Here is your Nephi High basketball squad.....from 1925.

The local paper in Nephi, Utah shows Juab High School students being involved with a variety of activities. The Times News shows photos and articles about wrestling; Men and Lady Wasp basketball, and the drill team heading for the state tournament. Just so we don't forget the boys of 1925, when Juab used to be Nephi High, we thought we would show the basketball squad from 1925-26, and each of their nicknames. The Coach didn't have a nickname. He had too much respect from all who played for him and knew him. From what I hear tell, he was thee Coach of Coaches. We also have the "Pep Family" and a few of the cheers from way back when and most important then and today is the importance of loyalty, so don't be a "knocker"!

The Rob and Erma Garrett family-an important part of Nephi history.

Although Rob & Erma have been transferred to a heavenly sphere, they were a foundational part of rural America, who taught kids and grandkids to work hard and take responsibility to improve the lives of others. They also took in a foster child. Rob & Erma have hundreds of family members would can tell the tales of their service, but we wanted to remind new Nephi arrivals that these two and their families should never be forgotten. Rob's mother died while giving him life on earth, so big brother Jim was there to help raise Rob, then help transfer him back home through that thin veil. Rob learned scriptures while tending range sheep, and both he and son Ross were favorite funeral speakers, as they could speak without notes-from knowledge and their heart. Erma was born in Juab County, learning how to work hard on the farm, then sell penny candy at "The Serv" which is now known as Garrett Honda in Nephi, Utah. Their kids are Elizabeth, Joe, Ross, Corrine Garrett, Lucy Sanders, and Afton. We have included two photos of Rob & Erma; one of Rob's brother and a recent one of Corrine Garrett, who wished all her friends and family a "Happy Valentines Day".

We finally opened wedding invitations from the 1930's & 1940's!

I know it is a little late, but we finally opened some wedding invitations our family received a few decades ago. The wedding of cousin Doug Jones and Loa Nelson occurred in 1940, so we have given the invitation to Doug's baby sister-Nadine Blackett. Doug ran one of the most popular doughnut production shops in Salt Lake and remember stopping at his State Street plant to watch the production line at work.....and "forced" to sample his goods! He knew he wasn't going to stay on the Juab County farm with brothers Harold and Ronald, as that wasn't his cup of tea. We will keep the other invitations to give to any family member that wishes them. We didn't know who Clinn and Edna are, but after posting this information, we were informed it appears to be Clinn Morgan and new wife-Edra Goble who became a Morgan on Oct. 1, 1941. It's a beautiful hand made invitation, and whoever can identify the real tree leaf can have the invitation!

Once a Tolley, always a Tolley.

 

 

The first horse expert is a photo of Hyrum Tolley, the youngest son of Wm. Fisher Tolley and Sarah Warren Tolley, and brother to Elizabeth Tolley Jones. He was not only the well known jokester of Juab County, but had a love for good horses, as may be noted in the photo. His work included being a horse trader; rancher, miner and freighter. He once was accused of stealing a horse, but found innocent. He declared he went to Nephi from Nortonville, and found a long rope in the middle of the street. He picked it up and took it home and when he got back to Nortonville, he found a horse tied to the other end of the rope. His sense of humor helped many people maintain their sanity.

The second photo is that of Roy Tolley, who also has passed away. Roy is the son of Frank Tolley, who was the son of Hyrum Tolley. Like his grandfather, Roy was an ardent worker, retiring from Nephi City. Even after he retired, City officials still called on him for his expert opinion. He loved his daughters; the outdoors; his horse; his mule, bucking bulls and his faithful dog Butch. He served on the Ute Stampede Committee; member of the National Guard, and like Hy Tolley, he was a good Tolley, but then there ain't no such thing as a bad Tolley!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine Cards from yesteryear.

Candy, Chocolate's, flowers or a trip to Venice are dandy gifts for a special person, but just in case you havn't got that kind of dough, another great expression of devotion and love is simple. Consider a Valentines card made by you or with your own words or signature-sending it by mail or leave on their door step and run! We have three to share with the world. The first is sent from a soldier during World War One, directed to his little sister in Nephi, Utah. The second is from 1920 given from Eliza Hitesman Harris, to her ten year old daughter with the beautiful cursive note on the back "To Dear Little LaVon". The third is from the 1920 era, but not sure who it is to or from, but the beautiful colors; silk like edges and the words within-makes one yearn for a bonding and unconditional love of another or perhaps a melancholy feeling of a lost love with a hint of sadness-not only from the child but the pet nearby.

 

 

It's 1933 in Nephi, Utah.....so where we gonna party tonight?

In the early 1930's, there was no TV or even an 8-track, but people in rural Juab County were party mongers! Some could dance all night at the Nebona Gardens or these growed up adults would even dress up as kids and do crazy but fun stunts, and all without booze or drugs! The Juab Recreation Club(JRC) had a lot to do with it, and some of the chief backers were church attenders Mr. & Mrs. James H. Ockey; Nephi Mayor and Mrs. P.B. Cowan, and how about Sheriff and Mrs. Parley Christensen. The principal party palace was the North Ward Amusement Hall, but they also hit the indoor swimming pool at Arrowhead west of Payson; night hikes to Mt. Nebo; then Dad and Son's campground up the canyon; ice skating in the meadows, or a secret location until you got your hand delivered note. Here are a few of em. Work hard, then you can play hard!

