web hosting short URLs photo sharing

I was born 11 January 1888 in (Maeser) Vernal, Utah to Robert Bodily Jr. and Harriet Ann Roberts. I was the 11th child in a family of 12. (1) Mary Ann - 11 Nov 1869 (2) Levi Roberts - 28 Nov 1870 (3) Emma Jane - 25 Nov 1872 (4) Lucy Matilda - 6 Sep 1874 (5) Joseph Henry - 1 Apr 1876 (6) Delecty - 3 Feb 1878 (7) Harriet - 23 Mar 1880 (8) Isabella Marinda - 21 Feb 1882 (9) Christopher William - 20 Jan 1884 (10) Estella - 12 Oct 1885 (11) Walton Edwin - 11 Jan 1888 (12) Sylvia Lousia - 20 Sep 1890.

We lived in Maeser across the street from the old flour mill. This was about 4 miles north west of the city of Vernal, one mile north of the business corner in Maeser and one half mile north of the Latter-day Saint Church. The house we lived in was a 6 room log house. It was covered with rustic boards on the outside and contained a kitchen, parlor, living room and bedrooms. It also had a room upstairs used as a bedroom, and a porch on the northside and east front. The north porch was a big one and was used for sleeping when needed.

When I was three weeks old I had black measles which turned out to be a very severe case and I wasn't expected to live. I turned black, but finally got better except I lost my sense of smell permanently. When I was small it was the custom for boys to wear dresses and I wore a dress until I was five or six years old. I used to get into mischief quite abit. Mother had a cellar where she kept cans of milk and I used to get into it and skim off the cream and try in vain to make mother think it was Levi. Since Levi didn't like skimmed milk I didn't get away with that very long. The cellar was dug down about 5 or 6 feet in the ground and had a house built over it. It was south of the house, quite close to it. We had a little cupboard down there with screen doors on it so air could get into it but nothing else could. This was used to keep milk and other items that needed to be kept cool.

We had an 80 acre farm which ran from Bill Reynolds to the corner and one fourth mile west. We raised hay, grain, corn, a garden and an orchard. We had apples, pears, peaches, several kinds of plums, apricots, cheeries and grapes.

I had quite afew friends, Frank Hodson, Wallace Oaks, Frank Watkins, Ira Beddow, John Ashley. The main ones were our neighbors the Gerber boys, Frank, Earl and Lou and also the Caldwell brothers. We used to skate and sleigh ride alot of the time. One time we were skating down a slope, with Ellie Gerber and she fell and hit her head which resulted in her death. We use to have a lot of fun. We didn't have cars in those days, instead we had ponies. I had a pony that would run away with me and then stop quick, lower his head and make me slip up over his head, since I rode it bareback. If he had a saddle on he wouldn't try it. We also use to run races and box with boxing gloves.

Father always had us get up early in the morning to begin our days work. I was just a small boy, but I remember very clearly that on one particular morning as the family was getting out of bed, there were three distinct shakes on the east door knob. Bell was coming out of the bedroom near this outside door. It frightened her and she ran into a table and tipped an oil lamp over. Father opened the door, the ground was white with fresh snow, he couldn't see any tracks in the snow so he made two circles around the house, one close and one out further. He couldn't find any tracks, and consequently knew it could not have been any earthly thing. As he pondered what all this could mean, something told him his father had just died. We later found out his father died at that same time.

One time when I was down to Hodsons sitting around talking, I felt a sensation like my hair was standing up all over my head. I jumped up and said "I am going home." It seemed as though the house was on fire. My horse ran as fast as he could and when I could see the house I thought it was funny that it wasn't on fire so I let my horse walk the rest of the way. As I was going in the yard Chris was coming out and he said they had just got word from Stella that she wasn't expected to live, and I said, "She won't get over it" and she died from childbirth.

I use to turn the clothes washer by hand. We didn't have electricity so we would sit there and turn the crank to turn the washer until it was done. I sure hated that. We had coal oil (Kerosene) lights. We had a good house but they had high ceilings and it would get real cold in the winter. We use to have hard winters with alot of snow. We had wood and coal stoves for heat and cooking. We carried water from the canal about 100 yards away for washing and part of the time for drinking. Some of the drinking water was from the well. The well was close to the house on the south. All the hot water was heated in pans on the stove. In the summer when it got so hot in the house, we would heat our water on an iron stand by hanging the pot of water on this stand and building an open fire under it.

I attended school in an old brick building 3/4 of a mile west of home, and also in severl Relief Society buildings. I attended at the Relief Society building where my house stands and when I went to the new Relief Society building located west of the mile corner (west of where Adams Trailer Court now stands) it was about a mile. There weren't many kids in school in those days. In grade school we had one room that was heated by a pot belly stove. We were seperated into corners by classes. I remember one of the kids stuffed the chimney one time and filled the room with smoke, We had black boards and sat on benches with a desk in front.

I would attend school in the winter and herd sheep in the summer and work on the farm. We had 2000 Ewes we'd lamb on Wild Mountain in Colorado. In the spring we'd lamb them out. I'd camp right with the "droppers" while they were lambing. We'd keep these off to themselves and not mix with the main herd. I can remember one time when Levi had rheumatism for ten days while he was alone and he couldn't walk. I found him and brought him in one night in a wagon. It was a long ride down and painful for Levi. I had to go right back to round up the sheep. Levi was laid up all summer revovering from that.

One time while I was herding sheep, I had Pheomonia and was alone at the sheep camp for 10 days. I herded sheep for awhile and then lay down. I couldn't eat anything and would almost burn up.

The sheep could not be run without the help of dogs, they were very valuable help. The spring was the worst time, I'd have to run all day to keep the sheep together. The dogs would get tender footed and sometimes we would make moccasins for them to wear to protect their feet. The dogs had to run to keep them in a bunch because the sheep ran so much after new grass.

The sheep would try to wander away from bedding grounds during the night and were dogged back on the bed ground. After two or three times they would stop trying. Otherwise a man would have to herd them night and day. When they would run hunting for green grass, they would go everyway on the run and without the help of dogs they couldn't be kept in a herd.

In the winter sometimes it was difficult to move the sheep because of the snow. Once we lost alot of sheep because we couldn't get feed to them. We had the sheep on the mountain (Wild Mountain - Dryfork - Charles Park and Baldy) in the summer to lamb. The sheep would get water from the Green River.

