Lowell Russell Ware, by Ken Lowell Ware, December 2012
The history of Lowell Russell Ware begins as all other histories begin; his birth was on 14 April, 1922 at the home of his parents, Samuel Russel Ware and Della May Parsons Ware, in Monroe, Utah. He was their first child. With a grandfather whose first name was James and a father who was known by his middle name, Russel, perhaps it was fitting that this son would have the name Lowell. The first names in this paternal line formed the name James Russel Lowell, matching the name of the popular American poet of the 1800’s. My father felt this match at least influenced the selection of his first name. Over the years Della P. Ware demonstrated her gift for record keeping and family histories. She wrote a valuable history on the life of her first son. The history includes her thoughts about his birth. She wrote: “Our doctor was Dr. Carl Larson, a former Monroe boy. He came back to his hometown to practice medicine. Nurse Phoebe Packer, who was our neighbor, assisted him. Lowell weighted 9 pounds at birth, a normal healthy baby. At the time of our marriage, a year before his birth, I weighed 105 pounds so I had a hard labor. I remember Lowell’s face was not red as most babies are and he looked beautiful to me. As my own baby was placed in my arms I was overwhelmed with joy, and I thought to myself, I hope we have more babies.” Her wishes came true as Lowell was joined in the family by Glenna (8 Sept 1923), Mavis (15 Oct 1924), Vahl A. (26 Mar 1928), Donna Janine (29 Oct 1929) and Samuel Dean (27 Jun 1937). Two of the children, Glenna and Donna Janine died in infancy. According to their death certificates Glenna died of a bowel obstruction and Donna Janine died of a throat infection. Lowell commented that Donna Janine had an abscess on her neck. During a surgical procedure on the kitchen table there were complications and she tragically lost her life in their home. School in Monroe seemed to go well for Lowell. From pictures it is obvious that youngsters his age wore bib overalls to school. It also appears the boys in particular were a serious group. He said he always liked math. He enjoyed reading. Early in his life he read The White Indian Boy, The Story of Uncle Nick Among the Shoshones, by Elijah Nicholas Wilson (Uncle Nick), in collaboration with Howard R. Driggs. He told his family this was always his favorite book. He enjoyed historical books especially church history books and books about the western settlement of the United States. When he would travel he often read histories about the places he planned to visit. In junior high school he was introduced to woodworking. He immediately took an interest in creating and building with wood and this interest continued with him throughout his life. He graduated from South Sevier High School in 1941. In his family he had the regular chores you would find in a rural home in the 1930’s. He often milked four or five cows by hand in the morning and evening. In the winters he helped with firewood and coal for the stove. In the summers he worked on the farm with his father. He was active in 4H and FFA. His mother wrote: “Lowell’s father built up a herd of purebred registered jersey cattle. From the calves he would select a choice one for Lowell to use in his 4H and FFA projects. He and his brother Vahl won many prizes and blue ribbons in stock shows and County fairs. Our whole family entered into the enthusiasm and fun, helping and encouraging the boys. We spent the day at the fair and with much suspense awaited the judge’s decision. They also received awards in showmanship competition.” In 1940 Lowell was participating in the Utah State Fair. A hog farmer from Kansas was showing a sow and just before the show she produced a liter of seven piglets. The piglets were a distraction and were going to be destroyed. Lowell and two of his FFA friends purchased all the babies for $4 and fed them every two hours with cow’s milk. The human interest story made one of the major Salt Lake City papers and later was picked up by a regional agricultural magazine. In his younger years Lowell witnessed many changes due to technology. The introduction of commercial radio was popular in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. The Ware family in Monroe participated in this interest in radio. Record players were popular, and years later he saw the development and common use of television. He saw farming with horses replaced by tractors and milking by hand become mechanized. He loved the Monroe Mountain and enjoyed spending his free time there. He fished in the canyon stream. There were times he would finish milking, slip up to the canyon and catch a few fish, and bring them home to his family for a late breakfast. He hunted with his father and brothers, and later his son and grandsons. The names of places he enjoyed, Third Left Hand, Second Left Hand, Doxford, and Little Monroe were commonly used in family conversations. Dancing was a frequent source of entertainment for young people in his day. One of the several locations for dancing was the Monroe Hot Springs. He remembered everyone dancing. He was a good dancer and extended family members remember him winning a jitterbug dance competition with Jackie Parker from Joseph. After high school he attended the College of Southern Utah in Cedar City for one year. His sophomore year he attended the Utah State Agricultural College in Logan before entering the Navy. Each of Lowell’s living siblings paid tribute to him during his funeral services held on 27 April 1992. They reflect some of the events and feelings in the family from the days of their youth. Mavis wrote: “From my very first memories, my brother Lowell was there. I adored him. Santa had brought me a little rocking chair when I was just past two. I didn’t take long for both of us to decide that the chair didn’t need the rockers anymore. Lowell received a tool set. It had a saw and a hammer. This was when Lowell got his first lesson in carpentry. Lowell and I cut the rockers off my chair. It was not a problem because whatever