A REAL FRIEND LASTS FOREVER-REGARDLESS OF THE TIME IT TAKES

Growing up in a small rural Utah town such as Nephi has many rewards of which one is pure, unconditional friendship. My Class of 1965 had about 100 Seniors graduate and most of us had been together throughout those 12 years. We were like a family. Sometimes, we thought that one or two of our family members were "odd" including myself, but as a family, we stuck together through thick and thin. And the teachers were the same, although some of us gave them severe headaches, but we were proud of them, and eventually they learned to be proud of us. Such was the case of Mike Royce; Carl Parkin, Hal Jones, Scott Sparks and Leon Pexton. It didn't matter what their Daddies did for a living or if they wore old shoes to school, they were real friends throughout life and will be beyond earth. Like all humans, eventually we grow as old as our parents, and the wrinkles of wisdom appear and we start losing them to the other side of the Veil. Such was the case with Scott Sparks, who was transferred to the golden gates of Heaven a little over a year ago. His neighbor and friend Hal would be a frequent visitor to Scott when MS hit him hard. And if you ever knew Scott when he was a tall tough State Trooper, you treated him with respect and he would treat you the same. It was Scott that started the get together which they had been doing for the past quarter century, often meeting in a local diner, and it was there that Viet Nam Medic Hal Jones could see something awry with Chopper(Carl Parkin) who had been an Army soldier, so Hal did what he does best, and pulled his shirt open and gave him an EKG, which may have saved his life. The childhood buddies from Juab County would get together on a routine basis, and have lunch with their wives. After we lost Scott, his wife wanted to go up American Fork Canyon where we had taken Scott fishing from his wheelchair. It was arranged and we tried to piece together a photo with all of them including Mike and Carolyn Royce; LaRue and Leon Pexton; Carl and Maria Parkin; Bonnie and Hal Jones and Deeann Sparks. In the other photo it is just the boys, and Angel Scott Sparks is trying to figure out how to put a temporary Halo around his buddies that are standing in the middle of the stream. And yes we did catch a fish and nearby Highway Patrol Dispatchers took the Vienna Sausages over the dam Fish we caught!

IS JUAB SCHOOL DISTRICT TEACHING BETTER OR WORSE THAN IN 1963

Our question today is to help ponder if our school teaching system is better or worse than yesteryears'. The purpose is to provoke questions of which we all should make an interest to better understand. I have spoke to previous teachers and educators, parents of kids, as well as being a part time teacher myself. After a year of college under my belt, I was asked to be a permanent substitute teacher throughout the Juab School District and it sounded better than twirling my thumbs so proceeded to do for elementary kids, including walking up the stairs of the old two story building in Mona; Central School; High School as well as Seminary. Yup-a Jones kid. Along the way in my career, I was often invited to be a presenter at the BYU; Westminster; Weber State and U of U; as well as various high schools throughout the State, and at University of Bristol in England. This is the same kid that was thrown out of Kindergarten for putting a frog next to the little girl during "nap time". I had thought about this for years as family members said how easy it was to complete high school at Juab, especially during the COVID-19 Era, when students could work at home on the computer and get A's all year, and they, like me, couldn't learn how to spell correctly. I recalled years before when the State Legislature are the people that decide where the tax money goes, as well as School Boards and Associations with a lot of pressure. Teachers have a rough job, as they are like parents, but when they say it is "for the kids", many prior teachers disagree, saying it goes to the people at the bottom of the inverted triangle. I now hear that most of our tax dollars are controlled by Legislatures who are full time Developer's or Attorneys, and that is why we have so many rural communities being burdened with paying the money for homeless people in the big cities. You be the Judge. In 1963 through 1965, there was an average of 100 students graduating from High School, and now there is twice that, which is a  reason for their concern. In 1963, there were two school buses, and now we have 28.We had one High School, and one student Counselor, now there are many more. Kids in the 1960's would tutor the kids' that needed special Ed; helped each other as best we could and each graduating class were like a family. I heard one prior teacher say they are forcing harder math concepts on students and we put an example below. Kids of today lack history, not hearing or knowing where Viet Nam is. We can't learn our future until we understand our past.  And most kids have no idea where milk comes from or even a Steak. You are the voters-you be the Judge.

