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Show The Ogden Valley news Volume XXVII Issue I Page 9 May 15, 2020 Life History of James Edmund Shaw: Part III Note: This information was taken from “Early History of Liberty and the People” and was written by Vera Shaw Applonie. Part II ran in the May 1 issue of “The Ogden Valley news,” Part I, in the April 15, 2020 issue. Take out: Part III, in the May 15, 2020 issue. In 1922, Father was called on an LDS Mission to the Northern States under the Direction of Bishop James L. Shaw and stake President Thomas E. McKay. Before Father left for his mission, we had a wonderful trip to the Salt Lake Temple, 27 January 1922. Our entire family arose long before daylight, drove to Eden Station in the bobsleigh, caught the street car to Ogden, and then the Bamberger to Salt Lake City; much different today. It was a day to remember as our whole family knelt at the altar and were sealed for time and eternity. The serenity of that occasion we will never forget. The Spirit of God, the beauty, and Holiness of the temple permeated our very beings. What a wonderful day! We caught the Bamberger back to Ogden too late to catch the street car to Eden, so we stayed overnight at Grandma Shaw’s. Some job for her to make beds for ten people! 22 February Virtue Peal Chard 1922OnFather left for the Shaw, wife of James Northern States Mission. Edmund Shaw. With no money saved ahead, it was a real task to raise the money for his monthly expenses. Mother milked eight to ten cows night and morning. We all took turns cranking the milk through the “Separator.” From the cream she churned butter. She placed the molded butter in pound paper wrappers and on each was printed her name. She supplied the Dee Hospital with her delicious butter for the two years that Father was on his mission. With no refrigeration, it required extra effort to keep the butter hard so she worked at it in the cool of the mornings and evenings. One year after his return, Father was sustained as Bishop of the Liberty Ward, 11 October 1925. This office he held until 15 December 1929. While Bishop, along with Bishop’s duties, he was instrumental in securing and extending the electric power line from Eden to Liberty in 1928. The whole valley was lit up on Christmas Eve when the current was turned on for the first time. He helped organize the Liberty Irrigation Co. and was President, Director, and Secretary for many years. Also, he was Director and President of the Liberty Land and Livestock Company. During the summer of 1929, Father and Mother had a six-room frame home built on the top of the hill east of where Woodrow now lives. They continued to operate both farms. As the folks became older, milking the cows was a great chore, so to make their work easier, Father bought and installed a Sears Roebuck milking machine. Boyd Storey, “The Milk Man,” hauled the whole milk from the farm for five years. In the winter when the snow was deep and the road drifted full, they would have to bring the 10 gallon cans of milk down to the highway. One morning, Boyd and Father decided to hook the black team to the truck and pull it up to the milk house to load the milk. The team broke loose, up the hill they ran. Father was wrapped in the lines, tumbling head over heels but still controlling the team. Boyd, in telling about the incident, said, “Ed Shaw was a man of Go! Grit! And Guts!” After working in the fields all day, he would come to the house physically exhausted. Too tired to do more until after supper, hear the news of Gabriel Heater, then a nap with his head resting on the table. He would muster strength to go to the milk barn and milk ten to twelve cows. Gary Jensen, a grandson, states, “He was the hardest working man I have ever known. If he hadn’t lost his leg, I think he would have worked himself to death.” To plant and reap was his greatest delight. He loved to work the soil. His entire life was spent in fertilizing, plowing deep, spring-toothing, harrowing and leveling and harvesting. During the growing season the crops required lots of irrigating. He would arise long before daylight an on his pony ride from one field to the other, turning the water in the field and checking to see if the water had flowed clear through the field. When irrigating, he wore gum boots. When he came to the house, he would kick them off at the door, roll up his waist Levi pant legs and come in, in his bare feet. He always had a big herd of white-face range cattle. In the summer, he would ride to the range and round them up to the best grass. In the fall of the year, he sold the fat ones for beef. The rest he would keep and feed them in the field near the barnyard with the hay and grain he had raised during the summer. In 1947, Father and Mother moved to a little white frame