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Show Eldest Utah Citizen Will Be 102 On Monday, Jan. 2 C. W. Seegmiller Reviews Events Over 101 Christmases Recognized as perhaps the eldest man in Utah at the present, is Charles W. Seegmiller, known to most as "Uncle Charley," who will mark off January 2, as his one hundred second anniversary. Despite physical frailty, his keen mentality and clear resonant voice make it seem impossible to those who visit with him, that he can be over the century mark. He was up and enjoying his breakfast early Christmas morning morn-ing and conversed throughout the day with many relatives and friends who called to extend the Season's Greetings. ; He recalled numerous events in the history of Utah's Dixie and the many people who have contributed to agricultural agricul-tural and other phases of its progress pro-gress since 1861. . Having witnessed Christmas 101 times in at least three states of the U. S. as well as in Canada, his observations on this world-celebrated world-celebrated occasion are edifying. He has known the joys of this day under prosperous circumstances circum-stances as well as under the poverty of early pioneering and insists that the world has lost much of the spirit of the occasion occas-ion in the present day commercializing commerc-ializing of all such,, events. He .is happy to 'note' that the world has progressed so as to provide in the homes of the least prosperous, the many comforts, facilities and even luxuies that were once inaccessible in-accessible even for the wealthy or the royal families. Hopes for Early Peace Deeply disappointed that so much of value in the world has been put to use in the ruthless slaying of humanity through the present war, he prays that a change may soon come in men's hearts and peace return to the earth again. However, he is grateful grate-ful to be living where peace and quiet still prevail in spite of the anxiety and world conflict which involves practically every family. On election day, Uncle Charley declined to vote, even though the ballot would have been brought for him. His failing health has made it impossible to keep up with his newspaper reading and he felt he was not sufficiently informed on current issues to vote intelligently. Born in Mannheim, Canada, Jan. 2, 1843, he was a grown young man when he came to Utah to work with his brothers in the leather tanning and associate trades which the family had followed fol-lowed in Canada. His father, Adam Seegmiller died before he left Canada and his mother, Anna Eve Knechtel Seegmiller accompanied accom-panied him to Utah and later to St. George. |