SOME THINGS CHANGE OVER THE YEARS AND SOME DON'T

Ever notice how some things change over the years and some things don't. The earth it self changes from one season to another and yet each sector of the season seems to change from more snow or less from year to year. Real truth is constant but some would have you believe that truth itself changes. The observer has to recognize if it is the same or not. The substance of this history lesson is that some people change and others don't seem to, such as real beauty. The last photo is of Marie Kay of Mona, Utah. She is one of all the beautiful daughters of George and Norma Jones Kay of Mona, Utah. The pretty little gal is with her mother and other family members at a visit to watch the building of the LDS Temple in Idaho Falls, Idaho and to visit her Uncle Dell Jones, with grandfather Wm. Jones. That was during World War Two Era. She grew up beautiful and married to a returning Korean War Hero-Richard Howell. Older, but still beautiful, and hasn't changed, nor her family has. They even raised beautiful kids and Zebra's together. The other photo is Marie and beautiful sisters. Now we go to the photo of George Larsen of the US Forest Service of 1942. He is standing in front of the US Postal Office in Nephi, Utah. Back then the Forest Service had a once beautiful campground all the way up to Dad and Sons in Nephi Canyon. Same as did Mr. Nebeker and his family and the community Boy Scouts helped to keep it clean and up to snuff.  But now a days, that campground area is not quite the beauty it used to be. Some say the more people they hire to put out the forest fires-the more taxpayer dollar is spent and the more fires we got with their burn back and let it burn theory. And now the Forest Service wants all visitors to pay entrance fees for what the CCC built ten years before the photo was taken. You be the Judge and consider Richard and Marie Howell who now live in a small area on the north side of the Nebo Loop Road.

ARE THE LEADERS OF THE UNITED STATES BETTER OR WORSE THAN A FEW YEARS AGO

I have maintained my self commitment to NOT watch a TV News program in nearly 50 years, so not overly knowledgeable about the conditions around us. I do however, listen to family, friends, and yes, what people write on public media. There were times when I was there, and saw the real truth of things, and the reporters had their own objectives or their bosses did. Years ago, I recognized the motives behind some of the News reports on TV as well as newspapers. However, I did find the attached Editorial Cartoon from five years ago, and it just seemed that our present leaders of the United States are in a "state of denial", much like the newspaper reported a few years ago. If you watch and listen to the body language of a person and understand their motives, perhaps, just perhaps we may sense their motives for what they say or do. You make your own conclusion, as I have tried to do as well.

