Sunday, May 4, 2008

Simeon Dunn - The Final Years

Part 4 of 4 parts.
I was ordained a Seventy by Rules S. Wells on april 25, 1909, and a few years later was set apart as one of the Council of the 92nd Quorum. On the 24th of May, 1942, I was ordained a High Priest and set apart as a member of the High Council of the San Luis Stake by richard R. Lyman, an Apostle. I served under to Stake Presidents, John B. reed and Howard Shawcroft. During the time I was in the Seventies Quorum, I served as a Stake Missionary for about three years.
In 1940, I quit farming and went into the gas business wholesale and retail. During World War II, my wife and ran the place. She took care of the station while I did the hauling and delivering. Neither of us missed a day on account of sickness, and we had wonderful health. On January 1, 1950, I sold the business to my son-in-law, Boyd W. Pagett. I was 72 years old. I stayed and helped him for about four years.
During all this time I had been working in the Church in different positions. After my release as a High Councilor I was set apart as President of the High Priest's Quorum, where I served for about four years. I also served in the Mutual Improvement Association as Superintendent of the Sunday School for a number of years. I have served as a Wart Teacher (and Home Teacher) since I was a young man.
Our daughter, Cora, died October 11, 1944, and her husband, James Edward Bingham, died July 11, 1946, leaving a family of six children whom we helped to raise.
This history would not be complete without a word about my wife. We were married 58 years th 20th of November, 1958. She is the mother of 13 children, 11 of them we raised to man and womanhood, two died in infancy and our daughter, Cora died at the age of 36. The rest of our children are alive today. She has been a wonderful wife and mother, has taught her children honesty, thrift, to be good membeers of the Church and of the community where they live. She is loved and respected by the people of the community where she lives and all who know her. Our son, Rex was stricken with polio in 1936, when he was nine years of age. My wife never ceased working with him and spent years taking him to different doctors and hospitals. He was left with one leg that has to have a brace and he walks on crutches. As of this date (1958), we have 102 in family, in-laws and all--13 children, 43 grandchildren, 24 geat grandchildren, 80 blood descendants.
(1993 -- This history is bing finished by Semeon and Anna's daughters, Frances Gillespie, Ruth Koch, Hazel Nite, Elma Pagett, Doris Mortensen, and Ina Olsen). Anna Buletta Jensen Died October 9, 1959, at her home in Manassa. She was 77 years old. After he death, their daughter, Doris Morensen and family lived in the family home. Simeon lived with them in the summers and with his daughters, Ethel Forsyth, Ina Olsen and Hazel Nite, who lived in the Los Angeles area, curing the winters where he worked in the Los Angeles LDS temple. After five years, his daughter, Frances, rented a Temple apartment and they lived there together and worked in the Temple during the winters and went back to Manassa during the summers. The last three years of Simeon's life, he stayed in Manassa. He stayed mentally and physically active and died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage. He was 95 years old. He died January 10, 1973.
Better people never lived than Simeon and Anna. They are dearly loved by all of their descendants.
Taken from, "A History of the Ancestors & Descendants of Simeon harmon Dunn and Anna Buletta Jensen", compiled by Vera Dunn Olivier, Published privately June, 1993, pp 25-26

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Kent, thank you for posting Grandpa's history. I will do some histories when I am not quite so busy. Just now I am swamped with jobs and callings

Larry said...

Take some time. If you never do, you never will.