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Show jj. MUM THOMAS CELEBRATES 78TH BIRTHDAY i ,V.,,V:,;;. On lulj 27, Moroni Thomas, one of Utah's and Ogden's pioneers celebrated celebrat-ed his 7S i h birthday and on this occasion oc-casion the family met at the summer home at Read's camp In Ogden canyon can-yon and enjpyed a dinner party, followed fol-lowed by a program of music and short talks James Moroni Thomas was born in Rochester, III , the son of Nathaniel and Susan Luce Thomas, who were names of the state of Maine, as wero their parents. The parents of Mr, Moroni 'Hhomas joined the Church of Latter-day Saints at Fox Island, Maine and later moved west, where the father furnished the team-, fo jbring a number of companies aero ! the plains, chief among them being' President Wilford Woodruff. Mr. Thomas assisted the Saints in man i ' ways, While residing in Nauvoo, N'a J ilianiel Thomas died, and ihe mother, with her two children. Martin and Tames, continued west and with the1 Other pioneers endured many hard j ships. On arriving In Utah in 1S50 th j locaied in Ogden and have since i n tided here. Mr Thomas has been a prominent factor in the upbuilding of th city of Ogden, his first propem In the city being located on Twenty-fourth' street and (irant avenue The loca- j tion was just swamp land when Mr Thomas came into possession of it. ! j but was made into a building site after : many wundred loads of grael had1 b en placed upon it Mr. Thomas ' Iwas instrumental in the starting of 'various enterprises in Ogden and es- tablishcd the first music store here I Mr. Thomas is a 1ot of music and still has in his possession a violin 'which bears ihe stamp of 1 7 9 .1 . Later Mr Thomas was married to Mar Hebden Holroyd. daughter of Thomas and Dinah Holroyd, who sam? to Utah In 1M3I from England The family sailed on the same, eesel ai i ! Apostle Franklin P. Richards Mrs ' Moroni Thomas had a fair musical education and was ihe possessor of a ! rather sweet voice, so iheir home in. the early days was and unto this day is a place for musical encouragement ! and entertainnien t. Mr ThniraQ unc :imnnr tlio flrnl 1 j pioneers of the city to establish a , merchandise store and he, with his sons, conducted the Thomas Brother j Grocery for many years. Bven in his old ace Mr Thomas has not lost his activity and just recently re-cently built a fine (loihes line re-l and put it on the market. Now Mr Thomas is busy making numbers ot j the articles which he has for sale. At the family gathering on .July 27, Mr Thomas related some very Inter etin stories of pioneer days in Utah and told the stor of his mothers acquaintance with '.he prophet, Joseph Smith Mr Thomas 'was a child of four ears when the prophet was killed, hut he remem i bers the sorrow among the Mormon ; people, .ie relates in an interesting i manner the love of the Mormon peo-I peo-I plf for their leader. Brigham Younc Mr. Thomas had a number of grandsons in the recent great wai They were Roland M. Thomas Harold A. Johnson, Le'.and Dee Thomas Hyde F. Thomas and Stanley Dee Thomas. Two are still in the set-vice. set-vice. Roland M Thomas in France. ,and Stanley Dee Thomas in Siberia. oo |