| OCR Text |
Show JOHN HENRY SCHMUTZ Aia.s From The Oxcart To The Moon u Pearl Ghormley like to introduce you to my sweetheart. His name is John Henry Sehmutz, age 98 Now, you may have a John Henry in your family, but, you ain't got no John Henry like this one. What can your Henry do, if he happens to be 98? Well, let me tell you about my John Henry. He gets up early in the mornings five days per week, and this means around four o'clock. He walks a couple of Brigham Young blocks to the Temple, arriving there in time to officiate in one capacity or another until 2 p.m. and walks home again. At home, he takes a nap, then goes into the garden in his back yard. His son, Sam, recently ploughed the space. Sam says After he just kept hounding me, I decided Id have to plough it. Sam helped him rake it, and then John Henry planted the seed. When the vegetables come up, who takes care of loosening of the soil and the subsequent watering? Why, John Henry of course! I met John Henry back in August 1973, soon after I moved into St. George, when I interviewed him for the Oral History Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints. When questioning an older person, the interviewer is told, keep the microphone hidden somewhere so that the person interviewed will not be nervous or fidgety, or Id By sometimes you put the microphone the tape recorder, where he could speak into it, and we began. At times during the questions, I would turn back the speaker, so we could check what he had already said, and then there were more questions. Not at any time at all did John Henry ever appear nervous; he was composed, sure of himself and gave prompt answers. I conducted that whole interview, consisting of So several hours, with less fatigue and time wasting then others I had done. The f irst thing he said to me when I stepped inside the kitchen and we made ready to work, was I have lived a lifespan from the oxcart to the moon. I used up a whole page just for that statement, and the Department of History printed it as typed. I felt it was worthy of publication and his life story really turned out to be just that. John Henry was born in St. George, Utah, on the 26th of October, 1878, and has lived here most of his life except when called on a mission for his Church. He claims his education was badly interrupted, but that he id go to kindergarten and grade school, but under the poverty conditions existing at the time, he could not put in a full year going to school. He did, however, spend one year in high school in the Woodward school in St. George. That school had no plumbing, no electric lights at the time of his attendance, but, he explains Later on they did. the by went into the kitchen of John Henry at his home on Main Street, I set the recorder with its attendant microphone on the kitchen table. Mr. Sehmutz, I asked, Will this equipment bother microphone. When I beside actually frightened, here?" at all," he said. Not I well-ordere- d He doesn't remember getting any report cards, but later on cards were used and given out every three months. However, he explained they were not cards, but a sheet of paper. 'Did You Miss' the Boat for 1976? Start Your I.RA Today and Have the Whole Year to Build Your Tax Deductions. The Individual Retirement Account means that the contribution you make to your own retirement is tax deductible .... up to $1,500.00 a year! thats a considerable sum, thanks to our our exclusive CONTINUOUS COMPOUNDING of interest . . . Let us help you maximize your deductions and your retirement. Call Today for Further Information M4SHINGTONI fcavings D 8. FStlC Loan & ISSOCIAnON Tabernacle at 200 7ht East, St George Sivmtt Ctrntr" - 673 6168 any; not particularly. I don't that I thought so, but I believe other people thought I was a good average student ; maybe a little above average. As far as honors go, or publicity, I was never in the publics eye, he pointed out. He held an office in the Elders Quorum of his church; was one of the Seven Presidents of Seventies; filled two missions, one of which was in Switzerland and the other in the Northern States Mission. He never held a paid job in the Church. As a teenager, he admitted to dancing and having dates with pretty girls. He said he felt he was a good dancer, and he always had plenty of Nice ladies with whom to dance." He knew all the General Authorities, except Brigham Young, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints. President Young died a year before he was born. Comparing his experience know y as a young man in the Church with the youth of today, he said, Well, there is a lot of difference in the youth of my day and those of today. I don't mean I was any better than they are today, but we didnt have any idle time. We had a job to do always and felt it was our responsibility to do it. Nowadays, it is different. The way I feel about it now is that the young people today dont really want to work; they don't want to do manual labor. They want to sit and watch television, tell their parents w hat to do, and what they dont want to do, and he