home at 511 2nd Street in Ogden, Utah where he was an active High Priest and home teacher. At this home they discovered many wonderful friends and neighbors. On March 1, 1953, as we were visiting, Father related this faith-promoting story to me: “I was coming up the steep grade in North Ogden Canyon, just above Chicken Creek, I was riding the head horse, had the second horse tied to the saddle, and the third horse tied to the second. The last or third horse walked too close to the embankment, with the snow being slipper, he slipped over the band and pulled the second horse over also. As I looked back, I saw those horses rolling one over the other down the steep bank in North Ogden Canyon. The horse I was mounted on was losing his balance and began to slide also. I very quickly reached for my pocket knife and cut the rope and let the two horses roll on down to the bottom of the ravine; thus, saving the horse I was riding from sliding down. What a narrow escape! Had my horse been pulled down over the embankment, no telling what may have happened. I went farther down the canyon where the grade wasn’t so steep, and brought the horses up another slope without serious injury to them. The Lord had a protecting hand over me that day, and by the whispering of the Holy Ghost, I quickly reacted and my life was saved.” In a mower and tractor accident in 1953, he was shipped round and round through the machine and suffered the loss of his left leg. Two grandsons, Don Carlos and Eddy Lynn Shaw are credited with saving his life. At this critical time, Don administered to him and they rushed him to the hospital. As I visited Father in the hospital after that serious accident, he looked up to me and stated, “Vera, I actually passed through the veil. My father and mother were standing here beside me.” Due to his strong persistence, after six weeks he was up and around. With an artificial leg he continued to operate his farm and kept up his activity in the 29th Ward. My Bishop, Bishop Jay G. Page of the 28th Ward stated to me: Your Father was our home teacher in the 29th Ward. It was very difficult for him with his artificial leg to kneel in family prayer. But with his persistence, he continued to do so.” He was the Patriarch of his family, possessing an unwavering dynamic faith, determination, diligence, vigor, integrity, honesty, and firmness in his convictions. He considered it a great privilege to work and work hard he did, all of his life. He was thrilled to have lots to do. At the age of 92 years, he raised his last vegetable garden. He had a sharp wit and a chuckle in his voice when an event especially thrilled him. He would quip, “Golly! Golly! Golly!” He was seventeen years old when Utah became a state. He was nineteen years old when the Spanish American War was fought. He knew all the Presidents of the Church, except Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. In 1962, at the age of 82 years young, he was Grand Marshal of the Ogden Pioneer Parade. In 1953, Mother and Father celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1968, Mother and Father celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary; in 1973, their 70th. Mother and Father’s sons have held responsible positions, serving missions, counselors to Bishops, and high councilmen. Their daughters have all been active in the Church, holding many responsible positions in Ward and Stake in the auxiliary organizations. They encouraged their children to secure college educations, which they did. Their children have been school teachers, business secretaries, firemen and farmers. Mother and Father were descendants of noble pioneers. Their bloodlines came from the greatest of the earth. They stood true to their convictions, endured many hardships, lived well and long years, and served much. They passed away within six months of each other. Mother died 14 September 1974, and Father 7 March 1974, leaving a large posterity of 32 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, and (at the time of this writing) 1 great-great-grandchild. From The Past . . . The above picture is from the “Early History of Liberty and the People” put together by the daughters of the Utah Pioneers. The house was built by Chauncey Gardner and his family lived in it for a few years, then the Oram family with 11 children, and then the Rhodes family. Pictured in the doorway is the mother Geneva Oram, in the corner is father John Oram, and left to right, children Warren, Della, Leona and Mina. See the Rhodes article on page 8. The Ogden Valley News is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna at 801-745-2688 or Jeannie at 801-745-2879 if you have material you are willing to share. ... Because life is too short to hate your hair. 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