JAMES EDWIN HAMBLIN

 

James Edwin Hamblin was the oldest of ten children born to William and Mary Jones Hamblin. He was born Dec.23, 1903 at Victor, Idaho.  In James’s own words he said, “I was born into this life through a wonderful father and mother. I was blessed in our home if I remember right what my mother told me, because as a baby I had pneumonia and the Elders were called to administer to me. 

Right to left: Lora, Remo, Bill, Delmer, James

''My Uncle Dave Sinclair was chosen as the 1st Bishop of the Victor Ward. My father was the first Ward Clerk. 1 was baptized in a large warm spring that flowed out at the foot of a mountain in Teton Valley. I think my brother Vernon Delmer was baptized the same day. It was July 5, 1914. I was ten and Delmer was 8. Brother Isaac Allen baptized me. I was confirmed by a dear old Danish brother Hans Hansen who had been converted in Denmark and spoke very broken English that  - was hard for me to understand.  The thing l remember most about that day was after I was baptized someone told me that I had coal black all over my face. I had been out playing and came into the Church house and sat on the bench with the others to be confirmed before my mother noticed it. After my mother got hold of me after the meeting I felt like a black sheep of the Church. 

One of James’s earliest memories is of going on a train with his parents where his father worked on the Minidoka Dam on the Snake River. They lived in a tent in a camp. James was only about 3 at the time.  Also about that age he remembers that they were living at the hotel in Victor that his aunt Kate Hamblin owned. Aunt Kate brought him the first pair of shoes that he remembered having. They were red.  

When James was about 4 or 5 he was sent over to his uncle Heber Beddeses for his first hair cut. When Heber got through he gave James a dime. He felt that he was very rich. James’s hair was curly and came down to his shoulders before his hair cut. His mother hated to have his curls cut off.   

  When James was a young boy his father and uncle Heber had  gone someplace to work. His mother and the kids went to stay  with aunt Mandy Beddes. James and his cousin Heber went each  day up to their farm to feed the chickens and gather the eggs.

 

THE GHOST CHICKEN

 

Two little cousins went out to chore

With thoughts when through of playing some more.

They were gathering eggs from the ol’ chicken coop.

Reach under the hen, retrieve with a scoop.

Oh dear. Next was the old setty hen. 

She was bald on top like some of the men.

One of their names was Mr. Peterson

So that’s what they called her, this old setty one.

Now James was determined her eggs to git

So he picked up a stick and gave her a hit.

Oh no! She fell o’er. They thought she was dead.

They shouldn’t have hit her so hard on the head.

Oh My. We’re in trouble, In TROUBLE they said.

So they took that poor chicken, the one that was dead.

They put her right down and gave her a push

And covered her with leaves right under a bush.

Next day, to the coop, they slowly went in.

And  there is ol’ Peterson a sittin’ again

“A ghost chicken !! “ They started to shout

Then they decided they had just knocked her out/

Now two little cousins go out to chore

They don’t hit Ol’ Peterson, not anymore.

 

When James was about 9 or 10 he saw his first car.  He wanted to ride in it so much, but his mother wouldn’t let him ride in such a dangerous thing.  James felt so bad.  He thought he had missed the chance of a lifetime and that he’d never get another chance to ride in a car.  Little did he know that during his life time he would not only ride in many cars but he would own many of them. Later he would  ride in airplanes, jet planes, and even a large cruise ship.     

James’s parents homesteaded a farm about 5 miles from Victor Idaho.  His father built a 2 room log house on the farm.  In summer the farm was a beautiful place. In the winter it was very cold.  The winters were long, the snow was deep and blizzards made drifts that sometimes got 6 or 7 feet deep or even deeper. Fences and roads would be completely covered with snow drifts.  James remembered that during one blizzard the snow drifted in under the door leaving a path of snow up to a foot deep.              

School was held in a Presbyterian Church when  James first started school. His first day he was so shy and didn't want to talk to anyone. He answered every question asked him with a yes or a no and nothing more. His Uncle Parl Jones, who was  about 3 1/2 years older, gave James a scolding after school asking disgustedly, “Why did ya just sit there sayin' yes or no fer?” Getting an education was a lot harder then than it is today, as we will see later in this history.  Sometimes James rode a horse to school. When the weather was good he had to walk to school usually. One time they put a horse with a neighbors horse to pull a wagon or sleigh to school. They'd leave the team at Ed Kearsleys during school. That didn't last too long because they couldn't get along to well. In the winters James and his brothers, Delmer, Bill, and Remo often stayed with their Grandpa and Grandma Jones who lived about. a mile out of town Sometimes they walked to school. If the weather was really bad Grandpa Jones took them along with his younger children, Marley, Elmer, Pearl and Parl in a bobsled to school.      

James and Lora

A few years later the family would move into town when the  weather was bad so the children could go to school.  One winter they moved into a 2 room house.  Another time they lived with the William Barker family.  During the winter of 1916-7 there was a lot of sickness in town. This was during the great influenza epidemic that was across the nation. This may have been a factor in the Hamblins moving to Monarch, Utah that summer.      

The railroad came to Victor when James was quite young.  He watched with interest, the track being laid.  The first day that the train came into town the school was let out so the kids could see the train come in.  This was something very special to them.  They all stood around looking at the train.  The engineer put his head out of the  window and yelled, “Look out kids, I'm doing to turn this thing around!” The kids scattered  in al1 directions.   

I have to tell the Bobcat story about James because it was a favorite story. When James was about 13, he and his uncle Parl Jones, about 16, decided to go up in. the mountain to pick Huckleberrys 4 or 5 miler south of the Hamblin farm, by Hog Snoot Peak. (10 mikes west of Victor)  James began calling the peak Hog Snout when he was about 8 and everyone else began to use that name for it.    The boys took their buckets and a Dog named Cap. James said  Cap didn't have a bucket but was determined to go anyway  because he loved the boys. He said they had to walk because it  was quicker than riding a horse--because  they didn't have a  horse to ride and anyway a horse couldn't go through Doc Woods  fence. They got to the huckleberry patch just before noon, ate  their lunch and a few huckleberries, (best tasting berries in  the world, especially with cream and sugar] on the way home  they decided to go to another berry patch that the Hamblins and  their neighbors claimed, although it belonged to the US Forest  Service. As they got near the patch they could hear people  talking and buckets rattling. The boys devised a plan to rid  the people from ‘their’ berry patch.  James could mimic a bobcat very well so he began  ''rneowing” After 2 or 3 meows all was quiet. James became  quiet too and soon the talking and picking began again.  James began to ‘meow’ again several times. All became quiet,  Soon someone yelled, ''Let's get out of here!” The yelling and  banging of buckets could be heard as they went to their wagons.  About then old Cap ran from the boys and down to the people and  the “bobcat” was let out of the bag. The boys were sure mad at  that old tattle tale dog. After that some of those people  called James “Bobcat''.      

In telling about the cold winters, James said that sometimes  the snow came early, before the thrashing was done. Then the  thrasher had to be put on runners and pulled from place to  place to finish the thrashing.

One summer James’s Dad had been to busy to get enough wood  hauled for their winter use. He and the boys had to take a sled  and go to the creek and get willows to burn in the stove.  Their house was about  1/4 mile off the road and at the bottom  of a hill. Often the wind would blow the snow off the hill and  into their road filling it with snow drifts. Sometimes it  would be days before they could get it all shoveled out by   hand. Then after getting the road shoveled it may be drifted  full again the next morning.  Marley was born January 31, 1916.  A doctor had come to town  and the midwives had to quit delivering babies, so Grandma  Jones couldn’t  deliver Marley. The roads were badly drifted. As the doctor was coming his horse slipped off  the road into a drift and had to be dug out before he could came and deliver Marley. After  that they were completely snowed in for several days. 

The winters were bad but the summers were fun. They could  fish and swim in the creek not far from their house. James  enjoyed riding horses and hiking. His favorite horse was  Kernal.

Christmases were rather sparse as far as gifts went. Christmas trees could be found not far from their home.  James said that one year the only gift he got was a glass salt cellar, a little dish to put salt in.  They got their usual homemade gifts, knit stockings, mittens and other clothing.  James’s mother made most of their clothing, even the bib overalls until the boys were quite big.  James said he cried for joy one time when someone gave them a chest of drawers. They needed it so much.     

James wrote the following: Quite a few families from Victor had moved to the Neola and Monarch, Utah areas and settled there as pioneers in the Uintah Basin. The Barnes, Blanchards, Beddeses and a few others had moved there. Two of Mothers sisters were living there. (Lovina Blanchard and Mandy Beddes) Grandma and Grandpa Jones had spent about a year near Vernal, Utah. They had listened to the tall tales that were told of the wonderful land. water, climate, timber and many other resources, including oil that were there. Dad and Mother were convinced that this was a good place to live.