he did was fine with me. Our parents weren’t too happy, but nevertheless it worked out and we used the chair that way for years. Lowell was my very best friend. As we grew associations with others began. I knew the things I did and the friends I had needed to be the best, because he was watching and he expected me to be the best. His influence has made me a better person. I am proud to be his sister.” Vahl shared some of the experiences he had with his older brother. Many of them were during the depression: “Lowell was really a hard worker. He had to do work with his hands as there were no tractors in those days. So, all the work they did on the farm was with horses and by hand. Lowell did a man’s work as a young teenager. Being the oldest there was a lot expected of him and he would harness the horses and go to work. Horses and buggies were their main way of transportation too, and because money was in short supply, even though there was a car it was difficult to by gasoline, and many times the car was broke down.” “The family had a beautiful herd of registered Jersey cows. Lowell and I were each given a Jersey heifer. The cows were milked by hand. Lowell and I each had our own milk check as the milk was taken to the creamery in cans. Lowell on occasion in the wintertime would harness the horses and take the milk to the creamery on a sleigh. We used our milk check to buy our own clothes, and for spending money, and for some savings.” “Lowell loved the Monroe Mountain and he enjoyed hunting and fishing and family outings there. In the early 1900’s, our grandfather, James R. Ware started hunting deer up Third Left Hand, and Doxford Creek on the Monroe Mountain. Russel, Lowell, Ken and his boys, and other members of the family followed him. This is a tremendous tradition and we all share special memories.” Sam spoke at Lowell’s funeral, shared the thoughts Mavis and Vahl have written above and added his own: “Lowell was the oldest son of the family and I was the youngest, and even with this age span he had time for me. Mother tells of the time that I would attempt, as a toddler, to follow him to school. He would pick me up, talk with me, and hug me and love me, and set me back inside the lot and close the gate. I think Lowell’s compassion parallels the compassion shown by Jesus in Third Nephi, where he called the little children unto him and he blessed them and shared his love. I have seen Lowell demonstrate this same behavior with grandchildren and other children.” “Lowell appeared to be quite reserved. He was very different after you got to know him. He was blessed with an exceptionally pleasant personality, and a keen sense of humor. One experience I remember was when he, Vahl and I (I was the youngest and thought I was helping a lot) were constructing a singe wire electric fence along a ditch bank. They were used to keep the cows in a temporary pasture area. We completed the fence and put it up, and the battery was turned onto the clicker that caused the electric fence to have an electrical charge – but somebody had to test it. Lowell said, ‘Vahl let’s test the electric fence.’ He took Vahl’s hand and Vahl took my hand leaving me out on the end. Lowell then placed a dandelion on the electric wire. When I was shocked I screamed and hollered and jumped and Lowell said, ‘Vahl it looks like its working. Let’s go get the cows in.” “Another experience I remember was when I was sixteen. It was one of my first dates with Janice and there were two other couples with us. We were in dad and mom’s ‘53 Packard. We were going out through the valley and down by Sigurd there is an underpass under Highway 89. We were traveling down through there and all at once in the headlights some little kittens ran across the road. We stopped and everybody jumped out and we were chasing the little cats. What should happen, but along came a Highway Patrolman with a red light. I was frightened and embarrassed, and he said, ‘Gather round. What’s going on here?’ I said, ‘We are chasing cats.’ And he said, ‘I don’t see any cats. Let me see your driver’s license.’ I handed him my driver’s license, he looked at it and said, ‘Are you Lowell Ware’s brother?’ I said, ‘Yes sir.’ He said, ‘Go on then and behave.’ In the car the others said, ‘Boy, I wish I had a brother like Lowell Ware.’ I have always felt fortunate because I had a brother who was Lowell Ware.” “Lowell loved sports. He played basketball and baseball with me hour after hour. He was a very good athlete.” “After the war Lowell started to date a lovely young lady from Venice. It was then that I first met Carol. He brought Carol home one evening to listen to western music on the record player – there was Tex Ritter, Sons of the Pioneers and some of the others. As pesky young brother I wanted to be with them. Both were very patient and I was included. This was the beginning of a pattern of hospitality shown by Carol and Lowell to others through out the years. As a college student Lowell found me a summer job at Hi-Land Dairy in Murray and I was invited to spend the summer with them. Our family has always felt welcome in their home.” “Lowell was an effective leader. He served as President of the Monroe Lions Club. He served in numerous church positions. He was my first scoutmaster. Once again he included me prematurely in events as he allowed me to participate in many of the activities. He was released as scoutmaster soon after I turned 12 year old. I felt sorry about that. I felt that I was robbed of a good scoutmaster. I have served as a scoutmaster myself, I have been active in scouting and I have seen a lot of scoutmasters, but I can promise you Lowell was the best scoutmaster I have known. He knew how to work with the boys and he could pull out the best in them.” “During the fall of 1955 the dairy business was dissolved. Hi-land Dairy hired Lowell, and Lowell and Carol bought a new home in Midvale. During the Christmas holidays, Lowell asked me to drive the milk delivery truck with a load of their furniture, to their new home. Carol and I rode together. Later, as Lowell and I