JOE AND ROSS GARRETT FAMILY REMAIN REAL COWBOYS

As a kid, we walked over to the Nephi Venice theater to watch Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Gene Autry play the role of a Cowpuncher, but in fact, they were actors, but also good humans off the screen too. Then came John Wayne and proved he was the real McCoy, not just on the screen, but in life. On a plane ride to make a film about the Viet Nam War during that tragic Era, he met a young Airman from Nephi named Weston Jones, and on their plane arrival in the Pacific Rim, John Wayne wouldn't meet with the press until he let Wes walk down the stairs where John Wayne saluted him. When he did western movies along with his sidekick-Ben Johnson, they saddled their own horses, and made sure they were properly cared for. Such is the case with brothers Joe and Ross Garrett of Nephi, Utah. I know of no other man than Joe Garrett and his family and friends that have caught more mustangs of the west than him. Nowadays, doing such a thing is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management, and people in the know say it is costing billions of taxpayer dollars to do it their way. Joe Garrett thought like a horse and could outwit them to bring them back to break as a saddle or cow horse. Weston Jones helped Joe with farm work one summer and his reward was getting a colt mustang we called "Dot" because of the Dot between her eyes. During the 1950's; 60's and 70's, the beautiful gals that were the Ute Stampede Queens were often rode by the saddle horses owned by the Joe Garrett family. Those horses knew their responsibility and looked good in the parade or rounding up calves. The photo with the names on the Hitches are some of the favorite horses for the Garrett family. As a kid, we liked Star as it was a "Saddle" horse and could be rode by anybody in town. Joe's grandfather-Wm. Jones had a team of horses in Nortonville named Duke and Nellie. Perhaps that is why one of Joe's horses was named Duke. Then there was Dan, which was the father of Duke, but you didn't want to hook those two up to a drill on the farm, as they tried to outrun each other one day while planting corn, and so corn came up even in the ditches. Then there was Doll, and yes she was a Mare; Chub; Ted and Old Nick. There is not enough room for all the horses the Garretts had, but enough for all of the grandsons of Ross to give him a photo like it was the Wild Bunch in hot pursuit. Also Toots and Nibs(because it was red like red licorice). Before head-on crash events, we had work horses contesting who could pull the longest and the two main rivals of Juab County were Joe Garrett of Nephi and Floyd Bosh of Levan. Now a days, many folks like Steaks, but little idea of where they come from, and the work involved in getting that T-Bone on your plate. The cattleman gets little credit or money for the work he has to go through. If you check on who does the cattle round up for the Wright Rodeo Family of Milford fame, you will find it is all of the gals that do that, while their men are making money as world champion horse and bull riders. You just may find that with the Garrett kin, as Tara can outride em all but that may be fighting words with Kyle or Tyson but Travis may agree to. Which reminds me of the one photo. If you want to "Doctor" down a little Bull, he can be a Big Bull and knock you to pieces, and that dam Russ Garrett won't help, but encourages Troy and Kent Jones to give the calf CPR! Thanks to all the Garretts and their friends like Bob Worwood, Bob Lyman; Jacksons, Winn's; McPhersons, Carters and Jenkins who bring us great local food; good work ethics and great friendship.

HERE COMES THE "IRON HORSE" OR SO THE ANCIENT ONES CALLED IT.

The various tribes of American Indians often named their children after what was going on at the time the baby was born. So we can learn much from these Ancient Ones and why some were named Thunder Cloud; Snowfall; Running Horse and such. The American Civil War acerbated or enhanced the use of Trains in the United States. The trains eventually came west and made it so mail and passengers got across the plains faster and less dust in their ears. And like what the world has done rapidly for the last hundred years, we change, and the first train from Salt Lake to Juab County was on May 10, 1869. The end of the line was at York, which we used to call "Doc Steele's" place but now call it the base of Santaquin Hill, where Utah County wants to invade Juab County and redraw the lines. Sounds like another invasion! At any rate, since the train ended at York, various freighters or "Mule Skinners" met the train daily to bring supplies to the rest of the Utah Territory, which included parts of Nevada. Some of the Teamsters were Nephi Jackson; Ed and Heber Ockey(which took supplies to Heberville);Sam Tolley and Will Jones drove his team(named Duke and Nellie) to Pioche, Nevada. The first Train arrived in Nephi occurred early in the morning on May 3, 1879. The Engineer was John Worwood Sr. After more tracks were built, Thomas Worthington was the Engineer that pulled the throttle to Milford, which became a big Railroad town in its heyday. Now a days, it is the Wright Rodeo family that attract tourists. In 1880, coal was discovered in Wales, Sanpete County and a Track was built up "Track Street". The coal ran out and the tracks were pulled, but you can see some of the railroad ties given away and used to build homes and garages with. The one photos shows the hard work of those that built the lines. The last big train to stop in Nephi was "Big Boy" of three years ago. And yes, this writer has driven a train before video cameras were invented and convinced local officials that I could persuade the Union Pacific of Omaha to stop in Nephi, not costing the taxpayer a dime! That happened.