See the School play in real life-don't wait for a hundred years!

According to the local paper-"The Times News", Juab High School is presenting the play "Thieves' Carnival" which starts tomorrow night and runs four nights. I plan on attending it live, rather than wait for a hundred years and read about it in grandma's cedar chest a hundred years from now. The first print is of the play being presented in Nephi, Utah, while the second is the program of the play by the Senior Class of the same (but former name) school of 1927. See it alive and in real time life and at a dang good price.

Some girls just don't like dolls!

Jaynette Jones really didn't like dolls as a little girl, even though in the 1950's that was what they had been told to like. Jaynette wanted to play Cowboys and Indians with her brothers, then decided she wanted to ride horses and could swing out of the apricot tree and knock off whoever was assigned to ride the mustang out of the barn at full gallop. As a child, she wanted a bicycle, so her parents got her a trike and the first photo is of Jaynette giving it a whirl with her mother being her drivers ed. teacher. Jaynette never got over how much she like the three wheeler's and now parks her and JP's Harley in the same spot she did as a kid, in front of the Jones family home in Nephi, Utah. She added some modifications to that 1885 home, and also put more zip in the maximum speed of her trike and yes-her mother had the same problem in her Falcon Ford sedan with UHP Trooper Rex Hill right behind!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE SISTER, but seriously-you really don't need two reverse gears for that Hog!

You never know when lighting may strike, even while in church!

Regardless of what some feared, the Nephi 4th Ward Chapel of the LDS church was not hit by lighting on Sept. 12, 1971, although some thought it could happen, as three of the Nephi Jones Boys were the speakers. In the choir, their father sat wanting to have Director Viola Ockey sing "I Stand All Amazed" when the chapel didn't crumble. We also threw in a couple other LDS programs from 1969, then Nephi's "First Graduation Class of Certified Nurses Assistants" of 1981.

William A.C. Bryan arrived in Juab County during 1851 as a pioneer settler.

Several books and document's showing the history of Nephi, Utah have written something about William A.C. Bryan, so we thought we would give a free sample of what he did and share the words he wrote to his family on his 90th birthday in 1939. He was born in 1849, and upon his arrival in Nephi, kept a record of his contacts with local "Ancient Ones" including "Indian Juab" and "Old Salt". It appears he was the first one to install a private water system to his home; help build the local Tabernacle after Brigham Young summoned Juab County Saints to "getter done" in 1860; first Nephi telegraph operater in 1866, and given special recognition in Salt Lake when he was 96 years old and able to re-tap the same message that Brigham Young sent to President Abe Lincoln during Civil War era. Mr. Bryan became an attorney; in local LDS church leadership, and our records show he was a good friend to all, including my family. He was also a good businessman. He helped run a marble factory and at age 90, wanted people to come to his birthday celebration, but had the knack to sell his birthday postcards. Earlier today, we donated this original birthday program with his signature to the Daughters of Utah Pioneer Museum for Juab County.

Whittlin' is a play performed in Nephi about 70 years ago.

Before we had TV, many folks went to plays and dramas, such as this play put on by the Nephi Third Ward of the LDS church in Nephi, Utah. We suspect it was in the middle 1940's. It was put on in the Old North Ward chapel. We found it among the various documents of LaVon Jones. Earlier today, we spoke with Jim Stephenson(son of Harold) who played the role of "a boy of the village" and he recognized the playbook, and Jim was old enough to learn and speak his part. The pencil marks of who played the parts is very faded, but Jim was able to produce all of the characters. Hopefully, Hollywood will contact Jim and give him a chance to play the role of the village boy, although he is now all done growed up!

So which Nephi Jones are you anyway?

A lot of folks claim they are the first of this or the first of that, so we have to read and do research of our own. However, this Nephi Jones boy believes we are the first Jones family clan that entered the Juab Valley in the 1850's. As of today, there are at least four separate herds of Nephi Jones families, but in truth we may all be related if an Eve and Adam had anything to say about it! Today we focus on who "Marie and Teddy" Valentines card we just discovered. We believe they were two of the three kids of Bert Jones of Nephi, Utah and will give a little background on who is whom. We believe Marie signed the card and presented it to her grandparents-Wm & Lizzie Jones in the latter 1930's, as the card was found with other Bert Jones documents. Although most would know him only by "Ted" who worked at Pexton's, then had his own drive inn called "TJ's", as a kid he was known as "Teddy". Ted was the son of Bert, who was the son of Wm who was the son of Edward, who was the son of another Edward and even more confusing there are a bunch of our family named Justin; Gary; Ed's; Eddie and Trevor, all of which are the same Jones surname and family!

Nephi National Bank was a great bank.....in 1922!

Not only did they give good interest in the days before the Great Depression, but Nephi National Bank gave free fill in the blank phone books. If you misplaced the book, just call the operator, and she would know who you were calling. In this 97 year old book, we discovered it belonged to LaVon Harris, who grew up a block below the bank. It was convenient to take her hard earned savings to the bank and stop and see her father-Evan Harris, while he was operating the Harris Livery Store nearby. In this case, LaVon used the book to keep track of the Birthday's in the Harris family. We will record this on our history blog, then ship it off to Rachelle Humble who is collecting data and artifacts on the Nephi Harris family since they arrived in Nephi during the 1850's.