visited he found that I was very discouraged with my first quarter of college. I explained that my grades were OK, but I was homesick and I was not happy at school, and I didn’t plan to go back. I still remember that in no uncertain terms, and in very strong words he told me to change my attitude and to stay in school, which I did, and I will always thank him for that.” “As Janice and I were preparing to be married in the Manti Temple, my dad visited with me the day before. He said, ‘It is the right place to get married, I am glad that your mother and I were able to be married there, I am sorry that I can’t be with you tomorrow, but everything will be alright because Lowell and other family members will be there with you.” “Lowell spent the day at the Jordan River Temple prior to his heart attack. He loved the temple and he served willingly. Lowell also loved genealogy, as our mother had, and was very knowledgeable of our relatives and ancestry.” Lowell did not leave an autobiography of his life, but he did record his experience in the Navy in World War II. Here are his words: “When I was 19 years old, on December 7, 1941, Japanese forces ran a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This action forced the United States in to World War II. At the time I was attending Utah State University in Logan, Utah. I finished out that year of school and the following fall, on October 13, 1943, I joined the Navy.” “I spent the next three months in ‘Boot Camp’ at Farragut, Idaho. The first day at Boot Camp we received our haircuts. In those days we wore our hair short, but in boot camp they cut off almost all of it. It ended up being about 1/8” all over. It was like the “buzz” cut of today. Next we received our uniforms. We received a white dress uniform, a navy blue wool uniform, a wool P-coat and blue dungarees, which included a blue cotton work shirt, and heavy navy blue cotton pants. We also got two pair of shoes – a dress pair and a pair of work boots. They tried their best to get everything to fit well, but the country was trying to outfit a lot of sailors with uniforms. That uniform became very important and was expected to be in ship-shape perfect condition at all times. Boot camp was called such because we had to wear leggings that looked like boots. While in Boot Camp we were exposed to strict discipline, exercise routines, and inspections. I also received training in seamanship. We learned how to survive on the ocean, all the parts of the ship, and how to keep the ship clean and in working condition. The ship had to be painted often because the ocean’s salt water would ruin the paint on the outside. The ship was also painted camouflage. The training was intense and covered lots of information. While I was at boot camp I got very sick and came down with Scarlet Fever and had to go to sick bay.” “After receiving our training at Boot Camp, for the next two months, I was transferred to Adak, Alaska. There I was assigned directly to a ship that was a cruiser – the USS Raleigh. All cruisers were named after cities. The city of Raleigh is the state capital of North Carolina.” “We lived aboard our ship and spent many days at sea. We ate our meals in the ship chow hall and slept in bunk beds that would fold up against the wall during the day. We had to stand watch at our port of duty. Each man had a battle station and would have to man their guns. I was on a crew for a six-inch cannon. The bullets that they shot were six inches wide. It was quite a large cannon on the deck of the ship. There were many different kinds of cannons and guns on board as well as two airplanes. The cruiser would refuel at ports and also at fuel barges in the middle of the ocean.” “The cruisers were very large. The ship’s crew consisted of about 800 sailors. Our ship had a library on board. Movies were shown every night and often there would be boxing and wrestling matches. There was a tailor, a shoe repair shop, and laundry and a ship store. There was a hospital, and a doctor and dentist who were assigned to take care of us. When our ship was in port we would be granted “liberty for time on shore.” “From Adak we sailed to join a fleet of ships in the Aleutian Islands. Our group of ships was going to attack the northern part of Japan. As we were preparing for this assignment, our ship’s engine broke down. After spending some time in the Aleutian Island our ship returned to the United States for repairs. The ship was taken to Bremerton, Washington Naval Yard for these repairs. After the ship’s engine was repaired we were sent on patrol along the South American Coast. Our purpose for patrolling this area was to watch for enemy activity (the German Nazi army had some involvement in several of the South American countries) and to protect those countries that were along the coast. We had the opportunity to see most of the western coastline of South America and were able to go on leave to many of the main ports. Some of these were Valparaiso, Chili – where I saw a bullfight and also a group of teenagers who were marching down the street doing the “goose step” and carrying a “Hail Hitler” sign. We went to “Robinson Crusoe Island” off the coast of Chili. Other cities we stopped at were Lima, Peru and San Jose, Costa Rica.” “At Panama, we had the experience of going through the Panama Canal taking us from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. We docked at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba. We traveled through the Caribbean Sea, stopped at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and up the eastern coast of the United States.” “We went to several ports along the coast – Norfolk, Virginia; Annapolis, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City, New York. I will never forget the feeling I had as I first viewed the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. It was a feeling of pride and love for the country in which I lived and for which I was serving at the time. While we were at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, newly appointed Naval Officers came aboard