TODAY IS SUNDAY- THE SABBATH, BUT ALSO A SACRED DAY FOR AMERICANS.

 

" WE KNOW MOREABOUT WAR THAN WE KNOW ABOUT PEACE. MORE ABOUT KILLING THAN WE KNOW ABOUT LIVING. WE HAVE GRASPED THE MYSTERY OF THE ATOM AND REJECTED THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT".

                                                                                   GENERAL OMAR N. BRADLEY

NEVER EVER FORGET OUR AMERICAN FIGHTING SPIRIT.

 Although some history books and teachers would just as soon forget, please Never, Ever Forget The Alamo; World War One, which was supposed to be the War to End All Wars; Pearl Harbor; Utah Beach, and how Hollywood convinced us to disrespect our Viet Nam Vets coming home; and the full of hate people against us on 9-11. We can still accept others, but never ever give up the guns, as we still have powerful Enemies that live and lead us in our Country, so Never Ever Forget That, and those so called leaders that tore down the Civil War Statutes, the South were still Americans, so they were enemies of Americans and should be voted out of office. It is time to teach our kids and grandkids they need to learn true work ethics. Plant the corn and husk it with the rolled up Bibs and hold our American Flag high. Don't be the anti-American who fly's the Un-American flags near the Pexton warehouse in Ruralville, America.

AFTER 481 YEARS OF WATER-BURRASTON PONDS IS ALMOST DRIED UP

According to Explorer Francisco Coronado in 1541; Catholic Fathers Escalante and Dominquez, there was plenty of water in the area we now called Burraston Ponds, after the Burraston Mormon Family gave their land to Utah when it became a State. In fact Father Escalante called it "Ojo de San Pablo" which means  "Eye of Saint Paul". His diary wrote of the plentiful grass and waters that sprang forth from Mt. Nebo. In my 75 years of fishing and being around Burraston it has nearly dried up this year and two years ago. While some people blame our Drought, their are others that maintain it is the deep well diggers above the 1-15 Freeway that is sucking all the water from the underground aquifers. The watershed may come through the U.S. Forest, and in talking to them at a Public Hearing, the representatives knew not of Mona; Nortonville or even the two crops of Alfalfa that used to grow there. And again, only rumors, but we heard the State Engineer may not even have know they were selling the water to a business. Some blame too many people moving into Utah, even though Nephi;

Utah politicians and Church Leaders maintain there "is plenty of water here". Well, I beg to differ, as did the former State Engineer-Kent L Jones, who additionally told me the government is all powerful and can take the water from all farmers if they so chose "for the benefit of the people".  And don't try to use a speedboat at Mona Reservoir, which water goes to the LDS church or even U-B Dam (politicians mistakenly call it Yuba Reservoir, as there really wasn't an Indian Chief here named that). If we wander down the road, we find that even Mills, America is dried up and indications are that Lake Powell is about the lowest it has ever been, giving the water to Arizona, California and Mexico and I didn't even know Mexico was a State! 

JUST A FEW THOUGHTS OF A MAN FROM SCHICKSALSGEMEINSCHAFT

Before you begin our thoughts and to save the reader time, Schicksalsegemeinschaft is supposed to be somebody from a community bound by fate, or at least that was my interpretation of the German/English Dictionary when I wrote about it, just so I could confuse the Professor. Well, I didn't anyway so we will just call it "Thoughts".

1.  A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a Train stops. I my desk, I have a work station.

2. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

3. If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're Ahead"?

4. Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?

5. What hair color do they put on the driver's license of bald men?

6. I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.

7. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older, then it dawned on me, they were cramming for their finals.

8. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny spoons and forks, so I wonder what Chinese mothers use-Toothpicks?

9. I got new stamps the other day, and found flowers. In the old days, they put wanted posters in the Post Office. Why don't they put Fugitive photos on stamps, then the mail carriers would look for them.

