THE LIFE SKETCH OF SAMUEL RUSSEL WARE
Written by his wife, Della Parsons Ware Converted to text by Mathew Buchanan Bunker on July 13, 2013
SAMUEL RUSSEL WARE was born January 1, 1900, in a farm home in Brooklyn, Sevier County, Utah, a little community south of Elsinore. His parents were James Russel Ware and Annie Sophia Willardsen. He was the oldest son in the family and the only boy, having four sisters, until he was eighteen years old, then, his brother, Calvin, was born. He was baptized on his eighth birthday, January 1, 1908, by his father. Other ordinations, all performed by his father, were as follows: Deacon, December 11, 1912; Teacher, February 22, 1916; Priest, January 21, 1918; Elder, March 11, 1918; High Priest, He was married to Della May Parson in the Manti Temple, May 19, 1921, by Lewis Anderson. He received his endowments the same day. When Russel was a small boy, his parents moved from the farm home in Brooklyn to Monroe, Utah, where they operated a small store where Andy’s Market now stands. After a time, they sold the store and bought a red-brick house two blocks north of the high school. They lived there a few years and decided to go into the mercantile business again and traded that house for a store located on the corner north across the street from the City Park. Here, again, their home was attached to the store. His father purchased a farm within the city limits, south of town. They built a new modern home on this farm and moved to it in 1916. In November, 1918, Russel was called to report for induction into training for World War II. However, on the morning in November when he was to report For his physical examination, he received a telephone call and was told that an armistice had been signed between Germany and the United States and wouldn’t have to report. In 1919, Russel’s father helped organize the Farmer’s Cooperative Milling Company which he operated. At that time, the farm was turned over to Russel on a share crop basis, forty acres by the house and ten acres southeast of town. He was happy with the farm work and it seemed to be his chosen vocation from that time forth. He took great pride in grooming and driving a fine team of horses. He made many trips over rough and rugged mountain roads to haul lumber from the saw mill on Monroe Mountain. He was an exceptionally good hand with the team, especially, in breaking new wagon trails. Russel attended high school. His spring farm work interfered with school, so he, like the majority of students then, did not finish high school. During the fall of 1920, Russel and Della Parsons were both working in the laboratory in the Sugar Factory, north of Monroe. She had seemed to be his favorite girl friend during high school years. They announced their engagement in February and were married in the Manti Temple, May 19, 1921. Russel farmed his father’s 40 acres for 42 years. Before his father passed away in December, 1949, he called Russel to his bedside and asked him to continue to take care of the farm for his mother as he had done through the years. His mother lived for twelve years after that time and Russel remained faithful to his promise. Russel’s father bought a home for the newly married couple just a block from their home. Lowell was born April 14, 1922. Seventeen months later, Glenn was born. She died December 6, 1923. The day after the burial of the baby, on December 11th, Russel left by team to the west desert to help bring sheep and move camp from the desert. This took him nearly two weeks and he returned home the day before Christmas. That winter be bought veal calves and dressed them for shipping. His father bought a store again in 1022 and had a coal yard in connection with it. Russel bought a used half-ton truck and kept quite busy during winter months delivering coal in town. Three months after the death of baby, Glenna, there was comfort in the knowledge that another baby was coming to bless their home. Mavis was born, October 15, 1924. She was 3 ½ years old when Vahl was born, March 25, 1928. Dona Janine was born October 29, 1929. She died January 14 , 1931 of a throat infection. Samuel Dean was born, June 27, 1937. October, 1929, ushered in the noted financial depression of ’29, which lasted into the mid-thirties. The stock market crashed that month. Banks closed their doors, never to open agin Some of those involved in heavy indebtedness suffered losses which took years to regain. Russel was dealing with George Rickenbach, a brother-in-law-, caring for his father’s small herd of sheep. His father had rented private grazing in the valley the summer before, then Russel fed them during the winter and lambed them. Several bags of wool were shipped along with Rickenbach’s. He was one of the sheepmen that was caught in the bind of the depression. He needed the money badly and refused to write a check for the wool from which Russel’s pay should come. $500.00 was a considerable amount. Russel’s father, also, lost some money in a Richfield Bank at that time. He lost his stock in the bank as well as some of his savings. There was no fuss about the wool affair, yet it was never brought into the open and settled. Russel was not one to overlook an iniustice easily. He and his father worked well together and there was relationship. They especially enjoyed fishing trips together, and the deer hunting in the mountains. Russel continued the same tradition with his own three sons when they were old enough. He adored his daughter, Mavis. These five years were troubled years filled with adversities best not remembered. Finally, the clouds of depression lifted and the sun shone brightly. Russel was able to borrow enough money from the bank to begin remodeling the house. The pantry was large enough to be converted into a bathroom, another conveniences were planned. He did most of the work himself. He was handy with carpenter’s tools, very exact and neat, never hurried, but took time to do a job well. Back in the summer of 1932, Russel suffered a severe attack of sciatic