Show f a q Il I 4 I i U r rI rt A Ar t M rr I r t y r IlL 1 1 r NEWELS NEWEL'S HARMONY FOUR left to right Vena Wardell Newel Be Behunin Marie P. P Hatch and Elma Elmo Smith display some of their talents at a recent dance THIS IS YOUR LIFE Newels H Harmony Four Dance Band Sand Has Musical Years By Fern H H. H Reynolds As the last sweet strains of music floats on the evening breeze comments of gee wasn't that smooth sure reminds reminds reminds re re- re- re minds me of the good ole ale days I could have danced all night and other such comments are arc heard THE DANCERS are enjoying over years of practice and love of music furnished furnished furnished fur fur- by Newels Newel's Ne vels vel's Harmony Four Marie Hatch Elma Smith Vena Wardell and Newel Behunin this is your lives Marie Vena and Elma you were born to John and Ester and are from a family of eleven children All of the sisters and brothers are talented in the music field Playing from one one to several instruments MARIE YOU were about nine when the family bought a new piano which you learned to play by ear and was organist at 13 years old You continued in this job for several years years' You Vou stated Father was in the bishopric of Jensen and I never missed anything the ward was short of musicians You also learned to play the little button accordion your father owned At Atthe Atthe Atthe the age of 13 you played for the first funeral of several and at 15 in a dance band for the first time with r Hyrum Murray and his daughter Lilly for 3 a night A music teacher at the Uintah Academy Academy Academy Aca Aca- demy encouraged you to take a music class which you did This amount of formal music education was all you had In 1922 you became Mrs Art Paul Paul- son This union brought one son Duane You kept up with marriage family and music Your son married Helen Twitchell and you are the he grandmother of ot three THROUGHOUT THROUGH YOUR music care career r you joined several bands One was was was' Ted Sewell Lewis Murray and Luther Stewart Ste Ste. wart and you stayed with their band for 3 years You were with the Freestone Freestone Freestone Free Free- stone Orchestra for two years starting in 1943 While playing for dances you stated I I never watch the music while playing playing playing play play- ing for lor a a d dance nce It is more fun to watch the dancers Having the ability to play by ear came in handy one night at Davis Ward you were playing piano at atan an outdoor out pavilion and someone someone kick kick kicked ed the light socket putting out the lights but you never missed a note on the Twelve Street Rag and were were still going strong when the lights came on n. n You can c'an can also read notes notes' most of which is self taught Your talents include include in in- clude elude piano piano ac accordion button ac se and mouth harpor harp For tor you family mu lc Ie Is a way of life You stated our family was noted for its music and parties Kids from froman all an over Jensen would attend your home parties and a party wasn't complete without our mom and dad there VENA WARDELL you are arc talented too When you were about six years old your father taught you to play Home Sweet Home on the little button accordion accordion accordion accor accor- dion after which you taught yourself to play by ear car For your birthday he bought you a new accordion That year he filed on on ona a homestead in the Colorado mountains Every summer summer sum sum- summer mer your mother two brothers and sister Elma and yourself would join him for the summer The family would ride horseback toone to toone toone one of the cabins occupied by people from Kentucky California and Colorado Colorado Colo Cola rado for a barbecue and then Dad brothers Willard and Manfred both played harmonicas and Elma violin and mandolin and you on the accordion would play for the dance until until until un un- til daylight Effie and Leon Leona a your other two sisters also enjoyed the music You did this for about four years then the homestead were patented and sold YOU MARRIED Alvin Wardell Warden in 1933 and for years was b busy sy singing lula lula- bies to your eight children Mr Wardell died in 1948 leaving yo you with the children children children child child- ren to s support and raise Elma Elma and and Marie were were still playing for dances then and one one night needed I a drummer Marie insisted you co could ld handle hand hand- le Ie the job and showed you a few basics November of 1957 was the beginning of your drumming in th the dance bands You have been drummer for Art and Mary Eaton but have spent most of the time with your your family Of your eight children two are are deceased Glee died when she was was was' four years old and Jimmy Jim Jim- my at 17 in an accident at school l. l i OF YOUR other six children B Bob b Tom Kay Labrum abrum Connie Mott Matt Gloria Harris and Shanna Lee Merkley four of 1 them have followed in Mothers footsteps foot steps as musicians You have 23 grandchildren grand children and two great grandchildren r. r As a member of the Church you youre are re a 8 member of the Vernal Second Ward choir was secretary of the for 12 years coordinator of Junior Sunday Sun Sun- day School and filled an Indian Mission In business you employed at years i don d on page r This is Your Life Continued from page ID 1 B ELMA ELM YOU are arc talented In the music field Your our musical abilities were instilled instilled in In- stilled t tit nt t an early age alte You stated staled the earliest recollection 1 t have of ot father lather Is him playing an old button bullon accordion or Harmon ca and when they weren't a a a- valuable he was singing or whistling lie He you to dance almost as could walk lie He also nicknamed nick so soon 11 as you jou ou named you pun Connie due to your dark complex The nick name name still stilt holds today AS grew so did your love of music You took look some piano lessons in grade school and In high school you started playing the violin and also took tooka a few lessons on It You stated my musical schooling was very limited In January of 1923 you went to Cal Cat to visit a sister and met Clifton Smith Wedding bells rang for tor you two May 19 10 1923 Then you settled down to raise a family of five children They are Mrs Harold Vena Vona M. M Wardell Clifton Clif Clifton ton Leland Ray nay Pee lee Wee Philip E. E and Donald 11 II II all of whom played in the band YOU BOUGHT nOUGHT a button accordion for tor your daughter on her birthday