10. How much deeper would oceans be if sponges didn't live there?

11. If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?

12 Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

13. Think "Honk" if you're telepathic

14. I went for a walk last night and my kids asked me how long I'd be gone. I said, "The whole time."

Thanks for your endurance.

ARE ALL HISTORY BOOKS CORRECT OR NEWSPAPER ARTICLES!

Today, we thought we would throw in a few newspaper articles-one of which is sixty years old, and find research that show King Henry VIII may have died from something else besides that which Al Capone died from. How about the two year kid that swallowed his pet turtle. The kid lived to tell about it, but the report doesn't answer the question of "Did the turtle live too?" I  then read an article in an older "Odd News" in the Salt Lake Tribune about a Thief stuffng a live 2 foot snake in his pants in a Portland, Oregon store. I kept wondering why, and wouldn't you ask the same? Although if you are younger than 50 and not from Utah, you may not understand why The Evening Post would even write about a Mormon from Utah, but others of us would. The flour produced at Juab County Mills in the 1930's may only be interesting if  your Dad worked there or you and your grandma made clothes from the sacks. Oh well, history is history, but to me it is fun to see how it sometimes changes depending on the writer. Oh, by the way, we call it a Pig Bank, as cookware made in Europe before we arrived here, reported that it was made out of dense orange clay called Pygg. Those folks put coins in it and brought "Pygg Pots" to the US of A.

BY GUM, WE HAVE SMART KIDS AT JUAB SCHOOLS - ALWAYS DID.

Of all the kids that have gone to the various schools we have in Juab County, I thought some of us Jones kids just lacked that grey matter in the brains, but for me it is just gray stuff. I do remember helping a big brother pass some take home exams so he could graduate and meSELF was such a gut  speler. I did find the three sons of Travis Jones were all straight A students, and come to find out Travis was too, as we found he was on the 6th grade Honor Roll. That is good for the Nephi Jones Family, but we all have to be proud of many years ago, when 14 year old Billie Morgan of Nephi got 100 out of 100 Points for writing the best of the best for the "Newsette" writing contest in the 1951 Deseret News. Letters were received from all over Utah, so congratulations to the Morgan family for writing the history of Nephi. Sorry if it is small, but can't figure out this old computer with a slow brain operator.

HUNDRED YEAR OLD PHOTO OF JESSIE MECHAM OF NEPHI, UTAH

After a few years of research, we think we have it figured out. Back a hundred years ago and today, we all recognize recent photos, but if we don't write the names and dates on the back, it is easy to forget after a few decades. Like all things in life, some things take longer than thought to figure stuff out and such was the case with this gal. Her name is Jessie Mecham. She was the wife of Elam Mecham. The life and times of the Pioneer Mecham family can be found at the blog archive printed on Jan. 12, 2021. I had promised I wouldn't print that information until the death of all of his adopted family-Rob and Erma Garrett and their kids Back to Jessie. She was a friend of Evan and Eliza Harris of Nephi, who are my maternal grandparents. He was the owner or proprietor of the tree cutting at the bottom of Sawmill Canyon of the Nebo Loop road, past Hells Kitchen. There used to be a road down to the spring, but the Forest Service wouldn't take my testimony and an older Forest Map as authentic and so Juab County lost their suit against the government to keep roads open. But they still refer to the nearby ridge as "Evans Ridge". Back to the story at hand. Evan Harris used his team of horses to bring down logs to help build pioneer homes, as well as the cabin in Nephi's Pioneer Park, at the request of DUP President, Alice Paxman McCune. Evan also built a log home at the corner of 8th North and Main, which was later torn down and the area purchased by Hap White who had a great gas station and mechanic shop there. The father of Jessie had a stroke when young, but was still able to be a custodian at the District Court House on Center and Main, which is now the DUP Museum. Jessie died when young, and Elam had no choice other than to farm his kids out to good people willing to take them in. The Bishopric of the Nephi North Ward  LDS Church pitched in with the Bishop taking one and the two Counselors taking the other two, one of which was Rob Garret of the "Serv" fame. Elam was so fond of the Harris family, when Evan and Eliiz lost their young daughter-Maggie Vera Harris, Elam-although poor, paid for her headstone at the Vinebluff Cemetery. Now you know the rest of the story just in case you are asked by St. Peter when you cross the line to Heaven!

