OCR Text |
Show CD To Celebrate Golden Wedding . . . ; y -r ' : i ' v 3 ' t . . I ? . " I. " ' ; : j, ' x Mr. and Mrs. A. O. Thorn Mr. and Mrs. A. 0. Thorn to Celebrate 50th Wedding at Open House Feb. 1 Golden wedding bells will ring soon for Mr. and Mrs. A. O. Thorn, who plan to celebrate the 50th anniversary an-niversary of their marriage on Sunday, February 7. Marking this most important occasion, oc-casion, an Open House reception will be given at their home, 14 South Forth East St., on Sunday from 2 until 6 p.m., and they extend ex-tend an invitation to all relatives and friends to call at this time. They request no gifts. Mr. Thorn, known as "Ace" to his family and close friends, was born in Sprlng-ville November 28, 1884, and has made his home here most of his life. His parents were Joseph A. and Eliza Johnson Thorn early well-known residents of this city. At the age of 14, Mr. Thorn had his first glimpse of contracting, the work which was to become his career. At this time, he was out with his father, who was an early railroad contractor. About 1916, Mr. Thorn purchased stock in the Ely Construction Co., later selling his interests and organizing his own business in 1910. Since that time, he has built railroads, canals and highways in nine of the eleven western states. He was associated with the late J. W. Whiting in construction work for 20 years until un-til their sons were grown and then each organized his own company. Today Mr. Thorn and his sons operate three stock companies, the Thorn Construction Co., the Superior Su-perior Asphalt and Paving Co. and the Thorn's Rock Product Co. Their fine new offices and machine shops constructed recently at 1225 East Ninth South in Provo, bespeak be-speak the progress which this organization or-ganization has made and their foresight and faith in the future development of this area. Several of their employees have been with them many years and one, J. W. Clark, was with Mr. Thorn on his first job 44 years ago, and is still an employee of the company, Mr. Thorn has served in numerous numer-ous capacities in business, civic and church affairs. He was director direc-tor of the Associated General Contractors Con-tractors of America, intermountain branch and was a director of the American Road Builders Association Associa-tion for four years. Mr. Thorn received his educai-tion educai-tion in the Springville schools and the Brigham Young University.1 Mr. Thorn has served two terms as Springville city mayor and previously pre-viously was a city councilman two terms. He was president of the Springville Chamber of Commerce and is prtsently serving . as chairman chair-man of the Springville Planning board. For 12 years, he seived as captain cap-tain of the Springville-Mapleton Black Hawk committee and he and Mrs. Thorn were members of the Old Folks committee of Kolob stake many years. He was chairman chair-man of the building, committee when the new Fourth-Seventh ward church was built and was chairman of the Fifth ward building build-ing committee when the Fifth-Sixth Fifth-Sixth wards and Stake House was constructed. Mr. Thorn is a High Priest. Mrs. Nettie Sanford Thorn was also born in Springville on December Decem-ber 3, 1883, a daughter of Cyrus N. and Mary Jane Hunt Sanford, early Springville pioneers. She has made her home here always with exception of a few months at various times when her children were young and she went out on the job to cook for the men as was the custom of the wives in early construction days. She has held a number of responsible re-sponsible positions in church and community affairs but her chief concern throughout her life has been to make a real home for her family. Young folks who palled with the Thorn boy3 will alwoys remember the hearty welcome they received from this generous and affable couple when ever they came to their home. Mrs. Thorn served as councilor on the Primary stake board with Mrs. Julia Packard when Kolob stake was first organized. She has been captain of the Springville DUP camp and was in the Fourth ward Relief Society presidency several years. She has also served as a Relief Society teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Thorn were married mar-ried February 10, 1904, in Springville Spring-ville and ten years later received their endowments in the Salt Lake Temple. They have three sons: Paul Thorn and Senator Grant Thom, Springville, both associated with their father in business and Bryce Thorn, manager of the Sage Motel north of Springville. There are also nine grandchildren. I |