We lost the sheep because of a hard winter. We mortgaged the home and sheep to pay for feed and lost the whole business. This was about 1921-1922.

My brother Levi was very strong. Nathan Hardy tells of Levi lifting a 60 gallon barrell of water on top of a load of cord wood. Levi also lifted the back axel of a loaded wagon and a load of cord wood, while others put a wheel on which had come off. Someone ran an early Ford car into a ditch and Levi lifted it out for them. He'd take an anvil by the point and lift it straight out at arms length. He struck on a striking bag and registered 1400 lbs. One time he hit an Indian at Whiterocks and knocked him across a canal breaking several ribs. He had quite large hands - very strong fingers. He wasn't terribly tall but was very muscled through the back.

I went to High School in Vernal in a small building for a year or two at the Uintah Academy, and then I quite school. When I found out what I had missed by not completing schook, I went back to High School in Provo. When I attended B.Y. High, one of the teachers would forget what she was doing and one day it was raining and she came down the street with a poker over her head. One day she came to school and took off her coat and didn't have a dress on. Another time she came to school with a tea kettle in her hand and didn't know it.

After High School at the Academy, about 1910 or 1912, I worked at the Gilsonite mine, an old dragon mine. Frank Hodson a very good friend and I were working night shift and I had an impression that we should get out of there. Two days later it blew up, and it happened on the shift we would have been working.

After I left the Gilsonite mine I worked with the sheep and then I went to work on a canal on the reservation at Whiterocks to Ouray and by Duschene. We had a farm rented in Gusher on the reservation. When I was putting up grain, I had a pain under my arm one night and as I went to work the next morning I got sick and went back home. I had internal blood poisoning, which took me all summer to get over. I herded sheep for several years off and on.

Father was hauling freight when he couldn't farm in the fall or winter. He would go out with a freight wagon loaded with honey and wool. They were sometimes taken to Price over what they call the mine mill. I don't remember going the Indian Canyon route. Sometimes the loads were taken to Heber and some on to Salt Lake City through Parleys Canyon. On the return trip, merchandise for local stores made up the loads. Father would take a freight trip and leave Sylvia and myself in Provo to attend school when we needed to go. Sometimes we would get in a mud hole and get caught in a rain storm. One trip when I had two wagons with four horses, the brakes broke and pushed the horses off the road. Then the wagon tipped over and Sylvia rolled off with the honey. It was lucky she didn't get hurt. Another time while we were in Salt Lake City father got lost, I knew where we were, but father didn't pay any attention to me for a long time. Finally he admitted he was lost and let me take him back to the wagon. We would put up a tent to sleep in. One night we slept in the wagon and when we woke up we were sleeping in water. We got stuck in lots of mud holes and rain poured on us lots of times. It would take about ten days to make a trip. The freight would be sold in one business place and not sold one can at a time. We would haul 100 to 150 cans of honey each trip. Honey was in 60 pound cans (5 gal) and would take four wagons at a time; father two and myself two. Going up hills we would often drop one wagon and pull one up at a time. There was no pavement, only rough roads, steep hills, rocks and chuck holes. There were no cars at all, they came about 1914 out here in Vernal.

The family worked in bees, Chris did alot of work with them, I also liked to work with them. We'd put the bees in a cellar shed or cover them up in the winter. We'd extract honey about once a week during a good year. We'd take full combs out and put empties back in. We'd get so much in the tank and then we'd put it in cans. The tank had a little faucet on one end to drain the honey into cans.

I went to England on a mission in 1915. We didn't have any outlines to follow, we were just out to preach the gospel. We went to the mission home on east south Temple for a few days first. There we were interviewed and set apart, and then we went through the Temple. I left October of 1915. We went by train to New York City. While waiting for my passport I labored in Maryland for a few months. I met a lady who was quite interested before I left but I never found out if she joined the church.

We went to England by boat. We sailed on December 4th and landed on December 13th. I got sick about three days out. I served in Nottingham Branch with Elder Lavi and Elder Hooper, in Leicester Branch with State England and Elder Bennion and Elder Payne and in Blacklrum Liverpool Conference with Elder Hair. (He was from Glines Ward in Vernal) (Elder Hooper was from Hooper, Utah)

We traveled from door to door. Traveling without purse or script was unlawful and street meetings were not allowed. The people would ask why we weren't in the army. Some were i n pretty bad circumstances and many were about starved. Some blamed the Lord for their troubles and the war and were pretty much against religion. The Saints were sure good to us and we were invited out almost every night that we didn't have a meeting scheduled.

I remember a small baby that was very sick. We administered to it and it opened it's eyes and smiled. It's mother had it out the next day. Mrs. Roberts a minister of a church, would call the Elders in to administer to her when she was sick. She said it was always effective. Because of the war it was almost impossible to do effective missionary work, but we were able to keep the Saints together and help them along.

We had some hair raising experiences with the bombings. In Leftbough there was a plane that was dropping bombs along a street shattering homes. There were two Latter-day Saint homes on the street that two bombs dropped near but didn't explode, however there were windows broken in them. I was released in January 1919.

The Following is excerpts taken from Walton Edwin Bodily's Missionary Journal:

MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES OF WALTON EDWIN BODILY

Monday Oct. 11, 1915 In Chicago and visited the Pres. office, also Lincoln's park, saw Lake Michigan. Tue. 12th Visited Chicago then left for New York. Wed 13th Arrived in Buffalo, N.Y. at 8:30. Took a train for Niagara Falls, we crossed a bridge into Canada, visited queen Victoria's park. Soldiers were drilling for war. Went back to Buffalo. Thur. 14th Left Buffalo 5:30 arrived in New York at 6:00. Secured rooms, went to Pres. office to report. Fri. 15th went sight seeing, visited the slums of the city, were awful dirty, mostly Jews, visited aquarium building and saw every kind of aquatic animal. Saw the Woolworth building the highest in the world, also the Brookland bridge and at night to the Hyropodorome.

Sat 16th Went to Depot to see Elder Critian Fiffs and Groom off on the steamer. Visited Bronx park and saw all kinds of animals. Mon. 18th Received appointment to labor in Baltimore. Br. Hyde and I arrived at two thirty, met one of the Elders. Went at night to Relief Society after had cake and lemonade. Awful warm.

