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Show ' ! " ' ; Yj -' ' - ill' . J . , li - . Popular Escalante humorist Fay Alvey, center front, is surrounded by LaVee Wiscombe, Lola Alvey, Jim Alvey and Raven Wiscombe at the district convention in Escalante of the Garfield and Kane Councties Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Fay was honored as a 43-year-DUP member, and for her many contributions as a writer over the years. Escalante Humorist Fay Alvey Saluted By DUP ESCALANTE Escalante' s favorite humorist Fay Alvey was honored recently when Garfield and Kane County Daughters of Utah Pioneers held their district convention in June at the Escalante Esca-lante LDS Stake Center. The event was hosted by Garfield officers offi-cers and camps with approximately approxi-mately 70 persons attending. With a bit of advance planning, plan-ning, Garfield County officers delivered special honors to 43-year 43-year DUP veteran Fay Alvey. Grace Sandberg read a tribute, prepared by Raven Wiscombe and submitted by LaVee Wiscombe, Wis-combe, to Alvey as Neucile Yard-ley Yard-ley pinned a corsage of Sego 111 lies on the honored guest. Several Sev-eral family members were also in attendance to surprise Alvey and participate in picture taking ceremonies following the presentation. presen-tation. A small sampling of Alvey' s personal poetry was gathered, reprinted and distributed as favors to DUP members in attendance. Luncheon and table decorations decora-tions were prepared by the Escalante Esca-lante Camp with favors prepared by the Garfield County officers. Fay Alvey was born Dec. 28, 1913 and has been a member of the DUP since 1943. Fay says she was "three days late for Christmas then and has been three days late ever since." She grew up in Glendale, Utah on her family's ranch outside of Hatch. They raised hay, grain, sheep and cattle for a living. In the summer one of the jobs of the kids was to shoot prairie dogs, they were paid a dime a dozen. During one summer, Fay's older brother, Kay, was cleaning his gun in the house where Fay : was sweeping the floor. He acci-dently acci-dently shot her in the foot. Fay's father stuck her foot in a bucket of mud for the ride to the doctor. The doctor wanted to amputate the foot but Fay's parents would not let him. Fay later suffered from lead poisoning, which her mother cured with a poultice of sweet cream and flour dough. That wasn't her last encounter with the medical world. She has had six major operations and has been pronounced clinically dead three times. The first was when Fay was 12 and her appendix burst, shutting down her system. The second was after she married mar-ried and suffered hemorrhaging from a tubule pregnancy. When she arrived at the doctor, her heart has stopped but had not collapsed. col-lapsed. The doctor wasn't going to operate but Fay was still conscious con-scious and talked him into the idea. The third was a few years ago when a major heart attack stopped her system from working. The doctor asked her daughter, Dot, what the family's wishes were. Dot's reply was "We don't want her to be a vegetable." A few hours later, Fay's first words were, "What's the matter, don't you like vegetables?" Fay has always had a sense of humor that she started showing off at the age of eight. She gave her first reading in a school concert, because she was too big to participate par-ticipate with the other kids her age. Fay has written something ' for every occasion that she felt needed a little humor. From men-bashing, men-bashing, to wedding anniversaries, anniversa-ries, to honoring dear friends. Fay worked for the Garfield County News, writing the Escalante Esca-lante Chit Chat column for 26 years. She received an "Excellence "Excel-lence in News" award in 1974. Fay was unable to attend college, col-lege, though she had a scholarship scholar-ship from Dixie. After graduating from Vallet's Cafey High School, she worked as a cook and placed her money in the James. M. Peterson Peter-son Bank in Richfield. Unfortunately Unfortu-nately this was during the depression depres-sion and the bank closed it's doors. Later she worked in. Cedar City as a dinner cook in Lunt's Cafe. On the night of Sept. 14, 1936 she met Ariel Haws Alvey who was working as a bellboy. Fay was taking a stack of plates out of the oven when he walked in. Startled, Fay dropped the plates. She now says that she was old enough to know better, but she still married him one month later on Oct. 14, 1936. They moved to Escalante and raised of family of three girls and one boy. Fay has been a widow since 1972. She still lives in Escalante where she makes quilts for her children and grandchildren, greatgrandchildren great-grandchildren and great-greatgrandchildren. She is 84 and is considering having her readings published for everyone to enjoy. Fay's children are: Dot (Anthony) Coombs, Boulder; Jim (Lola) Alvey and LaVee (Steve) Wiscombe, Mapleton; Ranae (Sherman) Bundrant, Boise, ID and many great- and great-greatgrandchildren. |