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Show opened in the old Dick Adams building build-ing on Merchant street, on April 10, ; 1912. This venture proved to be very I successful and he began to climb the ladder of success, working his way up with the company until he had an interest in thirty four stores extending ex-tending from coast to coast. In 1927 he was made district manager of the western division with offices in Salt Lake City. This gave him charge of 155 stores covering points in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada. Neva-da. This position he held for two years until 1931 at which time he was forced to sever his connections with the company on account of failing health which resulted in a major operation op-eration preformed at the Mayo Clinic Cli-nic at Rochester, Minnesota: John has proven himself to be a valuable and progressive citizen. He purchased the James Chipman Jr. home to which he made many improvements. im-provements. He and his wife contributed contri-buted means to build the American Fork Second ward Amusement Hall known as Firmage Hall. He is a director of the Walker Bank Salt Lake City, and the Peoples State Bank of American Fork, and was a director of the Knight Trust and Savings Bank of Provo, and the Bank of American Fork. He was an , active member of the Bonneville j Club of Salt Lake City, the old Commercial Com-mercial Club of American Fork and I the present Lions Club, j John has held only three jobs in his life: The Green Mercantile Co. i of Rock Springs, Wyoming; the j American Fork Co-op. ; and the J. ', C. Penney Company. John went to work for the Penney company when ! they had only nine stores, today they ! have fourteen hundred seventy four. He was one of the men who helped to build the company and is today one of the largest stockholders of the firm. Mrs. J. F. Noyes. Life Sketch of Successful Man Given at Club The following sketch of the life and accomplishments of John L. Firmage of this city, now residing in Salt' Lake, was given at the regular meeting of the Ladles Literary Club held Thursday afternoon, January 3, at the home of Mrs. C. E. Young. The sketch was prepared and read by Mrs. J. F. Noyes. BiOfraphto of John Leonard Firmage John Leonard Firmage, son of William and Catherine Firmage, was born at American Fork, Utah, December De-cember 19, 1884. He was born in the house now occupied by Mrs. Emmett Lynch in the Third ward. At the age of three years his family moved to Rock Springs, Wyoming, where he received his education attending the public schools until he was seventeen years of age. His father reports all of his summer sum-mer vacations during his school life were preferably spent working, he never loafed. His mother said If she ever wanted to find John she never sought him among his companions com-panions but could always find him at the little corner grocery store where he would rather fill the shelves than play with the other boys. Later on he secured employment employ-ment at the Green Mercantile Store and went to school part time. At the early age of seventeen which year completed his schooling he took charge of the grocery part of this establishment and at the age of nineteen nine-teen he was put In full charge of their store number 2. The company at this time had twenty nine stores. At the age of twenty he moved with his parents to American Fork to take charge of the drygoods department de-partment of the American Fork Co-op. Working first under the management man-agement of James H. Clarke and later under Bishop Joseph H. Storrs. ,'This position he filled until 1911, covering a period of about seven years. On September 9, 1908, he was married mar-ried in the Salt Lake Temple to Edna Ed-na C. Chipman. To them have been born five children, three boys and two girls: John Harold, Alfonzo Penny, William Hoag, Louise and Edna Fae. Their second son Alfonzo Penney, died at the -age of two years. During the time of John's employment em-ployment at the Co-op. Mr. J. C. Penney called upon him and offered him a position with his company, which he agreed to take under consideration. con-sideration. While thinking over this proposition Stewart Jamisen, a traveling trav-eling shoe salesman, called to see John and during their conversation John asked his advice as to the proposition offered him by J. C. Penney, Pen-ney, to which he replied, "If you don't accept it you will lose the greatest opportunity of your life. At this time 1911, John left the American Fork Co-op. to go to Murray, Mur-ray, Utah, to work in the Golden Rule Store for J. C. Penney, they then sent him to Provo, and then back to American Fork to open the i Golden Rule Store. The store was |