Wed 20th Were appointed to labor in Salisbury, Maryland. We were all day getting ready, at night went to a cottage meeting. 21-22nd Elders Jones, Adams and I left for Salisbury arrived at 10:00 p.m. We passed Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner. General missionary work tracting and visiting until Nov. 8, 1915, I started tracting alone today had a good time at night visited investigators. Nov. 9th Received word that I was to prepare to go to Great Britain. 9-13 regular missionary work. Sun. 14th We visited the Holiness church in the beginning they sang and had two prayers then the preacher addressed the audience of which was mostly ridiculing different churches, Mormons the principle one. He said Joseph Smith was a false prophet, that he had been misled by the devil and the Mormons was a lustful and low degraded people, that they practiced pologmy just for lust. We talked with him three hours after the meeting. He doing most of the talking. He said he knew he was without sin, he believed if a man would repent on his death bed, he would stand just as good of a chance as a man that had lived a good life all his days.

He asked us why we didn't take part in the services and that he felt sorry for us boys.

In his church the preacher asks if anybody wanted to be saved to come up to him and confess their sins and he would forgive them. They go up to him, confess or tell him what they have done, he shakes hands and forgives them. Then they jump up and down shouting and crying as loud as possible. One lady went through the audience kissing all the women.

Thur. 18th Left Salsbury for N.Y. rode under the Hudson river, quite tired this evening.

Mond. 22nd Went to office to get my mail was disappointed that my passport was not there. I am all alone and somewhat lonesome. Wed. 24th Passport has not arrived. 25-27 Passport has not come so will have to wait another week. The landlady was bathing a little dog and dried it with a towel and asked me if we had to do all our sheep that way. 29-30 Received word my passport was lost. Dec. 1, 1915 Made application for passport. Dec 3rd Received passport and have been busy preparing to go to Europe. Dec. 4th Left at noon for my voyage. I alone no other missionaries. Sun. 5th A storm arose and made the sea terrible rough. Didn't eat anything all day. Lot of passengers are sick. Mon. 6th Storm worse waves 30 to 40 feet high. Some of the old sailors said it was awful rough. Some told me to drink whisky and it would make me feel better, but didn't take anything. Tue. 7th Awful rough but feel some better. I was among the first to get back to the table. I told the steward that this was my first trip. He said by gorge you are standing it fine. Another man said young man you are a hero to stand it as good as you do. 8-9 Awful rough but feel still better. 10th Did not sleep very much last night, ship rocked so much. Had to wedge myself in to keep from rolling out. In the night a door was knocked open and let a lot of water in on the third class passengers. They thought the boat was sinking, people screamed and scrambled quite a number of accidents. 11th Some better today permitted to ride on deck. Lot of music and singing on ship. Sun. 12th Saw lights from Ireland at night.

Mon. 13th Saw land and arrived on land 3:30 pm was 6 o'clock before we got off the ship. I had some money changed and got supper, couldn't count their money had to trust to their honesty. I made my way to the President's office. One of the elders took me to the registration office and registered, then to a hotel and retired at 10:00 o'clock. Tue. 14th Went to the Pres. office and got my appointment to labor in Nottingham. Had dinner with Pres. Smith went down to registration office and notified them where I was going and took the train for Nottingham at 2:30 and arrived 5:50. Elder Greenwood and Whiting met me there, was tired everything seemed to be rocking as the boat did. 15th Started my labors in Hucknell Nottingham conference with Elder Neville. Seems so much different than in America, being less advanced than in America. 29th I was appointed to labor in Nottingham as clerk. Jan. 1916 Did regular missionary work this month tracting, visiting people, attending meetings, and my office work. Feb. 1916 regular missionary work but on 13th George Gent a local brother and I went over to Langhboro for Sunday services, saw damages done by air planes.

March 1916 Jepplane raids now and again. 16th Out visiting, administered to a boy of Mrs. Whites. Mr. White a non-member of the church. The boy hadn't had it's eyes open for two days and seemed to be very sick, as soon as we took our hands off it's head he opened his eyes and smiled. The next day they had the baby out for a ride, he as well as ever. 17th We were ordered off the streets while tracting but things were calmed and everything OK.

April 1916 Doing regular missionary work. 27-29 Tracting and visiting saints and investigators. Went to Nottingham had our pictures taken then went to Eastwood for priesthood. Many encouraging things were said, from there to Leicester and held baptismal services. Elder Frisby officiating baptizing Maud Hill and Mrs. Bedders.

May 1916 Regular missionary work. 23rd Elder Hooper went to Nottingham to be President of conference. I am alone, went out tracting. 25th Went to Nottingham for Priesthood after I and Br. Hooper went out walking until the next meeting, went back to Leicester, has some milk and onions for supper. 27th Went on a hike or ramble as they call it, walks a long way through parks and hills. Still alone.

June 1916 Regular missionary work. 18th of May to June 24 Pres. Hooper was with me laboring. 24th Came home and found Elder Bennion.

July 1916 Regular missionary work. 7th went to a funeral, and went to the cemetery and it was the first I knew that they buried several persons in the same grave. 18th Had a good time tracting. A lady said that big stranger loafing around the streets ought to be out on the front lines fighting.

August 1916 Regular missionary work. 19-29 Am not feeling very good, discouraged in the dumps. Over to Eastwood but didn't feel very good. Stay in Nottingham until Monday then back to Leicester.

September 1916 1st Out tracting, three women got after me, accused me of going around lying and asked me not to come that way again. 2nd Tracting and visiting had tea at Welches. We eat out at saint's home's almost every day and sometimes 3 to 4 times a day. Very good to us. 24th Went to Duby got mixed up on trains and was quite late for sunday school. 25th Worked on reports and went out tracting. 30th Went to Nottingham saw where some bombs were dropped broke glass and killed two people.

Oct. 1916 2nd Br. Winkins, Bennion and I went down to see the damage done by Zeps. The policeman asked them for their passports. Everything came out OK. Bennion and I went back to Leicester.

November, 1916 through February, 1917 December Regular tracting and missionary work.

March 1917: Went to Nottingham to labor.

April and May 1917: Out tracting and visiting.

June 1917: Out tracting and visiting this month. 25th Out tracting when a man said get off the street if there were a policeman he would have one seen to. He shouted to a man across the street. There was a blank Mormon out after the girls.