“We left a beautiful, green farm in the northwest corner of the Teton valley where a big, cold water spring flowed out of the ground in about the middle of the ranch. There were quaking aspens and pines growing over most of the place. 1 caught my first fish about 20 rods from our log house in the creek that flowed from the big spring. Father pulled off some of the trees and planted grain which grew without being watered. The grass grew above our knees through the trees. The drawback to this was the snow. The beautiful Teton Mountains furnished scenery for us. In the winter sometimes we'd be snowed in for days at a time. I could tell a lot about the cold and snow that would equal that in Canada I think. 

 “In late August, 1917, we left the valley with 2 covered  wagons and a small buggy .Grandfather Jones' wagon was pulled by a big beautiful team of mules. We had a brand new wagon and a large team of horses.  Kernal pulled the buggy. The third night out we slept out near the bank of the Snake river. The next morning we hitched up the horses and left camp. We had gone about 1/4 mile and 1 looked around and wagon cover was burning. We got it put out quickly after a lot of quick  work by  my father. We kept the coal oil lantern hanging under the cover of the wagon bows and had forgotten to blow out the light on the wick.   

“Mother did the cooking over an open fire or in the Dutch  oven during the 19 days we were on the road. I won't ever enjoy food as  much as I did on that trip.”    James’s mother drove the little buggy and the  younger kids rode with her. James sometimes rode with his  Grandpa Jones.  One night the horses became frightened and pulled loose. The  next morning bear tracks were found not far from their camp   . When they went up the steep narrow road where the Palisade.' Dam now is. James walked up in head to the top  of the hill so that he could tell anyone coming up the other side to wait for them.   The road was so steep and narrow that no one could pass on it. 

They got to Monarch on Sept. l7th.  James said ‘I imagine the contrast to leaving that beautiful   valley and coming into this dry, sandy, sagebrush covered prickly pear infested desert, and having to dig ditches and canals and clear off the brush. A lot of you older people will  remember how the wind would blow the sand and dirt off  the plowed ground and the clothes hanging on the line were filled with prickly pear needles.

 “The first winter we lived with the William Blanchard family, an Aunt and Uncle. We lived mostly on beans, which were a treat for awhile because in Idaho the growing season was to short to grow them. They  got monotonous after awhile.         

“The next spring we had to clear the brush off from  a 40 acre  farm that a  man had charged Father far to much for. Father  got sick and had to have an operation. (Hernia) The neighbors  came and helped to clear and plant the land, helped rail off  the brush and did other things for us.      “The next winter we moved onto the land and lived in  tent  until we got a house built. That  was the winter that the Flu  killed so many people. Back in Idaho an Uncle, two Aunts and  several cousins died from it  Also our good  doctor died from  the  Flu that winter. Here is  where I’m sure the Lord knew what was  best for our family. I have often thought what would have   happened had we been snowed  in with the Flu and couldn’t  have gotten out for help. 

“The Indians won out in a lawsuit about the first year we  were here, over the water. They got first water and from then  on for about 20 years most of the time our crops burned up and  it was hand to barely exist. Beans were our first serving and  for dessert we had more beans. Most of our clothes were second  hand, sent to us from  family in Victor, Idaho. 

“Father had a mail contract carrying mail from Cedarview to  Monarch three times a week, which brought in about $35 a month.  This lasted about 8 years. The Government bought our  cows and  calves, $3-$5 a head for calves and $10-$12 for  the cows. They   would slaughter the cows and calves and give us the meat.  We didn't have any electricity for freezing the meat the only way  to preserve it was to bottle it.”   

For awhile James worked at a government sawmill on John Starr  Flat about 10 miles north of their home. One day while walking  to or from work there James felt a special spirit that made him feel  that be should become active in the church and that he'd be  blessed for it.     James also worked on the Cedarview Reservoir. All the dirt  had to be moved with dirt scrapers, pulled by horses and  handled by the men. Dirt was loaded into wagons. Boards in the  bottom of the wagons could be loosened and turned to let the  dirt fall out. After it was built the Indians got the use of it.         

James had finished 8th grade in the .little school in Monarch. The nearest high school was in Roosevelt,   l5 miles away. There  was no transportation available. Before school buses started  it was almost impossible for anyone wanting to go to high school from Monarch to Roosevelt a distance of 12 to 15 mites to  travel that far to high school. James was out of 8th grade  before busses started.  

    James wrote this about his schooling. “The first winter 1 went  to High school, 1922-23 I rented a room and boarded with the  Thomas Springthorpe family in Roosevelt for part of the winter. I rode an Indian pony about 4 miles and caught  John Barbers  bus at the Montwell Branch Church and rode from there to the  high school. The next year for the last month or two I drove  John barber's bus to the end of the year.  I know there weren't any factory built busses in Duchesne  County at that time. The drivers put wagon bows on truck beds  or rigged up some kind of a bed that would make a rain or snow  shelter without any heaters in them.

“The next year, after driving Mr. Barbers bus, I bought a 1 ton Chevrolet truck and had my father build  up a wall from the truck bed on up a little higher and put a canvas shelter over it.  I used  it  that way  for part  of the year until  so many children came that I had to buy  a bigger truck and built a  bigger box on it . That year the county  school board was to poor to pay only part  of the school transportation . The driver was to collect the other part  from the students. Too many of the people couldn’t pay. It made me  skimp to get enough to pay expenses   .In the school year 1928-29 1 took a job from  Duchesne County  School District  f or 4 years taking kids from Monarch to Neola to the Neola school . It was a 4  year contract at $125 a month. I had to furnish my own bus . We contracted a carpenter , Mr. Harry Owens  to build a bus body on the new 1928 Model 1 ton Chevrolet Chassis . Later in the year I got $140 per month by putting in a petition to the school board.  James drove the bus from 1928 through 1935 except from April 1933 to Christmas that year when he went  on a Mission for the LDS church. His brother Bi11 drove it then .  For some time James drove the bus to Roosevelt, probably 1924 or25 to 27.     He drove the bus while he was attending Roosevelt High School where he graduated.

James continued, “I  hauled an average, I think,  of about 34 children per year.  Our roads were narrow, graded dirt roads and a one mile stretch of that road was a very heavy,  blue clay which got very sticky and  hard to get through in the spring when the snow melted. The mud would stick to my front  wheels so badly that they would slide instead of turning. One spring I twisted off an axle in n the mud .  “I made a very good record of getting to school on time . 1 missed a couple of days one winter after a bad blizzard . Mr. C.A Brown , who used to  grade the roads with  a power driven grader said it would be  impossible  to get through to school until he could clear out  the drifts, so I missed two days . Mr.George .Yeager said  that he checked the bus each morning as I drove to school  and that my  time only varied 1 to 5 minutes. Many times I had to crawl under the bus in the mud and snow and put chains on the tires. I got to be very good at it  says I.         

When James was a young man he loved to play baseball.  He was a very good pitcher.  A neighbor, C.A. Brown used to tell James he should try pitching for a big league because he was that good.  Each community had their own ball team.  James was the pitcher for the Montwel team.  His brother Jess said that one year the Myton team had won every game they’d played that year.  They boasted about how they would beat Montwel.  Jess said that James got every player out and Myton never got even one run in that game.    

James became active in the Church about 1920  when he was 15  or 16. He was ordained  a Deacon  20 Nov . 1921 by Thomas  Springthorpe.  He was ordained a Priest  9 November, 1922  by Bishop Ovey A.Richardson.   On June 20, 1926 James was ordained an Elder  by  Bishop Riçhardson the same day as his father was ordained an Elder.  On July 14,1926 James received his  Temple  Endowments  in the Mŕnti LDS Temple .  His family  was sealed together as an Eternal Family that day. James took most of  them  to Manti  in his school bus. Some of them went in a car of one of James’s brothers.      

James served  as Ward  Clerk of  the Montwel Ward from  28 Dec. 1928 until 17  Feb.  l 936. He wŕs ordained a High Priest 8  May, 1932  by Apostle Melvin J. Ballard when he was put in as 2nd  counselor to Bishop Richardson in the Montwel Ward Bishopric. Later he became 1st  councilor him and also to Bishop Arthur  Wiscomb and to Bishop Stephen Adams. James served as Ward Clerk and  Councilor at the same time.    

James married Reita Hunt  13 June, 1930 in the Salt Lake Temple .  James wrote the following about when he  met Reita : “The first time I met Reita was at her Uncle Alvin's potato patch. He got me to go to his place to pick up potatoes . He also had Edward Hunt's children to come pick up potatoes. He would plow  out the potatoes and we'd pick them up and put them in his wagon box so h e could haul them to his cellar. I think there were two of  Mr. Hunts girls and one boy. The boy's name was Pete and the girls names were Reita and Amy. Reita was about 10 years old and l was about 17. While we were working something said to me that someday she will be your wife (Reita). Then 1 said to myself that couldn't be because l was much other than her, and the thought didn't come to mind anymore then.

''Time Went on and 1 went to High School. I drove school bus and went to school some of the time. Part of the time Reita rode on the bus. 1 had other girls on my mind but was too bashful to go with any of them. The year after I graduated was Leap Year and they used to have girl's choice dances on Leap Year. Reita chose me to go to the dance with her. Well even after that I didn't dare ask her to go to any more dances. Her former boyfriend wanted to go to the dance with some other girl and he talked me in to taking Reita. Well that started it. Reita was working for Mrs. Ray Dillman at the time in Roosevelt and Mr. Dillman would tease us about going with each other, which made it hard for me to go and get her. It went on for about 2 years and I didn't dare ask her if she would marry me for fear she would hear me. 

