shooter sons in 1977. Fourth set of photos shows Travis, Shane and # Two Jones, with all deer that year being shot with all the Jones' using .357's only. Bottom left is # 3 Jones and Lacee Jones. Last photo is of Gary, Kent, Hal and Weston Jones in 1995 deer hunt home base at Bates Motel.

Ladies Clubs remain an important part of Nephi's past, present and future.

Last week, I spoke at the Nautilus Women's Club of Nephi, Utah. Without notes, I "shot from the hip" with my speech, and needless to say I used a couple swear words. I caught myself and apologized, but one member told me it wasn't a big deal, as they would all forget on the morrow! Although I may have been the youngest there, I was the only one that had a difficult time walking out of the building. I felt honored to  meet and greet these outstanding stalwarts of Nephi, Utah. The Nautilus Club started in 1955, and those seated in the last photo are four of the founding members. Their names are on the separate paper as written. At one time, the Nautilus shared in the care of Nephi's beautiful Rose Garden up Track Street. The other photo's are of the Booklore Club, and the members names and phone numbers. Just pick up the phone and ask the operator for 403M. The first half of the last photo is of the LDS Juab Stake Women's Leaders in 1935. Delphic Club newspaper clipping is from 1976; Chalice Club of 1976, then the Ladies Literary is from 1937 The Times News. Thanks, Nautilus, it was a great pleasure to attend your meeting, and I didn't even have to wear high heels for it!

Tanner Travis Jones is going on a Mission tomorrow!

Yup, it is official! Tanner the Jones is going on a mission for that new church in the neighborhood called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Just in case he forgets the nickname we used to call it, Tanner was given a Book of Mormon, which his great-great grandfather(Wm. Jones) carried on his "Mormon Mission" to England in the latter part of the 1800's. When young kids leaves for two years, it is often the parents that feel glad but sad. In the case of the Travis and Karen Tew Jones family, it just may be that the young brother of Tanner-McCord, who idolize his big brothers will have the heart ache, as all three of these Nephi Jones boys are the cream of the crop. First photo is of McCord and Tanner; second photo is of Gentry, McCord and Tanner Jones; last photo shows deer hunters of Weston; Stetson, Justin Jones with hands on shoulders of Trevor Jones; Hal, Kent, Karen, Tanner, Travis and Gentry Jones. The other photo shows the Weston and #One Jones family with Tanner holding a camera type case around his neck. All people are welcome to attend the farewell tomorrow, and on this special occasion, there is no entry fee! Please be aware, this old Jones boy hasn't been to a Church meetin for decades, so lighting strikes are possible!

Jack and Colleen Ingram-a love story with various love stories within.

Today I interviewed Jack and Colleen Lazenby Ingram at their Nephi abode. The life of their family could fill volumes, but I have limited space. First comes my summary! They are genuine people we often find only in rural America. And Ewe can tell they are straight shooters, and won't try to pull the Wool over your eyes! Yes, they are the last of a breed, sheep herders that sold their 1,500 head in 1973, as the wool business was fading in obscurity. Jack told his secret of good mutton, and that is to cook and eat it while hot. These two people took a shine to each other as teenagers, and it was Colleen that asked Jack for his hand in marriage and of course he said yes. Their kids Marci, Jackie and Kelly came along and were taught excellent work ethics as youngins, as they all lived in one sheep wagon while on the summer range. The Rambouillet sheep came from France, but perfected in 1918 in Mt. Pleasant, Utah by John Seeley. According to Jack, the best sheep are lambs that have a Suffolk buck and Columbia ewe. As kids, we loved watching thousands of sheep come down Nephi's 7th North on their way to the desert for the winter range. The Ingram's have generations of being good shepherds, over sheep and family. They have no regrets, other than Jack would like to have obtained more education after graduating from Juab High with the "Class of 55". This writer declared he should have no regrets, as he has more real life knowledge than any school could ever give him. In the 1920's when wool was a much sought after commodity, people from Russia and Japan met at the Utah Wool Growers Co., in Nephi to buy wool, but they had to get permission from the "Jericho Pool" who were the money bosses. One of their daughters wrote of her sister saying "God made us sisters-because He knew we loved each other too much to be just friends". Jack and Colleen Ingram....thou art good shepherds of your flock!

The vote is in......these three guys are America's best and authentic cowboys.

If one lives in the Bronx or from Jersey, they may have forgot that the American west was tamed with real cowboys, like those in the photo. In cumulative years, these men have 234 years of experience rounding up mustangs(without costing the taxpayer a plug nickel); breaking horses and riding them for work and pleasure. They known how to shoe a horse; ride rough stock and squelch a bucking bull, respecting and caring for each animal they ride and rope. Even Cotton Rosser would vote them in. The three smiling guys are Ron Jones, John Larsen and Bob Garrett. They all can still ride a horse, but they found the "Blue Mule"  much easier to drag main in down town Nephi, Utah on a Saturday night. The problem I noticed was they didn't leave enough room for the gals to get in!

The grain harvest is over in "Wheat City", so you can put away your Thresher!

A hundred years ago, Nephi, Utah was known as "Wheat City", as their were miles and miles of dry land wheat on the Levan ridge. Now a days, subterranean aquifers are being depleted from too many wells and no rain or snow to refill them, so not many dry land farms left. We estimate the year of the thresher photos to be 1912, as the one is a post card with the date on the back of Aug. 11, 1912, addressed to Mrs. Maude Worthington of Levan, Utah. In pioneer days, the United States Government would not believe that David Broadhead could produce 47 bushes of wheat per acre, so he was indicted for Perjury by a Grand Jury. When he was acquitted, the ridge was nicknamed "Perjury Farm". Other family names doing threshing was Paxman's; Thomas Belliston; A.J. Gowers, the Grace Brothers and Lewis Garrett. Stephen Boswell as the first Supervisor at the Utah Agriculture College Experiment Station out there. We spoke to former thresher bagger-97 year old Ron Jones, to get an estimate of which combine to purchase for next year's crop. A new John Deere Harvester is $230,000 or you have to round up 10 plug horses with full harness'; steam engine; thresher; 3 baggers; ten men to run the machines and five to six others to feed everybody. In the end, we calculated the one operator Combine from John Deere as cheaper. Other photos are from the Alice Worthington Franks collection, which was recently donated to the Daughters of Utah Pioneer Museum in town down Nephi, USA. East Main Street postcard is addressed to Mr. James Bean of Nephi, while another shows the Whitmore Mansion.