Jul 1917 - Oct 1917 Regular missionary labors.

November 1917: 20th Elder State England came to Leicester to labor. 30th Tracting and receiving out rations had to line up with about a hundred ahead of us.

December 1 Elder England and I went to Nottingham to Priesthood meeting.

May 1918: Conference at Nottingham. Pres. Richards, Geo F. Richards Jr. and his wife, Hugh Latman, Hair, and Holland and England were present. Pres. Richards asked me if I would labor in the Liverpool conference. 23rd Had a party for my farewell two brushes were given me. 24th Went on a ramble with the Leicester people. 27th Left for Blackburn Liverpool Conference. 28-29 Got located and went out tracting.

June 1918 Regular missionary work

July 1918 Pres. Owen received appointment to preside over Sheffield conference and I over the Liverpool conference.

I came home by boat and took up my work where I left off with the sheep and farming over on the home place on the corner.

I knew Olive Marie Merkley who was a member of the same ward. One time at a song practice, LeRoy Carroll said "Lets get some girls and go riding tonight." I asked Olive and he asked Mildred Oaks. We went riding, but I had no idea that this was the beginning of our courtship. I just asked her because she happened to be handy. Later I dated her and we were married in the Salt Lake Temple, March 31, 1920.

For the first few months we lived with my parents on the corner in Maeser but very soon my parents moved into a brick home about where Thoral Bodily now lives and the place on the corner was turned over to me. Olive and I lived there until Lucile was about a year old. Lucile was born 19 October 1921. Then the hard winter hit us and we lost the sheep and the place with it. We moved to Gusher in 1922 and took over Chris's work as Bishop, (took care of money, etc.) Lorenzo was born while we lived there, 16 October 1922. After this job was through we moved back to Vernal where Harold Merkley now lives (1/4 mile south of the old home.) All the rest of Olives' children were born there: (Melvin, 24 June 1924, Anna, 20 August 1925, Gordon, 28 July 1927, Harold, 14 February 1929.) The first three of Zelpha's children were also born there: (Lorin (Stillborn), 4 October 1932, Floyd, 9 January 1934, Thoral, 24 August 1935.)

When Lorenzo was small, a buck sheep bunted him and broke his collar bone. One time Anna was swinging and fell and knocked her "funny". She didn't know what was going on, or how it had happened. It was two or three hours before she was herself. One day we were getting a load of rock in a wagon in the creek bottom. I had a load of rock just about finished and I didn't know that Anna was standing on the wheel. I lead the horses up to get a few more rocks and as the horses stopped I heard Olive scream. I went around to see what was the matter and the wheel had just started over Anna's neck, it had just pinched it.

After Harold was born Olive caught cold and developed a mastoid. The doctor said she had a tumor on the brain, that led to her death November 12, 1930. She had severe pain with this and died due to an operation in trying to remove the tumor.

A year before Olive died, she had a dream in which an angel appeared to her and told her to prepare to leave this earth. She pleaded with the angel that as a mother she couldn't leave me with so many little ones. But the angel told her she must prepare to leave this earth. She seemed to take this as a fact, not just a dream and when this sickness came, she told me this was the beginning of the end. We did all we could but to no effect.

I would like to include the write up in the Vernal Express:

FUNERAL RITES HELD FOR YOUNG MAESER MOTHER November 20, 1939

Vernal, Uintah Co.

Splendid Tribut paid at the Ward Chapel Sunday, to Olive Bodily, Mother of six.

Funeral services were held in the Maeser Chapel Sunday, 1 o'clock P.M. for Mrs Olive Bodily, who died Wednesday at 8:45 P.M., at the Merrel Oaks hospital at Provo, after undergoing a very serious operation for sinus infection. Services were conducted by Mark M. Hall of the Ward Bishopric. The singing was rendered by a mixed double quartet as follows: "I know my Heavenly Father Knows," "My Father Knows" and "Sister Thou was mild and lovely." Invocation was offered by Charles Colton and benediction by Lester Bingham. As special numbers, Mrs. May Jorgenson beautifully sang, "One Fleeting Hour" accompanied by Miss Lucille Johnson on the Piano and Miss Lorna Murray on the Violin. Miss Lorna Murray played a violin solo, "One Fleeting Hour", accompanied by Miss Helen Calder on the piano.

The speakers John L. McConkie, John N. Davis and President Ernest Eaton, each spoke on the beautiful and upright life of the deceased and of her love and devotion to her parents, husband and children. They also spoke of the life everlasting and of the great reward she would surely receive. A large cortege followed the remains to the Maeser cementary where interment was made. The grave was dedicated by Thomas E. Hall and was covered with a mass of beautiful flowers, which showed the love and esteem in which she was held.

Olive Marie Merkley Bodily was born 18 June 1901, at Maeser and was the youngest child of Mr and Mrs George D. Merkley. As a child she was obedient and showed much love and respect for her parents, brothers and sisters. She received her schooling at the Maeser school and at the Uintah High School. On March 31, 1920 she was married in the Salt Lake Temple to Walton Edwin Bodily youngest son of Mr and Mrs Robert Bodily Jr.

The following six children was born to this couple and together with her grief stricken husband, survive: Lucile, Lorenzo, Melvin, Anna, Gordon, Harold, also her parents, Mr and Mrs George D. Merkley and the following brothers and sisters, George A. Merkley, Mrs. Eleanor Allen, Mrs. Jane Colton of Vernal, John Henry of Lapoint, Parley of Phoenix, Arizona, Mrs Audrey Richens and Morgan Merkley of Vernal besides a host of relatives and friends.

Mrs. Bodily has been a patient sufferer for several years of sinus trouble. About eight years ago she underwent a mastoid operation at Provo and in April of 1929 an operation for sinus infection was performed by Dr. Weston Oaks of Provo. During and since that time she has suffered intense pain, making several trips to Provo for medical treatment. The last operation on Thursday of last week was on the sinus glands which had closed up causing a tumor on the brain which resulted in her death November 12.

Relatives attending from outside points were: Hank Merkley, Jensen; Mr and Mrs Clair Hacking, Mr and Mrs Carl Hacking, Mr and Mrs John Merkley and children of Lapoint; Mrs and Mrs Chris Bodily, Levi Bodily, Mr and Mrs John G. Hacking and Mrs George Young of Gusher.