''One time 1 took her to a picture show in an old Modal T Ford. It made such a rattle T bang noise that 1 thought, Well, I dare  ask her now because I'm sure she couldn't hear me. Just about that time we hit a smooth place in the road along an Maurel Taylor's place and she must have heard me or thought I said something else because I heard her say. “Yes”.  But she made me wait two years while she finished high school before we got married.

“Well the day we got married was the happiest and luckiest day of my life even though it was Friday, June 13th, 1930. I knew that the words I heard in the potato patch that she would someday be my wife were true.” They were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.  They were living in a two room log house where Louis and Evelyn Loranger now live when their first daughter Ila Vee was born, 26 May 1931. Louis and Evelyn have added more to the house.   They were living in 2 rooms of James’s parents home when James Ballard was born  Feb.11, 1933. 

In April 1933 James went on a mission for the LDS Church to serve in the Western States Mission on a short term Mission. He served in New Mexico and in Colorado. He met some Hamblin relatives there. Two of his companions were Elder Saddler and Elder Norris. Part way through he came home to get his car to use in his mission. At this time the great Depression was on and it was a great sacrifice for James to go, both for him and for his wife, Reita and their two children. James returned from his Mission just before Christmas that year. Reita and the two babies were staying in Monroe, Utah with her father, Ed Hunt.   

James was buying his father-in-laws home and farm in Montwel. The home was large and unfinished. Rather than finish it he decided to build a small home until they could build a larger home. They did live in the big house for awhile. It was hard to heat  The new house  had 2 rooms and a screened front porch. Later glass windows were put in the porch and it was used as a room. Delmer Hyrum was born there 11 Feb. 1935 and nearly two years later Ruth Jeanette was born 3 Feb. 1937. In 1934-35 the depression was still very bad. Jobs were very scarce. Many people were receiving food commodities from the government to help exist. Reita and James were expecting their third baby and they had no baby clothes for it. Mr. Brown who was in charge of the commodities tried to get James to get food. He didn't want to but finally decided that there was no other way but to accept them. He went to Mr. Browns. There were others there getting their food. As James walked in Mr. Brown said, “Wel1, James it looks like you finally decided to break down and get some food.”  James turned around and walked out.

Very soon after this James was given a job as a county Deputy Assessor. He got a months pay advanced and was able to get clothes for the baby and the food they needed and to pay the doctor when Delmer was born. This was a great blessing to them. Delmer was born soon afterward. The Depression passed and things began to get a little better.   About 1937 James bought a new Willis car. On August1,1941 a new son joined the family. Duane Edwin was born at the family home. 

World War 11 broke out 7 Dec. 1941. James had three brothers in the service: Bill, Remo and Jess. 

James was one to keep up with progress. He bought, probably the first tractor in Montwel, a John Deere. He was also the first to get electric milking machines. Electricity had come to the rural areas in 1938or 39, although it was in the 40s when he got the milkers. He and Reita milked a lot of cows by hand morning and night all year long for a long time.

James raised potatoes to sell. He sold some to Cash Meat Market or traded them for groceries. 1 remember going with him to the Chinaman’s store, Wing C. Wongs in Fort Duchesne, to take some potatoes. It was in the winter and the store had closed. I was in the store with some Chinese ladies who were cleaning up the glass show cases. I was rather nervous. It was so cold coming home that the windshield frosted over...no defrosters then. Dad had a small c1oth sack with salt in it and he’d wipe that across the windshield to melt a-peekhole in the frost so he could see out..  

Irrigating was a very hard and tiresome job, especially when it was hot weather.  Ila remembers her Dad coming in the house after irrigating.  He laid down on the cool linoleum floor to rest.  Duane was a small tot then.  He got straddle of his Dad across his stomach and bounced up and down like he was riding a horse.  James must have been really tired because he let Duane play there for some time. 

James raised hay which was mowed and raked by horse drawn machinery, hauled loose on a wagon and stacked in large hay stacks.. He raised grains which were cut and bound into shocks, hauled and thrashed with the thrasher that came around  to the farms.  People traded work then and helped each other put up hay and thrash. Later the grain was combined with the new combine machine.    

 After the War ended James decided it was time to build a larger house for their family of  7 now. He got a permit for   house logs in the mountains: His father and brothers helped to cut them. Even the kids. helped. peel, the bark from the logs. It was fun to go to the mountains and have a picnic while the men . loaded the logs on the truck to haul home. The logs were painted with Linseed oil after being peeled and cut on three sides. A 5 room home was built with the logs standing up instead of laying down. It took a long time to get it where it could be lived in. The family was so crowded in the little house and a new baby was on the way. They moved into the unfinished house 19 Nov.1945. It was 1948 before they got the water and bathroom in.      

The following are notes from James’s diary written in 1945-46-47.  August 29, 1945:We hauled hay on my place.  James B. had a runaway with the roll off team.  He was hurt some but was blessed by getting clear of the horses and cable.  August 31. I finished planting alfalfa seed.  Worked part of the day leveling the race track at the [Montwel] rodeo grounds.  George Hunt struck water on the rodeo grounds well  October 11, James’s farming methods were featured on KSL radio on “This Business of Farming” program.  November 10,We planned to finish the oats and finish the kitchen.  It snowed this morning and couldn’t do the oats.  Mr. Crow couldn’t finish [plastering] the kitchen because he didn’t have enough good lime.  November 14, Chores. Got ready to help Mr. J.C. Crow finish plastering. [we doed it]  November 19, We spent the first night in the new house.  It was only finished a little.  The living room wasn’t finished enough to use then. We used the kitchen  and bedrooms which were unfinished, too.  [Later that winter windows were put in the living room.  The front door was covered with Celotex and the back door was used to enter and leave. It was hardly livable but we were so crowded in the little 3 room house with 7 of us and another on the way.  We had Thanksgiving in the new house, too.]  Feb. 17…Went to town to take Father to Dr. Whitmore.  Told him to go to the hospital.  Put him in a private ward. He was very bad. Went to church.  James B. had his Scout uniform  on for church scout program.  His father fell from the hospital bed which made him worse.  Feb.19, a little past midnight was sure father wouldn’t live many more hours.  He finally began to stir and came out of sleep.  He wanted James Bacon [who was there] and James to  Administer to him.  We did and it seemed to help him.  We stayed until morning and he seemed better.  He burned his back on an electric blanket. [maybe a heating pad]  March 22,23,24, James spent time with his father sitting up with him at night. [He may have been home by then.]  

Oct.1st, Went to upper field and hauled last load of alfalfa seed before breakfast.  Went down to help Ed and Lora haul 3rd crop hay.  Met with three men from Hi-Land Dairy.  They offered $1.04 a lb. for butter [fat] I promised to let them have mine.  Oct.3rd Worked on potato digger and car. Got the team went to Eds and got Cliff’s wagon.  Hauled one load of corn from upper place.  Went and visited Mom and Dad  In the evening.[they had moved into their new house on the corner of James’s place.  Bud and Vivian Hamblin live there now.]  Oct.9th, Got up at 5:10am.Finished disking ground above Johnson’s.  Worked on the carburetor of the car. Went to church house and chopped weeds.  Got the  recapped tire.  Doctored the grain seed with farmaldahide.  We all went out and watched the meteors fall.  I went over to see if Dad and Mother could see them. 

Oct.10th Fanned fall barley, 100 lbs. to plant.  Planted 1 ˝ acres in wheat.  Got ready and planted 6 ˝ acres of wheat above B. Johnson’s house.  Received $40 cream check.  Oct.11th, Hauled hay from upper place, 3 loads.  The boys helped me.  It was good to have them working with me.  Oct.14th. Got up[ early.  Worked a little bit on the potato digger.  Brother Delmer came down and fixed the tractor, helped fix the digger.  Helped me start out the digger.  We started digging the spuds.  15th  kept James and Delmer out of school to help dig potatoes.  16th, It rained on us before we got the spuds all picked up and we had to leave them because the truck wouldn’t start.  We ate supper and James and I went up with the tractor to get the truck. We did so and fetched it down. We got all the sacks put in the truck.  [Bill, Delmer , Ed and Cliff helped with the potatoes. Of course Reita was doing the chores.] 

17th,….We finished the potatoes  but late.  Got stuck in the bridge with the load of potatoes. The next day they unloaded the potatoes and got ready to go deer hunting.    The rest of the fall James hauled lots of manure to his fields.  He plowed, planted, husked and chopped corn, milked cows fed them and other animals.  They were always busy.  They also had to haul wood for heating and cooking fuel.  They used coal often in the heater. James’s family got together and helped haul the wood and helped each other in the farm work.  James sometimes did plowing or other work for others even though some couldn’t pay.  Neighbors traded work, helping each other with hay hauling.  November 14, It snowed.  Loaded potatoes, 30 sacks and took them to the Wong Sing Store. [ Wong C. Wing store in Ft. Duchesne.]  Got $63 for them.