and were trained to be Officers.” “During my service in the Navy I had many good experiences. Because of our ship’s engine problem we didn’t see any of the fighting in the Pacific, but I did have the opportunity to see a lot of the world and was exposed to different cultures throughout the Western Hemisphere as we patrolled the coastlines.” “World War II officially ended in Europe in May of 1945 and in the Pacific in September of 1945. I was on board our ship in Chesapeake Bay (by Norfolk, Virginia) when we received this news. We were all very excited. Our commanding officers wouldn’t give out any liberties, so we had a victory celebration on board.” “After the war had ended the USS Raleigh was decommissioned from action. I was given a 30-day leave during the month of November. I took a train from Norfolk to Salt Lake City. It was during this leave that I met Carol Peterson, my future wife.” “After my leave I was stationed at Shoemaker, California. I spent the next four months on various assignments, which included picking up men who were coming to Shoemaker to be discharged. After two and a half years of service in the U.S. Navy, I received an honorable discharge on March 3, 1946.” Through most of his life Lowell struggled with hearing loss. Some of the problem may have been hereditary as other members of his immediate family also dealt with the problem. However, he explained that it was in the Navy that he first became aware of his condition. Lowell served on the USS Raleigh (CL-7). This light armored cruiser would have carried 5” and 6” guns. These guns were fired by sailors with no hearing protection, or very limited protection. He remembered having infection in his hears while serving at his post near a 6” gun. He soon had hearing aids in both ears and later in life tried to surgically correct his loss. There were two separate surgeries to implant first wire, and then plastic, in his ear canal to replace damaged bone. The surgeries provided limited improvement. In his personal way he struggled with the effects of the hearing loss. He commented that if someone was blind or in a wheel chair those around them could recognize their problem, but with a hearing loss others are slow to understand the difficulties. It was hard for him to be in public situations, or at church, where he could not clearly hear what others were saying or respond appropriately when someone spoke to him. In her autobiography Carol Ware recorded information about her introduction and eventual marriage to Lowell. She wrote: “I entered BYU in the fall of 1945. I returned home to Venice during the Thanksgiving holiday of my freshman year. Two boys I knew, Q.M. Christensen and Vahl Ware, called me. Vahl asked if I would go out with his brother Lowell. Lowell was 5 years older and serving in the Navy. I remembered hearing about him and agreed to the date. We saw each other every night during the holidays, and then he returned to the Navy and I went back to school. We wrote to each other until the time Lowell was discharged from the Navy in the spring of l946.” “I attended college for one year. I then went to work for the Telluride Power Company. Lowell had attended one year of college in Cedar City and part of a year at Utah State before he was drafted. After the Navy he started a dairy business, the South Sevier Dairy, with his father and Vahl. Lowell and I dated during the next year. Lowell and I went to Salt Lake City and while on the Salt Lake Temple grounds he proposed marriage. We were married on June 9th, 1947, in the Manti Temple.” Carol gives us information about their home in Monroe: “There were no homes to buy in Monroe, so Lowell and I decided to build. The government was selling buildings from a military base in Kearns. A barracks became the shell for a new home. The home was built on a basement foundation. Above the unfinished basement were a nice kitchen, large living room, two bedrooms, a laundry room and a bathroom. The rebuilt barracks became a very nice first home.” Lowell was a talented builder. His first home was a good example. In addition he constructed buildings on their farm, including a solid milk barn for their business; basements in their homes in Midvale, and garage/workshops at the Midvale homes. He was very methodical and careful in his work. When a cabinet or bookshelf was built in the shop it would be an exact fit when brought to its final location. He always liked to use the best materials and enjoyed working with hard woods. A solid and artistic wooden rocking horse was built for his children and used for generations by grandchildren and great grandchildren. Grandchildren were presented with toys he made in his shop including hardwood cradles, multi-storied doll houses, and pull toys in the form of airplanes, cars and boats. He was a gifted artist. In his early years in Midvale, extra money for Christmas often came from painting. He would join with a friend who was a professional painter and paint for commercial businesses. They would draw colorful Christmas scenes and figures on the inside of store windows for the holidays. These paintings required a unique perspective as they would need to be painted backwards in order to be read and viewed from the opposite side of the window. The large picture windows of Lowell’s homes were often decorated with hand painted Christmas scenes. After his return from the Navy, and about the time of his marriage to Carol, he joined with his father and brother to create a family business. His mother gave this account of the business: “In 1945 we turned our dairy into a milk-bottling plant, delivering bottled milk to the schools in the South Sevier area for the school lunch program. Later, we put in pasteurizing, then homogenizing equipment, and built up quite an extensive delivery service to homes in Monroe, Richfield and Elsinore as well as providing milk for schools. Lowell returned home from military service in 1946. He and Vahl entered into a partnership in the dairy business with their father. I took care of the secretarial part and a good share of the business end of