The next thing that confronted me was what to do with the children. It was suggested that I split them up and put them with relatives around in different places, but I couldn't listen to this. I was determined to hold them together. Chris suggested that a widow and her daughter could come and take care of the children. Sister Carroll suggested that I get Zelpha Allen until the lady Chris was to get could come which was to be in two or three days. So acting on that suggestion I went to see Zelpha and she said she'd come for three days. While coming out on the sidewalk I had the impression she was to take care of my children, not marriage, I had no idea of that. A percular thing about it is that Chris came over in three or five days and he hadn't been to see this woman or anyone else and he didn't know why he hadn't. Zelpha was doing such a splendid job taking care of the children, I told Chris not to bother with these other women and Zelpha stayed on. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple, 18 May 1931.

The fall after we were married we took a trip to Grand junction for a load of peaches. We were gone overnight and brought back 15 bushels of fruit in the back of the car.

During the summer of 1931 or 1932 while cultivating, with the reins tied around me, the horse, named doll, got excited and started to go around and around winding me up. I tripped and she stepped on me as she whirled around. It must have broken several ribs because they were sore and painful for sometime. One day I was riding Doll and driving cows in for the evening chores. The Jersey Bull, which up to that time was gentle, charged the horse I was riding. He put his head under her flanks and raised her hind feet off the ground and scooted her wheelbarrow style on her front feet about 100 yards down through the field. From then on, he would fight and was mean, no one dared go on the same side of the fence where he was.

We lost our first baby, a boy, which was born dead October 4, 1932. We chose the name of Loren to enter on our family record for this child. We had a real big garden that year, the first frost came the night before the baby was born.

Three weeks after I married Zelpha, Bishop Lester Bingham came and asked me to be a member of the Bishopric. I was first counselor and Verdin Johnson was second counselor. We served together until Sept. or Oct of 1944. There were several ward clerks during this time: (William McConkie, Morley Jones, and Br. Abplanalp and perhaps others.) Monday night was Bishops meeting, and while I was gone Zelpha would spend this time sewing for the children, making almost everything they wore.

The July before Floyd was born (January 9, 1934) Zelpha spent in bed. During this time Anna was splitting a stump that was in the front yard and split her toe with the axe. Thoral was born August 24, 1935.

In the summer and fall of 1932 I got our logs to make the house. I hauled them out with a team and wagon and took them to the Luck sawmill to have them sawed. I scraped the basement out with a team and scraper and finished forming the sides by hand with a shovel. I burned Gyp for Lewis Timothy to pay for the plastering and the Gyp. Lewis Timothy did the plastering. I was two or three years building so we could move in. I traded wheat for shingles (which was just replaced in 1965). I payed for the sawing of the lumber with two or three cows. I just built on the house when I wasn't farming. We moved in on August 11, 1936. At that time we had only a sub floor and screen over the windows, a screen door on the front and an old wooden door on the back. We could be quite comfortable unless the wind blew. We got our furnace in October, it was November before we got outside doors and windows. Before we got the furnace we would go in the kitchen and hang quilts to the doors and windows and keep warm by the kitchen fire. I went to Salt Lake with Joe Merkley and ordered the doors and windows. We paid for the house as we went along, that is why it took so long. In December we got the flooring and put that down, at this point we did no more building for several years.

I worked as janitor in the Maeser Latter-day Saint Church and the Maeser elementary school starting in the fall of 1934. I kept the school job for one year and continued with the chapel until world war 2 was over. Merrill Anderson kept the job for about two years and then I took it again. I started as janitor of the school again in 1947 and continued with both jobs until I was 68 years old in 1956. During part of this time I ran the place for Roy Carroll and farmed on the Fisher place. I also raised chickens and sold eggs to help with the living, they sold for 10 to 20 cents a dozen, when we had the most chickens they sold for 25 to 40 cents a dozen. We would sell them to the store, Verndin Johnson and Mrs. Rudge.

November 27, 1936 Lorenzo was chopping trees down past the rock point and a tree fell on Floyed and broke his leg. The crotch of the tree lit on each side of him and if it had been a little bit either way it would have killed him.

Luella was born August 29, 1937 in the new house. Delila was born 15 May 1944 in the same house. Delores was born 24 April 1946 in the old Uintah County Hospital.

Lorenzo went into the service in 1941, he joined the National Guard and the next spring he went to active duty. That next summer was the last time he was ever home. It was reported in December 1944 that he was missing in action October 25, 1944. Melvin was in the Dutch Indies at that time and was later sent to the Phillipines.

Lucile left for the California Mission in November 1944, she was secretary of the mission. Zelpha's mother came to live with us in June 1945 and stayed until March 1946. After that she went to St. George.

I farmed at the Rock Point about 3 miles north of my home, I raised hay, grain, potatoes and corn. There was quite a bit of pasture land. We use to put cows over there in the summer and go over there to milk. I leased a place in LaPoint in 1937 for one summer, I raised hay and grain as well as water mellons. I hauled the grain, mellons etc. in wagons from LaPoint to Vernal. I rented Roy Carrolls place for about 6 years. I raised hay and grain and took care of the cows, milking and feeding, etc. Roy Carroll's place was about 3/4 of a mile from my place.

I remember very well hauling coal in a double bed wagon for use in our furnace and kitchen stove. I hauled coal from the coal mine basin west of Maeser four or five miles. If school was not going some, or all of the children, would go along for the ride. Sometimes it was quite cold and I would warm some good sized rocks in the oven to keep our feet warm, it was really cold some of the time and we would almost freeze. I think all of the children except Deliah and Delores remember these trips because I hauled coal like this until coal stockers became common and they started to see the slack coal. There were three different men who would let me screen the slack from the coal they had dug: George Bowden, Sam Grey and Briant Roper. I would hitch my team on a scrapper and scrape the slack away from the mine to make room to bring more coal out of the mine. No coal mining has been done there for a number of years now.

We put siding on the house in February of 1946. Lucile was realeased from her mission in June 1946 and she started to the B.Y.U. that year. Melvin went to the North California Mission in January 1947. Gordon went on his mission to the Eastern States January 1949. Anna Married 4 June 1948 to Charles Morrison. Harold married 16 June 1948 to Ruth Leola Dearden. I was called on a Stake Mission 1951 just about the time Gordon was released from his mission, just before Melvin was married to Margaret Joyce VanUitert 22 March 1951. Lucile was married 28 June 1951 to Vernon Leonard Anderson. Gordon was married 13 August 1951 to Jaqueline Barlow.