 November 28, Thursday Thanksgiving.  Reita cleaned up a couple of ducks.  James and I started the car.[usually had to be pulled with the tractor] I found that I had left a loose bolt in the carburetor.  The car started easier next time….We all went over to Mother’s and Dad’s for Thanksgiving dinner.  Dad, Mother, Remo, Delmer, Bill, Nyla, Jean, but not Marley and our family were all to a splendid dinner.  They started making plans for the new Grade A barn and began working on it. 

Dec.24th Mother, Dad, Bill, Nyla, Remo, Delmer, Ed and Lora, Cliff, Letah, Marley and Jean and all the children came and spent Christmas Eve with us.  Dec.25th Christmas.  James B. got up at 3 am to look at his Christmas.  From then on until evening  we didn’t get much done.  We had a happy time looking at our presents.  Father, Mother, Bill, Delmer, Remo, Lora and Ed,  Marley and Jean and all the kiddies had Christmas Dinner with us.  We were all happy to be together.

 In March 1947 James spoke at the funeral for a young man, about James’s age, about 15,Carl Powell who was killed in a hunting accident.  His daughter Ila played the piano for the singing.  The funeral was held in Roosevelt so the school students could come. 

Oct.24th, 1947 James’s Grade A barn was inspected and got a +A.  

 

James wrote in his diary on Jan.23, 1946 that he had taken Reita to the hospital in Roosevelt to wait for the baby to be born. She had been ill and the doctor wanted her to come. Also they had a hard time sometimes getting their car started in the cold weather. On the 24th he called from the community phone at Johnsons to see how Reita was doing. She was still waiting. The next morning Cecil Johnson came to tell him that Reita had a baby boy. He was very happy about that. Later, before he had had a chance to go down to the hospital Marley came and told him that the baby had died. He was the first one born in the hospital. James felt so bad. He went to the hospital to see Reita and comfort her. He then went to make arrangements for the funeral.  James’s father, and brothers, Marley, Delmer and Remo and brother-in-law Edward Hullinser came to work on the house so that the baby’s funeral could be held there. Howard Crapo also came. Lora Hullinger came to help with the housework. The floor needed finished and the windows needed finished. James made arrangements the next day for the Mortician to bring the baby in for Reita to see. The funeral was held the next day at their home. Reita wasn't allowed to get out of the hospital to go. She had to remain in the hospital several more days. The baby was buried in the Roosevelt Cemetery.     

 During the winter of 1947 James and his brother Remo went to Idaho with Elmer and Pearl Larsen for a short visit. 1t was so cold that he never had a yen to move back to Victor again.  The first day there he stayed with his cousin Cyril and Annie Hamblin  January 31st they went to some Cutter Races at Driggs, Idaho.  February 2nd  James wrote in his diary, “It was a good day for a good old Victor blizzard. Did it blow the snow!” Helped Eldon Johnson, a cousin, with the chores.  Then they went to church.  Cyril and Eldon took James and Remo to Parker, Idaho to see their cousin Katie Rudd. When she recognized James she grabbed him in her arms and said that he was one of Uncle Will’s boys. She thought a lot of her Uncle Will.  They visited other cousins in Victor, Lavaughn Beddes Barker and Gordon Jones and Aunt Eva Jones and more. On February 5th they left to come home.     

The next day was Stake Conference.  They went to it.  President George Albert Smith was there and he spoke.  He was in poor health and didn’t speak very long, but it was special to have a Prophet of God to the Conference.      

 In 40s James also built some stock and water ponds and he built a Grade A Barn and began to sell Grade A milk. That was a lot of work.  The milk had to be kept cold.  At first they kept it in 10 gallon cans in a big water ‘trough’ with running water to keep the milk cold. Later they had to put in big milk tanks to store the milk.  The milkers and lines had to be washed and sterilized daily. That was a big job.  Later to keep up with the Grade A standards they had to build a bigger barn and install milk lines to the big cooler.  

Another son Alden Haines was born 13 September 1947. Then Reita Lyn was born l8 June, 1949.       

 In 1959 James went with a group of Dairy Farmers on Dairy tour to California.         

James was sustained as Bishop of the Montwel Ward, September11,1949. and  was ordained  October1,1949 by Apostle  Joseph F.Merri1l. His Counselors were Howard Crapo and Douglas  Brown. Later James  E. Larsen and James E. Hullinger were his  councelors.        

James’s father was ill  with. cancer . James sat up with him  many nights. His father. died 20 Ma:y 1951 . Before he died he  gave James a very nice fathers blessing. James wrote about his father’s death in his journal. “Our Dear Father passed away after  long, lingering illness. He was nearly 79 years old.  He hadn’t recognized us that day. The day before he died the last thing he asked me to do was to relieve an itching place between his shoulders.  Then the last thing I remember him saying was that Mother was a good old hen  when it came to scratching . He still could joke about things even though he was about to cross the bridge between life and death.  All men  have their faults and failings .  He had his.  Every man has his goodness.  He had his. Honesty, peaceful surroundings was his desire.  He went more than half way in dealing with  anyone.  Of this worlds goods he owned only his clothes.  What did he leave me?  More than any other man could do. My life, guided by his desire for me to what is right by my fellowman, and a father’s blessing of which I had no way of recording except in my forgetful mind.  I loved him more that I realized I did before his illness.  I will always regret that I didn’t be with him more than I did during his suffering.   In the blessing Father gave he wanted me to be protected from the evil one that I might stand the trails that came before me, to keep up my labors and fill my calling as a Bishop, to have the means to do the Lord’s work.

One day awhile before James’s father died James was visiting him.  Also visiting were his son-in-law, James Edward Hullinger and a friend James E. Bacon.  They thought Will was asleep.  He opened his eyes, looked at them and said, “Well, the three James E’s.” He asked them to give him a blessing.

   On June 4 ,1953 a daughter, Arva Mary was born to the fami1y. James’s oldest daughter, Ila had married Jim Larsen in July 1949.  They had three daughters when Arva was born, Ellen, Louise and Joy.  Joy was less than 4 weeks older than Arva.  They were always  good friends.    

 James loved to go deer hunting.  I’m going to add from his diary about a deer hunt in 1947.  Friday October 17th. Got up preparatory to haul some hay before going deer hunting  Ed just came from Pleasant Grove where he had been working in the steel smelter.  Bill and Ed came over and helped unload the 2 loads of hay.  We got ready and went to Current Creek where Remo, Delmer, Uncle El, Jim & Dale Larsen, Cliff Woodward, Lynn & Grover Dye were camping.  We arrived at sundown, pitched tents, etc.   Oct. 18. First day of the big deer hunt. Remo built the fire about 4 am.  I took out on a ridge from camp and got to shoot at two deer before sun up missed but got in the big saddle and got my 3 point buck about 10 or 15 minutes before sun up. We got 9 bucks that day.  Delmer got a big one          Oct. 19. In the deer camp.  I made the fire about 4:30 or 4:45 am. Then every one began to grunt and stir.  We got breakfast and everyone went out of camp on the hunt and to get in the deer killed the day before.  I & Delmer took old Buck and went after Cliff’s big 4 point buck.  He was a dandy.  On the way back  I broke off from Delmer and Cliff and killed my nice dry doe.  Oct. 20. Ed made the fire about 5:30 am.  We went to work getting our deer from the mountains.  Jim Larsen and Ed Hullinger each got a doe. We got all the deer in and took off for home.  El, Jim and Dale were first to leave.  We got home just as Reita and the boys were milking the last cow.  [Back in those days men went hunting mostly for the meat.  This was the main meat that they had.]    

 

 One very special experience that James and Reita had when he was Bishop was going to Orangeville, Utah to see the Deseret Coal mine there.  It was a Church owned mine, most of the coal, if not all, was used in Church meeting houses and for people who needed help. September 14, 1953 James wrote: “We assembled in a chapel carved out of the coal 1,000 feet under the surface of the earth.  All ate lunch there and there was a wonderful inspirational meeting there.  President David O.McKay was there and gave a wonderful talk.  Elder Henry D. Moyle of the Council of the Twelve, Presiding Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin and second councelor Carl W. Buener were there.”      James was Bishop of Montwel Ward at this time.  Some of the Bishops and their wives were invited to come out to the Church coal mine at this time to this special program  James and Reita were excited to go.  They both loved President David O. McKay so much.  They got to sit right across the table from him during the lunch. It was a special thrill to sit so close to him and listen to him talk as they ate their lunch. Everyone toured the mine and the workings of it were explained to them. The mine was in the Price, Utah area.  They had to travel over Indian Canyon to get there.  This was before the highway was improved and paved.  This was a very special trip for James and Reita.  When Reita worked for Dillmans President  McKay stayed there more than once during Stake conferences.  He was then an Apostle for the Church, so Reita had met him before.           

