Friday, January 9, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OSCAR

Today is Oscar's Birthday. He was born in 1915, in Lake Fork. He would be 94 years old today. He was born in the Stone House, the third child,(10 children altogether) second son to Oscar And Naomi . He went to grade school in a one room log school house. He never did finish high school, but stayed home to help on (Cliffside Ranch) the farm. On Feb. 9, 1942, he married Jean Stokes in the Logan Temple. Shortly after that he was inducted into the army. Jean moved back home to her parents and taught in a one room school house in Bothwell. She was a faithful letter writer and picture taker. He went into the service as a foot soldier, but soon became Calvary. He was a guard over the arsenal at Pine Buff Arkansas. He transferred to Fredrick Maryland as military Police, guarding an experiment Post of Bacterial War fare. He transferred again to Dugway Proving Grounds as a quarter master.After two years there he was discharged, but held in reserve. His discharge was a mistake. There was another man with the same name at Clearfield . They were able to clear the mistake as their wives had different names. He then was at a navy Depot, and he also served at Bushnell Hospital as a quartermaster. He then worked for civil service as a supply clerk an lived in Roy. At that time as Jean was very sick and in the hospital there. She had a lung disease. I don't know what it was called. At one time she was expecting a baby, but they took the baby in hopes of prolonging her life. This must have been a sad time for them. It all looks so matter of fact when it's in ink, but I can't imagine what this time was like for them. Jean never did get well, and due to complications of pneumonia, she died on the 19Th of Oct, 1947.Add Image
Sometime after Jeans death, Oscar served a mission to the Northern States East Liverpool Ohio mission. (?) I'm not sure this is the exact name of the mission he served. After returning from his mission he came home to farm. In May of 1951 He married Reva Bell Mitchell. They continued to farm and became the parents of 2 daughters and 3 sons. (DHis # 2 son). For some of this time they did not live in the stone house, but rented homes in the area. His parents were still alive but his mother was in poor health. She had suffered a stroke and was in a wheel chair. The farm was 600 some acres of land, 125 head of cattle, and hay production. They had a cattle range permit on Anthro mountain for 25 years. Oscar and Reva were very active in the Church and fulfilled many callings there. They raised their family on the farm and taught them how to work hard. DH and I bought the farm some time after our marriage. We did not live in the stone house at time, but had our own home on the western end of the farm. Together Oscar and Reva served as Temple workers , as well as Serving a mission in the Raleigh North Carolina mission. Reva passed away Jan. 7Th 1991 from a massive heart attack. Oscar was devastated.
The ambulance came to the stone house and took her to the hospital in Roosevelt. After her death, He never went back to the stone house to live. He lived with DH and our family. May 23rd 1992 Oscar married Melvina Alexander. They soon moved to a home she had bought in Town and they lived there for a few years. At that time DH and I sold our home and moved into the Stone House. Oscar had suffered many slight strokes, and had lost most of the use of his legs. He came to live with us in the Stone House, but soon was very ill with pneumonia. At 4:00a.m. on Aug. 27Th 2003 Oscar passed from this life into the next. At the time of his death, he had 21 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, 33 step grandchildren and 20 step great grandchildren. What a great man Oscar was. I can still picture him in my mind, riding off across the field on the back of his horse Salty whose tail is switching as his trots on, Oscar's hat at a jaunty angle, with a small grandson or two up in the saddle with him. I know he's busy today, doing some kind of missionary work, and that he's aware of our lives here and loves us still from the other side of the Veil. I loved this man. Happy Birthday Oscar.

1 comment:

Purcell Family said...

Wow! He really had an amazing life. I can't imagine lossing your baby and then your wife. That must have been so difficult. He was an amazing man.