Loyd was the eleventh child of Simeon and Anna. He grew to adulthood in Manassa. In the process he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was ordained in the office of Deacon, Teacher, and Priest. He was ordained an Elder in 1941.Loyd grew up with a father who farmed and he learned to drive teams of horses and milk cows at an early age. By the time he was ten years of age, he was milking cows by hand regularly and was mowing hay, driving as many as six horses on a plow, planting grain, and caring for farm animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, turkeys, and chickens. He was taught the blessing of hard work as he hoed peas, potatoes, and lettuce, and picked green peas and potatoes. He also pitched bundles into a threshing machine, stacked hay, hauled grain, bucked bales, irrigated potatoes, and performed other farm jobs. He also worked in the pea sheds and a canning factory.
Loyd attended schools in Manassa. He was a good student, but didn't apply his abilities as well as he could have. Nevertheless he graduated from Manassa High School in 1939. As a senior, he served as student body president. Loyd attended Adams State College for one quarter in the fall of 1939.
Loyd left collelge and went back to his father's farm, which he took over and operated for the next 22 years. In 1959, Loyd returned to college. He received both a B.A. and M.A. from Adams State College. He did further graduate work at Adams State College, Brigham Young University, and Northridge State College.
Loyd married Cathryn Brothers in the Salt Lake Temple on 28 May 1941. This temple sealing was one of the choice experiences of their young lives. They will be eternally grateful to their Father in Heaven for granting the blessings of the temple to them at that time in their lives.
Eight children were born to Loyd and Cathryn. Five years elapsed between the fifth and sixth child. At this time, Loyd was called on a mission to the western Canadian Mission from 1953 to 1955. Cathryn moved in with her mother and worked as a nurse's aid in the nursery at Alamosa Community Hospital while Loyd was gone.
Loyd has held many positions in the church during his married life. Among Loyd's positions are three Stake Missions, Stake Mission President, High Counselor, Bishop, and Patriarch.
A typical March day during the years farming included rising at 4:00 am to dress and check lambing sheds, take care of newborn lambs and their mothers, feed the remaining sheep, but the cows in the barn, feed them, hand milk seven to ten cows, get milk ready to ship to the cheese factory, pump water by hand for all of the livestock, feed the pigs and chickens, and then go in for breakfast. After breakfast, it was time to check the lambing pens, get the tractor ready to plow or plant, run the tractor for about three hours, check the lambing pens and eat lunch. Then it was back on the tractor for another four hours, check the lambing pens, feed livestock, milk cows, put the sheep in the lambing sheds, eat supper, check the sheep and lambs again, and go to bed about 9:00pm.
When farming years were lean, Loyd worked in a filling station, a feed store, and a mine to supplement income. After graduating from college, Loyd became a full time school teacher.
From 1961 to 1963, Loyd taught school in Manassa and LaJara, Colorado. In 1964, the family moved to Lancaster, California. Loyd then taught elementary school in the Keppel Union School District in Little Rock, California, until he retired.
The Lord has given Loyd the opportunity to teach the missionary lessons to over 150 people who have become members of the Church. Among those those taught are a Stake President, Stake Mission Presidents, High Counselors, Bishops, and Temple Workers.
Loyd says: "We are thankful for all the blessings our Father-in-Heaven has given us, our parents, our brothers and sisters, our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, the truth of the Gospel and the opportunity to gain eternal lives. We bear solemn testimony that this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is God's true church here on the earth and if we live up to the principles and commands He has given, we will all live with him as family units in the eternities to come. We bear this witness in the names of Jesus Christ, Amen."
Taken from A history of the Ancestors of Simeon harmon Dunn and Anna Buletta Jensen, compiled by Vera Dunn Olivier, published Jun3 1993.
1 comment:
I vaguely remember when Lloyd lived in Manassa. Terry was my little buddy. We would play together. I don't remember what we would play, but I do remember that I would go down the street to their house and walk up the sidewalk. I remember also when Rex would visit and George, Terry, and I would play together.
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