the people of the time had graveside services for those who died. Annie's
husband Andrew, and her son Clarence could not attend because they were
grievously ill with the flu at the time. Children were:
i. Alfred
Henry PARK was born on 11 Feb 1886 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. He was baptized
into the LDS church on 11 Jul 1896. He was endowed on 22 Jan 1913. He died
on 12 Dec 1961 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. He was sealed to parents BIC. He has
reference number 71X1-W0.
ii.
Lorin Andrew PARK was born on 4 Jun 1887 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. He was
baptized into the LDS church on 11 Jul 1896. He died on 2 Mar 1961. He was
sealed to parents BIC. He has reference number 71X1-X5.
iii.
Elizabeth Esther PARK was born on 21 Jun 1890 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah.
She was baptized into the LDS church on 21 Jul 1900. She was endowed on 6 Jan
1915. She died on 5 Sep 1970 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho. She was buried
on 8 Sep 1970 in Ririe-Shelton Cemetery, Ririe, Jefferson, Idaho. She was sealed
to parents BIC. She has reference number 293J-SB.
iv.
Leonard Grover PARK was born on 6 Feb 1893 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. He
was baptized into the LDS church on 9 Sep 1902. He was endowed on 7 Oct 1915.
He died on 25 Apr 1965 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho. He was sealed to
parents BIC. He has reference number 71X1-ZB. He was buried in Shelton Ward,
Ririe, Bonneville, Idaho.
4 v.
Vernal George PARK.
vi.
Clarence William PARK was born on 31 Jul 1897 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah.
He was christened on 5 Sep 1897 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. He was baptized into
the LDS church on 15 Sep 1907. He was endowed on 17 Dec 1925. He died on 30
Jun 1964 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho. He was buried on 3 Jul 1964 in Ririe-Shelton
Cemetery, Ririe, Jefferson, Idaho. He was sealed to parents BIC. He has reference
number 4ZDF-QX. CLARENCE WILLIAM PARK
Clarence William Park was born the 31 July 1897 in Fairfield Utah. Son of Andrew Findley Park and Annie Young. Clarence was the 6th child of 10 children, 6 boys and 4 girls. Alfred Henry, 11 February 1886; Lorin Andrew, 4 June 1887; Elizabeth Esther, 21 June 1890; Leonard Grover, 6 February 1893; Vernal George, 16 July 1895; Clarence, Archie Robert, 13 October 1899; Leah Agnes, 10 January 1902; Cora Marie, 17 September 1904 and Eva Ann, 1 October 1907. All the children were born in Fairfield, Utah.
Fairfield was formerly called Camp Floyd. This was the place where Johnson's Army was sent to keep the Mormons in line. Mother, Annie Young, was born and raised there. Andrew Park was born up CottonWood Canyon (Southeast of Salt Lake) and later moved to Fairfield. They were married 22 December 1884, and later went through the Logan Utah Temple.
Andrew Park was a farmer and stock raiser. They had a herd of about 8 to 10 cows which were milked everyday by hand. Then the milk was taken to a cellar and put into large flat pans. The cream would rise to the top of the milk and Annie would skim this cream off to make butter She used a large barrel type churn that turned with a crank. She often made 30 pounds of butter at one time which her husband would sell in the nearby towns and in the mines near Fairfield, Utah. They also raised the usual farm animals cattle, chickens, sheep and pigs.
Andrew Park was always active in the church and in civic affairs. He was Justice of the Peace and served on the school board. He was Superintendent of the Sunday school. Many times he was the only priesthood bearer present. In 1903, he was ordained a High Priest and set apart as Presiding Elder of the Fairfield Branch.
The boys were kept busy helping on the farm. When Clarence was 3 or 4 years old, he went with his father to put up hay. He was by the derrick and grabbed the cable. Before they could get his hand free, the rope had taken all the flesh from his fingers and damaged the tendons in his hand. Because of the damaged tendons he wasn't able to open his hand normally. Sometimes he felt it would have been better if his fingers had been cut off. Clarence was baptized and confirmed at age 10 on the 15th of September 1907.
