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Show for ihe hardy settlers who came here to wrestle sagebrush and dig the ditches which brought the flowing waters to the brink of their greatest need. In those difficult days this community was not even blessed with a proper name. As an unincorporated area of Utah County, adjacent 10 Provo City, this rustic bench land was simply called "Provo Bench." Born September 15, 1897, to early settlers James A. Loveless and Julia Ekins Loveless, Ray was the eighth of eight children. Ray attended the Spencer grade school, located near his parents' homestead. He also had two years of junior high school. Since there was no high school in this community, Ray Loveless attended Pleasant Grove High School, where he met Reba Cobbley, and graduated in 1917. Energized by the soil, Ray attended the Agricultural College in Logan for two years, while living with his sister. Hazel Kearl. After serving for a short time in the United States Army, Ray returned home to the farm and married Reba Cobbley. Their first home was a two-room lumber house on the northwest comer of his father's homestead. He owned seven acres, and later, he bought additional acreage from his brother, John. Tims, began the life's work of Ray E. Loveless, as successful farmer, school teacher and community leader. He planted alfalfa on his land, at first, and later planted fruit trees, such as apples, pears, peaches, cherries and prunes. Until the trees came into production, he also grew raspberries, strawberries, potatoes and onions. In those difficult days this community was not even blessed with a proper name. As an unincorporated area of Utah County, adjacent to Provo City, this rustic bench land was simply called "Provo Bench. " During the influenza epidemic, Ray Loveless was also called on to teach school at the Spencer and Page grade schools. He was not a certified teacher to begin with, and so he attended summer school at Brigham Young University to become certified. As the Loveless farm became productive, in 1926 Ray began to build a new home at 800 East 400 South Street. He did much of the construction work, himself, while contracting out such work as bricklaying brick-laying and plastering. With horses, cows, pigs and chickens to feed and take care of, as well as the growing fruit orchards, the Lovelesses' three daughters and three sons found plenty to do on the farm. By 1935 the Town of Orem had a population of some 2,500 people, and Ray E. Loveless found time to represent them during 1936 and 1937 in the Utah State Legislature. During the summer months, Ray gained valuable experience in the marketing of fruit. For many years, he served as President of the Timpanogos Marketing Association, which shipped fruit from Orem to all parts of the country. Timpanogos Marketing shipped the fruit in iced railroad cars, and on some days, as many as 100 cars left Orem, loaded with fruit. With America's entry into World War II, ground was broken here for the construction of the Geneva Steel Plant. Ray Loveless joined the construction team, helping to build the steel plant, while his sons operated the farm. In later years Ray Loveless sold his farm to the Sharon L.D.S. Stake, and he built the Continental Trailer Park at 320 South State Street. Nineteen forty-nine was a municipal election year, and when Orem's two political parties held their nominating conventions that October, Ray E. Loveless was nominated by one of them, as a candidate for the Orem City Council. Serving on the Council with Mayor J.W. Gillman from 1950 through 1953, Councilman Loveless was called on to take the helm of Orem City, following the death of Mayor Gillman on February 14, 1953. Elwood Baxter was named to complete the unexpired portion of Loveless's term on the Council. The administration of Mayor Loveless was concerned, among other matter, with the desirability of effecting changes in the city's administrative machinery. On April 13, 1953, the City Council discussed the possibility of hiring a full-time city manager to manage municipal affairs. Over the next several months, the topic was widely discussed in the community, even as the City Council studied the city manager-council form of government. Finally, in December, as Mayor Loveless's term as Mayor was coming to its close, the Orem City Council held a public hearing on the city manager- council form of government On December 14, 1953, an ordinance was enacted, Page 38 |