rheumatism. At the same time, his hearing began to be impaired and progressively worsened, until it was almost completely gone. He overcame this handicap with a good hearing aid. In 1936, Russel was able to get a loan from the bank to buy 18 acres of good farm land on the west Monroe highway. This was property the bank had foreclosed on during the depression and they offered it at a reasonable price. Later, be bought ten acres adjoining ti from the Lee estate. Shortly after his marriage, Russel’s father-in-law gave him a Holstein heifer. Her first calves wet twin heifers. When fifteen years has passes, his dairy herd had increased and he owned about a dozen head of good Holstein cows. For, various reasons, Russel preferred the Jersey breed of cattle. He disposed of most of the Holsteins and eventually replaced them with Jerseys. This marked the beginning of an exceptionally outstanding herd of pure-bred registered Jersey dairy cows. Some of these were “show animals” and brought many blue ribbons and prizes at the Sevier County Fair. Lowell and Vahl became active in 4H and FFA club work and used some of the choice heifers in their projects. One year they took their heifers to the Utah State Fair. It was a great experience for them as they took their sleeping bags and stayed on the Fair Grounds the full time. In the summer of 1944, Russel began construction of a modern milling barn. It was built of cinder block walls with cement floor. Metal stancheons for ten cows were installed. In December of that year, Lyman Willardson and Harold Hansen visited him and urged him to supply milk in half-pint bottles for the schools in the South Sevier area. Russel went to Salt Lake City in December, 1944 and was fortunate in being able to purchase some used equipment from Boulton Dairy. He found a bottling machine, a three-vat unit for washing and sterilizing bottles and utensils, also, a motor-driven revolving brush. Due to war shortages, it was not easy to find necessary supplies, however they were successful in finding enough bottles, caps, etc., to get started. On January 15, 1945, the first mild delivery was mad to Monroe, Elsinore and Joseph schools. When the cost of living began to soar during World War II, the government offered a subsidy to milk producers in order that the cost of milk to consumers might be held down. Each month the statements attached to milk checks were presented at the Agricultural Stabilization office in Richfield and a check was issued according to the amount of mild sold. The amount of mild Russel was producing at that time brought in a subsidy check of quite a considerable amount for a year or so. This money was used to good advantage as it helped him to enter the mild processing venture with very little indebtedness. World War II was declared in December, 1941. Lowell was attending college in Cedar City that year. He entered USAC at Logan the following year but deeded to rerun him and prepare to go into the military service. He was inducted into the Navy in the spring of 1944 and received his discharge in 1946. Vahl was in high school at that time, graduating in 1945. He registered at the Branch College in Cedar City that fall, but when he came home for the deer hunt one weekend in October, he announced that he was more interested in the work at home, so he discontinued school. The dairy plant was enlarged and a mild pasteurizer installed. A milk delivery truck was purchased and they began to build up good business in Richfield, s well as in Monroe and surrounding towns. They named the corporation, “South Sevier Dairy.” Russel decided it would be well to bring Lowell and Vahl into a co-partnership. Attorney,Ferd Erickson, was called in to help draw up an agreement that would be legal. Lowell had his mustering-out pay from the military, which he turned in as his share. Russel advanced an equal amount for Vahl, which was paid back within a year. His wife, Della, took care of the secretarial work, billing monthly accounts, and assisted with much of the business end of things. This proved to be a successful family enterprise. In the meantime, both boys married and owned homes in Monroe. In 1955, Hi-Land Dairy of Murray, Utah, was buying up the small dairy routes in Southern Utah. They made a good offer for the Richfield and Monroe routes and Ware’s sold to them. Hi-Land offered Lowell employment in their plant in Murray. He purchased a home in Midvale and moved his family there. Vahl stayed on with his father, producing Grade A mild for which Hi-Land gave them a market. The milk was shipped in refrigerated tankers to one of their processing plants in Northern Utah. Vahl has, also, been with Hi-Land Dairy as a sales manager of the southern Utah area. Sam graduated from high school in 19xx. He attended the College of Southern Utah and graduated in 19xx. He accepted a contract to teach school in Henderson, Nevada, the following year. Russel had apparently been in good health when death occurred suddenly of a heart attack at 3:30 A.M., May 27, 1960. He had lived a good, full life and won the respect of a host of friends and business associates. Church and Civic positions held: Secretary of the Elders Quorum Counselor in the Ward YMMIA Member of the ward finance committee, doing an excellent job soliciting funds for building the new Stake and Ward houses in 1955, 56, 57. He, also made a liberal cash contribution to the building. Was an active member of the Monroe Lions Club, serving as president and as a member of the Board of Directors. Member of the Canal Board of South Bend Canal Served with his wife for five years on the Old Folks’ Committee His posterity includes: Lowell, married to Carol Peterson – three children Mavis, married to Dohn R Buchanan – three children Vahl, married to Nola Heileson – four children Samuel D., married to Janice Bridges – four children Granddaughter, Joyce Buchanan, married to David W. Howe – two children Granddaughter, Shauna Buchanan, married to Edward C. Bunker.
Source: Family Search Memories