Grandma Young came to make her home with the Park family. Lizzie was especially glad about this; grandma liked to do the dishes herself. That made Lizzie the envy of all her friends who didn't like dishes either.
They were a happy family in spite of the little quarrels now and then. The boys liked to tease. One day Alfred was teasing Lizzie. She just had to do something to him. She threw her best doll at him and of course broke it all to pieces. Lizzie felt awful sad because dolls were very scarce at this time, with so many children to buy things for. But Andrew felt sorry for her, and when he went to Lehi, he came home with a new doll.
Lizzie, being the oldest daughter, was call on a lot to help with the family. When she was 16, she took a sewing class and was able to sew for herself and help sew shirts for the younger boys and dresses for the three little girls.
When Clarence was 12 years old, his father had made several trips to Idaho and liked the area very much. He bought acreage in Buhl and also in Parry. He decided to settle in Parry where he had friends and relatives. He felt his family would have more advantages in Idaho. Alfred and Lorin, the two oldest boys moved to Idaho 2 years earlier than the rest of the family. They lived in a tent in the stack yard until the people that owned the place could move. Alfred wrote home and said the mushrooms were so large they had to be cut in half to get them in their tent door (he liked to tell stories). The people of Fairfield were sad to see the Park family move. The Park's were given a big farewell with many tributes.
The family traveled by train arriving at their new home in the old Parry Ward on April 12th, 1909. They stayed at Annie's sister's home, Aunt Charlotte Fillmore, until they were able to get their furniture from the Rigby Railroad Depot. They moved into the house Cleon Harris and now Norton Kerr lived in. They lived there just a few years.
Andrew was a man faithful to his promises. For several years his wife's mother, Elizabeth Young, had made her home with them in Utah. She didn't want to move to Idaho until he promised that after her death she could be buried in Fairfield, Utah. He made the promise and she said, "Andrew, I know you will keep that promise." She come with the family and made her home with them for as long as she lived.
Andrew bought into the store business with James Fillmore. But he soon bought James's part of the business.
At this first home in Idaho they had a big yard, a nice high swing and lots of shade. Annie was a jolly person and all the young people seemed to like her. She loved to serve them hot bread and butter and homemade cheese. Clarence and the other kids had lots of friends who seemed to gather at their place to play. Even the older boys and their girlfriends came often. This happened lots on Sundays; Annie loved to have the young people there. She always said, "If you have your friends here, I know where you are".
Andrew was Superintendent of Sunday school as far back as can be remembered, so they all went to Sunday school except Annie. She would always have a lovely dinner for them when they came home. They always had a house full for dinner on Sundays. Sunday school was at 10 A.M. Sacrament meeting at 2 P.M. and Mutual on Sunday night at seven or eight. The family would nearly always all go to Sacrament meeting and when each of the kids were old enough they would go to Mutual.
In the winter, all surrounding Wards would put on plays. Parry ward would go to Clark, Milo, Shelton, Grant and these wards would bring their plays to the Parry ward. Clarence enjoyed being in these plays. Everyone in the Wards would turn out for this entertainment. There were no movies in those days; but they had dances and some wonderful times at ice skating parties, on a big pond north of their home. Clarence was a very good skater and enjoyed being with his friends.
Evenings at home were spent with the kids gathered around Andrew to listen to him read. They would pop popcorn and always had pinenuts to roast and shell in the winter. When Andrew would go to Utah he would bring back gunny sacks full of pinenuts that he bought from the Indians.
They had one of the first phonographs of the day with cylinder records or someone would play the organ and the family would sing. They made their own entertainment, and they enjoyed being together.
Andrew was a good father and enjoyed his family. Often he would be down on the floor wrestling with them even when most of the children would be on top of him. He could get the best of them in water fights and how he loved the water fights.
Ririe was growing by leaps and bounds. There were lots of business houses, hotels, grocery stores, a bank, a butcher shop, a lumberyard, a furniture store and a newspaper. They had two garages, and two or three blacksmith shops. It was a thriving town in the early 1900's. Ririe also had a nice dance hall and every one for miles around would come to the dances. Clarence was a good dancer and always had a good time.