We got our first radio in 1932 or 1933 and payed $13,00 for it, that was quite a price for us, in those depression days. We all use to gather around to hear special programs. One of the favorites was Amos and Andy. This radio was gone before some of the younger children came along. The first radio they remember was the one Lucile brought home while she was working for the bank. Lucile was walking home from the store in the rain, with an umbrella over her head and a package under her arm. All the children were so excited - What did Lucile have? - a radio, much to their delight. Lucile also got our first overstuff set while working at the bank.

I was put in the Bishopric the first time in 1924 under Bishop Collett. I was second counselor. I continued as first counselor under Carl Richens, it was during this time the Maeser Chapel was built and dedicated in 1929. Some of the things I did in helping with the chapel was dig trenches, haul gravel with a team and wagon, run cement for the sidewalks, and other things.

I've put in seven years total on missions (foreign and stake). I've been Ward Teacher most of the years since I came home from England, except those years in the Bishopric. I have been teacher of the High Priests Quorum for about twenty years, and I still hold this position. I was President of the Elders Quorum for awhile before I was put in the Bishopric. I was in the Superintency of the Sunday School soon after I returned from my mission to England.

I feel it is fitting and appropiate and it is my desire to add a few remarks about our children, and some of their accomplishments. I may not know all the things that should be mentioned here. As some of them have not been in the locality for a number of years. I will not intentionally leave out anything that should be mentioned.

Lucile:

Lucile our oldest daughter was born 19 Oct 1921 in Vernal, Utah (Maeser) in the home now owned by Rawena Richens. She attended school in Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. She has made some outstanding accomplishments in an educational way. When a junior in high school she went out on her accounting team which won 3rd place, she won highest place in the intermountain west in accounting and won a scholarship. She has contributed many hours of service in the church in a musical way, both as pianist and chorister, as well as many other assignments.

Lucile attended L.D.S. business college after which she worked first in the Uintah State Bank (now First Security Bank of Vernal) for 2 or 3 years, then a private accounting office. After being there a year she went on a mission to the California mission from 1944-1946. Her time was spent as secretary of the mission. She returned in June and worked until fall in Salt Lake and entered B.Y.U. that fall. She worked her way through college by doing secretarial work. She majored in Chemistry. After graduation from college she worked another year as a secretary, then was married to a very nice young man; Vernon Leonard Anderson in the Salt Lake Temple 28 June 1951. They moved to Inkom Idaho where they lived until about 1962 and they moved to McCannon Idaho where they live at the present time.

They have five children: Leonal Edwin, Patricia (Patty), Nancy, Elaine and Eldon. Vernon works at a cement plant and the last few years Lucile has been teaching elementary school in McCannon.

I am sure there are many more things of interest that could be said about Lucile and her family which I hope she will make available to us in her own family history someday.

Lorenzo:

Lorenzo Edwin was born 16 October 1922 in Moffit (now Gusher) Utah. Lorenzo attended the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. After graduation from high school he wanted to join the National Guard. I told him if he was in the National Guard they would be the first to go in case war broke out, his reply was: "I don't want anyone else fighting my battles for me." He was 17 years of age at that time and of course couldn't join without my consent, he plead until I consented.

He was in the Engineers and spent time one summer in Fort Lewis, Washington being trained. He worked for farmers in the summer to make what he could but we weren't completly out of the depression then and work and money were very scarce.

Lorenzo had been in San Luis Obisop in California for sometime, he was scheduled for a furlough when the war broke out, all furloughs were cancalled and they shipped him overseas in May 1941. We hadn't seen him since the previous July and we never saw him again. He was reported missing in action October 22, 1944, we hadn't seen him for 30 months.

One of his buddies, P.F.C. Grant McMullen, wrote us a letter at Christmas time 1943 which I will insert here:

Dear Mr and Mrs Bodily

Your son Lorenzo (tiny, blondie or PJ) and I are in the same company. To repay Lorenzo's kindness to me in the last little while I would write a letter to you without him knowing it. First I am from Leeds, Utah in the St George Stake, I am an Elder. Bodily (I will call him that, it seems more natural) is just as fine as he was when he left home. Every inch of him is a real man that you can be proud of for the seven months we have known each other. We have met some of the wildest temptations there is, Bodily yet has to take his first cigarette, drink of intoxicating liquors, and to short lust a woman at any place at anytime. He is in a position to go to church which he does. Further he is getting along fine in the Co. their is a possibility of him getting a promotion. The reason I write this letter I have parents at home, if they know and are satisfied it make me happier. He is one of the finest young men I have ever met. Keep the home fires warming we will be back soon, don't worry.

Sincerely Grant

Melvin Robert:

Melvin was born 24 June 1924 in the old Fisher place where Harold Merkley now lives. The next six of our children were born in that same house.

Melvin attended and Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. After he was called into the service during the 2nd world war as a radio man in the Air Force. He was sent to the Dutch East Indies and later to the Phillipines. While in the Pacific he was allowed to visit Lorenzo for a short time. Lorenzo was surprised and didn't recognize him immediately as he wasn't nearly as large as Lorenzo when he left home and Melvin had grown to be taller than he was by then. Melvin was transferred to Leyte where he heard in a letter from home that Lorenzo was missing in action in Leyte. He immediately started to try to find out what he could about it, he got Lorenzo's belongings and enough information to send us that we knew months before the government declared him dead, that he had been killed. Melvin's efforts were a great comfort to us.

After Melvin's return from the service he worked for the Uintah School Board for quite awhile. He received a call to North California Mission, and left in January 1947. Several months of his mission were spent laboring on a chapel in Klamath Falls. He returned in December 1949 and enrolled in the B.Y.U. The next fall he was at the Semi Annual Conference in Salt Lake where he met Margaret VanUitert and in March 22, 1951 they were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Moses Lake, Washington for several years and ran an 80 acre farm there. He decided to leave the farm and started to work for Sperry Rand and moved to Bountiful, Utah where they purchased a home. His work calls for quite alot of travel; he spent 9 or 10 months in Germany in connection with his work. I don't know just all the church positions he had held. He filled a Stake Mission and was President of the Seventies while in Washington. I have heard him mention working as the Genealogy Committee man and with the Explorers.