James was very close to the young people of the ward. He loved them and many loved him in return. He conducted several funerals. Some were for Ben Johnson, Julia Blanchard, Jim Boren, and Carl Powell.  I’m sure there were others.   

 James became very ill in the early spring of 1955. In his journal  he told of being in the Roosevelt Hospital and of Stake President Hollis Hullinger kneeling by his bed, praying for his recovery.  His illness was caused by adhesions from  ruptured appendix and the surgery for it about 25 years earlier. After the prayer the doctors decided they could do nothing more for him here and had him go to the LDS hospital in Salt Lake  His son James drove him out to the hospital where they took Ex rays and then operated in him immediately.  This operation saved his life.  The adhesions had caused a bowel blockage.  After 10 days he came back only to have to go back to the Roosevelt hospital the next day.  He was then sent back to the  Salt Lake hospital again the next day.  He stayed there for about a week or 10 days. He felt like Heavenly Father had spared his life.    About that time he was released as Bishop of the Montwel Ward  James Elmer Larsen became the next Bishop and the last for Montwel Ward.   

 James was never one to stay down very long.  He was soon out on the tractor doing his work.  At Priesthood meeting someone said they’d better get some one to come and help James with his spring work before he got out and did it himself. He didn’t dare tell them he had already been out working.       James’s son Delmer went on a Mission for the LDS Church to the Southwest Indian Mission in Arizona where he served for two years. When Delmer’s mission was over James and Reita went to Arizona and got him.  They had bought a new car to get him.        

September 28, 29, & 30th of September 1954, James took his sons Duane and Alden to St. George, Utah to dedicate a monument to his great Grandfather Isaiah Hamblin. It must have been the headstone on his grave in the Santa Clara Cemetery. They stayed  there with some of James’s cousins.  The dedication was on the 29th.  A lot of Isaiah’s descendents were there.  This was a special honor for James because there were a great many descendants of Isaiah.

From James’s journal: September28, 1954  I got up early, about 2 am. We got   Duane and Alden my 2 sons up and we left in our Mercury for St. George, Utah to attend the Isaiah Hamblin monument or grave marker dedication.  We had a good trip going by way of Price to Salina and over the pass in Sevier Valley to Cove Fort. We arrived at Vera Edwards Kleins about 1 pm.  Had a good visit with Vera and Otto her husband.  At night we run over to Santa Clara to visit other Isaiah Hamblin descendents, but we had to go back to Lee’s Auto Court in St. George  to find them.  I met Willford Hamblin president of the Hamblin Organization.  We went back to Vera’s and retired.      Sept.29.Went to Santa Clara Ward House.  Met with the Hamblin Group, mostly from Arizona. Met with other cousins.  We visited the old Jacob Hamblin house in Santa Clara.  Windows and doors had been knocked out and boarded up.  I met Brother Corbett writer of Jacob Hamblin’s book.  At 1 pm we all met again in the Santa Clara Ward House and had a dedication meeting and program.  It was interesting.  We went to the Santa Clara Cemetery and I was privileged to dedicate the monument to Isaiah Hamblin. …It was decided by those present to put Isaiah’s wife’s name and also the children[s names] on the monument.      Sept.30.  Duane, Alden and I left about 3:45 am for home.  We went by way of Zions Park and rested there until it got light. Then looked it over and went on up to Bryces Canyon and on home arriving about  8 pm in time to go to the Ward Show. My dear devoted wife remained home with the two little girls, Reita Lyn 5, and Arva 16 months and milked the 24 cows and done the chores.  I am so thankful the Lord had blessed  Me with such a good companion for a wife.  Ila Larsen, my oldest daughter and her three daughters Ellen, Louise and Joy, 4,3, &1 came and stayed with Reita.  My 2 older boys James and Delmer went to Shelton, Washington to work in the saw mill.     October 1955 James was asked again to dedicate a monument to his  Great Grandfather, Isaiah Hamblin at his gravesite in the Santa  Clara Cemetery. Reita and Ila went with him.  [I know  that this was at the cemetery.] Before the dedication there was a lunch at the Church in Gunlock..       

 After the ceremony James decided that he wanted to go to Clover Valley Nevada to see if he could find the place where his father was born.  We finally found the place.  There were a couple of houses and an old one room school house still in use.  They went to the cemetery and found Grandpa Hamblins  mothers grave.  We couldn’t really tell where the Hamblin farm had been.  Then James said they had better go home so they traveled all night  Ila drove from Wellington through Nine Mile Canyon and they got  home about 5 am the next morning , to tired to do much.  It was an enjoyable    and special trip.  Isaiah’s and Daphne’s children’s names had been added to the headstone and maybe that was why the dedication then. 

By 1960 James and Reita had 12 grandchildren, Kenneth Hamblin being the 12th one.  During the 1960s Duane   went on a Mission to Canada and Alden went on a Mission to the Southern States.                  James’s mother,  died 22 January, 1964.      

Arva remembered one time when she and a cousin Patti Hamblin were playing ball.  One would bat and the other would pitch.  They’d take turns. James saw them playing and he came to them and pitched for them for awhile.  He told them that he had been a baseball player in his earlier life.  Arva hadn’t known that.      

In 1965 James and Reita went on a bus tour trip to the New  York Worlds Fair. Ardell and Phyllis Hunt went with them.  While they were gone two grandchildren were born to them,  Laird Hamblin to Delmer and Barbara July 19th and Robert Hamblin to James and Ruth July 20th.   Before they left JoLyn Haslem was born to Ruth and Myron June 3oth After they carne back Becky Larsen was born to Ila and Jim  August 8th. On Dec. 17th  Holly was born, all in 1965.  Their tour took  them to at least 14 states. Some of the places  they visited are Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Washington DC, The  Worlds Fair in New York: Niagra Falls, The Hill Cumorah pageant,  Kirtland, Ohio, Chicago and Nauvoo Ill. They followed the Old  Mormon Trail coming home where they were able to.  This was the first  long trip that James and Reita had taken together and they  really enjoyed it.       

In 1968 the family took an Indian Placement Student, Alyce Sam, a Navajo.  She was with them 1 ˝ school years.  They really grew to love her.     

  In 1971 James became a great grandpa when Jimmy Grant Betts  was born to Howard and Louise Larsen Betts, June 29th. 

 Reita Lyn went to Argentina on a Mission in January, 1971. In  July 1972 James and Reitâ went to Argentina to return with Reita Lyn. In His Journal, James wrote: “We had trouble at the  Buenos Aires International Airport. Our daughter was not there  to meet us. They checked our passports and immunizations and we  got our luggage and tried to find something about our daughter  leaving word about meeting us. No word! We traded monies with  the American money changers and got a man with a rent a car to  take us to the Diplomat Hotel. It was so, far we  just about  thought we were being taken out of the country.  No one at the  hotel spoke English. 

“July 11th we got up early and tried to call Cardoba to find  out about Reita Lyn. No luck. Finally a man setting the table  motioned me to the elevator, I got in and he took me up several  flights and stopped at a room where a woman spoke English. She   told me to go to the Airopac Airport where planes from Cardoba  landed and told the man to have a cab take us there. As near  as we could tell there wouldn't be any more planes that day. A  stewardess seeing our plight searched records and told us a  special plane would be in at noon. Our hope  were up but  down again  when no plane came in at noon.  About an hour later a    plane landed. We watched passengers until they were about all landed. Then we both hollered “There she is!”   What a happy crying went on when she stepped in  the door with   her 2 companions who were traveling with us. We got their luggage  and went to the City Hotel. Reita Lyn had arranged for someone to meet us and take us to the hotel but they failed to do so, or if they paged us we didn't hear our names called.”   

They saw the Iguasau  Fa11s  which made Niagira Falls look like drop in a bucket in comparison. They were a very beautiful sight, and they cover many miles. They are partly in Argentina and in Brazil and maybe Paraguay.  They went to Lima Peru and to the Andes Mountains there to see the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, an Inca fortress very  high in the mountains. They rode a train for 66 miles then took a bus the rest of the way. The road had 13 hairpin curves. It was very narrow and steep. Machu Picchu was incredible to them. The buildings were made of stone so precisely cut that they fit solidly together without any cement. There were palaces, temples, towers, fountains, baths, homes and terraces’s. Terraces were connected to 3,000 steps or 91 flights of stairs. The terraces had been used to grow crops. This ruin was discovered in 1911. 

They visited Cusco City, Peru. They went to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. They saw many ancient ruins in the jungles there and climbed up the steep steps on some of the ancient temples. They attended a Branch of the Church in Chichen Itza on Sunday. Reita Lyn and her companions, Randee Anderson and Patrees Stueki and Reita went wading in the ocean there. James didn't have a swimming suit, so when he decided he'd go in, he went in with his clothes on. After he swam he left his clothes on to dry, salt and all. They saw many interesting things to numerous to write here but there  more details in  Their journals of James and Reita . The last night there  they got  up in the wee hours of the morning to see a lunar eclipse . They left  to come home on July  25th.  This  trip to South America and back took less  time than did the trip made by the Hamblins in moving  from  Idaho to Monarch, Utah in 1917 .       

