Show Former Vernal Church Churell Civic Civie Leader Die Dies Harden Bennion Former Vernal Postmaster Man Man- Manager Manager Manager ager of Ashley Co op and o Organizer of Bank of oi Vernal Succumbs From Fall Harden 74 former Sec Sec- Secretary Secretary Sec Secretary of State noted agricultural agrIcultural- agriculturalist 1st and Church official died Mon Monday day at 10 05 am a m in in a Salt Lake Laki hospital Death resulted from complications complications complications resulting from froin a fractured hIp suffered In a tall fall at his home hom lour days agoA agoA ago agoA A prominent figure throughout throughout- the state of Utah Mr Bennion s rise through the gain of public con con- con con- confidence confidence to that office second only on onto to the governor governors s earned for hIm the title of one of Utah 5 foremost citizens Mr Bennion ted his sev- sev sev fourth enty-fourth birthday last Wednes Wednes- Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday day Born in Taylorsville Oct 7 1862 Mr Bennion was the third son of 01 John and Esther Ann Birch Ben Ben- Ben Ben- BennIon Bennion nion pioneer settlers of Taylors Taylors- yUle ville At the age of six years the thc boy was taken by his parents by team and wagon to West Vest Point in Nevada and later to ta panaca and then to Eagleville He lived Jived In thise pioneer towns dur- dur during during dur during ing the five live years his father lather vas as engaged In colonization work In Inthe Inthe Inthe the fall fail of 1873 the family return return- returned returned returned ed to Ta In the spring of 1876 the family moved to Vernon Tooele county whIch became their permanent home for 30 years In October 1878 Harden was appoInted a normal scholarship at atthe atthe the University of Despret Deseret and WOOS was awarded a teachers teacher s certificate but did not attempt to teach For the next seven years he worked at the farm at Vernon In 1886 he agaIn entered the University of Utah Mr Bennion s first public servIce servIce service ice was sas as as a clerk In the office of George M Cannon county re- re recorder recorder re recorder corder of Salt Lake county After his marriage to Miss Vilate Kim Kim- Kimball KimbaIl ball Kirn-ball ball baIl March 31 1893 he Joined the Security Abstract corn com company com company pany of Salt Lake City and anti later became manager of the Ashley Co- Co operative Co-operative Mercantile at Vernal a position he filled for 14 j ears During this time he as- as assisted assisted as assisted In the organization of the Bank of Vernal being made a dl- dl director di director rector and later vice president He was elected a trustee and be- be became became be became came town clerk of the newly or- or organized organized or organized town of Vernal and sub sub- subsequently subsequently sub subsequently when it was Incorporated ed ad as a city became a member of the Council Ht H served as postmaster of Ver- Ver Vernal Ver Vernal nal ial until elected a member of the Utah State Senate in Nov 1898 He was re-elected re for a second term in 1902 Mr Bennion was ap- ap appointed appointed ap appointed pointed a member of the Utah Arid Land Reclamation Fund Commis Commis- I Commis-I Commission sion sian by Governor Heber M Wells I In the thc spring of 1909 he was appointed ap- ap appointed ap appointed pointed by Governor Spry a mem mem- member member ber bar of the Utah State Board of Equalization and served on that board for eight years with the ex- ex exception ex exception of 10 when at the request of the governor he ac Pd a as a member of the Utah Commis Commis- Commission Commission sion slon on Taxation and Revenue He v was sas as elected Secretary of State in 1916 under Governor Simon Bamberger serving in that SimonI capa capa- capacity capa- capa capacity capacity I city until 1920 During the following four he was office manager of the Silt Lake City office of the Provo Res- Res Resi Reservoir Res Reservoir i company and the Utah Lake Irrigation company and was as- as associated as associated sedated with Joseph R Murdock in the organization of the Wasatch Livestock Loan company of he acted as secretary treasurer secretary and a member of the board of di- di directors directors di directors rectors As chairman of the Democratic State committee In 1924 Mr Ben Ben- Bennion Bennion Ben Bennion nion conducted the campaign which resulted in the election of George Grorge H Dern Bern as go governor go Ite He was appointed commissioner of ag- ag agriculture agriculture ag agriculture in March 1925 and In 1929 was re appointed for a see sec sec I I ond term Active in Chuch work Mr Ben Ben- Bennion Bennion Ben Bennion I nion served as president of the Mutual Improvement organization at Vernal was sea second counselor to Bishop John N Davis of the Ver- Ver Vernal Vernal Ver Vernal nal ward and subsequently be- be became became be became came first counselor On the re- re reorganization reorganization re reorganization organization of the Uintah Stake in 1906 he was made a member of the stake high council and vas as chosen first counselor to the pre pre- president pre president Later he became a a mem mem- member mem- mem member member ber of the High Council in the Salt Lake stake On March 11 1923 of the he was sas as chosen a member presIdency of the Salt Lake stake becoming first counselor to President President President dent Morris Mrs Bennion died in August 1934 Surviving are three daughters all of Salt Lake Cit City Citi They are Aurella Bennion Florence Ben Ben- Bennion Bennon Bennion non nion and BernIce Bennion the fhe brothers Dr Milton Mllton Bennion dean of the school of education at the ty of Utah Israel Ben Ben- Bennion Ben Bennion nion stion Vernon Vemon Owen Bennion Mt Emmons David Bennion Afton Wyo and Archie Bennion Gran Gran- Granger Oran Oran- Oranger Granger ger two sisters Mrs John Chase I Nephi and Mrs John M Cannon CannonI I of Salt Lake City |