Grandpa's Fishing/Hunting License

Grandpa Owens (William W. Owens, 1888-1969), started hunting when he was big enough to carry a gun. His father's repeater shotgun carried one shell in the barrel and five in the magazine. The limit was 50 ducks per day; the most Grandpa got was 18, the fall he went on his mission. He was the only one in his house who liked eating duck, the others didn't even like the smell of them cooking. In Grandpa's history, he mentions hunting sage hens, ruffed grouse (see picture), and Chinese pheasants.

Sometime after 1931 only certain varieties of ducks could be hunted, and because of other restrictions that had been implemented, Grandpa gave up hunting. He gave his shotgun to his son in 1964.

The fishing license grandpa bought in 1908 cost $1.00. Here are today's (August 2010) prices: http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/license-permit.html

(Original in possession of Elaine Riddle)

James Michael Andersen

This was written by my grandmother about her father.

I remember my father as a very gracious man. He never scolded or shouted. He was called a peace maker by his neighbors and was always called to arbitrate community disputes.

He had a good bass voice, singing many solos and participating in the ward choir for many years.

He was an eloquent speaker and was asked to speak at almost every funeral in Lewiston during his life time.

He had a marvelous sense of humor. At one time he visited us in Mendon. A woman with an extremely long hooked nose called on me. After she left, Father said, "She won't have to remain out side for want of a handle to put her in."

When Father came to America at the age of eleven, he knew how to keep books, and was always an efficient bookkeeper. He was a self educated man, being an avid reader.

He was a school trustee for a number of years. When the Lewiston 2nd Ward was organized, he was sustained as first counselor, a position which he held for many years.

He passed away with a heart attack at the age of 64, and was buried in the Lewiston Cemetery. The date of death was July 19, 1919.

Written July 1957, by Laura A. Watkins

Dad's Award

Dad was an honest and respected business man. He 1994, he received this award from the American Farm Bureau Federation.

He was the Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Administrator and Secretary of the California Farm Bureau for over twenty-one years. Dad said, "I rode the tiger through thick and thin, through praise and criticism and my basic feeling is that I left the CFBF a much better organization than it was when I became the top staff executive." He spent three and one half years in Chicago with the American Farm Bureau as Chief Administrator and Secretary. After retiring and moving to Utah, he became a consultant to the board of directors of the Utah Farm Bureau.

About the award:

My Mom Was a Beauty

One of my dad's favorite stories was about my mom winning 1st runner up in the Rocky Mountain Bathing Beauty Contest.
It was during the early years of the Great Depression, and my mother's father was forced to sell their house, because his business debtors were unable to pay him. Mom desperately wanted to go to college, but there was no money. She tried to get a job, but no one was hiring. She was miserable, and trying to figure out how to get the $75 she needed for school. After a couple of weeks, she read in the evening newspaper that a local department store was looking for a girl to sponsor in the Queen of the Rocky Mountain Bathing Beauty Contest. The top four girls would go on to compete among 150 girls at Saltair in Salt Lake City. The prizes were the best part - $25, $50, $75, and $100 for the winner. Mom was excited. Her parents were not. The thought of their daughter parading around on a stage in a bathing suit was unthinkable, but mom persisted and they relented. She also received tips from a silent screen star, Wanda Hawley, who told her to look over her shoulder and wink at the judges. The day of the contest came and mom took Miss Hawley's advice. She walked briskly down the steps with a wide smile on her face and winked at the judges. As the winners were being announced she held her breath, nervously waiting. Finally, her name, Margaret Watkins, was called as first runner-up. She had earned her $75 for college that year. (More details in Margaret's autobiography, "Stop Me If You've Heard This Before".)