If you didn't make it to yesterday's 106th birthday party for Norma Sherwood of Nephi, Utah, she is still willing to take visitors is you can sing, dance or play a musical instrument

It is true, Norma Fereday Hannifin Sherwood is still tapping her left foot to good music and stays healthy as a fiddle-or a violin, which is her love of life, even at 106 years old. I attended her birthday party yesterday, but I found the interview tiring....not for her, but for this 68 year old timer. Her friends average about 95 years old and when I started to ask questions, I couldn't keep track of who was doing what when they first met Norma. I think it was her friend-Vera Paxman, who said she was teaching school in Orem when she first met Norma. It was quite a day, as it was Pearl Harbor day of Dec. 7, 1941. When  many of the others heard that, they all started to chime in and I couldn't keep up with the notes. I remember Vera as Mrs. Vaughn Paxman, and she gleefully announced she was just a youngin at the party, being only 96. Then piped in Norma's sister in law-Zelma Memmott. When I thought people didn't normally like their in laws, she grabbed Norma's hand and you could see fool proof love for each other. I got side trapped trying to figure out which Nephi Memmott she was from, and she settled that when she spoke of  Heber and Maurice Memmott. Now back to Norma. She is from the Fereday family who helped settle Piute County after parts of the Mormon Battalion were returning from the war with Mexico. Norma's first marriage produced two of the most beautiful daughters that anybody could ever ask for. That was Sheree and Diane. Diane teamed up with a Juab County Brough lad and Norma has a slew of family to visit. Norma gave me permission to make a copy of a couple of her photographs. Both of those beautiful daughters have now passed away, one from a tragic incident during surgery and the other with a painful cancer. Norma has lived in Piute County then in Fillmore, then her beautiful smile shined even greater when she teamed up with a young upstart from Levan, Utah. She married Elden Sherwood on July 2, 1957, and he brought in two sons to the marriage-Neil and Wesley. Elden was a happy camper to see Wesley follow up a career in law enforcement, but Wesley too has since passed. Norma and Elden was a great high class team. Elden retired as a big shot in the Utah High Highway patrol and became the Nephi Mayor, but also in the Ute Stampede Committee, high roller with the Boy Scouts then assisted Channel Two news as a weather observer. Norma followed in the same work and service being a reporter. She didn't want to talk about the times she worked for "those Salt Lake papers" but smiled at the times she was a Times News reporter. She has played the violin at so many funerals she couldn't keep track and even joined a traveling music group. Some folks knew Norma's husband as Elden,  but if you ever got a speeding ticket from him, his name was E.C. Sherwood, or so one of my brothers may have told me. If  my mobile scanner comes through, one photo should be of the exquisite daughters; another of a man holding a potato. If the writing doesn't come through, the top shows "This Lowly Potato Air-minded", while the bottom shows "Here's a Hot Potato, A La Piute County. Roy Fereday shows airplane-shaped spud. It doesn't look like a Mona Red or Levan Mangelson spud, but fun to consider. Another photo shows some of the family of daughter Diane. A note on the front identifies some of them, which include Chad and Lisa Brough; Mckayla Brough; Jason, Raquel Brough; Casey; Kade Brough-Camee; Nicole Brough; Austin; Kelton Brough Parker Brough. I recognize Chad as he is a frequent visitor to Norma, and I recognize Diane, who lovingly has her hand on Norma. I will also try to put on a photo from yesterdays party showing Thelma Memmott and Vera Paxman. The final picture is my version of the secret of living a quality life. That is the pristine water from Mt. Nebo.  It is too bad we can't keep all the water that submerges in the deep aquifers. That water is thought to drain down to the Juab County border by Nevada, where Las Vegas money mongers are attempting to take it. Funny thing, as all the time I have been in Las Vegas, I have never seen any body drink water there.

They maintain that written contracts are an essentail part of any government action, personal or business deal including the simple game of football.