Juab High-Class of 1964.Those who received their High School Diplomas

Earlier tonight, a few local folks went to the Girls Gym at the old Nephi/Juab High School in Nephi, Utah. As we were walking down the stairs, I couldn't help but remember way back when and it seemed like yesterday. Tonight a bunch of us wanted to gang up on the Forest Service for wanting fees to fish at Jenkins Flat and view the beauty at Devils Kitchen, some of us quickly found out the Federal Government had already made up their minds they were going to hit citizens with fees, so it was a dead end street to even be there, but will get this typewriter hitting keys to write a letter to Harry S. Truman or whoever. It won't do any good, but can't give up til I try. Rather than get in a fist-a-cuff with the phony Rangers, I diverted my attention to the good by gone days of yesteryear when the students of Juab High got to school on their own, which was usually by foot, but we did have two school buses to haul kids in from Mills, Levan; Mona and Starr. Only two back then, and now Juab High got a new school and wants another and they already have 28 school buses. Oh well, my nap hat goes off to all those who got through school, as there were no computers to give us the right answer. It was study and hard work and until this paper dropped in front of me, I had forgot we had two "Little J's" in 64. One was a great teacher and one was a great student.. The family is still waiting for Hal Jones to return from Vegas!

Jared Beddoes of Nephi Krowes Barbershop/Payson's Haven Barbershop-Where are you?

For the past five years, I found the perfect Barber who was on Nephi Main Street near where the Tunnel and the Rainbow bar was. He then moved next to where Don Barton had his plumbing shop which was akin to the North Ward Chapel. After five years, he wanted to be closer to his home in the Salem/Payson area and moved into a shop on Utah Avenue in Payson. I then followed him there and he knew how to shoot the bull and do an old fashioned mans haircut, like what Mont Sperry; Vons; Mr. Myers and Bob Garrett did. Any who, I took the day off from my usual naps, and headed North. I waited outside as if Jared was out to lunch. After nearly falling asleep, I went next door where Payson Chronicle prints their local paper, and found that Jared had done did quit the barber business and went back to work as a machinist with a friend. Dang it, Jared, you gotta come back in the snip it business, and bring that long haired dog or I will go back to being a long haired Hippie and get more Tattoos than you got. We both saved your mutts life that dat with speeding traffic. While there, I went to look for Onions as that is what Payson is known for. I found a barber down the street called Broken Arrow, right across the street from Lou's barber. So I took a chance, and well, after a $50.00 haircut, not sure I will do that again. But it was fun walking up and down the historic area, and found a real bar that I have heard about for years called the "Wee Blu Inn" and by golly, I pulled my fat belly up to the bar, and had an iced Pepsi; Hamburger and a good ole greased up order of Fry's that were as good as Picks or the Frost-E-Freez. That bar reminded me of the old fashioned saloons where friends and associates gathered, but nobody got wasted. It was about the best lunch around. Their only problem was the big screen TV on a channel talking about the NFL.They must be crazy! That whole area is where our heroes live including Kaycee Feild, the Bareback Champ of the World; Amanda Butler of Payson and had to go visit the beautiful gravestone of Kaycee's Dad-Lewis Feild,  who himself was a 3-time World Champ and 2-time World Bareback Champion. And when Kaycee came to lead the Pledge at Nephi City Council a couple years ago, he admitted he loved Fiesta Days at the Fork of the Spanish, but the Ute Stampede was one of his go to rodeos. Oh well, I am a recovering Football Addict, so the folks at Wee Blu Inn watched me, as I Blu Out when those two "young" 60 year gals were giving me the eye. Lets make downtown Nephi a Mainstreet to lure the thousands speeding by us going nowhere fast.