smiled, "they are doing just about what they want to do." He seemed sad about this situation, but did not, of course, accuse all young people today of being lazy; said some are very diligent in their work. Groups of young folks in his day had fun, he said, and they were called "Our Crowd." most always on Sunday St. George, Utah 84770 1905, later; and she died ten years they had no children. In 1917, he married Ada Snow, the granddaughter of Erastus Snow, and they have two boys, Ray and Stanley. Stanley lives with his father, and next door is Sam. Sams wife is Mary Lou and they keep close watch on John Henry, along with their brother, Stanley. John Henry says this is a nice world, a good place to be, & that there are good people living in the world. And, for a thousand years, there will be mortals, immortals and maybe resurrected beings all living happily together." John Henry Sehmutz shows little signs of physical deterioration and no mental incapabilities. It seems as if, time will go on and on for him, and if so, he will surely "There must have been be a blessing and a sweetheart to all who meet about thirty of us, and his him. home was the focus point, where they all gathered, and May another extension of a span of years be granted John 11 Henry, and may it be from Moon to Mars" if the scientists and explorers Thursday, March 17, 1977 succeed in sending men there. This is a quick profile of a great man, a pioneer, and a life with a purpose from its very inception right down to today. Sylvia Empey Joins Firm graduated V:3S EARN EAGLES two young scouts will receive their Eagle Badges Sunday. They are David Mathis and David McLaws from Troop George 7th Ward. 414 of St 2 Scouts Will Receive Eagle Awards At Honor Court David Mathis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Mathis, and David McLaws, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. McLaws, will receive their Scout Awards this Eagle Sunday at a Court of Honor to be held at the 5th and Gth Ward Chapel. Both boys, members of Troop 414 of the St. George Seventh Ward, completed David McLaws constructed a sandbox of tires arranged around a tree and extended a repainted the red curbing area in front of the new swimming pool. Eagle projects at the St. George City Park under the direction of Sherman Miller, director of Parks and Recreation. David Mathis built a horseshoe pitching pit just west of the old tennis courts. More of these pits are expected to be established in the future, according to Mr. Both projects provide beneficial additions to the recreational facilities of St. George. Miller. St. Patrick's Day Sylvia Empey, formerly Sylvia West, has joined the staff of Dixie Realtors as a full time Realtor Associate. Sylvia, grew up in Silver City, a small mining town in New Mexico and moved to St. George six years ago from Claremont, California. Formerly a school teacher and legal secretary, she attended Stanford University and af-t- mxms. He married Maggie Morris in the St. George Temple in Washington Co. Nows rui from University of Arizona. She holds teaching credentials in Utah and California. Sylvia is married to Joe Empey, a well known life time resident of St. George. The couple were married on last Christmas Day, and reside in St. George with their seven children ranging from 4 to 17 years of age. She has had a long time personnal goal of becoming a full time real estate associate and pursuing the real estate profession. She said I am very proud to have reached my goal to become a full time SYLVIA EMPEY salesman for Dixie Realtors. I feel that my legal experience will be invaluable to me in this new endeavor. Dixie Realtors is a St. George based real estate firm with a branch office in Hurricane. Their marketing efforts are concentrated in Washington County. Mr. Byron McLeese, Broker for the firm, says of Sylvia, She will do very well in real estate because she is very personable, intelligent and hardworking. Her background as a legal secretary gives her an invaluable practical knowledge of real estate law. The interest your I.R.A. earns is also tax deductible. And Asked about honors during his school years, his reply was, Well, I didnt receive Empey is very vocal about how great it is to live in Dixie, and hopes that not too many Californians become aware of the desert paradise we enjoy. Where else can you ski, fish, boat and play golf all in the same day in February? FOLEY TEFLON FINISHED ALUMINUM FOIL ROLLIIM Reg. 3.98 Save 2.48 17V4'"x ROAST-R-BROILE- R With Adjustable Rack Save 4.51 Reg. 9.50 I NOW $99 Save 1.66 Reg. 3.99 1138 " $5)33 PRICES EFFECTIVE THROUGH MARCH 21 Burglarized BE01liiN QJUASE $5150 ROASTING PAN House Owen Wright of 274 Diagonal Street in St. George reported a burglery in his home when they returned from a weekend away from home, Monday evening. Apparently the burgler broke thru a door and stole two hand guns valued at $115. It is under investigation by the city police. PINS 25 Ft. Roll SPRINGFIELD MEAT THERMO METER Reg $43 Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Every Day Except Sunday jZ. |