James and Reita sold their farm to  James and Ruth Hamblin  They came out  in June, 1972 to run .the farm. James and Reita  stayed in the travel trailer they 'd bought .  In November they went  to St.. George, Utah to spend the winter with James’s  cousin Vera Klein. James paid  for some improvements on her house .  They did temple  work  in the Temple there. Their new  Boise Cascade house came. in February, l973. Alice and Duane 1ived in it while their house was being set up. James and Reita came back  very  early in  the spring.        

In March,1974 James and Reita left to go on a Mission for the LDS  Church  where they served in  the Alberta-Sackatchewan. Mission. They lived in St. Brides, Alberta and served with the Cree Indians. They bought a Jeep Wagoneer to travel about in. They took the other Elders  and Indian People many places and to meetings. Sometimes they hauled water for culinary purposes for the people there.

 While they were there Ruth and Myron Haslem and their family came up to visit them. Reita Lyn and Dale Humphries also visited them there while on their  honeymoon. James had surgery in Calgary. He was treated very well and soon recovered. They made many good friends while on their mission.  They returned home  in September 1975.        

One quote from James’s journal I thought  was very interesting so I’ll include it here. “April 1, fooled us with a 10’ freeze. I got up and jumped the rope. I wasn't feeling good so I went back to bed and slept an hour. I saw my mother sďtting by me. I got both of her hands in mine, and gave her a big hug, telling her l hadn't noticed her there when I came into the room. She looked so beautiful and about middle aged and with one of her beautiful smiles. 1 asked her how she got there. She said she had come by with father and one of the boys on their way to town and stopped in to visit me because she wanted to be there with me. I know it was her there. She was so real, like she always was with us, so lovely, kind and sweet. I got up and sat on the bed after that and  I was crying with happiness. Reita came in then and insisted on bringing me my breakfast.”

In April of 1976 James and Reita went on a tour to the Holy Land. This was a thrilling experience for them to be in the Land where Jesus lived and to see the places he had been. James swam in the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked on the water. He also swam in the Dead Sea. They  walked up and over the Masada where some Jews held out against their enemies centuries ago. Their grand daughter Ellen Larsen went with them on this trip.  Ellen didn’t walk to the Masada with them.  She didn’t feel up to it and worried about James and Reita. She said they were about the first ones to come down the other side.  The bus met them there.  A year or two later James and Reita went a second time to the holy Land. It seem like  Bishop Frank  and wife Kay Madsen and attorney  and Judge David Sam went on this trip also.

Chase Hamblin was born premature May 20, 1976 to Alden and Ilene. James and Reita went to their place and stayed with them to care for their children so Ilene and Alden could be with the baby. In June that year the Hunt reunion was held at Kodachrome  State Park where Alden was Park Ranger. Alden was also Bishop of the Cannonville Ward.    

In 1977 James and Reita went on a Panama Canal Tour. Leaving Salt take –they flew to Miami Florida then to Aruba an Island in the Caribbean Sea. They boarded a ship Golden Odyssey and went to Cartagena , Columbia and went sight seeing. Then they went to Panama,  through the Panama Canal, going, through the 1ocks . That took a long time to go through them.  It is 50 miles long.    On this trip they  saw  the large stone  “Stella 5”, believed to be. a portrayal  of Lehi's vision. of the 'Tree of Life’ as found   in the Book. of Mormon, l Nephi . “This carving  is the most direct  and  striking evidence in support  of the Book of Mormon to come forth from the science of  Archaeology. It is not clear who  carved  the stone . . . but whoever did it was beyond doubt familiar with the story .of  Lehi’s  vision as recorded in Nephite scriptures.”  Dr. Ross T. Christensen   They went to El Salvador and had  a three day tour of. many  ancient  Book' of Mormon Ruins. They crossed into Guatemala where the bus was fumigated . They 'did some touring and bought some souvenirs.  Next they went to Acapulco, Mexico, where they saw some cliff divers. From there they flew back to Salt Lake City, Utah. 

James liked to keep young and do try new adventures. He liked Remo’s snowmobile. He said that Myron was electing him to buy a snowmobile and he hoped he get elected. I guess he did for he bought a John Deere Snowmobile. He really enjoyed riding on it.      

 On June 22,  1977 James went to the Provo temp1e  with Glenn Haslem  when Glenn got his endowments.   At that time  he did the Temple work for his brother Bi1l.       

James and Reita enjoyed a trip with Dale and Reita Lyn to Blanding to Alden’s and Ilenes. They saw some interesting scenery.  It was probably on this trip when they saw the Hoven Weep Indian Ruins.    They went on to Arizona to try and see Alice Sam Jones, their Indian Placement Daughter. They never could find her.       

This is a quote from James’s journal about paying: taxes: “So that's where the money goes! It's OK. We don’t mind helping our dear Uncle (Sam) and some of his political workers.”  

    “This is another quote: “The best news we have ever heard concerned our Church. President Spencer W. Kimball had received a revelation concerning the Black People throughout the world and new to them that they could come into the church on an equal to all races and nationalities the same as all members of the Church. [they could now hold the Priesthood] I think it is a wonderful revelation.        

On their 48th wedding Anniversary James wrote: I have   had the right one for me chosen by our Heavenly Father. There couldn't have been anyone better and sweeter. Our children are all very special souls and we love them all very much. They have all chosen very special mates and companions. We also love each of them very much 

In March 1978 James had some more surgery in Salt Lake City.

James worked on the ponds he was making almost daily. He said he really enjoyed this and he should have been a dam engineer. He made ponds built earlier to store irrigation water in so he could use the water  when and how he wanted to. He didn't have to irrigate at night and on Sundays.  He had fish stocked in them. The last ones he made were by their new house and he called them the Ed Hunt and Scroggings ponds because the  land had been owned by them at one time.  Even when James wasn't well before he died he kept working on them as long as he could find a way to get on his tractor.. He has always worked hard. He said he didn't want to rust away from idleness, but wanted to wear out from work.

On August 14, 1978 he wrote that he had finished hauling the 650 bales of hay that he had baled by himself.     

 September 22,1978 He  wrote: “Myron just bought a new 1979 snowmobile and he is as tickled as a baby with a new diaper.”     

 In January 1979 they  made another trip to South America. This time they got to go to a session in the New LDS Temple in Sao Paulo Brazil. So many from the tour went that they did the session in English but the temple workers all spoke Spanish. This was a big thrill for them to go to this temple.      

Dean and Remo went on this trip with them.  They went to Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. They flew over the world’s highest airport in La Paz, Bolivia.  They saw the worlds highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca which is partly in Bolivia and partly in Peru.  They saw the reed boats and road on a hydro plane boat on the lake.

While on. this trip they stayed at a hotel in Peru.. One morning they went down to the lobby early. While they were there President Ezra Taft Benson came down to wait for someone. He talked with them for about 30 minutes. This was also a thrill for them to talk to the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church.        

January 26, 1979  Barbara Hamblin had a stillborn baby boy born. Everyone felt so sad about this.  James helped dig the grave for the baby on the northwest end of Delmer’s and Barbara’s land. The weather was below zero and the snow was very deep. The day of the funeral the high temperature was 5’ below zero, the low was 22’ below 0. The funeral was held in the home of James and Reita. 

 On May 27, 1979 James and Reita went to a Hunt reunion in Monroe, Utah.  He went to the Hot Springs to watch Myron and Dale and other swim. He didn't have a swimming suit  so he decided to take off his shoes and go in anyway. He still had his wallet in his pocket. His drivers license and $40 in cash got wet. He took a ride down the shoot the shoot and swam and them jumped off the diving board into twelve feet of water. That was the first time he had been swimming for quite some time. He did really good for a man 75 years old.   

 In August James and Reita went on a trip with Jim and Ila Larsen. They went to Cody, Wyoming and stayed one night with Jayme and Doug Berkshire and David. Then they went  to Clarkfork, Idaho to visit Ellen and Marv Montague and daughter Emily.  At Clarkfork James got to pick some huckleberries. He hadn't had that privilege for many years. He got to go fishing with Kenneth Montague, Marv’s Dad. On the way back they stopped in Victor, Idaho and James got to visit several cousins he hadn't seen for many years. Ila thought his cousin LaVaughn Barker was  going to squeeze him in two, she was so glad to see him. James appreciated that trip so much.. He kept saying that he never dreamed that he would ever get to go on a trip back to Victor and to Northern, Idaho.  He enjoyed it so much.  There was so much beautiful scenery to see.       

James had surgery again in the fall of 1979 and they found cancer. Most of the ‘arthritis’ he’d been having was caused by the cancer.  He tried to keep busy and cheerful. On June 13, 1980 he and Reita celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. There was a family picnic in the Roosevelt Region Park. Then we had an  Open House for them at the Moon Lake Building. All of their children and spouses were there as well as many grand children and great grandchildren, brothers and sisters and many friends.    

