LIFE OF ALTON OWEN WARE
HISTORY OF ALTON OWEN WARE BY PERCY BYBEE
ALTON OWEN WARE WAS BORN OCT 10, 1906 AT KAYSVILLE, UTAH. TO GEORGE WILLIAM WARE AND PAULINE OWEN WARE. HE WAS EDUCATED IN THE DOWNEY SCHOOLS, AT DOWNEY , IDAHO. HE WAS PROUD OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, OF ATTAINING KEY TO PERFORMANCE FROM GENERAL MOTORS BUICK DIVISION TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. ALTON LATER MARRIED EMMA EVANS JUNE 8, 1928 IN ARIMO IDAHO. THEY LIVED ON A FARM WEST OF DOWNEY, AND RAISED SIX CHILDREN. AFTER HE FIRST MARRIED HE SOLD AUTOMOBILES AND WAS A MECHANIC FOR J. D. MORGAN IN DOWNEY, IDAHO. ALTON LIVED A FULL LIFE, HE LOVED HORSES AND FARMING. THERE ARE MANY MEMORIES OF HIM ON ROUNDUPS AND CUTTING CATTLE. HE LOVED RODEOS, HORSE RACING AND TELEVISION. HE HATED PLANTING FLOWERS AND YARD WORK. ALTON HAD HIS OWN WAY OF EXPRESSING HIMSELF, USUALLY WITH BLUNT HONESTY AND WAS NEVER WITHOUT SOME WIT. WHEN HE WAS STAYING AT THE CARE CENTER, HE HAD TO HAVE HIS FOOD GROUNDED UP, HE DIDN’T LIKE THAT, SO WHEN ASKED HOW THE FOOD WAS HE SAID, “ GREAT IF YOU LIKE ALPO SUPREME [DOG FOOD]. JOAN, DAUGHTER, RECALLS WHEN WE WERE KIDS, WE WENT TO CALIFORNIA FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH MOM AND DAD. WE HAD GOT AS FAR AS SALT LAKE AND GOT LOST. MOTHER TOLD DAD TO DRIVE SLOW AND SHE WOULD READ THE MAP AND SIGNS. DAD ALL OF A SUDDEN SPEEDED UP AND MOTHER LOOKED AT HIM AND ASKED HIM WHY HE IS SPEEDING UP. AND HE SAID “DO YOU SEE THAT TRUCK IN FRONT OF US, HE KNOWS WHERE HE IS GOING AND WE DON’T, SO I AM GOING TO FOLLOW HIM THROUGH SALT LAKE”. WE ENDED UP IN MURRY, UTAH. WHEN I WAS OLDER I ASK MOTHER IF SHE EVER KEPT SOMETHING FROM DAD THAT SHE NEVER TOLD HIM AND SHE SAID YES WHEN THEY LIVED ON THE FARM SHE WOULD GO OUT TO FEED THE PIGS AND THERE WAS ONE OF THE PIGS THAT WOULD TAKE THE FOOD AND STOP THE OTHER FROM EATING IT, SO SHE HIT IT OVER THE HEAD WITH A BUCKET AND THE PIG WENT NUTS WALKED REALLY CRAZY AND SHE FELT REALLY BAD THAT SHE DIDN’T TELL DAD, SO SHE TOLD ME TO ASK HIM ABOUT THE PIG. SO I WENT IN WHERE DAD WAS WATCHING T.V. AND ASK HIM AND HE SAID THAT A COW OR HORSE KICKED THE PIG. IT MADE ME LAUGH. RICHARD [GRANDSON] RECALLS WHEN HE AND KIM WERE IN SCHOOL THEY WOULD TALK SPORTS, GRANDPA WOULD TEASE THEM SAYING THAT BLACK PEOPLE WERE THE BEST ATHLETE, AND IF YOU DID NOT HAVE ONE ON YOUR TEAM YOU WOULD NOT WIN ANY GAMES. VALARIE [GRANDDAUGHTER] RECALLS WATCHING T.V. WITH GRANDPA AND THE COMMERCIAL CAME ON ABOUT GRAPE NUTS. YULE GIBBONS ASK “YOU EVER ATE A PINE TREE?” GRANDPA DIDN’T LIKE THE COMMERCIAL AND SO WHEN IT CAME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN. GRANDPA FINELY SAID “ THAT STUPID !#@%^&#^ PROBABLY ATE THE WHOLE FOREST”. GREG USE TO BOUNCE WHILE RIDING IN THE CAR. HE WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT LOOKING BACK AT GRANDPA BOUNCING, GRANDPA GOT AFTER HIM AND TOLD HIM TO TURN AROUND HE ONLY CAN SEE WHERE HE AS BEEN AND NOT WHERE HE IS GOING. GRANDMA HAD GONE TO POCATELLO WITH SOME FRIENDS AND WHILE SHE WAS GONE, GRANDPA HAD HIS COUSIN ELMER PHILLIPS COME OVER AND CHOPPED HER FAVORITE TREE DOWN, I REALLY THINK THE REASON HE DID THAT IS THAT GRANDMA WANTED TO MAKE A TREE HOUSE OUT OF IT, SHE WAS SO ANGRY WITH GRANDPA FOR A LONG TIME. WHEN SHE GOT OVER IT GRANDPA CAME HOME AND SAID THAT HE AND GRANDMA NEED TO TAKE ELMER AND NAOMI OUR FOR DINNER FOR CUTTING THE TREE, IT MADE GRANDMA MAD ALL OVER AGAIN. JOHNNY[GRANDSON] RECALLS SITTING WITH GRANDPA WATCHING HIS