Melvin and Margaret have a nice family, four daughters and three sons that are doing well in school and are getting to be a housefull of adults. They are: Susan, Dirk, Gary, Pamela, Deena, Annette and Jed.

I hope they will keep a family history so we will be able to know of their accomplishments.

Anna:

Anna was born 20 August 1925 in the house now owned by Harold Merkley. She attended the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. After her graduation from high school she went to Salt Lake to hunt work. After working there awhile she went to San Francisco, Calif. and worked, she was there when Lucile went on her mission and when Lorenzo was reported missing. When she came back to Vernal she started to work for two lawyers: Hugh Colton and Whitney Hammond. She worked there for years taking time out to have a baby once in awhile. A few years ago Colton and Hammond along with Anna bought the Vernal Abstract company, which Anna now runs, along with the lawyers business.

On the 5th of June 1948 she was married to a local boy; Charles Morrison in Ely Nevada, he is from the Ashley Ward. They have a nice family of five children: Robert W., Judy M. Roberts, Earl, JoAnn and Elaine.

Anna and Charles took their family to the temple in 1964 where they were all sealed. Anna served for three years as President of the M.I.A. in the Ashley ward and is now serving as Stake President of the Y.W.M.I.A. She has also served as secretary of the Sunday School, also as a teacher in the Sunday School and Primary.

Charles drives a "patrol cat" and works on road construction, he is very good at grading roads.

Gordon Davis:

Gordon was born 28 July 1927 in Maeser in the Harold Merkley place. He attended the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. He worked for neighbors doing farm work or whatever he could find. At 18 he went into the service although world war 2 had just ended.

After leaving the service he spent 2 years at B.Y.U. then in January 1949 he went on a mission to the Eastern States. During his mission he participated in the Hill Cumorah Pageant each year. He also met his future wife in the mission field, miss Jaqueline Barlow. He was asked to spend a little more time as at that time missionaries were scarce due to the war condition. He returned home in March in time to attend Melvin's wedding. He was confronted with the task of finding employment, that is when he started to work in the Bingham Copper Pit where he is still employed.

Jackie Barlow returned from her mission July 4th and they were married August 13, 1951 in the Salt Lake Temple. Gordon spent several years as Supt. of the Sunday School in the Copperton Ward and 10 years in the Bishopric, five years as Bishop. Gordon and Jackie have seven girls and one boy: Kristene, Teresa, LeAnn, Margo, Jill, Gena, Kae and Craig. Gordon is now a member of the High Council in the South Jordan Stake. Just a word of advice Gordon we hope you keep a better and more accurate family history than we have so Craig won't have to work as hard as you have to get one gathered and put together.

Harold R.:

Harold was born 14 February 1929 in the house owned by Harold Merkley. He attend the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. When he was quite young he showed interest in music and learned to play some on the piano before he had any lessons. He wanted to be at the piano whenever he found time. He took lessons from Mrs Mary Slaugh and Mrs Margaret Caldwell and did very well. He played for church organizations and was asked to play at many places, he also took some organ lessons and served for awhile as Stake Organist in the Uintah Stake. He went out on a short hand team for the High School.

When he graduated from high school he went to Provo to find work and then went to the B.Y.U. that fall. He met Ruth Dearden there and they were married June 16, 1948. They have four nice sons: Brent Dearden, Kirk Harold, Niel Ray and Scott Lorenzo.

After marriage he attended the L.D.S. Business College, he worked for a gravel company in Salt Lake doing office work. He later worked for the Salt Lake Police doing office work while there full time he returned to college. After graduation he started working for the F.B.I. in California. He lives in West Covina, California. His oldest son is married and has a daughter, our first great grandchild. I'm sure there would be many more interesting things that could be written if we didn't live so far apart and knew more about what they were doing, their interests and hobbies and that goes for all his brothers and sisters too.

He is now going to night school working on his masters degree. Ruth is also going to school parttime studying to be a youth counselor.

Loren:

This was our first baby which was stillborn 4 October 1932. We chose to enter the name of Loren on our records.

Floyd Walton:

Floyd was born 9 January 1934 in the Harold Merkley place. He attended the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. He had his leg broke six weeks short of his third birthday, by a tree falling on it, which his brother chopped down. When Floyd was 13 months old Melvin, Anna, Gordon and Floyd all had the red measles in January and February. They were quite sick, especially Gordon. Lucile and Harold had the measles in the June previous but had a very mild case.

After high school he worked for some of the farmers here in Maeser: Grant Hacking and Dee Jenkins and also awhile for Ferron Hacking and helped many out in threshing and during the haying season. In 1953 he went to Moses Lake, Washington for two or three months. When he came back he went to the Bingham Copper Pit to work. While working there he met Fern Hallett who he later married. He has been active in the church. While living in Bingham Canyon he served as Supt. of the M.I.A., secretary of the M.I.A., also first counselor in the Elders Quorom.

After moving to Vernal in 1959 he has been first counselor in the Elders Quorum, President of the Seventies Quorum, first counselor in the Stake Mission which he served for five years. He is currently filling an Indian Mission working in Randelett, he has been assigned as young marrieds leader.

When he came back to Vernal he worked a short time for a gas company then he got work with the Uintah Freight Co. where he is still working. Floyd and Fern have six children: LorRin, Beth, DeeAnn, Sharlene, Dale Walton and Karen.

Thoral Allen:

Thoral was born August 24, 1935 in the Harold Merkley place. He attended the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. After high school he was around home for a year and worked wherever he had the opportunity, mostly helping with harvest work. That winter he was secretary of the M.I.A. He also started to court his future wife: Donna Lee Hulbert.

In the spring of 1955 he started working at the Bingham Copper Pit. He worked a few weeks before his marriage to Donna. Floyd and Thoral were married to their wives in a double wedding, June 14, 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. After their marriage they lived in apartments in Bingham Canyon. While there he served in the Elders Quorum as secretary, that fall he was put in as counselor in the M.I.A.

In April at the age of 20 he was chosen as second counselor in the Bishopric in the Bingham ward, later he was put in as first counselor. They moved back to Vernal in the summer of 1959. He had been layed off work because of a lull in work and hadn't been able to find other work.

