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Show t 8 THE MAGNA TIMES, W April 3, 2008 EST VALLEY NEW S, KEARNS POST Dirt streets, softball, and the snow wagon: Bob and LaVon Dea remember old Magna By Robert Goble Staff Writer Thirty years ago 1 would ride my bicycle past a red brick home on 3100 South, just east of 8400 West. I was always intrigued by its style and terra cotta roof, so different from all the other homes around it. Why was it different? 1 didnt know. I did know folks called it a Garfield home. I knew who lived there, though; everyone in the neighborhood knew Bob and Lavon Dea. For a kid riding a bike past a neighbors home, he was just the tall guy with the white hair who chatted with Grandpa over the fence whenever they got the chance. Today, Bob is still there, along with LaVon, his wife, the nice lady who always said hello when you walked past. There is much more to them than a red brick home with terra cotta shingles; there is a history, a whole story with nine decades of roots growing deep into the memory of our town. So lets sit down together with them, as the good generations always have, and listen to our elders tell us about there lives and who we are. The following paragraphs are excerpted and edited from a longer conversation. The Beginning I was bom December 29, 1 would say 1911, Bob says. Im 96. Mines March the Golden Corral. With his driving, w'e dont go far, she says with a laugh. We had four sons, raised three: Robert Lavar, the oldest; Kay Lyamn is the second; and Dennis Allen is the third boy. Theyre all retired and senior citizens now. We have 13 grandchildren, 27 great grand and kids, about 1 5 great-grea- t, more on the way. We moved to Arthur, Bob says, sitting in his large and comfortable living room chair, where he enjoys watching sports on a large television. LaVon is by his side in an equally comfortable chair. That was between Magna and Garfield at the time. And my dad went to work at the Arthur mill. During a slowdown, we went to Carbon County, about 1916, then we came back to Magna in 1922. There was very little on Main Street. They had three hotels, and most of the men that was working at the mills was in them. living Automobiles were just coming in. Ive been here since 1928. 1 was about 15 when I went to school at Cyprus. Then I met Bob. We went together for, I guess, three years or so. We was married in 1933, Lavon says with a small laugh. Itll be June 20 this year. Well be married 75 years. The Indians 10 of 1915. Im 93, LaVon says. And were getting along like a million dollars, Bob says. Pretty soon its going to cost you that much. We still have our date night on Fridays, LaVon says. We like the Chinese Gourmet and Indians used to come around here often, Bob says. Well, this one lady, the one I remember, when she showed up, all black dress on, shed stand there and wouldnt say a dang word. I had to hug my mothers leg. My mother would hurry up and get a loaf of bread and hand it to her to get her on her way. She knew what she wanted. That had to be over to Arthur when the Indians come in there. The roads A lot of people dont realize Main Street Magna the to belonged highway that ran from east to west all the way, Bob says. Yeah, theres a lot surprised that the Lincoln Highway come right through 35th South and down 8400 West, LaVon that Bob and LaVon Dea, in their nineties, remember earlier days in Magna. says. Center Street is the one from the fire departstraight up ment and the Empress Theatre. First West was where the post office used to be, not now, but years ago. And Second West was the last street over. Now you turn this other way: First East, Second East, Third East, Fourth East, there was Fifth East, and then you have Spencer Avenue, Bob says. The snow was cleared off of Magna Main Street with Joe Shodwells wagon. Theyd load up the wagon, take it down to where the ball park is now, and that was just an open field. Dump it, come back, and get another load of snow, if you can believe that. LaVon adds: The way they used to clear them was with those planks and a horse pulling them. For the sidewalks, Bob says, theyd have triangular hooked each one down on a board. One horse would pull it right down the sidewalk. made $37 a month, delivering groceries and working the store. The lowest paid at the mills was $3.10 a day, and some of the highest mechanics was five and a half a day. Not an hour, a day! Bob in 1932. I says. You had the drug store on the comer down there right across from the fire department. The next building was Woolfendens Market. I used to deliver groceries all through Magna and Garfield. I was on the fire department down there, too, for 19 years, because I worked right across the street at Woolfendens. LaVon adds and laughs: For thirty-some-o- dollars a month! From seven to seven! Six days a week! The Great Depression think some of our happiest was times the during when Depression everybody got in from the streets and for the town. The people that was running it was the Mutual in the Magna Ward. It was just entertainment. Each street would practice softball once or twice a week besides playing it. Why, that kept you busy. When we got through, we had all different nationalities playing street against street. We started the softball in the state of Utah right there in the Magna Ward. From there on out theyd gone up to win some championships nationally, Bob says. It brought the whole town in ,it seems like, LaVon says. They had every nationality and all the churches. You really got acquainted with everyone that way. There was a lot of young girls that ended up playing on the Shamrock Team. 1 played softball against each other. When we first started up, the different religions wouldnt come and play ball with us because it was all Mormons. It wasnt supposed to be. It was Work in those days I worked at Woolfendens Market. 1 started there steady Their Garfield house We moved over in Garfield in 1951, LaVon says. He Bob had to move over there for his job. So in 1956 they sold the town. We had to move , back. We bought this house and moved it over here. We had a glass of water in the window sill in the boys room. We didnt know it was there. When we got over here, there wasnt even a drop spilled out of it. You didnt even have to take the pictures off the wall if you didnt want to. To lift the house they were Bob says. Some were bigger than that, as long as this house. We put an opening from there to here. He points to the east kitchen window and then to the west. Jacked it up, and they put twelve-by-twelve- it on the trailer that way. When they backed it in here, we dug our basement, and cemented, and everything else, getting it ready before they put it on. That was a job. The spring sun shines once again upon this place where memories run deep and sweet. These pages have room for only a few. Days will go on with routine rhythms, subtly changing our streets, but as we go about our lives, perhaps well take a moment to feel the soil under our feet and reflect upon those things that give us roots. A SURGEON YOU SHOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT As a surgical specialist who donates much of his time to the community, Dr. Victor. Cruz is excited to now be accepting patients in West Valley City. Dr. Cruz bilingual and places a high emphasis on treating and educating the local Spanish speaking population. He prides himself on focusing on medical is management treatments before surgery. When surgery necessary, he specializes in laparoscopic minimally invasive approaches. He is board eligible in .General Surgery and is Fellowship trained in Colon and Rectal Surgery. Pioneer Valley Hospital is excited to is welcome Dr. Cruz to their campus. 3336 South 41 55 West, Suite 306 West Valley City, UT 841 20 For an appointment (801) In 964-385- trj r. call: 5 Association With PioneerValley HOSPITAL CAMPUS OF A JORDAN VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER I Sa- w- |