James was always interested in people. He loved people and  enjoyed helping them. We'll never know all of the people he helped with advice, comfort, encouragement and with money. He and his wife always were thoughtful and concerned about others and so unselfish. They gave of their time and means for them.  James spoke at many funerals. He has blessed many babies, baptized, confirmed and ordained many children and adults. He was often called to give comfort to families who had lost a loved one in death. He seemed to have a special feeling for them He administered to the sick many times also. He lived a very good. and humble and useful life. He had a fine sense of humor. Sometimes he got discouraged but he didn’t let it keep him down very long.

When writing in his journal every time he wrote about Reita he called her his sweetheart. When writing about any family member he would write. My good son, brother, daughter ,aunt, ect.  Sometimes he use other terms of endearment.

A woman who Reita and James had known for years, Jean Roberts Labrum told Reita that James was the best man that she had ever known.  People thought very highly of him

When he was in so much pain he tried to endure it  the best he could and not complain. He was so thoughtful of anything anyone did for him, always remembering to thank them.  If he cried out in pain when he was being moved he. would always say that  he was sorry .      

One day when Ila was sitting with him while Mom was at a school program  She  thought he was asleep. Ila was reading . A fly  was buzzing around. Ila heard. him laughing and  looked up at him . He said, “I can see my Dad setting there  beside you.   He has a swatter in his hand to keep the  f1ies  off me.” .           

One memory  is special to Ila during James’s last days.  She had had some serious surgery about 2 weeks before James died. Just a day or 2 before he died she called over to see how he was doing.  Reita handed the phone to James and said, “It’s Ila.´ He said “Ila, I love you”  and repeated it about three times.  Then she told him that she loved him.  Then he started saying something she couldn’t understand.  Reita took the phone then and talked to Ila.

He appreciated all of the family  who came to help care for him in his last months of life. He died January 26, 1981, 77 years of  age . Ruth was with Reita when James died.  He died at home.  His beloved wife and sweetheart, Reita took almost constant care of him.  Sometimes one of the kids stayed awhile so she could go someplace.  Later they turns staying at night, especially Ruth Haslem.  She was there so much to comfort and help out. He surely is missed.. He was loved  by a1l who  knew him  He set a very  good example of the good  life. He had a strong testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his Heavenly Father and of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter Day Saints. 

Eulogy given by Delmer Hamblin at the funeral of James Edwin Hamblin January 30, 1981

I am grateful to the family for being able to give this eulogy. James Edwin Hamblin,77, died on January 26, at his home in Montwel, Duchesne County, Utah. He was born on December 23, 1903 in Victor, Idaho to William Haines and Mary Jones Hamblin.  He was their oldest son. The family moved to Monarch, Utah in August 1917. James attended school in Roosevelt where he graduated.  He drove the school bus the last two years he attended high school.  He was the first school bus driver to the Neola School.  He drove bus to Roosevelt for several years.       

James married Reita Hunt on June 13, 1930 in the Salt Lake Temple.

 He served as a  Ward Clerk and as a councilor in three Bishoprics in the Montwel Ward.  In 1933 he served a 9 month mission for the LDS Church in the Western States Mission.   

He was Bishop of the Montwel Ward for 5 ˝ years from September 1949  until April 1955.  He and his wife Reita served an 18 month mission in the Alberta-Saskatchewan, Canada Mission from March 1974 to September 1975. They recently served as Special Interest Leaders in the Roosevelt Seventh Ward.              He is survived by his wife Reita and 8 children-Mrs. James[Ila Vee] Larsen, James B., Delmer H.,  Mrs. Myron [Ruth] Haslem, and Duane E., all of Montwell, Alden H.. of Vernal, Utah, Mrs. Dale [Reita Lyn] Humphries of Tooele, Utah, Mrs. Drew [Arva] Jones of Salt Lake City, Utah. One infant son preceded him in death.  He is survived by four brothers and sisters: Remo, Delmer, Marley, Mrs. J.Edward   [Lora] Hullinger and Mrs. Cliff [Letah] Woodward, all of Montwell;  Jesse, Salt Lake City, Utah, Mrs. J.  W. [Wanda] Allison, Jensen, Utah, Mrs Delno [Nyla] Draper of Ephriam, Utah.  He has 49 living grand   Children, 3 having preceded him in death, and twelve great grand cildren.  Funeral Services Friday, January 30, 1981 at 11 am at the Roosevelt 7th Ward Chapel.  Burial in the Roosevelt Memorial Park Cemetery.                     I'd like to give some of the memories of each of  the Children.  Arva said how special it was to be raised by someone who was a father and a grandfather.  She was thankful for the years of mellowing he'd had. She said how Daddy always enjoyed a good laugh.  He liked to startle the cows, cats, dogs, horses, chickens, etc.  and watch them jump.  He'd sneak up on a cow or calf and jump out making a funny noise to scare them. He'd sure laugh and get a kick out of it.   He'd do the same with little kids, acting like he was asleep and then making a funny noise to scare them.  She remembered him coming in the front room with his overalls, his hair messed up, his teeth out and dancing a little jig to make the kids laugh.  Arva remembered when the astronauts were circling the moon and she was out feeding the calves with him and he stopped and looked at the moon and said, "Just think, there are men up there!"  He told about his life spanning from wagons to cars, to jet planes to rockets.  He saw his first car when he was around 7[10].  He wanted to ride in it but his mother wouldn't let him.  He tried to argue with her that he'd never have another chance! , never dreaming of the travel he would eventually do by automobile.  Dad showed empathy, love and understanding.  He always had a tear in his eye and a frog in his throat when he'd give a big hug and say "I love you!"                

Reita Lyn also recalled how Dad wasn't afraid to show his emotions,  She told how teary eyed he's been when she received her Mission Call and found out she was going to Argentina.  She mentioned how he was always able to see and experience things in a youthful way.  He always had the enthusiasm   Of a young person.  This was exemplified  when Mom and Dad  had gone down to get her off her mission.  She said how neat he looked in his jungle hat  She said how interested he was in all the places they got to visit on their way home.

 Alden told of an experience he had as a boy.  He was following Dad through the field and stepping in Dad's footsteps.  Dad noticed what Alden was doing and kept taking longer and longer steps until Alden could no longer make the stride.  Alden said this was a good analogy of how Dad's life had been.  A person could really get a long  ways in life by following his example. His example in the hard physical work  he accomplished on the farm  and his example in the dedicated life of church service. 

Duane remembered  the way Dad was always full of surprises.  He got a kick out of startling both critters and people.  Duane told of waking up one morning still wrapped in his quilts and being carried to the old pickup.  He was loaded in and they headed to the mountains to celebrate Duane's 9th  birthday by enjoying the mountains and some fishing.  He also mentioned what a welcome hug Dad  could give you when you were returning from somewhere.  He remembered the many times that our meals were spent listening to each other and to earlier and often humorous family experiences.            

Ruth said that one of the events that stood out in her mind, was when they took their family to  Canada to see Mom and  Dad while they were serving a mission there.  They had called them earlier in the day to tell them approximately what time they would arrive.  But the travel that day took a little longer that expected, so the folks had been waiting an hour or two when Ruth, Myron and family pulled into the driveway near the little house where the folks were staying.  Dad came running across the lawn with a big smile on his face.  He jumped right over the fence-in spite of his 70 years of age and gave a wonderful welcome  of hugs and kisses. Later as Ruth  and Myron and kids were seated around the small table for a meal, Dad stood nearby to offer the prayer.  He was so choked up with emotion that he could hardly speak, as he thanked Heavenly Father for the safe journey of this family to them.  The next day  we spent seeing the various points of interest, the beautiful lakes and scenery, and just enjoying the pleasure of being together.  Mom even went down the slippery slide along with the kids. 

On Sunday, they attended the Branch Sunday School.  This consisted of Mom and  Dad, 2 other missionaries, and 19 Indian children.  It was a wonderful experience always to be remembered. 

James recalled some of his earlier memories working with Dad in such things as hay hauling.   This hay was loose bunched hay which was loaded on the wagon with a V chain placed so it would be under the load.  The wagon was pulled in front of the hay stack with the wide part of the V next to the stack.  Ropes were attached to the chain and ran back to 2 men on the stack.  A chain was attacked to the bottom of the V  up over the load of hay and to the stack where it was pulled by the horses.[by tractor after we got one].  James told of the seriousness of the situation when a tug of the harness broke, spooking the horses.  Memories of these days carried over.  James told of Dad hollering "whoa"    at the tractor as he pulled on the hand clutch trying to stop the old John Deere Model B tractor!  He recalled how funny these   things seemed after they were over.  James told of the pride Dad took in continually improving the dairy herd, the equipment, and in working the land.

 Ila said she was always impressed with the way Dad showed appreciation   for what people did for him.  When they took a trip to see Jayme in Wyoming and Ellen in Idaho, they took Dad and Mom with them.  Dad was so appreciative .  They went to his old stomping  ground in Victor, Idaho.  Dad got to pick huckle berries again as he had done as a boy. [ he picked the huckle berries near Clark Fork, Idaho while visiting  Ellen and family].  He got to meet some of the people he had grown up with. Ila said that Dad had always been a real example to her in his hard work and honesty.  Even in his last trying days, he said he didn't want to be a burden on anyone.