it.” “We sold out to Hi-land Dairy of Murray, Utah in 1955. These years had proven to be quite successful financially, as we sold with a fairly good profit. It had been a good experience in family togetherness. During that time our three oldest children had married in the temple and brought fine companions into our family.” His mother also gave this account of his church and civil activity while in Monroe: “During the years Lowell lived in Monroe he was active in church and civic organizations; serving as secretary of the South Sevier Stake Aaronic Priesthood Committee, Stake MIA Counselor, Assistant Superintendent of the South Ward Sunday School, and as chairman of the Ward Genealogical Committee; and made a liberal contribution to the new Stake and Ward building, both in cash and labor.” “In civic organizations he served as president of the Monroe Lions Club; was chairman of a committee to construct a fireplace in the city park, did work on the city ballpark and school grounds, helped prepare the lot and grounds for constructioin of the Monroe American Legion Hall.” Eventually children came to their marriage. All of the children were born in the Richfield, Utah hospital; Ken Lowell (1 Mar 1950), Camille (5 Nov 1952) and Lora Lee (10 Jan 1955) and all were taken home to Monroe. A business decision was necessary for the South Sevier Dairy in 1955. Their product had been homogenized and pasteurized and sold in bottles. The industry was now moving to milk sold in disposable cardboard containers. It was necessary to move to new containers, a considerable investment in equipment, or liquidate. The decision was made to sell their dairy herd to one of the state’s largest dairies, Hi-Land Dairy. Lowell took a job at their processing facility on Vine Street in Murray, Utah. Later Vahl would also work for Hi-land Dairy. Lowell purchased a home for his family at 376 East 6815 South, Midvale, Utah. It was a new home in, what was then, the southern outer edge of residential development in the Salt Lake Valley. The home was surrounded by farm land. The most prominent crop was onions. Lowell’s home was among the first to be built and close relationships were formed with neighbors as they moved into newly built homes with young families. A good example of the close relationships among the neighbors came during the Christmas season. Nearly every family in the neighborhood would decorate their house and yard with lights. Then strands of lights would be run from home to home creating a small community unification of the Christmas celebration. The final step came as a large tree was decorated at the top of the street. The neighborhood enjoyed minor celebrity status as outsiders would drive up and down the street making the trip a part of their Christmas celebration. Work continued at Hi-Land Dairy for a couple of years as Lowell ran the equipment that processed and packaged milk, but the job was not ideal. Shift work was required and there were no benefits. Lowell approached life in a very practical way. Security, insurance and a retirement package were important to him. He took a position in maintenance with Jordan School District. He started as a custodian at an elementary school, then moved to Hillcrest High School, and progressed to a position on the district level. At the district position he coordinated maintenance, worked on building and remodeling projects, directed the activity of a warehouse, a made maintenance purchases. The practical side of his personality was apparent to others. He was careful with money and avoided excessive debt. On one occasion he decided he needed a new truck. After some initial shopping he came home and announced to the family that he would not buy a truck after all. New trucks were now over $2,000, a price that was just too high. He would simply keep the truck he had. He taught his children to be obedient and law abiding. We knew any trouble we caused outside the home would be worse at home if dad knew we were wrong. For example, he was generous with his children in the use of family vehicles, we could use them within reason, and he would provide the gas, but he let us know privileges would be removed if we were involved in traffic violations. He was careful and took good care of his home, his vehicles, his yard and the things he owned. Lowell’s in-laws, Willard and Elevia Oldroyd, build a new home at 6865 South 300 East. In 1966, when both of them had passed away, Lowell and Carol bought this home. It was larger than their current home and had a build on garage. This was their home for the rest of their lives. He was active in the church and served in many callings. In Midvale he worked in Young Men and MIA positions. He served with Carol as a Stake Dance Director at a time when dancing was popular. He was ordained a Seventy and functioned as a Stake Missionary when there were no full time missionaries in Utah. As a Stake Missionary he memorized discussions and taught in the homes of investigators. He served as Stake Athletic Director. He enjoyed a calling he had working with a Stake Presidency as a Stake Clerk. He also served in High Priest group leadership positions. Lowell was compassionate and kind in his service. In November 1968, Ken was a freshman at BYU and brought several of his friends home for Thanksgiving dinner. One friend was away from home for the first time and was noticeably homesick. Lowell made arrangements for a phone call and surprised the young man with a long distance conversation with his family. Later in his life he was accepted an 18 month local missionary call to work with Carol at the “Address Unknown” section of membership records. They would spend four to five hours a week at the Church Office Building calling family and friends of members whose location was unknown and membership records were not assigned to a ward. They contacted people all over the world in this capacity. He commented that it was very rewarding to locate someone and send their records to their new location, where there was a good possibility they would be contacted by ward members. The last