FAVORITE PROGRAM ON TELEVISION “ LETS MAKE A DEAL”, HE WOULD SAY TO JOHNNY I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THAT PROGRAM AND WIN ME A POOL TABLE. ALTON WAS A GOOD SALESMAN, HE WAS HONEST IN HIS DEALINGS WITH PEOPLE. A PROMINENT INDIAN FROM FORT HALL, WOULD FOLLOW HIM WHERE EVER HE WORKED TO BUY FARM MACHINERY FROM HIM, BECAUSE HE KNEW HE COULD TRUST HIM. ALTON WAS A QUIET MAN AND DID NOT SAY MUCH ABOUT HIMSELF. WE LEARNED IN HIS EARLY LIFE, THAT HIS YOUNGEST SISTER GERTRUDE, THAT PASSED AWAY AS A CHILD WAS QUARANTINED. ALTON HAD TO HELP EMBALM HER. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT BOTHERED HIM THROUGH OUT HIS LIFE. ALTON WAS LONG SUFFERING AND PATIENT, THESE QUALITY’S SHOWED IN THE LOVE AND CARE HE GAVE HIS WIFE WHEN SHE WAS SUFFERING WITH CANCER. I HAVE KNOWN ALTON AND EMMA FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN BEFORE THEY WERE MARRIED. IN THOSE DAYS THEY HAD A DANCE EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT, IN HYDE’S HALL. PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE VALLEY WOULD COME TO THESE DANCES TO HAVE FUN. ALTON AND EMMA WERE GOING TOGETHER AT THAT TIME, THEY BOTH LOVED TO DANCE AND THEY WERE VERY GOOD DANCERS AND LOOKED VERY GOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR. WE NEVER BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS UNTIL THEY MOVED IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM US. I REMEMBER WHEN JOHN, JOAN, AND PAUL WENT TO SCHOOL WITH SOME OF OUR KIDS, THEY MORE OR LESS GREW UP TOGETHER. AFTER OUR KIDS WERE ALL MARRIED OFF WE BECAME CLOSE TO ALTON AND EMMA. EMMA LOVED FLOWERS AND SHE HAD A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN, THAT SHE LOVED TO WORK IN. ONE DAY LURIE SAW EMMA WORKING IN FLOWER GARDEN, SO SHE RAN ACROSS THE STREET TO CHAT WITH HER, SHE STOOD THERE WATCHING EMMA DIG UP THE GRASS AND WEEDS AND SHE WOULD SHAKE THE SOIL FROM THE GRASS ROOTS AND THROW THEM IN A WHEEL BARROW. FINALE LURIE SAID “EMMA IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER SHOVEL I WILL HELP YOU.” EMMA SAID “OH NO YOU WON’T, YOU WOULD DIG LIKE ALTON DOES, TURN THE SOD UP SIDE DOWN AND IT WOULD GROW RIGHT BACK. A FEW MONTHS BEFORE EMMA BECAME REAL SICK , LURIE WENT OVER TO VISIT WITH HER. SHE FOUND EMMA VERY DESPONDENT, “ARE YOU HAVING PROBLEMS EMMA?’ “NO I HAVE JUST BEEN THINKING ABOUT ALTON AND I. I HAVE BEEN WONDERING WILL WE BE TOGETHER AFTER WE LEAVE THIS SPHERE OF LIFE.” LURIE OF COURSE TRIED TO CONSOLE HER AND SAID “EMMA THEY SAY THAT IN HEAVEN THEE IS A GOOD MAN FOR EVERY GOOD WOMAN”. EMMA LOOKED AT LURIE AND SAID, “LURIE I DONE WANT ANOTHER MAN, I WAS ALTON. SO YOU CAN SEE THEIR WAS A STRONG BOND OF LOVE BETWEEN ALTON AND EMMA ABOUT A YEAR AFTER EMMA HAD PASSED AWAY, ALTON CAME OVER TO OUR HOUSE TO TALK WITH US. HE SAID, “PERCY AND LURIE YOU PROMISED EMMA THAT YOU WOULD PAINT OUR HOUSE, I AM HOLDING YOU TO THAT PROMISE. SO THE NEXT DAY WE GOT OUR PAINTING EQUIPMENT TOGETHER AND STARTED ON THE HOUSE. WHEN WE WERE THROUGH HE PAID US FOR THE JOB, AND WAS WELL PLEASED WITH IT. ALTON WAS A GOOD MAN, HE HAD LOTS OF GOOD QUALITY’S ABOUT HIM, HE WAS A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND A GOOD FRIEND, HE WOULD GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP ME OR ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS IN NEED. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WE WILL BE JUDGED BY THE AMOUNT OF FRIENDS WE HAVE AND I KNOW THAT ALTON HAD MANY.
Source: Family Search Memories
