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Lewis Morgan Griffiths

Lewis Morgan Griffiths, born 16 April 1896 to John Morgan and Nellie May Burk Griffiths, their third son, at Adamsville, Utah, a small farming community in Beaver Co., Utah.

Life was made up there of the usual things a boy does on the farm, work and play. My memories of life on the farm are filled with pranks played on the towns people and work and play with my brothers. I was a very determine boy and usually got what I wanted one way or another. I attended my first year of school in a one room school in Adamsville. Our family moved from Adamsville to Minersville. When I started school at Minersville I had the usual trouble a new boy has in a new school, several fights ensued until I made a place for myself in a new school. We enjoyed our new home and made friends which have lasted a life time.

One thing I remembered so well is the team of horses my dad kept for us to use on the sleigh which my Uncle Charles Allen Burk Jr. m de for us. We could out run any team in town. As we grew up we joined in the activities of the town, church, dances, Mutual plays and athletics. We also had the usual chores and caring for live stock. I was baptized August 6, 1905 at Minersville, Utah in the Beaver River by Maroni Myers and confirmed August 6, 1905 by R. W. Dotson, ordained a Deacon January 25, 1909 by George Marshall, ordained an Elder November 3, 1916 by George Marshall.

After my ordination as a Deacon I did the things expected of a Deacon such as chopping wood for the aged people and the widows of the ward, doing jobs they could not do for themselves.

At the age of fifteen I took care of a herd of sheep for my father in the mountains East of Wilford. I was alone most of the time. One day I was bitten by a rattle snake, I was very frightened but cross cut the bite with my pocket knife then returned to my camp which was near by and with the use of fl bottle and boiling water I drew out some of the poison. I rode my horse to Wilford, a distance of twelve miles where I obtained medical care.

In the summer we trailed the sheep to the Beaver Mountains where I had the responsibility of caring for one herd. I enjoyed the summer in the mountains, we could fish and escort parties around the scenic country such as Blue Lake, Mt. Baldy, Belknap, Delana and Puffers Lake. It is a beautiful country, much wild game such as Deer, Coyoties and Mountain Lions.

We wintered the sheep on the desert and in the shaunty hills West of Milford. We had to be mindful of coyoties, however the weather was our main problem, cold, wind and snow. One night I went to round up the herd and got lost in a blizzard. I had no idea where I was until I heard the whistle of the train nearby. I found my way to the Railroad tracks and located a cedar tree west of the tracks. I had one match. I gathered some dry twigs and bark from under the tree and with the one match and the tail of my shirt, I started a fire. It was not long before a number of men saw my fire and came to where I was, they were lost from their camps also. During that night two men were frozen to death on the desert. We were thankful we had a fire. The herds on the desert were mixed and scattered. We had a big job to get them together and segregated.

Because there was no High School in Minersville my parents bought a home in Provo and my mother took us there in the winter for school. I spent three winters at the B.Y.U. I participated in athletics particularly wrestling. I took a course in Blacksmithing under Hans Anderson, a very fine teacher.

October 16, 1916 I was called on a mission to the Netherlands just before diplomatic relations were severed between the United States and Germany during world war one. I received my endowment in the Salt Lake Temple November 10, 1916 and immediately there after departed for my mission. Due to the submarine blockade on the North sea it was necessary to go by way of Norway and Sweden, we were on the water twenty one days before arriving at Holland. As missionaries we were allowed freedom and performed our work with out interference. We were issued coupons with which to obtain food but we suffered many hardships. We were unable to buy clothes ~o we were careful with what we had. It was a good thing that we took a large supply with us. For long periods of time we were unable to get mail from home. We were advised by the mission president to work just a little harder. I had a bad case of flue and had it not been for the help of an elderly lady with whom we lived I would have died. She was not a member of the church. I was able to repay her kindness later by sponsoring her son and family to come to America.

Not with standing all hardships my mission was a wonderful and very beneficial experience. I was released and arrived home in April 1919. Soon thereafter I was called to be second counselor in the Minersville Ward

Bishopric and was then ordained a high priest by Richard R. Lyman and set apart to fill the position to which I was called. After visiting with my parents and assuming my proper status In the ward I met a very charming girl by the name of June Ogden, who was teaching school in Beaver. We were married September 5, 1919 in the Salt Lake Temple. I continued to work with my father in the sheep business. I managed a shearing corral East of Milford. We sheared about one hundred fifty thousand sheep each spring. Due to the fact that the summer range permits were decreased as to the number of sheep allowed, Dad sold his sheep. There was no employment here so I moved to Salt Lake and secured work with the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad as a blacksmith on August 2G, 1922.

Our membership records were transferred to the Bryan Ward, Sugar House Stake. I was assigned to work with the teachers quorum and later with the Senior Aaronic Priesthood. I was released from this position because of a call that I received to go on a Stake mission which I accepted. I am grateful to my wife for her encouragement and assistance.

In July 1928 I was elected General Chairman of the Association of Mechanical Crafts, Helpers and Apprentices of the Rio Grande System which position I held for eight years. At this time the American Federation took over and the Association was abolished. I was offered a job with the Western Pacific Railroad which would have necessitated moving to Sacramento, California. I exercised my seniority and returned to the Blacksmith shop at Salt Lake and was assigned to the big furnace as heavy forger. I forged the last main rod for the large Malley Steam engine made in Utah. I retired in 1958.

We are the parents of five children, two boys and three girls. We bought a small home on Blaine Avenue and lived there until we purchased a large home across the street, 1156 Blaine Avenue. We remodeled and improved this old house and made it into a nice home. One by one our children married and moved away, so we sold the big house and bought a Mobile Home from Stout Trailer Sales at which time I suggested to Paul Bradley, manager of the Sales lot that I would like to manage a trailer Park.

We moved into the Pioneer Trailer park for a year and then moved to Phoenix, Arizona. My wife was employed in Phoenix. I went to Prescott as manager of the Ponderosa Park which is a summer home resort. As home sites were sold it was necessary to lay additional water lines and construct a larger water storage reservoir which I supervised. We were there for two years.

We moved back to Salt Lake and lived at National Trailer Park. Paul Bradley called and asked me if I still wanted to manage a trailer Park. I was interviewed by the management which consisted of Max Siegel, Paul Bradley, Dave Singer, Reed Nessen and Scotty Watkins. I was accepted and we moved to 4230 West 3500 South, West Crest Mobile village. We were the fourth mobile home in the village. I supervised part of the construction work. The village filled rapidly and when we retired in 1966 there were one hundred seventy five mobile homes in the Park.

In preparation for our retirement we purchased a lot in Minersville, Utah and had cement patios poured for our large Mobile Home and travel trailer. We started our travels by driving the Alcan to Alaska to visit our family who moved there and located at Soldotna on the Kenai Pennisula. It was a wonderful trip. We saw much beautiful country. We have taken many beautiful trips visiting most of the State and National Monuments including those in Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Wyoming. We have spent two winters in Arizona.

 

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