position he held in the Church, a position he really enjoyed, was Ordinance Worker at the Jordan River Temple. The temple was new and he worked there for several years. He felt this call was a great blessing in his life. Traveling was another enjoyable part of his life. Summer vacations with his family were common when the children were at home. Most of the family travel was in the western United States including Yellowstone, The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Fish Lake, Yosemite, the Redwoods, Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills of North Dakota, Disneyland, San Francisco, the Seattle World’s Fair, Lake Louise and Calgary Canada, and Mesa Verde. After retirement at age 62, he and Carol increased their travel together. Locations included trips to Hawaii, the East Coast, New York, Washington D.C, Niagara Falls, the Southern States, New Orleans, early LDS church history sites and Civil War sites. There were several trips to Mexico including Mexico City, Acapulco, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Tulum. Cruises included trips to Alaska and the Caribbean. One week after his seventieth birthday, on Tuesday, 21 April 1992, Lowell reported to the Jordan River Temple for his scheduled service as an ordinance worker. At the preparation meeting held before his shift began, he was assigned the spiritual thought. He commented on this quote from Bruce R McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine, and D&C 72:3-4, using these notes in his handwriting: “It is by the wise use of one’s stewardship that eternal life is won. It is required of the Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship, both in time an eternity. For he who accounted faithful and wise in time is accounted worthy to inherit the mansion prepared for him of my father.” Following his service at the temple he returned home and made some Home Teaching visits. While still dressed in his suit he was watering the new flowers in his front yard when he experienced a serious heart attack. In the Cottonwood Hospital he was unconscious for two days. On the evening of April 23rd he was given a priesthood blessing and a request was made that he be released from this life, if it was the Lord’s will. During that night Carol, Lora Lee, Camille and Ken stayed with him in his room. At 7 a.m., on the morning of April 24th, he lifted his head and shoulders from the pillow, opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. He raised both his arms and reached forward. He then quietly returned his head to the pillow and passed to the next life. His life was complete and he was again in the presence of family members who had preceded him in death. Lowell’s life was filled with change, service, dedication and faith. His children remember his smile and quiet sense of humor. He had a subtle chuckle when he laughed. Those who knew him think of him fondly and remember the chuckle. _________________________
Important events and dates in the life of Lowell Russell Ware: Event Date Location Performed By Blessing 4 Jun 1922 Monroe, Utah Arthur Stanley Parsons Baptized 1 Nov 1930 Monroe Hot Springs Ordean Washburn Confirmation 1 Nov 1930 Monroe, Utah Heber Winget Deacon Ordination 8 July 1934 Monroe, Utah James Russel Ware Teacher Ordination 27 Feb 1938 Monroe, Utah Earnest V. Anderson Priest Ordination 13 Aug 1939 Monroe, Utah James Russel Ware Elder Ordination 9 Mar 1947 Monroe, UtahJohn R. Magleby Seventy Ordination 23 Apr 1958 Midvale, UtahS. Dilworth Young High Priest Ordination 26 Apr 1968 Midvale, UtahEverett H. Belcher
Source: Family Search Memories
Lowell Russell Ware, By Della Parsons Ware
As Lowell’s mother I feel impressed to write some of the events of his childhood, and then on through the years as he grew to manhood. Lowell was born April 14, 1922 to Samuel Russel Ware and Della May Parsons Ware, at our home in Monroe, Sevier County, Utah. Our doctor was Dr. Carl Larson, a former Monroe boy. He came back to his hometown to practice medicine. Nurse Phoebe Packer, who was our neighbor, assisted him. Lowell weighted 9 pounds at birth, a normal healthy baby. At the time of our marriage, a year before his birth, I weighted 105 pounds so I had a hard labor. I remember Lowell’s face was not red as most babies are and he looked beautiful to me. As my own baby was placed in my arms I was overwhelmed with joy, and I thought to myself, “I hope we have more babies.” Lowell was healthy and free from illness until he was about 10 months old, then he had a sever attack of tonsillitis, along with an ear infection. We had his tonsils removed when he was two years old, yet it seemed that every time he caught cold, adenoid tissue in his throat would swell against his eustachian tubes, which affected his hearing. We took him to Dr. Cecil Clark in Provo who performed another operation to remove the tissue in his throat. When Lowell was 19 months old a beautiful baby sister was born to us, but only lived to be 3 months old when she died of a bowel obstruction. Lowell was still our baby then until October 15, 1924 when Mavis, another beautiful brown eyed baby came to bless our home. She brought us consolation and joy and we were a happy family with our little boy and a baby sister for him. Lowell very seldom gave us disciplinary problems. When he was a small child he usually made a special effort to stay out of mischief and watched other children to see that they didn’t do those things they ought not to do. I remember one time when he misbehaved at the dinner table. I put him in the pantry and closed the door. He became so frightened that I never did that to a child again, and I have a feeling of regret when I think of it. There are a few other little things that I especially remember. Mavis had a little rocking chair. Together they decided they wanted a chair without rockers. Lowell proceeded to find his father’s saw and sawed off the bottoms. Mavis was perfectly happy with a chair that didn’t rock. When Lowell was four or five years old Santa brought him a miniature John Deere wagon with a team of horses