I recently read where the University of Utah and BYU football teams have finally came to terms and signed a contract for a future game. Apparently, it took a year to work out all of the details, and the contractual agreement had to go up the chain of command at both schools. It is not just a game anymore, but they say that is what the world has come to, even signing a contract as to who gets what in a pre-nuptial agreement. The photo shows all of the details of the contractual agreement between Kent Jones and George Jackson of Nortonville. The first hand shake was made a few decades ago when George agreed to lease the Jones Family Farm in Nortonville, Utah which has been in operation since just after the Norton brothers settled there in the 1880's. The terms were quite simple and the handshake was as binding for both parties and more legal and ethical than any supreme court could arbitrate. Last week the contract was reviewed once again and another handshake sealed the deal. I don't think a handshake may work outside Juab County, but to the Jones and Jackson family, it is a done deal and solid as rock.

Once again, the Nephi Jones family is sponsring the beard growing contest, and have opened it to anybody who can give the truth of why we call it U.B. dam in Juab County.

Here are the rules, with the contest starting today and now in it's fifty year history. We wish you all good luck and good hunting.

Today is Sunday, the last day of the three day event surrounding the 50 year reunion of the Juab High Class of 65, so thought we would show who attended church classes too.

Back in the 1960's Juab High School was located on main street between 1st and 2nd North in Nephi, Utah. The LDS Seminary building was on the west side, but as to many people were getting run over by the horse and buggy drivers, they built a new one to the north of the high school, which still remains but used by the Nephi Police Dept.  Those cops may not same as many prayers as we did back in our day, but all are still said.  The list of people who graduated from Seminary are taken from The Times News and show;

The Juab High School won their Homecoming football game on Friday night, so three cheers to them, but do you remember the cheers from the Cheerleaders.

In connection with the Homecoming for Juab High School, we decided to throw in a little history of previous times when we cheered our teams on. The first photo shows a note of appreciation from the 1963 Junior Varsity Cheerleaders, and the second page is what the Varsity Cheerleaders used during the 1950's.

Today, I pay my respect for two guys from Juab County, Utah-both from the Class of 65, who have now passed but lived a life of honor and nobility while on this eartly sphere.

The Juab High  Class of 1965 has been having there 50th reunion. In yesterdays luncheon, several of the "young" students talked of how the class was very close, just like a family, even though there were hard times. In mentally going back in time, I couldn't help remember one of our class mates we lost a couple years ago. Michael Keyte of Mona was one of the true great guys of all time, and proved that throughout his life. If I recall correctly, we lost Larry Craig Higginson not too long after graduation. He was killed in Viet Nam. That seemed to have profound affect on all of us kids, and especially Mike, as Mike was in the Army, and a cousin of Higginson. Mike had the honor to be the escort in returning our classmate to Mona for burial. I therefore, give honor to Larry Craig Higginson for making the ultimate sacrifice, but for this Keyte. Mike was friendly to all classmates, and he embraced that same love with his family. He was very proud that his three sons all became Eagle Scouts. He was a hard worker, having worked for Geneva Steel for 34 years. Today, I pay my respect to all those who served our country. It wasn't something they particularly enjoyed doing, but they accepted their duty to their God and Country, as did the Juab High Class of 65. We still have Class.

Juab High School is preparing for Homecoming this week, so make sure you particpate in all of the activiites.

From what I have read and seen in The Time News, the Juab High School football team is going to have a great year, even though they had a heartbreaking loss last week. The first photo was taken by Heath Dopp and placed in The Times News. It shows it takes a lot of Grantsville guys to take down Shawn Nielsen.

The second photo is of the football Co-Captains Mike Anderson, Larry Ellertson and Steve Stowell, along with Coach Dennis Hansen.

The third photo is of the Homecoming Royalty which is Susan Johnson, center, with Melanie Swartz, left and Pattie Andreasen.

The night before the game, they are having the Homecoming parade, and I heard that the Juab "Class of 65" are going to be in the parade, or what is left of them. They were not able to afford a mobile escalator for them to get on board, so any help from the youngins is appreciated. On Saturday, they will have a noon lunch in the girls gym of the old high school. If you want to hear some old folks pretend like they are young, come and watch the carnival.

Oh by the way, artificial dementia has hit me, and I think the last two photos are from Homecoming of 1967.