He started working for the Coca Cola Bottling Co. for Douglas Larson, he worked there until he started working for the Uintah Freight lines where he still works. Over the years he has been Supt. of the M.I.A. Supt. of the Sunday School, Cub Scouts and a Stake Mission where he served as secretary and second counselor. On February 4, 1968 he was sustained as Bishop of the Maeser first ward with Glen Vernon and Francis K. Bowden as counselors and Boyd Price as clerk.

Thoral and Donna had three children: Allen Hulburt, Janette and Michell. The youngest died at birth. Over the years they have adopted and had sealed to them five children, they got them in this order: Thoral Richard at 3 1/2 years of age, Kenneth Troy at 8 days old, Dar Layna at 8 months of age, Sherry and Kimberly at 7 and 4 years of age. At present the children are: Allen 13, Janette 12, Thoral 11, Sherry 9, Kenneth 6, Kimberly 6 and Dar Layna 5.

Luella:

Luella was born 29 August 1937 in our new house or the one we now live in. A little girl after 5 boys in a row. Luella attended the Maeser grade school and the Uintah High School. After she finished high school she was employed by the telephone company as an operator. She worked for the telephone company until just before her second child was born. She was stake Secretary of the Y.W.M.I.A.

She married Forrest Stewart Evans 14 April 1968 in the Salt Lake Temple. Forrest was in the service at that time and was sent to Korea when his leave was ended. Luella stayed with us for awhile while he was gone, then she went to town and stayed with Annie Morrison for awhile where she was closer to her work. After Forrest returned from overseas they went to Texas where he finished his time in the service. They came back to Vernal and worked here for awhile then moved to Kearns, later to Midvale, at present they live in Murray.

Luella has worked as teacher in Primary, M.I.A., a visiting teacher in the Relief Society and secretary in the Relief Society.

They have three children: Shane Stewart, Valerie and Jennifer. They lived in a trailer house for sometime but now live in their own home which is a brick house. Forrest works for American Oil Co.

Delila:

Delila was born 15 May 1944 in the house we now live in. We were surprised to get another girl, two in a row just hadn't happened to us before. She attended the Maeser grade school, Uintah High School. Her boy friend went on a mission and she worked in the First Security Bank in Vernal. She was secretary of the Y.W.M.I.A. and she also taught in the junior Sunday School. On 13 August 1964 she married Ward E. Goodrich in the Salt Lake Temple, one week after he returned from his mission.

They lived in Vernal until early the next spring then went to Salt Lake. They didn't have steady employment for awhile and spent sometime in Vernal and sometime in Salt Lake. They then moved to Idaho Falls then to Rigby Idaho where they now reside.

They have three boys: Shannon Dale, Troy Sith and Cory. They have just moved into their new home about 2 miles out of Rigby, Idaho. In Rigby Delila has worked in the Primary and as activity counselor in the Y.W.M.I.A.

Deloris:

Deloris was born 24 April 1946 in the old Vernal hospital. The hospital was so full they let us come home the morning after she was born instead of staying the 10 days we were supposed to stay there.

Delores attended the Maeser grade school, Uintah Junior High and the Uintah High School. She made up her mind she wanted to be a school teacher so she prepared to go to college. She decided she wanted to go to Snow college. She went to Snow college for two years and graduated from there then went two years to the USU at Logan. She graduated from USU in June, 1968. She was married in the Salt Lake Temple 14 June 1968 to David Lowel Hanson whom she met her first year at Snow college. David had filled a mission and attended one year at USU and needed another year before he could teach. They rented an apartment in Logan and finished his school. He worked at school and part time at a roofing job. Deloris tended two babies so they could live while David finished school.

They now live in Midvale in their own home where he teaches school. They have two girls: Trudy and DaShelle. Delores is second counselor in the Primary and David is second counselor in the Bishopric.

The following is an article from the Vernal Express:

WALTON E. BODILY SUCCUMBS IN VERNAL HOSPITAL

Walton Edwin Bodily was cited at funeral services Friday at 11 a.m. in the Maeser First Ward. Councilor John Evans Jones officiated.

Family prayer was given by Thoral A. Bodily. Theresa Anderson played the prelude and postlude music. Invocation was given by Harold R. Bodily.

Councilor Jones offered the opening remarks. The opening song, "Silver Haired Daddy of Mine," sung by Wayne Hall, who accompanied himself on the guitar. The first speaker was Dan W. Turner, followed by a piano solo, "Nearer My God to Thee" and "Oh My Father", by Dale W. Bodily. The concluding speaker was Lyle Glines with the closing song, "Home on the Range," sung by Mr. Hall. Benediction was by Floyd W. Bodily.

Melvin R. Bodily dedicated the grave in the Maeser Cemetery. Pallbearers were grandsons of the deceased, Robert and Earl Morrison, Allen and Thoral Bodily, Dirk and Gary Bodily, Shane Evans and Eldon Anderson. Honorary pallbearers were the High Priest Quorum. The Maeser Ward Relief Society was in charge of flowers.

Mr. Bodily, who died in the Uintah County Hospital of a heart attack December 30, was born January 11, 1888 in Vernal. He was the son of Robert Bodily and Harriet Ann Roberts. He married Olive Marie Merkley March 31, 1920 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. She died November 12, 1930. He married Zelpha May Allen May 18, 1931 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He was a farmer and custodian for the Uintah County School District and Maeser Ward LDS Church. He served an LDS mission to England from 1915 to 1919, was instructor for the High Priest group for 16 years, served three stake missions, served in the bishopric for 19 years in Maeser Ward and was a teacher in Sunday School.

Survivors are his widow, Vernal; five sons, five daughters, Melvin R., Bountiful; Harold R., West Covina, California; Gordon D., Copperton, Utah; Floyd W. and Thoral W., both of Vernal; Mrs Vernon (Lucile) Anderson, McCammon, Idaho; Mrs Charles (Anna) Morrison, Vernal; Mrs. Forrest (Luella) Evans, Murray, Utah; Mrs. Ward (Delila) Goodrich, Rock Springs, Wyoming; Mrs. David (Deloris) Hanson, Midvale, Utah; 58 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Isabelle Hacking, Vernal; and Mrs. Roy (Sylvia) Richens, Mesa, Arizona.

There were over 80 family members from out of town who attended the services addition to friends.