attached. This toy was put out by the John Deere Company and made of cast iron. It was only 6 or 8 inches long. His father was as elated with the toy as was Lowell. After several years had passed the little wagon was no longer to be found. I never could find out what happened to it until quite recently. I was visiting with Lowell when he said, “Mother, do you remember the little iron wagon I received for Christmas one year? Well, I decided I wanted to take the horses off the wagon, so I took the hammer and tried to pound them off.” Being made of cast iron, the toy broke in pieces and he buried it out in the pasture. Lowell continued, “I would give a lot now to have that toy as a keep sake.” When the children were real small their dad bought a baby goat for part of their Christmas. There was a lot of excitement when he came leading the little animal into the house. We couldn’t tolerate the mischief of a goat when it grew older, so we didn’t keep it for long. Lowell was always interested in music and had a good sense of rhythm. He received a toy drum one Christmas. We sang Jingle Bells and other Christmas songs as he marched round and round our table beating the rhythm of the songs. He played the tuba in the high school band. It was a joy for me to take him where he needed to go with the large instrument in the rumble seat of our green Dodge car. Sunday was a special day for Lowell. He enjoyed dressing in his Sunday clothes and going to Sunday School. He willingly accepted assignments to give short talks. He didn’t like the idea of changing to his other clothes after Sunday School. He said, “I don’t know why I can’t wear my Sunday clothes all day on Sunday.” He always wanted his clothes to look just right and grew up to be very well groomed in his appearance on special occasions, and was just as meticulous in everything he did. He seemed to have a special talent for carpentry, home decorating and yard landscaping. Lowell’s father built up a herd of purebred registered jersey cattle. From the calves he would select a choice one for Lowell to use in his 4H and FFA projects. He and his brother Vahl won many prizes and blue ribbons in stock shows and County fairs. Our whole family entered into the enthusiasm and fun, helping and encouraging the boys. We spent the day at the fair and with much suspense awaited the judge’s decision. They also received awards in showmanship competition. Lowell graduated from South Sevier High School in 1941. The following year he attended the College of Southern Utah in Cedar City. He attended Utah State Agricultural College at Logan for one quarter the following year. World War II cut Lowell’s college education short. He chose to enlist in the Navy and received his initial training at Farragut, Idaho, then was sent to the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific. There he was with the ship USS Rawleigh that was to be assigned to the combat area of Japan. However, the ship was condemned as a combat vessel. They traveled with their ship along the west coast of the United States and were sent on a good will tour of South America. So, Lowell was never to know the actual experience of combat in war. By this time we had become parents of six children. Mavis, our third child was born in October 1924; Vahl in 1928; Donna Janine was born October 29, 1929. She was only to remain with us 14 months, then died of a throat infection. Antibiotics were not in use at that time; no doubt she had what is now known as a strept throat infection. Samuel Dean, our youngest was born in June 1937. We were all worried and concerned about the safety of Lowell; the government censored all mail, so we had no way of knowing the whereabouts of the men and boys who were at war. We had two years of suspense and worry before the war finally ended in 1945. At that time their ship sailed for home by way of Panama and Cuba and they landed in the New York harbor. It was a great day for all when the war ended in August 1945. When Lowell returned home from military service we were happy to find that he had not become a slave to any of the bad habits that are so prevalent in wartime. Lowell was at that time 23 years old. He had never shown much interest in dating girls, but our yard was many times filled with boys who were his friends and seemed to enjoy basketball and just playing catch with a ball on the lawn. Lowell was always interested in sports, and really enjoyed dancing, which was a popular recreation at that time. I think it was at a dance that he first became acquainted with Carol Peterson of Venice, Utah. Carol has said that she first fell in love with his good dancing. Lowell and Carol were married in the Manti Temple June 9, 1947. Carol was a lovely girl. She was raised in a family that was devout in their religious convictions. She was dedicated to her church activities, and to obeying the teachings of our religious beliefs. Lowell could not have chosen a better companion to be the mother of his children. She is also a loyal wife and companion. When Lowell returned from the war, he chose to stay with his father and Vahl and invest the money he received from the government in a family project which already had its beginning. His father had built a grade “A” milking barn. At that time there was need for bottled milk for the schools in the school district. So equipment was purchased to take care of this need. Later they pasteurized and homogenized the milk. Soon they were delivering milk in quart bottles to many of the homes in Richfield, Monroe, and Elsinore; besides providing milk in half pint bottles for the schools in South Sevier. So we took the name “South Sevier Dairy.” Lowell took care of the deliveries to schools. Lowell gave his wholehearted support to this enterprise. During the ten years he gave this service he never missed a day getting milk to the students in time for school lunch. For this newly married couple, as well as many others, it was almost impossible to find a house or apartment to rent. Finally they took a small apartment in the upstairs of an older home on Main Street. It was