 Some of the things I recall are the many good experiences I had with Dad working with him on the farm.  One more recent experience that stands out in my mind is the time we went deer hunting in the Pole Creek area of the Uintah  Mountains.  A snow storm suddenly came up and we became thoroughly lost.  We joined in prayer, and after much struggle and exertion were blessed to get out safely.  I'm so glad that Shane was able to work side by side with Grandpa Hamblin, and that they were able to gain such a close bond with each other. I'd like to read some of the thoughts that Dad wrote in a letter to Shane on his mission in Sweden.  It's the same testimony he has born to Steven, Kenneth and others on their missions.  "What Jesus Christ means to me?  He has made it possible for a restoration of our spirit and body; spirit and body to be restored again after their separation through death.  I will have this opportunity of receiving this great gift that  can come to mankind through Jesus' death and resurrection.  Jesus' death and resurrection made it possible for him to give us this chance through living up to the laws and commandments of  God.  The greatest happiness that can come to us is the good brought about  by keeping on the right track and following the pattern that God has made for us to live by."  I pray that we will all follow the example that Dad has set for us and keep on the right track and follow the pattern that God has made for us to live by. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

I want to add here the tribute that Ruth wrote about James. 

I don’t remember my Father actually holding me on his knee when I was a child, but he must have done so because the warm feeling is there.  I see the joy in his face, in the old black and white photo albums as he cuddles my older sister on his lap, so it must have been the same for me.  He was to busy caring for his family, by the time I came along, to take time for picture taking with me.  I was neither first or second but fourth of nine children.

He did have time, though, on the day that I was born, to go over the fields of drifted snow to bring a neighbor to our home.  She was to help until the doctor arrived and would stay on if needed.  She stayed all through the night, holding my tiny body upright because my bluish coloring indicated a problem with my heart.  Dad also took time  to go the few miles to his parents’ home to ask his father to come and give me a name and a blessing to the new baby girl they feared might not live.  My father was not to busy for those “life and death” situations, but he took little time to talk about them later on. 

One of my fondest recollections was that of watching my father as he attached the plow or other farm equipment to the tractor, a job that required a lot of effort and patience of soul. I do not recall that we talked much, nor do I know  why that event seemed so special to me, but it was likely one of the few times that I was really alone with my father, and it felt so good.  In those years of depression and drought, waste of time could not be tolerated, for to do so might mean cutting back on the few essentials we had, or even losing the farm.

My father used to milk cows in the old stone-walled corral that his father-in-law had built.   My brother and I played nearby, making little roads in the dirt for our play cars to run on.  We were secure and content, unaware of the great responsibilities of our hard working father.

A man capable of strong emotion, my Dad often became teary-eyed upon hearing stories of love and compassion.  He could become upset over things we children had done, or left undone, and could give us a very good scolding, while a humorous story, told at mealtimes, could have him laughing until his sides hurt, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Once he scolded me rather harshly when I went to give him a “good night kiss”.  He told me I should have been in bed “long before now”.  I was crushed and went to bed crying.  A few minutes later he came into my room to give me that kiss, and to tell me that he was sorry.  I appreciated that moment, because human as he was, I knew he was capable of showing both love and remorse.  On another occasion he spanked me soundly for riding with a neighbor boy on “that half blind, one eyed horse”. Dad always took great care in seeing that we were safe.

As the pressures of earning a living eased up a bit, we enjoyed picnics and fun times together.  My older brothers and I were now able to help Dad with the farm work, so work and play were often combined

to get the most out of the family and the time.  I remember how very much I enjoyed picking  up potatoes and I walked barefoot in the freshly turned earth behind the potato digger.  There were occasional picnics, prepared by my mother, and eaten under a tree or on the banks of a pond.  Those ponds were at least a partial answer to the drought problems that had plagued them earlier, and my father was very proud of them.

To celebrate the 4th and 24th of July, we sometimes gathered on a pond bank late at night while my father set off fireworks on the opposite shore, making it possible for us to watch the reflections in the water.

Though I seldom talked at length with my father, I did learn about some of his meaningful life experiences from my Mom, or as Dad related them in talks he gave at church, and this gave me a greater appreciation of him.

After I was married, the time I spent with my father, though lessened, became more significant. Dad always welcomed us warmly, and usually with a big hug.  He was very proud of his family and often took the time to tell us so.  An occasion that brings back fond memories, was a trip we took with our children to Canada, to visit my parents who were serving a church mission there.  We had called to tell them we were coming and to let them know the approximate time we would reach their home.  My Dad had been feeling homesick and was very excited at the thought  of seeing members of his own family.  When we finally arrived, an hour or so later then planned, he came running across the long yard and leaped over the fence like a young deer.  He was so happy to see us!      As we gathered our children around the small table for that evening’s meal, my father, standing beside us, was so choked with emotion that he could hardly give the prayer.  Later my parents took us around to see some of the local sights and we had a most enjoyable time together.

Though he was discouraged at times by all the farm work, after my brothers grew up, my father still had a zest for life. I watched  grinning like a kid as he maneuvered his snowmobile behind ours as we went up the “Big Blue Hill” west of our home. The family picnics, Christmas Parties, and other

celebrations now became bigger with grown children, their spouses, and the numerous grandchildren. We laughed and talked together on those occasions, as my father looked on enjoying the fruits of a good life.

               Dad still worked very hard most of  the time. Financial needs were not nearly so great, but the habit of years could not be broken, though he and my mom did take time for trips and visits with their children.

               Arthritis pain and old age began to be a part of Dad’s life, but he seldom spoke about these things to us.  Life was too important to him to be causing worry to others by complaining.

               Later medical tests confirmed that it was not arthritis alone, but cancer!  His own father had died from it, so Dad knew all to well what he was facing.  He didn’t complain much and still looked healthy on the outside.  When he and Mom celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary  a few months later, he looked very handsome, much better that the shy, thin young man in their wedding pictures.

               As the months passed, Dad was less and less able to get out and work; however he loved being out-of-doors and on the tractor, and continued to stay as busy as he could.  He was on the tractorthat day that I went to tell him that his young grandson, who lived on the old family farm nearby, had just been killed in an accident on a tractor.  At first he didn’t comprehend; but when the realization finally came to him he agonized, “Oh, Why not me instead?”  

               The time came when Dad could no longer get around without a walker.  My mother would help him get up and down the steps, and getting in and out of the car.  During that one special time memory stands out in my mind.  My father had always shown a great love for our country and our flag, and took his right -to- vote very seriously.  He had followed the presidential campaign closely that year and knew exactly who he would be voting for.  It was becoming difficult for my father to get in and out of the car, so my mom called the Judges of  Election; “Yes” they said, “We can come out to the car with his ballot.  That would be fine.”  He did cast his vote, as did  my mother.  Though his body was weak, at that time his mind was very clear.

               Within two more weeks , the ravages of cancer began to take their toll.  My dear father bagan having nightmares and mild hallucinations, and could not always think clearly.  “Dad”, I would say, “You didn’t really see a train wreck. It was only a bad dream.  It’s Okay, Dad,  Go back to sleep.”

               He missed the family Christmas party that year; He was to ill. Before that time, the party had always been held as a Holiday Gathering for the family and as a party for Dad whose birthday was December 23rd.

               He died on a cold day in January, just 35 years after the birth and death of an infant son.  He was honored, and missed by his family and many friends.

It is difficult to lose a Father.  It is sometimes painful to look back because  the bad times hurt so much.

But after awhile the memory of that thin, thin body and face and the memories of the happy days again come to mind. The healing takes place, the wounds begin to close, the memories become good once again, but it takes awhile.  I am thinking back to a time now several months after my father passed away. I was sitting in church, at a Father’s Day Program, when I suddenly felt so overcome with feelings about my dad, that I could not hold back the tears.  A kind friend, seeing my emotions, reached back to touch my hand and comfort me.

               My father was a good man, and though we had little time alone together when I was young, I look forward with this hope: that after I die, my father will greet me and embrace me, in a place where times goes on and on and we will have time to talk.

 

 

               Some Christmas memories by Ila

               I don’t remember if we had a tree every year because we were in such a crowded home.  I do remember one year of having a tree put on the phonograph.  Mom had put cotton around the bottom of the tree to look like snow.  To make it look more real Dad put some Epsom Salts on the cotton.  It looked nice but I got a piece of candy that had got some of the salts on it and it tasted horrible. We had paper decorations which folded up when stored.  Mom hung a big red paper bell in the center of the bed-living room and had sort of streamers from each corner of the room to the bell in the center. That changed when electricity came.  It was fun when we got our first set of electric Christmas lights. The set had 8 lights on it.

               Every year there was a ward Christmas party at the Church House.  There was a program which I’m sure each of us took part in. Santa always came and gave everyone a bag of candy and nuts.

We didn’t get as many gifts as kids do now, but they were enough.  I remember when James and Delmer got wagons.  We usually got books and games, the girls got dolls, sometimes play dishes. The Christmases were fun and special

 

 

               Thanks for all of the help in adding to these histories.