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Show Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 11 Gunnison, UT ECRWSS Volume 3 • Number 29 Thursday, July 19, 2007 Self-reliance by MITCH PETERSON Whether he’s growing his own food or bending metal in the shop, self-reliance seems to come naturally to Fayette’s Roger Mellor. A recent hip operation may have slowed him down for awhile, but he’s back at work. He was raised in Fayette in the days when most families were self-reliant. “We had three acres on the north end of town where I grew up,” he said. “We had a milk cow, chickens, eggs, a big garden, and a fruit room downstairs where we stored everything. We had hams hanging on the ceiling and a big bin with sand in it to store carrots. My dad built his own home, and he did all his own mechanical work. Now everything’s been specialized.” Mellor graduated from Gunnison Valley High School in 1950, then went to Brigham Young University, and spent most of his working years on the Wasatch Front. But he’d always dreamed of having a place like he had when he was young. He eventually bought a six-acre piece in Fayette and took over his dad’s trucking business. “I was happy to get out of Salt Lake City at that time, and our kids were still young,” he said. His four kids helped with the family garden, raised calves, and once had a goat that won top honors at the state fair. “So our move from the city to the country paid off.” While in high school, Mellor bought a book called “The Have More Plan” by Ed and Carolyn Robinson, for a dollar. “A few years ago I found another one,” Copy Price • 75 cents Gunnison City Garbage Collection Just a reminder to Gunnison City residents that White’s Sanitation will pick up extra trash that is set out on Tuesday, garbage pick up day. The extra trash must conform to the following rules: It must be properly contained and packaged into other cans, boxes, or bags. It must not be heavier than one person can lift. They will not dump barrels or wheelbarrows. They do not take tires, oil, batteries, dirt, rock, or cement. Appliances, furniture, etc. can also be set out for pick up. Please note that tree limbs must be bundles and cut into lengths no longer than 6 feet. Be considerate of large piles. Centerfield City 24th Celebration Monday, July 23 6 p.m. • Parade 7 to 8:30 p.m. • Beef Dinner at Park (Lots of fun and games) Tuesday, July 24 7 to 9 a.m. • Breakfast at Park Mitch Peterson/Gunnison Valley Gazette Fayette’s Roger Mellor shows one of his range-raised Rhode Island Red’s. Mellor said. “It’s the same thing, but it cost six dollars.” The Robinson’s based the book on their own experience of living in a city where they couldn’t even find a decent place for a picnic. They decided to buy a piece of land within driving distance of their jobs in the city. On those two acres, they set about being self-reliant. “I’m still trying to practice that idea and that book is kind of my guide for that,” Mellor said. Since then, Mellor has gathered an extensive library of related books, manuals, and magazines. Mellor makes it clear that he’s not a “doomsday prophet.” “I feel like we should be positive and look forward to the future,” he said. “But I look at events around the world and I think we’d be wise to get prepared.” He points out that The Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints has been advising it’s members to store a food supply for a long time. “I think we’re going to have to be more selfreliant, we’re going to have to produce what we need,” he said. “We used to raise a lot of our own food, but now we’re getting more and more of it from overseas, which worries me.” Mellor believes that a big part of self-reliance involves working with other people. “Self-reliance can have a lot to do with a community, or a nation,” he said. He likes the benefits of Community Supported Agriculture, which may involve a group of people growing crops with the aid of a local farmer. “The farmer may do the tilling and the irrigation or they can lease the land and do it all themselves,” Mellor said. “They decide what they’re going to raise and they can put in labor or funds to keep it going. It’s one way of being assured of having some fresh vegetables.” On trips to the east coast, he’s noticed that much of the traffic seems to be big rigs carrying produce from California to the cities there. “If that line ever got cut, because of the price of See MELLOR, Page 6 Meals are by donation. Please bring your own dishes. Mayfield’s 24th Celebration Tuesday, July 24 10 a.m. • Hometown Parade • Following the parade, activities continue at the park with carnival games, a children’s train ride, pole climb, volleyball tournament, and greased pig chase. Food will include taco salads, hamburgers and hot dogs. 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. • In Cahoots will perform 12:30 • Auction 2 p.m. • Wild Duck Race Grand Marshalls chosen for 24th celebrations Mayfield’s Charles K. and Ingrid Whitlock have been chosen as the Grand Marshalls for the annual 24th of July parade in Mayfield. The parade will be held the morning of the 24th. Soon after Charles K. returned from his LDS Church mission to Germany he was walking on Main Street in Salt Lake City and met a couple he knew in Germany who had immigrated to Utah. After greeting each other the woman said, “Brother Charlie, we’ve got a wife for you,” and introduced him to her sister-in-law, Ingrid Dieckman. The romance blossomed and they were married in 1954. Ingrid came to America on the 24th of July in 1953. She was born in Stettin, Germany which is now part of Poland. She escaped the Russian dominated land with her parents in a dangerous border crossing into West Germany. Ingrid missed some of her elementary education because schools were closed for two years due to the heavy bombing of Germany during World War II. As a teenager she studied telephone and telegraph operations. Charles K. was born in Mayfield. His teenage years were spent farming with horse drawn equipment and a shovel for irrigating. He attended Manti High School and Snow College where he was active in the different music areas. After graduating from the University of Utah he began his school teaching career of thirty years in Salt Lake City at Lincoln Junior High and Charles and Ingrid Whitlock Highland High Schools. During this time Charles and Ingrid and their family spent a year at Stanford University where she earned her PHT (Putting Hubby Through) and he completed his Master’s Degree. Ingrid was involved in a German theatre group. She played active roles in presenting about four plays a year to German audiences in Salt Lake City. Charles also had some on-stage experience playing the role of a villain in melodramas presented in the Salt Palace and in a Park City theatre. Charles has been living the life of retirement now for twenty one years. For many of those years he has entertained the residents of the Mayfield Community Care Center with his beautiful singing voice and continues Courtesy Photo to do so. He keeps busy tending the house, the yard and the pets. His favorite flowers used to be the tulips and daffodils but now he prefers holly hocks and tiger lilies because they grow up taller than the weeds. Ingrid drove the school bus for twenty three years before retiring. She became very well acquainted with the Mayfield children as they were growing up. They have been active members of the Mayfield Lions Club since its inception in 1994. Charles and Ingrid have four children, seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. After the death of their only son, they raised his four children. The Whitlock Grand Marshals really enjoy living among all the fine people in Mayfield and the Sanpete Valley. Neil and Colleen Nielson of Centerfield have been chosen as the Grand Marshalls for Centerfield’s annual 24th of July parade. The parade will be held on the evening of the 23rd on Centerfield’s Main Street. Neil and Colleen are the type of people that make Hometown, USA what it should be. They are caring, generous with their time and resources, civic minded, and active in their church. Their focus is on family. They have raised four children (3 living) that follow in their parent’s footsteps and strive to make where they live great hometowns. As Colleen emphasized, “all that is important is family.” They are very proud of their seventeen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Each one is known and loved individually. Colleen grew up near by in Redmond, Utah. Her parents were Ernal and Una Christensen. Colleen assumes she got her great love for music from her mother. She is charitable in sharing her musical talents. She has enjoyed for many years going to the Mayfield Community Care Center and playing their favorite tunes on the piano and accordion. Colleen also accompanies Leo Averett on the piano as he entertains the residents with singing. They welcome her 2 to 3 times a month. Other talents Colleen has shared is church service in many capacities—Relief Society President, Primary President and other auxiliaries. Few Sundays go by that she has not played the See NIELSON’S, Page 6 The Nielson’s on their wedding day. Top: Neil and Colleen today. Courtesy Photo |