School was held in a little church house and all grades were in one room. When a big rock church was built and Andrew donated ground on the north east corner of his farm for a new school. Around 1918, Ririe built a school and the Parry kids went there to complete the 8th grade. At recesses and noon they would play ball and other games, then in the spring most everyone played marbles. Clarence graduated from the 8th grade at the Parry School then he attended one year at the Rick's Academy, in Rexburg.
Andrew and Annie taught their children to work. The boys helped a lot on the farm and they all had their chores to do besides this they also helped thin beets, pick potatoes, and herd pigs in the fall after the peas were harvested. They had a large fruit orchard, a big garden and raspberry patch.
They had a riding horse named "Queen", who was so gentle and fun to ride. When Old Queen died they all cried. Then Andrew bought or traded for a pony, named Pet.
Andrew bought a dry farm south of Poplar near Burns Springs. When Clarence was 20 years old, in the spring of 1917, his father bought the big black and white rock house and they moved into it about the 1st of April. The snow was so deep they drove the horses right over the front fence to the door to unload the furniture. Alfred, Lorin, Lizzie, Leonard and Vern were all married. Leonard lived in the old home and the other boys had places of their own.
Lizzie was married to Bert Parry. They had a 6-week-old son named Vance when Bert was called on a mission to the Eastern States. Lizzie and baby moved back in with the family. The baby made a very happy addition to the family with so many to care for him. After Bert left, Lizzie was so sick with the measles, Leah had to answer Bert's letters for her.
Their happiness in their new home was short lived. In just two short years, tragedy struck the family. In the early fall of 1818 the flu epidemic broke out. The schools closed and all the public gatherings were canceled. The Park family was among the last to contract this dreaded flu. Everyone was sick in bed except Leah. Leonard already had the flu so he came over and helped the family and a number of people from Ririe came down to help. There were eight in bed with the flu at once.
Annie, at age 55, passed away on the 12th of January 1919. She had tenderly cared for her family until she, too, contacted the flu. Two days later her youngest son Archie, age 19, passed away on the 14th of January 1919. Funerals were not allowed so they had graveside services for the many who died. There were a number of families who lost one or two members at the time. Andrew and Clarence were awfully sick, so, of course, they couldn't even attend the services. Andrew and Clarence miraculously recovered.
It was a hard time for the family. Leah and Cora took over the household work. In April, Bert came home and he and Lizzie moved to their own home. For Leah it just didn't seem like home anymore, she was still missing her mother so much. Andrew tried to be both father and mother. He tried very hard but anyone who has lost a mother knows that space just can't be filled. Leah had been writing to James Durrant while he was in the Army. He returned home 24 March 1919. They started keeping company and were married 29 January 1920.
Leah married leaving Andrew, Clarence, age 22; Cora, age 16; and Eva, age 13; at home. Cora attended Rick's Academy for almost a year, but was needed at home. Eva had polio when she was 18 months old it had left her legs crippled, so she wasn't able to do much work. Cora learned to keep house, cook for thrashers, and hay men, canned fruit, and raise a garden. She would sit down in the morning and write down everything that had to be done that day and as she finished a task she would cross it off the list.
vii.
Archie Robert PARK was born on 13 Oct 1899 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. He
was baptized into the LDS church on 6 Sep 1908. He died on 14 Jan 1919. He
was endowed on 19 Jul 1969. He was sealed to parents BIC. He has reference
number 71X2-1M.
viii.
Leah Agnes PARK was born on 10 Jan 1902 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. She was
baptized into the LDS church on 16 Jul 1910. She was endowed on 7 Apr 1920.
She died on 23 Apr 1978. She was sealed to parents BIC. She has reference
number 71X2-2S.
ix.
Cora Marie PARK was born on 17 Sep 1904 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. She has
reference number 71X2-30.
x. Eva
Ann PARK was born on 1 Oct 1907 in Fairfield, Utah, Utah. She was baptized
into the LDS church on 5 Aug 1916. She died on 26 Aug 1935. She was endowed
on 11 Jun 1940. She was sealed to parents BIC. She has reference number 71X2-45.
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