very inconvenient and inadequate as a home for them – but they managed to get by for a brief time. Barracks, which had been used for housing soldiers, were offered to the war veterans at a reasonable price. Lowell purchased one of these buildings and moved it to a lot that his father gave him on Third West and Second South in Monroe. Placing the building over a basement, they remodeled and painted it and had a two-bedroom home. Lowell planted lawn, shrubbery and trees, and they had a comfortable, attractive home. Their three children, Ken, Camille, and Lora Lee were born in the Richfield hospital and brought home to this house. On October 19, 1949, Vahl was married to Nola Heilesen of Glenwood, Utah. To them were born four children, Valerie, La Ron, Michelle, and Julie. In 1954, Lyman Willardsen, who was employed by the State of Utah as a dairy inspector, informed us that our building and milk processing arrangement would not meet new state requirements. Our business was growing, yet it would not justify rebuilding and buying new equipment. At that time Hi-Land Dairy of Murray, Utah was buying all of the small dairy business operations they could get. They offered a good price for the routes we had established in the county, so we sold to them. When the family organized the project it was agreed that with the equity their father and I had it in, we could claim half interest and allow the boys to each pay for a quarter interest in the business, which included the dairy cattle. After all outstanding debts were paid; the balance was divided in a way that seemed to meet the approval of all. Vahl decided to keep his interest in the dairy cows and stayed on to work with his father, producing grade “A” milk which was sold to Hi-Land Dairy and shipped to one of their processing plants. Lowell and Carol, having in mind the welfare of their children when they finished high school, their foremost interest was to be near a university where they could be near home and resume their education. Our youngest child, Samuel Dean, was then almost through high school. He had helped with the work on the farm and dairy. For ten years the family had worked very closely together and we felt that family ties were really close. It was with some heartache that this working relationship was broken up. Mr. Curtis, Manager of Hi-Land Dairy in Murray, offered Lowell employment in Salt Lake doing commercial delivery of dairy products. He left Carol at home with the children and he went to Murray to take the job. Carol, with the help of her parents, managed the packing so they could move into a new house that was in the process of being built. Lowell slept in the basement of the house as soon as it was ready, but it was several months before the family could be reunited in their new home in Midvale. Carlos Asay, formerly of Monroe, and later a General Authority in the church, lived near them. Carlos was called to be superintendent of the YMMIA and he chose Lowell to be one of his assistants. They soon became acquainted with a choice group of young couples that formed a Sunday night study fireside group. They continued to maintain an association with members of this group many years later. Lowell moved from his delivery job to accept a position with Hi-Land in the processing plant. The dampness there brought on more throat and ear trouble. As his hearing problem became worse he resorted to the use of a hearing aid for several years. Later he had surgery on both ears, which has proven very successful. In one of the Midvale schools of the Jordon District there was an opening for a custodian that Lowell took after three or four years with Hi-land. He moved to larger schools over time and then into a maintenance management position for the school district. Lowell’s story would not be complete without more mention of his sister Mavis. After graduating from South Sevier High School in Monroe, she spent the summer in Salt Lake Attending LDS Business College. In September she came home and took a job in the Sevier County Court House as a secretary to the County Recorder. She married Dohn Buchanan during World War II on April 14, 1944. Dohn was serving in the US Navy. When he was transferred to Florida, Mavis went there to be with him. They also lived in California for a time before he was released from military service. They are parents of three children, Joyce, Shawna and Robert. On May 27, 1960, about 5 a.m., Lowell received a telephone call from his brother Vahl telling him that their father had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack. By nightfall all of the family was home, except Ken, who was in bed with rheumatic fever. We were all together the four days before their father’s burial on June 1st. Carol’s father and mother cared for Ken in their home while his parents were away. At that time Sam was teaching in Henderson, Nevada. Mavis and Dohn were living in Phoenix, Arizona. The boys had hunted and fished with their father as soon as they were old enough and worked closely together. Mavis and her father had a very close father-daughter relationship, so he was missed very much. It had become a custom for the boys to meet in their boyhood home for early breakfast on the morning of the opening of the pheasant hunt. For several years after their father had gone, I continued to have breakfast for them. Sometimes a dozen hunters would meet here in our home and leave for the hunt together. On several occasions Dohn and Mavis were with us, and Robert, Ken and LeRon were then old enough to hunt with them. To Lowell’s family, summer vacation time meant a two-week trip with the compact camper trailing behind the touring car. These vacations were usually spent with members of Carol’s sisters and their families at interesting resorts and parks in neighboring states, as well as their home state of Utah. These were some of the occasions that helped to form strong family ties. As Lowell’s parents we are proud of his life’s record, for his honest upright attitude, his service to God and his fellowman, and for his loyalty and love to his family.