and both mother and daughter learned to play it In 1946 a dream came true you bought a piano plana accordion and have played in several orchestras since Your son Leland also played in several orchestras orchestras or with you Elma Marie and Vena you also delight delight de light your audiences with your broome dance In 1935 Newel Behunin came into your musical live lives lie He was playing and singing at Dads Ilace Place when hen you first became acquainted Since then Marie Vena yourself and Newel all have been closely associated in the music field Via jam sessions dances and family get get- to You stated we have traveled over all kinds of roads and all sorts of weather but we got there one way orthe orthe or orthe the other NEWEL BEHUNIN November 8 e 1909 was your entry into the world Leonard LeonardJ J J. J and Ellen Holt Behunin were your parents and you were one ono of 10 child child- ren You came from a line of musicians Your father and mother played for dances before they were married Your mother died when you were nine When you were 10 years old your father tather traded for another violin and hung it on the wall admonishing you children to leave it alone One day while white he was to town you got the forbidden n off the wall and tried your talents Each time he left the house you would practice but one day you were caught in the act and expected the worst instead he asked if you could play anything After the music demonstration he ho allowed and encouraged encouraged aged you to play YOU HAD typhoid fever at six and did not enter school until you ou were were seven but after commencing school you advanced advanced ad ad- several grades in one year At 11 years old you and a brother Bill played played play play- played ed for Kid dances in church At age 13 you played the violin in the high hig school orchestra and also for dan dan- ces ees One of the orchestras in which you played was Sam Chidister's in Torrey Wayne County Utah The band consisted consisted con con- of Claude Holt Fern Chidister wife of Sam and his daughter Wanda and Alburn Brown You were on the banjo then and played with the band every summer during your school years WHEN YOU were 17 you worked on a farm and missed the usual summer fest but also gained in talent One of the tho farm hands had an E Rat flat Alto which interested you immensely im im- lie showed ved you the C scale and this started your saxophone career You played it so well the tho farmer encouraged encouraged en you to purchase a sax and even put up the down payment You paid it back the amount loaned out of 45 per month salary you were earning On returning home Mr 1 Chidister invited invited in in- you to join the band again which you did only on the this time Due to your inability to read music this was a struggle so you made every effort erfort possible and taught yourself this art You memorized chords and learned the why of each one This gave you the confidence to tackle the guitar mandolin piano and other related related re re- re instruments IN 1932 you and anda a a brother Les came cameto cameto cameto to Vernal where you met Earl Good rich All AR of you would hop into the old old Model T Ford and drive around on music jobs You stated once in a while we would just stop the car and set up at the side of the road and start play play- playing ing log music Passers l by y thought we were a little daft but we sure had a lot of fun A band called The Red ned Peppers with Mrs Bus Eva Hatch Dill Bill Coltharp and Duff Swain was In full swing suing and there you got a job In 1936 1930 you joined Winns Winn's Six Aces it was directed by Lloyd Winn Wim music teacher at UHS Other members in the band were Chuck Lewis Ken Richardson Doral Eaton and Merle Campbell IN 1937 1931 you joined Don pon Erwins Erwin's band There were twelve members Don Hack Hack- ing Neva Allen U II 11 Bingham Floyd Allen Earl Goodrich Merle Merit Allen Lloyd Calder Herman lIerman Bingham Doral Dote Pote Eaton Duff Puff Swain Mr Erwin Ervin and your self The band traveled to Wyoming Nebraska Colorado Texas New Mexico co and Utah playing at dances through the country In 1952 1953 you met up with a aery aCry very Cry talented talented talented tal- tal couple Art and Eleanore Smith with whom you played with for over 10 years yean Art died a a few years ago and left you his is marimba which h he e played for over 50 years Its It's now In your home and you enjoy your leisure moments moments mo mo- ments playing favorite tunes of the past paston on it Jt Music has as always alway Intrigued you and any instrument holds a fascination All AU of l J your brothers and families are arc musically music music- ally inclined and when you ou all ail get together together to to- gether it is one big jam session One of your nephews Buddy Behunin Merrill 1 is a guitarist on the Lawrence Welk program The whole family plays mostly by ear Your complete life lICe has not been confined confined con con- fined to music You are active in the Church and have held positions of Sunday School Superintendent Scout ScoutMaster ScoutMaster Master laster president of the UA president pres ident of the Elders Quorum and Drama director Theatrics also holds an interest interest in in- terest for you You are arc adept when it comes to mechanical and electrical Our Dur ing the World War II you ou were at atHill athill Hill Air Force base and Clearfield Naval Na val vat Ha lase so as trouble shooter and inspector In At the business field you arc are manager man ager of The Wester's Lamplighter Inn and have been employed there since 1947 and also bookkeeper for Francis l Feltch YOUR FAMILY consists of your wife Marion and five children Mrs Robert nobert DeVona Rush Mrs 1 Dean Nola Durrail Dur Our rail rall Leonard Kehl Mrs 1 Wm Peon Deon and Keith You have 16 grand children All of them are musically inclined Your our youngest son Keith enjoys drumming drumming drum drum- ming and hopes to join Dad in the Harmony Four Your grandfather was a pioneer into Utah with Brigham Youngs Young's party and helped settle several areas n Utah lie suggested the name of Zions lions Canyon and at Castle Valley their old family home home- homestead homestead stead home is on the Utah Register as asa asa asa a monument to Elijah Cutler Behunin your grandparents Newels Newel's Harmony Four you have do doe donated your our talents to your our community in many instances and have brought good wholesome music to our community ty Keep up the good work |